Questions and Answers on the Meaning of Words

Note: Forgetting the meaning of a word in some matter is worse than deleting that word in that matter since the foreign understanding will blur the matter entirely‎. Therefore, accustom yourself through the Table of Questions and Answers‎ until you can answer them effortlessly by heart.

1. What is “light” (Part 1, Inner Observation, 18)

Everything in the worlds that exists as “existence from existence,” which is everything but the substance of the vessels (see Items 2 and 24).

2. What are “light and vessel” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 6)

The will to receive in the emanated being is called “vessel,” and the abundance that he receives is called “light.”

3. What is “circular light” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 100)

A light that makes no distinction of degrees.

4. What is “simple light” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 30)

A light that contains within it the vessels, to the point that the light and the vessel are indistinguishable.

5. What is “light of Hochma” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 50)

A light that is extended to the emanated being in the first expansion, which is all the vitality and self of the emanated being.

6. What is “light of Hassadim” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 5)

A light that clothes the light of Hochma, and is extended to the emanated being with the first intensification.

7. What is “empty air” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 5)

It is light of Hassadim before it is clothed on the light of Hochma.

8. What is “afterwards” (Part 1, Inner Observation, 34)

That which stems from its previous phase, see Item 20.

9. What is “middle” (Part 1, Chap 2, Inner Light, 2)

See item 39.

10. What is “one” (Part 1, Chap 2, Inner Light, 1)

The upper light that expands from His self is one and as simple as His self. As it is in Ein Sof, so it is even in the world of Assiya, without any change and addition of form at all; this is why it is called “One.”

11. What is “Creator” (Part 1, Inner Observation, 18)

The name Creator relates solely to the innovation, meaning the making of “existence from absence,” which is the substance of the vessels, defined as the “will to receive” in every essence. It was necessarily absent in His self prior to creation.

12. What is “Adhesion” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 30)

It is equivalence of form that brings the spirituals closer and attaches them to one another, while disparity of form moves them away from one another.

13. What is “equivalence” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 10)

When there is no distinction whatsoever among the four phases of the will to receive, it is said that they are in equivalence.

14. What is “expansion” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 1)

Light that stems from the emanator to the emanated being is called “expansion of light.” But in fact, the upper light is not affected by that. It is like lighting one candle from another, where the first is not lessened. It is called so because of the reception of the emanated being.

15. What is “refined” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 90)

Phase one in the will to receive is regarded as more refined than the three phases that follow it.

16. What is “time” (Part 1, Inner Observation, 34)

It is a certain sum of phases that cascade from one another and are mingled in one another by an order of cause and consequence, such as days, months, and years.

17. What is “darkness” (Part 1, Inner Observation, 24)

Phase four in the desire, which does not receive the upper light inside it because of the restriction, is regarded as the root of darkness.

18. What is “Hochma” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 50)

It is the light of the very vitality of the emanated being (see item 5).

19. What is “space” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 6)

Phase four in the desire, which was emptied of light, is regarded as darkness compared to the light. With respect to the vessel, she is regarded as a space, since phase four, in its self, was not deprived from the emanated being in itself by the restriction, but is there in it as an empty space without light.

20. What are “before and after” (Part 1, Inner Observation, 34)

When speaking of a relationship of cause and consequence of the emanated beings, we express the cause by the word “before” and the consequence of that consequence by the word “after.” (see item 16).

21. What is “unique and unified” (Part 1, Inner Observation, 1)

Unique indicates the upper light that shines and rules over all the many degrees, which are different from each other, to the point of inverting them and equalizing them with His unique form. “Unified” indicates the end of that rule, meaning after He had already equalized and returned their form to the state of “unique,” as He is (see item 14).

22. What is “unification” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 6)

Two different phases that have equalized their form with one another unite into one phase (see item 12).

23. What are “right and left”

Sometimes, an inferior degree ascends to an equal level with the one above it, when the upper one needs it for its own completion. In that state, the lower one is regarded as “left” and the upper one as “right.”

24. What is the “Maker” (Part 1, Inner Observation, 18)

The title “Maker” relates to the pouring of the light into the worlds, which includes everything but the substance of the vessels (see above items 11 and 1).

25. What is a “vessel” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 6)

The will to receive in the emanated being is his vessel.

26. What is “above” (Part 1, Chap 2, Inner Light, 3)

Equivalence of form of the lower one with the upper one is an “ascent upward.”

27. What is “Emanator”

Any cause is regarded as the emanator of the degree that results from it. The title “Emanator” contains both the extension of the light, and the vessel that receives the light.

28. What is the “origin of the soul” (Part 1, Inner Observation, 15)

The will to receive that was imprinted in the souls is what separates them and “carves” them off from the upper light. That is because disparity of form separates in spirituality (see item 12). The matter of the origin of the soul refers to the transition between the world of Atzilut and the world of Beria, which will be explained in its place.

29. What is “below” (Part 1, Chap 2, Inner Light, 3)

The one of a lesser merit than the other is regarded as being “below” the other.

30. What is “Unified”

See above the word “Unique.”

31. What is “Malchut of Ein Sof” (Part 1, Inner Observation, 14)

It is the will to receive that is necessarily there.

32. What is “from above downward” (Part 1, Chap 2, Inner Light, 3)

Meaning from phase one to phase four. Phase four that was left without light, is regarded as being “below” all the degrees. The weaker the will to receive, the higher one is considered to be. Therefore, phase one is regarded as the “highest” of all.

33. What is “filling” (Part 1, 1)

Where there is no deficiency whatsoever, and where an addition to the wholeness there is inconceivable.

34. What are “above, below” (Part 1, Chap 2, Inner Light, 3)

The more important is regarded as “above,” and the worse as “below.”

35. What is a “place” (Part 1, Inner Observation, 11)

The will to receive in the emanated being is the “place” for all the abundance and the light in it.

36. What is a “square” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 200)

It is a degree that consists of all four phases of the desire.

37. What is a “triangle” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 400)

It is a degree with only the first three phases of the desire.

38. What is “touching” (Part 1, Chap 2, Inner Light, 5)

If the disparity of form of the degree from the root is not so apparent as to separate it from the root, it is regarded as “touching” the root. The same applies between each two adjacent degrees.

39. What is the “middle point” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 50)

Phase four in Ein Sof is called so after its unification with the light of Ein Sof.

40. What is “Sof” [End] (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 20)

The Sof and the Sium [also “end/conclusion”] of every emanated being is done by the detaining force in phase four, where the upper light stops shining because she does not receive it.

41. What is a “circle” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 100)

If there is no discernment of above and below among the four phases of the will to receive, it is regarded as a circle (like an image of a corporeal circle, where there is no discernment of up or down). Because of that, the four phases are regarded as four concentric circles one inside the other, where it is impossible to distinguish up from down in them.

42. What is “upper” (Part 1, Chap 2, Inner Light, 3)

It is the more important.

43. What is “separation” (Part 1, Inner Observation, 12)

Two degrees without any equivalence of form on any side are regarded as completely separate from one another.

44. What is “vacant” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 4)

This is a place that is prepared to receive corrections and wholeness.

45. What is “simple” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 9)

Where there are no discernments of degrees and sides.

46. What is “restriction” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 40)

One who conquers one’s desire. In other words, one who restrains oneself and does not receive despite one’s great desire to receive, is regarded as restricting oneself.

47. What is a “line” (Part 1, Chap 2, Inner Light, 1)

Indicates a discernment of up and down that was not there before. It also indicates that its illumination is much weaker than before.

48. What is “near” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 3)

The closer one’s form is to another, the closer they are considered to be.

49. What is “Rosh” [head/beginning] (Part 2, Chap 2, Inner Light, 6)

That part in the emanated being that is the most equal to the root is called “Rosh.”

50. What is “Ruach” [also “wind”] (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 5)

Light of Hassadim is called “Ruach.”

51. What is “desire”

See item 45.

52. What is a “name” (Part 1, Inner Observation, 5)

The Holy Names are explanations of how the lights that they imply are attained. The name of the degree designates the ways of attainment in that degree.

53. What is “Toch” (Part 1, Chap 1, Inner Light, 50)

One who receives inside is regarded as the light being measured and limited in the vessel. Conversely, one who receives outside is not regarded as placing any limit on the light that one receives.

54. What is “movement” (Part 1, Inner Observation, 33)

Any new form is regarded as spiritual movement, for it is distinguished from the previous form and acquires a name of its own. It is like a part that is separated from a corporeal object that moves and exits its earlier place.