Part 2:

Rabash. Explanation of the Article, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah” (The Ten Sefirot de Igulim [circles] and the Line of Ein Sof that Fills Them)

1. R. (06:23:) What is the impression from this excerpt?

S. (06:25) Rabash opens us in a different way than The Preface, he says that there are vessels that were expended with the line. What are the vessels that continue with the extension of the line?

R. Because, let us say this, the light came first and after the light came the line so the line extends the light, meaning He is the first and then afterwards came the light clothed in the line.

S. What does it mean that Kelim extend with the extension of the light?

R. The vessels align with what was extended with the extension of the light but the light builds the line, the vessels, and in this way they actually become, they enter into the line.

S. The vessels of direct light too, there too, the vessel is built by the light, right? There are the four phases of direct light which builds the vessels, the vessels of Igulim/circles, so there are two kinds, (1) vessels in which there is no prohibition on receiving and (2) vessels that are extended now with the extension of the light.

R. Yes.

S. So there's something new here that was extended with the extension of the light. What are these vessels?

R. That on behalf of the line there is an action that it draws the light into the line.

S. By this it builds new vessels?

R. Yes, it's the vessels of straightness or directness in lights of straightness. Because before them there is a desire on behalf of the vessel that the light will fill the desire and in this way it will realize the desire, that is it.

2. S. (09:10) Where in The Preface does he write about the ten Sefirot of the circles and the line of Ein Sof that fills them?

R. He doesn't write.

S. So where is it in this structure? What are the Sefirot?

R. The circles come before the line. The circles are truly vessels that are natural vessels. The light that builds the light for itself builds it according to its extent that it is a circle.

S. So what is this parallel to, the phases, the four phases of direct light of Ein Sof of these Igulim/circles?

R. The four phases are still discernments it’s not Sefirot yet.

S. So what are the ten Sefirot in circles cascading from above downward?

R. It comes afterwards when the light expands in the vessel and the light and the vessel are called circles and that is how they expand.

S. Afterward what comes before the ten Sefirot of circles?

R. Before the ten Sefirot of circles? What we learn is that there are four phases of direct light.

S. So after the four phases of direct light come the ten Sefirot of circles?

R. Yes.

S. Why?

R. I don't understand “why”.

S. After the four phases of direct light come shame, restriction, reflected light, and the five Partzifum begin according to The Preface.

R. Right and it all happened in the vessels of the circles.

S. What does that mean?

R. That there wasn't above and below there wasn't big or small.

S. Where?

R. In those vessels.

S. Of the circles?

R. Yes.

S. What is the state that preceded them? We say the four phases of direct light after the four phases of direct light…?

R. The vessels of the circles came before them and in the circles there is no big or small, there is only first and after.

S. Is there a state between the four phases of direct light in the shame, restriction, and reflected light, in the expansion of the five Partzufim of AK which are called vessels of circles?

R. Yes.

S. What is it, new discernments the same thing with a different name? What is it?

R. Wait. We get desires that come out root, one, two, three, four.. These desires are filled with the upper light, they expand as a cause and effect, and what are you asking about that?

S. Then what happens? Is this the five phases you're talking about now?

R. Yes, it is still the four phases.

S. Good, so the four phases of direct light come out and then we learn that the point of disparity of form? Well, that’s a different matter altogether, so after the four phases of direct light shame comes out, the restriction, and reflected light.

R. Well let’s say so.

S. “Well let’s say so” is not clear because here he adds the ten Sefirot of circles that Baal HaSulam doesn’t write about.

After the four phases of direct light shame comes out restriction and…?

R. But there are no Sefirot but circles.

S. In other words a four phases of direct light, Malchut of Ein Sof, is the ten Sefirot of the circles.

R. Yes.

S. So the four phases of direct light is the ten Sefirot of circles?

R. Yes.

S. The whole cascading of the Partzufim of AK, in all the cascading he writes about in The Preface, does it happen in the line?

R. There is no line yet. The line is a limitation, there is no limitation here yet.

S. When limitations begin in Galgalta, when he begins to calculate, is this called a line?

R. Yes.

S. Galgalta, AB, SAG, this whole cascading, it all happens in the line?

R. Yes, of course.

S. The circles are outside of this?

R. Yes.

S. Sometimes he writes as it says here that there was no prohibition.

R. To receive.

S. Yes, that she only did it out of choice?

R. Yes.

S. Sometimes this is that shame awoke so she had to make the restriction.

R. Okay.

S. So what is the difference?

R. What happened in Malchut of Ein Sof was that she wanted to equalize her form with the light, the source of the light, that is why she restricted herself.

S. What is the reason, shame or adornment?

R. There is no shame yet only a desire to resemble; meaning, adornment but also adornment not because of the will to receive but through the form to the equivalence in form.

S. So where does shame come into the process?

R. Shame isn't there yet because she still did not do anything wrong on her own.

S. So after phase four chooses to be similar, what happens?

R. After phase four wants to resemble she performs a restriction. She goes back on all the discernments that came before and restricts herself.

S. So what does it mean that we say that the restriction was done because of the shame?

R. That she reveals it gradually, gradually.

S. Reveals what?

R. The need to restrict because her reception of the upper light is revealed gradually, that it is something flawed.

3. S. (16:30) On the one hand we learn, as he says that before the emanated where emanated and the creations were created there was one simple light and then he restricted himself so there will be a place where all the worlds can be created and here it says that everything started when Malchut didn't want, it is as if from the Restriction of Malchut of Ein Sof then this vacant space began where everything happens. He says: after the restriction, empty Kelim remain within them there are records from the light they had, they are called Ein Sof of circles which are in the world of restriction. When does it all begin? When do the four phases of direct light begin after some vacant space appears? after He restricts Himself and then begins the process of the four phases of direct light. 

R. Let us say so.

S. And then when he says here that it is within this vacant space what he describes here about the world of restriction, when he says after the restriction empty Kelim remained?

R. Yes, after the restriction when there were empty Kelim there is a place to build the world's.

S. And then begin the four phases of direct light?

R. Yes.

S. And after that the restriction because of the shame and the adornment and all that?

R. Yes.

S. What does it mean that Malchut, what is Malchut of circles because Malchut is the will to receive, but in the circles it is as if they have no limitation according to what he writes here?

R. It doesn't matter but there is a will to receive.

S. Is there able to receive in the light?

R. If the light appears so there is a will to receive in there, that it organizes it and sustains it and restricts it. That is the will to receive.

S. Is it like that from the perception of the created beings or is there the will to receive in the light because we see that the light is in absolute bestowal?

R. That doesn't matter, is it still a restrictor or not?

S. Yes we learn that there was a restriction in order to create this place.

R. That is why there is no equivalence with the light and the place. Still there is a difference between the light and the place.

S. In other words by Him restricting Himself he created Himself discernments like Malchut?

R. Yes

4. S. (19:40) It is written that Malchut of circles extended the light in order to bestow?

R. Yes.

S. We said that in order to bestow is when it's a matter of higher and lower in importance as if there is a calculation in Galgalta and then she can decide how much to receive in order to bestow and here it says that already in Malchut of circles it bestows?

R. Where is that written?

S. It says Malchut of circles extended the light in order to bestow. There is already an act of bestowal in the place called Malchut of circles.

R. Where is that written?

S. It is written: “Since Malchut operates because she is the real vessel therefore Malchut of circles extended the light once more in order to receive it in order to bestow.”

R. I don't understand it. I cannot, something is missing here.

S. Yes, that is what I felt because it says afterwards when she extends the light there is a prohibition on receiving the light, this is in the vessels of directness, right?

R. Yes.

S. And then there is the matter of above and below in importance and then there is her work in relation to the giver. That is why I did not understand why it said that Malchut of circles draws the light in order to bestow?

R. Yes, because Malchut of the circles, the circles could not extend the light, the light is only extended through the line, yes.

5. S. (22:47) But the answer is below: we learned that the circles…?

R. Here we learned a new rule that what was a desire in the upper one became a law in the lower one.

S. There's a paragraph afterwards: “we also learned that the circles should receive light from what they had drawn anew. We need to understand the reason for the matter, every new form in spirituality is a new discernment this is why there are two kinds of vessels one, Kelim in which there is no prohibition on reception two, Kelim that extend now with the extension of the light and whose Malchut is called Malchut of Yosher on which there is a prohibition to receive due to the rule a desire in the upper one becomes a binding law in the lower one.”

R. So what are you asking about this?

S. In the expansion of the four phases of direct light the light spreads from the circles or as a circle or…? I mean phase one that is built when we say Ein Sof is it the shape of a circle?

R. Yes, if you are speaking about the beginning of the expansion it is a circle.

S. So that explains the paragraph we did not understand before, maybe. What does it mean that Malchut of circles gives something downwards, extends something, how does it go?

Reader: “Malchut of Igulim extended the light once more in order to receive it in order to bestow.” 

S. So it is even before the four phases of direct light?

R. I do not think we can talk about anything before four phases.

S. So that leaves the question: what is the Malchut of circles that bestows in order to bestow?

R. Malchut of circles can’t in order to bestow because it is circles.

6. S. (26:00) Maybe he says what the goal is. In order to come to a state of working in order to bestow she has to create the light so maybe he says to begin with the purpose the goal of Malchut of the circles is to come do a state of working in order to bestow but she can't, she is forbidden, so she creates Malchut of the line and Malchut of the line can't do it so maybe he opens, he reveals the general goal of Malchut of the circles?

R. Okay well, we'll get to it. I do not agree but for now, let us leave it like that. 

7. S. (27:15) Is it possible that at first Malchut of Ein Sof was built in the form of circles creating a vessel and here he writes that after the restriction she can no longer draw the light again as it was on the day of atonement and then he says another vessel was built of a line through which she does all the work as if we have two vessels here, working in parallel?

R. The vessels of circles and straightness.

S. Okay. So it can work only through the line because the circles are only records inside of Malchut?

R. Yes, the circles are filled by the light. That is what we learn.

8. S. (28:07) Many of the questions that opened up here are concerning the first paragraph. In the first paragraph he answers it so maybe if we read this from the beginning, it will be scrutinized?

R. We went through the ten Sefirot of the circles and line?

S. Yes, maybe we should just read it from beginning to end because there are answers in the end.

R. Okay, let’s see.

Reading again (28:32): “The Ten Sefirot of circles and the line…”