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Tabelle der Fragen und Antworten zur Erklärung der Worte
Tabelle der Fragen und Antworten zur Erklärung der Themen
Table of Answers for the Meaning of the Words
Table of Answers for Topics
1. It is called expansion of the light of Ein Sof in coupling by striking to make vessels, because the light of Ein Sof is the light of Hochma, the only one where there is coupling by striking.
2. Meaning the phase of Ruach and Neshama of direct light in and of themselves before the ascents of the screen and its refinement from phase four to their phases. It is so because then they have no phase of vessel, for there is a vessel only in phase four.
However, the first three phases of direct light are regarded merely as causing the appearance of the vessel, meaning phase four (see Inner Observation Part 2, item 15).
The ARI wrote, “The Ruach and the Neshama,” meaning phase two and phase three, “are called light,” because they are not regarded as vessels.
3. “Et” indicates the collective of the twenty-two letters from Aleph to Tav. Only Malchut raises reflected light and all the changes and the letters and the combinations of the letters in the worlds are formed only because of the reflected light. This is the reason she is called “Et”, indicating that she is the source of every separation and measure and boundary.
4. It means that that part of the light that is received in the Partzuf, meaning until 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 it rejects it and returns it to its place, 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.
5. It is written above that there is no perception in the direct light without it clothing the 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 (see Inner Light, Chap 3, item 6).
6. 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.
7. Meaning 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 (Inner Light, Chap 2, item 3), called “Nefesh of the Peh.” At that time, they become complete vessels called “Guf,” or “ten Sefirot of the Guf.”
8. 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 look that is mentioned here: it is the ascent of the lights to the Emanator, meaning the refinement of the screen from phase four to phase three, until it is refined to the phase of the root, 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 ascends to ZA, meaning when phase four is refined to phase three, there is a second coupling by striking, and it produces the level of Hochma. By this the vessel of Hochma of the Guf is made.
When Malchut ascends 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 her entire coarseness, the vessel of Malchut of the Guf is made.
The ARI wrote that by the second look of 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.
9. It means that in the phase of the ten Sefirot of reflected light, Malchut emerged first. It is so because she is the source 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 phase of root and Keter to the entire ten Sefirot of reflected light, and as incorporating all of them. He writes, “The phase of Malchut emerged first,” meaning the phase of the reflected light.
10. 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. It is so because 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 turns out 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 (see Inner Observation here, Chap 3).
20. Meaning, even though Yesod has direct light above, called “before it”, whereas Malchut does not take anything 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. Meaning the abundance of reflected light of Malchut that Yesod received gives it strength to expand more than its measure, for by the power of that reflected light, it reached the level of Keter.
40. It means that its entire merit over Malchut is that because Malchut is reflected light without direct light, meaning light of departure from Malchut, which returns and draws near to its root. However, Yesod, which receives its part in direct light, is certainly a great merit, although 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.
You must remember here what the ARI wrote earlier (this chapter, item 3), that direct light and reflected light are both one and the same light, meaning the light of the look. 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. That is why the ARI writes, “However, the vessels themselves are equal.”
50. There is a scribe’s error here. It should have said “When the vapor clothes the light once more,” because vapor is reflected light that clothes the direct light.
60. Because the Peh is the root of the reflected light and that is why it is a Rosh, meaning Keter.
70. Because reflected light that reaches the Ozen, which is Bina, is the Sefira Hod of reflected light, which is the phase of Guf (see here in Inner Observation, Chap 3).