Chapter Three

Explains four kinds of light, which are called tastes, dots, tags, and letters. Those are 1. The first expansion from the Peh to the Tabur is tastes. 2. The levels that emerge during the departure are called dots. 3. The records are called tags. 4. The light that is born by the striking of the records and the descending reflected light on one another is letters. It contains thirteen issues:

1. When Yesod rises, it leaves a record in its place to shine to Malchut. 2. The record is a residue from the first light of Akudim that is extended from above downward through the straightness, which is mercy. 3. The first expansion of Akudim shone to the receivers from above downward, and the levels that emerged with their departure shone from below upward. 4. When Keter ascended to the Emanator, it shone through its posterior to the emanated beings. 5. The anterior lights are mercy, and the posterior ones are judgments, and are called reflected light. 6. Hochma receives from one posterior of Keter, Bina from two posteriors, and Malchut from nine posteriors. 7. There is yet another difference, according to the quality of the Sefira, because Tifferet receives from the posterior of Gevura, which is hard posterior. 8. According to the differences in the Sefirot, so will be the light that is extended: weak judgment, medium, or strong. 9. Three lights: a) the first expansion of Akudim from the Peh to the Tabur, b) the records that remained from this first expansion, which is mercy, c) the levels of reflected light that are extended from the Emanator during the departure of the lights, which is judgment. 10. The clash of the light of the records and the reflected light with one another engenders a fourth light, called sparks. 11. The first expansion of Akudim is called tastes; the levels of the reflected light are called dots; the records are called tags; and the sparks are called letters. 12. The sparks, called letters, are the vessels, which are called Guf. 13. The sparks merely mixed with the vessels, and are similar to the 288 sparks that remained in the broken vessels of Nekudim.

When Yesod rises, it leaves a record in its place to shine to Malchut.

1. We shall start to explain them from Yesod, which is the last to leave a record. It is said that during its ascent from Yesod to the place of Hod and upward, it leaves a record for Malchut in the place where Yesod was ₍₁₎. That record never leaves there, even when Malchut rises once more to the Emanator. All the other Sefirot do the same, except for Malchut.

Inner Light

1. It leaves a record for Malchut in the place where Yesod was: It has already been explained that Malchut of Akudim is called Tabur, and her emanator, which is Malchut of the Rosh, is called Peh. When the screen in Malchut of the Guf was refined from all the coarseness included in it and remained refined, in complete equivalence with Malchut of the Rosh, which is his emanator, it is considered that Malchut ascended once more to the Emanator. It is so because when they are both equal in their measure of refinement, they are in adhesion and incorporated in one another like a single phase. It is known that disparity of form is the measure of the difference and separation in the spirituals, and equivalence of form is the adhesion and the unification in the spirituals. Hence, when Malchut of the Guf and Malchut of the Rosh are equal in their measure of refinement, they are regarded as being in adhesion with one another and incorporated into a single phase.

It is said, “that record never leaves there, even when Malchut rises once more to the Emanator.” By this he tells us that even when the screen has been refined of all its coarseness until it remains equal to the refinement of the Emanator, the screen is still incorporated with the records in the ten Sefirot of the Guf. The exception is phase four since the last phase does not leave a record, because these records are of direct light, and the last phase does not receive direct light inside her, and there is only reflected light in her.

Know that these records that remained incorporated in Malchut even when she is incorporated in the Emanator, are the nucleus for the birth of a second Partzuf. It is so because all the lights and the vessels are extended to the second Partzuf from these records, as written above (and see Inner Observation here, Item 52). It is so because the screen of Malchut of the Rosh is never refined, and the coupling by striking in phase four there is regarded as a never-ending coupling. Thus, when Malchut of the Guf rises there, and is incorporated in the screen of the Rosh, she is also incorporated in the coupling of the Rosh. This causes the awakening of the coarseness included in the records in her, as she receives from the coarseness from below upward that is incorporated there in the screen of the Rosh.

However, as soon as the records in her return to their coarseness, it is inverted in them into coarseness from above downward because they come from the ten Sefirot of the Guf that were already there as clothing from above downward. By this, the phase of the Guf in the screen that ascended reappeared there, which is the coarseness from above downward, being Guf and not Rosh. This manifestation is regarded as descent and separation from Malchut of the Rosh because it returned to its previous state, to Malchut of the Guf, but not to phase four, called Tabur, but only to phase three, called Chazeh. There, a coupling by striking was done again, eliciting ten Sefirot at the level of Hochma in Rosh, Toch, Sof, called Partzuf AB, and this matter has already been explained (Part 3, Questions and Answers on the Meaning of Topics, Item 210), and study it there.

The record is a residue from the first light of Akudim that is extended from above downward through the straightness, which is mercy.

2. That record is from the first light ₍₂₎, which descended through straightness. A light that comes in straightness is mercy, and a light that comes on the way back up is reflected light, and is judgment ₍₃₎. The record is through straightness, which is why it is mercy.

Inner Light

2. That record is from the first light: From ­the first expansion, which expands from the Peh to the Tabur of AK, it consists of direct light and reflected light clothed in one another. Direct light is called refined light, and reflected light is called coarse light (Chapter 2, Inner Light, Item 10). The residue that remains from the refined light after its departure is called a record. It is mercy because it is the residue of the direct light that is extended from above downward to the state of clothing in the Partzuf. The reflected light that has been emptied of direct light after its departure is regarded as the vessels inside which the records that remained of the direct light clothed, as the ARI says above in Item 10.

3. A light that comes on the way back up is reflected light, and is judgment: Meaning a light that comes and is extended from the Emanator because of the coupling by striking that is done on the screen along the degrees of its refinement. At that time, the levels gradually diminish until the light completely disappears and returns to its root above, to Malchut of the Rosh. These levels are called reflected light, judgment, since they appear during the departure.

The first expansion of Akudim shone to the receivers from above downward, and the levels that emerged with their departure shone from below upward.

3. It is known that when the Sefirot of Akudim came, their anterior was downward ₍₄₎ because the purpose of their coming was to shine downward. Therefore, their anterior was through the receivers. However, when they returned upward, they turned their anterior upward toward the Emanator and their posterior downward ₍₅₎.

Inner Light

4. Their anterior was downward: There is no movement whatsoever here, no posterior and no anterior‎. As has been explained in previous parts, any change of form is called “spiritual movement” (Part 1, Inner Observation, Item 33). Know that bestowal of lights or extension in the vessels is called anterior [or face], and it is known that any giver gives in the coarser thing. Thus, the coarser the screen, the higher the level of ten Sefirot that is imparted there. Therefore, the lights of mercy are regarded here as being imparted as clothing in the Partzuf, with their anterior downward, for the word anterior means bestowal. Downward means greater coarseness. “Their anterior was downward” means that the bestowal is captured in the greatest coarseness in the degree.

5. They turned their anterior upward toward the Emanator and their ‎posterior downward: It has already been explained that the state of bestowal is called anterior. It is therefore understood that the state of departure from bestowal is called posterior. It has also been explained that “downward” means the coarser phase there. “Their posterior downward” means that the lights depart and retire from the coarseness, so that a greater departure will be in the phase with the greater coarseness.

When Keter ascended to the Emanator, it shone through its posterior to the emanated beings.

4. When Keter rises to the Emanator, there is no doubt that the light of the Emanator never stops even for a moment ₍₆₎ from the receiving emanated beings. The only difference is that at that time, when Keter rises up, that light which descends from the Emanator, descends from Him to the Sefira through His posterior, since He turned his anterior up and His posterior to the emanated beings, and it is judgments. The other Sefirot operate similarly as they ascend once more.

Inner Light

6. The light of the Emanator never stops even for a moment‎: This is a great rule in the wisdom: The upper light flows and pours incessantly, without any changes whatsoever, as it is written, “I the Lord do not change,” as we have written in length (Chapter 2, Inner Light, Item 2). Therefore, during the departure, meaning during the refinement of the screen, the departure was instantaneous and at once. However, because the refinement necessarily ascends by the order of degrees in the four phases of coarseness, it is necessarily refined to phase three first, phase two next, then phase one, and then the phase of Keter. It is therefore considered that the light of the Emanator that does not stop expands to it and copulates with it during its ascent and arrival from phase to phase. It elicits a new level of ten Sefirot in each phase according to the measure of its coarseness. When it comes to phase three, it elicits the level of Hochma; when it comes to phase two, it elicits the level of Bina, etc., until it is completely refined and the upper light stops due to the absence of reflected light to clothe it, for there is no manifestation of light without a vessel and clothing.

The anterior lights are mercy, and the posterior ones are judgments, and are called reflected light.

5. It turns out that even during the ascent of the lights, they extend downward a light that descends from the Emanator to the lower ones by them and through them ₍₇₎, although at that time, it is extended through their posterior. It is known that anterior is mercy and posterior is judgments. The descending light is now called reflected light, since it descends when the upper lights rise once more to their root and Emanator, which is why this light is judgment.

Inner Light

7. A light that descends from the Emanator to the lower ones by them and ‎through them: This means that light descends from the Emanator to the lower phases that were made in each and every Sefira as the screen ascends and becomes refined. Every place to which the screen in Malchut rises becomes the lowest phase. It means that it stops the light of the Emanator and detains its expansion from her downward. Thus, the light of the Emanator ends at that place. This is why we call the place to which the screen comes by the name “the lowest phase.”

The ARI makes this precision: “to the lower ones by them and through them.” It tells us that the light is extended from the Emanator only by the lowest phases and through the lowest phases, meaning through the screen that raises reflected light as it ascends and is gradually refined. When it comes to phase three, which is ZA, phase three becomes the lowest phase that strikes the upper light and detains it from expanding from it and below. It turns out that the entire measure of light that was suitable to be received in it had been rejected and pushed back as reflected light, and draws ten Sefirot on the level of Hochma, and so on likewise. You therefore find that the extension of light always comes from the lowest phase that has been initiated, and the light that she did not receive became reflected light.

Hochma receives from one posterior of Keter, Bina from two posteriors, and Malchut from nine posteriors.

6. It turns out that when Keter rises once more to the Emanator ₍₈₎, before all the Sefirot, that light that descends from the Emanator to the Sefira below Keter is extended and passes through the posterior of the Keter, and it is judgment. It is likewise during the ascent of the other Sefirot. However, there is one difference in this, which is that Hochma receives only from the posterior of Keter ₍₉₎. Bina receives from two posteriors, making it more judgment, and it is likewise in all of them until you find that Malchut receives from nine posteriors ₍₁₀₎, making it more judgment than all the other Sefirot above her.

Inner Light

8. When Keter rises once more to the Emanator: Meaning because of the refinement of the screen from phase four to phase three, when the reflected light that ascends from phase three does not come to clothe the light of Keter. It therefore returns and ascends to its root, as there is no manifestation of light without clothing. This departure of the light of Keter is called the “the posterior of Keter.” It is because anterior means bestowal and expansion, and posterior means departure from bestowal.

9. Hochma receives only from the posterior of Keter: Posterior means departure. In the first expansion, all the Sefirot emerged on the level of Keter. It follows that all the Sefirot received from the anterior of Keter, since they were on an equal level with it, unlike during the refinement, since when it was refined to phase three and the level of Hochma emerged, and the light of Keter remained concealed in the Peh, it follows that now Hochma receives from the posterior of Keter. In other words, she suffers and feels the great lack from the concealment of the light of Keter. It is said, “Hochma receives from the posterior of Keter,” meaning the state of judgment because she feels the lack of its illumination. It is likewise with the rest of the Sefirot.

10. Malchut receives from nine posteriors‎: The rule is that all the forces of the upper one are always present in its lower one, which necessarily receives all the posteriors of its upper one. When it is refined to phase three and the level of Hochma emerges and receives the state of judgment that appears in her due to the lack of illumination of the light of Keter, the Sefirot below Hochma receive the same posteriors, too, since they, too, received from the anterior of Keter in the first expansion, as did Hochma, for all of them were there on an equal level up to Keter.

Now, on the level of phase three, they all lack the light of Keter and have only the light of the anterior of Hochma. Similarly, when it is refined from phase three to phase two, and the level of Bina emerges, Bina, too, suffers from the departure of the light of Hochma. Then, she receives two posteriors into her. These are the posterior of Keter that she has already received when she was on the level of phase three, and the posterior of Hochma that she receives now.

Thus, the Sefirot below Bina also suffer from the same posterior of Hochma, in addition to the posterior of Keter that they received during the appearance of the level of phase three, etc., similarly. When it is refined to the phase of Keter, where only the level of Malchut emerges, and all the upper nine are missing, Malchut receives from nine posteriors. It is so because when she was on the level of phase three, she received the posterior of Keter; when she was in phase two, she received the posterior of Hochma; and when she was in phase one, she received the posterior of Bina. Now that she has only her own light, she receives from the posterior of ZA, too, which are the six Sefirot HGT NHY. Thus, Malchut received nine posteriors.

There is yet another difference, according to the quality of the Sefira, because Tifferet receives from the posterior of Gevura, which is hard posterior.

7. There is yet another discernment: Tifferet receives her light from the posterior of the Sefira Gevura. They are hard posteriors and very strong Gevurot. The other Sefirot above are not like that.

According to the differences in the Sefirot, so will be the light that is extended: weak judgment, ‎medium, or strong.‎

8. It turns out that according to the difference between the phases, so will be the difference in the light that is extended: weak judgment, medium judgment, or strong judgment. However, the equal side in all of them is that they are all judgments, because they are through the posterior, as we have said, and the pen has no power to elaborate and detail all these details in this matter.

Three lights: a) the first expansion of Akudim from the Peh to the Tabur, b) the records that remained from this first expansion, which is mercy, c) the levels of reflected light that are extended from the Emanator during the departure of the lights, which is judgment.

9. It turns out that there are three phases of lights here: The first light is the first light among all of them, called Akudim. They descended and expanded from the Peh outward and down to the (Chazeh) Tabur ₍₂₀₎. The second light is the light of the record that the first light left of that light itself which came through straightness ₍₃₀₎, and it is mercy. The third light is reflected light. It is a light that was extended from the Emanator to the Sefira, and was extended when the lights ascended and returned from below upward ₍₄₀₎. This light is judgment, since it is extended through the posterior.

Inner Light

20. They descended and expanded from the Peh outward and down to the ‎‎(Chazeh) Tabur‎: Meaning the first expansion, when the coupling by striking emerged on phase four, called Peh, which is the phase of Malchut of the Rosh. Afterwards, this Malchut expanded into ten Sefirot from her and within her down to her Malchut. These ten Sefirot are called Guf, Malchut of the Guf is called Tabur, and the ten Sefirot of this Rosh and Guf were at the level of Keter.

30. The light of the record that the first light left of that light itself which came ‎through straightness, and it is mercy‎: See the words of the ARI above (Chapter 2, Item 10). He wrote that two lights remained after the departure of the first expansion: The first is the light that remains of the direct light. The second is a coarse light, meaning reflected light that has been emptied of the direct light it clothed during the first expansion, remained below, and its coarseness manifested. This coarse light is the vessels, and the refined light that remained of the direct light is called a record. This record remained clothed within the coarse light.

40. When the lights ascended and returned from below upward: “Ascended” implies refinement from the coarseness in order to reach equivalence of form with its upper one, namely the Emanator. “Returned” implies departure of the light after its expansion, regarded as returning to its root. It is said, “light that was extended from the Emanator to the Sefira, and was extended when the lights ascended and returned.” Explanation: The upper light is extended through a coupling by striking during the refinement of the screen and its coming into the degrees on the path of its refinement. At that time, the levels gradually diminish until it is completely refined and equalizes its form with the Emanator, meaning Malchut of the Rosh. This issue is always called “the ascent of the lights to the Emanator,” and remember that.

The clash of the light of the records and the reflected light with one another engenders a fourth light, called sparks.

10. There is indeed a fourth light born from the aforementioned lights. It is so because the third light, called reflected light, is extended and descends downward to shine in the Sefira ₍₅₀₎. At that time, it encounters the second light, called record, which remains below. However, they differ in their nature ₍₆₀₎, for one is direct light and mercy, while the other is reflected light and judgment. Hence, they strike and clash with each other, especially since the light of the record wishes and yearns to rise to its source ₍₇₀₎, which is the first light. Although it does not actually rise, as the record remains forever below, it nonetheless wishes and yearns to ascend.

However, the reflected light descends below ₍₈₀₎, and as they are of opposite nature, they strike each other, for there is clashing and striking only when the lights differ in their nature. Then, through their striking on each other, they generate sparks of light as reflected light, which is judgment, and worse than the light of the record, which is mercy. These sparks are the fourth light we have mentioned.

Inner Light

50. Extended and descends downward to shine in the Sefira: As the ARI said in Chapter 3, Item 3, the degrees relate to each other as father to sons. Hence, during the ascent of the lights to the Emanator, when the screen of phase four had been refined to phase three, there was a coupling in phase three, and phase four remained empty of her light. At that time, phase three bestows upon phase four from the illumination of her coupling. Afterwards, when phase three becomes refined into phase two, and the coupling is in phase two, phase three remains empty of light, and phase two bestows her illumination from the coupling upon phase three, and so on similarly. From the perspective of the extension of the lights, phase four is regarded as Keter and phase three as Hochma. However, with respect to the vessels themselves,­ it is the opposite: Phase three is regarded as ZA, and phase four as Malchut. Because phase four is empty of light, only the vessels themselves are discerned here, and it is the same manner in all of them.

It is written, “The third light, called reflected light, is extended and descends downward to shine in the Sefira.” The third light refers to the light of the levels that emerge during its refinement. That light is extended and descends below the place of the coupling, as well, to shine to the Sefira below it. In other words, when the coupling is in phase two, the illumination of the coupling is extended to the Sefira below it, namely to phase three, which is empty of light. It is known that the lights left records in the Sefirot after their departure from there. Thus, when the illumination of the coupling of phase two is extended to phase three, it encounters the light of her record there.

It is said, “At that time, it encounters the second light, called a record, which remains below.” It means that the light of the coupling in the upper phase is extended and descends to the lower phase, which is empty of her light, and encounters the record there. The ARI will henceforth refer to that light that descends from the illumination of the coupling downward, as “the descending reflected light.”

60. However, they differ in their nature: It means that the record is from the direct light that remains from the first expansion, reaching up to Keter, since the coupling by striking occurs there in the screen of phase four. Because of this, the coarseness of phase four is regarded as its anterior, as it is from her that it gets its entire level, and the coarseness of phase three and above is regarded as the posterior side of its vessel and does not shine in it.

Its opposite is the reflected light descending to it from the illumination of the coupling of the upper phase. For example, when the illumination of the coupling of phase two descends to a Sefira of phase three that has been emptied of its light, that descending reflected light comes from a coupling by striking performed in the screen on coarseness of phase two, whose level is up to Bina. The coarseness of phase two is regarded as its anterior, meaning its maximum height. It leaves coarseness of phase three and phase four as posterior, meaning ignobility and a flaw. Because they do not shine in it, it lowers them and brings them down. In other words, the disparity of form in them becomes the separator over the light, meaning the opposite of the record where the coarser phase four draws and connects with the greater light.

It is said, “They differ in their nature, for one is direct light and mercy, while the other is reflected light and judgment.” It is so because the records that remain in all the Sefirot come from direct light and mercy, meaning from the first expansion, when the coupling on the screen of phase four emerged, where all that is coarser is the better, for it is all mercy. However, the descending reflected light from the illumination of the couplings that emerge during the refinement, all these levels are regarded as reflected light and judgment since they depart from the coarseness, bring down and lower the coarseness to a state of posterior. Thus, the reflected light that descends from them is in contrast with the records, in which the coarser is more important. It turns out that what is regarded as anterior for the record, is regarded as posterior for the descending reflected light. Likewise, what is regarded as anterior for the descending reflected light, is regarded as posterior for the record, and this is why they strike and clash with each other.

70. The light of the record wishes and yearns to rise to its source: Since she is the part that remains after the first expansion, when she has already departed and disappeared to her origin, that yearning and desire becomes imprinted in the record, as well. It is said, “Although it does not actually ascend, as the record remains forever below, it nonetheless wishes and yearns to ascend.” In other words, even though the record is destined to remain in the vessel, and never rise to her origin, she nonetheless has the desire to ascend, as the force of the entirety of the light necessarily remains imprinted in her.

80. However, the reflected light descends below: It means that it is extended and comes from the Emanator through a new coupling, and descends to clothe inside the Guf because all those couplings that emerge on the degrees of his refinement are done in the Rosh, and from there they are extended from above downward to the Guf. However, because they emerge during the refinement and will not continue to exist, it is regarded as reflected light and judgment.

It is said, “However, the reflected light descends downward.” In other words, if we consider only the time of the coupling, you find that it temporarily expands and descends for clothing in the Guf. The record, however, wishes to depart from the Guf and ascend to its origin.

Know that because of that, the reflected light that descends from the illumination of the coupling overpowers the light of the record when they strike and clash with each other. As a result, sparks spread from this reflected light and clothe inside the vessel that is empty of light. Thus, the light of the record is rejected from within her and rises above that vessel, as tags over the letters. As the ARI writes later in Chapter 4, Item 4, that the two of them cannot be in a single vessel, for they are opposites. Know that the above striking and clash is done above the empty vessel, for the record strikes the reflected light and does not let it expand, and the descending reflected light strikes the record in order to clothe and shine in the vessel until sparks come out from the reflected light and descend and come into the vessel.

The first expansion of Akudim is called tastes; the levels of the reflected light are called dots; the records are called tags; and the sparks are called letters.

11. Now you can understand what we have said, that there are four phases in these lights of Akudim: tastes, dots, tags, letters. This is what they are about: The first light among them is called tastes, and the third light, called reflected light, is called dots, since dots are judgment. The second light, called record, is called tags, and the fourth light is the falling sparks, and they are called letters.

The sparks, called letters, are the vessels, which are called Guf.‎

12. This fourth light, which is the sparks called letters, are themselves the vessels ₍₉₀₎, as it is known, for the letters are called Guf. This explains from where the vessels were made.

Inner Light

90. Are themselves the vessels: Afterwards, the light returned and expanded in them a second expansion on the level of Hochma. Keter remained concealed in the Peh, and the light of Hochma clothed in the vessel of Keter, the light of Bina in the vessel of Hochma, etc., until Malchut remained without light. Know that these sparks have been prepared as vessels for these lights, see above in Inner Light, Chapter 2, Item 3.

The sparks merely mixed with the vessels, and are similar to the 288 sparks that remained in the broken ‎vessels of Nekudim.‎

13. It appears to me that I had heard from my teacher that there were vessels in them to begin with ₍₁₀₀₎, but these sparks mixed and connected with them, and were in them as the 288 sparks that remained inside the vessels of the world of Nekudim when they broke, etc. ₍₂₀₀₎.

Inner Light

100. There were vessels in them to begin with: The ARI explicitly wrote above, in Chapter 2, Item 10, that the coarse light that remained after the departure of the light of the first expansion are the phases of the vessels of the Partzuf themselves, in which the above two lights came. These are called “the second light,” a record, and “the fourth light,” the falling sparks, which are called letters.

It is said, “There were phases of vessels in them to begin with, but these sparks mixed with them.” It means that two phases of vessels must be prepared for the second expansion, for there is male and female in each Sefira, as the ARI wrote in Tree of Life (Gate 7, Chapter 3). Thus, of these vessels that were in them to begin with, meaning from the above coarse light, the vessels for the male lights of the second expansion were made. The vessels for the lights of the females of this expansion were made of the sparks that fell inside them and mixed with them.

It is said “mixed” to tell us that the phases are not equal since sparks of phase three came into phase four, and sparks of phase two in the vessel of phase three, and sparks of phase one in the vessel of phase two, etc. This is why this connection is regarded as a mixture.

200. And were in them as the 288 sparks that remained inside the vessels of the ‎world of Nekudim when they broke: It is a great thing that he tells us here: It is known that the 288 sparks that remained in the vessels after they were broken and died were the cause of the revival of the vessels. It is so because those sparks were an association of mercy with judgment. Thus, here the sparks that fell from the descending reflected light are also from the association of the quality of mercy with judgment. However, it is as a beginning, for every upper phase is regarded as the quality of mercy toward the phase below it. Because the sparks of the upper phase fell, mixed, and connected with the lower phase, it is regarded as mixing the quality of mercy with judgment, the same as the above 288 sparks.

Know that this is the whole merit of the departure of the first expansion. It is because of her that the above sparks descended and the root for the association of the quality of mercy with judgment was formed. The ARI writes below about this departure, that it is regarded as “corruption in order to correct,” meaning similar to the breaking of the vessels, which also occurred in order to revive. It means that it refers to the association of the quality of mercy with judgment, from which comes the revival, and from which comes the entire correction of the world.