Part 3:
Morning Lesson September 22, 2021, Transcription
Baal HaSulam, Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah, #48
1.R. (00:12) This is the wisdom of Kabbalah. We need to learn it as much as we can and by this, we receive a portion, a dose, of the reforming light.
Item 48: “Yet, these levels, which emerge on the Masach during….”
2. R. (03:03) Rav drawing. He explains that we have Ohr Yashar, direct light, and Ohr Hozer, reflected light, in the Rosh, in the head of the Partzuf. This is through a Zivug that takes place in the Peh of the Rosh. The light then expands from Peh downwards to the Tabur. What expands in there is called Ohr Pnimi, the internal light. The excess that remains outside is called Ohr Makif, surrounding light. Then the screen, the Masach, begins to purify. It receives a decision that it's going to purify from Tabur, from the fourth phase of coarseness from three, to two, to one, and to the root, Shoresh. This is how the screen completely purifies and reaches from Tabur to the Peh of Rosh. This is altogether the action where the light decided with the screen that they are doing an action here and they come to a certain compromise. The screen is working with the intention to bestow as much as there is equivalence with the intention of the light to bestow. It turns out that the Masach and the Ohr, the screen and the light, operate together and the light enters into the Toch part of the Kli and in the Ohr Pnimi, the internal light.
3. S. (05:22) In the case of the lower ones, how does the refinement of the light after the screen happen?
R. We will talk about it later. I don't want you to get confused. When we have a Masach then we will talk from experience, from our feeling of what happens to us with the screens. Let us hope that we will get there soon.
Item 49 (6:05): “The Reshimot that remain below, in the Guf, ….”
4. R. (06:32) Rav drawing. The inner light that remains is called Tagin and from Ohr Hozer, from the impression from the reflected light that remains is Otiot, or the letters. These Otiot are the vessels, the Kelim. From the whole expansion that we went through that takes place here, the main thing is that we eventually come to the fact that the state we came to would remain for us as vessels. From the Zivug de Hakaa, the coupling, the strike there, the expansion and the refinement that gradually takes place here, we come to a state that what remains here are the Kelim, are vessels or Otiot, letters. We can then continue and discover what we want now upon the previous experience, and how we can relate to ourselves and to the Creator and to the connection between us for the purpose of life and creation. Then we can decide something new. The whole attempt and experience of what happened in this whole process that we have been through from all of this for us now is concentrated into the Otiot, the Kelim, the letters or the vessels.
5. S. (05:47) I am still confused about degrees and Behinot.
R. Rav drawing. The lights that emerge from the Partzuf, let's say are the floors or the levels or the degrees of the screen. A level is a level, there is no exact definition. A level. We still need to scrutinize the Otiot and the Kelim. We completed Galgalta, the first Partzuf, and we can extend our desires to the next action. Other than what happened here, there is no more. This is the first Partzuf where Malchut of Ein Sof began to organize itself. Then comes a second Partzuf and we need the Otiot and the Kelim to move to the second action. We will learn this. This is called ‘Partzuf AB’ and I am sure that you have already learned that.
6. S. (10:36) Are the letters in relation to the Partzuf and the general system?
R. Rav drawing. These are records, Reshimot, just like in the Rosh of Galgalta. Here we had number one, the records from Ein Sof where it was first in the state of Ein Sof, of infinity, and then Galgalta operated upon it and built itself. After Galgalta we have the records. You can say number two emerged from her and that is how the second Partzuf is built, the next Partzuf called ‘AB.’ All as a result of Galgalta. Where do all these lights come from? They come from Ein Sof and go through all of these Partzufim, all these things, and enter and build AB. Then the third Partzuf SAG MA BON, and like that throughout all the Partzufim. Altogether there are 125 Partzufim until this world, until us. Ein Sof is here and through 125 Partzufim they come to us, to our world.
S. Do the letters of the Partzuf throughout the 125 degrees have something in common?
R. What is common is the screen that is constantly being refined and becoming weaker from Ein Sof to our world where it completely dissipates and becomes zero, the screen, the Masach.
7. S. (13:16) Are Nekudot points, impressions, where the created being refuses to receive the pleasure?
R. These are very deep things. I cannot explain it to you this way. Read it more. You might want to read it in The Study of the Ten Sefirot at the end of the parts as well.
S. We say the letters form the vessels. Are the letters the sum total of what the created being went through?
R. It is not the sum, it is the result.
8. S. (14:26) What is the connection between the letters and the coarseness of the next Partzuf?
R. According to the Otiot (letters), now the screen with the Otiot (letters) builds the next Partzuf called AB. It is defined according to the power, the size, the extent of these letters.
9. S. (15:01) Next to the word ‘’Otiot’’ (letters), you also wrote ‘’Kelim’’ (vessels) and ‘’Tagin’’ (crowns). Where does that belong to?
R. We have additions to the measure the information from the previous Partzuf actually leaves behind many results, many records, a record (Reshimo) from the word ‘’Rosh’’, an impression that is left. According to that, we can understand, feel, see, where all these results come from, either from the expansion of the light from above down or the refinement of the Masach (screen), all the things that takes place here. It is clear that the light of Ein Sof (infinity) that enters the Partzuf and through Zivug de Hakaa (coupling while striking) fills it, and then is refined through this action. It takes within all this impression of what it went through with the screen, with the reflected light, with the Zivug de Hakaa (coupling while striking), with the refinements, with all of those things. (Rav is drawing) And through this Partzuf which is called Galgata, it moves to the second Partzuf which will be called AB. All it had from Ein Sof (infinity) Galgata puts through it to AB in such a way that it actually each time, when the Partzufim are added more and more or connected between them more and more until this world. As much as a Partzuf is slower and weaker it has within it the records from all the rest of the previous Partzufim and therefore, each Partzuf that is here, even in such a way, a very small way, down here, that’s us. So, we can reveal in us all the records (Reshimot) that are in us all until Ein Sof (infinity), all the way to Ein Sof (infinity). It’s all in each and every one, and in all of us together. Therefore, what we need is only the upper light to bestow upon us and correct us, that’s all we need. Then, through the light that influences us, that bestows upon us, we can feel the records (Reshimot) that are in us, in each and every one of us, and all of us together. To the extent in which we try to connect, we evoke, awaken the light to operate in us in quantity and quality, and we begin to be in motion towards the end of correction. The end of correction is here, above, in the entrance to Ein Sof (Infinity).
10. S. (18:50) It is not clear how Ohr Makif (surrounding light) influences the Masach (screen). We say it is outside of the Partzuf, but if it’s truly outside how can we have awareness of it? In what vessels are the Ohr Makif (surrounding light) contending?
R. It is felt as a surrounding one, because it belongs to that vessel and to that screen. Because the screen actually connects it to that Kli (vessel), it also rejects and also connects. The Masach (screen) is that which differentiates between all these parts of the vessels and the lights, and gives them order, this one to here and that one to there, and as much as more outwards these lights and vessels are. All of this is arranged by the Masach (screen).
Reader continues:” Also the Tagin which are the Reshimot from the...”
11. R. (20:04) We already talked about this, that the upper light does a Zivug de Hakaa (coupling while striking). (Rav is drawing) Here we have the Masach (screen) and it receives within it until the Tabur, and this action is the expansion of Taamim (flavors).
Reader continues: “The levels that emerge in each Partzuf once…’’
12. R. It returns to Peh of Rosh and then that is called Nekudot (points).
Reader continues: ‘’The Reshimot that remain of the lights of Taamim…’’
13. R. Meaning what remains here, the Reshimot (records) are called ‘’Tagin’’ (crowns).
Reader continues: “and the Reshimot that remain from the lights...”
14. R. Why they’re also called Kelim (vessels) because later upon them the next Partzuf emerges from. (Rav is drawing) This is where Galgata actually ends. This is called Galgata and from that the new Partzuf emerges called AB. Also, it will have a Zivug de Hakaa (coupling while striking) in the Rosh and an expansion in the Toch, and no expansion in the Sof, and also later a refinement of the screen, and also records will remain, after that one another Partzuf SAG will emerge from it as well. This way we have five Partzufim, Galgata, AB, SAG, MA, BON. The five Partzufim in which the screen is completely refined and there is no more, when they start from degree four on the screen, and AB is 3, and SAG is 2, and MA it’s 1, and BON is 0. Then the entire screen was refined, where here Masach (screen) was huge and big, and here it is zero.
15. S. (24:15) In the work we are doing now towards the congress that we’re demanding to have a mutual lack for bestowal. Is the lack we’re requesting, let’s say, Partzuf of the weakest one in the world of Assiya?
R. We awaken this entire system from our state according to the power of connection between us, not according to anyone on his own, no one can bestow on their own, because all bestowal is toward the goal and it’s in connection. All together, we need to return to the form of Adam HaRishon prior to the shattering. Therefore, that’s what is taken into consideration. Through this, the spiritual forces are considered and to the extent in which we are drawn to connection.
S. If this being drawn to connection is truly so, then we truly want this lack for bestowal. Is
actually, like you explained that the letters, the vessels, the lack is for bestowal? These lacks that
we demand now they will have for bestowal, it’s still staying letters of the world of Assiya, from the
weakest Partzuf of the world of Assiya?
R. If we really want to bestow, then we already belong to the forces that operate in this spiritual system and the 125 Partzufim of the upper system.
16. S. (26:26) If we say that the light each time is under restriction, then can we say that Taamim (flavors) and Tagin (crowns) are some corrected forms of the desire?
R. These are forces that operate inside our desire where we with these forces can aim the desire to spiritual actions, to connection, to bestowal, to identifying being in equivalence. Therefore, these Reshimot (records) are very important. It’s like a person without them would be unconscious, or someone from old age or from an accident, they lose their records and they don't know how to act, they don’t even know how to move their hands and feet. Because this is all Reshimot (records), like a baby that doesn't know how to manage his actions. Then gradually, slowly, slowly, he begins to get to something, to receive, to eat, to give, to play, these are all records that are in us. If we lose them, we are done, we won't be able to do anything. Therefore, let us do actions, collect from all of our actions the correct and incorrect records, it doesn't matter, it will all work out. This is how we need to come to actions in which all our acts are for the sake of correction. There's no bad, rather only what is revealed for the time being in order to bring us to the good.
17. S. (28:50) We are learning these things, Taamim (flavors), Otiot (letters), how must we relate to these in the study? How must we understand it?
R. We are learning together and to the extent in which we remember or not, that’s not important. To the extent in which we understand or not, it is written, ‘’it is not the wise that learns,’’ because the study and the wisdom of Kabbalah is not in me now knowing the Partzufim, all these things, etc., this will not give me a thing. Specifically, what I need, I need to be impressed by the fact that this is something that is taking place in me according to acts of bestowal, connection, that I do with others. Then, in such a way, we too, from the connection between us, can enter into the sensation of the spiritual world, the upper world, and therefore advance, progress.