TES:
Baal HaSulam. "Study of the Ten Sefirot" (TES). Vol. 1. Part 1. Histaklut Pnimit [Inward Scrutiny]. Chapter 8, #31 ("The four letters of the four-letter Name.")
Chapter 8 Item 31 The four letters of the four-letter Name....”
52. R. So, I drew this, can you see my screen? Let's start scrutinizing what these 4 Phases are. The first Phase is 0, the light itself expanding, the presence of the Creator from above. That is number one, which is the light expanding in the desire. This is called Hochma, wisdom and the light expanding in it is called the light of Hochma. The vessel of Hochma, afterwards comes Phase 2 Bina two which is filled with the light of Hassadim that expands in the opposite way from below upwards. It doesn't want to receive but only wants to bestow. This is all of it and then comes the phase of ZA (Zeir Anpin) which is the light of Hochma and the light of Hassadim here together. Then comes the light of Hochma in phase 4 the entire great light of Hochma which is Malchut. These vessels are called Keter, Hochma, Bina, ZA, Malchut This is how we have to read them as 01234 Keter is still the light of Ein Sof, the light of Hochma expands from it and these vessels are also Hochma, the light expanding into the Kli (vessels) of Hochma expands bestows to this vessel and becomes the light of Hassadim. They are both opposite as there's an arrow from below upward and from above downward and by this, we can state this is the vessel of Hochma and this is the vessel of Hassadim and this is called Bina and the combination of these two lights are called Zeir Anpin because there is a bit of the light of Hochma, that is why it is called Zier. Zier means small and Anpin is face is what we call Hochma, and Malchut receives the entire light of Keter. It goes through the whole system and is included in Malchut. Malchut is the entire will to receive and Malchut receives the light of Hochma. This is the expansion from the Creator, Keter to the created being called Malchut, this is how the upper light expands the bestowing of the Creator to the created beings through four phases.
53. S (08: 57) In your diagram for meaning the fourth phase Malchut is the most important Sefira of all?
R. Yes.
S. Why?
R. Malchut is the most important because all of the desire and fulfillment is included in it.
54. S. (09:43) All of these Sefirot, what they represent, were they named after the sensations that the Kabbalists felt on each degree?
R. All of these names are called according to the lights and vessels in them according to Keter is the first and it crowns everything (Keter is Crown) as everything comes from it Hochma, the light that fill the will to receive discovers pleasure from receiving and this is called Hochma, Bina is the desire to bestow when the will to receive wants to resemble the light that fills that then it becomes a desire to bestow. This is why it is called Bina and this expands meaning she doesn't want to receive, she doesn't want to be like the Hochma, meaning she is opposite of what the Creator created. Then comes a compensation between one and two, a compromise is 3 which is called Zeir Anpin. Its purpose is to mix as much as possible these two first, Hochma and Bina and to build something mutual from them. It is checked what can be mutual and what can be compared from the will to receive and the will to bestow and also with the light from the will to receive and will to bestow comes Phase 4 which is entirely wants to receive what is in Keter, all the light of Keter she wants to receive in her. This is why it is the full complete desire to receive which is why it is called Malchut that it is in control of her desire. There is a lot to speak about here but let's read another item to Chapter 10.
Item 32 “This might surprise us in Yod implies Hochma ....” (12:37 - 16:09)
55. R. His writing is not simple, there are a lot of things that we don't need to scrutinize now because he writes and even summarizes these things so that is why I am happy that we have questions but to answer them, to scrutinize them let's stop here and I will explain it in a simple way that you won't remain without any. We have the upper light, it expands from above downward that Shoresh, 0 root, then Aleph, phase one where the Creator created a vessel and enters the vessel a desire, in a state where the light fills the vessel, it enters and fills the vessel this is called Phase 1 Hochma. The vessel resists and starts receiving the same quality from the light the way the light wants to bestow so He doesn't want to sustain the light as a receiver, He wants to bestow the light back. This is called Bina which is the desire to bestow. Afterwards, there is a desire that connects the first and second together that is called ZA Zeir Anpin Phase 3, which is made from one and two together. That there is a light of Hochma and Hassadim and from working in the Kli, vessel of one and two together, the Kli decides it wants to also receive the light of Hochma and Hassadim. These two lights She wants to receive inside her and enjoy. This is called 4, Malchut. Malchut wants to enjoy everything possible, receiving and bestowing everything for herself this is called Malchut.
56. S. (19:19) The first and second phases, the desire to bestow generates an equal desire to receive, where is the addition of light that causes Bina to bestow?
R. She does not bestow, she just decides that she wants to be like that.
57. S. (19:52) It says the vessel of Bina is built on three lights, Hochma from Keter and Hassadim of its own essence, the second one you mentioned in only a few words can you explain the mechanics?
R. I won't do it. Baal HaSulam gave us two words about this, I am not going to elaborate because he knows what to do, to let you get confused. I don't want you to.do this. Learn the way it is written that you don't understand as much as his writing. It is like a remedy, just take a bit of it and be healthy, meaning advance. If you get a lot, you will be confused and stay in place and you won't advance so don't be smart and relate to the wisdom of Kabbalah the way you relate to your university or school it is not the same thing. This is why it is not the wise who studies, as it is written, if you want to receive this in wisdom nothing will come out. You need to receive it only in order to resemble the vessels. What does it mean that I feel pleasure? What does it mean that I want to bestow pleasures? To be in a vessel, just like this vessel in your feelings because it is all I desire, the desire is a feeling, you can't understand this in your mind. You can't understand what the first discernment means, or two, three or four, you can't understand it, make yourself into phase one that you want to see about the abundance and then we will see how you will start doing it. But before we feel we only learn as a remedy. What does that mean? That it will bestow upon us, such desires will be formulated in us like 1 2 3 and 4 and in these desires, we will start feeling the phenomena of the light and then this light will be working in us and will give us the results that we will be able to resemble Keter, the Creator and only in such a way. Don't start confusing me that you want to be a physicist. It is not here. it is not with us. You won't learn anything this way as it is not the wise who learns, only to resemble the vessels will help you to understand what is going on there. You think with your beastly mind from this world to rise and to feel spiritual phenomenon, that won't work. That is why let us together go through this path. I am escorting you, no problem. Let's do it in a way that we will want to be in these vessels. That we will want to feel what we have in there. This is why Baal HaSulam is saying a bit more here or a bit less, it's all the way his feelings the way he is are clothing in you, He wants to help us feel because the feeling is the main thing of how we can feel ourselves in these vessels.
58. S. (24:12) The light of Hochma wisdom feels stage 1 and stage 4 , is Malchut in equivalence of form with Hochma?
R. No, Malchut is the opposite of a light of Hochma. The light of Hochma comes to pleasure the vessel, the created beings Malchut wants to receive and enjoy the light of Hochma.
59. S. (24:56) In this process of the 4 Phases in every Phase we see a different vessel or is it all one vessel?
R. A vessel is called a desire, a Behinot, a phase is a discernment, so in every discernment in every vessel is a different desire this is why it is different from the others from its desire. What is the difference between the Behina Aleph, the first discernment and Behina Bet, the second discernment? The different desires, the Behina Aleph first discernment, is the desire to receive and Behina Bet is the second discernment is the desire to bestow, the desire to bestow they are opposite these desires One and two this is why it is opposite from one another. The third phase ZA. A combination of the desire to receive and the desire to bestow and in order to compare the two from that comparison comes a decision of Phase 4 that I want to receive everything, also what I want in Phase 3 and 2 to bestow, no I want to receive I want to enjoy the reception and the bestowal, everything this is why the Phase 4 is the completion of the formulation of the desire to receive it wants to enjoy this and that. I am receiving something and enjoying it, I am giving something I also want to enjoy. Just to enjoy and also from an action of bestowal and also from an action of reception.
60. S. (27:12) Can you elaborate on whether Bina and Malchut are the same letter?
R. What we didn't talk about don't ask.
S. It was just in the text.
R. Not now, you will see how complicated it is.
61. S. (7:58) Why Malchut the final state?
R. The control of the desire to receive that we don't need anything in creation Keter to Malchut if in Malchut it is received as whole and complete everything that came from above down word that Malchut wants to receive anything there this is the end of the desire, everything the Creator wants to give also wants to give the light of Hochma and also from awakening a response in the vessel of Hassadim, Malchut wants to receive everything and enjoy everything this is why it is the end of these developments of the vessel.
62. S. (28:57) Baal HaSulam uses the terms of the 4th and the actual potential, what is this here?
R. I don't want to get into this now, I don't want to confuse everybody, there are people that are hearing this for the first time, we will get into it, it is not so important.
63. S. (29:2) Behina Be, the second discernment she is already bestowing so what is missing why does it keep going?
R. Because it is not Kli. Phase 2 is Bina. It wants to bestow like the Creator. It's not the purpose of creation. That the created being will bestow to the Creator, who can he be so back to you doesn't have a deficiency. What can you bestow to him? This is why Bina is not the completion of the vessel. Bina is the quality of the Creator in the desire to receive. Upon its desire to receive it wants to bestow because it got such a light, an impression like you go into some society and go into an important person you get an impression and you want to be like him but it's not you.
64. S. (30:37) What is the addition or the deficiencies ZA gives for the development of the fourth discernment?
R. ZA gives a comparison between the desire to receive in the desire to bestow, the light of Hassadim and the light of Hochma and as a result the vessel chooses, I want to receive, both of them, the light of Hochma and the light of Hassadim the desire to receive and the desire to bestow I want to enjoy everything.
65. S. (31:39) Behina Daled, the fourth discernment and Behina Bet, the second discernment are they opposite and come to completion in the final correction?
R. Yes, in the end of correction these four phases come back and are included in Shoresh in Keter and by that attain the whole complete adhesion of the created being and the Creator.
66. S. (32:34) In the design of the light over the desired does it happen with the consciousness of the Desire with participation or not?
R. How can it be that the desire does not participate so what is working? The Creator remains the way it was no, the desire needs to resemble the Creator and perform the actions with the Creator in knowing and participating with him.
S. So can we say in the four phases of free choice and desire already developed?
R. It is a little far but in the 4 phases is everything but it is still not revealed.
67. S. (33:30) In Malchut we receive for receiving and even when it gives it gives for receiving so how do we understand the idea of bestowing to bestow?
R. We can't yet, you already want to jump ahead, maybe you learn these things but we are going gradually and for us it is not important to understand, the mechanics will not run away the main thing is for us to feel inside Phase 1 2 3 and 4, how we are built and how we exist by the Creator conducting us from above like marionettes on the string, managing us Hochma, Hassadim, Hassadim , Hochma, by these two managing us from one end to the other through all of the worlds.
68. S. (35:00) When we work with our desires and try to analyze the four phases of the expansion of the light does this include the material desire of this world or just the 10?
R. All of the desires including the desires in this world but we don't have other desires, everything is included in our spiritual work. The main thing for us is what we learn in the first lesson to give contentment to the Creator that is the main thing because in the end all the actions that we are learning in phases 1 2 3 and 4 they all need to be connected to give contentment to the Creator this is why it expands from the Creator to us and for that there is an upliftment from us to the Creator.