Part 2:
Baal HaSulam, Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah, #82
1. R. (00:08) We are going to keep going, here, we need to study more and more as much as we can as this still gives us an understanding of the system we are in, and what forms of connection we have between us and the Creator. Even though the system is very complex but the principal in it aren't so difficult because we don't feel them so much that they are not in our nature that is why it seems to us in such a way but actually we need to learn them all so in order to draw the light and also that we will have more of a language with what it means to receive and what it means to be so, what is a soul or body, so long, all the elementary things. Then we will start feeling it in practice in the relations between us and between us and the Creator and it will all be clarified.
Item 82: (01:31) “It has been explained above, in item 74….”
2. R. (02:39) Rav drawing: We are in our same story which is Galgata 4/4, AB 4/3, SAG 3/2 Nekudot de SAG is 2/2 and the world of Nekudim comes out. First comes out in Katnut smallness and then in Gadlut greatness. NE is in Rosh of SAG and in Gadlut comes from the Peh of Rosh of SAG. This is how we get the world Nekudim meaning of records that come after the restriction it bestows 2 and this receives 4. Then the screen went up instead of Peh to NE to the vessels of bestowal and here the coupling on 2/1 came and the second restriction of NE. Then the light expands from here downward until the state. I forgot to draw, we have the Parsa here and the light expands to the Parsa. The coupling happens if NE on the records of 2/1 that they are restricted. Then he says that we have a descend below the Tabur so then they have 2 degrees here, how did he call them? Keter and Aba, Aba ve Ima of the Guf called ZON.
Rav reading, 82, it has been explained above and item 74 there are two degrees in the Rosh of Nekudim called Keter and Aba ve Ima. Hence ZON of AB SAG, meaning that it came to us as usual from Ein Sof through all of these Partzufim to the new Rosh. The light of AB SAG to 10 Sefirot of Nekudim first shined through Nekudim of AB. This is the Tabur where Keter clothes and completed it with GAR in lights and Bina and ZON in vessels. Meaning it was in smallness and then in greatness. Subsequently it is shown to AV to AVI of Nekudim through the Yesod of AK, where AVI clothe, and completed them with GAR in lights and Bina and ZON in vessels.
83. There is a Rosh of clothing, a Rosh of coarseness and the Guf it's all in greatness in Galgata GE, we may ask what is written above that the level of Keter Aba ve Ima in Nekudim is considered small because they emerged on the coarseness of phase one but we had said that through the descent of the Nekudot of SAG below the Tabur of AB connected to the screen of Nekudot of SAG which is Bina.
In this screen is also the records and the fourth phase of coarseness so this screen has a record of phase 4 of coarseness and it needed ten Sefirot of Keter in the light of Yechida, meaning why did we, these parts of Keter and Aba ve Ima that are small, the answer is at the place is the cause because a phase of 4 is incorporated in Bina which is NE the fourth phase because it ascended there, the coarseness of phase for disappeared there inside Bina as though it is not there at all. The coupling was made only on the records of phase two of clothing and Phase 1 of coarseness, 2/1 and the complete VAK which is one of coarseness and ZA so this is what we get in is called smallness of the world of Nekudim it's not a world it is a Partzuf and a small Partzuf but it is for the future it is named in that way. There's a lot of questions about this but it is a preface, so I am still trying to turn myself around and how I should do this in order to not go into things that there will be more questions than answers. Because actually it is all written in part 6 of TES, there is a lot of very interesting material. Let's hope that we will learn it sometimes.
3. S. (11:36) In general, why does the ascent above the Tabur happen, what awakens it?
R. That’s a nice question and to the point. What happens here (Rav references drawing) is from Ein Sof come the records, creates Galgata, AB, SAG which expands the Partzuf SAG, below then incorporates with the records of NHY of Galgata and from this incorporation, there are extra records because, itself that has the records of 2/1: he had 2/2, here in the Nekudot of SAG, and then these records, when it came to the Peh of the Rosh of SAG, when it returned from 2/2, it became 2/1. This record demands to perform a coupling in NE, why? Because Nekudot of SAG, when below the Tabur, mixed with NHY of AK, received an addition of a desire there, and then they couldn't answer that Phase 4 yet, desire number 4 that we have here (referencing drawing), that's why they are performing a coupling to the extent that they are able to. Then they restrict themselves only on the vessels of bestowal and they have a small Rosh now. They had a big Rosh, also GE and AHP, and now they have only a Rosh of GE and they perform a coupling. And from this coupling, they build their Partzuf in a place where they are able to build the Partzuf. Keter Rosh of clothing, Abba ve Ima, Rosh of coarseness and ZON. And then here below (referencing drawing) the Partzuf expands called ‘the world of Nekudim.’ It’s named this way for the future as there is no world here yet, and no nothing. It is just a small Partzuf.
S. Does the coupling always happen above the Tabur?
R. Yes, there it is the Rosh, that’s done by SAG which performs the couplings in Rosh on the new records, that is how it gives birth to the next Partzuf called ‘the world of Nekudim.’
S. So then the Abba ve Ima are a result of the coupling of Phase 4?
R. No, but as much of the records that he receives from NHY of AK restricted the Rosh of SAG and divided into GE and AHP – the vessels of reception and vessels of bestowal – and then you can perform a coupling only on the vessels of bestowal: Keter, Hochma, and GAR of Bina. Then he performs the coupling here (referencing drawing), and from that coupling comes below where the Reshimot came from and he gets a new Partzuf which is the Rosh of clothing, Keter, the Rosh of coarseness, Abba ve Ima, this is just how they’re called, and the Guf is called ZON, this is everything that can be.
4. S. (15:54) Can you explain what is VAK?
R. VAK is half of a full degree, a full level. Let's say you have an adult and next to him you have a child. The small child has the same organs, the same part as the big person but he still can't use all of those parts. That is why he is called a child, he is called VA, that is lacking a mind and forces of how to use all of his body correctly. That is the difference between the first and second restriction.
5. S. (16:52) What is ZON?
R. ZON is Zeir Anpin and Nukva, it’s the initials.
S. Can you elaborate – the coarseness is one – how does this connect to ZON, to this Partzuf?
R. I don't understand you.
S. What are Zeir Anpin and Malchut? Are they the body, the Guf?
R. ZON is the Guf, Keter is the Rosh of clothing and Abba ve Ima is the Rosh of coarseness, and ZON is the entire Guf of the whole Partzuf. It’s small.
S. From where is the Guf? What are these deficiencies?
R. Wait, you don’t have a Partzuf that doesn’t have Guf. Chesed, Gevurot, Tifferet, Netzach, Hod Yesod, Malchut. All of the Sefirot, those spheres are called the Sefirot of the Guf.
S. Is coarseness number one when that does the coupling in NE
R. Yes and the Rosh determines which coarseness the Guf is going to use.
S. Why, Zeir Anpin and Malchut, why do they have the special name ZON?
R. We will learn that later on. Everywhere you can say ZON because, all in all, HGTNHY is Zeir Anpin and Nukva is Malchut. When we finish all these details, we will speak in general and it will be more understood.
Item 84 “Therefore, now ZON of AK below Tabur extended….” (2 times)
6. R. (22:29) Meaning we have this Rosh of Gadlut – Keter, Hochma, Bina, Zeir Anpin, and Malchut. If the coupling happens in Malchut of the Rosh, it is a coupling on Gadlut, greatness, and as a result we have the light that comes into the Guf. If we don't have sufficient light in order to correct the vessel, the coupling takes place at Bina, in the middle of Bina. This state is called NE, and then the Parsa of Rosh stands, up to here (referencing drawing) it is a vessel of bestowal and from here on, it is the vessel of reception of the Rosh. So if we are speaking about the second restriction, it lets us work only until NE and then it turns out that the vessel works in a way like he explains now: that if we get an addition of light let’s say, just as we had a Zivug in NE, in Katnut, so we can lower this Zivug below to Gadlut, greatness, and then a new, whole degree comes to it, From here we get to states: Gadlut and Katnut. (Referencing drawing) This is the small state and this is the big state, two states in every degree, in every state.
Item 85 (25:17) “Now we have thoroughly clarified the Katnut and Gadlut….”
7. R. (26:12) Because they get an additional force from the light of AB SAG, the force of the screen and then they can go down to Malchut.
Reader continues: (26:25) “Bina and ZON of the vessels….”
8. R. (26:42) Just as here (drawing) there was a coupling only on NE – this is the degree of NE – then there was a coupling on the fourth phase, itself. From this coupling, we get Katnut, smallness and from this coupling, we get Gadlut, greatness. Two degrees depending on where the Zivug takes place, either it is in the Peh or in NE.
Reader continues: “Then a coupling was made on phase four, ….”
9. R. (28:13) So GE and AHP connected together to 10 Sephirot, that there’s nothing that separates between them, now.
Reader continues
10. S. (30:50) Where in the Partzufim in which there is a division between GE and AHP is the screen?
R. The screen is where the vessels of bestowal end, meaning after GE when the AHP comes, the restricted AHP, if they are under the second restriction, where? The screen stands behind them. If GE is annulled and can't receive in order to bestow, they activate the AHP and the screen stands below the AHP. The screen determines the degree.
11. S. (31:43) Is there a change after the second restriction in the way that the Partzuf works compared to what happened before?
R. Yes, of course. The thing is that it depends as much on the vessels that we can use to bestow, that’s it, that’s the thing. Either we can bestow only in order to bestow, meaning when I give, I can think of who I am giving to, or even if I am receiving, I can think of giving. Meaning through my vessels of bestowal to pass that bestowal, or even through the vessels of reception to pass bestowal. That’s a big question. That's why we are still here in great scrutiny. Try and do something in order to bestow to the friends and then you will see how not simple it is. Either in the vessels of bestowal or in the vessels of reception. That’s how we speak about spirituality. We will end now, I understand the material is difficult, there's nothing more difficult than what we are learning now. And let us hope that we will overcome it in another lesson or a few more and in this way, it will be clear to us and we can use it. It is already speaking about the correcting of the soul, it’s our vessel of reception.