Inner Observation

Circles and straightness, containing ten chapters

Chapter One

Explains the ten Sefirot of circles, and contains six matters: 1. The circles are regarded as GAR. 2. In the Sefirot of circles, the more external is more important. Conversely, in the Sefirot of straightness, the more internal is more important. 3. Two kinds of reception in the vessels: a. Through their internality, b. ‎through their externality. 4. Phase four can be revealed only through the three phases that precede it and cause its revelation. 5. The four phases are like four layers in the walls of a vessel, one on top of the other, and the abundance is received in the inner layer. 6. The coarser screen raises a higher level of reflected light, and they are five levels.

The circles are regarded as GAR.

1. The ARI spoke very little of the ten Sefirot of circles, and even those few words seem ‎filled with contradictions. However, it is impossible to elaborate on them because they are ‎regarded as the first three Sefirot, in which we are forbidden to engage.‎ Nevertheless, the little that the ARI did write should be explained elaborately, enough to ‎accomplish the goal that the ARI had aspired for, meaning as much as is necessary to ‎understand the interconnections in this wisdom.‎

In the ten Sefirot of circles, the more external is more important.‎

2. First, let us understand the matters in general. The ARI divides all of reality into two ‎discernments: circles and straightness. This means that all the Partzufim in the five worlds—Adam Kadmon, ABYA, down to this world, contain ten Sefirot of circles and ten Sefirot of straightness. We saw that in the Sefirot of circles, the more external is better, and the more internal is worse, since the top circle, the closest to Ein Sof, which surrounds and encircles all of reality, is the best among them, and it is called Keter.‎ Within it there is a second circle called Hochma, which is worse than Keter, etc., down to the innermost sphere, which is this world, the worst of all the circles, which is darkness without light, and is full of filth. Thus, the more internal the circle is, the worse it is, and the more external ‎the circle is, the better it is.‎

In the ten Sefirot of straightness, the more internal is more important.‎

3. It is the opposite with the Sefirot of straightness, since in them, the more internal is better. This is because the first, and innermost ten Sefirot of straightness are the ten Sefirot of the world of Adam Kadmon, which is called a line that expands from Ein Sof and is extended down to near this world, but does not touch it. Its externality is clothed by the ten Sefirot of straightness of the second world, called the “world ‎of Atzilut,” whose merit is lower than that of the world of Adam Kadmon. The externality of the world of Atzilut is clothed by the ten Sefirot of straightness of the world of Beria, which is worse than the world of Atzilut, down to the ten Sefirot of straightness of the world of Assiya, which is the worst of all the worlds, and clothes the externality of all the worlds. Thus, in the Sefirot of straightness, the more external is worse, and the more internal is better, the opposite of the ten Sefirot of circles. Indeed, a great and profound matter is presented here in this oppositeness between the Sefirot of circles and the Sefirot of straightness, and we should thoroughly understand it.‎

Two manners of reception in the vessel: A. through its internality, B. through its externality.‎

4. You already know about the middle point in Ein Sof, where the restriction took place, and the light departed from around that point and became an empty space (see Part 1, Chapter 1, Item 50). It explains there that it is called the “middle point” to indicate that it does not receive through its internality and Toch [interior], but only through its externality, from its surroundings. It receives the light without any rate and measurement because the one that receives from its externality does not place a boundary on the light. Thus, we have two manners of reception in the vessels: The first manner is receiving through its externality, and the second kind is receiving through its internality. Indeed, this does not refer to a place and an area by which to depict externality and internality, so we must thoroughly understand with which internality and externality we are dealing here.

The first three phases only cause the appearance of phase four, but they themselves cannot receive; they are like four layers in the wall of the vessel.

5. You already know that a “spiritual vessel” refers to the desire in the emanated being to receive its abundance from Ein Sof (see Part 1, Questions and Answers on the Meaning of Words, Item 25). Also, you already know that this desire has four phases one below the other. In other words, this vessel, meaning the above-mentioned will to receive, is set in the emanated being and can perform its task only after it gradually passes through the four phases. The first phase is a very faint desire; phase two is greater than phase one, etc., up to phase four, which is the greatness of the desire to the extent that is needed for the final completion of the vessel.

The reason for this has already been explained (Part 1, Chapter 1, Item 50). Since the form of this will to receive is absolutely opposite from the will to bestow incorporated in the light of Ein Sof, it cannot appear at once, but only gradually. It begins from the will to bestow included in the root, called Keter, then to the coarser, which is a little different from it, which is phase one, and then to the coarser, called phase two, and so on until phase four, which is absolutely opposite from the form of the light, and which is specifically, is suitable to operate as a vessel in the emanated being. Conversely, the will to receive in the previous three phases is not disclosed enough to operate as vessels of reception. Thus, only phase four is regarded as the vessel of reception in the emanated being, and for this reason, it is called the internality and the Toch of the emanated being. Phase three in the desire is regarded as outside of phase four; phase two is outside of phase three; phase one is outside of phase two, and the phase of Keter is outside all of them.

Like the wall of a corporeal vessel made of four layers one atop the other, the abundance in that vessel is certainly received in the fourth, innermost layer. The three external layers that surround it are only there to strengthen the innermost fourth layer. Here, too, the light is received only in phase four, while the three phases that precede it are external to it, and come only because it is impossible for phase four to appear, but only by cascading, as we have explained above.

Internality and coarseness are the same; externality and refinement are the same.

6. Now you have thoroughly learned the internality and externality that we must distinguish in every vessel. Because there are necessarily four phases in every vessel, the last of which is called the Toch and the internality of that vessel, as it is the main phase of reception in the vessel. The phases that precede it in order to reveal the final phase, are regarded as the externality of the vessel. The further the degree is from the last phase, the more external it is considered to be. You should also know that phase one is more refined than phase two, and phase four is the coarsest. It turns out that internality and coarseness are one and the same, and the reason that phase four is regarded as the phase that receives the abundance is because it is the coarsest. Similarly, externality and refinement are one and the same because her desire is faint and refined, and closer to the Emanator. For this reason, it is the most external, meaning the farthest from reception, which is Toch and internality.

Closeness to and remoteness from the Emanator are evaluated according to the measure of reception in the emanated being.

7. This is what the ARI wrote about the Sefirot of the circles, that all that is the more external is better and closer to the Emanator, since the root phase, called Keter, is the most refined and closest in form to Ein Sof, meaning close to the Emanator. This is called that she is the most external, meaning very far from the Toch and the internality, meaning from reception. After her comes phase one, which is more internal than Keter, meaning closer than her to reception. Phase two is more internal than her, meaning closer to phase four, which is the phase of reception. Finally, phase four is the real inner one, meaning that the abundance is received in her. For this reason, her form is the furthest from the Emanator.

In the ten Sefirot of straightness, the degree is measured according to the reflected light that rises from the coarseness in the screen. The greater the coarseness, the greater the reflected light.

8. In the Sefirot of straightness, there is the matter of reflected light that rises from the coupling of the screen with the upper light (Part One, Questions and Answers on the Meaning of Words, the word “screen”). The amount of that reflected light is measured by the amount of coarseness in the screen that makes a coupling with the upper light. The coarsest screen, namely phase four, reveals a complete level of ten Sefirot, which is up to Keter. If the measure of coarseness in the screen is less by one phase, consisting only of phase three, it reveals only ten Sefirot where each of them has only the level of Hochma, and the Keter is missing. If all it has is coarseness of phase two, it reveals only ten Sefirot where each has the level of Bina, without Keter and without Hochma. If the screen has only the coarseness of phase one, it only reveals ten Sefirot where each has only the level of Zeir Anpin. Finally, if the screen is refined and does not have even the coarseness of phase one, it does not reveal any level, but only the phase of Malchut. The reason for this will be explained below, in Part Three.‎

Chapter Two

Explains the five primary discernments in the five worlds of AK and ABYA, and contains six issues: 1. The five worlds called AK and ABYA, are differentiated by the four levels of coarseness in the screen. 2. The upper one bestows upon the lower one only through the coarsest thing, and the lower one receives from the upper one only in the most refined thing. 3. The reason for the departure of the light from the three phases ‎ preceding phase four, although only phase four was restricted. 4. Explanation of the matter of a coupling by striking. 5. What is the reflected light that rises from below upward through a coupling by striking? 6. The reflected light that rises from the coupling by striking becomes a vessel of reception for the upper light instead of phase four.

The differentiation between the five worlds AK and ABYA is primarily according to the coarseness in their screen, where in AK, it is phase four.

9. Know that the main distinction between the five worlds AK and ABYA of straightness is the measure of the coarseness of the screen of their vessels. The screen of the vessels in the world of Adam Kadmon is very coarse, meaning coarseness of phase four, the greatest coarseness in all the worlds. Therefore, its ten Sefirot are complete, meaning all of them are on the level of Keter, the closest to Ein Sof, which is the first, and most important world, reaching from end to end: from Ein Sof to this world. For this reason, it is regarded as standing in the internality of all the worlds, for you already know that internality and coarseness are one and the same. Because the screen in the vessels of this Adam Kadmon is of phase four, meaning the coarsest, it is therefore the most internal.

The world of Atzilut is from the screen of phase three. Therefore, it is external to AK, which is phase four.

10. The screen in the vessels of the world of Atzilut is not as coarse as that of the world of AK, since the coarseness in the screen of Atzilut is only of phase three. Consequently, the level of none of the ten Sefirot of straightness of Atzilut is higher than the level of Hochma and they lack Keter. Hence, they are regarded as low compared to the ten Sefirot at the level of Keter in the world of Adam Kadmon. They are considered external compared to the ten Sefirot in AK because the coarseness of phase three is external to coarseness of phase four, and refinement and externality are one and the same. Consequently, the world of Atzilut became a garment, meaning externality that clothes the world of AK, which is more internal than it.

The screen of Beria is from phase two; this is why it is external to Atzilut.‎

11. The screen in the vessels of the ten Sefirot of the world of Beria is even more refined than that of the world of Atzilut, consisting only of the coarseness of phase two. Thus, the level of these ‎ten Sefirot is not higher than the level of Bina.‎ Therefore, the world of Beria is regarded as more external than the world of Atzilut, where there is coarseness of phase three, making it more internal than the world of Beria, which is only the coarseness of phase two. Thus, the world of Beria is regarded as external and a garment over the world of Atzilut.

The screen of Yetzira is from phase one, which is why it is external to Beria.‎

12. The screen in the world of Yetzira has only the coarseness of phase one, the faintest. ‎For this reason, the level of the ten Sefirot in the world of Yetzira is short, reaching only the level of Zeir Anpin, and lack the first three Sefirot: Keter, Hochma, Bina. Hence, the world of Yetzira is more external than the world of Beria, for there, there is coarseness of phase two, which is internal to the coarseness of phase one in the world of Yetzira. For this reason, the world of Yetzira is regarded as external, clothing over the world of Beria.

The screen of Assiya comes from the root coarseness. This is why it is the most external.

13. The screen in the ten Sefirot of straightness in the world of Assiya is completely refined, lacking any coarseness. Consequently, there is no issue of coupling with the upper light in it, which raises reflected light. Because there is no reflected light in them, they also do not have upper light, since the upper light is not gripped in the Partzuf where there is no reflected light. Therefore, these ten Sefirot have only the degree of Malchut, lacking the first nine Sefirot, which are Keter, Hochma, Bina, and Zeir Anpin (containing the six Sefirot HGT NHY). Because the screen in them is more refined than in all the previous worlds, they are naturally regarded as external to all of them since you already know that refinement and externality are one and the same. Thus, the world of Yetzira, whose vessels have the screen of phase one, is nevertheless regarded as an internal world compared to the world of Assiya, and the world of Assiya is regarded as external to, and a garment of the world of Yetzira, and of all the worlds, for it is the most refined of all.

Inverse relation between the bestowal of the light and the clothing of the light.

14. This may be surprising, for it is reasonable to think that the more important light should clothe in the more refined vessels because the form of the refined vessel is closer to the light. Thus, why is it said here that the greater the coarseness, the higher the degree? Indeed, we should know that the issue of the clothing of the light in the vessels is an issue in and of itself, and the bestowal of the upper light to the Partzuf is a different matter altogether. They are far apart, and have an inverse relation between them from one end to the other. The rule is that the upper one bestows upon the lower one only with its coarsest part, while the lower one receives the ‎light from the upper one only with its most refined part. We must understand this well, as it is an essential key in the wisdom.

The restriction was only on phase four.

15. In order to understand this, we need a thorough understanding of the matter of restriction and line, for you already know that the restriction was only on phase four, called Malchut of Ein Sof, or the “middle point.” The reason is simple: Restriction means detainment from wanting to receive. In other words, one stops oneself from receiving the abundance from the light of Ein Sof. Thus, the restriction applies only to the receiving vessel. Since there is no other vessel of reception there but phase four, the restriction applies only to phase four. It has already been explained above that the three phases that preceded phase four are not regarded as vessels of reception whatsoever, but only as causes, where because of their cascading, the vessel of reception is revealed, which is phase four. This is why the restriction does not apply to them but at all, only to the middle point, which is phase four.

All the light departed because there was no other vessel of reception other than phase four.‎

16. Therefore, since she diminished her desire from phase four, the light departed from the three former phases, too, since there are no other vessels of reception there to hold the light within them. Even the lights that belong to the three previous phases must be received in phase four, since they do not have vessels of reception in their own phase. Thus, because phase four stopped receiving, all the light promptly disappeared.‎

There were only the first three phases in the light of the line.

17. After the light departed because of the restriction, she drew the light from Ein Sof once more in the form of a line, meaning only a small amount of light, containing only the first three phases of the will to receive, without phase four (see Part 1, Chapter 2, Item 2).‎ According to what we have explained, that there are no vessels of reception whatsoever in the first three phases of the desire, we ‎should therefore ask how can light be received without vessels of reception? After all, these three phases still do not have any form of reception in them, and phase four, the only vessel for reception in the Partzuf, is here only as a line.

Explaining the coupling by striking.

18. The thing is that since the restriction is only from the perspective of the emanated being, and not at all from the perspective of the Emanator, the upper light is not at all meticulous about the restriction that the middle point had done. Because of this, it is considered that the upper light descends to phase four, as well, but phase four detains it from appearing within her due to the prior restriction on phase four before that light came. The books call this matter a “coupling by striking” since it is like two objects where one wishes to break through and pass over the fence and the boundary that the other erected, while the other stands firmly against it and prevents it from trespassing. In that state each one strikes the boundary of the other. It can also be compared to two solid matters because the nature of the liquid is that it lets other things permeate and mix with it, and soft matters, too, let other matters permeate them a little and push their upper shell to some extent. However. Conversely, with two solid objects, one does not let the other push it from its boundary even a bit. As a result, when two hard objects meet, they strike one another since the encounter itself causes the striking. The same applies to the expansion of the upper light from Ein Sof: Its conduct is to fill phase four, as well, as it is in Ein Sof. For this reason, the light does indeed come down to clothe in phase four, but the force of the restriction of phase four detains it and does not let it descend to her. Consequently, this encounter of the upper light with the force of the restriction is called a “coupling by striking,” meaning that each of them interrupts and detains the passage of the other, because the conduct of the light of Ein Sof is to fill phase four, and the conduct of phase four herself is to reject the upper light, not receive it.

Explaining reflected light.

19. A new light was born and emerged by the above-mentioned encounter and striking that was done in phase four. Like sunlight on a mirror, meaning on a glass that is painted on the other side, the lines of the sun cannot pass through the mirror because of the paint on the other side. Consequently, the lines of the sun return backwards and produce there a glitter of light. Similarly, when the upper light meets the force of the restriction in phase four, which is called a screen, that screen returns it to its root. However, it is not a matter of concealment, but on the contrary, the return of the upper light from phase four upward is regarded as a new and special light that mounts the upper light, clothes it, and holds it within. Because of this, it is regarded as a vessel that receives the upper light.

The reflected light becomes a vessel of reception instead of phase four.

20. Know that there are no other vessels of reception in the Rosh of every Partzuf, other than the above reflected light. The entire force of reception in this reflected light comes because it is born and emerges from the striking that is done in phase four. Because it is a consequence of phase four, it becomes a vessel of reception like it. This matter will be explained in full in Part 3, for this is its place.

Reflected light was the vessel of reception in the line.

21. Now you can understand what we asked above: “How can the upper light expand only in three phases, while there are no vessels of reception in these three phases?” From the above explanation you can thoroughly understand that now, the reception of that light also stems only from phase four. However, in the vessels of reception of the reflected light that rises from the coupling by striking in phase four, that reflected light is regarded as a vessel of reception in the line that is extended from Ein Sof into the space, and it is exactly like phase four herself, who is the phase of reception in Ein Sof. Thus, now, ‎after the restriction that was missing in phase four, the reflected light that is born by the screen in her comes instead of her.

The vessels of the ten Sefirot of the Rosh are but roots for the vessels.

22. It has already been thoroughly clarified that although there are four phases in the will to receive, not all of the phases are regarded as vessels of reception, but only phase four. We have also learned that the vessels of the reception of that line, which is extended from Ein Sof into the space after the restriction, is the reflected light that rises from the screen in phase four. Because it is born from phase four, she makes it suitable to be a vessel of reception. It will be explained that this reflected light does not complete its qualification of becoming a vessel for reception before it expands from its screen downward, too. Consequently, the screen expands once more into four degrees, up to phase four, and these are the real vessels of the ‎above-mentioned line. Conversely, the first four phases that were emanated by the power of the coupling by striking from the screen upward to the root, are regarded as only roots of the vessels since the force of the screen cannot ascend with that reflected light from its place upward. Hence, there is only light there, without any coarseness of the screen. For this reason, these are not real vessels, but only roots for ‎the vessels. Afterwards, when this reflected light expands downward from the place of the screen, it leads the coarseness of the screen with it, as well, and becomes real vessels.

Chapter Three

Explains the self and the substance in the vessels, and contains two issues: 1. Three fundamental ‎phases in the vessels: a. the self of the substance in them, b. the force of restriction in them, c. the screen in them. 2. There are two phases in the substance of the vessels itself: a. Malchut of the upper one that became the first substance in the lower one, b. the light that is extended into that first substance is regarded as the lower one itself.

A detailed explanation of the four phases of the desire.

23. Now there opens before us a way to understand our previous question about the order of the Sefirot of straightness, in which the coarser is higher and more important. This is opposite from ‎common sense, since according to common sense, the more refined vessel should clothe the higher and more important light, and the coarse vessel should clothe a lower and lesser light. You can understand this from the aforementioned, but we should first elaborate on the meaning of the four phases in the desire, which are the vessels of the ten Sefirot called Hochma, Bina, Zeir Anpin (which consists of six Sefirot HGT NHY), and Malchut, and their root, called Keter, which need an elaborate explanation.

Three discernments: the substance of the vessel, the force of restriction in the vessel, the screen in it.

24. There are three fundamental phases in these vessels: The first is the substance of the vessel itself. The second is the force of restriction in it, meaning the retirement from the great will to receive, through its own voluntary choice, and not because of the ‎control of the upper one on it. The third is the screen in it, meaning the retirement from the great will to receive by the control of the upper one on it. This is compulsory retirement, not of one’s own choice. We will explain them one at a time.

The four degrees of the will to receive are the substance of the vessel.

25. You already know that the substance of every vessel consists of four degrees of the will to receive, one below the other. The upper one is the reason and the cause of the emergence of its lower one. The root is the cause of the emergence of the desire in phase one; phase one is the cause for the emergence of the desire of phase two; phase two is the cause for the emergence of the desire of phase three; and phase three is the cause for the emergence of the desire of phase four. This mandatory cascading of cause and consequence has already been thoroughly clarified in Part One (Inner Light, Chapter 1, Item 50, study it there well for I wish to avoid the repetition of that long text unnecessarily. However, you should thoroughly repeat the matters brought there for I rely on them in the continuation of my henceforth explanation).

Two discernments in each phase: what it has from its upper one, what it has from its own essence.

26. We should note that there are two discernments in each of these four phases: The first is the amount of substance that came to it by its own reason. The second is the amount of substance in its own essence, which is activated by the light that is clothed in it. It is known that the desire in a degree is called by the name of the Malchut of that degree. Even where no recognition of a vessel is discerned, meaning in Ein Sof, we still call the desire there by the name Malchut of Ein Sof, as is known about “He is one and His name is one,” where “name” is an appellation of the Sefira Malchut, and “His name” is “desire” in Gematria.

Malchut of Keter descended and became the substance in the Sefira Hochma.

27. Now we shall explain the two discernments we should make in each of the four phases: The root of each degree, which is the discernment of the instilling of the light of Ein Sof on it, is called the Keter of that degree. It is known that in the upper light, there is only the will to bestow and to do good to others, meaning to the entire reality that exists in the worlds He has created. However, ‎there is nothing in Him of the will to receive, as it is written at length in Inner Observation, Part 1. Malchut of Keter is the cause of phase one, since the desire in the upper one becomes a must, and mandatory in what is below it. Thus, the will to do good and bestow, which is Malchut of Keter, became the will to receive in phase one, which is called Hochma. It is regarded as though Malchut of Keter herself came down and clothed, and became the will to receive of phase one, meaning its actual substance. It is so because the desire in phase one is the substance in that phase, and the upper light, called Haya, is clothed in that substance. Hence, it is considered that Malchut of Keter became the substance of the Sefira called Hochma. This is the first discernment that should be made in the substance of phase one.

After the appearance of the light of Hochma, the vessel of Hochma itself emerged.

28. The second discernment is that after the upper light, called Haya, expanded inside Malchut of Keter, which is the aforementioned substance of Hochma, Malchut of Keter received the real substance of phase one. This means that although Malchut of Keter, namely the will to bestow that is included in the upper light, became a will to receive and the first substance of phase one, it was sufficient only to be a root for phase one, meaning for this will to receive to draw the upper light into it. We can denominate it as the first substance of the Sefira Hochma, for it is still regarded as Emanator and Keter. It shifts from being Emanator and Keter into being an emanated being and Hochma, called phase one, only after the aforementioned will to receive drew into it the light of Haya that is attributed ­to it. Then, it stops being regarded as Emanator and is regarded as an ‎emanated being or Hochma. Study it well and you will not miss the goal. Now you have learned the two discernments in the substance of the vessel called Hochma: The first is called Malchut of the upper one, meaning before she drew her light, and the second is called the vessel of Hochma itself, namely Malchut of Hochma, since the vessel is always called Malchut.

Malchut of Hochma became the first substance in Bina. With the emergence of her light, the vessel of Bina herself emerged.

29. The same is learned in the substance of phase two, called Bina. Her cause is the desire in phase one, called Hochma, meaning only Malchut of Hochma. The desire in the degree is always called the vessel, or Malchut of the degree. That Malchut of Hochma clothed and became the first substance in the Sefira of Bina, so as to draw the light that is attributed to her. This is the first discernment in the substance of phase two, called Bina. Then, when she drew the light that is attributed to her, called Neshama, her substance emerged from being Malchut of Hochma, which is phase one, and acquired its own form, meaning the actual phase two, called Bina.

Malchut of Bina became the first substance in Zeir Anpin. With the emergence of his light, the vessel of Zeir Anpin himself was revealed.

30. In this way, you will also learn the substance of phase three, called Zeir Anpin. Malchut of Bina is its cause, and she became the first substance of Zeir Anpin, which is phase three, so as to draw the light that is attributed to it, called Ruach. The second discernment is that after he drew and received his light, his substance stopped being regarded as Malchut of Bina, and received the form of Malchut of Zeir Anpin.

Malchut of Zeir Anpin is the first substance in Malchut. With the emergence of her light, the vessel of Malchut herself was revealed.

31. So are the two discernments in the substance of phase four: Malchut of Zeir Anpin is her cause, which clothed and became the first substance of phase four, called Malchut. When she received sufficient light of Nefesh that is attributed to her, Malchut of Zeir Anpin went out from the phase of Zeir Anpin and became phase four, meaning the phase of Malchut of Malchut.

The above-mentioned vessels of reception are only for drawing.‎

32. Understand that although we have clarified and ascribed a phase of reception in each and every phase in and of itself, it relates only to the drawing of the light, where each phase draws for itself its respective light. However, the real vessel, which merits being called a “vessel of reception for the emanated being,” is specifically phase four, and not the three preceding phases.

Chapter Four

Explains the precise meaning of the four phases of coarseness, as our sages wrote about the four phases (Psachim, 25): 1. Impossible and not intending. 2. Possible and not intending. 3. Impossible and intending. 4. Possible and intending.

Explanation of the four phases in the desire according to the four phases in possible and intending.

33. In order to provide an accurate and elaborate explanation, I will now clarify this to you through the words of our sages (Psachim, 25): “It is said, ‘Pleasure that comes to a person against his will, ‎Abaie [name of a sage] said, ‘permitted,’ and Raba [name of another sage] said, ‘forbidden,’ possible and intending, impossible and intending, the whole world does not dispute that it is forbidden. Impossible and not intending, the whole world does not dispute that it is permitted. The dispute is over possible and not intending, and RASHI interpreted ‘possible’ as possible for him to separate himself. ‘Intending,’ intending to approach in order to enjoy, such as a scent of that which is forbidden.”

Phase one is impossible and not intending.

34. Four phases of receiving pleasure are found in their words: Phase one is “impossible” for him to separate himself, and “not intending” to approach and enjoy, for by receiving forbidden pleasure in such a way, the whole world does not dispute that it is permitted since reception and the desire do not matter when there is no way or a choice not ‎to receive, and there is also no desire to approach the forbidden in order to enjoy it.

Phase two is possible and not intending.

35. Phase two is “possible” for him to separate himself, and not intending to approach and enjoy. Regarding the reception of forbidden pleasure in such a way, Abaie and Raba are disputed: Abaie thought that although it is possible, meaning that he has a choice to draw far and refrain from enjoying the forbidden, it is still permitted to approach and enjoy it since he is not intending. In other words, because there is no desire in his heart to approach the forbidden, it is not regarded as reception, although he draws near and enjoys the forbidden. Raba said that because he can refrain from approaching and enjoying the forbidden, he is forbidden to approach and enjoy, even if he has no desire to approach the forbidden and enjoy.

Phase three is impossible and intending.

36. Phase three is impossible and intending. This means that it is impossible for him to separate himself and draw far from the forbidden so as to refrain from enjoying it. Intending means he has a passion to enjoy the forbidden. The whole world does not dispute that reception of a forbidden pleasure in such a way is forbidden, for although he cannot, and has no way to separate himself from the forbidden and refrain from enjoying, because he has a passion in his heart to ‎ enjoy and approach, this passion is regarded as reception of pleasure from something that is forbidden to enjoy, and he sins. Yet, some say that even here, Abaie thought that it was permitted.

Phase four is possible and intending.

37. Phase four is possible and intending. This means that it is possible for him to separate himself and distance himself from the forbidden, and refrain from enjoying it. He is also intending because he has a passion to approach and enjoy the forbidden. Here, the whole world agrees that it is forbidden since it is receiving pleasure from the forbidden in the most crass manner, for he craves the pleasure, it is possible for him to separate himself, yet he does not do so. Therefore, it is regarded as the greatest will to receive in its final form, which is forbidden according to everyone. Even according to those who speak according to Abaie, who permitted in the third phase, here they admit it is forbidden.

38. Their above words provide us with the precise terms by which to define each and every phase of the four phases of the will to receive in a way that hits the mark and does not miss the desired goal. They have given us four degrees one below the other, in the sin of forbidden pleasure, which depends on the will to receive of the sinner. In the first three degrees—impossible and not intending, possible and not intending, and impossible and intending—the prohibition on pleasure is not agreed by all, but only in phase four.

39. We see that our sages put two things together here: the possibility to separate oneself and not receive pleasure, and the yearning and attraction of the heart to want that pleasure. The combination of these two creates the four phases. Now we will accept these words and examine them regarding our matter in the upper worlds, which are the roots of every kind of desire in reality, and from the lower one, we shall learn the upper one.

When the will to receive emerged in Malchut of Keter, she went out from Keter and became phase one.

40. We should distinguish two discernments in phase one, which is called Hochma, as well as ‎Haya (Part 2, Inner Observation, Item 27): The first discernment is her first substance. You already know (Part 2, Inner Observation, Item 23) that it is her Malchut of the upper one, meaning Malchut of Keter, which received the form of the will to receive. By this innovation of form, Malchut of Keter received a new name: phase one. You already know that when a spiritual entity acquires a new form, it is regarded as a new authority in and of itself. So it is with Malchut of Keter, who is the will to bestow in the Emanator. When the desire to emanate was seemingly born in Him, He certainly does not need ‎a ‎tool of action. Rather, His desire was instantly carried out, meaning that she received the form of the “will to receive,” which is the first substance of the emanated being, and it is called phase one.

The exit of Malchut of Keter to phase one is like lighting a candle from a candle, where the first is not diminished.

41. Here you should remember that there is no absence in the spiritual. What is said about Malchut of Keter receiving the form of phase one, does not mean that Malchut of Keter is now absent from Keter. Rather, Malchut of Keter retained her initial merit, unchanged. It is like lighting a candle from a candle without the first diminishing. That Malchut of Keter, which received phase one, did not diminish Keter in any way, but only added a new phase. In other words, Malchut of Keter remained in her place, as complete and as virtuous as before, but a new phase of Malchut of Keter has been added, namely the Malchut that received phase one and became the first substance in the Sefira Hochma. Remember this henceforth and you will not be confused.

After the first substance received the light, the vessel of Hochma herself emerged.

42. The second discernment is the substance of that vessel after it received its light, since then the vessel was completed and is called Hochma. In other words, before she received her light, she was named only after her own phase, meaning phase one, and was still not a vessel of Hochma, but only Malchut of Keter. This can be likened to a fetus in its mother’s abdomen. Before it is born and given its light and vitality, it does not merit a name. So it is with the first substance: Before it receives its light, it does not merit the name ‎Hochma, but is still incorporated in Malchut of Keter. Afterwards, when the substance draws its light, called Haya, it acquires its unique name, meaning Hochma (Item 27). We should distinguish these two discernments in each and every Sefira. They are the vessel before it receives the light, when it is still named after the upper one, and the vessel after it receives the light, for then it is regarded as its own authority.

From the perspective of the first substance, Hochma is regarded as impossible. From the perspective of her being filled with light, she is regarded as not intending.

43. Now you will understand that phase one, which is Hochma, is regarded as impossible and not intending. From the perspective of her first substance, which is Malchut of Keter, who she received the new form, phase one, when the Sefira Hochma still did not merit its own name, that appearance of the will to receive is certainly regarded as impossible with regard to the Sefira Hochma itself. Also, from the perspective of Malchut of Keter, she is regarded as impossible, since she cannot emanate the Hochma without Hochma having a will to receive, for receiving the abundance without a will to receive it is regarded as coercion and labor, the opposite of the intention of the Emanator, which is to do good and delight.

She is also regarded as not intending, meaning she has no attraction and yearning to receive the light, for you already know that a desire is not complete before the yearning and attraction to the light appear in it (Part 1, Chapter 1, Item 50). It has also been thoroughly clarified there that the yearning appears only when there is no light and abundance in the vessel, since it is possible to yearn for it. However, that cannot come to be when the vessel is still filled with her light. Thus, because the above vessel of Hochma is filled with its light, it still has no yearning for the abundance. This is why Hochma is regarded as not intending, meaning that she does not have attraction and yearning for the abundance.

The intensification of the desire in Bina is regarded as possible. Because it comes to her from the first substance, it is regarded as not intending.

44. Phase two, which is Bina, is regarded as possible and not intending. Her first substance (‎Part Two, Inner Observation, Item 29) is her Malchut of the upper one, meaning Malchut of Hochma that received within her the new form of phase two, meaning through the intensification she had made (Part 1, Chapter 1, Item 50). From that perspective, the intensification of that desire is regarded as possible. This means that it was possible for her to avoid awakening that desire. She is also regarded as not intending because she is Malchut of Hochma, and is filled with her light. For this reason, the yearning does not appear in her. You should understand that any additional appearance of the desire that was made in phase two more than in phase one, is only regarded as possible. In other words, it is the intensification of the desire that she made by the power of the emanated being himself (Part 1, Chapter 1, Item 50).

The light of Hochma is sufficient, and she did not have to intensify and draw Hassadim.

45. We might ask, “But when Malchut of Keter became phase one in the Sefira Hochma, she had the same possibility not to take on that new form of the will to receive. Thus, why is phase one regarded as impossible?” Indeed, there is a big difference here: Malchut of Keter could not emanate the emanated being without it having a will to receive. Conversely, Malchut of Hochma, who is the emanated being ‎itself, could settle for her own will to receive, without an awakening with a desire to bestow, which is phase two, and drawing light of Hassadim, since the light of Haya is quite sufficient for the emanated being, and it does not need any addition.

Zeir Anpin is regarded as impossible because he lacked the light of Hochma.

46. Phase three, which is Zeir Anpin, is regarded as impossible and intending. It is impossible because after phase two awakened and drew the light of Hassadim, it thereby caused a detainment on the light of Hochma in the emanated being. The will to bestow is opposite from phase one, which is a will to receive, where there is light of Hochma. Since the light of Hochma is the essential vitality of the Partzuf, that light is called ‎Haya [alive/life]. For this reason, Malchut of Bina drew illumination of the light of Hochma once again into her light of Hassadim, and when Malchut of Bina drew and created that new form, she emerged from being phase two, and became phase three, called Zeir Anpin (Part Two, Inner Observation, Item 30).

Zeir Anpin is regarded as intending because it had a yearning for Hochma.

47. We should discern two things in this extension, which is phase three: The first is “impossible,” meaning she has no other choice since the light of Haya was absent in the emanated being. The second is “intending,” for here, there is yearning for the illumination of Hochma that she extended, because she drew it when she was empty from it because phase two was covering the light of Hochma and there was only light of Hassadim in her, without Hochma. For this reason, her Malchut, which drew the illumination of Hochma, drew it as a yearning that is called intending. Hence, the phase of Zeir Anpin is called impossible and intending.‎

Malchut is regarded as “possible” because she could have settled for the Hochma in Zeir Anpin, and as “intending” ‎because she had a yearning.

48. Phase four, which is Malchut, is regarded as possible and intending. It is “possible” because there is already illumination of Hochma in Zeir Anpin, meaning in phase three. Thus, Malchut of Zeir Anpin does not have to perform this intensification once more in order to draw light of Hochma to a greater extent than phase three. It is regarded as intending because this intensification, after the light of Hochma, created a yearning, meaning when she does not have light of Hochma, for then the yearning appears.

The difference between light of Hochma and illumination of Hochma.

49. We might ask, “Since there is illumination of Hochma in phase three, which is why phase four is regarded as possible, how then does the yearning for light of Hochma appear in phase four?” You must understand that there is a big difference between illumination of Hochma and light of Hochma. Illumination of Hochma means that the self of the degree is light of Hassadim, but it receives illumination from the light of Hochma. Conversely, light of Hochma, the entire self of the light is Hochma, and not Hassadim at all. Illumination of Hochma is quite sufficient for the sustenance of the degree, as it is in phase three, which is Zeir Anpin. This is why Malchut of Zeir Anpin, which intensified her desire to draw light of Hochma, did not have to have it. Rather, there was a yearning in her for the self of the light of Hochma, which is much higher than the illumination of Hochma in phase three. With regard to the above-said light of Hochma, she is regarded as empty of that light. Hence, it is possible that a yearning for it will appear in her.

Phase four alone is regarded as a vessel of reception because she is the phase of possible and intending.

50. Thus we learn that not all the desires are regarded as vessels of reception, but only phase four. This is because the desire is not regarded as reception, except under the two conditions: possible and intending. This means that there should not be coercion for reception, and a ‎yearning to receive will appear in it. It is the opposite with phase three: Although there is a yearning to receive there, meaning intending, because the reception is compulsory, since it is its necessary vitality, ‎sustenance, it is not regarded as a vessel of reception. Conversely, although phase two does not have to receive, since there is no yearning there, she is not regarded as a vessel of reception. It is all the more so with phase one, who has neither, for she must receive her light, which is her vitality, and also, she has no yearning. Thus, it is certainly a completely faint desire.

Chapter Five

Explains the restriction and the screen, and contains four issues: 1. The restriction was even on all sides. 2. The issue of the screen: Because any extension of light is in phase four, there needs to be a detaining force so that the light does not expand into phase four, too. That force is called the screen. 3. Two phases in Malchut: a. She is restricted so as not to receive light inside her by her own will. This applies to the circles. b. She is restricted because of a detaining force on her, namely a ‎screen. This applies to the Sefirot of straightness. 4. The upper light is in complete rest, and does not stop shining even for a minute. When the emanated being yearns, it draws the light to it.

The difference between the restriction and the screen.

51. Once we thoroughly know the four degrees in the will to receive one below the other, in their precise measure, we will now explain the matter of the restriction, the screen, and the difference between them. The restriction has already been thoroughly explained in Part One and in Inner Light here, and we need not repeat the words. The main thing we need for our concern is the equivalence that was there (Part 1, Chapter 1, Inner Light, Item 90).

The four phases received in restriction; the matter of cause and consequence.

52. It has been explained above that since the light of Ein Sof is completely even, it had to restrict itself evenly on all sides. This means that all four phases that were restricted are of equal level, without a distinction of refinement and coarseness that make four degrees be one below the other down to phase four, the coarsest and the lowest of them all. Rather, they are all even. All that was added in the restriction, to distinguish in it more than in Ein Sof, is the matter of ‎the four phases with respect to their causing and cascading from each other by way of cause and consequence. Phase one is the reason and the cause of the emergence of phase two; phase two is the cause of phase three; and phase three is the cause of phase four. However, in terms of refinement and merit, they are even.

The cause and consequence in the four phases did not exist in Ein Sof.

53. This matter of cause and consequence, which nevertheless divides them into four phases could not emerge in Ein Sof prior to the restriction since there, even the vessel in general is not apparent. Rather, it is all light, as it is written in Part 1. However, after the light of Ein Sof departed from those phases, they became apparent and what we must now discern became disclosed, namely the light itself, meaning what they had before the restriction. The four phases themselves remained empty of light because after the restriction, it became apparent that these phases are not one with the light of Ein Sof, as it seemed to the restriction. It is like a candle that is incorporated in a torch: It is indistinguishable. However, when separated from the torch, it becomes apparent to all.

54. There seems to be a question here: Since the restriction occurred primarily in phase four, it became evident that that phase is unfit to receive the light. However, it became evident that the first three phases, on which the restriction was not revealed, are suitable to receive the light. Thus, we have a distinction of and importance of one over the other. In other words, phase four is lower than the first three phases.

The restriction was not because of the inferiority of phase four, but only for the purpose of adornment.

55. The thing is that the restriction of the light in phase four was not because of her inferiority, for we are still dealing with Malchut of Ein Sof, where phase four was as the light of Ein Sof itself. Thus, how can we even think that the restriction was due to the inferiority of phase four? Rather, the restriction was only as an adornment, when that Malchut wanted the highest possible adhesion, to completely adhere to the Emanator, which is the greatest equivalence of form with the Emanator (Part 1, Chapter 1, Item 90). Thus, phase four did not lose her merit after the restriction, too.

The extension of the line began in phase four. This is why there had to be a detaining force on phase four, so the light would not enter her.

56. Now we will explain the matter of the screen that was made over phase four, which is Malchut. When the world of restriction, meaning Malchut of Ein Sof, was clothed there, as it is known that every degree begins with her Malchut of the upper one that becomes her first substance (Item 27). When that restricted Malchut drew the upper light over the first three phases once more, this extension was necessarily with the yearning in phase four in her, since the first three phases are not vessels of reception and extension whatsoever. Hence, it was necessary for her to first draw the upper light into all four phases, even to her own phase four, but in order to prevent the light from reaching phase four, she had to add a new force so as to detain the light from expanding to phase four.

The detaining force that was added to phase four is called a screen.

57. This new force that she added is called a screen. This screen is the fundamental factor in the extension of the light of the line over the three phases, since the restriction she made, meaning revoking her desire from receiving in phase four, sufficed only for the departure of the upper light from her. However, afterwards, she drew the light once more, and was forced to reawaken her phase four in order to draw the new extension. Thus, if she did not make that new force toward the expansion of light, the light would reach phase four once again. Thus, the primary factor in the extension of the light of the line on the three phases is only the force of the screen, which she made once more with regard to the light. You must thoroughly understand these two phases, namely the restriction and the screen, for they are the foundations for all the rest in this wisdom.

The restriction was of her own volition. The screen pushes the light through an authority not of her own volition.

58. You must understand the difference between the restriction that Malchut of Ein Sof performed, which is the departure from the great will to receive of her own volition, and her choice to equalize her form completely with the Emanator, and the screen, which is the detaining force through authority and compulsion, so the light would not reach phase four.

59. The reason for this is that although both the restriction and the screen were made by Malchut of Ein Sof, you already know that when a spiritual entity acquires a new, additional form to its own, it is thereby regarded as two spirituals, and as two phases that are as far apart from one another as the measure of their disparity of form. Just as corporeal objects become separated from one another by an axe, and are distanced from each other by place and area, the spirituals are distinguished from each other by an innovation of form. Their distance from each other is according to the measure of disparity between one form and the other, whether less or more.

The screen is a result of the restricted Malchut. A desire in the upper one is a force in the lower one.

60. Thus, after the above Malchut performed an extension on the light of the line over three phases, this extension is regarded as a new form, added to the form of the restriction, so there are now two phases in the above-mentioned Malchut: The first is the restricted Malchut, which is the first form that was made in Malchut of Ein Sof, and which now adopted the new form called the restricted Malchut. Later, when that Malchut performed an extension on the light of the three phases, a new form was born and emerged, which is called a screen, preventing the light from appearing in her in phase four. It is known that every desire in the upper one becomes an authority in the branch that emerges from it. Since the screen is a branch, a consequence of the restricted Malchut, then although Malchut restricted herself voluntarily and knowingly without any control by her upper one, the consequence that is extended from her, namely the screen, is already completely controlled by the restriction, since it is a second degree in the world of restriction.

The difference between circles and straightness is in the screen that was innovated in the ten Sefirot of straightness.

61. It follows that there are two phases of Malchut: The first is the restricted Malchut, and the second is Malchut that has a screen. Know that this is the whole difference between the Sefirot of circles and the Sefirot of straightness, which are called a line. Malchut in the ten Sefirot of circles is the restricted Malchut, where there is no screen, and Malchut in the ten Sefirot of straightness is corrected with the above-mentioned screen.

The reason why the light strikes and wants to enter phase four is that the emanated being extended it this way.

62. Now you can thoroughly understand the matter of the reflected light that rises through a coupling by striking from the encounter of the upper light with the screen on phase four that we have begun to explain above (Item 18). You should understand what we said there, that the upper light is not meticulous about the restriction that the emanated being performed, and it comes down to expand in phase four, too.‎ The reason is that the emanated being himself necessarily draws it to begin with. It has already been explained (Part 1, Chapter 1, Item 2) that the upper light is always in a state of complete rest, and does not stop shining to the lower ones even for a minute, since there is no incident or innovation in it. Rather, all the matters of the expansion of upper light that were discussed refer to the drawing on the part of the emanated being, who receives from the upper light according to the preparation of the will to receive, meaning the yearning in it, as has been explained above (Part 2, Inner Observation, Item 50).

We refer to the drawing of the emanated being as expansion of upper light.

63. At the very moment when the emanated being yearns to receive from the upper light, he immediately pumps to it the upper light, like lighting a candle from a candle, and the first is not lessened. Likewise, when the emanated being draws to itself the upper light, the upper light is not lessened at all because of that part that the emanated being drew. Also, it is not affected or impressed at all by the extension of the emanated being. However, in order to simplify matters, we refer to the extension of the emanated being as expansion of the upper light. Remember this in every place, for we always speak of expansion of the upper light, and mean the extension of the emanated being himself by his own yearning alone.

The part of the light that should have entered phase four and was rejected from her became reflected light.

64. Therefore, after the restriction, when Malchut of Ein Sof drew the upper light once more, because she drew it through the yearning in her phase four, the upper light was drawn to phase four, as well. However, by the power of the screen that she had made, to detain the light from expanding into phase four, that part of the light returned backwards. By this she fulfilled her initial desire that the light would reach her only in three phases. However, that part of the light that the screen pushed back to its root, meaning the part that was intended for phase four, did not vanish from her. Instead, it became a great light that clothes the three phases of the upper light, from the place of the screen up to the root. That reflected light became a vessel for reception of the three phases of upper light instead of phase four (Inner Observation, Item 21).

Chapter Six

Explains why the screen of phase four raises reflected light up to Keter, and phase three up to Hochma, etc. The reason is that the measure of reflected light is as the measure of light that could have clothed in ‎phase four, had the screen not pushed it back. It also explains that the ten Sefirot of direct light expand from above downward, meaning the more refined among them is better, and the ten Sefirot of reflected light are from below upward, meaning that the coarser among them is better.

The reflected light is divided into Sefirot according to its clothing of the Sefirot of direct light.

65. From the aforementioned, you can thoroughly understand the measure and size of that reflected light. It is no more and no less than the measure of light that the screen pushes backwards. In other words, it is that part that was intended to expand to phase four had the screen not pushed it back. It ascended and clothed the phases of the upper light, meaning phase three, called Zeir Anpin, phase two, called Bina, phase one, called Hochma, as well as the root, called Keter. For this reason, phase four itself is regarded as having been divided into those four degrees that her reflected light clothed, and they became four degrees one above the other in the vessel of phase four herself. This is because the light that belonged to her ascended and clothed those four degrees. For this reason, phase four is regarded as their root, called the Keter of that reflected light.

The ten Sefirot of direct light are from above downward, and the ten Sefirot of reflected light—from below upward.

66. Now there are two kinds of ten Sefirot in the emanated being: ten Sefirot from above downward, and ten Sefirot from below upward. It is so because there are ten Sefirot in the upper light, which are the root, which is called the Keter of the upper light. Also, four phases are extended from the Keter: Phase one is called Hochma; phase two is called Bina; phase three is called Zeir Anpin (containing six Sefirot HGT NHY); and phase four is Malchut. Their order is from above downward, meaning from the more refined to the coarser. This means that the more refined is more important, and the most refined of all, namely the root, is called Keter. Following it, meaning the slightly coarser than Keter, is called Hochma, etc., until the coarsest, who is Malchut, is the most inferior.‎

From below upward means that the coarser is more important.

67. There are ten other Sefirot in the emanated being. They have an inverse relation to the ten Sefirot of the aforementioned upper light. These are the ten Sefirot of reflected light that rises from the screen in phase four. They clothe the ten Sefirot of upper light, and their order is from below upward, meaning from coarse to refined. The coarsest one is of the highest merit, and the greater the refinement, the lower it is. This is an opposite order to that of the ten Sefirot of upper light.

Malchut of direct light is Keter of reflected light.

68. The coarsest of all, which is phase four, is the most important, since she is the root of all these ten Sefirot of reflected light. It is so because this reflected light is no more than the part of the light that belongs only to her, and which the screen pushed back. Therefore, phase four is regarded as Keter, meaning the root.

Malchut of reflected light is in Keter of direct light.

69. Phase three, which is not as coarse as phase four, is regarded as the Sefira Hochma of reflected light, meaning second in degree to Keter. Phase two, which is more refined than phase three, is regarded as the third degree in merit from Keter, meaning Bina. Phase one, which is even more refined than phase two, is regarded as the fourth degree in merit from Keter, meaning the Sefira Zeir Anpin, which consists of six Sefirot HGT NHY. The Keter of direct light, the most refined of all, is regarded in relation to the aforementioned reflected light as only Malchut, meaning of the least merit. This is because the greater the coarseness, the greater the importance, and the greater the refinement, the lower it is since the degrees expand from coarse to refined, and remember that well.

Malchut consists of all ten Sefirot of reflected light.

70. Phase four herself is also divided into ten Sefirot, meaning four phases and Keter, by the power of her reflected light that expands into ten Sefirot. It is so because phase four herself is the Keter of reflected light, namely the root, and the nine Sefirot of reflected light that expand and rise from her are her branches. It is known that all the branches are included and exist in the root. Hence, five phases are discerned in phase four herself, which are Keter and the four phases, which are from below upward.

The refinement of the screen divides phase four into five phases.

71. Now you can understand what we have said above (Part 2, Inner Observation, Item 8). The extent of reflected light is measured by the amount of coarseness in the screen. The coarsest screen, namely the screen of phase four, manifests a complete degree up to Keter. The screen of phase three, only up to Hochma; the screen of phase two, only up to Bina; and the screen of phase one, only up to Zeir Anpin. A screen that has not even the coarseness of phase one, which is similar to the root, manifests no level of light, but only the phase of Malchut. With the above explanation you will understand the aforementioned matter of refinement of the screen over the above-mentioned five phases, which is the matter of the division of phase four herself into the five aforementioned phases. The conduct of the screen is to ascend ‎and be refined in these partial degrees of coarseness that exist in phase four, for a reason that we will learn henceforth.

Chapter Seven

Explains the matter of the refinement of the screen, and the emergence of the five levels KHB, ZA, and Malchut, one below the other because of the refinement of the screen.

The detaining force in the screen and the measure of the coarseness in Malchut are equal.

72. In order to understand the matter of the refinement of the above-mentioned screen, we must first present two forewords: The first is that the detaining force in the screen is equal to the measure of coarseness, which is the yearning in phase four, like the two pans of the scales. There is a simple reason for this: If there is a great yearning to receive, it requires great efforts to refrain from receiving. If there is little yearning, it does not require a great effort to refrain from receiving. Thus, the detaining force in the screen is equal to the measure of coarseness in phase four, whether more or less.

The surrounding light refines the screen.

73. The second foreword is that the surrounding light, which is not clothed in the emanated being, its nature is to refine the coarseness in phase four bit by bit, by the order of the four phases, until it refines all the coarseness in it. First, it refines it from phase four to phase three, then to phase two, then to phase one, until it makes it completely refined, without any coarseness whatsoever.

Because it wants to clothe, but the screen detains it.

74. The reason for it is that the surrounding light is the upper light that cannot clothe in the emanated being because of the screen that detains it from expanding more than its own level, and it remains outside the Partzuf and surrounds it. In other words, it shines on it from afar. Because the surrounding light wants to shine in the internality of the Partzuf, as well, as it did in Ein Sof, when it shone in phase four, too, it strikes the screen and refines it, meaning revokes the coarseness and hardness in it so it can clothe.

First the screen intensifies, and then the light intensifies.

75. First, the screen intensifies and pushes it back. Afterwards, the light intensifies and refines the screen. However, it revokes only the level of coarseness over which there was a coupling by striking. If the coupling by striking was on phase four, it revokes the coarseness of phase four that detains it from clothing in the Partzuf, leaving the coarseness of phase three, with which it has no dealings. If the coupling by striking was on the coarseness of phase three, it revokes only the coarseness of phase three, leaving the coarseness of phase two, etc. (as it is written in The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 4, Chapter 1, Inner Light).

Phase four does not become absent although it has been refined into phase three.

76. You already know that with any new form that is created in spirituality, the previous form does not become absent because of it, since there is no absence in spirituality. Rather, there is only an additional form here. From this you can understand that that phase four that has now become refined into phase three in it, is considered to have emerged from that emanated being into the phase of a new emanated being that was added to the first emanated being. Its phase four is not phase four in phase four, but phase three in phase four. However, that refinement did not cause any change at all in the first emanated being.

Immediately as it was refined into phase three, the upper light made a coupling with her because it never stops shining.

77. It has been explained above that the upper light does not stop shining to the lower ones even for a minute. Its expansion to the emanated being depends only on the preparation of its vessel, meaning according to the measure of the will to receive in the emanated being. Any time the emanated being awakens and yearns for the upper light, it immediately receives it, to the extent of its desire, as it is written above (Part 2, Inner Observation, Item 63). Therefore, after phase four was refined into her phase three, and emerged as a new emanated being in and of herself, she drew the upper light to herself, and a new ten Sefirot of upper light emerged in her from above downward, as well as new ten Sefirot of reflected light from below upward, just as the first emanated being expanded. However, there is a big difference between their levels since the new emanated being lacks the level of Keter and has only the level of Hochma.

The reason why phase three lacks the Keter.

78. The reason for the absence of the level of Keter in the second emanated being is that it does not have the coarseness of phase four in phase four, which, with respect to the reflected light, is the Keter in phase four. For this reason, the screen pushed back the upper light only from Hochma downward, meaning that measure that was intended to enter phase three in phase four. Conversely, there would not be expansion in Keter of phase four, even if the screen did not detain it, since the vessel that drew the upper light did not draw more than from Hochma and below to begin with. Hence, the screen did not push the light of Keter back, but only from the light of Hochma downward. Thus, the light of Keter is absent from this reflected light. Because the reflected light lacks the light of Keter, the light of Keter of the upper light is absent there, as well, since no light can clothe in the emanated being without reflected light to clothe it, as it is its vessel of reception (Part 2, Inner Observation, Item 21). This is why it only has the level of Hochma.

Any drawing is done by phase four; this is why she needs a screen, so the light does not expand into phase four.

79. The rule is that any extension of light must be only in phase four in the emanated being, even though there is no intention to draw light into there. The reason is that the coarseness, which is above phase four, is unfit for extension (Part 2, Inner Observation, Chapter Five, Item 56). Even phase one in phase four is more suitable for extension than the real phase three, which is above, meaning more refined than all of phase four. Therefore, if all the coarseness has vanished from phase four, there is no one there to draw light from Ein Sof, and the light stops there entirely. Since the extension must be done with phase four, while at the same time, she must guard herself so that the light does not expand into her own phase due to the restriction on phase four, therefore, she established in herself the screen that guards that matter, since when the light expands and reaches phase four, the screen awakens and pushes that part of the light back to its root, and that part which is pushed back does not disappear, but is turned into reflected light, meaning that from it are the vessels of reception for the upper light.‎

With respect to the extension of light, phase four and the screen are as one.

80. Regarding the extension of light from Ein Sof, phase four and the screen on her are one because the hardness of the screen lies on the coarseness in phase four. Hence, in most cases, we mention only the screen. Regarding the extension of light, it necessarily refers to both. To keep our words brief, we, too, will name the extension of the light from Ein Sof only after the screen. Regarding the emergence of the degrees from one another, we will also refer to it with the name refinement of the coarseness, although it actually refers to the hardness in the screen. Remember that it refers to the levels of the coarseness in phase four, which make four levels of hardness in the screen.

The emergence of the degree of Hochma from phase three.

81. The emergence of the degree of Hochma from the degree of Keter has already been explained in detail above. The first ten Sefirot emerged after the restriction by the encounter of the upper light with the screen that consists of the complete coarseness in phase four (‎Part 2, Inner Observation, Item 64). For this reason, it raised reflected light in the entire level up to the root, which is called Keter. Once that degree was completed with Rosh, Toch, and Sof, a part of the coarseness in the screen was refined from phase four to phase three (Part 2, Inner Observation, Item 74). Because the screen acquired a change of form, it is regarded as having gone outside the degree of Keter. Then, by the encounter of the light of Ein Sof with that screen which was refined to phase three, a second ten Sefirot emerged, whose level is only up to Hochma, lacking Keter (Part 2, Inner Observation, 78).

The emergence of the degree of Bina from phase two.

82. Once that degree of Hochma was completed with Rosh, Toch, and Sof, the surrounding light refined another part of the coarseness of the screen, meaning from phase three in phase four, to phase two in phase four. That new screen of phase two in phase four is considered to have gone outside the degree of Hochma for the same reason mentioned concerning the degree of Keter (Part 2, Inner Observation, Item 76). From the encounter of the upper light with that new screen of phase two, new ten Sefirot emerged at only the level of Bina, lacking Keter and Hochma.

The reason for the absence of Hochma in the screen of phase two.

83. The reason for the absence of Hochma from this new degree is the same reason mentioned above (Part 2, Inner Observation, Items 75-76) regarding the absence of Keter. Because that ‎phase four has only the coarseness of phase two, which is regarded as Bina of phase four, this extension that was done was not from her beginning, but only from Bina downward. Therefore, even had the screen not detained the upper light, it would not have expanded to phase four herself, but only from Bina downward. Thus, now the screen did not push back the Keter and Hochma that are intended for phase four, which is why Keter and Hochma are absent in this reflected light. Because the reflected light is not there, the upper light of Keter and Hochma is not there, as well, for they do not have vessels of reception.

The emergence of the degree of Zeir Anpin from the screen of phase one.

84. After that new degree of Bina was completed with Rosh, Toch, and Sof, the surrounding light returned and refined yet another part of the coarseness in the screen, meaning from phase two to phase one. Consequently, it, too, is considered to have gone outside the degree of Bina. From the encounter of the upper light with the screen of phase one in phase four, ten new Sefirot emerged on the level of Zeir Anpin, and the first three Sefirot Keter, Hochma, and Bina, are absent here for the above reason.

The emergence of the degree of Malchut.

85. Once the degree of Zeir Anpin was completed with Rosh, Toch, and Sof, the last part in the coarseness of phase four was refined, as well. It is also discerned that that screen, which was completely refined, departed from the degree of Zeir Anpin, and it is called “the degree of Malchut,” in which no new light was innovated. Rather, it receives illumination from Zeir Anpin, for it no longer merits extension. For this reason, it has only the light of Nefesh. The rest about this matter will be explained in Part 3.

Chapter Eight

Explains: 1. Why during extension of lights, all that is coarser is greater, and when they are clothed in the vessels, all that is more refined is more important. 2. The reason for the inverse relation between vessels and lights: In the vessels, the upper ones grow first, and in the lights, the lower ones enter first. 3. Why the circles are regarded as light of Nefesh.

The measure of the light that is extended depends on the extent of the coarseness of the screen.

86a. It has been thoroughly clarified how the entire measure of bestowal of the upper light in the emanated being depends on the measure of the coarseness of the screen. The greatest coarseness, meaning phase four, is bestowed in the level of Keter, and the lesser one is bestowed only in the level Hochma, etc., down to the most refined screen, to which the upper light bestows nothing because it has no coarseness.

The measure of the clothed light depends on the refinement of the vessel.

86b. However, all this refers to the bestowal and expansion of the upper light to the emanated being, because the giver always gives into the coarsest thing. It is so because the coarser the screen, the more the upper light expands to it (Part 2, Inner Observation, Item 62). However, it is not so with regard to the manners of reception of upper light by the emanated being. There, the most important light is received in the most refined vessel, and the lowest one is received in the coarse vessel.

In the vessels, the upper ones come first, and in the lights, the lower ones come first.

87a. We have said above (Chapter 2, Item 14) that the giver gives into the coarsest thing, but the receiver receives in the most refined thing. In order to explain these words, I will clarify for you the order of the entrance of the lights into the emanated being after the correction. At that time, it receives the lights slowly, gradually. First, it obtains the light of Nefesh; then it obtains the light of Ruach, etc., up to the light of Yechida. It is the opposite in the vessels: It obtains Keter first, then Hochma, etc.

When it obtains the light of Nefesh, it dresses in the vessel of Keter.

87b. This is the order: First, the emanated being emerges with ten vessels, which are Keter, Hochma, Bina, ZA of HGT NHY, and Malchut. In other words, the higher vessels come first. Then, when Nefesh is bestowed upon it, it is considered that this Nefesh comes to it in the vessel of Keter, the most refined vessel. The reason why it still does not have the light of Ruach is that the screen in Keter still does not have any coarseness, not even that of phase one, and light of Ruach is bestowed only by the encounter of the upper light with the screen of phase one. Because the screen is in the vessel of Keter, meaning that the screen is refined, without any coarseness, it has only the light of Nefesh, attributed to Malchut.

When it obtains the light of Ruach, the light of Nefesh descends to Hochma and Ruach dresses in the vessel of Keter.

88. When it acquires coarseness of phase one, the light of Ruach is imparted to it through the encounter of the upper light with this screen of phase one. The place of that screen is in the vessel of Hochma, which is phase one. However, although the screen of the vessel of Hochma is the one that drew the light of Ruach to the Partzuf, the light of Ruach dresses in the vessel of Keter, and the light of Nefesh that it had before, in Keter, descends to Hochma. The reason is that the order of reception of the lights is that the more important light dresses in the more refined vessel, and the lower one in the coarser vessel. In other words, it is the opposite of the order of the giving. Hence, Ruach, which is more important than Nefesh, ascends and dresses in Keter, and Nefesh descends and dresses in Hochma.

When it obtains Neshama, it dresses in the vessel of Keter, Ruach descends to Hochma, and Nefesh to Bina.

89. Afterwards, when its screen acquires the coarseness of phase two, it is regarded that the screen is in the vessel of Bina. By the encounter of the upper light with that screen, the light of Neshama is bestowed upon it, which is more important than the lights of Ruach and Nefesh. Here, too, it receives the light of Neshama in the most refined thing, meaning in the vessel of Keter, since the light of Nefesh, the lowest of all, which is in the vessel of Hochma, descends to the vessel of Bina, where there is a screen of phase two, which is now the coarsest vessel. Also, the light of Ruach descends from Keter to the vessel of Hochma, and the light of Neshama, the most important of all, clothes the vessel of Keter, the most refined of all.

When it obtains the light of Haya, she dresses in Keter, Neshama descends to Hochma, Ruach to Bina, and Nefesh to ZA.

90. When its screen acquires the coarseness of phase three, it is regarded that the screen is now in the vessel of ZA, which is phase three. Then, by the encounter of the upper light with this screen of phase three, the light of Haya is bestowed upon it, which is more important than the light of Neshama. For this reason, it must be received in the more refined vessel. Consequently, the light of Nefesh, the lowest of all, descends from the vessel of Bina to the vessel that is now the coarsest, which is the vessel of ZA, where there is the screen of phase three. ‎Now the light of Ruach, which is in Hochma, descends to Bina, the light of Neshama that is in Keter descends to Hochma, and the light of Haya, the most important of all, dresses in the vessel of Keter.

When it obtains Yechida, it dresses in Keter. Then Haya descends to Hochma, Neshama to Bina, Ruach to ZA, and Nefesh to Malchut.

91. When the screen acquires the coarseness of phase four, it is considered that now the screen is in the vessel of Malchut, which is phase four. Then, through the encounter of the upper light with that screen of phase four, the light of Yechida, the most important light, is bestowed upon it, which it therefore receives in the most refined thing, meaning in the vessel of Keter. Consequently, the light of Nefesh, the lowest of all, descends from ZA to the vessel of Malchut, where there is the screen of phase four, ­and it is the coarsest. The light of Ruach descends from Bina to the vessel of ZA, the light of Neshama descends from Hochma to the vessel of Bina, the light of Haya descends from Keter to the vessel of Hochma, and the light of Yechida that arrived now dresses in Keter. Now each light from the NRNHY has reached its true vessel, attributed to it.

The difference between the imparting of the light and the order of the clothing of the light.

92. Now you see the great difference between the order of bestowal of the upper light into the Partzuf and the order of the clothing of the light in the vessels. The giver needs the coarsest phase because the light of Yechida can come to the Partzuf only when it has a screen on the vessel of phase four. Prior to this, when such coarseness was not present there, but rather a lesser coarseness, meaning that of phase three, it was impossible for this important light, called Yechida, to be bestowed upon the Partzuf. Hence, when this important light is drawn to the Partzuf, it does not dress in the vessel of phase four, but in the most refined of all, namely in the vessel of Keter.

Each light that comes to the Partzuf is received only in the vessel of Keter.

93. In the same manner, the light of Haya, which is bestowed only in a screen of the vessel of ‎ZA, meaning phase three, when dressing in the emanated being, it does not dress in the vessel of ZA, but in the most refined vessel, namely the vessel of Keter. It is the same with the light of Neshama, which is imparted only with a screen with the coarseness of phase two in the vessel of Bina. Yet, when it dresses in it, it dresses only in the vessel of Keter. Likewise, the light of Ruach, which is bestowed only into a screen of phase one in the vessel of Hochma, still, when it dresses in it, it does not dress in the vessel of Hochma, but in the most refined vessel, namely the vessel of Keter. Thus, each and every light that comes to the Partzuf, first comes in the vessel of Keter, as we have said that any receiver receives only in the most refined vessel, even though the bestowal ‎came to it through the coarsest vessel.

The circles do not receive the upper light because they have no coarseness.

94. From the aforesaid you can also understand why the circles do not receive any bestowal ‎from the upper light, but must receive all their lights from the light of the line. It is so although the vessels of the circles precede the vessels of straightness of the line. It is a simple matter: They do not have any coarseness because all their four phases are equal ‎‎(Part 1, Chapter 1, Item 100). Thus, only the vessels of straightness in the line, which have a screen and coarseness, are bestowed upon from the upper light, and the circles receive from them.

Any degree that receives by another and does not have bestowal in itself is called Nefesh.

95. For this reason, the light of the circles is called the light of Nefesh. The rule is that any degree that is not bestowed upon by the upper light, but receives its illumination by another degree, that light is called the light of Nefesh, or female light. Because the circles do not receive from the upper light, but receive their illumination through the line, they are regarded as female light, or light of Nefesh. It has also been explained about the vessels of straightness (Part Two, Inner Observation, Item 85) that if all the coarseness in the screen had been refined, there is no imparting of upper light there any longer, and there is only the illumination from the previous degree there, which is therefore called the light of Nefesh.

Chapter Nine

Explains why each and every Sefira consists of ten inner Sefirot, and the inner one consists of ten inner of inner Sefirot, and so they continue to expand infinitely and innumerably.

Each inner Sefira in each and every world consists of ten inner of inner Sefirot, etc., infinitely and innumerably.

Concerning the division of the Sefirot to inner, and inner of inner ones indefinitely.

96. It is a wonderful law in the upper worlds that in every Sefira that we choose to examine, we find ten inner Sefirot. If we take a single Sefira from those ten inner Sefirot, we find another ten inner Sefirot, which are the inner of inner with relation to the first Sefira. Also, if we take one Sefira from the inner of inner Sefirot, we find in it ten Sefirot once more, which are inside the previous inner of inner ones, and so on indefinitely.

Any light that passes through the degrees leaves its root in each and every degree it passes through.

97. You will understand the reason for this according to the rule that there is no absence in spirituality (Part 2, Chapter 1, Inner Light, Item 4). It explains there that it is impossible that there will be any kind of light in the lower one that does not exist in all the upper ones above it up to ‎Ein Sof, since even a very small illumination that emerges in the lowest degree in the worlds must emerge from Ein Sof, and pass through all the worlds and degrees that precede that low degree, until it comes there. Because this illumination cascades and passes through the degrees, it cannot be absent from the first degree because it has come to the second, and absent from the second when it comes to the third, etc., until it reaches the last degree, which receives it, as with corporeal objects that move from place to place. This is not at all possible in the spirituals, where there are no absence and replacement. Instead, when any illumination passes through some degree, even if only in passing, it necessarily acquires its place there.

Any light that appears once in a degree remains there for eternity.

98. Her coming and transitioning to the following degree does not decrease the light that she had left and has acquired its place in the previous degree in any way. Rather, it is like lighting a candle from a candle without diminishing the first. Here, too, when the light leaves the first degree and descends to the next, the light remains complete in both the first and the second. Likewise, when the light comes to the third degree, the light does not move from the second one at all; the light is complete in both the second and the third. Similarly, when it passes through all the degrees that precede the last degree, which is the actual receiver, meaning down to the degree for which the light descended from Ein Sof, it is set in all of them. The reason for this is that there is no absence in the spiritual. Any light that shone in a spiritual phase once, will not move from that phase forever, not even a bit.

When the light of Hochma passes to its place through Keter, it leaves its root in Keter.

99. From the aforesaid, you can thoroughly understand the matter of the incorporation of the ten Sefirot in one another and in one another endlessly. For example, when the first two Sefirot emerge, namely Keter and Hochma, the light of Hochma must emerge from Ein Sof. Therefore, the light of Hochma must pass through the Sefira Keter before it comes to the Sefira Hochma. Because the light of Hochma shone in the Sefira Keter once, namely when it passed through it, it is therefore impossible for it to ever be absent from there. Accordingly, it is necessary that even after the light of Hochma has reached the Sefira Hochma, the light of Hochma remains complete in Keter. Thus, the Sefira Keter now has two lights, meaning the light of Keter and the light of Hochma.

When the light of Bina passes through Keter and Hochma, it leaves its root in them, and so on likewise.‎

100. It is the same with the light of Bina. Because it must pass through the two preceding Sefirot before it comes to the Sefira Bina, the light of Bina necessarily acquires its place in both Keter and Hochma. Thus, now there are three lights in Keter: the light of Keter, the light of Hochma, and the light of Bina. Likewise, there are two lights in Hochma: the light of Hochma, the light of Bina, and one light in Bina, namely her own light. It continues in the same manner until the light of Malchut emerges. At that time, Keter has all ten Sefirot because all of the nine lower lights have necessarily passed through Keter, thus acquiring their place there. There are also nine Sefirot in Hochma, because all of the eight Sefirot below her passed through her place and remained there. Likewise, there are eight Sefirot in Bina, seven in Hesed, six in Gevura, etc., through Malchut, who has only her own light because there is no other Sefira below it to pass through it.

There is no direct light in the vessel of Malchut, but only reflected light.

101. Regarding the above-mentioned light of Malchut, both the light within her and the light that is incorporated from her in the first nine Sefirot, is only reflected light. You already know that from the restriction onward, a screen was erected on the Sefira Malchut and the light of Ein Sof is not received there. Instead, a coupling is made there because of the encounter of the light of Ein Sof with that screen, at which time a new light emerges and rises from the screen in Malchut, which is called reflected light, which shines up to the Sefira Keter. It thus clothes all ten Sefirot from below upward, and only in this way it is incorporated in each Sefira of the first nine Sefirot (Part 2, Inner Observation, Item 19).

Malchut is regarded as Keter of the ten Sefirot of reflected light.

102a. The Sefira Malchut is the source of the new light, and every source is regarded as Keter. Hence, Malchut is regarded as the Sefira Keter of that new light. The Sefira before her, meaning Yesod, is regarded as the Hochma of the new light, and the one before her, meaning Hod, is regarded as Bina. Finally, the upper Keter is now regarded as Malchut, meaning what it receives from the aforesaid new light.

Ten Sefirot of direct light are from above downward.

102b. We have learned that in each degree of ten Sefirot, we should discern two courses of ten Sefirot, meaning ten Sefirot that are extended from Ein Sof from above downward, from Keter to Malchut, and which are called “ten Sefirot of direct light,” for they descend in straightness from above downward in an order of degrees from the refined vessel to the coarser one, and from there to the coarser still, down to Malchut, the coarsest of all.

Ten Sefirot of reflected light are from below upward.

103. We have another course of ten Sefirot there. These are extended from the Sefira Malchut from below upward, meaning from the Sefira Malchut to the Sefira Keter, where Malchut becomes the origin of the new light, called “ten Sefirot of reflected light.” They are called so because they are imparted and come in reverse order of degrees. ‎That is, it is not extended and travels from the refined vessel to the coarse one, where the last receiver is the coarsest, but on the contrary, it is extended and travels from the coarsest vessel to the one that is less coarse, until the last receiver is the most refined, which is why it is regarded as shining from below upward.

All the Sefirot of reflected light that come in the nine Sefirot of direct light pass through Malchut.

104. We have explained above about the incorporation of the Sefirot in the order of the ten Sefirot of direct light. Because there is no absence in spirituality, any illumination that passes through a place remains there in completeness even after it moves to another place. For this reason, it is discerned in the emergence of the ten Sefirot of direct light that all ten Sefirot are present in Keter, nine in Hochma, eight in Bina, etc. (Item 99). For the same reason, the same is discerned in the ten Sefirot of reflected light, since here, the Sefira Malchut becomes the origin of that reflected light. Thus, it is considered that every phase of reflected light that reaches the Sefirot above it must pass through the place of Malchut since Malchut is the one who elicits that light by the power of her screen, which makes a coupling with the light of Ein Sof that meets that screen.

When the reflected light of Yesod passes through Malchut, it leaves its root in Malchut and so on by the same manner.

105. Therefore, when the Sefira Yesod receives his reflected light from Malchut, it necessarily means that Malchut received that light beforehand through a coupling with the light of Ein Sof that passed through Malchut and came to the Sefira Yesod. It follows that the light of Yesod is present in both Malchut and Yesod. It is the same with the reflected light that Hod receives, which necessarily acquired its place by passing through Malchut and Yesod. In that state, we find that there are three lights in Malchut, two in Yesod, and one in Hod. Similarly, when Keter receives the last reflected light, there are already ten lights of the ten Sefirot of reflected light in Malchut, nine in Yesod, eight in Hod, etc., as was explained regarding the ten Sefirot of direct light.

By the incorporation of the reflected light through passing, ten Sefirot were established in each and every Sefira. Keter has nine Sefirot of direct light, and one of reflected light.

106. It turns out that we have ten Sefirot in each and every Sefira of the abovesaid ten Sefirot, meaning together with the reflected light. In other words, the light of Malchut that is received in each and every Sefira completes to ten Sefirot, since in Keter, there are nine Sefirot of direct light—KHB HGT NHY—and one Sefira of reflected light, which is Malchut, for she is the last receiver from the ten Sefirot of reflected light. Hence, he has only one light from the reflected light.

Hochma has eight of direct light, and two of reflected light. Bina has seven of direct light, and three of reflected light.

107. Hochma has eight Sefirot of direct light—HB, HGT, NHY—and two Sefirot of reflected light, which are 1) her own part, which she received from the reflected light of Malchut, which is Yesod of reflected light, and the second is the part of Keter that passed through her and does not move from there again, which is Malchut of the reflected light. Bina has seven lights of direct light, which are Bina, HGT NHY, and three Sefirot of reflected light, which are Hod, Yesod, Malchut. She has Hod from her own, Yesod from the part of Hochma that passed through her, and Malchut from the part of Keter that passed through her, meaning from Bina and above.

In Hesed, six of direct light and four of reflected light; in Gevura, five of direct light and five of reflected light; in Tifferet, four of direct light and six of reflected light.

108. Hesed has six Sefirot of direct light, which are HGT NHY, and four Sefirot of reflected light, which are from Hesed upward, meaning her own part, which is Netzah, and the parts of Bina, Hochma, and Keter, which are Hod, Yesod, and Malchut that passed through her and were established there. Likewise, Gevura has five Sefirot of direct light: Gevura, Tifferet, Netzah, Hod, Yesod. She also has five Sefirot of reflected light from Gevura and above, meaning the four parts Keter, Hochma, Bina, Hesed, which are Netzah, Hod, Yesod, Malchut, which passed through her, and her own part, which is Tifferet of reflected light. Tifferet has four Sefirot of direct light from Tifferet downward, and six Sefirot of reflected light from Tifferet upward, meaning five parts KHB HG, which are TNHYM that passed through him, and his own part, which is Gevura of reflected light.

In Netzah, three of direct light and seven of reflected light; in Hod, two of direct light and eight of reflected light; in Yesod, nine of reflected light and one of direct light, and in Malchut, ten Sefirot of reflected light.

109. Netzah has three Sefirot of direct light from Netzah downward, which are Netzah, Hod, Yesod of direct light. It also has seven Sefirot of reflected light from Netzah upward, which are the six parts KHB HGT that passed through her. These are GTNHYM and her own part, which is Hesed of reflected light. Hod has two Sefirot of direct light—Hod and Yesod—and eight Sefirot of reflected light from Hod and above. These are the seven parts KHB HGT and Netzah that passed through him, which are HGT NHYM of reflected light, and his own part, which is Bina of reflected light. Yesod has one Sefira of direct light, and nine Sefirot of reflected light from Yesod and above. ‎These are the eight parts KHB HGT, Netzah, and Hod that passed through him, which are Bina, HGT NHYM of reflected light, and his own part, which is Hochma of reflected light.

With her reflected light, Malchut completes every single Sefira into ten Sefirot.

110. It has been thoroughly explained that in every manifestation of ten Sefirot, wherever they might be, they must be incorporated in one another as soon as the ten Sefirot of direct light first emerge. However, they still do not have ten Sefirot in each of them until the light of Malchut is incorporated in them, too, namely the ten Sefirot of reflected light. Malchut has no other light, and that light of Malchut completes what is missing from the number ten Sefirot for each and every one of the ten Sefirot, until there are ten Sefirot in each and every one of them.

It is likewise in the inner of the inner. When you take the Keter of the ten Sefirot in Keter, it, too, necessarily has nine Sefirot of direct light and one of reflected light.

111. If, for example, you take the general Sefira Keter from the general ten Sefirot, it already consists of ten inner Sefirot, meaning after the light of Malchut appears there, we can immediately see that in the first Sefira of that general Keter, which is now called Keter of Keter, meaning the inner Keter, there are necessarily nine Sefirot of direct light, which are in it, below it, which are HB and HGT NHY of direct light in the Keter.

Keter of Keter is its own phase, and the nine lower Sefirot are passing lights.

112. Although it is only the Keter in them that is considered its own phase, the other nine Sefirot in it are but passing lights there. In other words, they are lower lights that have acquired their place there through passing from Ein Sof to the Sefirot below Keter.‎ Yet, since they are in Keter, it is necessary that the highest Sefira, which is their inner Keter, now contains the nine inner Sefirot below it in and of itself, as well. Because these nine Sefirot are below it, they must have passed through it. And because they passed through it, they must have acquired their place in it, for there is no absence in the spiritual, just as we have said about the general ten Sefirot. It turns out that now this inner Keter itself also has ten inner of inner Sefirot that are nine of direct light, KHB HGT NHY, and one of reflected light, the light of Malchut, as mentioned regarding the Keter of the general ten Sefirot.

Hochma in Keter, too, necessarily consists of eight Sefirot of direct light and two of reflected light.

113. Likewise, when you examine the inner Sefira of Hochma from the ten inner Sefirot of the general Keter, called Hochma of Keter, by necessity, it now contains ten inner of inner Sefirot in the same manner we mentioned regarding the inner Keter. Because all eight inner Sefirot of the general Keter of direct light below her must have passed through that inner Hochma from above downward, having passed through her, they have necessarily acquired their place in her, in addition to the two Sefirot of reflected light, meaning from the light of the inner Malchut, which also passed through that inner Hochma from below upward. These are her own part of the reflected light, and the part of the reflected light that belongs to the inner Keter. Thus, there are ten inner of inner Sefirot in the inner Hochma in the inner ten Sefirot of the general Keter, ‎as well, as it is in the general Hochma in the general ten Sefirot.

Bina in Keter also has seven Sefirot of direct light and three of reflected light.

114. Also, when you examine the inner Bina in the ten inner Sefirot of the general Keter, called Bina of Keter, you will find that it necessarily contains ten inner of inner Sefirot, as we have seen in the above-mentioned inner Hochma. This is because all six inner Sefirot HGT NHY of direct light of the general Keter below her, necessarily passed from above downward through that inner Bina and acquired their place in her. Now, together with Bina herself, they are seven Sefirot of direct light. Also, the three inner Sefirot of reflected light passed through that Bina from the inner Malchut of the general Keter from below upward, meaning her own part of the reflected light, the part of the reflected light of the inner Hochma, and the part of the reflected light of the inner Keter. Thus, there are ten inner of inner Sefirot in the inner Bina in the ten Sefirot of the general Keter, as is written concerning the general Bina in the general ten Sefirot.

Hesed in Keter also has six Sefirot of direct light and four of reflected light, and so on in the same manner.

115. In the exact same manner, you find ten inner of inner Sefirot in the inner Hesed in the inner ten Sefirot in the general Keter. They are six of direct light, HGT NHY from above downward, and four of reflected light, from Hesed and above up to Keter. In the exact same manner, you will find ten inner of inner Sefirot in Gevura, etc., through the inner Malchut in those ten Sefirot, called Malchut of Keter.

116. You might ask, “In the ten inner Sefirot of the above-mentioned general Keter, there is no reflected light that rose from the general Malchut, but only Nefesh, meaning the last part of the reflected light, the smallest of the entire ten Sefirot of reflected light (Item 112), so how can we say that that small part of reflected light has now expanded by itself into ten new ten Sefirot of reflected light, to the point of completing in each inner Sefira, all the inner of inner Sefirot that they need in order to complete their number to ten Sefirot?”

The Nefesh of reflected light in the general Keter is necessarily divided into clothing of the ten inner Sefirot in Keter.

117. Indeed, the answer is that it is ultimately necessary for that part of Nefesh of the inner reflected light that rose from Malchut to the general Keter to have clothed all nine inner Sefirot in the general Keter. Otherwise, these nine Sefirot of direct light would not have been captured ‎and shone in the Partzuf at all, for it is known that direct light cannot connect with a Partzuf, except through the vessels of reception of the reflected light. Since that light of Nefesh clothed the nine inner Sefirot of Keter, we necessarily find that in passing from below upward, it completed each and every one of those inner Sefirot to the number ten inner of inner Sefirot that it lacked. It gave Hochma the two lights that she is missing: one light for her own clothing, and another light in passing, to clothe the Keter. To Bina, three, and to Hesed, four, as has been explained above.

It is likewise in the ten inner of inner Sefirot in the general Hochma. Keter of the inner of inner in Hochma has nine Sefirot of direct light, and one of reflected light.

118. Just as we have explained the ten inner of inner Sefirot in the ten inner Sefirot in the general Keter, so we will explain the ten inner of inner Sefirot in each and every one of the ten inner Sefirot of the general Sefira Hochma. In Keter of the ten inner Sefirot of the general Hochma, called Keter of Hochma, you necessarily find ten inner of inner Sefirot, which are its own light, and the inner eight Sefirot Bina, HGT NHY, which passed through it from above downward, thus nine, and one reflected light that rose to it from the inner Malchut of the general Hochma. Thus, you have ten inner of inner Sefirot in Keter of the general Hochma.

Hochma of the inner of inner in Hochma has eight of direct light, and two of reflected light.

119. Likewise, the inner Hochma in the ten inner Sefirot of the general Hochma, called Hochma of Hochma, has eight of direct light from above downward, and two of reflected light from below upward. Similarly, the inner Bina in the inner ten Sefirot of the general Hochma has seven of direct light from above downward, and three of reflected light from below upward. So it is in Hesed, and so it is in Gevura, etc., through the inner Malchut in those ten Sefirot of the general Hochma, called Malchut of Hochma. She, too, has ten inner of inner Sefirot of reflected light, meaning because she necessarily clothes all the inner ten Sefirot of the general Hochma and sends them her illuminations. Thus, you find that they all necessarily passed through her and acquired their place within her.

120. Just so, the ten inner of inner Sefirot of Bina are discerned in the inner Bina, and likewise in the inner Hesed, inner Gevura, through the inner Malchut, and there is no need to elaborate further on this. Instead, we will explain one more Sefira from the inner of inner ones so as to show how it, too, in and of itself, is discerned by the same necessity as ten Sefirot in itself, which are now ten inner Sefirot of the inner of inner.

121. When we examine Bina of the inner of inner, which is, for instance, one Sefira of the ten inner of inner Sefirot in the inner Hochma in the ten Sefirot of the general Hochma, called Bina in Hochma of Hochma, here, too, we find that she has ten Sefirot of her own in the same manner, meaning seven of direct light that passed through her from above downward, and three of reflected light that passed through her from below upward.

122. We can elaborate and make such discernments indefinitely, for whenever you take any Sefira, even after it has been divided a thousand times, that Sefira still comes from an ‎order of ten Sefirot. Thus, some of those ten Sefirot have necessarily passed through that Sefira from above downward, and some of them passed from below upward. By this, these ten Sefirot have necessarily acquired their place in that Sefira for all eternity, as we have explained above. Thus, you necessarily have all ten Sefirot in that Sefira.

123. However, know that even when you divide the ten into ten, and the second ten to a third one and so on, do not think that all the Sefirot remain equal. Rather, they change significantly as they are divided, and one is not equal to the other since the lights of direct light never come in their place, as the Sefirot are divided, except in Keter, since in Hochma, there are only eight of direct light, meaning from Hochma downward, and two of reflected light, Yesod and Malchut. Hence, the eight lights of direct light come in the more refined vessels, from Keter to Hod, and the two of reflected light in Yesod and Malchut. It follows that the light of Hochma comes in the vessel of Keter, and the light of Bina in the vessel of Hochma, etc., through the light of Yesod in the vessel of Hod. Thus, all the lights of direct light do not come in their place, and only the reflected light always comes in its place: The reflected light of Yesod comes in the vessel of Yesod, and the reflected light of Malchut in the vessel of Malchut of Malchut.

124. Similarly, Bina has only seven lights of direct light, which are received in the more refined vessels, since any receiver receives in the more refined thing, meaning from Keter to Netzah. It follows that the light of Bina is in the vessel of Keter, and the light Hesed is in Hochma, until the light of Yesod in the vessel of Netzah. Only the three lights of reflected light come in their place: the lights of Hod, Yesod, Malchut, in the vessels of Hod, Yesod, Malchut.

125. According to the above, there is a big difference between the inner Bina of Keter, the inner Bina of Hochma, and the inner Bina of Bina, etc. Only in Bina of Keter is the light of Bina in her own vessel. Conversely, in Bina of Hochma, there is only the light of Hesed in the vessel of Bina, and in Bina of Bina, there is only light of Gevura in the vessel of Bina. This is the case with all of them. Thus, one is not like the other.

126. We can discern changes in the manner of division even in the lights of reflected light, which do not change their places. This is so because wherever there is reflected light, illumination from direct light expands to it. Therefore, in Yesod of Hochma, for example, illumination from the direct light of Hod of Hochma expands to it. However, in Yesod of Bina, illumination from Netzah of Bina expands to it since there is no direct light in Hod of Bina.

127. The exception to the aforementioned rule is if you divide only the general Sefira. That is, if, for example, you take the general Sefira Bina, and divide it from ten to ten, meaning for example, you will divide the inner of inner Bina from the ten Sefirot of the inner Bina of the ten Sefirot of the general Bina, called Bina of Bina of Bina, they will all be equal, without any difference, for you will find in all of them the seven of direct light in the seven upper vessels KHB HGT Netzah, and three of reflected light in the three bottom vessels, Hod, Yesod, Malchut. It is likewise even after a thousand divisions, and likewise in the rest of the Sefirot.

Chapter Ten

Explains the matter of coupling by striking, which contains two forces: a pulling force and a rejecting force, which operate simultaneously, one in the coarseness, and the other in the hardness of the screen.

A detailed explanation about the meaning of the words “coupling by striking.”

128. The topic of coupling by striking requires an elaborate explanation. Ostensibly, there is a meaning of positive and negative together here, for coupling and striking mean rejection and separation, and great hatred. Thus, how can you say a “coupling of striking,” which implies love of hatred, or adhesion of separation, or extension of rejection? It is indeed perplexing.

129. Indeed, they are two opposites under one governance. However, this governance consists of two unique carriers, meaning two forces: a pulling force and a repelling force. The pulling force is in the coarseness of the vessel, and the repelling force is in the screen of the vessel. They have been assembled in one another, and both govern simultaneously, at one time, in two places.

130. I will elaborate in order to examine it thoroughly and make it acceptable to the mind without arousing any confusion or bafflement. I will give you an allegory from the corporeal reality that is depicted and evident to our eyes: When you see a rock or a person falling from a high place to the ground, you see that the person is being pulled from above downward with great force and speed. Still, when he reaches the ground and touches it, the ground strikes him and pushes him a bit upward.

131. There are two conjectures here: One conjecture is that the earth has a great force that pulls everything that is placed in the air, if there is nothing solid to protect it. Thus, when a person ‎disconnects from the roof of the house into the air, that pulling force of the earth immediately controls him. This explains the matter of the speedy fall to the ground. However, there is a question here, for according to this, the earth should have embraced him lovingly, without letting him move from it even a bit. Still, we see the opposite: The minute he ‎touches it, it quickly pushes him back and he returns slightly upwards.

‎132. However, there is another conjecture, that there is another force which repels from above, from the air, a repelling force that operates on anything airborne and pushes it to the ground. At the same time, our earth has only the repelling force, and none of the pulling force. Thus, ‎when the person disconnects from the roof of the house and becomes airborne, the repelling force instantly operates on him from above and brings him down to the ground. Hence, when he touches the ground, it pushes him back, upwards.

133. If we deduce from the branch about its root in the upper worlds, for matters are usually close to one another, we will find that both conjectures are incorrect. We might also say that each and every planet has a pulling force and a repelling force that are combined in one another. In other words, there is a force of coarseness there, which is a pulling force to draw inwards everything that is outside of it, and opposite it, it has a force of hardness that repels any external body from entering it. Thus, any extension must certainly come from the central point in its internality, for that is where its pulling force lies. It is so because the center point is coarser than the entire planet, and therefore pulls into it anything within that peripheral space under its force of operation and control.

134. However, it does not pull it to the point of swallowing it, as it should have been with respect to her pulling force alone. Instead, at the very moment when the pulled object touches its outer crust, the repelling force in the crust, which is the hardness, promptly awakens and repels it back up.

135. It turns out that what it pulled to it was received not by pulling, but in another way, since it was stopped midway by the force of hardness that repels it and detained it on its way. Thus, both coupling and striking operate here together, where the coupling pulls, and the hardness repels. As a result, it receives it on it, and does not swallow it alive into its belly. We can therefore say that the vessel of reception is primarily the repelling force in it, which receives it and sustains it as it should be, for without the repelling force, it would be swallowed alive within it.

136. You can also see that the pulling and the repelling are as even as two drops of water in the measure of their strength. Had the pulling force been a little stronger than the repelling force, it would have been impossible to move on it, for the moving would be glued to it like iron to a magnet. Alternately, had the repelling force been somewhat stronger, the whole world would be dancing on it, and would not be able to touch it. Thus, they are even.

137. In the same manner, you can thoroughly understand the matter of the coupling by striking conducted in the upper ones. Even though the coupling and the striking are two opposites, they still partake in one governance, simultaneously, at one time, but in two places, which are the coarseness and the hardness, and remember this for the rest of this wisdom.