Part 2:
Morning Lesson September 24, 2021, Transcription
Baal HaSulam, Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah, #51
https://kabbalahmedia.info/en/sources/kB3eD83I?language=en
Item 51 (0:14) “We should also know that the Tzimtzum was only on ... “twice
1. S. (4:17) So there is no light of Hassadim, light of Mercy in the Sof?
R. What do you mean there is none, it depends where. He says this. If the light of Hochma cannot expand, even somewhat, then there cannot be light of Mercy because the light of Mercy is basically the response for how the vessel wants to bestow and not receive. It turns out that if the vessel does not want any connection with the light of Hochma, then the light of Mercy cannot appear there. The light of Mercy is an outcome from how the vessel makes the restriction, screen and returning light on itself and is willing to receive from the host in order to bestow to the host. If there is no connection with receiving something from the host then how can it bestow to the host. There is no Hassadim if there is no ability for at least some light of Hochma to appear. You can put it differently, that specifically the light of Hochma builds the light of Hassadim, that a special response to the light of Hochma creates, generates, the light of Hassadim. The light of Hassadim does not exist in nature. It doesn't exist. There is rather the will to receive and the light that created the will to receive.
That is the light of Hochma. That is all the light that comes from the Creator. The light of Hochma comes directly from the Creator and the will to receive was created by the light of Hochma. Now the light of Hassadim is a response from the created being, who wants to resemble the Creator and according to his awakening to be similar to the Creator, then he draws from above a lesser light, reduced from the light of Hochma. A very weak light called the light of Hassadim. The light of Hassadim appears according to the awakening of the created being to be like the Creator, similar to the Creator. It does not emerge from the Creator only from that awakening. As we can see in the four phases of direct light. Keter did its action, expressed itself in the vessel of Keter and expresses himself in what is born as a result of it. The vessel of Hochma is with the light of Hochma is the expression of Keter. But how does it express itself? By building the aspect of Bina, where the desire, passion, lack of Hochma, that has received the light of Hochma from the Keter that has expressed itself, manifested itself through Hochma. What can it now do when it receives everything from the emanator and feels the nature of the emanator and it now wants to be similar to the emanator. That is why it creates the next phase of Bina.
2. S. (8:28) Baal HaSulam says that there could be a shattering if the light of Hassadim was divided, separated from the light of Hochma. How could that be?
R. Of course, it is according to the vessels and the light of Hochma differentiates from the light of Hassadim. Of course, it is according to the quality of the vessels. The vessels want to receive the light of Hochma. It is not vessels. It is just phases but later on it will be vessels.
3. S (9:18) We always said that the light of Hochma came after the created being builds the light of Hassadim. Now we say the opposite?
R. We are talking about the 4 phases of direct light where there is no vessel yet, the light works and in its relationship with the vessel, it builds and develops the will to receive. So that the desire develops to the level of Malchut, to the level of its desires, so that it feels itself. But in the four phases before Malchut, we can’t talk about the created being, or its desires, or actions on behalf of the created being. It is all done by the light.
4. S (10:19) What does it mean that you cannot get the clothing of the light of Hassadim without the light of Hochma?
R. To want the light of Hochma means that the vessel is ready to receive the light of Hochma in order to bestow. It has a Masach on such a level that allows it to do that.
5. S (11:30) There are four phases of the direct light. There is the first restriction and afterwards the Partzuf is divided into Rosh, Toch, and Sof. Then there is a desire on behalf of the created being to resemble the Creator, then we have the reflected light. Does that mean that beyond the void there is Hassadim without Hochma?
R. No, the order is incorrect. We have the four phases of the direct light then there is the decision that the Malchut will receive only according to the equivalence of form with the Keter. She wants to be like the Keter, to bestow to the Creator just like the Keter bestows towards the Malchut, from the Creator towards the created being. Malchut is considered the created being. This relationship begins from the Tzimtzum onwards. Galgalta, the first Partzuf of the world of Adam Kadmon, is essentially doing this action to the extent that Malchut can receive in order to bestow after the Tzimtzum and resemble the Keter. What are you asking?
S. There's the light of Hassadim in the Sof of Galgalta. Does that mean that the Partzuf Galgalta wanted to resemble the Creator?
R. No, it doesn't want to receive for itself and it keeps the desire to receive but without receiving. There's illumination that fulfills that will to receive, of not wanting to receive for itself, somewhat similar to Bina. That’s why there is the light of Hassadim there.
6. S (13:25) How is it possible to end or sustain Malchut without any light?
R. The ending Malchut, the end of the Partzuf. What do you mean that it holds all of the light? It is not like we have a bucket. The structure feels pressure from everything in the bucket.
S. It is written there is no light in it so how can it be alive or maintained? It says that it is devoid of any light, even the light of Hassadim.
R. The lights are always there. We are just speaking about those lights that the vessel receives in order to bestow or that bestow upon it. The lights of existence are there because the vessel is entirely under the restriction meaning the light around it is as the surrounding light that remains after the world of Ein Sof. The vessel sustains itself and has no problem with existing. The light is right. The vessel is in contact with the light, in contact with the Creator, before the light is around it.
7. S (15:14) There is only the light of Hassadim in the Partzuf of Bina, and then it goes to the Sof of Galgalta. How does it work with the connection between the light of Hochma and the light of Hassadim?
R. There is no light of Hochma or light of Hassadim, there is just light. It is revealed in the vessel either as Hochma or Hassadim, or surrounding light or internal light, according to the qualities in the vessel. There are thirty, maybe forty, types of lights according to the vessel that is revealing it, and not that the light exists without the vessel or outside of it. There’s the light of Ein Sof and the vessel reveals what it discovers.
8. S (16:26) The last item says that Malchut became an empty space devoid even of the light of Hassadim. It is not clear what the difference is between the end of the Partzuf and the empty space.
R. You are right but we still have to reach it. In later more advanced stages, there are discernments even in the vacant place as much as it is vacant and as much as it is far from corrections. That’s why to say ‘the Sof of the Partzuf’ is not enough; there are many discernments there.
Item 52 (17:22) “Now we can understand the contents of the ten sefirot…”
9. R (18:22) He adds here that because there is no light of Hassadim without Hochma because Hassadim is a result, it is a response, from the vessel to the light of Hochma. That’s why they are always somewhat together. The question is what exactly we are speaking about now? That’s the whole thing.
Item 52 (18:40) again
10. S (19:42) Does VAK without a Rosh appear from the beginning or after the striking by coupling?
R. The light of VAK without a Rosh can appear anywhere. When we say it, we are speaking about a part of the whole light, or if it does not appear in the ten Sefirot, or if it is the light of Hassadim without Hochma. There are many discernments that we describe as VAK without a Rosh. Something that is not a whole, we say ‘VAK without a Rosh,’ the light that is revealed within an incomplete vessel.
11. S (20:40) I do not understand why he said that there is almost no difference between them and they are always together. The light of Hassadim is the Kli’s inspiration from bestowal and the light of Hochma is the Kli’s inspiration from reception. One is Behina Bet and one is Behina Aleph. I don't understand why the vessel is empty.
R. If you do not understand, listen to what we are saying and maybe you will understand. You have questions from the beginning to the end.
S. What is the difference between Hassadim and Hochma?
R. He gave you the difference between them. The light of Hochma comes from the Creator’s will to give joy to his created beings; the light of mercy awakens in the created beings in order to bestow to the Creator. They connect between them to the extent of the equivalence between the light of Hochma, of wisdom, and the light of Hassadim, mercy. The light of Hochma can shine in the light of Hassadim.
S. How can they be equal if they are opposite?
R. According to the mutual bestowal, of wanting to bestow to one another. You are saying that they are specifically in collision with one another but the collision is that each wants to bestow to the other. They compromise as much as they connect.
12. S. (22:16) Why does he write six Sefirot?
R. We have to learn that. It is not so simple. We name that part of the vessel ‘VAK.’ VAK means six Sefirot, six edges or ends. We don’t have the basis to explain it right now.
13. S. (22:48) The light of Hassadim and the light of Hochma through the light of Hassadim as a result but it is possible both exist in the upper light, and only the discernment we make with the reflected light we call light of Hassadim, it always exists in the upper one?
R. Yes.
14. S. (23:22) From Item 52, I understand there is some illumination below the Tabur?
R. Yes, first there is no light at all, there is no created being, no reality and nothing exists. Everything started from the light so understand that even if we say darkness, it is all relative that for sure there is some kind of light there that gives livelihood to the vessel, that is it and, in this way, we relate to creation so the light is everywhere, it just depends on what light, to what extent and towards who.
15. S. (24:20) This is a compromise between the light of Hassadim and Hochma, you said that they kind of overlap, they touch each other?
R. No, the light of Hassadim and Hochma meet in the Rosh of the Partzuf and in the Rosh of the Partzuf there's already clothing and to the extent the light of Hochma can clothe in the light of Hassadim, according to that they both enter the Toch of the Partzuf and this is where the Kli receives in order to bestow and gives contentment to the Creator. Where there is no more light of Hassadim to clothe the Hochma this is where the Sof the Partzuf is. There is only a bit of light of Hassadim, because the desires of the Partzuf that do not want to receive because they do not have the force of bestowal and they do not receive because they didn't want to be separated from the Creator that is why they have a small illumination of Hassadim.
S. It appears from your words that this division of Rosh, Toch, Sof is mostly done by the light of Hassadim?
R. Yes of course, yes, this whole division on the ladder of degrees is occurring to the extent the created being can receive this formless endless light as much as I have the ability to receive in order to bestow which the light of Hassadim does and according to this the light of Hochma can fill the light of Hassadim.
S. See if we go back to the Rosh, you say there begins the clothing of the light of Hochma in the mercy how does the light of Hassadim arrange towards that?
R. After the restriction the vessel checks how much it can receive in order to bestow and according to that, increase the light of Hassadim, it is very simple. He performs the restriction if he ever performed the restriction so from above from above, he is the light of Hochma and as much he can bestow to the light of Hochma as much as he wants to bestow, he checks how much he wants to bestow and according to that the light of Hassadim is on it and as much as the light of Hochma can clothe on the light of Hassadim and can enjoy what? He enjoys receiving from the Creator, as in the guest from the host, and according to this he gives pleasure to the Creator and they have a meeting, adhesion, a hug within the vessel from the Peh to the Tabur where he can really clothe the light of Hochma in the light of Hassadim.
S. In our work from above downwards from below upwards, we have first to arrange the light of Hassadim to start the work all to be in contact with light of Hochma.
R. You can't answer with the light of Hochma you can work with the light of Hassadim so that it will shine a bit on you, this is called the impregnation because then you can work and then all of your desires you just reject and reject and reject and don't receive anything. Because of that you can be in your upper one like an embryo in the mother's womb, he does not take anything for himself, he has no desires. By this he grows because each time as much as the upper one opens up more and more of the lights of the upper one, the lower one rejects them and he doesn't want them. I want to be adhered to you upon all of those pleasures that you want to give me. I do not want any pleasure, my pleasure instead of the pleasure instead of the ones that you bring to me is being near to you, that I'm connected to you, that I'm in the quality of bestowal to you that is how the embryo grows.
16. S. (29:24) The desires in the Sof of the Partzuf the Partzuf is not aware of them?
R. I don’t know what you're talking about.
S. What opens before the Partzuf is what we can bestow with and all the rest is the Sof of the Partzuf?
R. You don’t decide that you did not learn it yet.
S. What is the Sof of the Partzuf?
R. It is the desires you cannot use in order to bestow yet but he scrutinize them and he sees that he cannot work with them in order to bestow. Let's say this each and every desire he checks in the Rosh of the Partzuf, in each and every desire in whatever he can use in order to bestow that is in the Toch of the Partzuf and in that desire that he can’t use in order to bestow, that is in the Sof of the Partzuf.
S. It is unclear what it means that with certain desire I receive in order to bestow I already bestow with it, what does it mean that it goes into the Sof of the Partzuf?
R. You are not listening to what I'm telling you, sorry. You have a Partzuf in the Rosh you have all the desires, everything and the upper light comes and shines on everything. The vessel rejects them, he wants to keep the restriction, it doesn't want to take anything for himself afterwards he checks. The first action is rejecting the restriction, the second action he checks these desires as much as he can receive them in order to bestow, he checks them. Now from each and every desire from the degree 0 1 2 3 4, from all of these desires he checks. In each and every one he takes into the Toch in order to bestow from this he builds to desire and according to that he can receive in order to bestow. How much, we say 20%. we say 20% from each and every desire. What happens afterwards, from each and every desire what he can’t receive in order to bestow that is in the Sof of the Partzuf, also where does it come from also from the Rosh, just as he divided there, he divides it here. Now there is 80% that he does not want to receive.
S. What is the difference between what goes into the Sof of the Partzuf and the decision that that now the desire it purifies and stops receiving in order to bestow, same desire I can decide that I can purify from it, you say it goes into the Sof of the Partzuf?
R. Why are you jumping when I refine the Partzuf, let's say I refine it from the fourth phase to the third phase, second, first and root. The screen is refined, according to my refining also in the Sof these lights disappear because they do not divide my vessel into the part that receives and not. I receive nothing so the Toch and the Sof become empty, they become empty, that is how it is.
17. S. (34:54) In spirituality there are no halfway solutions, so how do we take on the importance of the decision to bestow based on our material senses?
R. I don't know but this is something that the Creator is aiming us.
18. S. (35:25) What light exists in the Rosh of the Partzuf?
R. In the Rosh of the Partzuf there is 100% of the lights, like I state here.
S. Is there a division between the light of Hassadim and Hochma?
R. There's no division in the Rosh because what shines in the Rosh is the light of Ein Sof means there is no limit, nothing is limiting it.
S. So how does he know how to make the calculation for the Guf?
R. That the screen, which is here in the Peh, standing in the Peh and rejecting and afterwards calculating. everything is determined by the screen in the Peh de Rosh
19. S. (36:25) When there is the light of Hassadim, does it mean that it is the beginning of the independence of the Kli?
R. Yes.
20. S. (36:56) What is the discernment between the light of Hassadim and the reflected light?
R. The light of Hassadim actually comes from above, from the quality of Bina and the reflected light is what comes from the will to receive and is restricted and has a screen and wants to bestow back to the Creator from below upwards
21. S. (37:27) If the light of Hassadim is the reflected light that's clothes to direct light?
R. No, there are many kinds of Ohr Hassadim and Ohr Hozer, there maybe 30 - 40 kinds in each and every discernment, there are many. We just can't start learning it because we will get confused, afterwards maybe we will learn it. The main thing is to learn that from experience.
S. Is the difference between the light of Hassadim and Hochma happening in the Masach, what gives the discernment in the Guf, did they come together?
R. The light of Hochma must be in the created being clothed in the light of Hassadim, meaning of the created being received something from the Creator eating means the light of Hochma, it means that he has to give an intention to bestow so his reception will not be as reception but as bestowal in turns out that he did they bestow the one on one another that is why the light of Hochma must be clothed in the light of Hassadim.
S. So the light of Hassadim we can say is the intention to bestow?
R. Usually is the intention to bestow or the quality of bestowal on behalf of the Creator or the intention to bestow on the behalf of the created being.
Item 53 (39:32) “And now we shall explain the order “
22. R. (41:49) Meaning he explains to us why all the Partzufim we study about, they begin from the Peh of the Rosh of the upper one, each and every Partzuf starts from the Peh of the upper one and not from the Rosh of the upper one. We can say why the Peh of the upper one, it's supposed to be already Galgalta AB, SAG, MA and BON, that is the way they're supposed to be. Why is that order, why it's not this way, we will see this in a second.
Item 53 (43:10) again
23. R. (45:29) Meaning the first Partzuf called Galgata expanded from the Toch to the Tabur from the inside from the vacant place to the Sium. We have the Rosh Toch where it receives in order to bestow and Sof where it can’t receive in order to bestow, it only has the force to bestow meaning to keep itself from not receiving. It turns out that afterwards the Partzuf of AB comes from the Peh of the Rosh of the upper one till the Chazeh it has Rosh then below the Chazeh to the Tabur it has Guf that is what is born from Gagalta. There is the Rosh of AB that calculates and as much as it can receive in order to bestow it becomes the Guf.
24. S. (46:44) The fact that the next Partzuf is the result the result of the previous one of the Guf does it mean to the next Partzuf is the action of the first Partzuf?
R. Here we have Ein Sof four phases and all those things they build Galgata, it draws the light of the Ein Sof and builds herself and wants it she is done building itself the screen descended from the Peh to theTabur and back up to the Peh of the Rosh and by this it builds the Partzuf of AB, the second Partzuf and receives in order to bestow as much as possible, now what are you asking?
S. The previous Partzuf made some action, how will the next Partzuf look up afterwards depends on the action?
R. Right because of the records of Galgata the Partzuf AB came out, that is how it has always
25. S. (48:28) The Bitush is not considered like imploring, that you can measure what to do with the Sium of the Partzuf?
R. The Bitush of the inner and the surrounding light is considered as the light now remaining as the surrounding light that is pressing on the Partzuf to receive more and more inward only in the Sof if he expands its limit.
S. Why doesn't he succeed with this imploring the glow, the reflected light so the light will enter below the Tabur?
R. There is no more reflective light because the restriction and the reflected light, the vessels performed it in the first coupling, now you are not left with anything. If something remained it would not be spirituality, spirituality is always maximum forces in each and every action.
26. S. (49:47) For this study to settle within us do we need the light of Hassadim as well?
R. Yes but for that you don't need the light of Hassadim, you need to sit and read a few times and to draw and picture all kinds of things even though it will not be right and in this way, you will connect to the material. This material doesn't matter as much as you are bestowing or not physically but only as much as you want to understand even if you understand it in your brain, what is going on here, that is it. Obviously, it is desired to observe this material spiritually but to know it in the corporeal way at least each and every one can, whoever belongs to the wisdom of Kabbalah and whoever does not, each one can.