Chapter Twelve

Explains the coupling of the first looking of the Eynaim in the AHP, from which the vessels of the Rosh were made, and the coupling of the second looking, from which vessels of the Guf were made. It ­contains eight issues:

1. The vessels were made from the light of the looking in the vapors of Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, which are phase four, and phase three, and phase two. 2. “And God saw” is looking. “Et” [the] is Nefesh, the “light” is Ruach and Neshama, “divided” made the vessels, which are separation and boundary. 3. In the look, there is direct light and reflected light because when the direct light expanded unto the screen on Malchut, the screen reflected the light upward, and the light that returned clothed the direct light from below upward. 4. In the beginning of the expansion of the direct light for a coupling by striking on the screen in Malchut, it created only the roots of the vessels for the Rosh. 5. Making the vessels of the Guf requires a second looking on the screen in the Peh, which is Malchut. 6. The root, which is the Keter that is close to the Ayin, emerged in the ten Sefirot of looking. HB and TM expand from the Ayin down to Yesod, which is close to the Peh. 7. The root, which is the Keter, emerged in the reflected light close to the Peh, which is Malchut, the root of the reflected light. HB and TM expand and rise from the Peh up to Malchut of reflected light that reaches near the Ayin, and clothe the ten Sefirot of direct light. 8. When the ten Sefirot of reflected light are incorporated in the ten Sefirot of direct light, they make the level of all the vessels equal.

The vessels were made from the light of the looking in the vapors of Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, which are phase four, and phase three, and phase two.

1. We must understand the matter of sight and looking of the Eynaim. Know that the sight of the Eynaim extended from it a look in the above-mentioned Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama ₍₁₎, and the vessels were made because of her looking upon them. This is the meaning of “And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided,” etc. Ruach and Neshama are called light ₍₂₎, and Nefesh is called “Et” [the], since Nefesh is Malchut, and is called “Et.”

Inner Light

1. Extended from it a look in the above-mentioned Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama: It is called expansion of the light of Ein Sof in a coupling by striking to make vessels, since the light of Ein Sof is light of Hochma, the only one where there is a coupling by striking.

2. Ruach and Neshama are called light: Meaning the phases of Ruach and Neshama of direct light themselves before the ascents of the screen and its refinement from phase four to their phases. It is so because then they have no vessel at all, for there is a vessel only in phase four. However, the first three phases of direct light are regarded as merely causing the appearance of the vessel, meaning phase four (Part 2, Inner Observation, Item 15). The ARI wrote, “Ruach and Neshama,” meaning phase two and phase three, “are called light,” since they are not regarded as vessels.

“And God saw” is looking. “Et” [the] is Nefesh, the “light” is Ruach and Neshama, “divided” made the vessels, which are separation and boundary

2. It turns out that upon the look of His sight in the “Et,” the light, which is Nefesh, called Et ₍₃₎, and the Ruach and the Neshama, called light, the vessels emerged, which distinguish and make a separation, a boundary, and a measure in the lights. This is “and God divided.”

Inner Light

3. Which is Nefesh, called Et (3), and the Ruach and the Neshama, called light‎: “Et” indicates all twenty-two letters from Aleph to Tav. Only Malchut raises reflected light, and all the changes, the letters, and the combinations of the letters in the worlds are formed only because of the reflected light. This is why she is called “Et,” indicating that every separation and measure and boundary comes from her.

In the look, there is direct light and reflected light because when the direct light expanded unto the screen on Malchut, the screen reflected the light upward, and the light that returned clothed the direct light from below upward.

3. Know that there are two phases in this look ₍₄₎, which are direct light from above downward, and reflected light from below upward. First, the sight was extended from above to the end of the tenth, lowest phase of the Nefesh. Then, when the light returned from below upward, the separating vessels were made and formed and clothed all the parts of the Nefesh from below upward. This matter of the look and how the vessels were made from below upward has been explained above thoroughly in the previous study (brought here in Item 6), and study it there well.

Inner Light

4. Know that there are two phases in this look‎: It means that that part of the light that is received in the Partzuf, meaning up to Malchut, is called direct light from above downward. The part of the light that is not received in the Partzuf, meaning all the measure of the upper light that belongs to Malchut, and the screen in her rejects it and returns it to its place, that part is called reflected light from below upward. Thus, the direct light and reflected light are both truly equally regarded as upper light, but the difference is that this direct light is received in the Partzuf, and the reflected light is only the light of departure from the vessel of Malchut.

In the beginning of the expansion of the direct light for a coupling by striking on the screen in Malchut, ‎it created only the roots of the vessels for the Rosh‎.

4. Know that that direct light had the power to make vessels for the Rosh ₍₅₎, yet it would not be apparent before this look strikes the light of Nefesh of the Peh, making the vessels of the Rosh apparent ₍₆₎.

Inner Light

5. Vessels for the Rosh: It is written above that there is no perception in the direct light without it clothing in reflected light. For this reason, the Sefirot of direct light above the reflected light are not apparent in the Partzuf although they are there. For example, in the reflected light that reaches the level of Bina, Keter and Hochma in that Partzuf are not apparent, although they are clothed in the internality of Bina (Chapter 3, Inner Light, Item 6).

6. Making the vessels of the Rosh apparent: It means that by clothing the ten Sefirot of direct light in the reflected light that rises from the screen from below upward, they are sufficient for vessels of the Rosh, meaning only roots for vessels, but not complete vessels (Chapter 5, Inner Light, Item 20).

Making the vessels of the Guf requires a second looking on the screen in the Peh, which is Malchut.

5. However, the vessels of the Guf ₍₇₎, which are the bottom seven, there was no ability to make them in the light of straightness of the above-mentioned looking by itself, but rather until the looking strikes the light of Nefesh of the Peh, and through both of them ₍₈₎, the light returns from below upward, makes vessels, and clothes the bottom seven, called Guf.

Inner Light

7. The vessels of the Guf: It means that after the light is overturned and descends from the screen downward, at which time Malchut, which is the Peh, expands and spreads into ten Sefirot from her and within her to the Malchut in her (Chapter 2, Inner Light, Item 3), called “Nefesh of the Peh.” At that time, they become complete vessels that are called “Guf,” or “ten Sefirot of the Guf.”

8. Through both of them, the light returns from below upward, makes ‎vessels‎: It means that by the light of the look, which is the expansion of the light of Ein Sof, and by Malchut, which is the screen that strikes and returns the light backwards, these two participate in the making of the vessels.

You must know the meaning of the second looking that is mentioned here: It is the ascent of the lights to the Emanator (Tree of Life, Gate “Akudim,” Chapter 3, and here in Part 4, Chapter 4), meaning the refinement of the screen from phase four to phase three, until it is refined to the root phase, called Emanator. As it departs, it creates all five levels, called five vessels: KHB, ZA, and Malchut of the Guf.

The first expansion to Nefesh of the Peh creates the vessel of Keter of the Guf. When Malchut rises to ZA, meaning when phase four is refined into phase three, there is a second coupling by striking that elicits the level of Hochma. By this the vessel of Hochma of the Guf is made. When Malchut rises to phase two, the vessel of Bina of the Guf is made in the above manner, and when Malchut rises to phase one, the vessel of ZA of the Guf is made in the above manner. When Malchut rises to her root phase, meaning when she is refined from all the coarseness that was in her, the vessel of Malchut of the Guf is made.

The ARI wrote that by the second looking of the coupling by striking in the screen of Malchut of the expansion of the Peh, the reflected light rises once more from below upward, until it departs entirely. That creates the ten Sefirot KHB, ZA, and Malchut of the Guf.

The root, which is the Keter that is close to the Ayin, emerged in the ten Sefirot of looking. HB and TM expand from the Ayin down to Yesod, which is close to the Peh.

6. Indeed, in the ten Sefirot of looking, the more adhered to its root is higher because Keter is closer and more adjacent to the Ayin than the rest, and similarly for the rest.

The root, which is the Keter, emerged in the reflected light close to the Peh, which is Malchut, the root of the reflected light. HB and TM expand and rise from the Peh up to Malchut of reflected light that reaches near the Ayin, and clothe the ten Sefirot of direct light. When the ten Sefirot of reflected light are incorporated in the ten Sefirot of direct light, they make the level of all the vessels equal.

7. Indeed, the phase of Malchut emerged first ₍₉₎. When the light strikes and returns, all the vessels were equal ₍₁₀₎, for if Yesod had expanded before it more than Malchut ₍₂₀₎, it would have been equal with Malchut, although it is Yesod (because it expanded more). It would have been so because Yesod would have the strength to expand more ₍₃₀₎ because of the multitude of the light of Malchut. It has no merit over Malchut ₍₄₀₎, but because this expansion is regarded as reflected light, which returns and comes closer to its origin.

However, in terms of the vessels themselves, they are equal‎. When the light returns and clothes the vapor ₍₅₀₎, you find that when it is close to the Peh, the light of the Peh there is greater than the light of the Ozen, since when the vapor of the Peh ₍₆₀₎ is here, it is regarded as the Rosh. However, when the vapor of the Ozen is here, it is still regarded as the rest of the Guf ₍₇₀₎.

Inner Light

9. Malchut emerged first: It means that in the phase of the ten Sefirot of reflected light, Malchut emerged first, since she is the origin and the root of any ten Sefirot of reflected light, for all that reflected light is her own part, which she should have received had it not been for the detaining screen on her. Therefore, Malchut is regarded as the root and the Keter of all the ten Sefirot of reflected light, for she incorporates all of them. He writes, “The phase of Malchut emerged first,” meaning the phase of the reflected light.

10. When the light strikes and returns, all the vessels were equal: The direct light is arranged from above downward, meaning from refined to coarse. The greater the refinement, the greater the importance. Conversely, the reflected light is arranged from below upward, meaning from coarse to refined. The greater the coarseness, the greater the importance. Thus, when clothing each other, they are all equal, since the lower in the direct light, such as Malchut, is higher in the reflected light, as Malchut is the Keter of reflected light, and vice versa. It therefore follows that Keter and Malchut are of equal level, as are the rest of the Sefirot: A shortcoming in direct light is always a merit and advantage in reflected light, and vice versa. Thus, the entire ten Sefirot are of equal level (Inner Observation here, Chap‎ter 3).

20. If Yesod had expanded before it more than Malchut: It means that even though Yesod has direct light above, called “before it,” whereas Malchut does not take any of the upper light before her, since the screen detains it and returns all of it upward, nevertheless, they are equal, as he explains further.

30. Yesod would have the strength to expand more because of the multitude ‎of the light of Malchut: It means that from the abundance of reflected light of Malchut, Yesod received strength to expand more than its measure, for by the power of that reflected light, it reached the level of Keter.

40. It has no merit over Malchut: It means that its entire merit over Malchut is that Malchut is reflected light without direct light, meaning light of departure from Malchut, which returns and draws near to its root. Conversely, Yesod, which receives its part in direct light, it is certainly a great merit. However, from the perspective of the vessels themselves, meaning the reflected light, they are equal. It means that after this departing reflected light rose and clothed all the Sefirot and became a vessel for them, from that perspective, they are both equal, since all the direct light captured in the Partzuf is only because of the reflected light. No other Sefira of direct light can shine to the Partzuf. Thus, the direct light and reflected light join equally in the illumination of the Partzuf.

Here you must remember what the ARI said earlier (this chapter, Item 3), that direct light and reflected light are both one and the same light, meaning the light of looking. The reflected light is inferior only in that it is the light of departure from Malchut. However, now it is the opposite. Any expansion of light in general is dependent on and connected to the reflected light. That makes it completely equal to the direct light, for now it has become the light of expansion, since it became vessels. This is why the ARI says, “However, in terms of the vessels themselves, they are equal.”

50. When the light returns and clothes the vapor‎: There is a scribe’s error here. It should have said “When the vapor clothes the light once more,” because vapor, which is reflected light, clothes the direct light.

60. Since when the vapor of the Peh is here, it is regarded as the Rosh‎: Because the Peh is the root of the reflected light, this is why it is a Rosh, meaning Keter.

70. However, when the vapor of the Ozen is here, it is still regarded as the rest ‎of the Guf: Because reflected light that reaches the Ozen, which is Bina, is the Sefira Hod of reflected light, which is the phase of Guf (Inner Observation, Chap‎ter 3).