Questions and Answers on the Meaning of the Words

1. What is a thin and weak light?

The level of light that comes out on a screen of coarseness of phase one is called “a thin and weak light,” since it does not draw anything from the phase of GAR. (Item 29, and Inner Light there)

2. What is prime light?

Two phases of light are contained in each record: The first is a residue of direct light; the second is a residue of reflected light, that a residue of direct light is clothed in it. The part of the direct light of the record is called the “prime light” in it, and the part of the reflected light of the record is called the “poor light” in it. (Item 50, and Inner Light there)

3. What is renewed light?

The light that is extended by a coupling by striking, and comes to the Partzuf, is called “renewed light.” The lights that exist in the Partzuf from the time of the first expansion, which are the records that the lights left there after their departure, are called “first lights.” (Item 52)

4. What are first lights?

See answer No. 3.

5. What is posterior?

A phase that does not operate in the vessel, whether to bestow or to receive, is called posterior, or posteriors. (Item 15, and Inner Light there)

6. What are Alephs?

A measure of level that emerges primarily on the coarseness of phase one is called HaVaYaH of Alephs. (Item 56, and Inner Light, Sub Header, “In Yods”)

7. What is Et?

Malchut is called Et [comprised of Aleph and Tav]. It implies that it contains the alphabet from Aleph to Tav. It is so because Malchut is the root of the twenty-two letters, and for this reason, the vessels are called letters. (Item 30, and Inner Light)

8. What are two distances?

If there are two distances without light between the vessel of Hesed and Keter, meaning when HB are empty of light, the illumination of GAR is denied of the Partzuf. (Item 40)

9. What is only illumination?

A giving of lights in the Sefirot from one to another is through the refinement of the screen. First, all the lights contained in the screen of phase three come to the vessel of Keter. After the coarseness of phase three is refined to phase two, whose level is unsuitable for Keter, it gives it to Hochma. Also, after phase two is refined to phase one, and that level is unfit for Hochma, it gives it to Bina, etc., similarly. There is giving of lights from Sefira to Sefira through a coupling and procreation, and this is called illumination, and not “giving of lights.” (Item 35)

10. What is looking?

Bestowal or reception of a Sefira from another is called looking, since they look at one another. (Item 15, and Inner Light, Sub Header, “Parts”)

11. What are Hey-Hey?

The general departure of the first expansion is called “the first Hey of the name HaVaYaH,” and the general departure of the second expansion is called “the last Hey of HaVaYaH.” (Item 25, and Inner Light there)

12. What are Heys?

The measure of the level of Malchut is called HaVaYaH in filling of Heys. (Item 56, and Inner Light, Sub Header, “In Yods”)

13. What is a preparation to receive?

When there is a corrected screen in the Partzuf at a suitable measure of coarseness that is fit for a coupling and to draw the upper light, the Partzuf is regarded as having a preparation to receive the upper light. (Inner Light, Item 6, Sub Header, “Preparation”)

14. What is a looking through posterior?

When the anterior of a vessel is canceled, and it still receives through its posterior, such as after the coarseness of phase four has been canceled, and it receives illumination of phase three from the phase above it into its phase three, it is regarded as looking at the upper light through its posterior. This is because phase three is considered posterior with respect to phase four. See “What are the anterior and posterior of the screen?” (Inner Light, Item 15, Sub Header, “It looks”)

15. What is the first departure?

It is the departure of lights to the Emanator that was made in the worlds for the first time, which is in Partzuf Keter of AK. (Item 60)

16. What is the second departure?

It is the second departure that was made in the worlds, which is in Partzuf Hochma of AK. (ibid.)

17. What is inversion of the anterior downward?

The coarser in the wall of the vessel is called anterior because the upper coupling is made on it, and the light is extended by it, but the part that is not so coarse is called posterior since it does not operate in the vessel. If the inner light departs from the vessel, and the vessel receives light from a low level, and this level is not suitable to the measure of coarseness in this vessel, that light will be received in the part that is not so coarse, which suitable for that level. It turns out that it now turned its anterior downward, the coarse part in the vessel is canceled, and its posterior is upward, as the posterior part of the vessel has now become the receiver of the light. For example, if the vessel is of phase four, the inner light of phase four has departed, and the vessel receives light from phase three, which is adjacent to it, thus, the vessel receives it only in the part that is not so coarse, which is called the posterior of the vessel, meaning in the coarseness of phase three found there. You find that the posterior has become the anterior of the vessel, and the previous measure of anterior in it is canceled. It is now completely inoperative in the vessel, and this is considered turning its anterior downward. (Inner Light, Item 15, Sub Header, “At that time”)

18. What is incorporation?

Two lights from two phases can sometimes incorporate and unite with one another and receive illumination from one another like one phase. It can be depicted in three ways: Either they are both without vessels, meaning ZON that rise to the Rosh and incorporate there in both couplings, or they are both in two vessels, meaning in the second expansion where ZON are incorporated in illumination of Keter and Hochma when they are in two vessels in the phase of Keter, or in the second phase of expansion, called Partzuf Bina of AK, where ZON of Keter have only one vessel and receive illumination from one another. (Item 25, and Inner Light there)

19. What is the first expansion?

Expansion indicates a descent of the light from above downward for clothing in the vessels. Any expansion is called Guf, and the first expansion refers to the Guf of Partzuf Keter of AK, which is the first Guf in the worlds.

20. What is the second expansion?

This is the Guf of Partzuf Hochma of AK, called Partzuf AB of AK. There is another, second phase of the second expansion, which is Partzuf Bina of AK, called Partzuf SAG of AK.

21. What are Yods?

The measure of coarseness of phase three and phase two is called Yods. (Item 56, and Inner Light, Sub Header, “In Yods”)

22. What are ten exits and ten entries?

When the lights entered the vessels of the second expansion, they came by way of Matei [expanding] and not Matei. In the beginning, they all came to Keter. After they are not Matei in Keter, they came in Hochma. After they are not Matei in Hochma, they came in Bina, etc., similarly. Thus, the lights made ten exits and ten entries until the light reached Malchut. (Item 22)

23. What are Yod-Vav?

Yod implies the Nekudot [dots] of the first expansion, meaning the expansion of lights from Hochma downward, which is there. Vav implies the Nekudot of the second expansion, which is also from Hochma downward. However, there is no intimation of the light Keter of the first expansion and the second expansion in the four letters HaVaYaH.

24. What is the descent of the degree?

In the second expansion, when the light of Keter did not return there but remained in the Peh, hence, the light of Hochma came and clothed in the vessel of Keter, and the light of Bina in the vessel of Hochma, etc., you find that Keter descended to the degree of Hochma, and Hochma descended to the degree of Bina, etc. (Item 10)

25. What is generality?

When the male and female receive illumination from each other, it is called “Generality.” There are three kinds of Generality: When they are without vessels, meaning when they ascend to Malchut of the Rosh, when they are in two vessels, which is in AB, and when they are in one vessel, which is in SAG. (See “Incorporation”)

26. What is the Keter of the roots?

The ten Sefirot of the Rosh are regarded as the roots of the ten Sefirot of the Guf, and the Keter of the Rosh is the Keter of the roots. (Item 3)

27. What is the Keter of the branches?

The light Keter of the ten Sefirot of the Guf is called the Keter of the branches. (There)

28. What is Matei and not Matei?

Matei [expanding] indicates the expansion of the upper light to the Sefira; not Matei indicates departure of the light from the Sefira.

29. What is a filling?

The measure of the coarseness in the screen in the vessel on which the upper coupling is made is called “filling,” since the vessel is filled with light because of it. (Item 56)

30. What is Malchut of the roots?

Malchut of the Rosh is called Malchut of the roots since every ten Sefirot of the Rosh are called roots. (Item 3)

31. What is giving of lights?

The matter of the giving of lights from Sefira to Sefira is through the refinement of the screen. First, all the lights came to the vessel of Keter. When phase three of the Keter was refined to phase two, she gave the lights to Hochma. When the coarseness of Hochma was refined from phase two to phase one, she gave the lights to the vessel of Bina, etc., similarly, until the light reached Malchut.

There is another matter of the bestowal of the lights that are born by a coupling and are given from one Sefira to another. They are called “Only illuminations” (see Only illumination). (Item 37, and Inner Light, Sub Header, “Any”)

32. What is the meaning of departure?

There is a record whose light will return to the Partzuf, and there is a record whose light will never again return to the Partzuf. For this reason, it is considered to be in the form of departure, meaning that the light that departed from it will not return to the Partzuf. (Item 59)

33. What are the branches of the Peh?

The ten Sefirot of the Guf are an expansion Malchut of the Rosh. This is because Malchut of the Rosh expands from her and within her to ten Sefirot from above downward, which are called Guf. Hence, the Sefira of the Guf, which is the branches of the Peh, is Malchut of the Rosh. (Item 1)

34. What is anterior?

The place of the designated vessel for bestowal or reception is called anterior.

35. What are the anterior and posterior of the vessel?

Each vessel is designated for bestowal of GAR or bestowal of VAK. If the vessel bestows GAR, then the place of the bestowal of GAR is its anterior, and the place of the bestowal of VAK is its posterior. If the vessel bestows VAK, the place of the bestowal of VAK is its anterior, and the bestowal of GAR is its posterior. (Inner Light, Item 40)

36. What are the anterior and posterior of the screen?

The coarsest phase in the screen is its anterior side, and the phase that is not so coarse is the posterior in it. (Inner Light, Item 15)

37. What is “simple, without filling”?

When the screen is refined from its coarseness and the coupling stops from it, the light departs from the vessel, and the letters are regarded as being without filling. This is because the vessels are the letters, and the filling is the measure of the coarseness in the screen. Since it was refined from the coarseness, it lacks the filling. (Item 58)

38. What is “needs its mother”?

The light of Hesed in the vessel of Bina is considered a “thin and weak light.” This is because it is from the coupling of coarseness of phase one, in which there is no illumination of GAR, which is the self and sustenance of any light. Hence, it must remain in the vessel of Bina as long as it does not obtain illumination of Hochma, so as to suckle GAR from the vessel of Bina. This is why it is called “needing its mother,” meaning Bina. When it obtains illumination of Hochma, it is considered to have obtained its Gadlut [greatness/adulthood], and no longer needs its mother Bina. (Item 39, and Inner Light, Sub Header, “The seven sons”)

39. What is the sight of the Eynaim?

The upper light that expands for a coupling by striking is called seeing, from the verse, “And God saw the light, that it was good.” It implies the light of Hochma, which is the self of the direct light that expands from the light of Ein Sof. (Item 30)

40. What are the roots of the Sefirot?

The record that her light will not return to the Partzuf, such as the light Keter, which remains concealed under Malchut of the Rosh and does not descend back to the Guf in the second expansion, but only its record operates in the vessel of Keter in its place. That light of Keter that remained above is considered a permanent root there, shining from there to its record. (Item 59)

41. What is a root above?

The ten Sefirot of the Rosh are regarded as the roots of the ten Sefirot of the Guf. (Item 9)

42. What are upper roots?

They are the ten Sefirot of the Rosh, as it is written in Item 40. (Item 40)