Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Inner Observation
Table of Questions for the Meaning of the Words
Table of Questions for Topics
Table of Answers for the Meaning of the Words
Table of Answers for Topics
The Study of the Ten Sefirot
Circles and Straightness, Containing Two Chapters
1. This line: The line that is extended from the light of Ein Sof into the space after the restriction (Part One, Chapter Two, Item 2).
2. One thin pipeline: The vessels of the ten Sefirot of straightness are called a “pipeline,” or “pipelines,” because they confine the routes of the light that travels through them with great accuracy and control, so it expands only through the specific routes in those vessels. They are like a pipeline that channels the water that travels through it in complete accuracy, and they are extended and come out from it in the same shape that is inside the pipeline, whether narrow or wide, without ever being any different.
For this reason, the lights that travel through those pipelines are called “ten Sefirot of straightness,” since they are extended according to the rules of those pipelines, in straightness (also honesty) and in justice. This means that the more important light dresses in the more refined vessel, etc., without any change at all, due to the strong control of the pipelines on them.
The power of that control, which is in the above-mentioned pipelines, is because any desire in the upper degree is a compelling force in the lower degree, which is emanated because of it. Therefore, the restriction on phase four, which is a free choice in the vessels of the circles, becomes a compelling force in the vessels of straightness that are emanated by them. This force is called a “screen.”
This is the meaning of the words in The Zohar (Tikkunim): “Invert Ratzon [desire] and you will find Tzinor [pipeline].” This means that when the pipeline is a screen, meaning restriction in control, meaning when it detains its will to receive in phase four by the power of the upper one that controls it, it is the opposite of the substance of the vessel itself, namely the will to receive, since it detains itself from eliciting its desire. This is why they implied, “Invert Ratzon [desire] and you will find Tzinor [pipeline].” It means that the pipeline is opposite to the desire for it compels its desire and does the opposite of what it wants. This is why you will find in all the teachings and the writings that when they want to name and emphasize the departure of the light from phase four, we call it restriction. And when we want to emphasize the power of the restriction that is added by the light of the line that did not expand to phase four, we define it by the name “screen,” which is a detaining force that prevents the light from expanding to phase four.
When we discuss the vessel in general, meaning the vessel and the screen together, we define it by the name “pipeline.” When discussing the light, the vessel, and the screen together, meaning the light that is clothed in the measure of the pipeline, it is defined by the name “line,” and when we discuss a vessel in which there is no screen, we define it by the name “circle.”
3. One thin pipeline, where the water of the upper light of Ein Sof expands and is extended to the worlds: The ARI’s precision with regard to the word “one” emphasizes the correction of the three lines that were made in the world of Atzilut. It tells us that in the world of Adam Kadmon this correction of three lines is still absent, and there is only one line. The reason for this is that the correction of the three lines occurred afterwards, in the world of Atzilut, and is extended from the association of the quality of mercy with judgement. Here, however, we are dealing with the world of Adam Kadmon, where this association has not yet taken place. This is why there is only one line here.
The entrance of the light into the vessel of reception of the emanated being is called “expansion” (Questions and Answers on the Meaning of Words, Part one, Item 14). It has already been clarified that the vessel of reception in this emanated being is called a “pipeline.”
4. The water of the upper light of Ein Sof expands and is extended to the worlds in that place of space and air: There is a specific value to discern between the degrees of the birth of a Partzuf. There, the four phases of the desire are called by the names: light, water, firmament, and one hundred blessings (or one hundred gates). It happens because the lights change their places. Because of that displacement, the light takes the form of water. The ARI tells us that the root of this matter occurred with the appearance of the line: The light that expands as a line is considered to be water with regard to the upper light. For this reason, he makes the precision: “The water of the upper light of Ein Sof.” With the expansion of the light into the thin pipeline, the value of the light was greatly lessened from its value in Ein Sof, and it is therefore considered as water, compared to the previous value.
5. A straight line into the space: A light that expands gradually, according to the laws of the four phases, meaning from refined to coarse, and stops at phase four, is called a straight line.
6. All the way down at once: Do not be mistaken and interpret “at once” and “slowly” that are used here, as times, for it is known that spirituality is above time. Rather, “all the way down at once” means that there is no change of degrees, and “slowly” means according to the cascading of the degrees. He wishes to say, by the order of the cascading of the four known phases, as he will explain henceforth.
7. At the beginning of its expansion as a line: This is the root of the expansion that was innovated, called a “line.” Because it is a new emanated being, it has a special root which shines on it as its innovation, which called the “Sefira of Keter of the line.” From this Keter, the light of Ein Sof expands to the line by way of the above four phases: Phase one is called Hochma; phase two is called Bina; phase three is called Zeir Anpin; and phase four is called Malchut. The ARI says with regard to this order that it expanded “slowly”: Keter expanded first, Hochma next, and then Bina, then Zeir Anpin, etc. (Questions and Answers on the Meaning of Words, Part One, Item 8, the meaning of the word, “afterwards”).
8. One wheel, round on all sides: For the meaning of the word “circle,” see Questions and Answers on the Meaning of Words, Part One, Item 41, and also Part One, Chapter One, Item 100. When the light of the line dresses in a circle, it is called a “wheel.”
9. Not adhered to the light of Ein Sof: This means that all the light that is in the circles comes only from what they receive from the line, whose light is regarded as a new illumination, which has only three phases. Hence, it differs from the light of Ein Sof that encircles in the form of circular light (Part One, Chapter Two, Item 3). This is why the ARI writes that it is not adhered to the light of Ein Sof, meaning that the form of the circular light of Keter of the circles is not the same as the light in Ein Sof. It is so because equivalence of form is adhesion in spirituality (Part One, Questions and Answers on the Meaning of Words, Item 12 and Part One, Chapter Two, Inner Light Item 1), and the term “cause” means a causing element.
10. If it adhered to it, it would return to the way it was: If its illumination had been in all four phases as is light of Ein Sof, its form would have been the same and in adhesion with Ein Sof. In that state, it would be completely annulled in Ein Sof, and completely indistinguishable.
20. The connection and adhesion of that emanated circle with the emanating Ein Sof: The light that expands from Ein Sof to the emanated being is called “direct light.” This light is tied to the emanated being by a clothing of reflected light that rises from the screen upward through a coupling by striking, whose meaning will be explained later. It is called “attachment” because this reflected light that rises from the screen of phase four, from the straight line, holds and captures the upper light in the circle, in a way that in a place where the reflected light does not clothe the upper light, the emanated being regards it as absent, because it does not attain it without that clothing called “reflected light.” It is like a candle made of tallow, where although its lighting force comes primarily from the tallow, still, the light is not connected to the tallow, but to the wick. When the wick burns down, the light burns out, although there is still a lot of tallow left there.
30. Is primarily through that line: The reason is that there is no screen in the circles that can raise reflected light. Without it the emanated being cannot connect with the upper light (see above Item 5). We learned there that the vessel of the line is called a “pipeline,” and it is much lower than the vessels of the circles that appeared with the first restriction, before the appearance of the line. This is why the ARI tells us that although the vessels of the circles are much higher than the line, they do not receive any light by themselves. Instead, they must receive all the light in them through that line, which is much lower than them, for the above reason.
40. Ein Sof encircles and surrounds it from all sides: We distinguish two kinds of light in each Sefira: inner light and surrounding light. The light that is clothed within the Sefira is called “inner light,” and the light that cannot clothe within it due to the boundary that is there, is regarded as remaining in its root, and receiving from it an illumination from afar, called “surrounding light.” The ARI tells us that although the circles are far from Ein Sof, meaning that there is a great disparity of form between them, still they receive from it an illumination from afar, called “Surrounding Light,” which shines in two manners: in general, and in particular. The term “encircling” relates to the general surrounding light, and the term “surrounding” relates to the particular surrounding light.
50. A circle around it and far from it: He tells us that this surrounding light that the circles receive from Ein Sof shines and surrounds them from all sides, meaning from all four phases. This means that even phase four, where the inner light does not shine, still receives an illumination from afar by means of the surrounding light from Ein Sof. The reason for this is because Ein Sof “is also like a circle.” This means that the light of Ein Sof is called “circular light” because it does not discriminate between the phases, and shines and fills phase four, as well (Part One, Chapter Two, Item 3). Therefore, its illumination reaches phase four of the circles, though from afar.
60. The emanated beings would have been like the Emanator Himself: See above Item 10.
70. Without a boundary and ration: The restriction and the screen that were placed on phase four, so as not to receive light within her, places a boundary on the light, for it limits its expansion, which stops at the boundary of phase four. And all that the emanated being receives, which was diminished by the restriction, is called a “ration.”
80. That first circle is the closest to Ein Sof: We must understand the discernments in the names of the ten Sefirot. Sometimes we refer to them as four phases, sometimes we call them Yechida, Haya, Neshama, Ruach, Nefesh, and sometimes we refer to them as Keter, Hochma, Bina, Zeir Anpin (consisting of six Sefirot of its own), and Malchut. The thing is that when we refer specifically to the vessels, meaning only to the substance of the emanated being, we define the names of the ten Sefirot in them by the name “four phases in the will to receive.” When we refer specifically to the light that clothes these vessels, we call them Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, Yechida. And when we speak only of the vessels, but want to emphasize the records of the lights that they contain when they are empty of the light attributed to them, then we refer to them as Keter, Hochma, Bina, Zeir Anpin, and Malchut.
The origin of the above-mentioned ten vessels, called Keter, Hochma etc., is back in the world of restriction, before the emergence of the line, after the departure of the light of Ein Sof from the ten Sefirot, when those vessels remained devoid of lights, and they are called “ten circles.” It is known that although the light departed from them, there still remained a record in each and every circle from the light that was in it, meaning a very small illumination from all the previous light remained in each vessel. This illumination produces in the vessel a yearning, so it will not rest and will not be at peace until it draws once more all that light it had before, in quantity and quality. This illumination is called a “record.” Know that the content of the names of the ten Sefirot, Keter, Hochma, etc. defines primarily the records of the light that remained in the ten vessels.
From this you learn that there is not a single desire in the worlds, or even a slight awakening of a desire, both in the upper ones and in the lower ones, and even in the corporeal still, vegetative, animate and speaking, that is not rooted in these ten Sefirot of circles. At the same time, it is clearly impossible for any desire to awaken in some essence, if a sufficient fulfillment for that desire has not appeared before.
The thing is that it has already been thoroughly explained in Part One of this book, that the will to receive is not the first reason for the light, or for its fulfillment, as people think. On the contrary, the light and the fulfillment are the reason for the desire. The will to bestow that is necessarily included in the upper light engendered, through its quality, the will to receive in the emanated being, because a desire in the upper one becomes a compelling force in the lower one. Thus, the upper light became the reason for the appearance of the four phases in the will in the emanated being. These are the roots of all the desires that are revealed in the worlds. Therefore, how can a desire appear without a reason, meaning without that upper light that engenders it? It is similar to saying that there is some being in the world without a father and a mother that begot it.
You must also know that all of reality and all the creations that are destined to come into the worlds, are already established and exist in Ein Sof, in their full glory and perfection, as it is destined to appear in the worlds (Part One, Inner Observation, Item 11). Thus, you evidently see that all the desires that are destined to appear, already appeared and were revealed in Ein Sof. They were also fulfilled completely, and it is the completeness and the fulfillment, namely the upper light, that engendered and revealed these desires. It turns out that the filling of the desire comes first, and causes the revelation of the desire that is related to that fulfillment.
Now you can thoroughly understand the matter of the records that remained in the ten Sefirot of circles after the restriction, and the departure of the perfection and the fulfillments that were in the above four phases, which are called ten circles. These records mean that all the desires that filled them when they were in Ein Sof, and that they have now lost, remained thoroughly imprinted and “recorded” in them. They necessarily remained longing and yearning for the fulfillments and the wholeness that they had, and this is what we call “records.”
We said above that there cannot be any revelation of a desire of any essence, both in the upper worlds and in the corporeal world, that is not rooted in the ten Sefirot of circles, in a way that there are two roots that precede the existence of all the worlds after the restriction. The first is when every desire already exists in all its glory and fullness. This is the reality that exists in Ein Sof. The second is when all the desires are completely emptied of the fulfillment that was related to them before, from Ein Sof, and this is called the “world of restriction.” All the vessels and the substance of the created beings are extended from the world of restriction, meaning only empty vessels and desires that have lost their fulfillments, and all the fulfillments of these desires are extended from Ein Sof. Remember these two facts well, for they are among the most necessary to remember as we continue to engage in this wisdom.
90. Was extended a little, and became circular once more: Do not be misled into interpretating that it is extended in a place and an area. Rather, anything that grows coarser, that movement is called “extension from above downward,” because the refined is regarded as above, and the coarse is regarded as below. This is evaluated as being in closeness of form to phase four, for the closer to phase four, the greater the coarseness it is considered to have, and the farther from it is regarded as more refined. “Extended a little” means that it grew slightly coarser, and the word “extended” relates to the light of the line.
This matter of this extension is that in each and every Sefira, there are ten Sefirot. This is discerned both in the ten Sefirot of circles, and in the ten Sefirot of straightness. When the ten Sefirot of the Sefira Keter first emerged, the line emerged only with its first three Sefirot, which are called the “Rosh [head] of Keter of straightness,” and their illumination expanded to the Sefira of Keter of circles, which contains ten Sefirot, as well. These ten Sefirot of Keter of the circles surround only the first three Sefirot of the ten Sefirot of Keter of the line. After that, meaning after the ten Sefirot of circles were fully completed, the line expanded a little more and was extended a little, meaning elicited its seven lower Sefirot to complete the Keter with the ten Sefirot of straightness.
Thus, these seven lower Sefirot of Keter of the line were extended downward, meaning became coarser than all the ten Sefirot of Keter of circles. Therefore, there are no Sefirot of circles around these seven lower Sefirot, since the circles are higher than them, meaning more refined, and you already know that higher than the other means more refined than the other.
You can understand the reason for this according to the above explanation (Item 30) that the Sefirot of circles precede and are much more important than the Sefirot in the line, since there is no screen in the circles, and that screen in the Sefirot of the line stands in the middle of the Sefira, meaning in the last phase of the Rosh of the Sefira, meaning in the last phase of the first three Sefirot of the ten Sefirot of straightness that exist in each and every Sefira of straightness, and which are also called the “Rosh” of that Sefira.
It turns out that saying that the screen is incorporated in the Sefirot of the line is so only in the seven lower Sefirot of each Sefira below the screen. However, in the first three of the Sefira, called Rosh, there is still no screen because they are above the screen. Thus, these first three are completely similar to all the ten Sefirot of circles in that in both, there is still no screen. For this reason, they stand on the same phase, and you find that the ten Sefirot of each Sefira of circles causes the three first Sefirot of each Sefira of the line.
However, the seven lower Sefirot of each Sefira of the line, which are below the screen, and the screen is already incorporated in them, are much worse than the circles. It is known that all that is worse from another is regarded as lower from the other; hence, they are regarded as being below all the ten Sefirot of the circles. There is not a single phase of circles that can be in the place of these seven Sefirot, because the circles are more important and superior to them.
Thus, it has been thoroughly explained that there is a vacant place between each two Sefirot of the circles, according to the measure of the seven Sefirot of the Sefira of straightness that is there. This is because all ten Sefirot of circles of the Sefira of Keter surround only the first three Sefirot of Keter of the line. However, the seven lower Sefirot of the Keter of the line are extended below all ten Sefirot of Keter of the circles. After these seven Sefirot of Keter of the line are completed, the first three Sefirot of Hochma of the line begin to emerge, surrounded by the ten Sefirot of Hochma of the circles. Thus, between the last phase of Keter of the circles and the first phase of Hochma of the circles, there is a vacant place. In this place, there are the seven lower Sefirot of Keter of the line, meaning where the circles do not surround them. It is likewise between Hochma and Bina, too, and all the Sefirot.
100. A second circle was made (100) within the first circle: We must be very careful here, so as not to be confused with imaginary descriptions of area and place in straightness and in the circle, which might trip us into this notion by a slip of the tongue. As we continue, you should remember that straight illumination means that the light enters vessels that have a screen on phase four, and that rounding illumination means that the light enters vessels that do not have a screen on phase four.
Bear in mind that although there is no screen on phase four in the vessels of circles, still, phase four cannot receive any illumination from there after the first restriction, since all the light in the circles must come from the illumination of the line, which is a straight illumination (Item 30), and the light of the line does not shine in phase four at all, since it is drawn from the power of the screen. Thus, the absence of light in phase four of the circles is not because of the vessels, since they have no screen at all. Rather, it is because of the first restriction that is on them. Because the first restriction is not regarded as a disadvantage, all four phases of the vessels of circles are of equal degree, without any differentiation of small and great (Part One, Item 30). Instead, all the darkness that is in phase four is due to the light that is received from the line, and does not shine there, as aforementioned.
Now you can understand that after the circles received the light through the line, a differentiation of small and great was made in their degrees, and also in the ten Sefirot of circles, where Zeir Anpin is greater and more important than phase four, which is Malchut, since there is no light in Malchut, while in Zeir Anpin, there is light as it is phase three. Similarly, there is greater light in the Sefira of Bina of the circles than in Zeir Anpin since it is farther from phase four than him, since she is phase two. However, all these degrees are not because of the vessels, but because of the light of the line that they receive.
200-300. The “circle of Hochma of Adam Kadmon.” Then it expanded further down, became circular once more, and formed a third circle within the second circle: It has already been explained with regard to the names of the four phases, whose root, namely the will to bestow that is included in the upper light, is called Keter. The beginning of the expansion to the emanated being, meaning phase one is called Hochma, and phase two is called Bina, and phase three is called Zeir Anpin—or the six Sefirot: Hesed, Gevura, Tifferet, Netzah, Hod, Yesod—and phase four is called Malchut. It has also been explained that only when we speak of the first substance in them, we call them by the name “four phases and their root.” However, if these four phases are already included in their records, as they were in the world of restriction, they are called Keter, Hochma, etc.
Now we will explain why they are called by these names: The root is called Keter [crown] because it is not clothed inside the vessels of the emanated being, but rather surrounds and crowns it from outside its vessels. The word Keter comes from the word “surrounding.” Phase one is called Hochma [wisdom] because the wisdom of the Torah is extended from her, and all the various kinds of wisdoms that exist in the world, in their final form. Our sages have already defined that name well, when they said, “Who is wise? He who sees the outcome” (Masechet Tamid, 30b). This means that as soon as he looks at something, he sees the outcome and the consequence of it. It means that he sees all the future results that will emerge from that thing, to its very last outcome. For example, when you say that the physical is very wise, it means that he can vividly see all the possible implications that can come out of any illness he examines. Also, when he examines some remedy, he fully perceives all the ramifications of that remedy on the body of the patient.
Similarly, one who is wise in the conducts of nature, when observing some natural being, sees all the consequences that that being brings when it connects to the general reality. It is the same in every other kind of wisdom. It turns out that the meaning and definition of the name “wise,” or “complete wisdom,” refers solely to the ability to know the outcome of every single element in reality, to the last upshot.
From this you can also know the true meaning of the name Bina: All the power of Hitbonenut [scrutiny/observation] so as to see the outcome of every element in reality, both in the Torah and in externality, is extended from the Sefira Bina, and this is why it is called by the name Bina. and from the Sefira Malchut [kingship], absolute authority through force and coercion are extended from it, like one fears the king. This is why she is called Malchut [kingship. The rest of the Sefirot will be explained in their appropriate places.
Now we might ask: Bina should have come before Hochma, since the yearning and the observation to see the outcome comes first, and causes the final wholeness, meaning seeing the outcome, which is called Hochma [wisdom]. Indeed, I have already explained to you that the order of the emanation of the worlds is the opposite of how we understand it: The fulfillment of the desire comes first and causes the revelation of the desire (Item 80). The wholeness precedes and causes the revelation of the imperfection, for thus the degrees cascade and descend from Ein Sof, restriction after restriction, down to this world, the most corrupted of all.
400. Adam Kadmon: The first world, which was emanated after the restriction, is called the “world of Adam Kadmon.” It is also called the world of Keter. The four worlds: Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, Assiya, clothe this Adam Kadmon.
1. The ten Sefirot were emanated as ten circles: Although they are but four degrees, meaning the above-mentioned four phases, they still have ten Sefirot. This is because phase three, called Zeir Anpin or Tifferet, consists of six Sefirot, called: Hesed, Gevura, Tifferet, Netzah, Hod, Yesod. The reason for this will be explained in its appropriate place.
Here you should know the precision in Sefer Yetzira [Book of Creation] (Chapter One, 44). It states as follows: “Ten and not nine.” This is something noteworthy indeed, for it has already been explained that all the illuminations of the Sefirot of the upper light, even in the circles, which are completely even, do not shine in phase four, which is called Malchut.
The name Sefira indicates light and vessel only when they are together, meaning when the upper light is clothed in the vessel. However, a vessel without light is not called by that name, for the name Sefira designates glowing and brightness. Accordingly, it would have been plausible to think that Malchut is not a Sefira at all, since the upper light does not shine in her. For this reason, the author of Sefer Yetzira states precisely, “They are ten Sefirot and not nine,” because Malchut, too, is regarded as a Sefira.
The reason is that any connection of the upper light with the ten Sefirot happens specifically through the reflected light that Malchut raises by the power of the screen in her, from below upward (Item 20). Thus, it is to the contrary, she is the most honorable of the ten Sefirot, for without her, the light would not have connected with the upper nine Sefirot. For this reason, Malchut is regarded as being all light. This will be explained in its place.
2. One within the other: See Part One, Inner light, Chapter One, Item 100.
3. What connects all the circles together: You have already learned that there is a cessation and a vacant place between each Sefira in the ten Sefirot of circles, according to the measure of the seven Sefirot of the illumination of straightness in that Sefira (Item 90). However, there is no cessation at all in the ten Sefirot of the line. They begin at Ein Sof and expand to the middle point, which is phase four, called Malchut, the lowest phase there is. Thus, there is no cessation whatsoever between the first ten Sefirot that expanded from Ein Sof as a straight line, also called ten Sefirot of Adam Kadmon. This is why the ARI says that the Sefirot of the line connect the ten Sefirot of circles, too, since the seven lower Sefirot in each Sefira of straightness connect the ten Sefirot in the upper Sefira of circles with the ten Sefirot of the lower Sefira of circles.
This is because the illumination of the ten Sefirot of Hochma of the circles that receive from the upper three of Hochma of straightness, that light necessarily passes through the seven lower Sefirot of the Sefira of Keter of straightness, since GAR of Hochma of straightness must receive from the seven Sefirot of Keter of straightness, and impart to the ten Sefirot of Hochma of circles. In the end, the seven lower Sefirot of Keter of straightness connect the ten Sefirot of Keter of circles with the ten Sefirot of Hochma of circles. It is likewise from Hochma to Bina, and so forth.
4. And passes: The line, which is an illumination of straightness, seemingly breaks through the tops of the circles, passes through the circles, descending and extending downward to the Sium, meaning to the middle point. However, this is certainly not about a place and an area. To understand this, we must know that there is no appearance of light in the worlds, both the upper ones and the lower ones, that is not extended from Ein Sof above the restriction. It must cascade and pass through all the degrees and worlds between that world, where the receiver of the revelation of that light is in, and Ein Sof above the restriction.
You already know that there is no absence in the spiritual. Thus, it is impossible to say that that appearance, meaning the renewed light that cascades down through the degrees, becomes absent in the first degree when it comes to the next, and becomes absent in the second when it comes to the third, as corporeal objects do when they move from place to place. This is utterly impossible in the spiritual since there is no absence in it. Instead, it necessarily stays in each degree as it passes through it. Moving to the next degree is like lighting one candle from another, where the first is not lessened whatsoever. Thus, the appearance of the light that comes to a certain degree in the world of Assiya, is first given to all the degrees in the worlds between Ein Sof above the restriction and the receiver that is in the world of Assiya.
It turns out that the illumination of the straight line must pass through the vessels of circles because the vessels of circles preceded the line, for the vessels of the circles came out immediately with the restriction. However, the vessels of straightness came out later, with the line, which is why this illumination that passes between them never leaves there, as it is written, “There is no absence in the spiritual.”
You should also know that regarding the cascading of the light from place to place, there are two manners of remaining in the places of the passing: The first is “permanent stay.” This means that it mingles and connects with the light that is already in the degree, and they unite into one, as though they had always been one. And there is a second manner, which is only a “passing stay,” meaning that it does not mingle and unite with the light of that place into one thing, but exists there as a phase of its own. The ARI tells us that the light of the line that passes through the degrees of the circles is not from the manner of “permanent stay,” but from the manner of “passing stay,” indicating that it does not mingle with the light of the circles into one phase, but is there as a phase of its own. This is the meaning of the ARI’s precision regarding the word “passes.”
The reason for this is that the light in the line comes before the light in the circles, since the circles receive their lights only from the light of the line. For this reason, the light of the line is far more important than the light of the circles, and therefore does not mingle with the light of circles. The light of the line is called the light of Ruach, and the light of the circles is called the light of Nefesh.
5. And descends: Any expansion of the upper light to the emanated being is regarded as a descent. It means that as it expands, it also becomes coarser. You already know that the more refined is regarded as above, and the coarser is regarded as below. Because the light becomes coarser as it expands, it also descends from above downward.
The reason for the increased coarseness that the light gains because of its expansion is that it expands by the order of the four phases: It begins with phase one until it comes and strikes the screen in phase four. It grows coarser since phase one is the most refined, then phase two, and so on until phase four, the coarsest of all (Part One, Chapter One, Item 50).
6. And is extended from circle to circle: The illumination of straightness is expressed by the word “is extended” and the illumination of circles by the words “becomes round” (Item 90).
7. Until the very last one of them: Meaning phase four in the circles, which is called the “middle point.” It is also called “the material sphere in this world.” The phase of Atzilut in the world of Adam Kadmon expanded first to this world, but after the second restriction was done, which is called the world of Nekudim, the Sium of Atzilut of Adam Kadmon rose to the point of the next world, whose place is considered to be above the world of Beria, as will explained in its place.
8. Consists of ten inner of inner Sefirot: You can understand the reason for the above incorporation of the Sefirot according to the famous rule, “There is no absence in spirituality.” Any light that passes from one place to another retains its place forever in every phase it passes through (Item 4). Because each lower Sefira is emanated by the upper Sefira by way of cause and effect, the lower one is regarded as passing through the upper one.
Consequently, all the Sefirot are necessarily incorporated in each other. For example, when the first two Sefirot appear, namely Keter and Hochma, the light of Hochma must exit from Ein Sof, from which everything is extended. Afterwards, the light of Hochma must pass through the Sefira of Keter before it reaches the Sefira of Hochma, since Keter caused its emergence. Because the Sefira of Hochma passed there, it acquired its place there, and now there are two Sefirot in Keter, which are Keter and Hochma. Similarly, after all ten Sefirot of the upper light emerged from above downward to Malchut, all nine Sefirot below Keter had to pass through Keter because it was the first reason for the emergence of them all, and afterwards, they all acquired their place there, as there is no absence in the spiritual. This means that all nine lower Sefirot are necessarily present in Keter itself, too, since they passed through there.
By the same principal, there are necessarily nine Sefirot in Hochma, since the eight Sefirot below her had to pass through her, as in Keter. Also, there are eight Sefirot in Bina, for the above reason, and seven Sefirot in Hesed, and so on. In Malchut there is only one because she is the lowest. We also know that Malchut raises ten Sefirot of reflected light from her and above, which clothe the ten Sefirot of the upper light, called “ten Sefirot of direct light.” This reflected light is called the “light of Malchut” because there is no other light in her. This reflected light is referred to in all the places as “ten Sefirot that rise from below upward” (Part Two, Inner Observation, Chapter 6, Item 66). It is explained there that Malchut is regarded as the Keter of those ten Sefirot, because she is the reason for their emergence. The one adjacent to her is called Hochma, and the third degree from her is called Bina, etc. In this manner, the more refined is also the smaller, until the real Keter receives only the Malchut of this reflected light.
From this you can deduce that these ten Sefirot from below upward are all in Malchut since they all pass through Malchut, as Malchut is their root. Thus, all of them acquired their place in Malchut. You therefore find that Malchut, too, consists of ten Sefirot. Nine Sefirot pass through Yesod of reflected light, and thus there are ten Sefirot in Yesod: one Sefira from the upper light from above downward, and nine Sefirot of reflected light from below upward, which must pass through it. The same manner applies in the ten Sefirot of Hod: two Sefirot from above downward, meaning the light of Hod and the light of Yesod that passes through it, and eight Sefirot from below upward. The same applies to the ten Sefirot of Netzah: three from above downward, and seven from below upward, etc. likewise. Thus, after the emergence of the ten Sefirot of the upper light and the ten Sefirot of reflected light, each of them necessarily contains ten complete Sefirot, and likewise in the inner of the inner indefinitely, that you necessarily find this above-mentioned manner of incorporation, and there is no more room to elaborate here. Look in Inner Observation, where we elaborated on this extensively.
9. Like onionskins, one within the other: Meaning every upper one surrounds its lower one from all sides equally, without any discrimination of degrees (see above Item 50).
10. The closer it is to the light of Ein Sof, the higher and finer it is: You already know that the term “close” does not refer to a place, but to closeness of form. You also know that from Ein Sof to the middle point, there are four phases of disparity of form, which consist of the ten Sefirot of circles. The middle point is phase four, the coarsest of them all, and the first circle, called Keter, is regarded as instilling the root of these four phases. Naturally, the circle of Keter is the most refined of all the circles as its form is the closest to Ein Sof. Phase one, which is slightly coarser than it, is farther from Ein Sof than Keter. Phase two, which is coarser still, is farther from Ein Sof than phase one. Finally, the middle point, which is the coarsest, is regarded as the farthest from Ein Sof.
We should not wonder about what he said above (Part One, Chapter One, Item 100), that there are no above and below in the circles, because here we refer to the circles after they received the illumination of the line into them, at which time the state of above and below was made in them, and all the characteristics of the line