* Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 42, Chapter 1
1) There is an Emanator and there is an emanated being. The emanated being contains four elements, etc. This teaches us a great rule that contains the entire wisdom, to learn to know how the entire whole, with even its tiniest details, are all similar, since all of reality, upper and lower together, are but five phases: Keter, Hochma, Bina, Tifferet, and Malchut. These are called by the names of five worlds: Adam Kadmon, Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya. AK [Adam Kadmon] is Keter, meaning the root of everything and the Emanator. The world of Atzilut is Hochma, the world of Beria is Bina, the world of Yetzira is Tifferet, and the world of Assiya is Malchut. These are the four letters in the name HaVaYaH: Yod is Hochma, the first Hey is Bina, Vav is Tifferet, and the bottom Hey is Malchut. They are also called tastes, dots, tags, and letters. It follows that all the worlds are included in one HaVaYaH, meaning Hochma and Bina, Tifferet and Malchut, and the tip of the Yod is regarded as the Emanator, meaning the world of AK. Correspondingly, there is not a tiny element in all of reality that does not contain these five phases KHB TM.
The reason for this is that everything is emanated and created only by the Sefira of Malchut, and Malchut necessarily contains the four phases above it, which precede it, since she is the lowest of the five phases. Hence, the first ten Sefirot that emerged after the first restriction, which are called “the world of AK” or “the line of Ein Sof,” which begins near Ein Sof and ends at the point of this world, emerged by a coupling in the Sefira of Malchut, and therefore necessarily contains the above-mentioned five phases, as well as the four worlds ABYA and all the details in them, which also emerge through a coupling in the Sefira of Malchut. Thus, there are the same five phases in them, as well.
We should know that the ten Sefirot KHB HGT NHYM are but five phases, which are KHB TM. We count ten Sefirot because Tifferet contains six Sefirot HGT NHY within it. The reason Tifferet contains six Sefirot is because of the incorporation of the Sefirot in one another, where each one is incorporated in all of them.
Thus, there are five phases in Keter, five phases in Hochma, five phases in Bina, five phases in ZA, and five phases in Malchut. However, the incorporation of GAR in Tifferet is not complete incorporation because the Sefira Tifferet is light of Hassadim and is regarded as Guf [body], so how can it contain within it the three phases KHB, which are essentially light of Hochma? For this reason, incorporation of KHB is discerned in it, which descended from their degree and became three Hassadim. This is why their name was changed to HGT, and this is why the five phases in it are called HGT NH, indicating that KHB that were included in Tifferet became Hassadim in it, there is no Hochma in them, Netzah is its own phase, and Hod is the inclusion of Malchut in it. For this reason, they are also called “five Hassadim.”
There is also no complete incorporation of KHB in Malchut, and in her, too, they are called HGT, as in ZA, and the five phases HGT NH in her are called “five Gevurot,” since they are all regarded as Gevurot. Also, the Sefira of Yesod is an incorporation of the five Hassadim in Tifferet and is not a new phase in and of herself.
Thus, these ten Sefirot are no more and no less than five phases, where each of them includes all of them. Also, there is a difference in this matter of incorporation, since only GAR incorporate all five phases in full, which is why they are considered to have complete KHB TM in each of them. But in Tifferet, where KHB became Hassadim, although it includes KHB, it still lacks them because they became HGT in it. This is why Tifferet is regarded as having six Sefirot HGT NHY, to emphasize the absence of KHB in it. It follows that each KHB contains ten actual Sefirot, which are the three phases KHB, the six Sefirot of ZA, and Malchut, since this innovation that was done in ZA, whose five phases became five Hassadim, is also included in each of the KHB. However, ZA has only six Sefirot HGT NHY because it does not contain the three phases KHB, but only the three Hassadim called HGT. It follows that these HGT NHY, which are incorporated only in Tifferet, are not because of its merit over GAR, but on the contrary, it indicates the lack of GAR in it.
The reason why the ARI counts only four phases HB TM and not five phases KHB TM is that Keter is regarded as the root of all four phases and is not counted along with them.
Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 42, Chapter 2
Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 42, end of Chapter 2
12) All that is emanated is one HaVaYaH that comprises five phases, which are the tip of the Yod in AK, Yod in Atzilut, etc., and each of these phases comprises all five. These five phases are in the upper light itself. From their perspective, there is no change from world to world or from degree to degree. All the changes in the worlds and the degrees are only in the screens in the vessels of Malchut, on which a coupling by striking was made, raising reflected light that clothes the upper light.
There are four phases of coarseness in this screen. The coarsest screen reveals the highest level through its coupling with the upper light, since the coarseness in phase four elicits a complete level of reflected light through Keter; the level of coarseness of phase three is only up to Hochma; the coarseness of phase two is only up to Bina; and that of phase one is only up to ZA. If there is only root of coarseness in the screen, it elicits only the level of Malchut.
These are all the changes between those five worlds AK and ABYA, since the screen of phase four operates in AK; hence, the reflected light there extends the level of Keter. For this reason, it is regarded as the Keter of all the worlds. The screen of phase three operates in the world of Atzilut, and the reflected light there extends the level of Hochma. This is why the world of Atzilut is regarded as the Hochma of the worlds. The screen on phase two operates in the world of Beria, which extends only the level of Bina. For this reason, it is regarded as Bina of the worlds. The screen of phase one operates in the world of Yetzira, which extends only the level of ZA, and is therefore regarded as ZA of the worlds, meaning Tifferet. The faintest screen of all is in the world of Assiya; hence, there is only the level of Malchut there.
Although the four phases of direct light are all equal, even in Assiya, they only have the level of Malchut in Assiya, and in Yetzira there is only the level of ZA in all four phases, and so forth likewise.
We could ask: There are five Partzufim in AK, which are five levels one below the other, and likewise in Atzilut, where they are called AA [Arich Anpin], AVI [Abba veIma], and ZON [Zeir Anpin and Nukva]. Thus, how do ZON of AK differ from ZON of Atzilut and from ZON of the rest of the worlds, which are Yetzira and Assiya? The thing is that each world is discerned primarily according to its uppermost phase. Since Partzuf Galgalta of AK, which is its highest, has the level of Keter, the rest of the Partzufim are regarded as degrees in Keter. It is likewise in the world of Atzilut whose highest Partzuf, called AA, has the level of Hochma. Thus, all the Partzufim are regarded as degrees of Hochma. It is likewise in Beria: Since the highest Partzuf in it has the level of Bina, they are all degrees of Bina. Likewise, in Yetzira, its highest Partzuf has only the level of ZA, so all the degrees in it are only degrees of ZA. And in Assiya they are regarded as degrees of Malchut. The rule is that all the degrees in any world are related to and regarded as branches of the highest Partzuf in it, whose level shines in all its branches.
16) the root and the souls and the bodies are one phase and there is no separation between them. However, the garments and halls are two phases that are separate, etc. To understand these matters, we must know the meaning of the association of the quality of mercy with judgment that was done during the second restriction of AK, as it is written, “On the day when the Lord God made earth and heaven,” when He associated the quality of mercy with judgment. This is also as our sages said, “In the beginning, He contemplated creating the world with the quality of judgment. He saw that the world did not exist; He put the quality of mercy first and associated it with the quality of judgment.” That is, Malchut is called “the quality of judgment,” and Bina is called “the quality of mercy.” In order to sweeten the quality of judgment in Malchut, He associated and connected Malchut with Bina, as it is written, “And they both went,” connecting the bottom Hey, which is Malchut, with the first Hey, which is Bina, so the bottom Hey was sweetened by the first Hey.
The beginning of this correction took place when Nekudim emerged from the light of Eynaim [eyes], for by the expansion of SAG through the Sium Raglin of the inner Partzuf of AK, called Galgalta, SAG, which is the level of Bina, merged and connected with the Malchut in TNHY of the inner AK, and the two Heys connected to each other on all the degrees until the bottom Hey rose to the place of Nikvey Eynaim. Eynaim is Hochma and Nikvey Eynaim means the Nukva of Hochma. It follows that the Eynaim have the last Hey and the first Hey, as in “I am asleep, and I am second.” It follows that by this, the quality of mercy, which is Bina, was associated with the quality of judgment, which is Malchut.
However, although this association is a very valuable merit for Malchut, it caused a new restriction in the worlds, since the first restriction impacted only the Sefira of Malchut, while all of the first nine Sefirot were clean of any restriction. But now that Malchut rose and connected to Bina, along with it, she elevated the restriction to Bina, which is called Nikvey Eynaim. Thus, now each degree ended at the Sefira of Bina, as it previously ended in the place of Malchut. And since the Sium [ending] of each degree was made in the place of Bina, the two Sefirot ZA and Malchut parted and went outside of each and every degree, leaving only the three Sefirot KHB in the degree.
This is why he said, “Know that the root and the souls and the bodies are one phase and there is no separation between them. However, the garments and halls are two phases that are separate from the three above phases.” The root, soul, and body, which are the three Sefirot Keter, Hochma, Bina remained in each degree after the second restriction, too, which is why they are united in the degree. However, the garments and halls, which are ZA and Malchut, separated from each degree in the second restriction because it ended at the Sefira of Bina. For this reason, they parted and became surrounding of the degree, since anything that the degree cannot receive now, but only some time later, is regarded as having become surrounding. Therefore, ZA and Malchut that parted from each degree are destined to reunite with it in the future, at the end of correction. This is why it is considered that they have become surrounding.
This is the meaning of what the ARI wrote, “However, from the world of Nekudim downward, which is the world of Atzilut, there was one lack that did not appear in them in all their details more than five internal lights and two surrounding lights, which are surrounding for Haya and surrounding for Yechida.” This is so because there were five internal phases KHB ZON in the Partzufim of AK before the world of Nekudim, and opposite them five phases KHB ZON of surrounding lights, since there is no light that does not have inner and surrounding within it, for every inner light has its own surrounding. However, in the world of Nekudim, when the place of the restriction ascended to the Sefira of Bina, a lack was created in the inner ones themselves, as well, since the two internal Sefirot ZON separated from the degree and became surrounding, and only the three vessels KHB remained in the degree, in which three inner lights NRN clothe, while Haya and Yechida do not have corresponding vessels in the Partzuf and they remain outside as surrounding.
We might ask: The three great lights—Neshama, Haya, Yechida—should have remained in the Partzuf, and only Ruach and Nefesh should have become surrounding, since the lights of Neshama, Haya, Yechida always clothe the vessels of Keter, Hochma, Bina, and Nefesh Ruach in the vessels of ZA and Malchut. Thus, why does he say that NRN remained in the Partzuf and Yechida Haya have no vessels? We must remember here what the ARI wrote, that the rule is that in the vessels, the higher ones grow first, and it is the opposite in the lights. Upon the entry of the lights into the vessels, the lower lights enter first, since when there is only light of Nefesh there, it dresses in the vessel of Keter. When the light of Ruach comes, the light of Nefesh descends to the vessel of Hochma and the Ruach dresses in the vessel of Keter. When the light of Neshama comes, the light of Nefesh descends to the vessel of Bina, the light of Ruach to the vessel of Hochma, and the light of Neshama dresses in the vessel of Keter. When the light of Haya comes, the Nefesh descends to the vessel of ZA, Ruach to the vessel of Bina, Neshama to the vessel of Hochma, and the light of Haya dresses in the vessel of Keter. When the light of Yechida comes, the Nefesh descends to its place in the vessel of Malchut, and likewise Ruach to the vessel of ZA, Neshama to the vessel of Bina, Haya to the vessel of Hochma, and Yechida to the vessel of Keter.
Thus, as long as not all five lights NRNHY enter the Partzuf, not only are the lights not clothed in their respective vessels, but there is also an inverse relation between them: When Yechida is absent, the four lights NRNH do not clothe HB TM and the vessel of Keter is empty of its light. Rather, it is the complete opposite: the vessel of Malchut is empty of any light because the four lights clothe the vessels KHB and ZA. And when there are only three lights NRN there, they do not clothe in vessels Bina, ZA, and Malchut, and the two vessels Keter and Hochma remain empty of light. Rather, they clothe KHB, and the two bottom vessels remain empty. Thus, there is always an inverse relation between the vessels and the lights. You should always remember this for without this rule there cannot be any understanding of the writings of the ARI.
By this we thoroughly understand that from the world of Nekudim onward, after a new place of restriction was made in the vessel of Bina, and the two vessels ZA and Malchut separated from each degree and became surrounding, only three lights NRN can clothe in each degree: Neshama in the vessel of Keter, Ruach in vessel of Hochma, and Nefesh in vessel of Bina, while the two lights Yechida and Haya have no vessels in which to clothe.
However, in the end of correction, when the two vessels ZA and Malchut reconnect to the degree as they were in the first restriction, Nefesh will descend to vessel of Malchut and Ruach to vessel of ZA, and Neshama will be able to descend to vessel of Bina. At that time there will be room for the two lights Haya Yechida to clothe in the vessels of Keter Hochma. Thus, the absence of the vessels of ZA and Malchut eliminates the lights of Haya Yechida, for they have no place in which to clothe. For this reason, the vessels of ZA and Malchut are considered to have become surrounding for Haya and Yechida. That is, it is impossible for Haya and Yechida to return to the degree if not through them, since by the return of the vessel of ZA, room is made for the light of Haya to clothe in the degree, and by the return of vessel of Malchut, room is made for the light of Yechida, as well.
This is why the ARI says, “From Nekudim onward, the five surrounding disappeared from each Partzuf, and there are only two surrounding now, Haya and Yechida, and they themselves are also not surrounding.” This is so because prior to the second restriction of AK that was in Nekudim, when five inner lights NRNHY dressed in their respective vessels, they also had five respective surrounding lights. Each surrounding was in itself: The inner one of Yechida had a surrounding light of Yechida, and the inner one of Haya had a surrounding light of Haya, etc. However, after the second restriction of Nekudim, when the two lights Haya Yechida disappeared from each degree, now there are no five surrounding opposite the five complete internal, since the internal themselves lack the Haya and Yechida in them. Hence, those Haya and Yechida will now be regarded as surrounding the NRN that remained in the degree. Once they fully enter the inner ones, meaning after the two vessels of ZA and Malchut reconnect to the degree and all five inner ones are properly completed, the five surrounding from before will return, as well.
It follows that now there are two deficiencies: The first deficiency is that the previous five surrounding have disappeared due to the lack that made in the internal ones themselves. The second deficiency is that even the two surrounding Haya and Yechida that remained are not surrounding in and of themselves, since there are no internal Haya and Yechida in the Partzuf, which relate to these surrounding. Rather, the surrounding Haya and Yechida illuminate to NRN that are not of their own phase, since they are actually internal and the only reason they became surrounding is due to the separation of the two vessels ZA and Malchut.
This is why it is written, “The other three inner ones do not have surrounding from the phase of NRN, but only from the phase of Yechida and Haya, which surround everyone, and not from their own phase,” as has been explained.
We could ask why in the Tree of Life, Gate 40, the ARI says that there are three internal and two surrounding, while in the Tree of Life, Gate 6, Chapter 2, he says that there are five internal and two surrounding. The thing is that in truth, there are two vessels of ZA and Malchut in each degree even after the second restriction, as well. However, they are not from their own phase but from the expansion of Bina, since the vessel of Bina itself expanded to ZA and Malchut, too. Since these ZA and Malchut are not original but are from Bina, now, too, we should not count more than three vessels KHB in each degree. However, this expansion of the vessel of Bina to ZA and Malchut made it possible for the two lights Haya and Yechida to clothe in the Partzuf, as well. However, they do not have a designated vessel, and they clothe inside the light of Neshama. For this reason, these lights of Haya and Yechida are not in in this completeness, as when they had five designated vessels for clothing.
Hence, considering the degrees of AK when there were five vessels in the Partzuf, the lights of Haya and Yechida are completely absent after they separated and became surrounding of garment and hall. This is why he says that only three inner lights NRN remained in the Partzuf. However, when considering the degrees of the second restriction themselves, it is possible that they, too, will have five inner [lights] NRNHY through the two new vessels of ZON that expand from Bina, but Haya and Yechida clothe inside the light of Neshama, as is known.
17) The surrounding light in the garment, etc., is the smallest surrounding light, etc. It has already been explained that the vessel of ZA that was separated because of the second restriction became surrounding of Haya and is called garment. Also, the vessel of Malchut that was separated from the degree became a surrounding of light of Yechida because of the inverse relation between the vessels and the clothing of the lights. Hence, the surrounding of the garment is smaller than the surrounding of the hall, since the surrounding of garment is Haya and the surrounding of hall is Yechida.
Tree of Life, Gate 42, Chapter 3
22) There are three phases of surrounding vessels and over them surrounding (lights) of NRN. There are books where it is written that the lights of NRN surround them. However, the word “lights” is a writer’s mistake, since the surrounding vessels of straightness, which are the garments, are the vessels of ZA, and the surrounding light over these surrounding vessels are the surrounding of Haya and not lights of NRN, as the ARI wrote, that “The other three inner ones do not have surrounding from the phase of NRN, but only from the phase of Yechida and Haya, which surround everyone, and not from their own phase.” Thus, there are no surrounding lights at all from the phase of NRN. However, it is written in other books, “and over them surrounding of NRN,” and the word “lights” is not written there. This is the true version.
This means that as there are three inner vessels—outer, middle, and inner—in which three inner lights of NRN clothe, so there are three phases of surrounding vessels—inner, middle, and outer—in the garments, encircled by the surrounding lights that illuminate to the inner NRN. Although this surrounding light is discerned as surrounding light of Haya, it still illuminates to the inner NRN although this surrounding light is not from their own phase, which is why it is considered surrounding of NRN.
24) ...as houses in which man lives, and over them is an illumination of very big surrounding. It has already been explained that the halls and the houses are surrounding light of Yechida, as it is written that there is a very big illumination of surrounding over them, since the light of Yechida is the greatest of all the lights.
The wider the place, the greater the surrounding light. This means that the wide expanse in the place indicates the distancing of the surrounding light from the person who sits within it, meaning from his inner vessels. Thus, the surrounding light of garments, which is surrounding light only in the phase of Haya, which is smaller than the light of Yechida, does not have such remoteness and space between the garments and man’s body, since it is close to illuminate to the inner vessels. But the houses and halls, which are surrounding to the light of Yechida, which is very big, the inner vessels are very far from receiving that surrounding light since it is big. Hence, there is a great distance between man and his inner vessels, and the walls of the houses and halls, which are the surrounding vessels.
Shaar HaHakdamot [Gate to Introductions]
25) There is nothing that does not have internality and externality, even in the vessels. The vessels that are fit to receive the lights of GAR are called “internality,” and the vessels that are unfit to receive lights of GAR are called “externality.” Therefore, each Partzuf is divided at its Tabur [navel]: From its Tabur up it is fit to receive GAR and is called “internality,” and from its Tabur down, where it is unfit to receive GAR, it is called “externality.”
Also, the vessels from its Tabur down are divided into internality and externality in and of themselves. That is, when Mochin dresses and is made in the lower one, the NHY of the upper one are divided into three thirds—Rosh, Toch, Sof, meaning HBD HGT, NHY—since they expand and become a complete Partzuf of Rosh-Toch-Sof in the lower one. For this reason, the NHY from Tabur down are also divided into internality and externality where HBD-HGT in it through Tabur are called “internality,” and the three bottom thirds of NHY, namely NHY of NHY, are called “externality” in it.
From half of Tifferet and NHY of Adam Kadmon through his Sium Raglin, their externality is divided into two phases, etc. From the side of the anterior is called Beria. Here we must know the state of the Partzufim of AK and Nekudim. This was explained in the book The Study of Ten Sefirot, Part 6, and here we will present it in brief. The first ten Sefirot that emerged after the first restriction are called “inner HaVaYaH of AK,” or “inner AK.” This is the line of Ein Sof that begins near the surrounding of Ein Sof and ends at the point of this world. Partzuf AB of AK clothes it from its Peh of Rosh through the Tabur, and from Peh of Rosh of this AB through the Sium Raglin [Aramaic: legs] of the inner AK clothes Partzuf SAG of AK, which is until the point of this world.
However, this Partzuf SAG of AK is divided in itself into two special Partzufim called tastes and Nekudot [dots]. Its Partzuf of tastes begins at the Peh of the Rosh of AB of AK and ends evenly with the Raglaim [feet/legs] of AB, meaning through Tabur of the inner AK, where it stops. Partzuf Nekudot of SAG of AK begins at the place of Tabur of the inner AK after the Sium of the tastes of SAG and ends evenly with the Raglaim of the inner AK, which is the place of the point of this world.
These TNHY of AK that the ARI brings here is TNHY of the inner AK, which is the inner HaVaYaH that clothes from its Tabur down inside the whole of Partzuf Nekudot of SAG of AK. Hence, it is regarded as a complete Partzuf, Rosh-Toch-Sof, and is therefore divided into four divisions: internality and externality, anterior and posterior. First, it divides into internality and externality, where HBD HGT in it through the Chazeh are called “internality,” and from the Chazeh through its Sium Raglaim in this world, it is called “externality.” Afterward, from the Chazeh down in it, it also divides into two phases—anterior and the posterior—where from the Chazeh through the Sium of Tifferet, it is called anterior, and its NHY is called posterior. The anterior is regarded as Beria, and the posterior is regarded as Yetzira and Assiya.
26) Restricted himself once more and raised the internality of the light from half of Tifferet in him and below. He raised it up and then that light emerged through the Eynaim. This matter of the second restriction of AK has already been explained in Item 16, that the first restriction was only on the Sefira of Malchut so she would not receive the upper light into her. It therefore follows that Malchut stopped and ended the upper light. However, the second restriction was done in the place of Bina, since Malchut rose and connected to Bina herself, for which the upper light ended in the place of the Sefira of Bina.
This does not mean that Bina herself was restricted so as not to receive the upper light, but rather that since the restricted Malchut was already incorporated in and connected to Bina, the upper light stopped there because of the Malchut in Bina. For this reason, the upper light stopped at the place of Bina.
There are two phases in this restricted Malchut: The first is Malchut that makes a coupling by striking with the upper light. By this she raises reflected light from-below-upward and dresses the upper light. This clothing makes the ten Sefirot of the Rosh of the Partzuf. Also, through this reflected light that she raised to the ten Sefirot from her and within her, she expands and elicits the ten Sefirot of the Guf of the Partzuf through the Sium Raglin.
The second phase of Malchut is the Malchut that ends the upper light. Once Malchut expanded from-above-downward through the reflected light in her, from her and within her, into ten Sefirot of the Guf, only the upper nine Sefirot in her reflected light are fit to receive the upper light within them, but her Malchut is unfit to receive due to the restriction that was made on her. Because she is unfit to receive, she stops the upper light, and the Guf ends. Thus, any Sium Raglin of a Partzuf is done because of the ending Malchut. These two phases are also called Malchut of the Rosh and Malchut of the Guf, since Malchut of the Rosh is the mating Malchut, and Malchut of the Guf is the ending Malchut.
It has also been explained above (item 1) that only the ten Sefirot of Rosh and GAR are called KHB TM, but the ten Sefirot of VAK and Guf are not called KHB TM, but rather HGT NH. It is known that each Guf is regarded as VAK compared to its Rosh, and you find that HGT is just like KHB, except that in the Guf, KHB is called HGT.
It follows that now, in the second restriction, when the restricted Malchut rose to the Sefira of Bina, we should also discern the two above phases of Malchut, where Malchut of the Guf, regarded as the ending Malchut, rose to the place of Bina of the Guf, meaning the Sefira of Tifferet, since Tifferet is the Sefira of Bina of the Guf. The second phase of Malchut, which is Malchut of the Rosh, which makes a coupling, rose to the Sefira of Bina of the Rosh called Nikvey Eynaim, since the ten Sefirot of Rosh are called Galgalta-Eynaim-Ozen [ear]-Hotem [nose]-Peh [mouth]. Eynaim is Hochma of the Rosh, Nikvey Eynaim is Bina, Nukva of Hochma, and you find that now the place of the coupling of Malchut of the Rosh, which makes a coupling by striking with the upper light, is in the place of Nikvey Eynaim since the mating Malchut rose from the place of the Peh to the Nikvey Eynaim, as has been explained.
It was written, “Adam Kadmon restricted himself once more and raised the internality of the light from half of Tifferet in him and below. He raised it up and then that light emerged through the Eynaim.” That is, Malchut of the Guf, which ends the Guf, ascended into Bina of the Guf called Tifferet, so now the Guf ends inside Tifferet. It follows that all the light that expanded from half of Tifferet and below was now forced to depart from there and rise above the half of Tifferet, meaning above the ending Malchut.
Likewise, the Malchut of the Rosh, which makes a coupling, now rose from the place of the Peh to the Nikvey Eynaim where a coupling by striking was done, as he writes, “then that light emerged through the Eynaim,” since through this new restriction, the coupling was done in the Nikvey Eynaim and the level of the coupling expands and emerges downward through the Eynaim. This is the level of the ten Sefirot of Nekudim that expand from Tabur of AK downward, meaning into the vessels of Partzuf Nekudot of SAG that stand from the Tabur of AK downward.
It will be explained below that Partzuf Nekudot of SAG itself, which stands from Tabur and below, also divides because of the second restriction, as the ARI explained with regard to the general SAG of AK in which the coupling was done for the Nekudot. This is so because as soon as the new restriction took place, the ending Malchut rose from the place of Raglaim of Partzuf Nekudot of SAG to the place of Chazeh in it. It follows that all the vessels from the Chazeh and below separated from this Partzuf and fell below the Raglaim of the inner AK, since they were already below the ending Malchut, which now stands at the place of the Chazeh.
27) Immediately upon the restriction … before it exits the Eynaim …the two external phases were darkened. Interpretation: The ascent of the ending Malchut to half of Tifferet of AK that the ARI explained above did not really leave any impression in AK itself. These ascents of Malchut were in order to make a new coupling for the lower one, which are the Nekudim. However, there was no change at all in AK itself, since any restriction that is emerges anew acts only from the place of its emergence onward, but does not operate on the ones above it whatsoever. For this reason, no new Sium was made inside Partzuf AK itself. Rather, the whole of the new Sium that was initiated by this restriction operated only on the vessels of the Partzuf below AK, called Nekudot of SAG, which begins from Tabur of AK and below, and ends at the point of this world.
A new Sium was made in that Partzuf of Nekudot of SAG of AK, too, through the ascent of Malchut to the place of Bina. Here the restriction caused the separation of the vessels below its Chazeh because of the ending Malchut that arose there. It follows that this entire part from the Chazeh down to the point of this world was separated from the Partzuf and is unfit to receive any light, just like the point of this world below the Raglaim of the inner AK. (The ARI calls this Partzuf “half of Tifferet of AK and below,” and elsewhere, he calls it Nekudot of SAG. This is a complete Partzuf, Rosh and Guf, where by the new restriction, all the light departed from it and rose above Tabur of AK.)
It was said, “Immediately upon the restriction …before it exits the Eynaim…, the two external phases were darkened since the inner light departed upward.” As it is written above, there are four divisions in this Partzuf of Nekudot of SAG. From the Chazeh and above, it is called “internality”; from the Chazeh and below, it is called “externality.” Also, from the Chazeh and below it divides into two phases: anterior and posterior. Those two phases of externality, meaning the anterior and posterior from the Chazeh and below, fell and separated from it due to the ascent of the ending Malchut to the place of the Chazeh. This is why it is written, “the two external phases were darkened since the inner light departed upward.” That is, due to the ascent of the ending Malchut above them, they were emptied of all their inner light.
The words “immediately upon the restriction, before it exits the Eynaim” mean before the coupling was made on Malchut of the Rosh that ascended to the place of the Eynaim, for then this entire Partzuf was really emptied, even the inner vessels in it from the Chazeh and above, since all the lights from Tabur of AK and below departed. However, although the lights departed from the vessels from the Chazeh and above, they nonetheless did not separate from Atzilut because the ending Malchut stands below them now, as well. Hence, after the coupling, they are fit to receive the upper light. Conversely, those two external phases, which are below the ending Malchut, completely separated from Atzilut, and as they are similar to being below the point of this world. Even afterward, when the coupling is made in the Eynaim, they will still not be fit to receive the upper light because they are below the point of Sium.
They descended below the Raglaim of straightness of AK in the place of the surrounding light under the Raglaim of straightness of AK. This means that the two external, above-mentioned phases from the Chazeh and below of Nekudot of SAG have now descended below the Raglaim of AK in the place where the surrounding light of straightness is destined to stand. The Sium Raglaim of AK is at the point of this world, and now they have descended and fell below the point of this world, since with regard to Partzuf Nekudot of SAG, in whom the ending Malchut rose to the place of Bina of Guf, which is the point of Chazeh in Tifferet. Hence, there, at the point of Chazeh, it is already the Sium on the upper light, and the vessels from the Chazeh and below became completely dark, just like this world, which is below the Raglaim of AK. For this reason, it is considered that the two external phases descended below the Raglaim of AK into the place of darkness. Afterward, when the coupling is done in the Nikvey Eynaim, the surrounding light of straightness and the circles of Nekudim is destined to emerge there and they will illuminate there. But now, before the coupling was done in the Nikvey Eynaim, and the surrounding light of straightness has not emerged there below the Raglaim of AK, this place is completely dark.
We should remember what is written above, that the new Sium at the place of Bina of the Guf that was made in the second restriction is completely unknown to Partzuf AK itself, and it always ends at the point of this world, as before the second restriction took place. The whole matter of the new Sium operated only on Partzuf Nekudot of SAG of AK, called Partzuf TNHY of AK. For this reason, the ARI values the fall of the vessels from Chazeh of SAG and below the same as the inner AK that fell below the Raglaim, since the same point that ends the Raglaim of the inner AK rose to the Chazeh of Partzuf Nekudot of SAG and ended the upper light there. Thus, the vessels from Chazeh and below are considered to be below the Raglaim of the inner AK.
28) It did not take the rest of the place of the surrounding light or below it. This indicates that it does not mean that the vessels took all the place of the surrounding of straightness, since this surrounding is destined to emerge and become circular very far from the Raglaim of AK, meaning in the full measure that it encircles above the center of Tabur of AK. This is so because this is the manner of the circle: It encircles its center at an even distance, since in a circle, the center is regarded as its end. It follows that the middle point of this surrounding of straightness is at the point of Chazeh of Partzuf Nekudot of SAG, since the ending Malchut ascended there and the surrounding of straightness encircles around it at an even distance from above as from below.
Also, the uppermost circle, which is the most external, is the Sefira of Keter of surrounding light. Following it is Hochma of the surrounding, until Malchut of the surrounding light is at the very center. Accordingly, there is no division of above and below in the surrounding light because its Keter is far from the center from above just as it is far from the center from below.
It follows that the farther it is from the center, the more important it is, since the circle of Malchut is close to the center from below, as well, and below it is the circle of ZA, below which is the circle of Bina, below it is the circle of Hochma, and the lowest of all is the circle of Keter. Accordingly, even before the emergence of the surrounding light of straightness from the Eynaim, you find that the lower its place, the better it is. Therefore, the fallen vessels from Chazeh of Nekudot of SAG and below did not take all of the place of the surrounding light of straightness, but remained standing nearby, below the Raglaim of AK, which is still regarded as the place of Malchut of the surrounding of straightness and not below there, which is more important since there is the place of the first nine of the surrounding of straightness. This is the meaning of the words “It did not take the rest of the place of the surrounding light or below it,” but only some of the place, meaning that which is close to the Raglaim of AK, and not below it.
The surrounding light of straightness that is below its Raglaim rose to their place above, around the internality of NHY of AK. This does not refer to the actual surrounding light of straightness, since this surrounding light has not emerged yet, for it emerges from the coupling in Nikvey Eynaim, while here it is before the coupling there took place. Rather, this refers to the light that departs from those fallen vessels of the two external phases from the Chazeh and below. This light that departs from them is destined to be included in the two surrounding of garments and halls, as written above in the words of the ARI. With regard to ZON that separated from the degree because of the second restriction, two surrounding were made—garment and hall. The surrounding light of straightness was made from the garments that are the vessels of ZA that were separated, and the surrounding light of circles was made from the halls, which are the vessels of Malchut that were separated.
The ARI tells us that this light that was separated from the vessels of ZA, which is destined to be a surrounding of straightness, departed from the fallen vessels that stand below the Raglaim of AK, and rose to its preliminary place, namely the place of NHY of AK where it clothed prior to the second restriction. The rule is that there is no falling in the lights; therefore, they remained in the place of their vessels as before, without any change, and only the vessels fell below the Raglaim of AK. This is the meaning of the words, “and the surrounding light of straightness that is below its Raglaim rose to their place above,” to the place where they clothed their vessels.
We should know that those two phases of externality of TNHY of AK from the Chazeh of Nekudot of SAG and below, which fell below the Raglaim of AK, are actually only the vessels of ZA and Malchut of that Partzuf, since through the ascent of Malchut to the place of Bina, Bina was divided in two: GAR and ZON. Her GAR remained in the degree, and only her ZON fell below. It follows that there are ZON of Bina here and general ZON. Thus, only the vessels of ZON fell, since ZON of Bina are also regarded as ZA and Malchut. It follows that not all of Bina of the Guf, called Tifferet, fell down, but only its half, meaning this ZON of Tifferet, which is regarded as from the Chazeh down to the Sium of Tifferet.
By this you will thoroughly understand the two external phases that the ARI regards as anterior and posterior. It is so because there are two phases of ZON here: 1) the actual ZON, and 2) ZON of Bina, which is the bottom half of Tifferet. Hence, ZON of Bina are regarded as the anterior, and the real vessels of ZON are regarded as posterior. For this reason, the world of Beria was made from the vessels of the anterior since they are discerned as Bina, and Beria is Bina, and Yetzira and Assiya were made from the vessels of the posterior, since they are real ZON.
29) When Beria and Yetzira descend below his Raglaim, they did not stand in their proper place. … At that time, the externality of the externality of the posterior descended to the place called Assiya. It has been explained above that there are anterior and posterior in these vessels that fell. The anterior is Beria, and the posterior consists of Yetzira and Assiya. They are also called “internality and externality of the posterior,” where the internality of the posterior is Yetzira, and the externality of the posterior is Assiya. This is the meaning of what the ARI wrote, that the vessels fell below the Raglaim of AK and did not stand in their proper place, for had they stood in their proper place, they would have clothed the inner NHY of AK like today’s corrected BYA, and would end equally with the inner NHY of AK, meaning the Raglaim of AK. This is so because today’s world of Assiya is in the place of Sium Raglaim of AK, but then, before the coupling was made in Nikvey Eynaim, they all fell below the Raglaim of AK, and they all stand below their place, to the point that the world of Assiya, the externality of the posterior, descended below the place called Assiya, and likewise, Beria is below the place which is called Beria today, and so is the world of Yetzira below the place called Yetzira today, since they are all below the point of Sium Raglaim of AK, which is the point of this world. When it says “descended to the place called Assiya,” it should say below the place called Assiya since the Raglaim of AK end at the point of this world, which is below the place called Assiya.
30) The circles of Nekudim emerge first … they also encircle under his Raglaim of straightness. So it is in all the Partzufim—the circles precede the straightness. It is so because the circles emerge from the coupling of Malchut of the Rosh from the discernment of from-below-upward, and all their illumination is only an illumination of Rosh. But with regard to the expansion of Malchut from above downward to the ten Sefirot of Guf, called straightness, the circles have no part in them at all, as it is written in Tree of Life. For this reason, the circles always come before the straightness as the Rosh comes before the Guf. This matter is thoroughly explained in The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 2.
There are two types of circles: circles from the first restriction, and circles from the second restriction. Circles are discerned as surrounding, since after Malchut was restricted from receiving light into her, a deficiency of one vessel was made in the ten Sefirot. This vessel of reception that became deficient in the first restriction was separated from the internal ones and became surrounding in the Partzufim of AK. With respect to the coupling from-below-upward that was done in the Malchut of the Roshim [pl. of Rosh] of AK, the surrounding light went out to these circles, since all of this part that Malchut of the Rosh had to receive, were it not for the restriction on her, emerged from the Rosh and became surrounding on the vessels of circles. Thus, the vessels of circles are from the receiving Malchut that was eliminated from the inner ten Sefirot of the Roshim of AK, and the surrounding light of the circles is the full measure of light that was received in the ten Sefirot of the Rosh had there not been a restriction on Malchut.
However, with regard to the expansion of Malchut into ten Sefirot of Guf, there are still no circles since this expansion from-above-downward is by the reflected light of the restricted Malchut from before, in the coupling by striking of the Rosh, and that same receiving Malchut that will make of her vessels of circles is no longer in her, and no light that belongs to that receiving Malchut expanded whatsoever, which would become surrounding light, since they are already below the screen in Malchut of the Rosh. It follows that after the straightness of AK expanded, meaning the ten Sefirot of Guf from-above-downward, there are no more circles that are fit to emerge from it.
However, during the second restriction of AK, when the restriction was made in the place of Bina and the two vessels of ZON departed and were separated from receiving lights within them, and are unfit for internal vessels, at that time, completely new circles were made with regard to these two vessels. These are also called garments and halls. Circles that are made of vessels of ZA are called garments, and the surrounding light in them is called surrounding of straightness. Circles that are made of vessels of Malchut are called halls or houses, and the surrounding light in them is called surrounding light of circles. Thus, there are two phases of circles from the two phases of restriction.
This is the meaning of “God has made man straight, and they sought many calculations.” After AK came out in its phase of straightness, which are the ten Sefirot of the Guf, it no longer needs circles to emerge from it at all, since all that was separated from the ten Sefirot of AK, which is the receiving Malchut from before the restriction, has already departed in the coupling of the Rosh, and from the screen and below she expanded only in the phase of the first nine expanded in the inner vessels. Thus, there are no more vessels there to be separated and become circles. This is the meaning of “God has made man straight,” meaning that the Guf of Adam was already established and emerged in the form of straightness, “but they sought many calculations.” “They” pertains to the ten Sefirot of Nekudim that were made in the second restriction, where the two Heys conjoined, when the bottom Hey rose and connected to the first Hey. By this, new circles emerged after the straightness of AK, meaning also from vessels of ZA that were also parted from the inner ones and became vessels of circles.
By this you will understand why the garments that are made of vessels of ZA are called surrounding of straightness although they are regarded as circles like the halls, since they encircle inside the circles of halls (as it is written in Tree of Life). Hence, why are they called surrounding of straightness? It cannot be said that they were called so because they illuminate to the straightness, since the surrounding of circsles also illuminate to the straightness, like they do. Rather, with the above said, you will thoroughly understand that surrounding of circles that are made of the vessel of Malchut, because they were still in the first restriction in the Partzufim of AK and did not have any straightness before them, they are regarded as surrounding light of circles. However, the surrounding of garments that are made of vessels of ZA that were now renewed in the second restriction, where in the Partzufim of AK from the first restriction there were straightness and internal vessels of the Guf there, are therefore called surrounding of straightness, meaning that in their root, in AK, they are actual straightness there and are regarded as internal vessels.
… and were expelled from there and did not find a place, and they raised these two phases of externality to their place above, in the posterior of these Nekudim. This is so because before the coupling was made in Nikvey Eynaim, the surrounding of straightness did not come out at all since it emerges only when the coupling is made in Malchut of the Rosh through an expansion of the upper light into her. When she rejects all the parts of the upper light that want to spread and be received within her through the coupling by striking (as it is written in The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 2, Inner Observation), those rejected parts emerge outside and become surrounding light. Thus, the surrounding light emerges only after the coupling that is done in Malchut of the Rosh.
For this reason, immediately upon the restriction, before the light emerged through the Eynaim to become surrounding light, meaning at the moment when the ending Malchut rose to Bina of the Guf, which is the place of the Chazeh in Tifferet, those vessels from the Chazeh and below were separated in their anterior and posterior and fell below the point of Sium of the inner AK, meaning below its Raglaim, since the point of Sium of Partzuf Nekudot of SAG is already in the place of the Chazeh above them. This is because they could no longer clothe the inner NHY of AK as before for now their value is completely below those NHY of AK, as they are below the point of Sium, which to AK is regarded as being below its Raglaim, at the point of this world.
However, now that the coupling was done in Nikvey Eynaim and the surrounding light of garments and halls came out and encircled around NHY of AK and below its Raglaim like onionskins, and separated between below its Raglaim and the two external phases that fell there, meaning that that space of those garments and halls that emerged from Nikvey Eynaim was filled with their ten Sefirot of surrounding, and it is known that in the circles, their end is discerned at their center, but the above and below are even in them. Thus, the last Sefira in them, meaning Malchut of these surrounding, surrounds that Malchut that has now risen to the place of Chazeh.
Also, below Malchut of the circles is ZA of the circles, and below ZA there is Bina of the circles, etc. It follows that compared to their current value, this fall of the externality that they fell below the Raglaim of AK is now regarded as an ascent, since there is no above or below in the surrounding light. It follows that the lower place is more important.
This is why the ARI says that the surrounding light of circles that has now emerged reversed the importance of the places, for which they expelled the empty vessels from this space below the Raglaim of AK, for now the first nine of surrounding shine there, as these vessels are not worthy of being received. Hence, this surrounding light rejected them back to their place above, which has now become a worse place as it is closer to the center of the new second restriction. This is why he says that they were expelled from there.
31) Now that Nekudim separated the internality of the vessels of NHY of Adam Kadmon from the externality, they can stand there although they were darkened, and they already have the power to receive the light intended for them. Interpretation: the surrounding light of circles, which are the garments that were renewed now in the second restriction, expelled the vessels of externality to their Sof [end], meaning close to their center. By this they returned to the actual place where they stood prior to the fall, meaning in all the place from the point of the second restriction that was done at the point of Chazeh of Nekudot of SAG, to the point of the first restriction below the Raglaim of the inner AK. And the vessels of the anterior of the externality, which are the two thirds of Tifferet, reconnected to the point of Chazeh as in the beginning, and the internality of the posterior, which is the vessels of NHY from the phase of ZA, reconnected to the two thirds of Tifferet. Also, the bottom thirds of those NHY, which are discerned as the vessels of Malchut, reconnected with the vessels of ZA, meaning precisely as they stood prior to the second restriction. By this they were established as three worlds: Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya. The two thirds of Tifferet from the Chazeh down to his Sium became the world of Beria, although they are discerned as ZON. However, they are discerned as ZON of Bina, and therefore became the world of Beria, which is discerned as Bina. The two external phases of the posterior, which are NHY, became Yetzira and Assiya because they are discerned as ZON completely, since NH [Netzah-Hod] of the Guf are ZON of the Guf.
We should not be mistaken that they returned to being Atzilut just like the vessels from the Chazeh of Nekudot of SAG and above, since the Parsa has already been established there, meaning a new screen of the second restriction in the place of that Chazeh. Thus, the upper light cannot expand from there and below. Rather, they receive a lessened light that can pass through the Parsa downward. This is the meaning of the words, “they already have the power to receive the light intended for them,” meaning the light that can pass through the Parsa, which is called a light of consequence, and not a light of Atzilut.
We could say that since the surrounding light of circles expelled the vessels below the Raglaim of AK because in them, the lower place is more important, therefore, these vessels of BYA should have all been inverted: Assiya should have been close to the point of the Chazeh, where it is the end of the circles and the worst place, and below it Yetzira, and below it Beria, according to the order of the circles. The thing is that the illumination of the circles does not work at all in the place of straightness of AK. The rule is that illumination of circles works only in the Rosh. Hence, after they returned to the place of NHY of the inner AK, they received the order of straightness, where each higher one is more important, and the whole matter of the expulsion was only in the space below the Raglaim of AK.
Mavo She’arim, Gate 2, Part 1, Chapter 3.
33) The place of BYA is the posterior of the Nekudim of the circles, etc. However, here it seems the opposite—that the place of BYA is below, in the space. Rav Chaim Vital was perplexed because it is known from all the teachings of the ARI that the place of BYA is below the whole of the world of Nekudim, while here he heard that the circles of Nekudim encircle the Raglaim of AK. It follows that all three worlds BYA stand in the space below the Raglaim of AK, meaning below the circles of Nekudim that surround the Raglaim of AK.
However, this baffled him before he saw the great tractate of AK, when he thought that the straightness did not emerge in Nekudim at all, but only circles, while straightness emerged only in the new MA. Thus, if we say that BYA stand below the circles of Nekudim, it necessarily means that they are in the space below the Raglaim of AK, and this cannot be for several reasons. This is why he wondered about it here.
However, after he saw the great tractate of AK, he saw that circles and straightness emerged in Nekudim, as well, so it was not perplexing at all because what he had heard, that the worlds BYA stand below the Nekudim, meaning below the straightness of Nekudim, since the straightness of Nekudim begins at the Tabur of AK, like Partzuf Nekudot of SAG, and ends at the point of Chazeh of Partzuf Nekudot of SAG where the Parsa was set up, which is the new point of Sium of the second restriction that was done in the world of Nekudim. Below this Parsa through the Sium Raglaim of AK of straightness to the point of this world, it is the place where the three worlds Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya stand. But the circles of Nekudim, which are the surrounding of Nekudim, truly encircle the space below the Raglaim of AK.
Tree of Life, Gate 1, Branch 4.
38) The resulting rule is that the Raglaim of AK of straightness expand and extend to the bottom half of the circles … from below … However, all the other Raglaim … through the bottom half of the circles of AA: The big difference that was made in the world of Nekudim by the new restriction has already been explained above. It elevated the bottom Hey to the Nikvey Eynaim, and the point of Sium of the upper light was made in the place of Bina of the Guf, and only three vessels KHB remained in each degree, in which there are lights of NRN. You find that now there are two points of Sium: The first is the point of Sium of the second restriction, which is at the place of the Chazeh of Nekudot of SAG above the world of Beria, where the Parsa between Atzilut and Beria was set up. The second point of Sium is below the Raglaim of AK. This is the point of this world, as in the verse, “And His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives.” Thus, the three worlds BYA stand right between these two points of Sium. Accordingly, you find that the distance between the Raglaim of AK and the Raglaim of the Partzufim of the world of Atzilut that emerged through the second restriction is as the distance between these two points of Sium, meaning according to the measure of the three worlds BYA.
It is known that Partzuf Atik Yomin of Atzilut, which is discerned as the first Rosh of Atzilut, is not counted among the five Partzufim of Atzilut, and is still regarded as the first restriction, like AK. It also expands evenly with the Raglaim of AK down to the point of this world, and nurses the fallen Partzufim after they are born into BYA, as in suckling from Dadei Behema [udders of a beast].
Accordingly, there is a big difference between the circles of Atik Yomin and the circles of AA. The center of the circles of Atik Yomin is the point of this world, and their Sium is at their center. But the circles of all five Partzufim of Atzilut, which come from the second restriction, their center is at the point of Sium of Atzilut, where the Parsa is.
It was said, “The Raglaim of AK of straightness expand and extend through the bottom half of the circles of Atik Yomin from below,” meaning until the point of Sium of this world, in a manner that they touch the bottom halves of the circles, since the center point stands in the middle between the bottom halves and the upper halves. Hence, the Raglaim of AK that end at the point of Sium touch the bottom halves of the circles of Atik Yomin, as he says, “However, all the other Raglaim of straightness, such as the Raglaim of Atik and Raglaim of AA, etc., all end evenly, through the bottom half of the circles of AA.” That is, they end at the point of Sium of the second restriction, the center of the circles of AA, which is truly at the place of the Parsa of Atzilut. Since it necessarily touches the point of Sium of this center, it follows that it also touches the bottom halves of the circles of AA.
The reason he regards the Raglaim of Atik, too, as ending at the point of Sium of the second restriction, meaning at the bottom halves of AA, although in truth, it extends through the point of this world and ends evenly with the Raglaim of AK, is that with regard to its own Partzuf, it extends through the point of this world. However, the Parsa controls it so it does not pass the illumination of Atzilut to the worlds of BYA. For this reason, in this regard, meaning with regard to Atzilut of Atik Yomin, it ends evenly with all the Raglaim of the five Partzufim of Atzilut. And with regard to the illumination of BYA, it extends through the point of this world, evenly with the Raglaim of AK. This is the meaning of the two surplus bottom thirds of Atik that emerge from under the Parsa of Atzilut and are extended to BYA as Dadei Behema.
40) After the correction, there was no need for it since Atik lifted up its Raglaim once more. We already explained this issue above, that from the perspective of Atzilut, it ends in Atzilut, but it always shines in BYA, in its two bottom thirds. However, this is not regarded as illumination of Atzilut because the Parsa covers them. With regard to the circles, we should remember that this does not mean flat circles, but rather spherical circles, like onionskins enveloping one another.
* Tree of Life, Gate 3, Chapter 2.
43) BeHibara’am [when they were created], Be Hey Bera’am [He created them with a Hey], since all the created beings were as five Partzufim, etc. This is also the meaning of the small Hey, since they all emerged from the small Hey of Malchut of AK. Initially, Partzuf Keter emerges in Rosh-Toch-Sof and is called “inner HaVaYaH,” consisting of five phases KHB TM, which are the tip of the Yod and the four letters of this inner HaVaYaH. Afterward, four garments expand from it: AB, SAG, MA, and BON, which clothe the inner HaVaYaH. These four garments, AB, SAG, MA, and BON expand from the four letters of the inner HaVaYaH: HaVaYaH filled with AB from its Yod, filled with SAG from its Hey, filled with MA from its Vav, and filled with BON from its bottom Hey. These five Partzufim pertain to AK, as well as to Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya. This is what he implies by “He created them with a Hey [5 in Gematria],” meaning in five Partzufim.
However, it is written BeHibara’am with a small Hey, implying that there is a diminution here in these five Partzufim. This is so because the text speaks of worlds that emerged after the second restriction of AK, when a diminution and Katnut [smallness/infancy] took place in these five Partzufim, where the two Sefirot ZA and Malchut were separated from each Partzuf and only three vessels KHB remained in each Partzuf, with three lights NRN within them, while Haya and Yechida became only surrounding. Thus, the five Partzufim were greatly diminished by the second restriction, and this is what the word BeHibara’am, with a small Hey, implies.
He said, “since they all emerged from the small Hey of Malchut of AK after it was diminished at the end of her ZAT,” meaning that all four worlds ABYA emerged from the second restriction when the bottom Hey rose to the first Hey and the vessels were diminished from the two Sefirot ZA and Malchut, and the lights were diminished from Haya and Yechida. It is known that Malchut of AK from the Tabur down connected with the first Hey of Nekudot of SAG, and through the two of them the second restriction emerged. This is why it is written that they all emerged from Malchut of AK, and through her force, the heaven and earth of Atzilut were created.
45) Haddar, the eighth king, the name HaVaYaH, came out. He is the consequence of Yesod of AK, etc., He begot the drop of whiteness, etc., and cast it in the MAN in Malchut in him. All the worlds emerged from TNHY of AK, from the association of the quality of mercy with judgment that was done there, as the ARI said above, that they emerged from the small Hey of AK. However, in the first ten Sefirot of Atzilut that emerged in the world of Nekudim, this association of the quality of mercy sufficed only for the GAR of TNHY of AK, meaning for the GAR of Nekudim that clothe the GAR of TNHY of AK. Hence, only the GAR emerged in the correction of lines, but this association was not enough for the ZAT of Nekudim, and they emerged one below the other without a correction of lines. As a result, the ZAT of Nekudim were broken and only the GAR persisted.
However, afterward, through raising MAN once more from TNHY of AK to SAG of AK, this association of the quality of mercy took place in ZAT of TNHY of AK, as well, and a new, deciding line emerged in the middle thirds of NHY of AK, called Yesod, the eighth king. Thus, in Nekudim, only the two upper thirds of NHY of AK were established with a correction of lines, which corrected the Yesod of Nukva [female], the small Hey, since the Yesod of Nukva is in the upper thirds of TNHY. But there was still no correction in Yesod of the male, since he is regarded as the middle thirds of TNHY. Therefore, the ZAT of Nekudim that emerged through Yesod of AK, which gave Vav and Nekuda [dot] to GAR of Nekudim, regarded as Yesod of Nukva, could not persist because there was still no correction of lines in Yesod of AK, which comes through the association of the quality of mercy with judgment. This is why these ZAT were broken.
This is what the ARI implies (item 44), “In the beginning God created,” namely Malchut of AK, who is called “God.” In other words, before Yesod of AK in Nekudim was corrected through the association, only the name Elokim [God] governed there, which is judgment. But afterward, when there was raising of MAN and a new coupling for the purpose of Atzilut took place, and the ZAT of Atzilut were also corrected with a correction of lines, namely in the middle thirds of TNHY of AK, Haddar emerged, which is Yesod of AK, and which is the name HaVaYaH, which is the quality of mercy.
Elokim indicates the quality of judgment, and HaVaYaH indicates the quality of mercy. It was explained that only Yesod of Nukva was established in Nekudim, but in the world of Atzilut, the Yesod of the male was corrected, too. This is a profound matter, which is elaborated in the book The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 10, from answer 88 to answer 93.
And this is “On the day the Lord God made heaven and earth,” associating mercy with judgment. In the first association, which was done in the world of Nekudim, the heaven and earth, which are ZAT, did not persist there because they only emerged from the name Elokim, lacking a correction of lines in the middle thirds of NHY. Also, ZAT emerged without an association of the quality of mercy with judgment because in them Malchut was not associated with Bina, but only in the GAR of Nekudim. This is why the ZAT broke. This is the meaning of “In the beginning, He contemplated creating the world with the quality of judgment,” meaning Malchut in her place, without associating her with Bina. “He saw that the world could not exist” because ZAT were broken and the heaven and earth did not persist. Hence, a new coupling was made, which established the association of the quality of mercy in the ZAT, as well, and this is Yesod of AK. At that time, the name HaVaYaH Elokim was revealed over creation, as it is written, “On the day when the Lord God made earth and heaven,” and then they persisted. This is the meaning of “Then the worlds were perfumed.”
Malchut of AK herself, which is the beginning of Atzilut and is Atik Yomin, her drop of redness was established. By this he implies the real Malchut of AK before she was diminished, which is in the form of big Hey and not the small Hey of BeHibara’am [when they were created]. She herself was clothed and established in the GAR of Atik Yomin, called RADLA, and she was established there in concealment so as not to be revealed in Atzilut unless in the form of the small Hey called “a drop of redness.” This is the meaning of her drop of redness being established, since Malchut that is incorporated in Bina is called “the land of Edom [red].” From the correction of RADLA onward, no coupling was done on Malchut of phase four that is not associated with the quality of mercy. In the future , too, [at the end of correction], she will be revealed only from the place of RADLA herself, as in “The stone that the builders loathed shall become the corner stone.” This is the meaning of the correction of the leaders of the nation that the ARI speaks of here, and there is nothing to add. This has already been explained in The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 13.
48) The Raglaim of the level of AK that clothes Ein Sof extend through the Sium of all the worlds ABYA, meaning only the inner AK, called “inner HaVaYaH.” However, Partzuf AB of AK does not extend down to this world because it ends at the Tabur of the inner AK. Also, although Partzuf SAG of AK initially expanded evenly with the Raglaim of the inner AK, in the second restriction of AK, it ascended above the Tabur of AK once more. Thus, only the inner AK expands through the Sium of all the worlds ABYA. This is why the ARI makes the precision of saying “AK that clothes Ein Sof,” as it is only the inner AK within which is the line of Ein Sof.
49) The Akevim of AK clothe the ten Sefirot of Assiya. It has already been explained above that although in the second restriction, a new Sium was made in TNHY of AK, on the Chazeh of this Partzuf, this restriction still concerns only the ten Sefirot of Nekudim and the world of Atzilut, for only they became limited by the second restriction. All the Raglaim of the five Partzufim of Atzilut had to end on the Parsa, while AK himself did not change at all and ends at the point of this world as prior to the second restriction. This is why he said, “The Akevim [heels] of AK clothe in the ten Sefirot of Assiya.” However, we must not be mistaken that they shine there with their own phase, since AK shines only to Atzilut, and this Parsa that had been spread between Atzilut and Beria, and covers the lights of Atzilut from passing onto Beria, also covers the Akevim of AK in BYA, and BYA can receive of their lights, only a light of consequence, which the Parsa does not detain.
Ten sparks of light that are placed in the Akev, which is the world of Assiya. This is so because of Malchut that was concealed in RADLA and Arich Anpin emerged with only nine Sefirot lacking Malchut, meaning Malchut of the first restriction that was concealed in RADLA, as in “The stone that the builders loathed became the corner stone.” This is the meaning of the three Roshim that The Zohar speaks of, where RADLA was established as one above the other, and AA was established as one within the other. Because the true Malchut of AK does not operate at all in Atzilut and was concealed in RADLA, he therefore drew far from illuminating in Atzilut because he was separated from them as in one above the other, since he departed into himself above, and does not shine at all in Atzilut. This is why AA emerged without Malchut.
Also, it is known that there is an inverse relation between vessels and lights, since the absence of Malchut means that the light of Keter, which is Yechida, is missing, for then Hochma ascends in vessel of Keter and Bina in vessel of Hochma, etc., until the light of Malchut is in the vessel of Yesod, as the ARI explained concerning AB of AK. This is the meaning of AA being established one within the other, meaning light of Hochma in a vessel of Keter, which is the two Roshim—Kitra [Aramaic: Keter] and Mocha Stimaa [concealed Mocha/brain]—which are one within the other.
It is also known that the seven kings of Nekudim expanded down to this world, meaning to the Sium of all of BYA, since through the illumination of AB SAG, the bottom Hey descended from the Nikvey Eynaim once again to the place of the Peh of GAR of Nekudim. Then they broke and revoked the Parsa that was made from the new Sium since they worked with Malchut of AK from the first restriction. Hence, they were broken and fell to the shells.
In the world of correction, when the vessels were sorted out from the shells of BYA once again, they were sorted only from the first nine, meaning from the nine Sefirot of AA. They could not be sorted from Malchut of the seven kings because there is no coupling at all on this Malchut since she was concealed in RADLA, as one above the other. It therefore follows that throughout the six thousand years before the coupling on Malchut of RADLA is revealed, as in “The stone that the builders loathed became the corner stone,” the vessels of the phase of Malchut of the seven kings remain inside the shells of the world of Assiya. This is the meaning of the words, “ten sparks of light that are placed in the Akev, which is the world of Assiya,” meaning ten sparks of Malchuts of the seven kings that are stuck inside the shells and cannot be sorted prior to the end of correction.
This is the meaning of “When the light from the world of Assiya is completely refined and sorted, etc., his legs will stand on Mount Olives, etc., and his level will be completed.” That is, at the end of correction, when all the phases of the 248 sparks are completely sorted, those sparks of light that are placed in the Akev will also be sorted, for then Malchut of AK, which is the big Hey, will be revealed, meaning Malchut of the first restriction, and the coupling of RADLA will be done on her. This level of coupling will sort out and raise the ten sparks of light placed in the Akev, since the second restriction will be revoked along with the Parsa between Atzilut and Beria. At that time, the Raglaim will extend through all the Partzufim of Atzilut down to the point of this world evenly with the Raglaim of AK. This is the meaning of touching legs with legs, since the Raglaim of the Partzufim of Atzilut will touch the Raglaim of AK and then the Messiah will come and will strike the statue on his legs.
50) His legs will stand on Mount Olives etc., and his level will be completed. “His legs will stand” means that his Raglaim [legs] will be revealed on Mount Olives. Now, although he is standing there, he is not revealed because the Parsa that covers BYA above, below Atzilut, also covers the Raglaim of AK. But at the end of correction, when the second restriction is revoked and the worlds are fit to receive from Malchut of the first restriction, the Parsa between Atzilut and BYA will be revoked and the Raglaim of the five Partzufim of Atzilut will extend through the point of this world on Mount Olives, evenly with the Raglaim of AK. Then BYA will return to being Atzilut, BON, which was made by the second restriction, will return to being SAG of AK, and the new MA that was made by the second restriction, will return to being AB of AK. Then the Raglaim of AK will be revealed and shine, as in the verse, “And his legs shall stand on Mount Olives.”
It is written, “His level will be completed.” The thing is that all the worlds came only to complete TNHY of AK, since when the Rosh and Guf of the inner AK emerged, called the “inner HaVaYaH,” there was a departure of lights in his Guf—from the Peh of Rosh through the Sium of the Raglaim. At that time, a second expansion emerged, called Partzuf AB of AK, and refilled the Guf of the inner AK through the Tabur. However, in this second expansion, the lights departed also from his Guf, and Partzuf SAG of AK emerged and refilled the vessels of the Guf of AB of AK that were emptied of their previous lights.
Initially, the Raglaim of this SAG expanded evenly with the Raglaim of AK. But during the second restriction, he, too, rose to the Tabur of AK. Thus, those two fillings—AB and SAG—filled the Guf of the inner AK only through the Tabur. From the Tabur down, the Guf of the inner AK remained as in the beginning, in the first departure. For this reason, the four worlds ABYA emerged in this place from the Tabur down, to fill the absence of light in that place. Thus, before the ten sparks of light in the Akev of Assiya are completed, the level of the inner AK is not complete, since the filling from the Tabur down depends on the completeness of ABYA. This is the meaning of “Afterward, his legs will stand on Mount Olives and his level will be completed,” for his level is completed only after BYA return to being Atzilut and fill the Tabur and below of the inner AK with lights of Atzilut. This is the meaning of “It was said about him, ‘Behold, My servant will succeed,’ etc., He will succeed more than Assiya,” “above Yetzira,” etc., “at that time, the Messiah will come,” after BYA ascend to being Atzilut. At that time, Atzilut will return to being as AK, meaning the first restriction. Then the inner AK will be completed with the lights of ABYA, and this is the meaning of “Meod [very] has the letters of Adam [man], which is AK.” He will succeed and [be] high and lifted up and higher than ABYA, as explained, that they will fill his Tabur and below. At that time, the light of Yechida will be revealed in the worlds, which is the Messiah.
52) The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of the first seven days, ZAT of Malchut of AK, called Atik Yomin of Atzilut. This means that the sun and the moon will return to being the two great lights on an equal level through Keter, face to face. This is the seventh degree that the ARI wrote about, when Nukva of ZA ascends with ZA to the level of GAR of AA and to incorporation with the coupling in GAR of Atik. At that time, ZA will dress the full level of ZAT of Atik which extend equally with the Raglaim of AK through the point of this world, since the Parsa of the second restriction will be completely revoked.
Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 49, Chapter 1.
53) One Partzuf of Adam in the self, vessels, and garments. Indeed, each particular world in and of itself has all these phases. This is so because AK is regarded as root, Atzilut is the self, Beria is Guf and vessels, Yetzira is garments, and Assiya is hall. In this manner, AK and ABYA are one Adam in whom there are these five phases: root, soul, body, garment, hall. It is also called marrow, bones, tendons, flesh, and skin. They are also KHB TM, and they are the four letters HaVaYaH and the tip of the Yod. Also, they are called five lights: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, Yechida.
55) The Neshama spreads throughout the Guf from the Moach to the Raglaim, etc. Afterward, the Ruach spreads through the Lev and from there down throughout the Guf. This means that these three vessels, Moach, Lev, and Kavved, the garments of NRN, are three complete Partzufim called Ibur, Yenika, Mochin. The Kavved is Partzuf Ibur in ten complete Sefirot in which the light of Nefesh clothes. The Lev is Partzuf Yenika in the ten Sefirot in which the light of Ruach clothes, and the Moach is Partzuf Mochin in ten Sefirot in which the light of Neshama clothes. These three Partzufim clothe one another from the Chazeh [chest] and below, where from his Chazeh and below, Partzuf Mochin is clothed with Partzuf Yenika, and Partzuf Yenika is clothed from his Chazeh and below with Partzuf Ibur. Thus, the Raglaim of all three Partzufim end evenly. This is as was said, “The Neshama spreads throughout the Guf from the Moach to the Raglaim.” Also, the Ruach begins at the Garon and spreads throughout the Guf through the Raglaim, and the Nefesh begins at the Kavved and spreads through the Raglaim.
The Lev stands in the VAK … and clothes the Neshama and the Moach, and covers it. The Lev is Partzuf Yenika that clothes the light of Ruach. It clothes from the Chazeh and below of Partzuf Mochin. Likewise, the Kavved, which is Partzuf Ibur, clothes from the Chazeh and below of Partzuf of Yenika so that HBD HGT of each Partzuf are revealed, and from the Chazeh down they are covered and concealed, each one in its lower one. When they are clothed one inside the other, they are regarded as one body where HBD HGT of the revealed Partzuf Mochin is discerned as the Rosh through the Garon [throat]. From there down, it is covered and clothed in Partzuf Yenika that begins at the Garon. This is regarded as VAK. HBD HGT of the revealed Partzuf Yenika are from the Garon to the Chazeh with the Yadayim [hands], and from there down it is covered and concealed in the Partzuf Ibur that begins at the place of the Chazeh.
This is the meaning of “The Lev stands in the VAK, which is Yenika, and clothes the Neshama and the Moach and covers it. For this reason, the Neshama is apparent only in the Moach,” since VAK, which is Partzuf Yenika, clothes Partzuf Mochin from its Chazeh down, meaning from the place of the Garon of the whole Partzuf, and only the Rosh of the whole Partzuf is revealed. For this reason, the Neshama is no longer apparent below the Rosh, as it is covered and concealed from the Garon down inside the Partzuf Yenika. Also, the Ruach is apparent only from the Garon to the Chazeh, which is where the Lev is, as it is covered and concealed from the Chazeh down inside the Partzuf of Ibur.
You find how three complete Partzufim clothed in one another from the Chazeh down are discerned in one Partzuf, so that HBD HGT of each one are revealed, and NHY of each one are covered and clothed in its lower one. The Rosh is the GAR of Neshama, the Guf is HBD HGT of Ruach, and from the Chazeh to the Sof it includes HBD HGT NHY of Nefesh. However, in a general overview, they are all only one Partzuf whose Rosh is regarded as merely its HBD, and from the Garon to the Chazeh it is only its HGT, and from the Chazeh to the Sof it is only its NHY.
58) Three vessels one inside the other, and they are regarded as Ibur, Yenika, Mochin. …The flesh surrounds them and covers them, and it is called Bisra Sumka. It has already been explained above that from Nekudim onward, the two vessels of ZA and Malchut of each degree have been separated and become surrounding vessels of Haya and Yechida, leaving only three vessels in the degree—Keter, Hochma, Bina—in which three lights Nefesh-Ruach-Neshama clothe. It has also been explained above that these five vessels KHB ZON are sometimes called marrow, bones, tendons, flesh, and skin, where marrow, bones, tendons are KHB, and flesh and skin are ZON. According to these appellations, it follows that the three vessels found in each degree are marrow, bones, and tendons, and the two bottom vessels of flesh and skin were separated from the degree and became surrounding of Haya and Yechida, which are called garments and halls.
It follows that had the two bottom vessels not been separated from the degree, there would have been five complete Partzufim in each general Partzuf: marrow, bones, tendons, flesh, and skin. Now that the two Partzufim, flesh and skin, have become absent in each general Partzuf, there is a grip for the outer ones opposite them, since wherever there is a deficiency in Kedusha [holiness], the outer ones grip there. Hence, there is a grip for the outer ones at the Sium [end] of each Partzuf. This requires a special correction called “circumcision,” since they have a strong grip on the skin, which is Malchut. For this reason, at the Sium of the Partzuf, a shell is made, whose only correction is to cut it and throw it away, hence the foreskin that is thrown to the dust. But they do not have that much of a grip on the flesh at the Sium, and it is corrected by [the act of] exposing.
There are no vessels opposite Yechida and Haya because they are not internal. The flesh surrounds them, etc., and afterward is the skin. Yechida and Haya are not internal, since ZA and Malchut were separated from each degree due to the second restriction. Hence, the flesh and skin were not regarded as vessels of the Guf. Rather, there are only three vessels of KHB in the Guf, which are called marrow-bones-tendons, in which the Neshama is clothed. The Neshama does not clothe in the two vessels of flesh and skin at all, and they are interchangeable in man, meaning they are replaced and renewed each day in the human body. It is so because the real vessels of ZA and Malchut are not at all in the Partzuf, since they were separated and became garments and halls, while the two vessels of ZON that are in the Partzuf are only an expansion from Bina. This is the meaning of what the ARI wrote, that at their end, the tendons of the blood dissolve and become flesh, implying that the vessel of flesh, which is the vessel of ZA, is actually from the expansion of the vessel of Bina called tendons.
The HASHMAL that surrounds all the vessels, and it is like the HASHMAL out of the fire, etc., and afterward is the skin, which is the tree of knowledge of good that is in Atzilut. The flesh in the Partzuf is regarded as HASHMAL, and the skin is regarded as the Noga shell. This is only after it obtains the phase of Haya, since as long as there is only the phase of Neshama in the Partzuf, the vessel of flesh is still not apparent and it is regarded as merely skin, though it incorporates both skins together. That is, the two vessels ZA and Malchut are not regarded as flesh and skin but as two skins attached to one another back-to-back. This is so because as long as there are only three lights NRN in ZA, they are clothed in the three vessels of marrow-bones-tendons, and no light reaches from the tendons down, meaning in the flesh and skin. Because it is known that the lights sort out the vessels, they are regarded as unsorted whatsoever. Therefore, both are regarded as skins, since everything that is not sorted is called skin.
However, when ZA obtains the phase of the light of Haya, the Haya dresses in the marrow, the Neshama that was in marrow descends to the vessel of bones, the Ruach that was in the vessel of bones descends to the vessel of tendons, and the Nefesh that was in the vessel of tendons descends to the vessel of flesh. It follows that now the vessel of ZA is also sorted by obtaining of the light of Haya. Hence, now it has four vessels: marrow, bones, tendons, and flesh. The skin surrounds them, and only the skin remains unsorted.
Nevertheless, the flesh is not regarded as a completed vessel because it is from the expansion of Bina. This is why it is called HASHMAL, meaning a garment, clothing the three vessels. It is called garment because the light of Haya that sorts for it the vessel of flesh is extended from the surrounding of garments. Hence, the vessel of flesh is also regarded as garment.
There is another reason: The light of Haya it receives through sorting the vessel of flesh is only VAK of Haya, since it cannot receive GAR of Haya prior to the end of correction, when the second restriction is revoked and the surrounding of garments, namely the vessel of ZA that was separated by the second restriction, reconnects to the Partzuf like the three vessels KHB. It has been explained above that prior to the end of correction, the vessel of ZA is only from the expansion of Bina, and it receives only the VAK of the light of Haya. Hence, it is considered a vessel of flesh that is still not connected to the Guf, since Neshama of Haya does not illuminate in the Guf. Since it is still separated from the Guf, it is called garment or HASHMAL, indicating that it is not connected to the Guf like the three vessels marrow-bones-tendons.
It has been explained that when ZA has only NRN, it does not have a vessel for flesh at all, and it is still regarded as skin. When it obtains the light of Haya, the vessel of flesh is sorted out for it, yet it is not an actual vessel, connected to the Guf, due to the absence of GAR of Haya throughout the six thousand years. For this reason, the vessel of flesh does not have a complete light that belongs to it, but only VAK from the light that belongs to it. It is known that in all the phases, the VAK are always regarded as merely a vessel, and only the GAR are regarded as complete lights. It follows that there is only an illumination of vessels in flesh, meaning VAK and not GAR.
The skin, which is the tree of knowledge of good that is in Atzilut.
59) The flesh is the surrounding name Elokim, etc. Elokim filled with Yods is 300 in Gematria, and in square Gematria it is 200, and the two incorporators are Bassar in Gematria. Mochin of GAR are called HaVaYaH, and Mochin of VAK are called Elokim. Since there is only Mochin of VAK in the vessel of flesh, it is called Elokim. It is known that there are three phases of Ibur-Yenika-Mochin in VAK, and all are the names of Elokim. However, the Mochin of Ibur are Aleph-Lamed-Mem of Elokim, indicating that it lacks the Yod-Hey of Elokim. The Mochin of Yenika are called “simple Elokim” without a filling, since any filling implies a coupling of Mochin. Because there is only VAK of VAK in Yenika, meaning Nefesh-Ruach of Ruach, and there is not even GAR of Ruach there, called Mochin of VAK, they are regarded as simple Elokim without a filling. The Mochin of VAK, meaning the GAR of Ruach, are regarded as Elokim with a filling, and it is known that there are three Mochin HBD, which have three fillings: Moach Hochma is Elokim filled with Yods, Moach Bina is Elokim filled with Heys, and Moach Daat is Elokim filled with Alephs.
It was said, “Elokim filled with Yods is 300 in Gematria.” This indicates that there is Moach of Hochma of VAK in the vessel of flesh there, since Elokim filled with Yods is Hochma. However, with regard to the Moach Bina of VAK, it only has the posterior because it does not have Elokim filled with Heys, but the posterior of Elokim, which is 200 in Gematria, like this: Aleph, Aleph-Lamed, Aleph-Lamed-Hey, Aleph-Lamed-Hey-Yod, Aleph-Lamed-Hey-Yod-Mem. This indicates that it does not have the Hassadim that are imparted from the Moach of Bina, which is Elokim filled with Heys, and this Moach is regarded as posterior to it. Hence, with regard to Daat, it has only two inclusions—an inclusion of Hassadim and an inclusion of Gevurot. These are the letters Bet-Shin-Reish [the letters of Bassar (flesh)]: Shin is Hochma, Reish is Bina, and Bet is Daat, and this is why it is called “a throne of sparks,” implying judgments, due to the lack of Hassadim [mercies] there, for as long as it is devoid of Hassadim, the Hochma will also not be able to clothe in it in full.
60) When Malchut descends to be the Rosh to the foxes, the upper bodies clothe below. This was done during the diminution of the moon on the fourth day of the days of creation. First, the ZON were in the form of the two great lights, on an equal level back-to-back. At that time, the Nukva was a complete Partzuf in ten Sefirot of the posterior. That is, she was complete in Ibur-Yenika-Mochin of the posterior, which is all the completeness of Partzuf VAK. When the moon complained and said, “Two kings cannot use the same Keter [crown],” she was told, “Go and diminish yourself.” At that time, she returned to being a dot under the Yesod as before, and all ten Sefirot of her Partzuf of posterior descended to Beria as Rosh to the foxes, since she became the phase of Atik and a revealed Rosh in Beria.
It is known that everything that was as a Guf for ZA in the state of Ibur and Yenika became skin in the state of Gadlut. This means that the state of Ibur-Yenika is lights of VAK, which are Ruach -Nefesh. It is also known that when he has only two lights, Ruach-Nefesh, he has two vessels of Keter-Hochma, which are called marrow and bones. The light of Ruach dresses in the vessel of Keter, which is marrow, and the light of Nefesh in vessel of Hochma, which is bones. Obtaining Neshama sorts out for him the vessel of Bina, which is tendons, and then the Neshama dresses in the vessel of marrow, the light of Ruach that was there descends to the vessel of bones, and the light of Nefesh that was in the vessel of bones descends to the vessel of tendons. Obtaining Haya sorts for it the vessel of flesh, and then the light of Haya dresses in the vessel of marrow, the light of Neshama that was there descends to the vessel of bones, the Ruach that was in the vessel of bones descends to the vessel of tendons, while the Nefesh that was in the vessel of tendons now descends to the vessel of flesh that has been sorted anew. Obtaining the light of Yechida sorts out for him the vessel of skin, the Yechida dresses in the marrow, and so forth likewise, and the light of Nefesh that was in vessel of flesh now descends to the vessel of skin that is sorted through the light of Yechida.
You find that when ZA had only Ibur-Yenika, which are Nefesh-Ruach, they clothe in the complete vessels of the Guf of ZA, meaning in the vessels of marrow and bones. However, at the time of Gadlut [greatness/adulthood], when he obtains Haya and Yechida, the Haya and Yechida take those vessels of marrow and bones, and the Neshama takes the vessel of tendons. Thus, now Ruach-Nefesh clothe in vessels that are outside the Guf, called flesh and skin. This is the meaning of what the ARI says, that everything that was regarded as Guf for ZA in Ibur and Yenika has become skin in the state of Gadlut. It is explained that lights of VAK were clothed in the Guf in the days of Ibur and Yenika, meaning in the marrow and bones, and now they are clothed in the flesh and skin, which together are called skin. This indicates that they are incomplete vessels because as long as the second restriction rules, it is impossible to fully sort these vessels of ZA and Malchut called flesh and skin. Hence, they are called skin, where the vessel of skin is called parchment and the vessel of flesh is called Duchsustus.
It was said “When Malchut descends to be the Rosh to the foxes, the upper bodies clothe below,” since any clothing of Malchut in BYA is only in her Partzuf of posterior that fell to BYA during the diminution of the moon since she is the Rosh [head] of the foxes. This is only VAK, which is Ruach-Nefesh, so even the lights in her are regarded as body and vessels, as it is known that the light of VAK is called “illumination of vessels” and lights are only GAR, which are Neshama-Haya-Yechida.
This is why he says that only the bodies of Atzilut were clothed through Malchut in BYA, since there are three phases in this posterior Partzuf that fell to BYA. These are Ibur, Yenika, Mochin, and they are only three phases of body, meaning lights of VAK. A phase of body of Mochin clothed in Beria and became Neshama, and a phase of the body of Yenika clothed in Yetzira and became a Neshama there. The phase of the body of Ibur clothed in Assiya and became Neshama there, and he said precisely “Behina of bodies,” indicating that these VAK that clothe in Beria are not flesh and skin as in Atzilut during Gadlut. Rather, they are actual vessels of body, which are marrow and bones, since the Partzuf of the posterior of Nukva is Katnut.
61) However, in the world itself, it is never made from a vessel of Neshama since the Haya and Yechida never clothe. In BYA there are these lights of VAK that are Ruach-Nefesh of Malchut of Atzilut that became Neshama there. But this will never happen in the world of Atzilut itself, since it has been explained above that even in Mochin of Gadlut, the lights of VAK descend to flesh and skin, which are incomplete vessels and can never receive the phase of Neshama that belongs to them. Rather, throughout the six thousand years, they remain as light of VAK from the light that belongs to their share. It is so because sorting these vessels depends on the Mochin of Haya and Yechida, and as long as the second restriction rules, the vessels of ZA and Malchut are separated into garments and halls by the ascent of the ending Malchut to the vessel of Bina. Hence, the vessels of flesh and skin are lacking the GAR of Haya of their share since they are merely an expansion of Bina.
This is why he says that these lights of Ruach-Nefesh that are regarded as a vessel become Neshama in BYA, since BYA receive from the Ibur-Yenika of the Katnut of Malchut, which is Ibur-Yenika-Mochin of the posterior, and in Katnut the Nefesh-Ruach are clothed in complete vessels of body, meaning the bones and marrow. For this reason, they can become a phase of Neshama there in BYA. But in Atzilut, the Nukva cannot stand in these Mochin of the posterior. Instead, she returns to being a dot under Yesod. That is, she comes in Ibur for Mochin of face to face and receives Mochin of Gadlut from NHY of ZA. At that time, the lights of VAK descend to the vessels of skin, meaning to flesh and skin, which never become Neshama and are always lacking the GAR that belongs to their share, which is called a vessel. Thus, the illumination of vessels will never rise to become Neshama in Atzilut.
64) All three phases of externality are called body, and all the internality is called Mochin in relation to it. This concerns what is written above, that the Partzuf of the posterior of the Nukva that descended to BYA is regarded as clothing of the bodies of Atzilut. He says that all three phases of externality, meaning Ibur-Yenika-Mochin of the posterior, where Ibur-Yenika are VAK of VAK, and Mochin are GAR of VAK, all of these lights are called body and not lights, since even the Mochin of VAK are regarded as body. Hence, this Partzuf of Ibur-Yenika-Mochin of the posterior that fell and clothed in BYA is called “the bodies of Atzilut,” since only the three phases Ibur-Yenika-Mochin of the anterior, which are NRNHY of the three lights of Neshama Haya Yechida, only they are called “lights” and Mochin.
Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 49, Chapter 2.
68) The vessels of Assiya are the middle point of the whole of Assiya, and all the worlds are in the middle of the inner and surrounding lights. This means that the Sium of the world of Assiya of straightness is at the ending point of the Raglaim of AK, which is the point of this world. Likewise, the Sium of the vessels of circles of AK is also at the ending point of straightness, which is the point of this world, since in the circles, their end is at their center, for there is no above or below in the circles.
Thus, that same point of Sium that ends the straightness is the central point of the circles of AK, which are from the first restriction. However, remember that the point of Sium of the second restriction of the straightness is in the Parsa below Atzilut, where all the Raglaim of Atzilut end, and it is also the central point of the circles of the second restriction. However, here it refers to the worlds BYA, which clothe NHY of AK of the first restriction through the point of this world. This is why here he points to the central point of the circles of the first restriction.
70) There are the shells, which are stormy wind, etc. They are called skin, since skin is the shell, which is why it is called shell. They are also the three shells, etc. We should know that although the root of all the judgments in the worlds are still in the first restriction, in the screen that was made there in the vessel of Malchut, nevertheless, the shells were made only by the breaking of the vessels that took place in ZAT of the world of Nekudim. Until there, although there was already a lack of Kedusha [holiness] due to the first restriction, since the receiving Malchut, which was diminished from receiving due to the first restriction, was separated from the internal ones and became vessels of the circles of AK. Nevertheless, by this, no corruption occurred in the worlds.
However, after the second restriction was done in the world of Nekudim, the ending Malchut ascended to the place of the vessel of Bina of the Guf of Partzuf TNHY of AK, which is in the place of the Chazeh of this Partzuf, and the Parsa was placed there as the point of Sium, and the vessels of half of Tifferet and NHY that became the three worlds BYA can no longer receive any of the light of Atzilut due to the point of Sium above them. Hence, after ZAT of Nekudim drew the light of Atzilut to BYA once again, since they revoked the new boundary of the Parsa and expanded to BYA, the breaking occurred in them anterior and posterior, and they fell to the shells in BYA. This was because now a big corruption occurred, where even the anterior vessels of ZAT that stand above the Parsa, and are fit to receive the light of Atzilut, also broke, died, and fell to the shells.
We should thoroughly understand the meaning of the anterior and posterior of ZAT of Nekudim. The thing is that first, the vessels of Nekudim emerged, which are the vessels of Nekudot of SAG of AK that were diminished by the second restriction, where a Parsa and Sium were made at the place of their Chazeh, and TNHY in them fell to BYA together with the Chazeh and below of Partzuf TNHY of AK. It follows that now, after the restriction that took place, there are only six vessels HBD HGT through the Chazeh, and the point of Chazeh is the point of Malchut in them, which ends those vessels. From there down they are unfit to receive lights of Atzilut. Hence, those seven vessels HBD HGT and the point of Chazeh are regarded as vessels of Atzilut and are called anterior vessels, while those vessels of TNHYM below the Parsa that are unfit to receive the light of Atzilut are called posterior vessels.
First, the light of Katnut emerged in the world of Nekudim and clothed in those seven vessels HBD HGT through the Chazeh. The lights of Ruach-Nefesh clothed in them: Ruach in vessels of HBD, and Nefesh in vessels of HGT. This is why they are called HGT NHYM, since lights of Ruach are called HGT, and lights of Nefesh are called NHYM. These lights ended at the point of Chazeh at the Sium of the Parsa, and this clothing is in utter completeness since nothing descended from them to the posterior vessels. Rather, it caused the separation of the two vessels of ZA and Malchut that became the surrounding of garment and hall.
However, afterward, through the coupling of Yesod of AK in the GAR of Nekudim, when the lights were extended from the coupling of AB SAG of AK, since the light of AB precedes the second restriction, this light caused the revoking of the Parsa of the second restriction. After these Mochin reached the ZAT of Nekudim, they, too, were extended through the Sium Raglaim of AK into their posterior vessels in BYA, and reconnected those two vessels that became garments and halls, into inner vessels. However, the force of the boundary of the Parsa overpowered them and the lights of Atzilut that they drew promptly departed from all the ZAT, even from the anterior vessels above the Parsa, and they all broke and died. This happened because the anterior vessels had already connected with the posterior vessels into one Partzuf. Therefore, the anterior vessels were blemished, too, because of the reception of the lights of the posterior vessels. Thus, all the vessels were spoiled since the anterior vessels were merged in a single form with the posterior vessels.
We should discern four phases in those ZAT of Nekudim that fell to the shells: The first is the anterior vessels, meaning the vessels from the Chazeh and above. These are vessels of Atzilut that did not break because of themselves but due to their mixing with the posterior vessels. There are three additional phases in the posterior vessels: In general, they are ZA and Malchut, but there are also ZON of Bina in them. Thus, they are three phases: 1) ZON of Bina, 2) ZA, 3) Malchut. These four phases completely mingled with one another in a way that you have not a spark or a tiny item in those ZAT that fell to BYA where these four phases are not mixed together.
When the ZAT were sorted out from the breaking in the world of Atzilut and were established there as Partzuf ZON of Atzilut, initially, only the anterior vessels were sorted from among them, meaning from the Chazeh and above. These are the vessels of HBD HGT through the point of Chazeh in which the lights of Ruach-Nefesh clothe, Ruach in the vessels of HBD and Nefesh in the vessels of HGT. For this reason, they are called HGT NHYM. They are present in ZA permanently, and no further diminution will occur in them since their breaking was only due to the mixing with the posterior vessels. Once they were sorted out from the mixture, they will never again be blemished.
However, in the three posterior phases that remained in the shells, the anterior vessels still remained mixed with them, for there is no item in the broken vessels that does not have within them all four phases together. They are sorted out by raising MAN since the vessels of the new NHY for the level of Neshama are sorted out from ZON of Bina in the posterior vessels, and the new NHY for the level of Haya are sorted out from ZA of posterior vessels, and the new NHY for the level of Yechida are sorted out from Malchut of the posterior vessels. However, these three levels—Neshama-Haya-Yechida—are not permanent in ZA because the vessels were sorted out from the posterior vessels, whose breaking was because of themselves. Hence, there is power in the work of the lower ones to raise them through MAN or to corrupt them again by committing iniquities.
There is another distinction in this sorting of the posterior vessels for Neshama-Haya-Yechida. Only the vessels for the level of Neshama that come from phase one of the posterior vessels are sorted in full and connect to the body of ZON, since they are regarded as ZON of Bina. But the vessels that are sorted for the level of Haya, which come from phase two of posterior vessels, which are vessels of ZA, cannot be fully sorted because the vessels of ZA have already been separated into garments, which are surrounding vessels. Hence, phase two of the posterior vessels that operated in Nekudim broke, and actual shells were made of them, since they drew surrounding vessels and used them as inner vessels. This is why those vessels were spoiled and became shells, and Partzuf ZA of the shell was made of them.
However, there is also a mixture of anterior vessels in these shells, as well as phase one of the posterior vessels, which are fit for sorting into Kedusha, as was said, that there is not an item that does not contain all four phases mixed together. For this reason, those two above-mentioned phases are fit to be sorted out of the shells. But phase two of the posterior, which is the actual vessel of ZA, is unfit for sorting and is called shell.
In the same manner, the vessels that are sorted out from phase three of the posterior, which is the vessel of Malchut, are not from the vessel of Malchut herself, since she was corrupted by using the inner vessels in Nekudim, and thereby became a shell from which the Nukva of the shells was made. However, because she, too, necessarily incorporates all four phases, only the first two phases that are mixed within her can be sorted, from which they are sorted for the level of Yechida.
This explains how all the shells came only due to the breaking of the vessels, and they are from those two vessels of ZA and Malchut that were used in ZAT of Nekudim as internal after they were separated into surrounding vessels and were therefore corrupted and became ZA and Malchut of the shell. They are called shells to indicate that they are unfit for sorting throughout the six thousand years, for as long as the first two phases have not been fully sorted from within them, which are the anterior vessels and phase one of the posterior, which are ZON of Bina, the Parsa of the second restriction is fixed and sustained, and the vessels of ZA and Malchut remain as surrounding, and what has been put together from them during the reign of ZAT of Nekudim has become ZON of the shells.
Indeed, there are three degrees in these ZON of the shells. They are called “stormy wind,” “big cloud,” and “flaming fire.” They correspond to Bina, ZA, and Malchut, as in “God has made one opposite the other.” For this reason, there is ZON in the stormy wind, ZON in the big cloud, and ZON in the flaming fire.
Skin is the shell … corresponding to the three foreskins, circumcision, exposing, and sucking of blood. This means that while ZA has only NRN, they sort for it only three vessels of marrow-bones-tendons, which are vessels of KHB. The two vessels of flesh and skin are still unsorted. At that time, the vessel of flesh is also called skin since any unsorted phase is called skin, which means good and bad mixed with one another. At that time, the three shells are mixed in these two vessels of flesh and skin which are complete evil. This is why the ARI wrote, “Skin is the shell,” etc., meaning that as long as it does not have Mochin of Haya, the flesh and skin of ZA are called only skin since the three shells are still included in his flesh and skin. This is why they are all together, meaning that the flesh, the skin, and the three shells are regarded as one, and they are all shells.
However, when he obtains the Mochin of Haya, the correction of the circumcision is done in him. This is the sorting of the vessel of flesh and the separation of the three shells, since the skin that is cut off and thrown away is the separation of the shell of stormy wind, which is the root and the essence of all three shells. The exposing is done in him corresponding to the separation of the shell of big cloud, and the sucking of blood is done in him corresponding to the shell of flaming fire. At that time, the sorting of the vessel of flesh appears in him in the Ateret [crown] of Yesod, called HASHMAL, for the above-mentioned reason. The vessel of skin on the flesh is now called “the Noga shell” since it is still unsorted, since the Mochin of Haya sort only the vessel of flesh, and any unsorted phase is called skin, or “the Noga shell.” This is the meaning of “Noga surrounds this HASHMAL,” as is explained that the HASHMAL is the flesh and the skin is Noga.
We should know that the matter of the above-said sorting of the vessels occurs in each and every Sefira of the ten Sefirot of ZA since they are incorporated in one another. In each Sefira five vessels must be sorted: marrow, bones, tendons, flesh, skin. It follows that the correction of the circumcision actually occurs in all the Sefirot, but the shells grip mainly only to the Sium of the Partzuf, meaning the Sefira of Yesod. For this reason, the corrections were done only in Yesod, and it helps and corrects all the phases of flesh and skin in each Sefira.
71) Noga, the fourth shell, a sound of faint silence in secret. This is the meaning of the HASH of HASHMAL, and in it is the MAL, which is the self of the HASHMAL, etc., a filling of Elokim of Yods, the Gematria of [the letter] Shin of Bassar. Interpretation: It has already been explained that prior to the end of correction there is no complete sorting of the vessel of flesh since the Mochin of Haya are also only VAK of Haya. Hence, they do not connect to the actual body of the Partzuf, but rather as a garment, clothing over the three vessels marrow-bones-tendons. Know that these remnants from the vessel of flesh that cannot be sorted before the end of correction since they require GAR of Haya in order to be sorted out are called “The Noga shell,” since she is unsorted.
It has been explained that the sorting of the vessels occurs in all the Sefirot of the level of ZA. It follows that there is a complete Partzuf of flesh, as well as a complete Partzuf of the Noga shell, since the vessel of flesh in each Sefira of ZA from its Rosh-Toch-Sof connects into a complete Partzuf. Also, the unsorted remnants that remain in the vessel of flesh, called Noga, connect from all the Sefirot of its Rosh-Toch-Sof and become Partzuf Noga.
You therefore find that HASHMAL and Noga are two Partzufim one atop the other although their root is one: the vessel of flesh in each of the ten Sefirot of Rosh-Toch-Sof of ZA. The sorted part is called HASHMAL, and the unsorted part is called Noga. In that sense, they are only one Partzuf where VAK of the Mochin of Haya, of which only the vessels from the Chazeh and above, which are called HBD HGT, can be sorted, and Nefesh-Ruach of Haya clothe in them, Ruach in the vessels of HBD, for which it is called HGT, Nefesh is in the vessels of HGT, for which it is called NHYM, as is known in the inverse relation between vessels and lights, and those six sorted vessels of HBD HGT are called HASHMAL. The remnants from this Partzuf, meaning the TNHY from the Chazeh down, whose sorting is only in the GAR of Mochin of Haya, which does not occur prior to the end of correction, are called Partzuf Noga. Thus, at their root, they are one Partzuf which is called HASHMAL from the Chazeh and above, and it is called Noga from the Chazeh and below. However, since this sorting occurs in each and every Sefira of the ten Sefirot of the Rosh-Toch-Sof of ZA, they necessarily become two complete Partzufim with Rosh-Toch-Sof for each of them, and they clothe over one another.
For this reason, in relation to HASHMAL and Noga being one Partzuf, the name HASHMAL is divided between them, where the six vessels from the Chazeh and above are called MAL of HASHMAL, which means speaking animals of fire, indicating that the Mochin of Haya [animal] clothe there. In them is the speech, for there is speech only in Mochin of Haya. This is why they are implied by MAL, from the words “speaking animals.” However, the vessels of TNHY from the Chazeh and below of this Partzuf, which cannot be sorted prior to the end of correction, and which are called Noga, are HASH of HASHMAL, indicating that they are Hashot [silent] and there is no speech in them. This is why the ARI writes that HASHMAL is MAL and Noga is HASH.
However, with regard to their being two Partzufim with Rosh-Toch-Sof that clothe over one another, you find that in Partzuf HASHMAL, for itself, there are all ten Sefirot in Rosh-Toch-Sof, and in Partzuf Noga, for itself, there are also ten Sefirot in Rosh-Toch-Sof. It follows there are vessels from the Chazeh and above in Partzuf HASHMAL, as well as vessels from the Chazeh and below. This is why the full name HASHMAL exists only in Partzuf HASHMAL, since from its Chazeh and above, it is MAL from HASHMAL, speaking animals of fire where the light of Haya is clothed, in whom there is speech, and from its Chazeh and below, it is also in HASH from HASHMAL, for the light of Haya does not fully shine in it before it obtains GAR of Haya. Hence, there is no speech there and they are silent. Thus, the matter of HASH and MAL occurs only in Partzuf HASHMAL.
Likewise, in Partzuf Noga, for itself, there are ten Sefirot Rosh-Toch-Sof, where from the Chazeh and above it can receive illumination from Partzuf HASHMAL since usually, VAK of Haya correct the vessels from the Chazeh and above, so it is regarded as being all good there without any bad at all. However, in the vessels from the Chazeh and below of Partzuf Noga, the light of Haya does not shine at all even in Partzuf HASHMAL. Hence, in Noga, they are regarded as good and bad mixed together, and remember these words for the rest of the explanations of the ARI.
We could ask about this from what has been explained by the ARI in several places, that any revealing of Hochma in the Partzuf is only from the Chazeh and below, but from the Chazeh and above, the Hassadim are covered inside the Yesod of Ima and no revealing of Hochma can be seen in them. This seems opposite to what is explained here. Indeed, the thing is that all that is spoken of here is the two vessels of flesh and skin, which are the vessels of ZA and Malchut that were separated from the Partzuf by the second restriction, since Malchut rose to Bina of the body, called Tifferet, and ended the Partzuf there, and from the Chazeh and below they were separated from the Partzuf and became surrounding, which are this ZON of Tifferet, meaning from the Chazeh down to the Sium of Tifferet and the true ZON of the Guf, which are Netzah and Hod.
Thus, those vessels of flesh and skin are regarded as from the Chazeh and below of each Partzuf in general, as well as from the Chazeh and below of each particular Sefira of the ten Sefirot of Rosh-Toch-Sof, since all that applies to the whole applies also to all the parts of that whole. Thus, the whole of the Partzuf HASHMAL that is spoken of here is only from the Chazeh and below, where the ARI says in several places that it is the place of revealing of Hochma, but only in particular, when each of the ten Sefirot of ZA is divided into Rosh-Toch-Sof, Rosh and Toch from the Chazeh and above, and Sof from the Chazeh and below. Hence, they join and become a complete Partzuf in the HASHMAL, with Rosh-Toch-Sof, since the vessels of flesh in the Sefirot from the Chazeh and above of Partzuf ZA are from the Chazeh and above of Partzuf HASHMAL, and the vessels of flesh that comes from the Sefirot from the Chazeh and below of ZA are from the Chazeh and below of HASHMAL.
There is another reason: All the revealing of Hochma in TNHY of ZA itself, from the Chazeh and below of the general ZA, is from below upward. This is the nature of the lights of VAK of Haya: They are not revealed from above downward. For this reason, it is considered that they themselves are divided into from-the-Chazeh-and-above of this Partzuf TNHY, and from-the-Chazeh-and-below of this Partzuf TNHY. From below upward, the Mochin of Haya shine, and from above downward, they do not shine, and understand all this well.
speaking animals of fire, a filling of Elokim of Yods, the Gematria of [the letter] Shin of Bassar. It has already been explained above that the marrow of Hochma of GAR of VAK is Elokim filled with Yods. Hence, they are called “speaking animals of fire” because the light of Hochma is called Haya [animal], which is the meaning of “animals.” Also, the speech is in them because any speech is from an illumination of Mochin of Haya, which explains the “speaking.” They are regarded as “animals of fire” because they are VAK of Haya and not GAR of Haya, and in every VAK there is a grip to the judgments, which require extra care. This is why they are called by the names of Elokim, and this is why they are “animals of fire.”
Simple Light
72) The tree of knowledge of good in Atzilut, etc. The tree of knowledge of good and bad, etc., and this shell of good and bad is in BYA, but in Atzilut itself, good without bad. In the beginning, before the Mochin of Haya was extended into ZA of Atzilut, the HASHMAL, which is the flesh with the Noga and the three shells, were included in Atzilut under the name skin, since they are good and bad. Thus, before they extend Mochin of Haya, Atzilut is also regarded as good and bad. However, after the Mochin of Haya are extended, the HASHMAL and Noga are sorted to Kedusha and are good without bad, since the bad in them, which is the three shells of the stormy wind, etc., have been rejected from there by the circumcision, exposing, and sucking of blood. However, in BYA, where the Mochin of Haya cannot spread from Parsa of Atzilut and below, the three foreskins are no longer separated from the Noga shell, and it is still mixed with them there. For this reason, she is regarded as the tree of knowledge of good and bad.
There is another reason: In Atzilut, the HASHMAL of Ima separates the skin, which is the inner Noga, from the Noga that is a shell. For this reason, the inner Noga is all good.
73) This Noga shell is skin that separates the three shells from the HASHMAL, etc. In Atzilut, this is called “the tree of knowledge of good,” and in BYA, “the tree of knowledge of good and bad.” Before the Mochin of Haya shine, they are all incorporated in the skin. At that time, even the HASHMAL is called skin. However, they are two skins attached to one another. Then the outer skin, which is Noga, is one with the three shells. Therefore, in BYA, where the light of Haya does not reach, because of the Parsa, Noga is mixed with the three shells, which is why it is good and bad.
77) SAM and Lilit, who seduced Adam and Eve, are three external shells, etc. However, the seduction was done by the Noga shell. It has already been explained that these remnants of the seven kings who died, who are unfit to be sorted during the six thousand years, meaning the vessels of ZA and Malchut that were separated due to the restriction into garment and hall, and the seven kings returned and extended them into the inner vessels, these are the three shells, in each of which there are ZA and Malchut as the ARI wrote here. Since the seven kings used the lights of Atzilut, they court the souls to seduce them so they will draw to them the lights of Atzilut once more. Hence, they seduced Adam and Eve to reconnect them to the inner vessels of Atzilut as they were at the time of the breaking of the vessels. However, Noga is not a shell because she has been corrected not to receive the illumination of Haya into her, as she is discerned as from-the-Chazeh and below of Partzuf HASHMAL, and the HASHMAL has been established as at times speaking, from the Chazeh and above, and at times silent, from the Chazeh and below. Hence, she has no interest in seducing the man to draw the light of Haya. This is why the ARI writes that the seduction was done by the three shells that have a great craving to draw the light of Haya. However, they did this through the Noga shell because they themselves have no contact with the Kedusha of Atzilut, but only with the Noga shell.
Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 47, “Order of ABYA,” middle of Chapter 5.
78) Before Adam HaRishon came, and prior to the creation of the world, etc., all the worlds were back-to-back, like Assiya. From the Chazeh and below of each Partzuf, it is called Assiya. It pertains to the Partzuf having only NRN from Nekudim onward. It therefore follows that the Rosh is regarded as Beria and Neshama, HGT as Yetzira and Ruach, and TNHY from the Chazeh down to Assiya and Nefesh. The meaning of back-to-back is that there are judgments there, which are corrected by concealment, as it is written, “Their posteriors turned inward.” This is why it is written that before Adam HaRishon was created, Assiya could not be purified of judgments, for although the illumination of Neshama is regarded as GAR and there is no control or grip to the outer ones in an illumination of GAR, nevertheless, these GAR, which are called Neshama, do not correct the Partzuf but only the HBD HGT in it through the Chazeh, which are Beria and Yetzira. But from the Chazeh and below in it, called Assiya, it cannot receive GAR from the light of Neshama and still remains in a state of back-to-back, as in “Their posteriors turned inward,” for they are corrected only in Mochin of Haya, for a reason that will explained below.
We should know what is written, that in each degree there are two conceptions [pl. of Ibur (conception)], and the first Ibur of the degree is done without raising MAN from the lower one but merely by him wanting. This means that the upper one raises the MAN of the lower one to him by himself and corrects it in a manner of Ibur, without any assistance from the lower one, as in “There is no man to till the land.” It is so because in the first Ibur, the lower one still does not exist, so as to be able to assist in raising its MAN from BYA. But the second Ibur is done only by raising MAN through the power of the lower one itself, since once the lower one exists in Katnut [smallness/infancy], it can sort for itself MAN from BYA and rise to the upper one in a second Ibur.
Adam HaRishon is regarded as a lower one and a son of ZON. When ZON obtained Neshama of Haya, called phase three of the seven phases, they raised the MAN of Adam HaRishon to them as in him wanting, meaning without any assistance from Adam HaRishon himself, for he still did not have any existence in and of himself so that he could assist in this. Instead, ZON raised him and corrected him in a first Ibur for Katnut. After he was born, he raised MAN from BYA by himself, and rose to MAN to ZON and returned then to face-to-face. Thus, through his MAN, ZON drew Mochin of Haya because there is no face-to-face unless through Mochin of Haya.
Thus, Adam HaRishon was born from ZON while they still had only Mochin of Neshama of Haya. These Mochin are not enough to be GAR for the Chazeh and below of the Partzuf called Assiya, so at that time, the Chazeh and below were in a state of back-to-back. However, after he was born and obtained his complete Katnut through Yenika [suckling], he hoed and removed the stones and fenced the vineyard, etc., meaning that he raised MAN for his Ibur of Mochin. At that time, ZON draw the Mochin of Haya which returns them to face-to-face. This is the meaning of “Before Adam HaRishon came, etc., all the worlds were back-to-back, like Assiya.” That is, although they already had GAR in the phase of Neshama of Haya, still, with regard to Assiya, meaning from the Chazeh of ZON and below, which is called Assiya, the illumination of GAR of Neshama does not help at all since it is specifically the illumination of Haya of Haya that is required. It follows that this is why Assiya of ZON are in back-to-back, and so it is in all the degrees.
80) The reason why they were initially back-to-back is that when the GAR were still not established, etc., they could not tolerate it and died etc. Indeed, the shells, etc. This means that through the second restriction of AK, when the ending Malchut rose to Bina of the Guf and the coupling Malchut to Bina of the Rosh, which is called Nikvey Eynaim, and the light of the level of ten Sefirot of Nekudim emerged through the Eynaim, only the level of VAK came out there, without GAR. This is why AVI of Nekudim emerged back-to-back, for only two Sefirot remained in the degree: Galgalta and Eynaim, which are Keter and Hochma. The light of Ruach dresses in the Keter and the light of Nefesh in the Eynaim, as said about the inverse relation between vessels and lights.
However, afterward, through the ascent of MAN from TNHY of AK to AB SAG of AK, a new light emerged and GAR of Nekudim were extended on the level of Keter. This is called a looking of the Eynaim [eyes] of AVI at each other. The ARI says here about these GAR of the looking of the Eynaim of AVI that they were not corrected. Therefore, when the light descended from them to ZAT of Nekudim, they broke and died. In the world of Tikkun, these GAR were corrected, which is why ZAT exist.
This matter is the very basis and requires thorough understanding of what was missing in the GAR at the time of the Nekudim, and what was corrected at the time of the correction.
First, we must understand how these GAR emerge once more after the ascent of the bottom Hey to the Eynaim, which separates Bina and ZON from the degree and leaves only Keter-Hochma in them, so they could receive only Nefesh-Ruach. From where did they regain five vessels that are fit for the all the NRNHY to clothe in them? The thing is that the second restriction was done only in Partzuf SAG of AK. It is known that any screen has power and operates only from the place of its emergence downward, but not at all above the place of its emergence. It follows that in AB of AK the screen of the second restriction has no power whatsoever to be apparent in it or even to restrict its illumination.
Therefore, when the MAN rose from TNHY of AK to AB SAG of AK and a new light emerged from AB of AK, when that light was extended to the GAR of Nekudim, it lowered the bottom Hey that rose to the Eynaim to its initial place once more, meaning to the Peh, which is Malchut of the first restriction, meaning as the Malchut stands in AB of AK. Thus, now those AHP that were separated from the GAR of Nekudim reunite with the degree as prior to the second restriction. Since now there are five vessels in the GAR of Nekudim, AVI returned to being face-to-face and coupled and elicited the level of Keter in a manner of looking of the Eynaim.
It therefore follows that later, when this light of the level of Keter of GAR of Nekudim expanded and descended to ZAT of Nekudim, the ending Malchut that stands in the place of their Chazeh descended in them once more to the place of Sium Raglaim of AK, where she stood before the second restriction. For this reason, ZAT expanded to BYA, and they, too, reconnected the same three phases of the posterior vessels that have already been separated from them by the second restriction. And since they breached the boundary of the second restriction, they broke and died, since the ending bottom Hey in the Parsa removed the upper light from them.
But not only the three posterior vessels below the Parsa broke. Rather, even the anterior vessels, meaning the HBD HGT through the Chazeh that stand above the Parsa, they, too, broke and died because they had already connected to the posterior vessels into one Partzuf and one degree.
This is why it was said, “When the GAR were still not established and the light descended in the ZAT, they could not tolerate it and died,” since it is the nature of those GAR that emerge from the coupling of AB SAG to revoke the boundary of the second restriction, and they reconnect to Bina and ZON that were separated by the second restriction. Hence, they expanded down to BYA because of this great light of AB of AK, but they could not tolerate it because the record of the ending bottom Hey remained in Parsa and detains the upper light from expanding from it onward. Therefore, the light departed from them and they died.
For this reason, a correction was made in the Rosh of Atik of Atzilut, that this bottom Hey of the first restriction was concealed there, and he emanated to AA in the first nine without the Malchut. AA ends at the Yesod since its Malchut is in RADLA, meaning in the Rosh of Atik. By this you find that when the illumination of AB of AK is extended, to lower the bottom Hey from the Eynaim to Malchut and elicit the GAR in the Partzufim of Atzilut, the bottom Hey does not descend to Malchut of the first restriction as it happened in GAR of Nekudim. Rather, it descends only to Yesod since the bottom Hey of the first restriction has already been concealed in RADLA. By this, the boundary of the second restriction is kept and ZAT can receive this light of GAR since they are already corrected not to expand to BYA as it happened in ZAT of Nekudim.
The shells were made of the remnants of those kings. That correction, which was made in GAR of Atzilut with the concealment of Malchut of the first restriction in RADLA, caused that level of AVI that emerged in Nekudim not to be able to emerge any longer in Atzilut, and ZAT could no longer expand in BYA. Hence, those three posterior phases of the kings that died remained, for they could not receive any illumination through the Mochin of Atzilut, and they will not be able to be sorted until the end of correction when the Malchut in RADLA is revealed as the cornerstone. This is why they became shells, which make the souls sin and tempt them to extend to them once more the illumination of Atzilut as they had during the kings of Nekudim.
81) When AVI were established, the judgments descended below to ZON. Initially, the judgments of the screen of the second restriction, the small Hey of Hibara’am [when they were created], were in the Peh and Garon of AA, which is the first Partzuf that was established by the small Hey that was established in RADLA. For this reason, only Keter and Hochma remained in the Rosh of AA, and Bina and ZON exited its Rosh since the screen of the second restriction was established in its Malchut of Hochma as Nikvey Eynaim. It follows that the Garon of AA was its Bina, which is discerned as VAK without a Rosh. However, afterward, AVI of Atzilut emerged and clothed the Garon and HGT of AA through the Chazeh on the level of SAG, which is discerned as GAR and Neshama. At that time, the Garon and HGT of AA also became discerned as Rosh, though as light of Neshama. Then the judgments, which are the screen of the second restriction, descended from the place of the Peh of AA to below the level of AVI, which is the place of Chazeh of AA, from which down is the place of ZON, meaning ZON of AVI and the general ZON of Atzilut. This is the meaning of “When AVI were established, the judgments descended below to ZON,” since now this screen rides on ZON and restricts it to VAK without a Rosh.
When ZON were established, etc. Hence, He established them back-to-back. After ZON were established with those Mochin of SAG of AVI, and they, too, obtained Mochin of GAR of the light of Neshama, and these Mochin shine in ZON only through the Chazeh, as in AA. However, from the Chazeh of ZON and below they cannot receive GAR from those Mochin of Neshama, and therefore, the shells can grip from the Chazeh of ZON and below. This is why they were established there back-to-back, as in “Their posterior turned inward,” and their anterior revealed outward.
We should know that this screen of the second restriction that rejects Bina and ZON of the Rosh outside into the phase of VAK, and rejects Bina and ZON of the Guf below the Parsa, does not pertain to GAR of Bina, but only to ZON of Bina, since no screen or force of restriction governs GAR of Bina for by their nature, the GAR of Bina are covered Hassadim, which never receive Hochma, as in the verse, “Because he desires mercy.” It is known that the restriction applies only to the illumination of Hochma and not at all to the light of Hassadim. However, the whole correction of ZON is in illumination of Hochma, as is the nature of the ZON of direct light. For this reason, the power of the screen of the second restriction governs only the ZON, both to repel them from the ten Sefirot of the Rosh and to repel them from the ten Sefirot of the Guf.
However, when Bina must emanate the illumination of Hochma to ZON, she must receive Hochma, as well, so as to have what to give to ZON. In this manner, the screen of the second restriction also controls Bina, since when Malchut of the Rosh is above her, she cannot receive anything from Hochma. Yet, this does not concern Bina herself at all, but only her ZON, meaning the root of the ZON, since the roots of ZON in Bina are called ZON of Bina.
Thus, even when Bina receives Hochma for ZON, it is not her GAR that do it but only her ZON. This is the meaning of the division of Partzuf Bina into two Partzufim, where her GAR, which never receive Hochma, are called “upper AVI,” and the ZON in her, which receive Hochma again for the ZON, are called YESHSUT.
By this you will understand the meaning of the descent of the judgments from the Peh and Garon of AA to his Chazeh when AVI were established there. After they were established there from the Garon down to the Chazeh on the level of AVI which are the phase of GAR of Bina on which no restriction or screen can govern, it is considered that the screen in the Peh of AA descended from AVI to the place of the Chazeh. However, from the Chazeh to the Tabur, where YESHSUT stand, the screen governs them because they are the roots of ZON, and they must receive Hochma for ZON, and all the more so for ZON themselves.
Thus, it has been explained that there is no correction for AA and AVI through Mochin of Neshama, but only up to the Chazeh. However, from Chazeh of AA and AVI downward, their correction is only with Mochin of Haya, which lowers the screen of the second restriction from Nikvey Eynaim to Yesod of Malchut of the first restriction. At that time, the illumination of GAR of Haya also reaches the Chazeh and below of AA and AVI.
This is so in ZON themselves, as well. When they obtained Mochin of Neshama, these are not enough for from the Chazeh and below, since from the Chazeh and below, the illumination of Hochma is required, since ZON, too, consist of ten Sefirot. Up to the Chazeh, it is from the inclusion of GAR in them. This is why they can be established there with Mochin of Neshama like AVI. However, from the Chazeh down, it is discerned as ZON themselves, which require illumination of Hochma, which is Mochin of Haya. This is why it is written, “If they are established in a state of face-to-face, the shells and the judgments would grip their posterior,” since in their posterior, which is from the Chazeh and below where there is the phase of ZON of ZON, they do not receive any correction through Mochin of Neshama, which is why He established them back-to-back. That is, He established them with illumination of covered Hassadim like the illumination of HGT, which conceals the NHY in them so they cannot awaken and draw illumination of Hochma according to their nature. This is the meaning of “Their posterior turned inward,” that the quality of NHY in them was concealed within them and they have no strength to draw Hochma. “And their anterior revealed outward,” since only illumination of HGT, which is covered Hassadim, illuminates and governs them and this illumination belongs to the anterior vessels, meaning to HGT. This is why the shells have no grip from the Chazeh and below, as well, since in covered Hassadim, there is no grip to the shells.
He returned them to being face-to-face. However, Adam HaRishon could correct only the upper worlds, etc., but [he did not correct] the world of Assiya, etc., in the state of back-to-back. During the first Ibur of Adam HaRishon, ZON were from the Chazeh and below in a state of back-to-back, for at that time there was only Neshama of Haya in them, and the light of Neshama remains from the Chazeh down in a state of back-to-back. But after Adam HaRishon was born, he corrected his actions and fenced the vineyard, etc., meaning raised MAN for his second Ibur of Mochin. Through those MAN that he had raised, he returned ZON to face-to-face and they made a coupling and delivered the Mochin of Gadlut for Adam HaRishon.
However, there are two degrees in these Mochin of Gadlut, as well. Initially, he receives Mochin of Neshama from ZON, then he raises additional MAN to ZON, and then receives Mochin of Haya. However, at that time, Adam HaRishon had the strength to raise MAN only for his Mochin of Neshama, and he drew Mochin of Neshama to him. It follows that Adam HaRishon himself was still in the form of from his Chazeh and below, in a state of back-to-back, since from the Chazeh down he is corrected only in Mochin of Haya.
It therefore follows that the Rosh of Adam HaRishon, discerned as the ten Sefirot of the world of Beria, rose to the place of Ima, called YESHSUT. This is discerned as Mochin of Neshama that he obtained now. His Garon and HGT up to the Chazeh, discerned as the ten Sefirot of the world of Yetzira, rose to the place of ZA of Atzilut, and GAR of Assiya, which are discerned as the two bottom thirds of Tifferet of Adam HaRishon, rose to the place of Nukva of Atzilut.
However, ZAT of Assiya, which are NHY of Adam HaRishon, still could not be sorted by these Mochin of Neshama that he obtained from ZON, and remained below the Parsa in Beria. It follows that although the GAR of Assiya rose to Nukva of Atzilut, she stands back-to-back with Yetzira because there is no correction to her ZAT, which are NHY of Adam HaRishon, as they are with their posterior turned inward.
It was said, “[Adam HaRishon] could correct only the upper worlds, but he did not correct the world of Assiya, which is all shells, and this world remained in the state of back-to-back,” since the upper worlds, which are ZON, he could correct them face-to-face in the place where they rose in AVI. There, in the place of AVI, they are face-to-face. But in the place of ZON themselves, which Yetzira and Assiya took, where Yetzira took the place of ZA and Assiya took the place of Nukva, Adam HaRishon corrected only in a state of back-to-back since there are Mochin of Neshama there, which do not sort the NHY. For this reason, these NHY, which are the bottom six of Assiya, remained below the Parsa in BYA and they are still all shells.
For this reason, he was forbidden to eat from the tree of knowledge, which is regarded as from the Chazeh and below, called Assiya, since Assiya had still not been sorted by his Mochin and was still full of shells, and other gods were clung to those posteriors. Had he waited until Shabbat, then promptly, even on the eve of Shabbat, at dusk, which is the “addition of Shabbat,” the last six of Assiya also rose to the place of Nukva of Atzilut, at which time the Yetzira and Assiya also returned to being face-to-face and all the shells were cleansed from the world of Assiya, and then he would not fail at all by eating from the tree of knowledge.
Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 49, Chapter 3.
83) All the sorting of all the worlds and all the souls was done in Adam HaRishon in a state of back-to-back, and the state of face-to-face were missing. In other words, from the Chazeh and below, called Assiya, it was back-to-back.
Also, all the beasts were sorted, etc., but the still and vegetative were not fully sorted. The four phases of still, vegetative, animate, and speaking are HB TM, and they are the phases of soul, body, garment, hall. Hochma is the phase of souls and speaking, Bina is body and the phase of animate, meaning beasts, ZA is a garment and the phase of vegetative, and Malchut is a hall and the phase of still.
It was explained above that Adam HaRishon obtained NRN of Atzilut that sort and dress in the three vessels KHB, which are root, soul, and body, and he lacks the two vessels of ZA and Malchut, which are garment and hall and the phases of vegetative and still. But the phases of souls and beasts, which are the phases of soul, body, and the vessels of Hochma and Bina, were already fully sorted. This is why it is written, “Also, all the beasts were sorted, etc., but the still and vegetative were not fully sorted,” since only root, soul, and body were sorted, which are the phases of root, speaking, and animate. But the garment and hall, which are vegetative and animate, are not sorted at all with Mochin of Neshama because they are regarded as from the Chazeh and below, which remain back-to-back. This is the meaning of “Therefore, they ate in order to sort them,” since eating is raising MAN and MAD and sorting, and the still and vegetative had to be sorted. For this reason, they were given to him to eat, but the quality of animate, which was already fully sorted, was not given to him to eat, since there was no need to sort it.
84) When they sinned, the souls and beasts returned to the depth of the shells, since through the sin, all his sorting of Ruach and Neshama, which are the phases of souls and animate, as well as the vessels of Bina and Hochma, were spoiled once more, and only the vessel of Keter remained in him, in which the light of Nefesh dresses, meaning only the root, while all four phases of self-body-garment-hall fell together to the depth of the shells. This is the meaning of “the souls and beasts returned to the depth of the shells,” for the correction and sorting of the souls out of the shells is through MAN, and the sorting of the beasts is by our eating.
85) By this you will know what is the beastly soul in man. We should remember what the ARI wrote, that there are no more than five general phases, which are root, soul, body, garment, and hall, in each of which there are five such phases. Prior to the sin of the tree of knowledge, there were sorting only in the last two phases, garment and hall, which are still and animate, and the phases of ZA and Malchut. These are the vessels that fell to BYA due to the second restriction, and from the Chazeh and below of each degree. It is so because in each body there are also five phases of KHB ZON, which are called HGT NH. It follows that Tifferet is the vessel of Bina, and this vessel is also divided according to the five discernments HGT NH, which are KHB ZON. Until the Chazeh, it is KHB, and from the Chazeh down to the Sium of Tifferet it is ZON of Bina of the Guf, and NH are the general ZON of the Guf. Thus, from the Chazeh and below of each degree there are only ZON, which are called garment and hall, and are also the phases of still and vegetative.
Even before the sin of Adam HaRishon, not all the phase of from-the-Chazeh-and-below in BYA was sorted, since only the back-to-back were established, which raise only the GAR of Assiya, being the two bottom thirds of Tifferet from the Chazeh, but VAK of Assiya—which are the phases of NHY and the general ZON of the Guf—were not sorted by Adam HaRishon with his Mochin of Neshama. Hence, those two phases of still and vegetative, which are the bottom six phases of Assiya, were given to him to eat in order to sort them.
The matter of the sorting has been explained above in item 70, that there is no item in BYA and in the shells that does not incorporate all five phases of the Guf of ZAT of Nekudim, since due to the breaking of the vessels, they were all mixed and incorporated in one another. Hence, you find the three phases of KHB that are fit for inner vessels also in those two vessels of ZA and Malchut that were separated from all the inner degrees and became surrounding. This is all the sorting that was given to Adam HaRishon in eating the still and vegetative, meaning to sort the KHB that are mixed in them.
However, through the sin of the tree of knowledge, two more phases fell from him to the shells, which are the soul and body. The soul, which is the self and lights in him, did not fall to the shells but only departed to their root, since there is no descent or fall in the lights. But the body, which are the vessels that clothe the self that is called a soul, fell into the shells and mixed with them like the garment and hall, meaning the still and vegetative from before.
It follows that now only the body was added to the mixture of the shells. Prior to the sin, it was all good and completely sorted, but now it has mixed with the shells and the body, too, which is the vessels of all the degrees, has become good and bad.
Now this body is called the Noga shell, meaning unsorted. This is the beastly soul in man, meaning the phase of animal in man, which are the four foundations in the body itself. Within man there are the spiritual soul, which is extended to him from the wheels, and it is discerned as light, since there is no falling to the shells in the lights and no issue of good or bad. Only in the quality of beastliness in man, meaning the animate part in him, which exists in every animal in the world, as well, this is called “the beastly soul” in man, and it is called the Noga shell, which mixed with the shells and contains good and bad. In it, there is all the distinction, for prior to the sin of Adam HaRishon she was all good without any bad. Only after the sin did the Noga shell become good and bad.
By this you will also understand that the beastly soul in man, with all the qualities of animals in the world, are regarded as one quality. As with man’s body, all the animals, meaning pure beasts, come from the Noga shell of good and bad, since the two of them are one quality.
However, what is added in man compared to animals is that he has the quality of Neshama, called “speaking.” These are the NRN that are fit to draw. Therefore, it is upon him to sort his own beastly soul, and that of all the animals, since when he raises MAN from his Neshama to ZON of Atzilut, and a coupling and bringing down of MAD over the MAN that he had raised was done there. Thus, according to the level of the coupling that emerged on the MAN he had raised, called NRN, he sorts out his beastly soul, which has become vessels that clothe that level of NRN that emerged for him in ZON. The matter of impure beasts and the souls of the gentiles will be explained shortly.
87) The complete bad that was sorted, in which there is no good at all, are the three external shells. However, the fourth shell, etc., is sorted gradually and becomes a complete body, since those remnants of the kings that cannot be sorted prior to the end of correction are regarded as three shells. It has already been explained that essentially, they are two vessels of ZA and Malchut that were separated from the inner ones during the emergence of the world of Nekudim, after which the ZAT of Nekudim returned to using them. Through this usage, they became shells that cause the souls to sin, to draw for them the lights of Atzilut that the ZAT of Nekudim drew for them at the time of the breaking of the vessels.
However, there is a big difference between the vessel of ZA and the vessel of Malchut, which are the male and female of the shells. The ZA of shell has only the corruption of the second restriction, since in the first restriction ZA was among the inner vessels, as in “And God created man straight,” etc. But the Nukva of the shell was never an inner vessel since the first restriction was also on her. For this reason, she is very harsh judgments. These ZON of shells exist in each of the three impure shells, and from them come the souls of the gentiles, as well as the impure beasts.
The fourth shell was not fully sorted. Therefore, it remained in the form of garment and skin. That is, as long as it was not sorted, it is called the Noga shell good and bad. It is called skin or garment, since when there is only the root phase in it, meaning the vessel of Keter with the light of Nefesh, called the Ibur of each degree, it is considered that he still did not sort his body and it is Noga, good and bad, unsorted, since then he is corrected only by the root and not by his own body. This is why at that time, the whole body is called skin, meaning it is still mixed good and bad and is all Noga. When he obtains the phase of Yenika, he acquires a vessel of Hochma in which the light of Ruach is clothed, and then it is considered that he has a vessel of body since the light of Ruach sorts for him the vessel of Hochma. Afterward, when he obtains Neshama, the vessel of Bina is sorted for him and the three phases of vessels of the body—Keter-Hochma-Bina—are completed. At that time, the Neshama dresses in the vessel of Keter, Ruach in the vessel of Hochma, and Nefesh in the vessel of Bina.
It was said, “Therefore, it remained in the form of garment and skin, and is sorted gradually and becomes a complete body.” In Ibur, his whole body is still regarded as skin. But when he obtains Ruach and Neshama, the skin, which is the Noga shell, is sorted for him and he becomes a complete body with three vessels KHB where NRN are clothed. Now they are all good without any bad at all, and are therefore regarded as a complete body. This applies to all the Partzufim and all the degrees, as the ARI wrote, “the good was sorted and the worlds ABYA were made.”
88) The scales that rob the souls, etc. When Noga clings to the sapphire brick, Yesod, etc., Shabbat, for there is no attachment of Noga there. As long as there is no Mochin of Haya in the Partzuf, his from Chazeh and below are established only back-to-back, as in “Their posterior turned inward.” They remain unsorted, and then the foreskin is attached to the circumcision, which is Yesod. This means that those unsorted NHY occur in each of the ten Sefirot of Rosh-Toch-Sof of the Partzuf. You find that even from the Chazeh and below there are vessels of KHB that are sorted, and the phase of flesh and skin of each Sefira in those NHY are unsorted.
However, all the forces of judgment appear at the Sium of the Partzuf, in its Yesod. For this reason, there are three sorted vessels in Yesod, too, but the phases of flesh and skin of Yesod are unsorted and are called the Noga shell, good and bad. The three shells are included in her, as well, and all together are called “foreskin.” The rule is that in each unsorted phase there is Noga and three shells mixed together. At that time, Noga is called “The scales that rob the souls,” since the Noga shell receives the abundance emerging from Yesod, which is called Neshama, and from her to the three shells because they are included in her. This is during the weekdays, for illumination of Haya does not shine during the weekdays.
However, on Shabbat, when the illumination of Haya shines in the worlds, a fourth vessel is added to the Partzuf, called HASHMAL. It is so because when there are four lights, they sort four vessels, but the fourth vessel is called HASHMAL. The light of Haya is in Keter, the light of Neshama in Hochma, the light of Ruach in Bina, and the light of Nefesh in ZA, which is the fourth vessel called HASHMAL. At that time, the flesh of Yesod is sorted for him, which is the Atara [crown], and the three foreskins are separated from there. Although there is still a fifth vessel there, which is unsorted—the vessel of the skin which must be sorted by the light of Yechida—it is corrected with the HASHMAL as an “addition of Shabbat.” At that time, it is considered that there is no attachment of Noga there at all, since even the skin is regarded as sorted, so there is no Noga there, meaning an unsorted phase. This is why it was said, “This is why the coupling is on the night of Shabbat, for there is no attachment of Noga there, and what was attached returned to being an addition of Shabbat, complete good.” This means that even the skin that is attached to the Yesod is not regarded as unsorted because it was established as an addition of Shabbat, although it still does not have the light of Yechida that sorts it.
89) Elokim is the above-mentioned Noga, since only GAR is called HaVaYaH, but VAK, which are Nefesh-Ruach, are called Elokim. For this reason, the 120 combinations of Elokim begin from ZA of Beria, which is Ruach, and expand through Malchut of Assiya, and they are regarded as holy Elokim. Their remnants, which were not fully sorted, are called Elokim of Noga, indicating the mixture of the forces of good and bad in them, and there begin other gods, the forces of idol-worship.
90) The Noga shell opposite the Atzilut is holy Elokim. In Atzilut, Noga is attached to the HASHMAL. Hence, she is all good without any bad. Hence, she is regarded as holy Elokim.
Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 49, Chapter 4.
92) The garments of Adam HaRishon were gowns of light. They were from the HASHMAL, which is one thin gown on the garment of the upper body, which are the three vessels. ZON is the upper one of Adam HaRishon, from whom his soul was emanated. It has been explained above that he has only three vessels KHB, and the fourth vessel that was sorted for ZON during the obtainment of Mochin of Haya is the garment of HASHMAL. Here the ARI tells us that the vessels of Adam HaRishon are not as the three vessels of ZA, which are the unseparated KHB. Rather, they are extended only from the fourth vessel of ZA, which is the garment of the HASHMAL that dresses over the body of ZON, which is originally a separate phase from ZA, discerned as surrounding. However, it was sorted from the vessels of ZAT of Nekudim that fell to the shells.
The reason for it is that the soul of Adam HaRishon extends only from the Chazeh and below of ZA, and he has no part in Chazeh of ZA and above. Even the Nukva of ZA has no part from the Chazeh and above but only from his Chazeh down, and all the more so Adam HaRishon, who is a consequence of the Nukva of ZA. For this reason, the first Ibur [conception] of Adam HaRishon began only after ZON obtained NRN of the phase of Mochin of Haya, since Mochin of Haya begin to sort the phases from Chazeh of ZON and below, when ZON clothe upper AVI.
It is known that Mochin of Haya sort the fourth vessel of ZA, called HASHMAL. For this reason, all the vessels of Adam HaRishon were extended only from that fourth vessel called HASHMAL, and not from the first three vessels KHB of ZA, which are discerned as the body of ZON. However, it has been explained above that although this fourth vessel is regarded as being from the Chazeh of ZA and below, there is still a complete Partzuf in it, Rosh-Toch-Sof, since the matter of from the Chazeh and below of the general Partzuf of ZA applies also to each and every Sefira of the Rosh-Toch-Sof of ZA, meaning the two bottom thirds of each Sefira, and all those bottom thirds join into one Partzuf called HASHMAL. Thus, in this Partzuf HASHMAL there are all five phases KHB ZON, since the bottom thirds of KHB of ZA are KHB of Partzuf HASHMAL, and the bottom thirds of NHY of ZA are regarded as ZA and Malchut of Partzuf HASHMAL.
It was said, “Initially, these vessels called body and garments of Adam HaRishon were gowns of light. They were from the HASHMAL, which is one thin gown over the garment of the upper body,” since the three vessels KHB that clothed NRN of Adam HaRishon prior to the sin were not extended from the three vessels of his upper one, which is ZA, but only from the HASHMAL which clothes the three vessels of its upper one, and KHB of that HASHMAL became the three vessels of the body of Adam HaRishon.
It was said, “From the HASHMAL of Beria is the garment of Neshama, and from the HASHMAL of Yetzira is garment of Ruach, and from the HASHMAL of Assiya is the garment of Nefesh,” since from the Chazeh and below of each Partzuf it is regarded as its BYA, where the two bottom thirds of Tifferet are Beria, and NHY are Yetzira and Assiya. Hence, the Chazeh of ZA and below of each Partzuf is regarded as its BYA. For this reason, at that time he ascended and clothed BYA of Atzilut, meaning BYA that ascended to the place of YESHSUT and ZON of Atzilut, regarded as BYA of Atzilut. From there, the three general vessels of the body were extended to him: from HASHMAL of Beria, the vessel of Keter to the light of Neshama; from HASHMAL of Yetzira, the vessel of Hochma to the light of Ruach; and from HASHMAL of Assiya, the vessel of Bina to the light of Nefesh. However, the two vessels of ZA and Malchut were not sorted then, which is why NHY of Adam HaRishon, which are the six vessels of the world of Assiya could not rise to Atzilut but remained below the Parsa in BYA.
93) The upper Tzipornayim [nails], and only the fingertips remained of it, etc. After the sin, all those three vessels of HASHMAL fell to the shells, but a new vessel was created for him from HASHMAL of Bina of Malchut of Malchut called Garden of Eden of the earth, which clothes the light of Nefesh of Nefesh that remained for him after the sin. This is regarded as his inner body, but an illumination from the outside was also extended from it, called “the Tzipornayim on the fingertips,” which guard him from the Noga shell, and the Noga shell also suckles a small illumination from there, enough to sustain herself.
96) The Neshama and Ruach of Adam HaRishon, etc., vanished and Nefesh remained in him, meaning Nefesh of Nefesh. Had all of Nefesh remained in him, the entire vessel of Keter would have had to remain in him because the light of Nefesh dresses in the vessel of Keter. However, only the tenth part of Keter remained in him, namely the Keter of Keter in the light of Nefesh of Nefesh.
Although the outer ones took the garment of Nefesh of Atzilut, as well, the Creator made for them a clothing from HASHMAL of Assiya, once more, but not from all of it, only from HASHMAL of Assiya, once more, but not from all of it, only from Galgalta Eynaim of Assiya. The first nine of Nefesh vanished from him because the outer ones took also the HASHMAL of Assiya that the Nefesh clothed. For this reason, the Creator has now made for him a clothing only from HASHMAL of Assiya, once more, but not from all of it, only from Galgalta Eynaim of Assiya, which is Bina of Malchut of Malchut, which clothes the light of Nefesh of Nefesh that remained in him. This garment guards the light of Nefesh of Nefesh from the Noga shell, which is the body of the serpent’s skin that was made for him after the sin.
98) The shell of stormy wind is the inner vitality of the serpent, and this world is placed inside the serpent. This is why he begins from below upward, etc. In the shells, the coarsest is most important. Hence, the lowest shell, which is stormy wind, is regarded as Malchut of the first restriction, like the point of this world that ends the Raglaim of the inner AK, they are all the strength of the serpent and are regarded as its internality. It was said, “The shell of stormy wind, etc., and this world is placed inside the serpent,” for they are all of his internality and insides.
Also, in the shells, the more refined is worse. Hence, the great cloud is more external than stormy wind, etc., until Noga, which is the most refined. is the most external of the serpent, and is called its skin, meaning the serpent’s skin, from which comes the body of Adam HaRishon after the sin.
Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 49, Chapter 5.
102) The actual body of the substance of man is a different quality. The serpent’s skin, which is the Noga shell, is a clothing on the HASHMAL of the Garden of Eden of the earth. The serpent’s skin is actually from the three vessels of HASHMAL that he had before the sin, but which, through the sin, fell and mixed with the shells and have become the Noga shell, good and bad. All the sorting done by the commandments apply to this body of Noga, and it is a spiritual body called “the beastly soul.” It contains four elements, and the good inclination and evil inclination, which are the good and bad in this Noga, are discerned in it.
However, Adam’s material body was never sorted in Adam HaRishon even prior to the sin of the tree of knowledge, since it is from the point of this world which is placed inside the serpent. Conversely, the body of the serpent’s skin was already fully sorted prior to the sin of the tree of knowledge, but became mixed with bad again due to the sin.
103-104) The murky body is this world, etc. Inside of it he has two other bodies. It follows that he has three bodies clothed in one another: The first is the body of the HASHMAL of GAR of Assiya, which is the most internal and separates the light of Nefesh within it from the second body, called “leather gowns,” the “serpent’s skin,” which is the Noga shell good and bad, and this is the middle body. The third is the murky body which is this world, and is the waste of everything.
The inner body is all good and needs no sorting. The outer, murky body is mostly bad and in it, too, there is no sorting. All the sorting is only in the middle, intermediate body, which is the Noga shell, which is half good and half bad. From his waist and up he is good, and from his waist down he is bad and is called “death,” the “tree of death.”
Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 42, Chapter 4.
110) The skin of Bina, which should have entered the vessel of skin of ZA as with the others, too. Yet, this is not what happened. Rather, it remained outside. The reason for it is that all the Mochin of ZA emerge only on the MAN of Mazla which couples with AVI through their incorporation with the MAN of Dikna of AA. Since there is no phase of Malchut in the Dikna since Mazal and Nakkeh are the phase of Yesod and Malchut is missing there, therefore only NHY of Ima can be included in the MAN of Dikna and not her Malchut. It follows that Malchut of Ima is not included in those Mochin of ZA.
Therefore, when NHY of Ima clothe with the Mochin of ZA in his inner vessels, Malchut of Ima remains outside of ZA over his skin, since she has no part in the inner Mochin of ZA. However, for the Mochin of face-to-face for Nukva of ZA, she is incorporated inside the Mochin of ZA, too.
113) The thinnest shell of all, called the Noga shell, grips this skin, since inside of it there is Noga, and the light of the 288 sparks. The skin of ZA also consists of the Noga shell, which explains why although it is implied from the ARI’s words that the skin of ZA is itself the Noga shell and the three shells are attached to it, it is merely a incorporation. The actual Noga shell is completely outside of ZA, since he says here explicitly that the HASHMAL of Ima dresses over the skin of ZA and separates the skin of ZA from the Noga shell, and the Noga shell does not grip the skin of ZA but rather the skin of Ima that clothes it from outside as HASHMAL, and remember this.
115-116) “With this Noga, the Sitra Achra seduces Eve,” since it clings to her as the foreskin, etc., By this you will understand what is written about the screen between Atzilut and Beria, etc., which is that same skin of Bina. Malchut of Ima that is not included in Mochin of ZA that becomes HASHMAL, which guards it from the Noga shell, is regarded as Malchut of the second restriction, the small Hey that was established as female in Atik toward all the Partzufim of Atzilut and ended them at the place of Chazeh of TNHY of AK, where the Parsa between Atzilut and Beria was placed during the emergence of Katnut of Nekudim. For this reason, during the illumination of the coupling of AB SAG of AK, which lowers the bottom Hey from the place of Nikvey Einayim to the Peh and returns the GAR to the degree, the Parsa between Atzilut and Beria does not weaken whatsoever because of it, as it happened during the Gadlut of ZAT of Nekudim, since there is lowering of the bottom Hey there only to Yesod and not to Malchut. Even in the Dikna of AA there is no discernment of Malchut, for by this, Malchut of Ima is not included in these Mochin of GAR. Therefore, the Parsa maintains its strength since she is the very same Malchut of Ima that is not included in the Mochin of ZA and does not suffer any change bt all the Mochin of Gadlut that emerge by the lowering of the bottom Hey back to the place of the Peh. This is the meaning of guarding her so that no illumination of Atzilut will spread to BYA, as it happened in the breaking of the vessels.
This is the meaning of the HASHMAL of Ima that cloths the entire Partzuf of ZA from his Rosh to his Raglayim, since the matter of HASHMAL and skin of ZA that applies from his Chazeh and below applies in each and every Sefira of his Rosh-Toch-Sof. You find that the Noga shell has a grip in all the bottom thirds in each Sefira in it, meaning in the skin that is there. Hence, there is the matter of Parsa there, which is the HASHMAL of Ima that keeps the illumination of Atzilut from reaching Noga and the three shells. It follows that the same Parsa that operates between Atzilut and Beria also operates throughout the level of ZA in each Sefira on her skin. However, there she is called HASHMAL and clothing over the skin, while under his Raglayim she is called Parsa.
This is why it was said, “When the iniquities cause it, the HASHMAL departs and the skin of ZA remains alone, and there is a spark of Kedusha inside of it, and it is the Vav inside the skin, and the skin itself remains bad as it is the Noga shell and she suckles from there.” That is, it has been explained that all the vessels of Adam HaRishon were from HASHMAL of ZA himself. Therefore, he could sort only the phase of Neshama of Haya which shines in it only through the Chazeh, while from the Chazeh down it remained back-to-back since Partzuf HASHMAL of ZA itself shines only through its Chazeh and from the Chazeh down it is discerned as Noga: unsorted. The skin of ZA is called Noga, and she is truly the phase of from the Chazeh of his HASHMAL and below, which is the Partzuf of flesh, as it is written there. However, both from the Chazeh and below of the Partzuf of flesh, and the Partzuf of skin are regarded as ZA, that it is all good without any bad at all, since the HASHMAL of Ima, which is the Parsa, guards the HASHMAL of ZA and his skin from drawing any illumination of GAR of Neshama to from-the-the-Chazeh-downward. Since they draw only a small illumination, meaning illumination of VAK, they are regarded as good without any bad at all. Moreover, even the essence of the Noga shell that is outside the Parsa of Atzilut and outside of HASHMAL of Ima is regarded as all good without any bad at all, since she, too, is attached and suckles from the HASHMAL of Ima, and this adhesion allots to her a small illumination that suffices to sustain her, and then she is good without bad.
However, when Adam and Eve were seduced to follow the serpent’s advice and ate from the tree of knowledge, meaning sorted and drew illumination of GAR from their Chazeh and below, which is discerned as the bottom six of Assiya, below the Parsa of Atzilut, and breached the boundary of the Parsa, which is the HASHMAL of Ima, by this they caused the departure of the HASHMAL of Ima from the skin of ZA, as the ARI says here. They also caused the flaming fire, the third shell of the three shells, to connect and become one with the Noga shell and with the other two shells. At that time, Noga becomes completely bad like the three shells, and she, too, clung to the skin of ZA and to the HASHMAL of ZA itself. But now the HASHMAL of Ima does not guard it, and then this HASHMAL, too, became skin, meaning good and bad, and they fell to the shells, ZA returned to the state of VAK of Yenika, and the Nukva of ZA to being a dot under the Yesod. Because after his vessels of HASHMAL and skin were blemished and fell to the shells, only the anterior vessels remained in it, which are HBD HGT through the Chazeh, and the point of Chazeh is the Keter of Nukva in which only the lights of Ruach-Nefesh clothe, while the vessels of HBD descended to HGT, and the vessels of HGT to NHY, and the point of Chazeh to the dot under the Yesod, which is the level of VAK of Yenika, in which there can never be any diminution.
However, with regard to the vessels of Adam HaRishon, all of his three vessels fell because they were all from the HASHMAL of ZA that were blemished by the three shells. For this reason, only the phase of HASHMAL of the GE of Assiya remained in it with only the light of Nefesh of Nefesh. By this we find that the sin of the tree of knowledge is the same matter as the breaking of the vessels in Nekudim, since Adam HaRishon, too, drew from the illumination of Atzilut to BYA and breached the boundary of the Parsa like the ZAT of Nekudim. Hence, the NRN departed from him to their root, and his vessels fell to the shells as it happened to the lower seven of Nekudim in the breaking of the vessels. Understand well all that is explained and then you will fully understand the sin of the tree of knowledge.
120) The Creator cloaked in His Talit, etc., “He stretches the heavens like a curtain,” since the circles emerged from the remnants of the illumination of garments, which are the heavens. It has already been explained that through the ascent of the bottom Hey to the Einayim during the second restriction, the garment and hall, which are the two vessels of ZA and Malchut, were separated from the inner vessels of each degree and became surrounding vessels called garment and hall. It follows that the garments, which are the surrounding of straightness called Talit, are from the remnants of the inner vessels, meaning the vessel of ZA that was separated from them. The halls, which are called “heavens,” emerged from the remnants of the garments since the vessel of Malchut is from the remnants of ZA.
However, both are discerned as circles since the surrounding of garments encircle inside the circles of halls, and the reason they are called surrounding of straightness is that before the second restriction they were operating in AK in a phase of straightness, meaning in his inner vessels. But the phase of circles of halls, which are regarded as Malchut, did not operate in a phase of straightness even in the inner AK. This is why they are called surrounding of circles.
We should also interpret the words of the ARI here that it is known that the circles receive their lights only from the GAR of straightness. Hence, the surrounding of straightness receive their illuminations before the surrounding of circles because they are closer to the inner vessels, as written above, that in the first restriction, they operated in the inner vessels. However, we should remember that although from the perspective of the vessels, the surrounding of straightness are more important than the surrounding of circles, from the perspective of the lights it is the opposite, since the surrounding of straightness are discerned as surrounding of Haya and the surrounding of circles are discerned as surrounding of Yechida.
121) The ten circles in the Rosh of Malchut of Assiya. In the middle of their space expands the Guf of the line of straightness of Malchut of Assiya. There are circles only in the ten Sefirot of the Rosh. Hence, all ten circles of Assiya surround only the Rosh of Assiya, and from the Peh of Rosh Assiya and below through the Garden of Eden of the earth there is already only the discernment of straightness. You should also remember what was written above, that the circles are as onionskins surrounding one another. In that regard, they necessarily surround the Guf, as well. However, it means that the thickness of the circles that touch the straightness and traverse it touch only the ten Sefirot of Rosh.
The line of straightness of Malchut of Assiya through the middle of the space, and it is in the Garden of Eden of the earth. The line of Assiya extends from the second restriction since all the lights of ABYA are from the second restriction. It is known that the point of Sium of the second restriction is in the place of Bina because the ending Malchut rose to the place of Bina. This is the meaning of the line ending in the Garden of Eden of the earth, which is regarded as Bina of Malchut of Assiya, and does not end at the point of this material world, like the Sium Raglayim of the inner AK, which ends on the Malchut who is the actual material earth in this world, since she is discerned as the first restriction.
It follows that there is a difference between the point of Sium of AK and the point of Sium of the line of straightness of Assiya as the measure of ZAT of Malchut of Assiya. However, the Akevim [heels] of AK do not illuminate during the sixth thousand years since the Parsa of the second restriction guards their illumination and covers them from BYA. But in the future, his Akevim will be revealed in the manner of “His legs shall stand on Mount Olives.” Therefore, before the end of correction, this earth is in complete coarseness of all the shells since no illumination of straightness reaches here, for even the line of straightness of Assiya ends in Bina of Assiya and the Akevim of AK are covered.
Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 43, Chapter 3.
127) Her firmaments are her first nine Sefirot. This means that the firmaments, which are the surrounding of circles and straightness, surround her nine Sefirot of the Rosh, and from the Peh of Rosh downward, her ZAT of straightness are extended, where the tree of life is Tifferet in her, the river is her Yesod, and the tree of knowledge is the Ateret [crown of] Yesod in her.
129) The sin of Adam HaRishon caused the serpent to enter up to the tree of knowledge and touch it. The tree yelled, “Wicked! Do not touch me!”, etc., as the Lulav, which is the tree of life, seventy dates, etc. This seems perplexing since the Lulav is regarded as Yesod, and he said above that below the Chazeh it is the tree of knowledge. Indeed, there is great depth here and we must understand it thoroughly. There is always an inverse relation between vessels and lights. Yesod of Katnut of lights stands at the place of the Chazeh of the Partzuf. When the coupling is done in this Yesod of Katnut to draw Mochin of Haya, this Yesod ascends to the place of Daat of Mochin. Hence, it is called the “tree of knowledge,” indicating that the coupling is done in the place of Daat. By this it blemishes the Parsa of the second restriction, which is Malchut of Ima that is not included in the Mochin of ZA.
The reason for this ascent of Yesod of Katnut is that ZA is essentially from the phase of anterior vessels of ZAT of Nekudim that emerged above the Parsa, meaning above the Chazeh of Partzuf TNHY of AK, in which there is no flaw at all because they are vessels of Atzilut above the Parsa of the second restriction. These are seven vessels HBD HGT through the Chazeh, in which lights of Nefesh-Ruach are clothed—Ruach in HBD, and Nefesh in HGT. Hence, from the perspective of the clothing of these lights in them, they are called HGT NHY because the light of Ruach is called HGT, and the light of Nefesh is called NHY. It follows that the place of Chazeh of vessels is from the phase of the lights of Yesod.
Know that the ARI always refers to this Yesod, when it is in the place of Chazeh, as Yesod of Katnut, since when it acquires a Neshama, the vessels of HGT ascend and become HBD, in which the GAR of Neshama clothes, and HGT, which were NHY, ascend and become HGT, since now the light of Ruach dresses in them, and obtains new NHY in which the Nefesh clothes. Now it is considered that he has two Yesodot [pl. of Yesod], since there is no absence in the spiritual. It follows that the Yesod of Katnut that was in the place of Chazeh during the Katnut stands there now, as well, during the Gadlut of Neshama. Now, Yesod from the new NHY is added to it, and it is called Yesod of the first Gadlut. When he draws lights of Haya, which is the second Gadlut, it is considered in relation to it that HBD and HGT of Neshama are discerned as only HGT with respect to it, and now through the light of Haya, HBD HGT of Neshama ascend and become the vessels of HBD of Haya, while NHY of Neshama ascend and become the vessels for HGT of Haya, and new NHY emerge for him from the phase of Haya.
Since HBD HGT of Neshama both ascended and became HBD of Haya, it follows that now the place of Chazeh where Yesod of Katnut stands has become Daat of Haya. Thus, through the light of Haya, Yesod of Katnut ascends to the place of Daat. This is why the coupling of Yesod of Katnut is called the “tree of knowledge.” Remember this, for it is very deep.
However, the coupling of Yesod of Gadlut of Haya, meaning the new Yesod of NHY that he obtained while drawing Mochin of Haya, where the light of Nefesh of Haya dresses, is called the “tree of life,” since he draws only VAK of Haya from the Daat of RADLA that is revealed in the Moach of the Avir [air] of AA. According to the phase of light of Haya in RADLA, it is VAK, since the GAR of AVI of Nekudim were concealed in RADLA, and are revealed only at the end of correction. This is the concealment of Malchut of AK, the big Hey that operated in Nekudim, and the RADLA imparts to Atzilut only in the manner of the small Hey of BeHibara’am [when they were created]. Hence, it is called the “Tree of Life,” since all the Mochin of Atzilut and lights of Haya are through the new coupling of the Yesod of Gadlut of NHY of Mochin of Haya. However, what emerges through the coupling of Yesod of Katnut, which is a coupling of the Mochin of the GAR of Haya, for the place of Chazeh where the Yesod of Katnut stands in Daat, in the Mochin between Hochma and Bina, which are GAR of Haya, blemishes the small Hey of BeHibara’am that was set up in RADLA, which is the HASHMAL of Ima and the Parsa below Atzilut. At that time, the abundance is extended to the three impure shells, which is the impure serpent, and one who draws them falls with them to the place of the shells and death. This is the meaning of the verse, “On the day when you eat of it you will surely die.” Thus, the coupling of Yesod of Gadlut draws all the life, and the coupling of Yesod of Katnut puts all that is alive to death, and understand this.
This is why the ARI writes that the Lulav is the tree of life since the Lulav is discerned as Yesod of Gadlut from which all of life is extended. He says that this is the meaning of the seventy dates, etc., implying that it is the meaning of the good Ayin [“eye” or “seventy”], because the coupling is called the looking of the Einayim, as the ARI wrote in Shaar HaNekudim. Through this coupling the twelve Partzufim of Atzilut emerge, and it is known that there are four Partzufim in Keter: Atik and Nukva, Arich and Nukva, and also in HB: AVI and YESHSUT, and in ZON: the big ZON, Jacob, and Leah.
This is the intimation of twelve springs, since they emerge on twelve couplings. But the Sitra Achra has only eleven, as in “Anyone who adds−detracts” as it is written in The Zohar that one who adds [the letter] Ayin to twelve makes it eleven. It is so because the Sitra Achra is a king without a crown, which is the male of Atik, who is Ein Sof that promptly departed from them and they remained with a grip only on eleven. This is why the tree yelled, “Wicked! Do not touch me!” implying the above.
Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 41, Chapter 1.
132) When Adam HaRishon sinned, the Mochin departed from him and [ZA] returned to being only Yenika. Then the HASHMAL, the skin of Tevuna, departed from ZA. We should also say that after the sin, only the phase of Nefesh remained in Adam HaRishon. In Shaar HaPsukim, Mark 2, it is explained that only Nefesh of Nefesh remained in him. However, only ZA remained in the form of Yenika, as explained below, that as long as ZA returns to being in Yenika, the HASHMAL departs from him. Thus, this pertains to ZA.
He tells us that due to the departure of the HASHMAL from ZA, the man and his wife remained bare of all their vessels that clothed the NRN of Atzilut that he had, since they fell to the shells and have become good and bad. It is so because all the vessels of Adam HaRishon were only from the HASHMAL of ZA.
133) At that time, their garment is from the phase of holy Elokim, Katnut of Yenika called a “serpent that bites her pudendum,” etc. The matter of the sin of the tree of knowledge is from Yesod of Katnut, and Katnut is always called by the names Elokim. This is why it is called “The coupling of Yesod of Yenika with the light of Elokim.” Yesod is called a “serpent that bites her pudendum,” since it removes the HASHMAL of Ima, and then the impure serpent that consists of the ten shells clings and suckles from the skin and HASHMAL of ZA and make it good and bad.
Simple Light
134) In Yenika, it dresses in leather gowns, HASHMAL, and this is at night. This means that the HASHMAL of Ima departs and the HASHMAL of ZA becomes leather gowns, meaning the good and bad of Noga. For this reason, there is Yenika to HB of the shell called “two birds.”
Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 38, Chapter 2.
135) Leah is very harsh judgments because she is the posterior of Ima. She is discerned as the posterior of the upper AVI of Nekudim that were revoked and fell to the place of ZON during the breaking of the vessels. Since these GAR of AVI were concealed in RADLA, there is no correction to their posterior to return and rise to AVI as they were during the Nekudim, prior to the end of correction, meaning after Malchut of the first restriction that was concealed in RADLA is revealed, since then the level of the look of Einayim of Nekudim will be revealed in Atzilut once more, and the posterior that fell to the place of ZON will reconnect to AVI as previously, during the Gadlut of Nekudim. These posteriors are called Leah, which is why her correction is only in ZA, in the place of the falling, for she was established here to be the Nukva of ZA since her entire correction is only from him, as long as she cannot return to her place in upper AVI.
It was said, “Leah is very harsh judgments because she is the posterior of Ima.” It is so because there is no correction to her judgments in all six thousand years since she is corrected only in a coupling of the upper Mochin of Haya as the Daat that draws GAR of Haya, which is the phase of GAR of Nekudim. Hence, she is regarded as very harsh judgments.
Especially since she is above, in the concealed place. But Rachel is sweetened because she is in the revealed place of Hassadim. This second reason depends on the first reason, since the Mochin of Haya drawn by the coupling of Yesod of Gadlut of NHY of Haya cannot be revealed from the Chazeh and above of ZA but only from the Chazeh of ZA and below in a manner that even when ZA has Mochin of Haya, he remains in covered Hassadim from his Chazeh and above, and the illumination of Hochma in Hassadim, called “revealing of Hassadim,” is only from the Chazeh and below. This is why it is written that since Leah was established as a Nukva only from the Chazeh of ZA and above, where the illumination of Haya is not revealed, her judgments from the time of the revoking of the GAR of AVI are still in her without correction, while Partzuf Rachel, which is his Nukva of NHY from the Chazeh and below, has from the place of the revelation of the Mochin of Haya, and the illumination of Haya completely cancels the grip of the outer ones. For this reason, she is completely sweetened. Conversely, Leah is sweetened only in the Mochin of Neshama that illuminate from the Chazeh and above, since there is no revelation of illumination of Haya in her. For this reason, she is regarded as completely unsweetened.
136) The filling is regarded as a female since she is all judgments. The four letters of the simple HaVaYaH imply the self of the Sefirot in the degree with regard to the ten Sefirot of direct light in them. The filling of the four letters implies the phase of Malchut and the screen in each Sefira on which the coupling by striking is performed, which raises reflected light and clothes the ten Sefirot of direct light. On one hand, the simple letters are more important as they are the self of the Sefirot and the core of the Partzuf. On the other hand, the filling is more important as it determines the level of the Partzuf, since the direct light shines in the Partzuf only according to the measure of the reflected light that rises. In a filling of AB, reflected light rises up to Hochma. Hence, there is light of Hochma in the Partzuf. With a filling of SAG, reflected light rises and clothes only up to Bina. Hence, that degree is only on the level of Bina and lacks the light of Hochma, and so forth likewise. This is so because there is no attainment in the light without a vessel, so although there are ten Sefirot of direct light in each degree, she still receives only according to the level of the garment, which is the reflected light. For this reason, the filling is regarded as female and judgments, since Malchut and the screen in her is discerned as female and judgments.
All the power of the Nukva and the self of her lights and powers are concealed inside ZA, etc., and afterward emerges from him. Interpretation: When ZA imparts to Nukva, a coupling by striking is done in ZA himself, in the phase of his crown of Gevura, which is the Nukva in his own Guf, and a level emerges according to the measure of reflected light that the Nukva in his Guf raises in him. Afterward, he imparts this level as it is clothed in the reflected light to his separated Nukva, Rachel. It follows that all the Mochin of the Nukva are regarded as mere filling, since the coupling is done inside ZA and she takes the level that is already made. This is the second reason why the filling is Nukva. This pertains especially to what is written below, that the females Leah and Rachel are implied in the letters of the filling of HaVaYaH of MA of ZA. However, the first reason is over all the degrees, they are all males and females.
137) A filling is the Ibur that fills the insides of its mother’s abdomen. This implies that every lower one is discerned as the filling of the Partzuf above it since it emerges from the Ibur of the upper one. This is a long matter, and we must remember everything that he explained about the departure and second expansion concerning the Partzufim of AK. Here we will explain very briefly, and it will help only those proficient in the above-mentioned parts. The cascading of the Partzufim from one another comes by a clash of inner light with surrounding light, causing the refinement of the screen of Guf into a screen of Rosh. By this, all the lights of the Guf depart. However, a coupling is done in the screen at the Rosh of the Partzuf by which a new expansion of the level of ten Sefirot emerges. This expansion is regarded as a son of the Partzuf and its lower one, and the Guf of the upper one is filled once more by this expansion of its lower one. For this reason, the lower one clothes the upper one with the full measure that it fills the empty vessels of the upper one, meaning only the phase of Guf. Hence, the matter of the refinement of the screen of the Guf into Malchut of the Rosh is regarded as Ibur, since through this ascent of the screen of Guf to Malchut of Rosh, the whole of lower one is born.
We will explain about the cascading of the five Partzufim of AK. First, the inner HaVaYaH of AK emerged, which is its Partzuf Keter. These are the first ten Sefirot that came with the line of Ein Sof after the first restriction. His screen of Guf was refined into a root of the screen, which is the Malchut of Rosh, and all his lights of Guf departed. Afterward, a coupling was done on the screen that rose and was incorporated in Malchut of the Rosh, and a new expansion of ten Sefirot emerged in the coarseness of phase three called “the filling of AB,” where the reflected light ascends and clothes up to Hochma, and the Guf of the inner Partzuf was also filled with this expansion of AB. Afterward, a refinement of the screen took place and the lights of the Guf of AB departed, as well, and it ascended and was incorporated in its Malchut of Rosh, and a new coupling was done in the coarseness of phase two. Then a new expansion emerged called Partzuf SAG of AK, which also fills the Guf of its upper one, which is AB. Likewise, a new expansion emerged at the Rosh of Partzuf SAG in the coarseness of phase one, which elicits the level of MA, and fills the Guf of SAG, as well. These are the ten Sefirot of Nekudim called BON. You find how each Partzuf is from the screen of the Guf of the upper one that ascended and was incorporated in the Peh of the Rosh of the upper one, where the ten Sefirot of its level emerge. For this reason, this ascent is called “The Ibur of the lower one,” which fills the inside of the upper one.
As it was in the cascading of the Partzufim of AK, so it was in Atzilut in the first three Partzufim called Atik and Nukva, Arich and Nukva, and AVI. The Ibur of each lower one is done at the Peh of the Rosh of the upper one, which fills the upper one from the Peh of the Rosh downward. However, after the Partzuf of upper AVI emerged, which fill AA from his Peh of the Rosh through the Chazeh, there is no more departure in the Gufim [pl. of Guf] of AVI because they are already corrected by this in a never-ending coupling. However, from the Chazeh of AVI and below, which stand from the Chazeh of AA downward, there is still departure. Therefore, regarding the ascent of the screen for an Ibur for ZON, it does not rise to the Peh of the Rosh of AVI, but rather from their Tabur down, called the Peh of the Rosh in relation to YESHSUT. However, in relation to AVI, it is regarded as being from the Tabur down and is called “abdomen.” For this reason, the Ibur of ZA is in the abdomen of AVI and Yisrael Saba and Tevuna, which then become one Partzuf. This is the meaning of “A filling is the Ibur that fills the insides of its mother’s abdomen,” for as ZA emerges only from the Tabur of AVI and below, it therefore fills only their abdomen.
Simple Light
138) The Chazeh, where he has the first Yesod and in which he makes a coupling with Leah. Initially, there were only six vessels, HBD HGT, in him through the Chazeh, in which Nefesh-Ruach clothe—Ruach in HBD, for which it became HGT, and Nefesh in HGT, for which it became NHY. Thus, the Sefira Yesod is in the place of the Chazeh. It was said, “The first phase is from the Rosh to the Chazeh, where he has the first Yesod,” since in his phase of Katnut he has only six vessels from the Rosh to the Chazeh, which are HBD HGT, which with regard to the lights in them they became HGT NHY, and you find that Yesod of Katnut is in the place of the Chazeh.
From the Chazeh down, which is the place of revealed Hassadim. This is regarded as phase two of ZA, which is his state of Gadlut. At the time of Gadlut, when he obtains the GAR, HGT return to being HBD since the lights are GAR like the vessels, NHY return to being HGT, and the lights of GAR sort for him new NHY from BYA. You find that now he obtained a new Yesod of Gadlut.
However, there is no absence in the spiritual and the first Yesod of Katnut, which was at the place of the Chazeh, remains there now, as well, during the Gadlut. For this reason, there are two Yesodot [pl. of Yesod] in him.
We already said that revealed Hassadim means that the illumination of Hochma is revealed in Hassadim in the manner that Bina that returns to the Rosh of AA and couples there with Hochma in order to impart illumination of Hochma to ZON, as Bina of direct light emanates to ZA of direct light. However, for herself, Bina is always in a state of desiring mercy and does not receive Hochma. This is the meaning of the upper AVI at the level of Bina being in a never-ending coupling. It follows that even after Bina returned to Hochma, the Hochma is not revealed in her own place but in the place of ZON. This applies both in ZON of the ten Sefirot of Rosh called Daat, and in ZON of the ten Sefirot of Guf called NHY. For this reason, the illumination of Hochma is not revealed from the Chazeh and above, where there is the phase of KHB of Guf, but only from the Chazeh and below, where there is the phase of ZON of Guf.
We could say that this is acceptable in Hochma in the phase of Bina of GAR, but in Hochma of GAR itself, in which this distinction does not exist, why then does she not illuminate in the GAR of the Rosh and GAR of the Guf? Indeed, we should know what the ARI wrote for us here, that after Hochma-Stimaa [concealed Hochma] of AA was concealed, Hochma does not shine in Atzilut, except for the Hochma of the thirty-two paths, which is received from Bina that returns to the Rosh of AA where she receives Hochma for ZA. Thus, all the Hochma that there is after AA is only Hochma of the phase of Bina.
This is why this phase of Hochma is called “thirty-two paths of Hochma [wisdom],” as it implies twenty-two letters, which is Bina, with the ten Sefirot of ZON impregnated inside her, which are thirty-two in Gematria as the ARI wrote there. This means that Bina does not draw Hochma except through ZON that ascend to her in Ibur as MAN. Hence, Bina and ZON are implied in her together.
Since she herself is always in the state of Hassadim, therefore even when she receives Hochma, it is not revealed in her HB, but only in ZON, both in the Rosh and in the Guf, and remember these words always. He says here “His latter half is from the Chazeh down, which is the place of revealed Hassadim,” since there, it is the phase of ZON of Guf. Thus, illumination of Hochma is revealed in Hassadim. However, from the Chazeh and above, where it is the phase of GAR of Guf, the Hassadim are always covered from Hochma. Therefore, he divides them into two phases and two names of MA of Alephs, since they are regarded as two separate levels, where the filling of Alephs from the Chazeh and above is Leah, and the filling of Alephs from the Chazeh and below is Rachel.
139) In this bottom world, which is material, the phase of Leah could not emerge sweetened, etc. This is discerned as Lilit, the first Eve, since even in Atzilut, her correction is only in a filling of Alephs from the Chazeh of ZA and above, which is covered Hassadim.
It follows that Leah, too, was corrected only from the Chazeh and above in her, which are KHB, but from the Chazeh and below in her, which are the ZON in her, which need the revelation of illumination of Haya, they still remained in her in the phase of skin. Hence, in the bottom world, in the phase of Leah of Adam HaRishon, where all the self of his vessels is only from the phase of HASHMAL of ZA, it is discerned as flesh and skin of ZA. Thus, his phase of Leah is also discerned as flesh and skin of the upper Leah, which is the phase of her Akevim [heels], whose correction begins only in the Mochin of GAR of Haya, which are AVI of Nekudim that were concealed in Atzilut. For this reason, she is regarded as an actual shell, called Lilit. The rule is that any discernment from the breaking of the vessels that is not sorted during the six thousand years is called a shell, and it is also called “the first Eve.”
140) Leah was sweetened and was in Kedusha and departed from the shell. This does not mean that this Leah of Adam HaRishon is Leah Jacob’s wife since he already said that she became a shell. Rather, she is an illumination of Leah from the upper Leah of ZA and was so sweetened that she received a correction of completely departing from the phase of flesh and skin, which becomes a shell. The precision he makes, “and departed from the shell,” means from her own shell. Thus, Leah, Jacob’s wife, can receive illumination of GAR from covered Hassadim, too, like Leah, the wife of ZA. This is what it means that she was in Kedusha.
142) Two women, one of the bones and one of the flesh, etc. It has already been explained that KHB ZON are called marrow-bones-tendons-flesh-skin. It follows that bones are Hochma and flesh is ZA. It has also been explained that all the phases of the soul of Adam HaRishon are from Mochin of Haya of ZON, and even his vessels came from the HASHMAL of ZA, which are the fourth vessels that are sorted through Mochin of Haya. It has also been clarified that Leah is the posterior of the inner AVI, which are GAR of Haya. Since the inner AVI were concealed in Atzilut, she cannot return to her degree, to AVI, before the end of correction, when GAR of Haya are revealed. All their correction prior to this is through ZA from the Chazeh and above. Hence, Leah, too, is sweetened only from her Chazeh and above, while her Raglayim, which are flesh and skin, have no correction whatsoever. For this reason, Adam HaRishon, whose entire phase is only from the phase of HASHMAL of ZA, which is flesh and skin, his two females are also only the phase of flesh and skin of the two females Leah and Rachel of ZA. This is why his Leah emerged as a shell, called Lilit, since she is the flesh and skin of the upper Leah, who is not corrected during the six thousand years.
For this reason, the two females of Adam HaRishon are called “bone” and “flesh,” since bones means Haya of Haya, and it is Leah, since she is the posterior of the inner AVI, who is corrected only in the GAR of Haya, called Haya of Haya. Flesh is Rachel, which means Ruach of Haya. She receives her complete correction in ZA since Mochin of VAK of Haya, called “flesh,” are extended to ZA in full. Hence, the Nukva of the flesh is the second Eve of Adam HaRishon, who was completely sweetened, but the Nukva of the bones, which is the first Eve of Adam HaRishon and is regarded as the Raglayim of Leah, the wife of ZA, which cannot be sweetened prior to the end of correction, becomes a shell. We must not be confused in that flesh and skin are sometimes named after their vessels, and sometimes after their lights, since the ARI is not so meticulous about the definition of the words because matters become clarified according to the context. But the reader himself should always remember the inverse relation between vessels and lights, and then he will be able to understand them according to the context.
144) The lower Jacob in that world did not yet attain the full existence of Partzuf ZA, but only from opposite the Chazeh and below. ZA is divided into two phases, and his Partzuf GAR from the Chazeh and above is called “Israel.” His Partzuf VAK from the Chazeh and below is called Jacob. Hence, as long as he attained only the VAK of ZA, he is called Jacob. Once he attained the GAR, the Creator named him Israel.
145) Leah is the covered world etc., in the form of the Dalet in the knot of the head Tefillin. Since Leah is Partzuf Nukva of GAR of ZA, and her sweetening is only through the GAR of Haya, the Mochin of Haya she receives from ZA are merely as posterior to her, since they are discerned as VAK of Haya that do not sort the vessels that need the lights of GAR of Haya. Hence, those vessels which the Mochin of VAK of Haya sort in Leah and clothe in them are called skin and posterior because any phase that is not sufficiently sorted is called skin, (see item 59). This is why Leah is called “the covered world,” since the illumination of Mochin of Haya is covered in her because it is clothed in skin, which “is the form of the Dalet,” the knot of the Tefillin.
Likewise, her illumination is called “covered Hassadim” since the illumination of Hochma is covered in her. For this reason, Jacob did not want to make a coupling with her, since Jacob is discerned as VAK of ZA, the place of revealed Hassadim, and covered Hassadim can receive only VAK without a Rosh.
153) When the phase of Leah she makes a coupling with ZA himself, he makes a coupling with her through the actual Daat itself. Just as Partzuf ZA is divided into Partzuf GAR from the Chazeh and above, and Partzuf VAK from the Chazeh and below, so the coupling in Mochin is divided into a coupling of GAR of Mochin and a coupling of VAK of Mochin. It therefore follows that the coupling of the Nukva of GAR, who is Leah, is from the coupling of GAR of Mochin, and she receives from the actual Daat of the Rosh, since the Yesod of GAR is called Daat, but Rachel, who is the phase of VAK, her coupling is not from the GAR of Mochin but from the VAK of Mochin. Also, it is not from the actual Daat of the Rosh, but from Daat that spreads to the Guf, which is the phase of VAK of Daat of the Rosh and not actual Daat.
The thing is that there are three Mochin in the Moach of Daat, which are HBD of Daat. HB of Daat are GAR of Daat, and Daat of Daat is VAK of Daat. They determine with regard to the upper Mochin called HB of the general Rosh, and when the coupling is in the GAR of these HB, it is done by HB of Daat, and that drop of coupling is called “the drop of coupling of the actual GAR of that level.” This is discerned as the coupling of ZA with Leah, and this is why they are called “the big ZON.” But the coupling with Rachel is through the third Moach of Daat, called Daat of Daat. It makes a coupling only of VAK of HB of the Rosh. Hence, that drop of the coupling is a drop of VAK of that level. Remember this, as this is the key to understand the discernment of the coupling of ZA with Leah in all the places in the ARI’s words.
With it you will also understand why Leah is called “the covered world,” for because her coupling with ZA is from HB of Daat, which makes a coupling of GAR of HB of the Rosh, it follows that if the coupling were on the level of Hochma, they would draw GAR of Hochma, which are the inner AVI that were concealed in RADLA and are still not revealed in Atzilut. Thus, it is impossible for ZA to make a coupling with Leah on the level of Haya, and all the couplings of ZA with Leah are only in the phase of covered Hassadim, where the illumination of Haya is covered and concealed. This is why she is called “the covered world.”
155) Her face opposite the back of ZA. She can receive only the posterior from the phase of Mochin of Haya, which is discerned as the vessel of skin, called “the knot of Tefillin.” For this reason, this is called “her face opposite the back of ZA,” for her face are Mochin of Haya, since she is the posterior of AVI of Nekudim and receives only the posterior of these Mochin. However, in the phase of Neshama, and even Neshama of Haya, she can stand with ZA face-to-face.
157) Rachel is the real Nukva of ZA, etc. There are three main points to know about this Rachel: 1) her root with regard to the vessels, 2) her root with regard to the lights, 3) her source with regard to the construction of the Partzuf. All three main points are from the world of Nekudim, since it is known that in Katnut of Nekudim only seven vessels HBD HGT through the Chazeh emerged, and the point of Chazeh ends them at the Parsa that was established by the second restriction, and the vessels from the Chazeh down departed and became BYA. It follows that the root of the Nukva in this regard is only the point of Chazeh. With regard to the lights that clothed them, they became HGT NHY, since the lights of VAK are called HGT NHYM.
You therefore find that the point of Chazeh is called “the point of Malchut of the ZAT of Nekudim.” However, of these two phases there is only one point in her, which is the phase that ends ZA, but there is no construction of a Partzuf in her.
This began in the Gadlut of Nekudim, for through the new light that emerged from AB SAG of AK, the Parsa was fissured and the ZAT of Nekudim expanded through the point of this world like the Raglayim of AK, while those NHYM that were separated from ZAT of Nekudim to below the Parsa, which became BYA, reconnected with ZAT of ZA. Also, they are regarded as the part of the point of Chazeh of ZA, which is Malchut, and they connected to her. At that time, she is temporarily built in a complete Partzuf called “the seventh king of Nekudim,” since during the Katnut they already belonged to her part, since all of BYA, which are restricted through the Parsa, are in the domain of the Nukva and below her. Hence, even when they connected, they became a part of her and of her structure. Thus, the whole root of the construction of the Nukva is from the posterior vessels of Nekudim, which are the NHY below the Parsa.
For this reason, the point of Chazeh is considered the Keter of Nukva since after she is built by the NHY that ascended from BYA, the point of Chazeh becomes the Keter above them. Sometimes, the point of Chazeh is called only her Malchut since with regard to the clothing of the lights, you find that during the Katnut of Nekudim, there was only the force of Sium of Malchut in her. These three main points are called 1) the point of Keter of Nukva, 2) the point of Malchut of Nukva, 3) the bottom nine Sefirot of Nukva. Remember this in all the places that discuss them.
The essence of Leah is the posterior of Ima, which fell down here in this place, meaning during the breaking of the vessels of Nekudim. We should know that this Ima does not mean the level of Neshama but rather Ima at the level of Haya, since AVI of Nekudim were on an even level at the level of Haya. You find that Leah is the posterior that fell from the level of Haya of Ima. Hence, she is not at all from the degree of ZA. Rather, her place of descent is in the place of ZA. Therefore, he corrects her and she is regarded as his Nukva only in a manner of lending, meaning that finally, at the end of correction, she will depart from him and return to the upper Ima, to her degree. Since the phase of Haya of Nekudim was concealed in the six thousand years, the correction of Leah is incomplete, for which she is regarded as judgments.
161) It follows that all that there is in ZA has, there is in Rachel, too. This concerns only the level of Mochin, for Rachel takes the full level of the Mochin. However, Leah has only the skin from them. Yet, in the essence of the Mochin, there are many divisions between ZA and Rachel. The main one is that in ZA, there is the root of the Keter of Gevura from the phase of NHY of Ima that is included in Mazal and Nakeh. But the Nukva has only the phase of the Keter of Gevura from Malchut of Ima, which is not included in Mazal and Nakeh, and is not included in the Mochin of ZA. This is why her Daat [mind] is light.
Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 38, Chapter 3.
172) Leah emerges from the illumination of Malchut of Ima that dresses in ZA as Mochin. He says below that Malchut of Ima does not operate in the Mochin of ZA whatsoever but only NHY of Ima, and here he says that she dresses as Mochin. Indeed, this matter is explained thoroughly, that although she does not operate at all for the purpose of the Mochin of ZA himself, for the Mochin of Rachel, she dresses in the Mochin of ZA and is incorporated in his Mochin. By this incorporation of Malchut of Ima with the Mochin of ZA, the Mochin of Rachel exit there in the Rosh of ZA and return from there to the posterior of the Mochin of ZA on the back of the neck, where they make the knot of the Tefillin as a Dalet, which is the phase of Leah.
With regard to the Mochin of the Nukva Rachel, she is regarded as a second phase of her Mochin and from there they are extended to the internality of NHY of ZA, and this is regarded as the third phase of the Mochin of Rachel. Afterward, the Mochin come out as surrounding on NHY of ZA, which is regarded as phase four of the Mochin of Rachel, and from here they are drawn to the Rosh of Rachel herself, which is the fifth phase. Thus, Malchut of Ima dresses as the Mochin of ZA for the purpose of the Mochin of Rachel, where the second phase of those Mochin—which are the Dalet in the knot of the Tefillin—come for Mochin for Leah, too.
Her NHY become garments of the three Mochin of HBD of ZA, although Malchut of Ima does not operate in ZA at all, since the Mochin of ZA emerge from NHY of AVI that are included in Mazla, and there is no quality of Malchut in Mazla because the Mazal veNakeh is the phase of Yesod. Hence, Malchut of Ima is not included in the overall Mochin of ZA of Gadlut, and this Malchut remains in the state of the second restriction. For this reason, she does not operate at all in the Mochin of Gadlut of ZA. But for the purpose of the Mochin of Nukva, Rachel, she is included in Yesod of Ima, and then a new level emerges on this incorporation for the Mochin of Rachel. Explaining this requires extensive elaboration.
It has already been explained above that these Mochin of Leah from the Dalet of the knot of Tefillin are the second phase of Mochin of Rachel. Also, we should know that these Mochin are Mochin of Haya. Therefore, Leah receives from them only the phase of skin and not portions, since she needs Mochin of GAR of Haya from the inner AVI, and these Mochin are not revealed before the end of correction. Hence, throughout the six thousand years, she does not have Mochin of Haya from her own phase and she uses the Mochin of VAK of Haya of Rachel.
178) Leah will take three Sefirot and a half, etc., and Rachel will take from half of Tifferet down. Explanation: The main carrier of the revelation of the Mochin of Haya is ZA, called Tifferet. It is so because Bina herself is always in covered Hassadim and does not make a coupling with Hochma in order to draw Mochin of Haya, unless for ZA. Therefore, the phase of ZA exists also in the Mochin of AVI, where he is called Daat, since his existence there causes the coupling of Bina with Hochma as MAN to them. In other words, Bina maintains the coupling with Hochma for him. But when he descends from there, the coupling of Bina with Hochma is immediately canceled, since Bina returns to being covered Hassadim and the Mochin of Haya are canceled.
This is why Tifferet of Ima became Keter to ZA, for because the main thing that sustains the Mochin of Haya in AVI is ZA, which is Tifferet, this Tifferet of Ima is regarded as giving those Mochin to ZA in his own place. The rule is that all the benefit that the lower one causes to the upper one, the lower one, too, inherits all of that benefit since he causes him to become the phase of Keter and it bestows upon him. That is, just as Tifferet of Ima sustains the Mochin of Haya in upper Ima, so he gives these Mochin to ZA himself. Understand this well.
When ZA himself receives these Mochin, it follows that Tifferet of ZA, which is the essence of ZA, has the main carriers of the Mochin of Haya as in Ima. These are the phase of Tifferet of Mochin, called Daat, and the phase of Tifferet of the Guf. Know that the essence of Tifferet is the middle third in it, since the upper third is an incorporation of the ten Sefirot of Tifferet with the ones above it, meaning KHB of Tifferet. The bottom third of Tifferet is regarded as its incorporation with the Malchut below it, which is discerned as NHYM of Tifferet, but the middle third is its own phase, which is HGT of Tifferet. Therefore, it is considered that the main carrier of the illumination of Mochin of Haya is the middle third of Tifferet.
With this you will understand what the ARI wrote, that when ZA has only Mochin of Neshama, it clothes only the bottom third of Tifferet of Ima. Only when he obtains Mochin of Haya does he rise and clothe the middle third of Tifferet, since there is Haya only from the middle third that carries the illumination of Hochma, as it is regarded as Tifferet of Tifferet and the core of Tifferet. Conversely, the bottom third of Tifferet is the phase of Malchut that is incorporated in it, and the upper third is the phase of GAR incorporated in it.
It was said, “It would be appropriate for these two women,” etc., to “inherit the place of their husband, ZA, equally. Leah would take three Sefirot and a half, which are Daat, HG, and the upper half of Tifferet, and Rachel would take from half of Tifferet down,” meaning that both will take the middle third of Tifferet that imparts Mochin of Haya. That is, Leah would take a part of the Mochin of Haya of ZA like Rachel, and they would share the middle third of Tifferet equally. This is why it says, “However, this is not so. Rather, Leah takes the upper third and Rachel takes all of the two bottom thirds of Tifferet of ZA to her Keter.” That is, only Rachel takes the middle third that imparts Mochin of Haya, and not Leah, since Leah takes only the upper third where there is no revelation of Mochin of Haya.
180) The two sisters would use the middle third equally, etc., and the Raglayim of Leah clothe in the Keter of Rachel. In other words, this was done only during the Katnut of Rachel, when the Raglayim of Leah clothe in the Keter of Rachel. At that time, Rachel, too, has no Mochin of Haya and then she is back-to-back with ZA. Because the Raglayim of Leah clothe the middle third of Tifferet of ZA and Leah is unfit to receive the Mochin of Haya, the Raglayim of Leah darken the Keter of Rachel, meaning that Rachel, too, cannot receive Mochin of Haya and she is as she was initially, from the Tabur of ZA and below, since in her own part there is only the bottom third of Tifferet where there is no revelation of Mochin of Haya.
However, when Rachel obtains the Mochin of Haya, she necessarily takes the entire middle third of ZA to her own part, and the Raglayim of Leah disappear there, as it was written before, “However, know that sometimes Rachel takes that entire place of the middle third, and the Raglayim of Leah do not expand inside the Keter of Rachel,” since only when Rachel is back-to-back with ZA, the Raglayim of Leah expand in the Keter of Rachel. However, when Rachel obtains face-to-face with ZA, meaning when receiving Mochin of Haya, the Raglayim of Leah depart from the Keter of Rachel and the entire middle third of Tifferet of ZA becomes her Keter, which imparts these Mochin to her. The rule is that imparting Mochin of Haya is only from the middle third, both in ZA from upper Ima and in Nukva from ZA, and the bestowing root is called Keter.
182) In the revealed place where the Hassadim shine, this is why it is called Ohr, Ohr [light, light], etc., but the Keter of Leah has only one light. There are two lights in the revealing of the light of Haya: light of Hochma and light of Hassadim. The meaning of the revealing of Hassadim is that illumination of Hochma is revealed in them, which is why it is called light, light. But Leah is regarded as the covered world because she is only the upper third where there is no revealing of Hochma in Hassadim; hence, there is only one light there, meaning only light of Hassadim, since there the Hassadim are covered from Hochma.
183) Snatching and stealing is called Teraphim. That is, Leah’s Raglayim, which Rachel takes into her own part through her ascent and clothing of the upper third of ZA, are regarded in her as snatching and stealing. It is so because since they are from the phase of Leah, they are unfit to receive any illumination of Haya because a coupling of Mochin of Haya is done only on the VAK of AVI, which ZA can shine only to the phase of Rachel, who is his Nukva of VAK, but not to Leah, who is his Nukva of GAR. It follows that the Raglayim of Leah are unfit for illumination of Haya in and of themselves, but since Rachel takes them into her share, they, too, receive illumination of Haya like Rachel, and this is stealing, meaning that those vessels do not belong to the structure of her Partzuf at all and are unfit to receive her illumination, but Rachel stole them. As a result, they also receive her illumination. However, her taking the middle third of Tifferet of ZA is not stealing whatsoever since this is truly her part which imparts her Mochin of Haya.
185) Teraphim, in plural form, which are the two Raglayim. Below, he says that “Since the two Akevim [heels] are concealed inside the Keter of Rachel, they unite and become one Akev [heel].” The thing is that below he speaks of when they clothe inside Rachel’s Keter and darken her. At that time, Rachel is back-to-back with ZA, hence NH of Leah are regarded as one phase. It is as the ARI wrote, that when NH are in the posterior, they are one phase. This is why he calls them Akev, in singular form. But here, where it speaks of stealing the Teraphim, which is by obtaining Rachel’s Mochin of Haya, by these Teraphim receiving the illumination of Rachel, they are in a state of anterior. In a state of anterior, the NH are regarded as two distinct phases. This is why it is called Teraphim, in plural form.
187) That place is the phase of the tree of knowledge of good and bad, in which Adam HaRishon and Eve sinned, for that is the place of revealing the Hassadim of Daat of ZA. The middle third of Tifferet is the root that imparts Hochma, as Tifferet that rises and makes a coupling with HB, since Bina makes a coupling with Hochma only through MAN of Tifferet. For this reason, ZA rose and acquired a place inside the Mochin of AVI in order to sustain the coupling of Hochma in AVI. And that Tifferet that sustains the Mochin of Haya in AVI is called Daat.
For this reason, the middle third of Tifferet of ZA is called “the tree of knowledge,” since it left its root in AVI as their Moach of Daat. However, according to this, we could be mistaken that the Keter of Rachel is also called so, since she, too, takes Mochin of Haya from the middle third of Tifferet of ZA. Indeed, this refers to the coupling of the GAR of Mochin of Haya, which are the inner AVI that were concealed as “the great ring [or seal],” regarded as the Mochin that operated in AVI of Nekudim as the looking of Einayim of AVI on each other. It is after this that the middle third of Tifferet of ZA is called the “tree of knowledge,” since there is the prohibition in it not to raise Tifferet as MAN to the inner AVI and make a coupling between them in order to draw GAR of Haya as in Nekudim. Conversely, the ascent of this Tifferet as MAN to AVI of Mazla, as is done in all the Mochin of Haya of Atzilut is not forbidden whatsoever. On the contrary, all the corrections are dependent on this because there is no coupling whatsoever without Mochin of Haya.
However, it has been explained that this Daat is discerned as VAK of Daat, through which the VAK of inner AVI make a coupling. It has already been explained that this is why Leah is called “the covered world,” since she needs GAR of Haya, and there is no coupling on them at that time. For this reason, Rachel is called “the revealed world” because she needs only VAK of Haya, and they are revealed in her also in this time, before the end of correction.
189) Those two Akevim of Leah completely stop and take the lights that emerge from within. This concerns the lights of the anterior of the Neshama in which the Akevim of Leah are established completely for themselves, since the lights of GAR of Neshama are actual illumination of GAR, completely in the phase of from the Chazeh and above. However, from the Chazeh and below they do not suffice for illumination of the anterior because there is no phase of anterior from the Chazeh and below, but only through Mochin of Haya. This is the meaning of “Those two Akevim of Leah completely stop and take the lights of the anterior.” Yet, Rachel has only lights of posterior from them, which are VAK without a Rosh, since she cannot enjoy them as they are covered Hassadim while she needs revealed Hassadim. Hence, Leah’s Raglayim in the place of Rachel’s Keter are regarded as harsh judgments, because in her, the judgments in them are apparent, which position Rachel in the state of posterior. Understand this well because although Leah’s Raglayim are sweetened in the phase of anterior to the phase of Leah herself, they are nonetheless complete judgments for the phase of Rachel, which make her a posterior with ZA for the above-mentioned reason.
193) And Aza and Azael, whose root is phase four of the above lights in those two Raglayim and Akevim of Leah. It has already been explained that those Akevim of Leah are complete judgments with their illumination below the Chazeh after the end of Yesod of Ima, since the light of Ima, which is illumination of GAR, ends already at the place of the Chazeh, and from the Chazeh and below it is sweetened only by illumination of Haya. Since the illumination of Haya from the phase of Mochin of Leah do not appear throughout the six thousand years, all those judgments are therefore without any sweetening at all. For this reason, they have become the roots of the two angels, Aza and Azael, where Aza was made of the right Akev [heel] and Azael from the left Akev.
196) When Rachel stole them, those lights did not come out to the Akevim of Leah, outside. The matter of this stealing was done by Rachel’s obtaining of Mochin of Haya, for then those Akevim shine as though they are of her organs. For this reason, all the forces of judgment that were mixed with them are separated and the illumination of the outer ones, which are the gods of Laban, was completely revoked. This is the meaning of “Why did you steal my gods?” and all his wisdom departed, too, and he did not know that he had fled.
Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 38, Chapter 4.
198) Murky wine full of yeast, swallowed inside Leah’s Akevim like the wine that is swallowed in the grapes. Interpretation: All the Partzufim of ABYA emerged from the second restriction, as in “He created them with a small Hey.” Also, it is known that the shells were made from those vessels of ZA and Malchut of the posterior of Nekudim that they used at the time of the Melachim [kings], after they were separated into external and surrounding vessels called garment and hall. It has also been explained above that there was another flaw in the vessels of the kings that were used in Nekudim since the judgments of the first restriction also rides on it. Know that this quality in the shells is the cup of poison and is called “the yeast of the shells,” and remember this. All the shells were made from using the separated vessels of ZA and Malchut that were separated by the second restriction, and the yeast of the shells were made from the Malchut of the first restriction that was mixed with them, and from her is all their power, as with yeast, which are all the power of the strength in the wine.
It was said, “Murky wine full of yeast, swallowed inside Leah’s Akevim,” since it has been explained above that any phase that was not fully sorted, all the shells are mixed there. You find that there are two qualities of judgments in the Akevim of Leah, and they are the roots of the shells and the yeast of the shells. The Akevim of Leah themselves are from the sorting of the second restriction as in all the Partzufim, and only the shells suckle from them. However, the yeast of wine is also mixed with them, as in “swallowed inside Leah’s Akevim,” meaning that they are not apparent on the outside because the whole structure of Leah is from the second restriction. Rather, they are concealed there and are swallowed within them.
It was said, “Eve squeezed those grapes” since her eating from the tree of knowledge means that she wanted to draw GAR of Haya that sort those Akevim of Leah. It follows that she squeezed those grapes and then the yeast were revealed outside. This is the meaning of the filth that the serpent cast in Eve, since by drawing illumination to the yeast of the shells, they clung to her and caused her death.
201) Since the two Akevim are swallowed in the Keter of Rachel, they unite and become one Akev. It has already been explained above that during the clothing of Akevim of Leah in the Keter of Rachel, Rachel is in a state of back-to-back, and those Akevim are NH of Leah. For this reason, they are only one phase since NH are regarded as two phases only when they are in the phase of anterior.
Shaar HaPsukim, Chapter Balak, Mark 24.
205) Balaam is not from the illumination of the Akevim themselves but from the illumination of the Keter of Rachel which swallows within it the illumination of the two Akevim. It was written above that when those Akevim are in the phase of Leah herself, they have sweetening. However, all the judgments in them are revealed when they shine in the Keter of Rachel from the Chazeh and below. This is the meaning of what the ARI tells us here, that Balaam clings to the Akevim of Leah when they shine in the Keter of Rachel, which is why he is discerned as the Sitra Achra.
209) When ZON are face-to-face, the Akevim of Leah are not inside the Keter of Rachel, etc. The illuminations of Aza and Azael were revoked in the creation of Adam. All the suckling of Aza and Azael is from the Akevim of Leah in the Keter of Rachel, which is only when she is back-to-back. Since they knew that Adam HaRishon would return ZON to face-to-face, which are the phase of Mochin of Haya, when Rachel takes all of the middle third of Tifferet and corrects also the Akevim of Leah by snatching and stealing, at that time, the illumination of Aza and Azael is completely revoked, “which is why they complained about His creation, due to the harm that comes to them.”
Shaar HaPsukim, Yehezkel.
211) Adam HaRishon, besides his first sin of eating from the tree of knowledge, continued to sin and engendered demons and ghosts and Lilits. Through the sin of the tree of knowledge, he ejected a drop of semen in vain because of the serpent, and the stormy wind clothed inside the serpent clung to him. This is regarded as the yeast of the shells, the potion of death, which are shells of Malchut of Nekudim on which the judgments of the first restriction ride. Besides this, he continued to sin during the 130 years when he abstained from his wife and ejected drops of semen in vain. These were from the phase of the scales that rob the souls, meaning from the shells of the second restriction. They are two phases, which are called below “first drops” and “last drops.”
There is merit to the first drops of semen that the shells cling only to their Malchut and not at all to the first nine of those drops, since in the phase of the first restriction there is no grip to the shells and judgments in the first nine. However, opposite this there is a great flaw there that is impossible to correct before the end of correction, which is the ten lights placed in the Akev. Opposite this there is merit in the last drops that it is possible to correct them during the six thousand years, as well, through Mochin of Haya. However, a great flaw is discerned in them, that the shells cling to their first nine, too, since they are from the second restriction and from the shells that come from the posterior vessels that operated in Nekudim. Remember well these distinctions between the first drops of semen and the last drops. This is the meaning of “continued to sin and engendered demons,” etc., since he caused the shells to grip also to the first nine of these souls, which is an added sin.
212-213) While still doing this bad deed, he came upon his wife, etc., one before Cain and one after him, and Cain was in between them. This is the meaning the serpent’s coming upon Eve and casting filth in her, since that first drop of semen of the yeast of the shells from the first restriction mixed with Eve when he came upon his wife at that time, and that filth clung to Cain. It is as our sages said that when Israel stood on Mt. Sinai, their filth stopped. But the nations of the world, who did not stand on Mt. Sinai, their filth did not stop. However, besides this, the last drops of the 130 years were also mixed with Cain in a manner that Cain includes both and has the same two faults. This is why he is mostly bad.
215) The souls that emerge as drops of semen in vain are greater in merit than the rest of the souls because they are from the phase of Daat itself. The corrected souls that come from the male and female are extended from the VAK of Mochin of Haya as Hesed that is revealed in the Peh of Ima, meaning from the Hassadim that are revealed from the Chazeh of ZA and below. These are VAK of the Guf and not the phase of HGT of ZA, which are GAR of the Guf. However, the souls from the drops of semen come by extensions of GAR of Mochin of Haya because this coupling of GAR does not occur during the six thousand years, since the inner AVI were concealed in RADLA, these souls emerge to the domain of the shells in vain. Thus, the souls of the drops of semen are higher in merit than the corrected souls since they are drawn from the actual Daat, meaning from the GAR of Daat, which bestow upon the Garon and HGT of the Guf, which are the GAR of the Guf.
In VAK of the Guf of ZA, meaning from the Chazeh and below, regarded as VAK of the Guf, since the Garon and HGT are regarded as GAR of the Guf of ZA. The reason for it is that while they are in the Guf, the five phases KHB ZON in the Rosh are called HGT NH, where HGT are KHB of the Guf, or HBD, and NH are ZON of the Guf.
216) Cain is the elder, etc., “If you carry well.” Even though Cain is the crown of Gevura of Daat of ZA and Adam HaRishon and Abel is the crown of Hassadim in their Daat, and it is known that the crown of Hassadim precedes the crown of Gevura, here, however, due to the sin of the tree of knowledge, a change occurred, that the Gevurot preceded the Hassadim. It is known that the light of Haya that emerges by the Daat is mostly as a female that encircles a man, and the revealing of the light of Haya of Hassadim comes by the Gevurot as reflected light from below upward where the Hassadim receive disclosure of illumination of Hochma from the Gevurot that illuminate for them from below upward. For this reason, Cain is regarded as the elder, meaning illumination of GAR, since any phase of GAR of Abel by an illumination of Cain to him is from below upward. This is the meaning of the words, “And it came to pass that when they were in the field, Cain arose,” etc., for he denied him illumination of GAR and thus killed him. This is his complaint, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” since in his view, he was not obligated to illuminate to him.
This is the meaning of “And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering, but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard,” for so is the order of illumination of Daat of ZA, that the Gevurot do not receive for themselves but in order to illuminate from below upward to the Hassadim. It follows that “The Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering,” which is the phase of Hassadim of Daat, and not to Cain in his place. This is the meaning of “If you carry well,” since it angered Cain that he had to illuminate for Abel his brother from below upward, which is the phase of VAK of the GAR of Haya, for any illumination from below upward is regarded as VAK while he wanted illumination of GAR of Haya that illuminate as direct light instead of HGT of ZA, as it was in the HGT of the seven Melachim. This is why “his countenance fell.”
The Creator replied to him about this, “If you carry well,” meaning that only in this manner will all your correction come, meaning in a manner of carrying, from below upward, to improve the Hassadim. He warned him about it, “If you do not do well,” but want to draw GAR of Mochin of Haya to HGT of ZA, then “Sin crouches at the door,” meaning the serpent lies by this door, since this was the sin of the tree of knowledge.
222) Cain, that he had those two flaws: 1) He was hanging between heaven and earth, and 2) he was loose. The whole correction of the first drops of semen that were attached to Cain is by congealing into strong organs that are made by the Nukva by the strong boundary in her. But Cain was as a loose drop of water without a strong boundary, which is why he still yearned to draw GAR of Haya as in the act of the sin of the tree of knowledge, as in “And it angered Cain a lot, and his countenance fell.” Although in fact, he emerged through the Nukva Eve, he had this through the force of the first drops of semen that had clung to him. Also, he was hung between heaven and earth since his Neshama itself was blemished by the final drops of semen since they are regarded as the shells of the second restriction that blemish all the first nine of the Neshama. This is why the ARI writes that she has no rest at all, meaning that the Sitra Achra clung to her in that part of Cain’s soul which was already sorted in him. This is why he was hung between heaven and earth, meaning in the air, which means complete absence of illumination of GAR, for he could not be depicted in the female and receive GAR from her, as the ARI wrote about demons and ghosts and Lilits. This is why the flood came and wiped him out, as in “And wiped out every living thing,” for “every living thing” means GAR. Since he lost the illumination of Haya, the flood controlled him.
226) During the generation of the flood, the shell that clung to them was removed from them. Since then, they have been reentering the upper female, since being completely wiped out from the earth removed from them the shell of the serpent of the first drops, regarded as the yeast of the shells, which cannot be corrected. After this hard shell has been removed from them, they have become fit to receive correction in the female. This is regarded as the first correction, for as long as this hard shell is attached to them, they are completely unfit for any correction.
228) The first drops of semen, before Cain was born, are much greater and better than the drops of semen after Cain was born. It has already been explained above that there is a great merit to the first drops of semen, that the shell grips only to Malchut in them, but the first nine are clean, whereas in the final drops of semen, the shells cling to their first nine, too.
Their souls were hanging loose … and were completely strengthened out of their looseness. The very possibility to correct the first drops is regarded as congealing of organs with a strong boundary through the Nukva. By this they are certain never to go astray again as with the sin of the tree of knowledge. This is the whole correction that those souls have during the six thousand years. But at the end of correction, they will be completely corrected, as in “legs touching legs.”
*Shaar HaPsukim, Shemot, Mark 1
230) The exile in Egypt… were mixed with the shells called “Egypt.” Egypt are the shells corresponding to the Garon of ZA which is a narrow [Tzar] place. This means that they are regarded as shells opposite the GAR of Guf of ZA from the Garon to the Chazeh where the Hassadim are covered, since Hassadim are revealed only from the Chazeh down. This is regarded as the land of Canaan, which is considered VAK of Guf of ZA. As long as the shells of Egypt cling in order to suckle from the GAR of Guf of ZA by making the souls sin by extending illumination of Haya to the place of GAR of Guf of ZA so they, too, can enjoy the abundance, HG of ZA remain concealed in the Rosh and do not spread from the Garon down. This is the meaning of the Garon [throat] becoming a narrow place. This implies blocking of Hassadim due to the grip of the Egyptians in the place of the back of the neck of ZA.
This is the meaning of the exile in Egypt, since the souls of the children of Israel fell under their authority and had to serve them according to their wish, to extend to them revealed Hassadim to the place of GAR of Guf of ZA from the Garon downward. This is why the Mochin of ZA departed and did not illuminate to the children of Israel until they were delivered from under their hands and the Mochin of Haya of ZA were born and expanded in their place from Chazeh of ZA and below. This is the meaning of the exodus from Egypt.
In all those explanations, we must remember that correction can come to the souls of people only through Mochin of Haya of ZA since Nukva of ZA, Rachel, does not have the power to deliver souls before ZA obtains Mochin of Haya, much less souls that are the offspring of the Nukva of ZA. By this you will understand that the exile in Egypt was essentially due to lack of Mochin of Haya in ZA. Egypt’s power to enslave Israel was in order to make the souls of Israel sin and draw illumination of Mochin to their quality, to the place of GAR of Guf of ZA, which is called the “gripping of the back of the neck,” which is a continuation of the sin of the tree of knowledge.
However, besides the above-mentioned iniquity, the filth of the serpent that extends from the shells opposite the first restriction, called “death,” was also included in them. By this force, they put the children of Israel to death, as in the verse, “If he is a boy, put him to death.” This is so because any unsorted phase includes all the phases of the shells. However, the Egyptians’ main force of evil was the extension of revealed Hassadim to the forbidden place called the “grip of the back of the neck,” regarded as the canceling of the Parsa of the second restriction. This is the meaning of “They made their lives bitter with hard work and mortar and bricks.”
231) Therefore, he converted them and circumcised them. Circumcision means removing the foreskin, which is the three evil shells clothed in the impure serpent. Joseph circumcised them in order to remove this hard shell from them, which is the beginning of all the corrections. However, they still remained in their main shell called the “grip of the back of the neck.” Those Egyptians that were circumcised by Joseph later reincarnated in the mixed multitude, which Moses toiled to correct them from the grip of the back of the neck, as well.
232) Those drops above the upper Daat itself and did not find the female ready for it. It has been explained above that ZON face-to-face in Mochin of consequence come only from VAK of Haya that shine only to Rachel. One who draws from the phase of Daat, it means from GAR of Haya, since ZA does not have a Nukva that is ready to receive the GAR of Haya because the inner AVI were concealed.
235) “A people from within a people,” etc., they were gentiles like them, and they were cleansed and whitened, etc. In other words, those two forces of impurity of the Egyptian people were truly attached to the children of Israel as to the Egyptians, since this is the meaning of the enslavement under them. For this reason, the children of Israel had to be whitened and sorted until these two forces of impurity are removed from their souls, namely the grip on the back of the neck and the filth of the serpent.
239) They incarnated a second time during the generation of Babylon, and they, too, acted badly like their fathers, but not by wasting sperm. This means that they did not sin in the male quality, in whom there is the matter of wasting sperm. Rather, they sinned in the quality of the Nukva, to whom this does not apply. However, the matter of the sin was also a continuation from the sin of the tree of knowledge since they wanted to revoke the Parsa of the second restriction called “a firmament dividing between water and water.” This is the meaning of what our sages said, “Not all is from Him, He will choose for Himself the upper ones, etc., we will rise to the firmament and fight against Him.” That is, they denied the kernel of the world since the Parsa of the second restriction is the kernel of the world, as in the words, “He created them with a Hey,” that all the worlds emerged only by the correction of this Parsa, which is the small Hey.
*Shaar HaPsukim, Portion Shemot, Mark 1, p 103.
242) They were wiped out then, in the days of the flood, etc., now, too, Pharaoh sentenced them that “Every boy who is born, throw him in the Nile.” These souls of the children of Israel are the souls that fell from Adam HaRishon with the sin of the tree of knowledge, as is written above, that there were two kinds of flaws in the sin of the tree of knowledge. The first was the emission of the drop of semen in vain, as yeast of the shells, which is considered as pulling on his foreskin, since he dropped those souls in the three shells of the foreskin called “stormy wind,” etc. The second was the matter of revoking the Parsa, since he drew illumination of GAR of Haya from AVI of Nekudim who were concealed in Atzilut. Thus, he revoked the Parsa between Atzilut and BYA, as it happened during the seven Melachim [kings] of Nekudim. This is called “denying the kernel,” since he denied the kernel of the world, which is the small Hey of Hibara’am [when they were created], from which all the worlds of ABYA emerged. For this reason, those souls came in two incarnations, one in the generation of the flood, as it is written, “And He wiped out every living thing,” when the shell of the foreskin was separated from them. The second was in the generation of Babylon, when the second shell of denying the kernel still remained in those souls, and by which they sinned with the city and the tower with its top in heaven, meaning they wanted to revoke the Parsa and draw lights of Atzilut to BYA. Afterward they came in the people of Sodom, and then in the souls of the people of Israel in the exile in Egypt. For this reason, those two flaws clung to them as to the Egyptians, which are truly these shells.
This is the meaning of “Since in the beginning, in the generation of the flood, they sinned by wasting their sperm, etc., Pharaoh sentenced them that ‘Every boy who is born, throw him in the Nile,’” since this shell of the foreskin is discerned as death and has correction only in the manner of “and He wiped out every living thing,” by which the generation of the flood were sentenced. For this reason, Pharaoh, too, sentenced them, “Every boy who is born, throw him in the Nile,” as well as “If it is a boy, you shall put him to death.”
This is the meaning of “Corresponding to what they sinned in the incarnation of the generation of Babylon, etc., to rise and deny the kernel, to fight against Him. This is why now it was said instead, etc., and they made their lives bitter building Pithom and Ramesses opposite those city and tower.” The hard work with mortar and bricks is precisely that same iniquity of denying the kernel of the generation of Babylon, and the Egyptians made the children of Israel sin with it.
We should understand the difference between the two incarnations—the generation of the flood and Babylon, and the generation of the exile in Egypt. In the generation of the flood and Babylon, these two shells were still attached and mixed inside those souls of the drops of semen. Hence, they could not be completely corrected. But after the shells were separated from the souls and clothed in the Egyptians, and the souls themselves in the children of Israel, the correction of the souls of the children of Israel became possible, to bring them out of Egypt, as it is written, “a people from within a people.”
*Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate “The General ABYA,” Chapter 2.
246) Concerning the lights that we say their roots remained in their places and their illumination came out, we will explain this, etc. These words of the ARI from Item 246 through Item 251 are shining keys to the full depth of the wisdom from beginning to end. Without them, we would have no way to understand even one issue to the fullest. Let me present a few questions:
1) Since every Keter of a world or a Partzuf is a branch of its upper Malchut, how can it be understood that Keter in every place is truly the phase of Ein Sof, since if it is only an consequence of Malchut, which is only discerned as a vessel in every place?
2) It is known that there is no degree without twenty-five Partzufim, meaning five Partzufim: AA, AVI, and ZON, clothing one another on an equal level, where each of them has five Partzufim—AA, AVI, and ZON to its length. Accordingly, we should understand the difference between them. For example, what is the difference between the inner AA and AA of Abba that clothes it, and AA of Ima, etc., since they are all AA and discerned as an emanator? Also, what is the difference between AVI of AA in its length, and AVI of AVI in their length., etc.?
3) If the inner AA that clothes the line of Ein Sof also has five Partzufim on the length, meaning AVI and ZON, how then is it possible that AVI, which are the third degree from Ein Sof, will clothe the line of Ein Sof equally with AA, and even more so for ZON, which are the fourth degree from Ein Sof, to clothe the line of Ein Sof, which is four degrees far from them?
4) At one time, it is said that the Partzufim clothe one another on an equal level, and another time, it says that they clothe only one below the other, meaning that the lower one clothes a little bit of the upper one. We should know when they are on an equal level and when they are one below the other, as well as the reason for it.
5) This is the main question around which this text revolves. It is the clarification of what the ARI wrote for us in several places, that even after all the ascents of the worlds that occur during the six thousand years, the ladder of degrees does not change at all, since for example, ZON, in the beginning of their emanation, emerged clothing the NHY of AA. They will never raise themselves above it. Even when they clothe the GAR of AA, they do not change their place, since at that time, AA rises to AB of AK, and his NHY are in the place of the previous GAR. Then ZA is drawn with them to the previous GAR of AA, but it does not change so as to rise above NHY of AA. Thus, the ascents never change the ladder of degrees.
The reason for this is that the main cause of all those ascents of the five Partzufim of Atzilut are the souls of the righteous. They raise MAN to ZON so that ZON would draw Mochin for them. These Mochin that ZON draw are drawn to him from the Partzufim above him through Ein Sof, and it is known that there is no absence in the spiritual and it cannot be said that they move from one place and come to another place. Rather, they stay in all the places they went through, since the root of anything in Kedusha [holiness] remains wherever it is, and only its illumination is extended downward. Moreover, the core and root of their illumination remains in their place, and their illumination exits.
For example, when ZA draws Mochin of Neshama, these Mochin come from Ein Sof to Partzuf Atik, which takes the level of Keter in this Neshama, by which he has an ascent to Partzuf SAG of AK. Afterward, it gives the Mochin to AA and takes the level of Hochma in Neshama, and by this he has an ascent to Partzuf Atik of Atzilut. He gives the rest of the Mochin to AVI, who take for themselves the level of Bina in Neshama, and by this they rise to the previous GAR of AA. They give the rest of the level, meaning VAK in Neshama, to ZA, and he has an ascent from the Tabur of AA to the Chazeh of AA. Thus, Atik took the Keter of Neshama, AA took the Hochma of Neshama, AVI took the Bina of Neshama, and only the VAK from them reached ZA.
It follows that now, too, after obtaining Neshama for ZA, the ladder of degrees has not changed at all, since as ZA grew in VAK, all the ones above him grew to the same extent: AVI in Bina, AA in Hochma, and Atik in Keter. Each one rose to a higher degree so that ZA remained in his initial place, which is Tabur of AA. However, since AA himself grew and ascended to the place of Atik, his Tabur also grew and ascended to the previous place of the Chazeh, and ZA was drawn along with it. It is likewise in the rest of the Mochin that ZA obtains: The upper ones grow first. For example, when ZA acquires Haya, the Chazeh of AA ascends to the place of his Garon and ZA is drawn along with him. In Yechida, the Garon of AA ascends to the place of his Galgalta and ZA is drawn along with him. Thus, the ascents do not change the place of the degrees at all, but there is only an overall growth here.
The ARI further clarifies this matter here, which is why he must clarify here the order of the emanation of the degrees in general and in particular. The ARI regards AA here as Keter and not as Atik, since Atik took Keter of MA and AA only Hochma of MA. The thing is that the ARI wants to detail five Partzufim here—AA, AVI, and ZON—and it is known that there is no existence to Partzuf Nukva before ZA obtains the level of Neshama, since then Nukva has a Partzuf back-to-back from the Chazeh of ZA and below. It is also known that when ZA obtains the level of Neshama, he ascends and clothes the Chazeh of AA, and AVI rise and clothe the GAR of AA where there is Hochma of MA, and AA ascends and clothes the GAR of Atik where there is Keter of MA. Thus, now AA already has the level of Keter, and this is why the ARI regards AA as Keter, AVI as Hochma, YESHSUT as Bina, ZA as Ruach, and Nukva as the Chazeh of ZA and below, which is Nefesh of Atzilut. So is always the conduct of the ARI: When he counts the five Partzufim of Atzilut, he does not count Atik because at that time, Atik has already ascended to SAG of AK and AA ascends to GAR of Atik and becomes Keter of MA, and AVI to Hochma of MA, YESHSUT to Bina of MA, and ZON to VAK of MA. But below, in item 253, when he explains the order of the emanation of the Partzuf, he actually begins with Partzuf Atik.
When Ein Sof emanated Keter, He made it from all five Partzufim, which are the Keter in it, AVI, and ZON in it. Here we should remember the two great distinctions that the ARI presented, and note them in every level of ten Sefirot, both from world to world, and from degree to degree: In the ten Sefirot of direct light, regarded as Keter, and four phases HB TM, there is no division between one world and the next, or between one degree and the next. As they are four phases in Atzilut, so they are at the end of Assiya. The only difference from one world to the next and from one degree to the next is only in the screen.
It is as he explains in the beginning of the chapter, that the ten Sefirot of direct light become coarser in an order of four phases, each coarser than the other. Phase one is Hochma, phase two is Bina, which is coarser than Hochma, phase three is ZA, which is even coarser, etc., and in the vessel of Malchut, a screen was established, which strikes and repels the light back as reflected light. He explained there that initially, the light of Ein Sof expanded by the order of the above-mentioned four phases of direct light until it reached the screen in the vessel of Malchut. Then the screen raised reflected light to the beginning of the level of direct light and clothes them, and then the self dresses in the vessels.
This matter requires a long clarification. I have already explained it in The Study of Ten Sefirot, and here I will bring only a brief summary sufficient for the matter before us. The vessel of Malchut is the primary vessel of reception of the Sefirot. All those four phases of coarseness that the ARI presents, in HB TM of direct light, are depicted primarily in the vessel of Malchut itself and in the screen in her. Hence, Malchut and the screen are divided into five phases of coarseness in which there are five levels of coupling by striking in the above manner one below the other.
The rule is that the coarser the screen, the higher the level of reflected light it raises. If the coarseness in the vessel of Malchut is fully complete, meaning in phase four, when the upper light strikes the screen in her, it raises reflected light that clothes up to the level of Keter of direct light. If the coarseness of the vessel Malchut is only of phase three, her reflected light that rises during the coupling by striking reaches only the level of Hochma of direct light, and this level of ten Sefirot lacks Keter. If the coarseness in Malchut is only phase two of coarseness, her reflected light reaches only the level of Bina of direct light, and the level lacks two Sefirot: Keter and Hochma. If there is only coarseness of phase one in Malchut, it clothes only the level of ZA and lacks KHB. If there is no coarseness in her at all, but only as the root phase of coarseness, she elicits only the level of Malchut, lacking the first nine Sefirot.
Through this screen, meaning according to those five phases of coarseness, the worlds were differentiated from one another, since in the world of AK, Malchut from coarseness of phase four operated. For this reason, her reflected light reached the level of Keter. This is why AK is called “the world of Keter.” In Atzilut there was coarseness of phase three in Malchut; hence, she elicited there the level of Hochma. In Beria there was coarseness of phase two in her, and thus the screen elicited the level of Bina. In Yetzira there was coarseness of phase one in her, and thus the level of ZA emerged there, and in Assiya there was root coarseness in her, which is why there is only the level of Malchut there.
As the screen distinguishes one world from another, so it distinguishes between the five Partzufim in each world. The Keter of Atzilut emerges through a screen of phase four, and Hochma of Atzilut, called Abba, emerges on a screen of phase three, lacking Keter. Bina of Atzilut, called Ima or YESHSUT, emerges through a screen of phase two and lacks Keter and Hochma, and ZA of Atzilut emerges through a screen of phase one and lacks GAR, which are KHB. Nukva emerges from a screen of the root; hence, she lacks all first nine Sefirot.
All this pertains only to the level of the degree. However the ten Sefirot of direct light KHB ZA and Malchut are equal in all the worlds and all the Partzufim, since even in the world of Assiya, where there is only the level of Malchut, called NHY, lacking the first nine Sefirot, it does not mean that it completely lacks the first nine, since it is inconceivable that any degree would emerge without ten Sefirot of direct light in it: KHB, ZA, and Malchut. Rather, it means that in fact, she does have ten Sefirot, but since the coarseness in her is very faint, her reflected light is faint and reaches only the level of Malchut. As a result, all ten Sefirot in her will be only on the level of Malchut, since Keter will be on the level of Malchut, Hochma on the level of Malchut, Bina on the level of Malchut, ZA in her will be on the level of Malchut, and Malchut herself will be on the level of Malchut, since this distinction of level does not exist at all in the ten Sefirot of direct light.
It is likewise in the world of Yetzira where there is only the level of ZA: All ten Sefirot KHB ZON are on the level of ZA. Likewise, each of the ten Sefirot of Beria is on the level of Bina. Thus, the matter of the ten Sefirot of direct light and the matter of the level in those ten Sefirot are two completely separate distinctions, since there must be ten Sefirot of direct light in each level and in each degree, even in the smallest of the smallest. However, the level of those ten Sefirot is a different matter that depends on the measure of coarseness of the vessel of Malchut that operates in the degree in a coupling by striking, where the coarser it is, the higher the level that its screen raises.
This is the meaning of what the ARI says here, “When Ein Sof emanated Keter, He made it from all five Partzufim, which are the Keter in it, AVI, and ZON in it,” since the level of Keter of Atzilut, called Partzuf AA, emerged through a coupling by striking in the screen in the vessel of Malchut of coarseness of phase four. That is, the light of Ein Sof that consists of Keter and the four phases of direct light called HB TM expanded through the screen in the vessel of Malchut of phase four and struck it. By the force of the striking of the descent, it rose again as reflected light and clothed the Keter and the four phases HB TM of direct light. By this, the self clothed in the vessels and the degree was completed. Thus, as soon as these five phases of Keter and HB TM of direct light expand into the abovementioned coupling by striking, they are incorporated in one another and become twenty-five Sefirot, meaning five Sefirot clothing each other to the width, and in each of which there are five Sefirot KHB TM to the length on an even level.
The reason for it is that anything in Kedusha that moves from place to place, it does not mean that it became absent in its first place and came to another place as it is in corporeality. Rather, there is only an addition here, since it remained entirely in the first place even after its arrival at the second place. Since the Sefira of Keter is the root of all four phases of direct light, and they pass through it, they all leave their roots in it. Hence, only the Sefira of Keter contains all five phases KHB TM of direct light.
Also, the three Sefirot Bina and ZON that necessarily pass through the Sefira of Hochma of direct light leave their roots in it, so Hochma contains all four phases HB TM to its length, since all that is coarser from another is regarded as lower than it. For this reason, they seem to be one below the other to the length.
Also, the two Sefirot ZA and Malchut that pass through Bina leave their roots in it. This is why there are three Sefirot in the Sefirot of Bina: Bina, ZA, and Malchut. Similarly, the Sefira of Malchut remains in ZA, which contains two Sefirot, ZA and Malchut, and the Sefira of Malchut has only its own phase of direct light because no Sefira passes through it.
This incorporation is done by the five phases of direct light themselves before the coupling by striking that raises reflected light and clothes them through Keter takes place. At that time, Keter consists of five phases, Hochma of four phases, Bina of three phases, ZA of two, and Malchut of one.
However, after the coupling by striking is done and the reflected light rises and clothes them, the reflected light makes everyone’s level even. It follows that now Hochma has gained the Sefira of Keter by the reflected light that clothed it and its level became even with Keter, Bina gained two phases, Keter and Hochma. through the reflected light, and her level, too, became even with Keter, etc., and Malchut gained four Sefirot KHB ZA and her level, too, became even with the Keter. Thus, the level of each of the five phases of direct light KHB TM is even through Keter. They clothe one another in thickness [coarseness], and each of them has five phases KHB TM at their length, for which they become twenty-five Sefirot.
All this is on the degree of the Rosh of the Partzuf. It is known that Malchut of Rosh returns and expands from above downward with the reflected light in her, and like them makes twenty-five Sefirot in the Guf, called the Toch of the Partzuf through the Tabur. Afterward, they expand in the Sof of the Partzuf in twenty-five Sefirot from Tabur down to the Sium Raglayim. Then, after this expansion into Rosh-Toch-Sof, she is called a Partzuf. That is, each Sefira of direct light in her, after expanding into Rosh-Toch-Sof, is called a Partzuf. Thus, those five Sefirot KHB TM that expanded to a coupling by striking in Malchut of the Rosh, and from expanded from there into the Toch-Sof through the Sium Raglayim, are now called five Partzufim AA, AVI, and ZON, which clothe one another on the thickness on an equal level, where each of them has also five Partzufim AA, AVI, and ZON to the length. It follows that the twenty-five Sefirot that emerged through a coupling by striking in Malchut of Rosh have now become twenty-five Partzufim.
This is why the ARI writes, “When Ein Sof emanated Keter, He made it from all five Partzufim, which are the Keter in it, AVI, and ZON in it,” as was explained above, that through the five phases of direct light that expanded into a coupling by striking in the screen in the vessel of Malchut, five Partzufim emerge: AA, AVI, and ZON, which clothe one atop the other in thickness on an equal level, and in each of them there are five Partzufim: AA, AVI, and ZON to the length. Together, they are twenty-five Partzufim, as mentioned above. Remember this for the rest of the words of the ARI.
Know that this coupling for Keter of the world of Atzilut was done in Malchut of the world above Atzilut, called “the world of AK.” That is, the five phases of direct light that expand from Ein Sof pass through five Partzufim—AA, AVI, and ZON of AK—until they strike the screen in the vessel of Malchut of AK, and the screen raises reflected light that clothes these five phases of direct light. Then the Keter of Atzilut is emanated and becomes the five general Partzufim AA, AVI, and ZON, in thickness, where each of them has five Partzufim AA, AVI, and ZON to the length, and they clothe one another on an equal level. Then they descend from there to their place in Atzilut and clothe the line of Ein Sof that expands in Atzilut.
This thoroughly explains the first question that we asked, how is it possible that Keter will be the actual phase of Ein Sof since it is only a branch emanated by Malchut in the upper world, and Malchut is always a vessel. According to what was explained, it is clear that Keter and the four phases of direct light are extended only from Ein Sof. However, in order to clothe in reflected light, they make a coupling in a coupling by striking with Malchut of the upper one, and from the perspective of this coupling by striking that is done with Malchut of the upper one, this Malchut is regarded as the emanator of the lower world. However, the lights of direct light themselves come only from Ein Sof and pass through the five Partzufim of the upper world, each in its corresponding phase in the five Partzufim of the upper world.
Thus, the installing of Ein Sof—called the Sefira of Keter—on the four phases of direct light, is extended from the actual Ein Sof and passes through Partzuf Keter of AK. From it, the rest of the four phases of direct light expand through the four Partzufim of AK, HB TM, until they come in a coupling by striking in the vessel of Malchut of AK, clothe there in a garment of reflected light, and descend from there to their place in the world of Atzilut.
It follows that Keter is extended only from Ein Sof, it is truly Ein Sof, in itself and all that it receives from Malchut of the upper one is only a clothing in reflected light. Likewise, the other four phases of direct light are only branches of Keter and receive only the clothing of reflected light from Malchut of the upper one. What was said in several places, that Malchut of the upper one becomes Atik for the lower one, is a completely different matter that will be explained in its place. According to what was explained, we can understand the rest of the words of the ARI.
When He emanated the Keter in it, all the Ketarim [pl. of Keter] from there down were included in it one inside the other. Now the ARI explains the order of their clothing one another and the line of Ein Sof in Atzilut after they descended from Malchut of the upper one to their permanent place in Atzilut. Know that the ARI usually calls the five Partzufim to the length of the Partzuf by the names Keter ABYA, where the Rosh of the Partzuf through the Garon is called Keter, from the Garon to the Chazeh, it is called Atzilut, which is Partzuf Abba or AVI, from the Chazeh to the Tabur it is called Beria, and it is Partzuf Ima or YESHSUT, and from the Tabur to the Sium Raglayim of the Partzuf it is called Yetzira and Assiya, or ZON. Thus, there are five Partzufim here on an equal level in thickness—AA, AVI, and ZON—which clothe one another, and each of them has five Partzufim to the length called Keter, Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, Assiya.
It has already been explained that these five Partzufim to the thickness that clothe one another, which are called AA, AVI, and ZON, are the self of the Sefirot of the five phases of direct light. The five Partzufim that emerged for each of them to the length, which are called Keter ABYA, come only from their incorporation in one another. As they emerge from one another, each leaves its root in the one above it, and for this reason they were incorporated in one another.
We should understand the big difference between the Partzufim of thickness and the Partzufim of length. The Partzufim of thickness are five degrees separate from one another in a manner of cause and consequence at great distances, since Partzuf Keter is the actual phase of Ein Sof and is the phase of emanator and the root of all of them. Partzuf Hochma is very different from it because it is already an emanated light. However, it is considered a second degree to Keter since the vessel in it is very thin and is still regarded as light without a vessel. It is known that as long as the light does not clothe in a vessel, it cannot be discerned as having exited from the state of the Emanator, and it is therefore close to the Keter.
However, Bina has grown far from Partzuf Hochma, which is Abba, since the root of the vessel is already in her, and the light in her is light of Hassadim and not of Hochma. ZA grew even farther because the vessel in him is close to the vessel of Malchut, and Partzuf Malchut is the most separate of all since it is already a complete vessel. This is how the five Partzufim of thickness are so distinguished from one another.
However, the five Partzufim to the length that exist in each of them come only from their incorporation in one another and do not change at all the actual Partzuf in the thickness. For example, Partzuf Keter is regarded as Ein Sof and the root of all four Partzufim. It was said that it comprises all of the other four Partzufim, which expand in it to its length, and are called ABYA. Being the root of Partzuf Hochma, which is Abba, when Abba departed from him, he left his root in him, called Atzilut in him, from the Garon to the Chazeh, and he is called Keter of Atzilut, meaning the root of Abba.
Also, when Keter emanated Partzuf Ima, she left her root in Keter and is called Beria from the Chazeh to the Tabur, and he is called Keter of Beria, meaning the root of Ima. Likewise, when Keter emanated the Partzufim of ZON, they left their root in him. These are called Yetzira and Assiya in Keter from his Tabur to his Sium Raglayim. This is called Keter of Yetzira and Keter of Assiya, meaning the root of ZA and the root of Nukva.
Thus, all those four Partzufim ABYA in Keter are merely roots, meaning they are all discerned as Ein Sof and have nothing of the quality of the four Partzufim, although each of the four Partzufim left its root in Keter because one does not give what one does not have, and also because they went out of him. Thus, it does not change the quality of Ein Sof in him, but rather Keter of Atzilut is regarded as the Keter of Abba, meaning his root. Likewise, Keter of Beria is regarded as the root of Partzuf Ima, and it is Ein Sof, and Yetzira and Assiya in him are regarded as the roots of the Partzufim of ZON, although they are Ein Sof. In this manner, all of those four Partzufim ABYA to the length of AA are all actual Ketarim and do not change in any way because they are roots of the four Partzufim AVI and ZON.
In the same manner, the five Partzufim to the length, Keter and ABYA, that exist in Partzuf Abba in the five Partzufim of thickness do not change the quality of Abba whatsoever. Although it is true that Abba is incorporated in them since he is their root and they passed through him, but the branch cannot change its root in any way. There is nothing of the quality of Ima in Beria of Abba. Rather, she is called Beria because she is the root of Ima, and likewise Yetzira and Assiya in Abba. Thus, all those five Partzufim to the length in Abba are discerned as Abba and are all Hochma. This means that they are the phase of emanated light that has no vessel.
Likewise, the five Partzufim to the length in Bina are all discerned as Ima and are all the phase of light of Hassadim. Although she consists of Keter and Hochma, it does not change her quality since the incorporation does not change the essence of the Partzuf at all. Similarly, the five Partzufim to the length in ZON are all regarded as ZON from their Rosh to their Sof.
This is the meaning of what the ARI says, “When He emanated the Keter in it, all the Ketarim [pl. of Keter] from there down were included in it one inside the other down to Assiya. How? Keter of Atzilut clothes Keter of Beria, and Keter of Yetzira is over it, and Keter of Assiya is on it, clothing it.” He makes the precision of telling us that all those four Partzufim AVI and ZON included at the length of AA, called ABYA. They do not change his self whatsoever, which is Keter and Ein Sof, and they are all actual Ketarim, meaning they are all actually Ein Sof. However, we should discern in them that Atzilut in it is Keter to the phase of Abba, etc., and Yetzira and Assiya in it are Ketarim to ZON and slightly clothe one another along their length, since from the Garon to the Chazeh it clothes Keter of Atzilut, and from the Chazeh to the Tabur it clothes Keter of Beria, and from the Tabur down are the Ketarim of Yetzira and Assiya. The reason is that any phase that is attributed to the root of a coarser Partzuf is regarded as a lower root. Hence, they are arranged one below the other to their length, since Keter of Beria, which is the root of Ima, is coarser than Partzuf Abba. Therefore, it is considered that the Keter of Beria is below the Keter of Atzilut, which is the root of Abba, etc., likewise.
This reconciles the second question that we asked: Since each of the five Partzufim in the thickness has the same five Partzufim as in the length, what then is the difference between one Partzuf and the other? Now we thoroughly understand the great difference between them. For example, Partzuf Abba in AA, which is called the Atzilut in it, has no similarity at all to all five Partzufim of Abba to the thickness, since Atzilut of AA is truly Ein Sof but it is the phase of Keter of Abba. Conversely, the whole of Partzuf Abba from Rosh to Sof is the phase of emanated light and is not the phase of root and Ein Sof. Even the Keter of Abba of the thickness, which is Ein Sof, is nonetheless not regarded as actual Keter because it is in it only through equalizing the level of the reflected light that evens all the Sefirot to an equal level, and is only an installment of it in it. However, Atzilut of AA is regarded as actual Keter for the light of Ein Sof in the sense that it is the root and the emanator of the phase of Abba. In this way you can discern in each of the twenty-five Partzufim the special quality in it, which is very different from those like it that exist in other Partzufim.
The third question we posed there is also settled. We asked how it was possible that Abba in AA to the thickness could clothe the line of Ein Sof since he is phase two from Ein Sof, and all the more so the rest of the Partzufim Bina and ZON that are included in AA to the length. Now it is very clear, since all those four Partzufim ABYA included in AA to the length are not at all from the four Partzufim, but all of them are actual Ketarim and they are all the phase of Ein Sof. Therefore, all of them clothe the line of Ein Sof.
Similarly, since the five Partzufim to the length of Abba, which are Keter and ABYA of Abba, are all Hochma, which is the second degree of Keter, they clothe the Keter and ABYA of AA on an equal level. Likewise, since the five Partzufim to the length of Ima are all Bina, which are a second degree to Hochma, they clothe Keter and ABYA of Abba, which are Hochma, on an equal level. Similarly, the five Partzufim to the length of ZA, which are all small, clothe Keter and ABYA of Ima on an equal level since they are a second degree to them. In the same way, the five Partzufim to the length—Keter and ABYA of Nukva—are all females, which are a second degree to ZON. Therefore, they clothe Keter and ABYA of ZON on an equal level.
247) In the individual matter, the allegory is in this: Keter of AA and on it Keter Abba, etc. He tells us here that even if you find that we detail each of the five Partzufim of the length of Keter into five new Partzufim, such as when AA emanates to Nefesh of Nefesh of Nefesh of the lower one, which must emerge from Partzuf Malchut of Assiya of AA, meaning a fifth Partzuf of the quality of Assiya in it, at that time, each of the Partzufim of the length will necessarily divide into five Partzufim again. He tells us that this does not mean that there is something in them from the four Partzufim to the thickness. Rather, even then they are all Ketarim, since the five Partzufim AA, AVI, and ZON that divide in Atzilut of AA are only Ketarim of those five Partzufim, and the five Partzufim AA, AVI, and ZON that divide again in Beria of Partzuf Keter are only Ketarim of five Partzufim and the parts of Yetzira and Assiya of Partzuf AA in a manner that the whole of the new division that was done in the five Partzufim of the length of AA that have now become twenty-five Partzufim to the length does not change the essence of the quality of Partzuf AA in any way, and all twenty-five Partzufim of the length are but twenty-five Ketarim.
Thus far, the ARI spoke only of the inner Partzuf of the five Partzufim of thickness of AA that clothe one another on an equal level, and which is called Partzuf Keter of AA or AA of AA. Initially, he explains the five Partzufim to the length in it, which are called Keter and ABYA of Partzuf Keter of AA. Then he also explains the division of each of these five Partzufim of Keter and ABYA into five new Partzufim to the length which he now calls AA, AVI, and ZON. These are now twenty-five Partzufim which are all only Ketarim.
In Item 248, the ARI explains the other four Partzufim on the thickness of AA, which are called Hochma, Bina, ZA, and Nukva, or AVI, YESHSUT, ZA, and Nukva. In each of those four Partzufim there are also the same five Partzufim to the length, Keter and ABYA, which were explained here in the Partzuf Keter of AA, and sometimes they are classified into the twenty-five Partzufim of the length, as the ARI wrote about the Partzuf of AA.
Know that the division of the Partzuf at the thickness always precedes the length, for the length becomes itemized only by the incorporation of the parts on the thickness. Thus, once the five Partzufim of the thickness have been detailed into twenty-five Partzufim of the thickness that clothe one another on an equal level, the five Partzufim to the length are also detailed into twenty-five Partzufim one below the other.
Simple Light
248) When he emanated Hochma, all the Hochmot [pl. of Hochma] in the whole world were included in him, as was mentioned. In other words, when Partzuf Keter of AA that consists of five Partzufim to the length which are all Ketarim emanated Partzuf Hochma of AA that clothes its thickness, it, too, consists of five Partzufim on its length, which are Keter and ABYA, like AA. However, these five Partzufim to the length of Partzuf Abba of the thickness, called Partzuf Hochma, are all Hochmot from its Rosh to its Sof, as written above, that the five Partzufim made in the length of each Partzuf do not change its own quality in any way since these three Partzufim Bina and ZON that were included in Abba as they pass through him do not create in him any coarseness or a vessel, and he remains entirely emanated light without any vessel as with the Sefira Hochma, since these Partzufim Beria, Yetzira, Assiya are only roots of the three Partzufim Bina and ZON to the thickness. Also, the Keter in him is only an induction of AA that is included in him but is not actually Keter like AA. This is the meaning of “When he emanated Hochma, all the Hochmot [pl. of Hochma] in the whole world were included in him, as was mentioned” in AA, meaning the Keter in him. Partzuf Atzilut, which is Hochma, dresses over him, and on him Hochma of Beria, and on him Hochma of Yetzira, and on him Hochma of Assiya, as mentioned about Keter and ABYA of AA.
It is likewise in Bina, in which there are all the Binot [pl. of Bina], and in ZA, all the Zeir Anpins in the whole world, and in Nukva, all the Nukvot [pl. of Nukva]. This is as was explained above concerning the two previous Partzufim. Likewise, the five Partzufim to the length of the third Partzuf of AA, which are Keter and ABYA of Bina in him, are all Binot. Also, Keter and ABYA of ZA of AA are all small. Even if those five Partzufim of his were to divide into another five Partzufim and he will have twenty-five Partzufim to the length, they would also be all small and there will not be anything in them that is not from the quality of KHB and not from the quality of Nukva of the thickness, and so forth through the end of the world.
This is so because as was explained above, all the division to the length comes only from the incorporation of the Partzufim in one another. For this reason, they do not change the essence of the Partzuf at all. It is likewise in the five Partzufim to the length—Keter and ABYA of Nukva of AA, for they all have one reason.
Thus, we have explained the twenty-five Partzufim of Partzuf Keter called AA of Atzilut, which are five Partzufim—AA, AVI, and ZON of AA—which clothe one another on an equal level to the thickness. In each of them there are five Partzufim to the length called Keter ABYA. The main difference in degrees is only the Partzufim of thickness, but in the Partzufim to the length there is no difference at all from the actual Partzuf of thickness. Rather, they are arranged one below the other according to the relation of the branches in the thickness, and each root of Hochma on the thickness is placed under Keter, each root of Bina in the thickness is under the Hochma, slightly clothing it, and likewise each root of ZA in the thickness is under Bina, slightly clothing it, and the root of the Nukva is under the root of ZA.
For this reason, Keter ABYA of AA in the thickness clothe the line of Ein Sof, Keter ABYA of Abba in the thickness clothe it on an equal level, Keter ABYA of Ima clothe it on an equal level, Keter ABYA of ZA in the thickness clothe it on an equal level, and Keter ABYA of Nukva in the thickness clothe it on an equal level. But the five Partzufim to the length in each one clothe one another only slightly and not on an equal level. Thus, Atzilut of each one slightly clothes Keter of each one and stands under it; Beria of each one slightly clothes Atzilut of each one and stands under it and so forth likewise.
249) When AA emanated Abba of Atzilut, the Keter in him took AA for himself and placed everything below his degree in Abba. Here the ARI begins to explain the four garments of AA called AB, SAG, MA, BON. In each world, there is an inner HaVaYaH from which four Partzufim AB-SAG-MA-BON emerge one below the other. Partzuf AB, called Abba or upper AVI, emerges from the Yod of the inner HaVaYaH. Partzuf SAG that clothe from the Peh of Partzuf AB and below emerges from the Hey of the inner HaVaYaH. Partzuf MA that clothes from the Peh down of Partzuf SAG emerges from Vav of the inner HaVaYaH, and Partzuf BON emerges from the bottom Hey of the inner HaVaYaH.
The inner HaVaYaH of the world of Atzilut are the above-mentioned twenty-five Partzufim of AA, where the inner Keter ABYA of AA in the five Partzufim of the thickness of AA is regarded as the tip of the Yod of this HaVaYaH. The five Partzufim of the length of Abba of AA are Yod of the inner HaVaYaH. The five Partzufim of the length of Ima of AA are the first Hey of the inner HaVaYaH, the first Hey of the length of ZA of AA are the Vav of this HaVaYaH, and the five Partzufim of the length of Nukva of AA are the bottom Hey of this inner HaVaYaH. It has already been explained that all of them are on an equal level.
However, the four Partzufim AB-SAG-MA-BON that emerge from the four letters of the inner HaVaYaH emerge from four special couplings by striking: Partzuf AB emerges from a coupling by striking on a screen of coarseness of phase three, Partzuf SAG emerges through a screen of phase two, and Partzuf MA emerges through a screen of phase one. This is so because just as the five worlds AK and ABYA differ from one another by the coarseness of the screen in the vessel of Malchut, the five inclusive Partzufim in each world differ from one another by the coarseness in the screen.
Thus, Partzuf Keter of Atzilut emerged through a coupling by striking on a screen in a vessel of Malchut whose coarseness is phase four. When Partzuf Keter emanated Partzuf AB of Atzilut that emerges from Yod of his inner HaVaYaH, he extracted it through a coupling by striking on a screen in phase three, whose reflected light does not reach the level of Keter but only the level of Hochma, and that a coupling was done in Peh of Rosh of Partzuf Keter. Hence, it is considered that the level of Keter of Partzuf AB remains in the Peh of Rosh of Partzuf Keter and did not emerge with Partzuf AB that was emanated from it. Thus, all five phases of direct light are lacking on the level of Keter and begin from the light of Hochma.
It is considered that the light of Hochma clothed in Partzuf AB in a vessel of Keter. It follows that Keter has descended below the degree of Hochma. For this reason, Partzuf AB begins from the Peh of Partzuf Keter and below, where there are Hochma of the five Partzufim of the length of Keter. With regard to Keter, it is regarded as having no Rosh. Also, when Partzuf AB emanated Partzuf SAG of Atzilut, called Ima, he emanated it through a coupling by striking on the screen in phase two, whose reflected light reaches only the level of Bina. It follows that Ima, too, has no Hochma and has only from Bina down. When Ima emanated Partzuf ZA, she emanated it through a coupling on a screen of phase one, whose reflected light reaches only the level of VAK, and it has no Bina, too.
Therefore, you find that all the degrees gradually diminish because of the screen. For this reason, each lower one is regarded as having no Rosh compared to its upper one. Thus, AB has no Rosh compared to Keter and begins to clothe it from the Peh of Partzuf Keter downward. Likewise, SAG is regarded as having no Rosh compared to AB, and AB clothes only from the Peh of Rosh of AB and below, and MA, Partzuf ZA, is regarded as having no HGT of SAG, too, and clothes only from the Tabur down.
He says, “When AA emanated Abba of Atzilut, the Keter in him took AA for himself, and placed everything below his degree in Abba. Thus, all the Hochmot are placed in Abba,” as it is written, that he emanated Partzuf AB, which is called Abba, through a screen of coarseness of phase three which elicits only the level of Hochma. Thus, Keter of Abba remained in Peh of Rosh AA. This is why he says, “Keter in him took AA for himself,” and gave him only what is below his degree, meaning only from the level of Hochma and below. It is known that the essence of the Partzuf is determined by the highest phase in it, at the Rosh of its level. Hence, Abba is regarded as all Hochmot, as he says, “All the Hochmot are placed in Abba,” and there is no phase of Keter in him or from the other phases since it is valued entirely according to the uppermost phase in him.
He says, “as was mentioned regarding AA,” meaning that Partzuf Abba, too, divides into twenty-five Partzufim that are five Partzufim—AA, AVI, and ZON—that clothe one another on an equal level to the thickness, and in each of which there are five Partzufim Keter and ABYA to its length. The five Partzufim that clothe one another to the thickness and their incorporation in one another that makes in each of them five Partzufim to the length does not depend at all on the level of the degree, since those were made mainly by the five phases of direct light themselves. Rather, the reflected light equals their level to one another, but the level of the reflected light does not add or take away anything concerning the division in length and in thickness.
Thus, in Abba, too, there is an inner Partzuf called AA of Abba in which there is Keter and ABYA to its length, and it clothes from the Peh of the last Partzuf downward in the thickness of Partzuf Keter, meaning a Partzuf Nukva of Keter. On it, Keter and ABYA of Partzuf Abba of Abba clothe on an equal level, and Keter and ABYA of Partzuf Ima of Abba clothe it on an equal level. Keter and ABYA of ZA of Abba clothe it on an equal level, and Keter and ABYA of Nukva of Abba clothe it on an equal level just as has been explained concerning the twenty-five Partzufim of Keter. However, the difference between them is that although we divided between the five Partzufim of Keter that clothe one another to the thickness according to the distinctions of the five phases of direct light, they are all still regarded as Ketarim because their level is that they are all the level of Keter. However, regarding those twenty-five Partzufim of Abba, although for itself, we divide his five Partzufim of thickness according to the distinctions of direct light, they are all only Hochma since the highest phase in them is the level of Hochma.
And likewise in Ima and in ZON, meaning in the three Partzufim SAG, MA, and BON of Atzilut, which are called Ima and ZON that emerge from one another through three special couplings where SAG emerges from a screen of phase two and lacks a Rosh with respect to AB, and Nukva lacks a Rosh with respect to MA, which is ZA. However, in Ima, ZA, and Nukva, there are twenty-five Partzufim in each, as was explained concerning Keter and AB. Yet, all twenty-five Partzufim of Ima are Bina, since the highest phase in them is the level of Bina. Likewise, all twenty-five Partzufim of ZA are on the level of VAK since the highest phase in them is VAK, and all twenty-five Partzufim of Nukva are Nukva since the highest phase in them is the level of Malchut called “the level of NHY.” Nevertheless, we should discern in each of them that his five Partzufim of thickness that clothe one another on an equal level are also discerned according to the distinction in the five phases of direct light, as written above concerning Partzuf AB.
In this manner, there are two discernments to make in each Partzuf: The first is according to the five phases of direct light, where Keter in it is Ein Sof, Hochma in it is light that is emanated in a very thin vessel, Bina is light of Hassadim at the root of the vessel, the vessel of ZA is thicker, and Nukva is already a complete vessel. Likewise, the rest of the discernments that are there are according to the ten Sefirot of direct light. This discernment also applies to the five Partzufim of each degree that clothe the thickness of one another on an equal level.
We should make another discernment: According to values of level, where all twenty-five Partzufim in each degree are arranged according to their level, if the degree is on the level of Keter, all of his twenty-five Partzufim are regarded as Ketarim. If it is the level Hochma, all twenty-five Partzufim are regarded as Hochma. If it is the level of Bina, they are all regarded as Bina, if it is the level of ZA, they are all regarded as ZA, and if it is the level of Malchut, they are all regarded as Malchut. You already know that the level does not depend at all on the five phases of direct light, but only on the measure of coarseness in the screen on which the coupling by striking with the upper light is done.
And in all three worlds BYA, meaning the three worlds BYA below the Parsa of Atzilut. As has been explained concerning the five inclusive Partzufim of Atzilut, in each of which there are twenty-five Partzufim, this also applies to the three worlds BYA that are below the Parsa of the world of Atzilut. Thus, in AA of Beria there are five Partzufim AA and AVI and ZON that clothe one another on an equal level, and in each of them there are five Partzufim Keter and ABYA to the length. Likewise, there are five Partzufim AA, AVI, and ZON in Abba of Beria that clothe one another on an equal level on the thickness where in each of them there are five Partzufim Keter and ABYA on the length. Likewise, Ima of Beria has five Partzufim AA and AVI and ZON that clothe one another at an equal level where in each of them there are five Partzufim Keter and ABYA on the length. These three inclusive Partzufim emerge from one another in three special couplings and clothe one below the other.
We should know that AA of Beria lacks GAR and there is only the light of HGT in his Rosh. Inside the Sof of his Guf there is only light of NHY. And yet, it divides into five Partzufim on the thickness where in each there are five Partzufim on the length, since his Rosh is regarded as his Keter and his Toch through the Chazeh is regarded as Atzilut in him. His Sof from the Chazeh down is regarded as his BYA, and all of his five Partzufim on the thickness divide similarly. The inclusive Abba of Beria also lacks GAR, and light of HGT dresses in his Rosh, and only the light of NHY dresses in his Toch-Sof. Nevertheless, it divides into five Partzufim to the length as was explained regarding AA of Beria. Thus, the inclusive Abba of Beria also contains five Partzufim—Keter, AA, AVI, and ZON—on an equal level that clothe one another on the thickness, where in each of them there are five Partzufim on the length which are called Keter and ABYA.
The inclusive Partzuf Ima of Beria has complete GAR on the level of Bina, and she, too, has five Partzufim that clothe one another on an equal level on the thickness where in each of them there are five Partzufim Keter and ABYA on the length.
It is likewise in the Partzufim in Yetzira and Assiya since the three worlds BYA are regarded as one Partzuf where Beria is the Rosh, the world of Yetzira is regarded as the Toch, and the world of Assiya is regarded as NHY and Sof. Also, it is known that everything that is found in the Rosh is also in the Guf through the Tabur, which is called Toch, and it is also like that from Tabur down, which is called Sof.
250) Let us elaborate for you on the matter of ZA. Initially, ZA was emanated from Keter AA, etc., then AA took the part that belongs to AA. This pertains to the clarification about the five inclusive Partzufim of Atzilut where he says, “When AA emanated Abba of Atzilut, the Keter in him took AA for himself. Thus, all the Hochmot are placed in Abba, and likewise in Ima and in ZON.” Now the ARI explains one Partzuf from among them in detail so as to understand from it the four inclusive Partzufim that emerge through special couplings, and whose level gradually decreases because of the screen. This clarification mainly comes to show that with all the ascents that the Partzufim do, the ladder of degrees from the time they were created never changes.
It has been explained above that here the ARI calls Keter of Atzilut by the name AA, and AB of Atzilut by the name AVI, and SAG of Atzilut by the name YESHSUT. He says, “Initially, ZA was emanated from Keter AA in which all of ZA is included.” This means that when the level of ZA emerged in AA, there was a complete level in him, KHB ZON. “Then, AA took the part that belongs to the quality AA and the rest emerged in AVI,” meaning that when he gave the level of ZA to AVI, he did not give them the full level of ZA through the Keter as it emerged in AA. Rather, he gave them from Hochma of ZA and below, and the level of Keter of ZA remains in AA himself. As Abba himself cannot receive from the quality of Keter of AA when he is emanated from him, for the same reason, he cannot receive anything from Keter of ZA. Rather, he receives from Hochma of ZA and below. “And likewise in AVI,” meaning that when AVI gave the level of ZA to YESHSUT, they gave only from Bina of ZA and below, while Hochma of ZA remains in AVI since YESHSUT is all Bina and cannot receive anything from the quality of Hochma. Likewise, when YESHSUT elicited the level of ZA from himself to the place of ZA, he gave him only the quality of VAK of VAK since he divides into two Tevunot [pl. of Tevuna] where Bina remains in the first Tevuna, and GAR of VAK are in the second Tevuna. Thus, when the level of ZA emerges, it necessarily emerges from the inner HaVaYaH, which is AA, and traverses the Partzufim AVI and YESHSUT that are above him. You find that the core and root of his illumination, which is Keter Hochma Bina of ZA, remains in those above him: Keter of ZA remains in AA, Hochma of ZA remains in AVI, Bina of ZA remains in YESHSUT, and only the branch comes to him, which is VAK, namely ZA of the level of ZA.
It was said, “You find that the discernments of son and daughter, which are ZON of AA of Keter of Atzilut remain there.” This means that the quality of Keter ZON in AA is regarded as its ZON. Yetzira and Assiya of AA are Ketarim for ZON, and he remains there. It is written, “The rest of the phases of ZON emerged (in AVI) in NHY of Tevuna, and then ZON remain there.” This means that after he emerges from AA, he traverses AVI and YESHSUT, and Hochma of ZON and Bina of ZON remain there, and only ZA of ZA reach his place, meaning VAK of ZA lacking his first three, which are Keter Hochma Bina that he left in the ones above him as he passed through them. It is written, “In a manner that the root of ZON is that part of their Keter that was included in Keter of Atzilut, and the rest of the ZONs of the rest of the worlds and Partzufim are only illuminations.” In other words, the actual root of ZON should be viewed as only that part of ZON that remained in AA, which is the Keter of Atzilut, for “root” means Keter and Ein Sof. All those ZONs that traverse the rest of the Partzufim and worlds besides Keter, meaning in AVI and YESHSUT are regarded as mere illuminations for ZA and not as actual roots, since Hochma of ZA that remains in AVI is already regarded as an illumination of ZA and not as a root, and Bina of ZA that remains in YESHSUT is regarded as an illumination and not as a root. It is likewise in all the details that divide in the Partzufim AVI and YESHSUT, and only what is left in Keter is called root.
As has been explained regarding the beginning of Atzilut of ZON, so it is in all the Mochin and the upper ones of ZON. ZA takes from each degree that comes to him only the VAK, while Keter, Hochma, and Bina of the degree remain in the three inclusive Partzufim preceding him.
251) So you should also conclude about the rest of the Partzufim. In other words, all the particular and general Partzufim of NRNHY of ZA leave their main illuminations in the three Partzufim above him, for they leave there the Keter, Hochma, and Bina of the Partzuf Mochin, and only their VAK reach ZA. This is what makes the ladder of degrees never to change.
Since this matter is the cornerstone for understanding all the Mochin and ascents of all the Partzufim of ABYA, it is necessary to elaborate on the matters as much as possible. It is known that the ARI regards AA as Keter here, AVI as AB, YESHSUT as SAG, and ZON as MA and BON. It is so because he wants to speak of the five general Partzufim of Atzilut, and this can be depicted only after ZA has achieved GAR of Neshama. At that time, the female Partzufim begin to be built from his Chazeh and below back-to-back. In that state, it is necessary that AA has already risen to GAR of Atik and has become Partzuf Keter of Atzilut. Then AVI, too, rose to GAR of AA and became AB of Atzilut, YESHSUT, too, rose to the place of AVI, meaning from Garon of AA down, and became SAG of Atzilut, and ZA rose to the place of YESHSUT, meaning to Chazeh of AA and became VAK to YESHSUT, meaning VAK of SAG, regarded as Neshama of ZA. ZA always has the same Mochin of YESHSUT because they are regarded as Rosh ZA and ZA as their VAK. Hence, when YESHSUT has Mochin of SAG, ZA has GAR of Neshama. When YESHSUT has Mochin of AB, ZA has GAR of Haya, and when YESHSUT has Mochin of Yechida, ZA has GAR of Yechida, and remember this.
Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate “The General ABYA,” Chapter 3.
1) Indeed, in order to thoroughly understand the above words of the ARI, we must begin to interpret the five general Partzufim of Atzilut from the beginning of their emanation, from the Mochin that were established in them permanently, and of which they are never deficient. In this regard, the ARI wrote that in all five Partzufim of Atzilut there is only the level of MA, called “the new MA.” Atik took Keter of MA, AA took Hochma of MA, AVI and YESHSUT took SAG of MA, and ZON took MA of MA, meaning ZAT of MA. The vessels of GAR and ZAT of Nekudim connected to them, and each one was corrected through its corresponding phase in MA. These vessels are what remained in GAR of Nekudim and are the ones that were sorted out from BYA and were corrected through the five Partzufim of MA of Atzilut. They are called “the five Partzufim of BON of Atzilut.”
2) The ARI calls the five inclusive Partzufim of Atzilut by the name ten Sefirot of MA with regard to the five Partzufim of AK. This is so because there is correction to the five Partzufim of Atzilut only by their ascent and clothing the five Partzufim of AK on an equal level, which will happen at the end of correction. However, in the beginning of their correction through the Emanator, they received from the five Partzufim of AK only his level of MA. This means that when each Partzuf of Atzilut was established, it received the level of MA from its corresponding Partzuf in AK. Partzuf Atik received the level of MA from Partzuf Keter of AK, which is below the Tabur of Partzuf Keter of AK since the Rosh of each Partzuf is its Keter, and the Guf of each Partzuf through the Chazeh is Hochma in it or Atzilut or AB. From the Chazeh to the Tabur, it is Bina in it or Beria or SAG, and from Tabur down it is ZON in it, or MA and BON or Yetzira and Assiya.
3) Partzuf AA of Atzilut received from AK, MA of its Partzuf Hochma, meaning from Tabur of AB of AK and below, and it is called Hochma of MA or AB of MA. Partzuf AVI of Atzilut received MA of SAG of AK, called Bina of MA or SAG of MA, and Partzuf ZON received MA of MA of AK, below Tabur of Partzuf MA of AK called VAK of MA or MA of MA. We should know that GAR of Partzuf Nekudim are regarded as MA of AK, and ZAT of Nekudim are regarded as BON of AK. YESHSUT is tags, and MA and ZAT are BON and letters. This refers to MA and BON of AK, which are the internality of GAR and ZAT of Nekudim, from which YESHSUT and ZON of Atzilut receive. YESHSUT receive from MA of AK, which are the internality of GAR of Nekudim, and ZON receive from BON of AK, which are the internality of ZAT of Nekudim.
4) Although Atik does not join the five Partzufim of Atzilut, this pertains only to the BON in him, which is Malchut of AK, the big Hey. But the level of MA is the small Hey of BeHibara’am [when they were created]. For this reason, from the perspective of MA, Atik joins the five Partzufim of Atzilut and is regarded as their Keter. Know that all the ascents of the Partzufim and the worlds are only according to the quality of MA, in which Atik is regarded as Keter and not as AA.
5) You find that each of the five Partzufim of Atzilut is only regarded as VAK, called MA with regard to its corresponding Partzuf in AK, and lacks three degrees—Keter, AB, SAG—with respect to its upper one. These three degrees receive the five Partzufim of Atzilut through the raising of MAN of the lower ones by prayers and Shabbats [pl. of Shabbat (Sabbath)], and special days. At that time, they rise and clothe the five Partzufim of AK. However, it is not permanent since in permanency, each has only the quality of MA of its upper one in AK, which is enough only to sustain the worlds, but not enough for the NRN of the righteous since they will not be able to receive from ZON when he has only VAK of MA. Hence, they raise MAN through good deeds and prayers and draw additions of Mochin to ZON. At that time, the NRN of the righteous will be able to receive their abundance from him. Because these Mochin above VAK of MA come only through good deeds and MAN of the righteous, they are not permanent in ZON since when the lower ones corrupt their actions and are unworthy of receiving abundance from ZON, the added Mochin promptly depart from ZON.
6) When the righteous raise MAN to ZON and draw for them Mochin of SAG, these Mochin must travel from Ein Sof through the Partzufim of AK and through all the Partzufim of Atzilut until they come to ZON from which they receive NRN of the righteous. This causes all the upper worlds to grow by the lower ones’ raising of MAN, since the Mochin remains mainly in the upper ones and only a small branch of them reaches the lower ones.
7) When the Mochin come from Ein Sof to the five Partzufim of AK, they take from them everything that belongs to the quality of AK. Then the five Partzufim of AK give the Mochin of SAG to the five Partzufim of Atzilut. First they come to Atik of Atzilut, which is Partzuf Keter, who takes from them the Keter of SAG and gives the rest to AA of Atzilut. AA takes from them the Hochma of SAG and gives the rest to AVI of Atzilut, and AVI take from them the Bina of SAG and give the rest to YESHSUT and ZON of Atzilut, meaning the MA of SAG. YESHSUT take for themselves the Rosh of MA of SAG and give to ZON the VAK of MA of SAG where they become GAR of Neshama, and then the Mochin flow from ZON to the souls of the righteous. Thus, the lower ones cannot receive anything from ZON before all the upper worlds grow.
8) Likewise, when the lower ones raise MAN in order to draw to ZON Mochin of AB called Mochin of Haya, first, the Mochin are drawn from Ein Sof through the five Partzufim of AK and come to Atik of Atzilut. Then Atik receives the Keter of AB for himself, and AA takes for himself the Hochma of AB and gives the rest to AVI. They take for themselves the Bina of AB, and give MA of Bina of AB to YESHSUT and ZON. YESHSUT receive the Rosh of MA of AB, and ZON the VAK of MA of AB, which become in him GAR of Haya. At that time, ZON take their part and impart the rest to NRN of the righteous. This very order applies also when the lower ones draw the Mochin of Haya: Atik, AA, and AVI take the KHB of Yechida, YESHSUT and ZON the MA of Yechida, where YESHSUT receive the Rosh of MA of Yechida and ZON receive the VAK of MA of Yechida, and the rest is imparted upon the NRN of the righteous.
9) According to the above you will understand the exact order of ascent of the Partzufim and the worlds when the Mochin of Keter AB SAG are bestowed upon the five Partzufim of Atzilut. When the Mochin of SAG of AK are bestowed upon the five Partzufim of Atzilut, Atik takes Keter of SAG. Accordingly, Atik makes one ascent from the place of MA of Partzuf Keter of AK, meaning from the broken place Tabur of Partzuf Keter of AK, and rises and clothes the place of SAG of Partzuf Keter of AK, which is the place of the Chazeh of Partzuf Keter of AK.
Partzuf AA of Atzilut, which takes Hochma of SAG, also makes one ascent from the place of MA of AB of AK, which is from his Tabur and below, to the place of SAG of AB of AK, which is the place of the Chazeh of AB of AK and clothes there.
The Partzufim of AVI of Atzilut also make one ascent from the place of MA of SAG of AK, which is the place below Tabur of SAG of AK to the place of SAG of SAG, meaning the place of Chazeh of SAG of AK.
Likewise, YESHSUT of Atzilut make one ascent from the place of MA of MA of AK, which is from Tabur of MA of AK and below, to the place of SAG of MA of AK, meaning to the place of Chazeh of SAG of MA of AK. Likewise, ZON make one ascent from the place of VAK of MA of MA of AK to the place of VAK of SAG of MA of AK.
Likewise, the souls of the righteous rise along with the world of Beria to the place of Nukva of ZA, meaning to the Chazeh and below of ZA of Atzilut, and Ruach of the righteous rises with the world of Yetzira from their place to the place of Beria. Likewise, Nefesh of the righteous rises with the world of Assiya to the place of Yetzira.
10) When the Mochin of AB of AK are imparted upon the five Partzufim of Atzilut, which are Mochin of Haya, Atik of Atzilut takes from them the Keter of AB and makes a second ascent from the place of Chazeh of Partzuf Keter of AK to the Peh of Partzuf Keter of AK, which is from the place of SAG to the place of AB of Partzuf Keter.
AA takes from them the Hochma of AB and ascends from the place of SAG of AB of AK, which is the place of his Chazeh, to the place of the Peh and below of Partzuf AB of AK which is AB of AB.
Likewise, AVI make a second ascent from the place of SAG of SAG of AK, which is the place of Chazeh of SAG of AK, to the place of the Peh of Partzuf SAG of AK, which is the place of AB of SAG of AK.
Also, YESHSUT rise from the place of SAG of MA of AK, which is the Chazeh, to the place of AB of MA of AK, which is his Peh.
Also, ZON rise from the place of VAK of SAG of MA of AK to the place of VAK of AB of MA of AK which is AB of BON of AK.
In addition, the souls of the righteous ascend with Beria from the place of Nukva of ZA, which is the place from Chazeh of ZA and below, to the place of Peh of ZA, which is from the place of Tabur of AA of Atzilut. Also, Ruach of the righteous ascends with the world of Yetzira to the place of Nukva of Atzilut, which is from Chazeh of ZA and below, and Nefesh of the righteous ascends with the world of Assiya from the place of Yetzira to the place of Beria.
11) When the Mochin of Keter of AK are imparted upon the five Partzufim of Atzilut called Mochin of Yechida of AK, Atik of Atzilut takes from them the Keter of Keter and makes a third ascent from the place of Peh of Partzuf Keter of AK, which is the place of AB, to the place of his Galgalta, and clothes the Rosh of Partzuf Keter of AK which is the place of Yechida of Keter of AK.
Likewise, AA makes a third ascent from the place of Peh of Partzuf AB of AK, which is AB of AB of AK, to the place of Rosh of Partzuf AB of AK, which is the place of Yechida of AB of AK.
Additionally, AVI of Atzilut make a third ascent from the place of Peh of Partzuf SAG of AK to the place of Rosh SAG of AK, where there is Yechida of SAG of AK.
Also, YESHSUT make a third ascent from the place of Peh of Partzuf AB of MA of AK to the place of Rosh MA of AK, where there is Yechida of MA of AK.
And ZA ascends from the place of VAK of AB of MA of AK to the place of VAK of Yechida of MA of AK, which is the Rosh of BON of AK, since in general, VAK of MA are Rosh-Toch-Sof of BON of AK, as mentioned in Item 3.
Also, the souls of the righteous make a third ascent with the world of Beria from the place of Peh of ZA, which is in the place of Tabur of AA, to the place of Rosh ZA of Neshama, which is the place of Chazeh of AA of Atzilut. Also, Ruach of the righteous ascends with the world of Yetzira from the place of Nukva of ZA to the place of Peh of ZA at the place of Tabur of AA, and Nefesh of the righteous ascends with the world of Assiya from the place of Beria to the place of Nukva of Atzilut, which is from Tabur of ZA of Atzilut and below.
You find that now the five Partzufim of Atzilut have ascended and clothed each one its corresponding Partzuf in AK, and the three worlds BYA below Parsa of Atzilut, ascended with the NRN of the righteous and clothed BYA of Atzilut above the Parsa. This is the completion of the ascent of the worlds that unfold during the six thousand years.
12) Indeed, all those ascents that were scrutinized do not mean that each of the five Partzufim of Atzilut entered among the Partzufim of AK to clothe its corresponding Partzuf there. This is impossible since the five Partzufim of AK and the five Partzufim of Atzilut stand and clothe each lower Partzuf from the Peh of the upper one downward. AB dresses Partzuf Keter of AK from his Peh down, SAG dresses AB from the Peh down, MA of AK from Tabur of SAG of AK downward, and BON of AK from the Peh of MA of AK and below. Atik of Atzilut is over MA and BON of AK, which is from Tabur of SAG and below, and AA dresses from Peh of Atik downward. AVI clothe from Peh of AA and below, YESHSUT clothe from Chazeh of AVI and below, and ZON clothe from Tabur of AA and below. This is the order of clothing in the constant state, when there is only the level of the new MA of the five Partzufim of AK in the Partzufim of Atzilut. Accordingly, you will understand that the ascents are actually on the externality of the Partzufim of AK although they aim opposite the Partzuf opposite from it in the internality of AK. It is likewise with the ascents in the five Partzufim of Atzilut themselves, from Partzuf to Partzuf.
To understand this, we must first know the exact meeting points between Keter and ABYA of each lower Partzuf in the place of Keter and ABYA of the Partzuf above it, both in the five Partzufim of AK and in the five Partzufim of Atzilut.
13) You already know that each Partzuf divides into Keter and ABYA where its Rosh is called Keter, its Toch from Peh to Chazeh is called Atzilut or AB, from the Chazeh down to the Tabur it is called Beria or SAG, and from Tabur down to the Sium Raglayim it is called Yetzira and Assiya, or MA and BON, or simply MA. We must always remember that any Rosh is Keter and is Yechida, and its Sium is the Peh. Also, from the Peh to the Chazeh it is Hochma, Atzilut, AB, Haya, and every Chazeh through Tabur is Bina, SAG, Beria, Neshama. Also, anything from Tabur downward is ZON, MA and BON, VAK without a Rosh, Yetzira and Assiya, Ruach Nefesh.
However, this above comparison is completely accurate only in Partzuf Keter which has the level of Keter and Yechida. The NRNHY are divided in it in complete accuracy. In the rest of the Partzufim from Hochma downward, which gradually diminish, the above division is not completely accurate but only relative. That is, it is correct only from its own perspective and not from the general NRNHY.
14) Before we come to arrange the state of the clothing of the Partzufim and their meeting points with one another we should first introduce four truths: The first is that those two Partzufim called MA and BON of AK that we already spoke of have Keter ABYA in each of them. MA begins from Tabur of the inner AK, called Keter, and ends equally with the Raglayim of Atzilut. Clothing ABYA of MA of AK are Keter and ABYA of BON of AK, which are the internality of GAR and ZAT of Nekudim that clothe them—GAR on MA of AK at an equal level, and ZAT of Nekudim before their breaking clothed BON of AK at an equal level. Now, in the world of correction, when Atik of Atzilut clothes GAR of Nekudim through their Peh, you find that the level of Atik of Atzilut is equal to the level of MA of AK, and it is known that AA of Atzilut clothes from Peh of Atik downward. Thus, it takes the whole place of ZAT of Nekudim whose level was equal with Partzuf BON of AK. You find that the level of AA is equal to Partzuf BON of AK.
The second is that YESHSUT, which are the bottom Partzuf of AVI and are regarded as ZAT of SAG at their source, in order to engender Mochin for ZA, AVI elicited YESHSUT outside of their degree and became Rosh of MA. That is, they became recipients of Mochin for ZA, for the world was unfit to receive the quality of Rosh and GAR were YESHSUT not diminished and emerged from the quality of SAG to the quality of Rosh of MA, since by this they bestow Rosh and GAR to ZA. For this reason, we should make two discernments in YESHSUT: The first YESHSUT is HGT of AVI and ZAT of SAG, and the second YESHSUT is NHY of AVI and GAR of MA.
The third is that all that is imparted upon this second YESHSUT prior to the end of correction is from Partzuf MA of AK as it is regarded as the Rosh of BON of AK, and all that is imparted from AK to ZA is only from BON of AK, regarded as VAK of MA of AK. This depends on what is explained in the second truth.
The fourth is that it is known that AB SAG of AK ended above Tabur of Partzuf Keter of AK. However, when the five Partzufim of AK received the level of the new MA for the purpose of the correction of the five Partzufim of Atzilut, AB SAG of AK grew longer and extended below Tabur of AK through the Tabur of Partzuf MA and BON of AK.
15) Now we will explain the order of the clothing of the five Partzufim of AK and their meeting point with one another. Typically, Partzuf Keter of AK is regarded as the inner HaVaYaH and divides at its length into Keter and ABYA, and the other four Partzufim are its four garments. Keter and ABYA of AB of AK clothes from the Peh down. It is clear that as the uppermost phase of Partzuf AB descended one degree from Partzuf Keter, so does each of the other phases of AB descend one degree. Thus, Keter of AB of AK clothes the Atzilut of Partzuf Keter of AK; therefore, Atzilut of AB also necessarily descends and clothes Beria of Partzuf Keter, Beria of AB clothes Yetzira of Partzuf Keter, and Yetzira and Assiya of AB clothe Assiya of Partzuf Keter.
16) Partzuf SAG of AK also descended one degree from Partzuf AB of AK since it lacked Hochma. Compared to Partzuf Keter, it descended two degrees: Keter as well as Hochma. You find that Keter and ABYA of Partzuf SAG of AK clothe ABYA of Partzuf AB and BYA of Partzuf Keter. Also, Keter SAG of AK clothe Atzilut of AB of AK, meaning from his Peh to his Chazeh, and clothed within him is Beria of Partzuf Keter of AK from his Chazeh to Tabur. Atzilut of Partzuf SAG clothes Beria of Partzuf AB from the Chazeh to his Tabur, and in him, Yetzira of Partzuf Keter of AK is from his Tabur down. Beria of Partzuf SAG clothes Yetzira of Partzuf AB from his Tabur down, and in him is Assiya of Partzuf Keter of AK, and Yetzira of SAG clothes Assiya of Partzuf AB.
17) Partzuf MA of AK descended one degree from SAG because it lacks Bina, and two degrees HB from Partzuf AB, and three degrees KHB from Partzuf Keter. You find that Keter of Partzuf MA of AK clothes Atzilut of SAG of AK, within which is Beria of AB, within which is Yetzira of Partzuf Keter, meaning below the Tabur. Atzilut of MA clothes Beria of Partzuf SAG, within which is Yetzira of AB, and within it Assiya of Partzuf Keter. Beria of MA clothes Yetzira of SAG within which is Assiya of AB, and Yetzira of MA clothes Assiya of Partzuf SAG.
18) Partzuf BON of AK descends one degree from Partzuf MA of AK, two from SAG, three from AB, and four from Partzuf Keter. Keter of BON clothes Atzilut of MA, within which is Beria of SAG, within which is Yetzira of AB, within which is Assiya of Partzuf Keter of AK. Atzilut of Partzuf BON of AK clothes Beria of MA, within which is Yetzira of SAG, within which is Assiya of AB. Beria of Partzuf BON of AK clothes Yetzira of MA, within which is Assiya of SAG, and Yetzira and Assiya of Partzuf BON of AK clothe Assiya of Partzuf MA of AK.
19) It follows from the above that the Rosh of Partzuf Keter of AK is revealed, and Atzilut of Keter is in the first clothing of Rosh AB, Beria of Partzuf Keter is inside Atzilut of AB inside Rosh of SAG, Yetzira of Partzuf Keter is inside Beria of AB, and inside Atzilut of SAG, inside Keter of MA. Also, Assiya of Partzuf Keter is inside Yetzira of AB, inside Beria of SAG, inside Atzilut of MA, inside the Rosh of BON.
The second part of Assiya of Keter is inside Assiya of AB, inside Yetzira of SAG, inside Beria of MA, inside Atzilut of BON. The third part of Assiya of Keter is inside the second part of Assiya of AB, inside Assiya of SAG, inside Yetzira of MA, inside Beria of BON. Also, Assiya of Partzuf MA is inside Yetzira and Assiya of BON.
20) Now we will thoroughly understand how each of the five Partzufim of Atzilut must extend its Mochin from its corresponding Partzuf in the five Partzufim of AK, and yet does not enter among the Partzufim of AK but only ascends in the externality of all the Partzufim of AK, but aiming opposite the meeting point of its corresponding Partzuf that stands in the internality of AK.
We will begin with the beginning of the emanation of the five Partzufim of Atzilut when they first emerged from the five Partzufim of AK. It has already been explained that initially, they received from AK only its MA. However, this does not pertain to Partzuf MA of AK that clothes from Tabur of Partzuf Keter of AK downward, since this is regarded as the VAK of AK itself. Rather, it pertains to the quality of MA of each and every Partzuf of the five Partzufim of AK, called Yetzira and Assiya of each of the five Partzufim of AK. For this reason, the ARI calls this MA of each of the Partzufim of AK by the name “the new MA,” so as not to mistake it for the MA of AK itself.
Atik of Atzilut received Keter of MA and then rose and clothed GAR of Nekudim, which are on the same level as Partzuf MA of AK within which is Atzilut of SAG, within which is Beria of AB of AK, within which are Yetzira and Assiya of Partzuf Keter of AK, which is the MA of Keter of AK. From this MA of Partzuf Keter of AK, Atik receives the Keter of MA since MA of Keter has the same relation as the Keter of MA. Thus, Atik of Atzilut truly clothes the externality of the Partzufim of AK, meaning the Rosh of MA of AK, which is its external Partzuf in this place. However, he does not receive from him because he is attributed to YESHSUT and ZON of Atzilut. Rather, there, in that place in the internality of AK, is the meeting point of MA of Partzuf Keter of AK, which is why he can receive from him the Keter of MA, and it is known that MA of Keter is the same phase as Keter of MA.
21) In this manner, when AA of Atzilut received Hochma of MA, he rose and clothed Atzilut of Atik, which is from Peh of Rosh of Atik and below. There is the meeting point of Yetzira and Assiya and MA of Partzuf AB of AK from which he receives the Hochma of MA, since Atzilut of Atik is on Keter BON of AK, within which is Atzilut of MA of AK, within which is Beria of SAG of AK, within which is MA of Partzuf AB of AK from which AA receives his Hochma of MA, since MA of Hochma of AK has the same relation as Hochma of MA. Thus, the place of Atzilut of Atik, where AA rose when he was emanated, aims for the meeting point with MA of AB that is attributed to AA.
22) Likewise, AVI of Atzilut, who received upon their emanation the level of Bina of MA, need to receive it from Yetzira and Assiya and MA of SAG of AK since they are attributed to Bina. For this reason, they rose to the place of Atzilut of AA from his Peh to his Chazeh, which is the meeting place with MA of SAG of AK, since within Atzilut of AA, Beria of Atik is clothed, and in it Atzilut of BON of AK, within which is Beria of MA of AK, within which are Yetzira and MA of SAG of AK, which are MA of Bina, from which AVI receive Bina of MA since MA of Bina is Bina of MA. Thus, the place of emanation of Atzilut of AA, where AVI rose upon their emanation, aims for the meeting point with Yetzira and Assiya of SAG of AK attributed to AVI.
23) The first YESHSUT are regarded as ZAT of Bina. Hence, they receive the phase of ZAT of the level of Bina of MA together with AVI. The second YESHSUT take GAR of VAK of MA of MA and clothe from the Chazeh of AA and below to Beria of AA which is the meeting place with MA of Partzuf MA of AK.
24) Upon the emanation of ZON that receive only VAK of MA when they are emanated, they must receive from Partzuf BON of AK that is attributed to them. Hence, they rose and clothed Yetzira and Assiya of AA, meaning from his Tabur down, which is the meeting place with Yetzira and Assiya of BON of AK, regarded as VAK of MA, since the level of AA is equal to the level of BON of AK.
Thus we have thoroughly explained the order of the emanation of the five Partzufim of Atzilut from their beginning, meaning in the five levels of MA that took from the five Partzufim of AK, where each clothes its upper one, but aiming opposite the meeting point with the Partzuf of AK attributed to it.
25) You find that Atik of Atzilut, which took GAR of Nekudim, begins from Tabur of AK since GAR of Nekudim began from Tabur of AK. Hence, it clothes MA and BON of AK, meaning on an equal level with Rosh MA of AK and receives through there from Yetzira and Assiya of Partzuf Keter of AK. AA clothes Atzilut of Atik from Peh to the Chazeh, and receives through there Hochma of MA, from Yetzira and Assiya of AB of AK. AVI clothe Atzilut of AA from Peh to [the Chazeh] the Tabur. Through there they receive Bina of MA from Yetzira and Assiya of Partzuf SAG of AK. Also, YESHSUT clothe AVI and receive ZAT of SAG of MA. ZON clothe AA from the Tabur down, and through there, ZAT of VAK of MA receive from Yetzira and Assiya of BON of AK, which is VAK of MA. All these levels of MA that received from the five Partzufim of AK are regarded as the core of their emanation and no diminution or change will ever happen in them because Atik will never diminish more than the level of Keter of MA, or AA from the level of Hochma of MA, or AVI and YESHSUT from the level of Bina of MA, or ZON from ZAT of VAK of MA.
26) The parts of BON that were established with the above-mentioned five levels of MA also stay permanently and no diminution will ever happen in them. It has already been explained above that all the vessels of GAR and ZAT of Nekudim that were revoked and broken are called BON after they were corrected through the five above-mentioned levels of MA.
In Atik, GAR of ZON in Nekudim were corrected, meaning the first five of Keter of Nekudim, and GAR of Abba of Nekudim, and the first four of Ima of Nekudim, and the seven Ketarim. They were connected and merged with the level of Keter MA, which Atik took from MA of Partzuf Keter of AK and they became one Partzuf, Atik and his Nukva. The level of MA is the male of Atik, and the level of BON became his Nukva.
Through Hochma of MA that AA took from MA of AB of AK, the bottom half of Keter of Nekudim was corrected and became Nukva to him. Through Bina of MA that AVI and YESHSUT took from MA of SAG of AK, VAK of Hochma were corrected, Bina of Nekudim. Through ZAT of VAK of MA that ZA took, ZAT of Nekudim were corrected.
27) The reason why the parts of Nekudim were divided specifically among the five Partzufim of Atzilut in the above manner has been thoroughly explained. However, in general, this whole correction that the vessels of Nekudim received through the above-mentioned five levels of MA are nothing more than the VAK of each Partzuf in Nekudim. Even those GAR of Abba and first four of Ima of Nekudim that Atik took are only regarded as VAK of GAR of HB of Nekudim since they are regarded as AVI of Nekudim that emerged in Katnut Nekudim as back-to-back. The reason why nothing more than VAK was corrected in them is simple: Their whole correction came through MA that the five Partzufim of Atzilut received from Yetzira and Assiya of the five Partzufim of AK, which are regarded as VAK of the five Partzufim of AK, since MA and Yetzira and Assiya, or Nefesh Ruach, are all one and are regarded as VAK without GAR. GAR is called KHB or Keter AB SAG, or Yechida Haya Neshama, and you see that all that was corrected in the constant five Partzufim of Atzilut is only the level of MA, which is VAK from the five Partzufim of AK. Hence, it is enough to come from the judgment in order to be as the accused, and the vessels of Nekudim, too, could be corrected only in the VAK in them.
However, when the five Partzufim of Atzilut permanently receive their missing first three, which are the three phases Keter-AB-SAG, when each Partzuf receives from its corresponding Partzuf in AK, the correction of the vessels of Nekudim will also be completed in their GAR. At that time, all the Parsas will be canceled and this will be the end of correction. Then the five Partzufim of Atzilut will rise and clothe the five Partzufim of AK permanently, on an equal level.
However, even before the correction, the five Partzufim of Atzilut receive GAR of AK through the good deeds and raising MAN of the NRN of the righteous and on special days and Shabbats [Sabbaths], until you find that by the Mincha [afternoon] of Shabbat, each of the five Partzufim of Atzilut has obtained its corresponding GAR in the five Partzufim of AK. At that time, Atik receives the Keter of Partzuf Keter of AK and is with him on the same level, AA receives Keter of Partzuf AB of AK and is with him on the same level, AVI receive the Keter of Partzuf SAG of AK and are with him on the same level, and YESHSUT receive the Keter of Partzuf MA of AK and are with him on the same level. Also, ZA receives the Keter of BON of AK and he is with him on the same level.
However, at that time, Nukva of ZA receives the quality of Atzilut of BON of AK since she will not be able to become corrected even if not permanently before the end of correction. You find that even prior to the end of correction, the five Partzufim of Atzilut will be able to receive their GAR from the five Partzufim of AK. However, there are three flaws here: 1) It is not permanent. 2) The three worlds BYA can receive their lights only through an ascent to Atzilut, above the Parsa, and BYA in their place are devoid of light. 3) The Nukva will not be able to receive her Yechida from Keter BON of AK since her ascent is only through Atzilut of BON. But at the end of correction, Nukva, too, will receive her Keter, the Parsa will be revoked, and the Raglayim of Atzilut will spread to BYA as in Raglayim reaching Raglayim, since the Raglayim of Atzilut will then be equal to the Raglayim of AK that end at the point of this world, and they will remain permanently since all the shells will end. However, afterward there will be many ascents, and we should not prolong.
28) We should also explain the matter of the meeting place of the five Partzufim of Atzilut, each with its corresponding phase in AK when they attain the first three from the five Partzufim of AK. When the lower ones raise MAN and Mochin of SAG are imparted from Ein Sof to the five Partzufim of AK for the purpose of the five Partzufim of Atzilut, they first reach Atik. Afterward, Atik rises from its permanent place in Keter MA of AK to the place of Rosh of SAG, within which is Atzilut of AB of AK, in which is Beria of Partzuf Keter of AK. From there Atik takes the Mochin of SAG attributed to him, which are Keter of SAG, since SAG of Partzuf Keter has the same relation as Keter SAG.
When AA receives Mochin of SAG, it rises from its permanent place, from the place of Atzilut of Atik, to GAR of Atik in which there is Keter MA of AK, in which is the Atzilut of SAG of AK, within which is Beria of AB of AK. From there he takes Mochin of SAG attributed to him, which are Hochma of SAG, since SAG of AB has the same relation as Hochma of SAG.
When AVI receive Mochin of SAG of AK, they rise from their permanent place, from the place of Atzilut of AA, to the place of GAR of AA, within which is Keter BON of AK, within which is Atzilut of MA of AK, in which is Beria of SAG of AK. From there they take their Mochin of SAG, meaning Bina of SAG, since SAG of SAG of AK has an equal relation to Bina of SAG.
29) When YESHSUT receive Mochin of SAG of AK, they rise from their permanent place, which is in the place of Chazeh of AA and below, where there is Beria of AA, to the place of AVI, the place of Atzilut of AA. In it is Atzilut of BON of AK, within which is Beria of MA of AK, and from there YESHSUT take their Mochin of SAG, which are from Rosh of SAG of MA.
Also, ZON rise from their permanent place of Tabur of AA, to Beria of AA, the place from the Chazeh of AA and below, where Beria of BON of AK is clothed. From there they take their Mochin of SAG, which are the Mochin of VAK of SAG of MA, since BON of AK in general is VAK of MA.
The three worlds BYA below the Parsa are drawn after them. Each of them makes one ascent: Beria to the place of Nukva of Atzilut, the world of Yetzira to the place of the world of Beria, the world of Assiya to the place of the world of Yetzira, and NRN of the righteous rise along with them.
30) When the raising of MAN from the lower ones reaches the extension of Mochin of AB to the five Partzufim of Atzilut and they are imparted from Ein Sof to the five Partzufim AK, they first reach Atik. At that time, Atik ascends from the place of Keter of SAG to the place of Rosh of AB of AK, within which is the Atzilut of Partzuf Keter of AK. From there he takes his Mochin of AB, which are Keter of AB, since AB of Keter is the same phase as Keter of AB.
Also, AA rises from the place of Rosh Atik to the place of Rosh of SAG, within which is Atzilut of AB of AK, and from there he takes his Hochma of AB.
Also, AVI rise from the place of GAR of AA to the Rosh of Atik, in which is Keter of MA of AK, within which is Atzilut of SAG of AK, and from there they take the Bina of AB attributed to them.
Additionally, YESHSUT rise from the place of AVI, which is the place of Atzilut of AA, to the place of GAR of AA, within which is Rosh of BON, within which is Atzilut of MA, and from there they take the Rosh of AB of MA.
Also, ZON rise from Beria of AA to the place of Atzilut of AA, which is the permanent place of AVI, within which Atzilut of AA is clothed, and in it is Atzilut of Partzuf BON of AK. From there they take their Mochin of AB, which are VAK of MA of AB. BYA from below the Parsa of Atzilut are drawn after them, and Beria ascends from the place of Nukva of Atzilut to the place of ZA of Atzilut, Yetzira to the place of Nukva of ZA of Atzilut, and Assiya to the place of Beria of Atzilut, and with them NRN of the righteous ascend, as well.
31) On Shabbat, at Mincha [afternoon prayer], when Mochin of Yechida are drawn to the five Partzufim of Atzilut from the five Partzufim of AK, they reach Atik. At that time, Atik ascends to the Rosh of Partzuf Keter of AK, and from there Keter of Yechida receives what is attributed to him, AA ascends to the Rosh of Partzuf AB of AK and receives from there the Hochma of Yechida attributed to him, AVI ascend to Rosh of SAG of AK and receive from there the Bina of Yechida that is attributed to them, YESHSUT ascend to GAR of Atik within which is Rosh of MA of AK and receive from there GAR of Yechida of MA attributed to them, and ZA ascends to GAR of AA within which is Rosh of BON, regarded as VAK of MA, and from there he receives the VAK of Yechida attributed to him. Following them are the three worlds BYA with the NRN of the righteous, where Beria ascends to the place of YESHSUT of Atzilut in which there is Beria of AA, meaning from the Chazeh of AA and below, Yetzira ascends to the place of ZA of Atzilut from Tabur of AA and below, Assiya ascends to the place of Nukva of Atzilut, leaving the place of the three worlds BYA below the Parsa of Atzilut as an empty space after the three worlds themselves ascended to the place of YESHSUT and ZON of Atzilut, since now they are without the former lights of BYA and there is neither Kedusha nor a shell in their place.
32) We could ask about it that it is known that from the side of BON, AA is regarded as Keter of Atzilut, and from the side of BON, AVI are regarded as Hochma and AB of Atzilut, and YESHSUT from the side of BON are Bina of Atzilut. It therefore follows that AA pertains to Keter of AK, AVI to AB of AK, and YESHSUT to SAG of AK. Thus, why was it said that AA is attributed to AB of AK and AVI to SAG of AK?
The thing is that all the Partzufim of BON cannot receive anything except through MA that bestows upon them. Hence, they can receive from the five Partzufim only through the ascent of the Partzufim of MA. For this reason, all the discernments of ascents of the five Partzufim of Atzilut to receive Mochin from the five Partzufim of AK are only according to the levels of MA, and then they receive from MA. From the perspective of MA, Atik is regarded as Keter of Atzilut, and AA has nothing from Keter of MA and takes only the level of Hochma of MA. Likewise, AVI took only Bina of MA and have nothing from the quality of Hochma. For this reason, in all the values of attainments of the Mochin and ascents to the five Partzufim of AK, Atik relates to Keter of Atzilut who receives from Partzuf Keter of AK, and AA to Hochma of Atzilut who receives from Partzuf AB of AK, and AVI to Bina of Atzilut who receive only from Partzuf SAG of AK.
The whole correction of the Partzufim of BON comes only through ascents of MA. Hence, they truly are devoid of correction since they cannot be completely corrected through the Partzufim of MA because BON of AA must receive from Keter, and AA bestows upon him only from Hochma of AK. Likewise, BON of AVI must receive from Hochma of AK, and AVI bestow upon them only from Bina of AK, and so forth likewise. Thus, the Partzufim of BON have no complete satisfaction from all those Mochin that MA bestows upon them.
This matter will be corrected only at the end of correction after the canceling of the shells, as in the verse, “Death shall be swallowed up forever.”
We should know that during the ascent of the Partzufim of Atzilut to AK, the five Partzufim of AK also ascend above them to the same extent. It is a rule in both the Partzufim of Atzilut and in the Partzufim of AK that any upper one raises the lower one along with it. For example, when NHY of AA rise to his HGT, YESHSUT and ZON that clothe NHY of AA are drawn with them and they, too, rise to HGT of AA. Likewise, when HGT of AA rise to his HBD, AVI that clothe HGT of AA are drawn along with them and now they, too, clothe his HGT. Similarly, when HGT of Atik rise and become HBD of Atik, GAR of AA from the garments of HGT of Atik are drawn along with them and they, too, rise to HBD of Atik. It is the same in the Partzufim of AK, since when GAR of MA of AK rise to Rosh SAG of AK, they draw GAR of Atik along with them to Rosh of SAG.
Also, when GAR of MA rose to Rosh of SAG, HGT of SAG of AK necessarily rose first to GAR of SAG, which raised the MA of AK along with them, and HGT of AB necessarily rose first to GAR of AB of AK who raised the Rosh of SAG to Rosh of AB. Also, HGT of Partzuf Keter of AK necessarily rose first and became GAR of Keter of AK, raising with them the Rosh of AB of AK that clothed HGT of AK, and which now clothes the place of GAR of Partzuf Keter.
GAR of Partzuf Keter of AK rose higher still, in a manner that first, the upper Partzufim ascend and draw with them the lower ones that clothe on them. However, they evaluate the level of ascent of the lower one according to the level of permanency of the upper one, for although the upper one ascends, as well, it still leaves its phase below, in his permanent place prior to the ascent. For example, when AVI rise to HBD of AA, they are regarded as clothing GAR of AA although in fact, GAR of AA rose higher up and clothe GAR of Atik. Nevertheless, it was said that AVI are in the place of GAR of AA since there is no absence in spirituality and it cannot be said that as it moves from place to place, it will become absent from the first place. Rather, there is only an addition here and it exists in its first place as in the new place to which it now ascended. This is why it is considered that AVI gained the quality of GAR of AA due to this ascent of theirs although GAR of AA rose from there to GAR of Atik.
It is likewise in all the Partzufim, and always remember this since no ascent in the Partzufim or the worlds can be understood without it. It therefore follows that as any lower one ascends, it reaches the one above its upper one, as well, since through the ascent of AVI to HBD of AA they are included in GAR of AA, too, which rose to HBD of Atik, and this is why AVI have incorporation in GAR of Atik itself, too, since GAR of AA are there now.
Do not be surprised that it is written that GAR of MA of AK rise in one ascent from the place of Tabur of AK to the Rosh of SAG, and you find that it rises two degrees at once—namely HGT of SAG and HBD of SAG of AK—such as which we did not find in all the Partzufim of AK and Atzilut except in MA of AK and Atik of Atzilut that clothes it. The thing is that this MA of AK is indeed from the quality of SAG of AK for it emerged from the Nikvey Einayim of SAG, which is the internality of GAR of Nekudim. Accordingly, it should have clothed from the Peh of Rosh of SAG and below like the rest of the Partzufim of AK, where the lower one clothes HGT of the upper one. However, since there was a new matter here, of the second restriction—where the bottom Hey rose to the Nikvey Einayim and took the AHP from all the degrees outside of the degree—these ten Sefirot could not clothe HGT of SAG, regarded as Akudim of AK, meaning the first restriction, and the screen of the second restriction has no power to rise above its root. Since its root began only in Partzuf Nekudot of SAG below Tabur of AK, it had to descend two degrees from Rosh of SAG and begin to clothe only from Tabur of AK and below.
Thus, you see that the place of MA of AK is indeed with the ten Sefirot of Nekudim in the place of HGT of SAG above Tabur of AK, meaning as YESHSUT clothe from Peh of AVI and below since they are regarded as ZAT of SAG, and only by the connection of the bottom Hey in the Nikvey Einayim did ZAT of SAG descend into being below Tabur and became MA and BON of AK. Therefore, during the imparting of the Mochin of AB SAG of AK, which lower the bottom Hey from the Einayim and breach the Parsas that were made by the second restriction, MA of AK ascends at once to Rosh of SAG of AK, for now, during the coupling, when the power of the second restriction has departed, and HGT of all the Partzufim return to their GAR, GAR of MA are as one with HGT of SAG and rise with them to HBD of SAG. In this manner, just as during the governance of the second restriction, MA of AK, which is YESHSUT, descended two degrees at once, likewise, during the coupling, when all the power of the second restriction has been temporarily canceled, it once again ascends two degrees at once since in relation to the descent, MA and BON are regarded as an ascent, and in relation to an ascent, ZAT of SAG are regarded as they truly are.
By this you can also understand why the third YESHSUT emerged from the phase of SAG and became Rosh of MA. It is so because this third YESHSUT extends from MA of AK, which is also regarded as YESHSUT that has descended and become MA. Remember this, for it is a key to understand all the Mochin of ZON.
There is another thing to scrutinize concerning the matter of the ascent of the worlds and Partzufim: The usual order in the words of the ARI is that AB is Hochma, SAG is Bina, MA is ZA, and BON is Nukva. In regard to this, we find many places in the words of the ARI where AB is Keter, SAG is Hochma, MA is Bina, and BON is ZON. He also says sometimes that AVI are SAG, and YESHSUT are MA. However, after delving in all those places, the matters become very clear and simple. It has already been explained that each of the Partzufim of Atzilut consists of MA and BON. From the perspective of MA, Atik is regarded as Keter, AA as AB and Hochma, AVI as SAG and Bina, the second YESHSUT of AVI are regarded as ZAT of SAG and as ZAT of Bina, the third YESHSUT as GAR of MA, and ZON as VAK of MA or BON. From the perspective of BON, AA is regarded as Keter, AVI as AB and Hochma, YESHSUT as SAG and Bina, ZA as MA, and Nukva as BON.
Therefore, when concerning the matters of BON in the Partzufim, AA is regarded as Keter, AVI as AB, YESHSUT as SAG, and ZON as MA and BON. However, when it concerns only MA, Atik is regarded as Keter, AA as AB, AVI as SAG, YESHSUT and the third Tevuna as MA, and ZON as only VAK of MA. Sometimes, when it concerns a joint relation between MA and BON in the Partzuf, and the main issue revolves around MA, AA is called Keter and AB together, AVI as SAG and Hochma together, YESHSUT as MA and Bina together, and ZON as BON.
This is interpreted in the words of the ARI as he says there: “Yechida is not considered as being in the Partzuf. …Therefore, now there are four general phases, and it is said that there are AB [72 in Gematria] tastes in Keter, and SAG [63] dots in Hochma, MA [45] tags in Bina, and BON [52] letters in ZAT. We already explained that AB is in Keter, which has Arich and Nukva, SAG is in Hochma AVI, MA YESHSUT, and BON ZON,” thus far his words. You therefore clearly see how he mixes the two sides MA and BON in the Partzuf together. He begins with AA, which, from the perspective of BON, he calls Keter. From the perspective of MA, he calls it AB. Likewise, he calls AVI from the perspective of BON Hochma, and from the perspective of MA, SAG. Also, he calls YESHSUT from the perspective of MA by the name MA, and refers to the third YESHSUT, which becomes MA, and he calls ZON BON, since VAK of MA are called BON.
The fourth above-mentioned question has also been thoroughly explained. We asked when were the Partzufim discerned as being on the same level, and when were they discerned as being one below the other. This is explained in the words of the ARI here, that those Partzufim that emerge on a coupling in the same screen, like the twenty-five Partzufim in the inclusive Partzuf AA and in the inclusive Partzuf Abba, etc., these are all on the same level since from the perspective of Keter and the four phases of direct light, there is no difference in the level since they are in the Rosh of AK as they are in the Sof of Assiya. The difference between the worlds and the Partzufim is only because of the changes in the screen in the vessel Malchut on which the coupling by striking was made, as he wrote in Tree of Life.
Therefore, only five inclusive Partzufim, meaning that each of them contains twenty-five Partzufim that differ in the screens in them. The inclusive Partzuf Keter emerges on the screen of phase four, and the inclusive Abba, which is AB, emerges on the screen of phase three, the inclusive Ima, which is SAG, on the screen of phase two, and the inclusive ZON on the screen of phase one. For this reason, each one descends by one degree compared to its upper one: Abba that emerges in a screen of phase three has only the level of Hochma and lacks Keter. You find that the light of Hochma dresses in his vessel of Keter, the light of Bina in the vessel of Hochma, and so forth as the ARI explained. This is why you find that Abba, which is AB, dresses from the Peh of Partzuf Keter downward, SAG from the Peh of Partzuf Hochma and below, and so on likewise.
Also, all the worlds divide because of the screen and descend one below the other. The inclusive AK is from the screen of phase four, Atzilut is from phase three, Beria from phase two, Yetzira from phase one, and Assiya from the root phase. However, since all those particular Partzufim in each inclusive Partzuf emerge on one coupling and one screen, their level is completely equal since there is nothing to differentiate their level.
And yet, I saw in the book Rehovot HaNahar by the RASHASH that he had great difficulty explaining the words of the ARI regarding what the ARI wrote, that when he emanated Keter, in whom all the Ketarim were included, etc., that when he emanated Hochma, all the Hochmot [pl. of Hochma] were included in him, etc. He explained that after all five worlds AK and ABYA were emanated and emerged through the end of the bottom world of Assiya, the Emanator inverted their order once again so that all the discernments of length that emerged one below the other in each Partzuf, He corrected them to be thickness, and from all those Partzufim that clothed one another in thickness, He corrected them into being length. Thus, after AK and ABYA emerged, they were included in one another and became twenty-five worlds, since each of the five worlds is included with all of them. Thus, the five worlds of AK and ABYA are to the length in AK, and the five worlds AK and ABYA are to their length in Atzilut, and the five worlds AK and ABYA are to the length of Beria, and likewise in Yetzira and in Assiya. Through this incorporation, they were all made on an equal level to each other where for example, even the bottom world of Assiya ascended and increased his level equally with AK. Hence, now the world of Assiya, too, begins in Ein Sof in the beginning of the line, and ends equally with the Raglayim of AK, and likewise all the worlds.
Afterward, the Emanator swapped the length in them to thickness since He took the five worlds AK that clothed one another on the thickness, which are AK of AK, AK of Atzilut, AK of Beria, AK of Yetzira, and AK of Assiya, and made them into the length of AK. Thus, AK of Atzilut on the thickness became Atzilut of AK on its length, AK of Beria on the thickness became Beria of AK on its length, AK of Yetzira on the thickness into Yetzira of AK on its length, and AK of Assiya on the thickness into Assiya on the length of AK. He corrected the four worlds ABYA that were previously to the length of AK into being thickness from above, on the four worlds ABYA. He made the world of Atzilut that was on the length of AK into AK of Atzilut, the world of Beria on the length of AK into AK of Beria, the world of Yetzira on the length of AK into AK of Yetzira, and the world of Assiya on the length of AK into AK of Assiya, and likewise the rest of the worlds in general, in particular, and in the particular in the particular. Finally, there is nothing more in the Keter of each world and Partzuf than Ketarim from the beginning of the line through the end of the world of Assiya, and likewise Hochma of each world and Partzuf through the end of Assiya is all only Hochmot, and so forth likewise.
Besides the great difficulty of this interpretation to explain the words of the ARI, since here the ARI says explicitly, When Ein Sof emanated Keter, He made it from all five Partzufim, etc., and when He emanated the Keter in Him, all the Ketarim [pl. of Keter] were included in it, etc. Thus, here it speaks of right at the beginning of the emanation of the five Partzufim of the world of Atzilut. Also, he interprets the beginning of Atzilut of the five Partzufim of Beria, and the five Partzufim of Yetzira and Assiya one below the other. How can it be said here that the ARI speaks only of a correction that was done after the emergence of all the worlds? He would not have used the words “When He emanated” but the words “When He corrected.” Also, with such a great innovation that after the emergence of all the worlds, the Emanator reversed their order from length to thickness and from thickness to length, the ARI should have at least presented some hint in all the writings of the ARI. Additionally, besides all the above-said, it is difficult to understand how it is possible that the bottom world of Assiya, which emerged back-to-back in AK and ABYA on the length, and in Partzuf Hochma in it, the ARI says that there is only a dot in it, so how was it later corrected into being equal to the level of AK, and now the world of Assiya begins at the Rosh of the line, attached to Ein Sof like AK?
He wrote there, in Rehovot HaNahar, that these words are presented in the words of the ARI, yet I delved deeply into that above-mentioned Shaar HaTikkun and it is to the contrary. He wrote there explicitly that prior to the end of correction, the Partzufim stand one below the other. Only after the completion of the entire correction, when GAR of ZA emerge, as well as the first nine of Nukva, their level will be equal and they will clothe one another. But during the correction, within the six thousand years, he clarifies there that ZA lacks GAR and Nukva lacks the first nine. To complete this, they need Ibur-Yenika-Mochin each time. Thus, as long as the completion of the whole correction has not been achieved, their level is not the same. Also, in the book Mavo She’arim he [the ARI] does not speak at all about equalizing the level.
He [RASHASH] is probably explaining there the words of the ARI that when it speaks of the completion of the whole correction, it is not quite the end of correction but only the correction of the six thousand years, while the completion of the whole correction that the ARI speaks of pertains to their level being generally equal, and the middle of the correction that the ARI speaks of pertains to the very last item that can be found, in which there is the matter of Ibur-Yenika-Mochin in ZA and they are not on an equal level.
However, according to this, since he explained that first the worlds and Partzufim as a whole were corrected on an equal level and then the particular Partzufim emerged to be made one below the other, you find from this that what the ARI wrote there about the middle of the correction has now become after the completion of the entire correction. You find that the completion of the correction precedes the middle of it? This is very perplexing.
Also, it is not the conduct of the ARI at all to speak in this manner, since the purpose of the whole correction, its meaning is clear: It is the usual end of correction that the ARI always speaks about in all the treatises. Besides, the ARI does not speak there at all of Partzuf AK or of the Partzufim of the three bottom worlds BYA, saying that their level is equal to the world of Atzilut. Rather, he speaks only of the five Partzufim of the world of Atzilut, and there is no intimation here to equalizing the level of the bottom world of Assiya with the Rosh of the line that is attached to Ein Sof.
The RASHASH also says there to delve in Shaarey Kedusha and in the treatises of ABYA where it is explained that after the five worlds AK and ABYA emerged, they clothed each other on the length from above downward from Rosh AK to the end of Assiya, see there in Rehovot HaNahar. I did delve into the treatises of ABYA in Tree of Life, and there is no mention there at all of the matter of equalizing the level. Also, in Shaarey Kedusha he explicitly wrote the opposite of his words. He writes there that “All the worlds are included in the name HaVaYaH, etc., and it is likewise in each of the five worlds, etc. All those phases and degrees from the top of Adam Kadmon to the abyss in the bottom world are one above the other and one before the other, since one who is superior to the other dresses inside the one below it like a soul in a body. Yet, the upper one does not dress in the lower one entirely, but only a particular phase in the upper one dresses in the whole of the lower one and so forth likewise until the Sium [end] of the worlds.”
Therefore, it is explicitly the opposite of his words, for although they are included in one another, one above the other, and one before the other, the upper one still does not dress in the lower one, but only some of it, only Malchut of the upper one, and their level is not equal. It is very odd that of all the places that he referenced in order to support his words, you find the very opposite there. I scrutinized his holy words a great deal but I did not merit to understand them whatsoever.
There is another oddity I found there in Rehovot HaNahar: He wrote that the level of AA begins at the Tabur of AK and that there is its root. This contradicts the words of the ARI that have been published in several places, that GAR of Atik clothe GAR of Nekudim that remained in their place and were not revoked during the breaking of the vessels, and it begins in Tabur of AK, and this Rosh of Atik is called RADLA, which AA cannot clothe, and AA clothes only the ZAT of Atik which are below GAR of Nekudim, in the place of ZAT of Nekudim. Thus, you find that RADLA stops between Tabur of AK and Rosh of AA. So how does the RASHASH say there that AA begins from Tabur of AK? See in Sha’ar HaTikkun, Chapter 3: “Although the light of Metzah [forehead], which is called MA there, emerged from above the Metzah, it spreads from there downward and begins its existence from the Tabur, etc. The point of Keter extended and spread from her place downward, etc., and this expansion is the full measure called ‘the world of Atzilut.’ This point is the Nukva of Atik Yomin, and likewise, the male of Atik Yomin that was made of the tastes of MA also spreads in the above measure.”
Thus, it is explicitly clarified that both Atik Yomin Nukva and the male of Atik Yomin begin from Tabur of AK and not above it whatsoever. Also, in Tree of Life, the ARI wrote as follows: “GAR of Atik cannot clothe inside AA, and it is impossible that he will receive their lights. For this reason, they remain revealed and stand as surrounding of AA. Only the bottom seven of Atik clothe inside AA since KHB of AA clothe HGT of Atik Yomin, and the bottom seven of AA clothe NHY of Atik.” Thus, it is explained that Rosh of AA stands in the place of ZAT of Atik, which is the place of ZAT of Nekudim, and does not touch the place of GAR of Nekudim that stand below Tabur of AK even a bit, since it is the place of RADLA.
It is also explained in Tree of Life that “The vessels of GAR (of Nekudim) did not descend. One Rosh was made from the vessels of these three Nekudot, and within them three Mochin. This is called RADLA, and it is also called Rosh of Atik Yomin. Thus, the first three of the ten Nekudot are RADLA.” Thus, it is explained that Rosh of Atik took the place of GAR of Nekudim that clothe from Tabur of AK downward, and not AA. Also, in Tree of Life, he says “The initial place of ZA is in the place that is now AA.” Thus, AA stands in the place of ZA of Nekudim.
Moreover, from the above premise that AA begins at Tabur of AK, he got to interpret the order of ascent of the Partzufim of Atzilut to the Partzufim of AK, that when ZA obtains Partzuf Neshama and ascends to the Chazeh of AA, meaning in the first ascent, AA ascends to Rosh SAG of AK. In the second ascent, when ZA ascends to the Garon of AA and obtains Haya, and AA ascends to Rosh AB of AK. In the third ascent, when ZA ascends to Rosh AA and obtains Yechida, AA ascends to the Rosh of Partzuf Galgalta of AK.
According to his words, it follows that on Shabbat, in the Musaf [addition] when the Partzufim are in the second ascent, when ZA rose to the Garon of AA in the place of upper AVI, AA is in Rosh of AB, according to his words. This explicitly contradicts the words of the ARI in the book of intentions in the treatise about the meal on the morning of Shabbat, where he wrote there that at that time, AA ascends to the place of the Heys of Partzuf AB of AK. Also, the ARI instructed to scrutinize this in Shaar Mati veLo Mati [present and not present] where it explains that the place of these Heys is in KHB of the Guf of AB of AK. Thus, on the ascent of the Musaf of Shabbat, AA is in the place of the Guf of AB of AK, meaning in his HGT when he is clothed in Rosh SAG of AK, and not in Rosh of AB of AK. Only in the third ascent, during the Mincha [afternoon] of Shabbat, when ZA ascends to AA, AA rises to Rosh of AB of AK, and Atik rises at that time to Rosh Partzuf Galgalta of AK in a way that in the first ascent, AA rises to Rosh of Atik of Atzilut, and in the second ascent, AA rises to HGT of AB which is the place of Rosh SAG of AK, and in the third ascent, AA rises to Rosh AB of AK.
I found yet another perplexity there in Rehovot HaNahar: He says there that those five mentioned Partzufim of Atzilut that emerge from the new MA refer to MA of AK called ZA of AK, and their five female Partzufim, which are called BON, come from BON of AK Malchut of AK. But these words of his completely contradict what the ARI writes in several places, that the side of BON of the five Partzufim of Atzilut are very high from the side of the male MA, since they are regarded as SAG, who is higher than MA. However, since they are corrected only through MA, their name has been changed into the name BON. Thus, clearly, the Partzufim of BON of Atzilut are not from BON of AK but rather from SAG of AK, who is much higher than even MA of AK himself. It is also odd that according to his words, the new MA is MA of AK. If this is so then why does the ARI call him “the new MA”? Also, how can the male Atik, AA, and AVI receive from GAR of ZA of AK? After all, they are regarded as GAR and must receive from their corresponding phase in the Partzufim of AK, meaning from MA of Partzuf Keter and AB and SAG of AK, and not from ZA of AK, as is written in the words of the ARI above, and this is clear.
He also writes there that the GAR of ZON of BON that Atik took are from the nine Sefirot of BON that emerged anew. This contradicts the words of the ARI, who wrote that they are the old vessels of Nekudim in which there was no breaking.
Also, we have already explained above concerning MA and BON of the five Partzufim of Atzilut, that only the vessels that remained complete from the ten Sefirot of Nekudim, or the vessels that were sorted through the levels of MA that emerge in Atzilut, are called BON. This is due to their descent to receive from the lights of Atzilut which are lower than they are. Although all those lights that emerge in Atzilut emerge only through MAN from the records and the sparks of BON, they are all called MA. It is as the ARI wrote there that only MA emerges through a coupling of AB SAG for the sake of Atzilut, and not BON, who is entirely from Nekudot of SAG of AK, for only the vessels of Nekudim, or those that are sorted from them from BYA, are called BON. The lights in them do not come from the coupling AB SAG of AK himself but only through their owners, the MA. These words of the ARI are too clear and must not be retracted even as a hairsbreadth.
We should also remember what he says, that the lights of Atzilut are called “the new MA” after the permanent levels of Atzilut in which no diminution will ever occur. These are only what is received from the ZON of each of the five Partzufim of AK, which is called MA, while all the lights that are received from what is above MA of the five Partzufim of AK, which are called Galgalta-AB-SAG of the five Partzufim of AK, which are drawn through MAN from the lower ones by prayers and ascents, are not permanent in Atzilut but rather ascend and descend according to the actions of the lower ones. For this reason, the name Atzilut is not given to them but only to the permanent level of MA in them.
There is another matter that should be mentioned here. I saw in the book Hasdei David [David’s Mercies] that AK himself is called Yechida with regard to Atzilut. However, with regard to what is above him, he, too, is called ZON, etc., since the whole of AK stands in the place of half the clothing of the lower one. The complete clothing of the lower one is AB-SAG-MA-BON. When the clothing is divided and the bottom half, called MA and BON, is divided and clothes the upper half, which is AB SAG, that vacant place that was at the place of the bottom half of the clothing is called “primal air,” and the ball that is made within it, in which the ten Sefirot of AK stand, is called Tehiro. On top of the Tehiro, between the primal air and the clothing, stand the ten Sefirot of the upper, concealed AK, since AK stands in the place of MA and BON, which is why ZON is called according to what is above it. These words are also found in the words of Rav Menachem Azariah da Fano, in Emek HaMelech, and in Shaarey Gan Eden and in others.
Know that these words came from what the friends received, meaning the other disciples of the ARI and not from Rav Chaim Vital. But not only are they not found in all the writings of Rav Chaim Vital, they also contradict what Rav Chaim Vital received. You can see that Tree of Life explains as follows: “This first circle, which is the most attached to Ein Sof, is called Keter of AK.” He also writes there: “Know that the first lights,” etc., “are regarded as the ten Sefirot whose overall connection is called AK to all the primal ones,” see there and in several places. Thus, it explicitly explains that there are no worlds at all above AK, the opposite of those who say that the world of clothing is a special world that precedes AK.
Indeed, all those worlds presented in what the friends received, meaning the first Tehiro and the world of clothing that folded its lower half over its upper half, and the primal air, and the Tehiro inside the primal air, and the blocked AK are all included in the five Partzufim of AK that Rav Chaim Vital explained. It is written in Tree of Life: “Let us begin to explain one item that includes and encompasses the whole place of this space, an item from which all the worlds spread, and on which they hang and from which they emerge and become revealed outside. However, that item is called Adam Kadmon [primordial man] before all the primal ones, who precedes all that there is.” Thus, it is explained that AK precedes all that exists, and all the worlds are included in it and expand from it.
Know that the world of clothing is included in Partzuf SAG of AK, which prior to the second restriction, expanded through the point of this world. The matter of the folding of the world of clothing was done with the second restriction, for then the world of clothing was also folded due to the ascent of the lights from below Tabur, which are two HaVaYot [pl. of HaVaYaH], MA and BON of AK, to above Tabur, which are two HaVaYot AB SAG of AK. From this you will understand that the worlds “primal air” and the second Tehiro that was made a circle within a square, as presented in what the friends received, emerged in the place of the bottom half of the clothing that had folded. According to the above, you find that they are included in Tabur of AK and below, meaning in the world of Nekudim. Also, the first Tehiro is the first world of restriction. Thus, the world of clothing, and especially the worlds following it, are below the two Partzufim Galgalta and AB of AK.
Besides what is said in the explanation of their words, we are commanded not to mind what the friends received at all, especially where they contradict what Rav Chaim Vital received, as it is written in Shaar HaGilgulim that upon his demise, the ARI gave a will where he forbade all the friends from learning in the writings that they wrote from his words because they did not understand his words. He forbade them from delving into them, with the exception of Rav Chaim Vital. Also, see what the RASHASH wrote in his book Nahar Shalom: “All my engagement and learning is only in the words of the ARI and his disciple Rav Chaim Vital alone. Other than they, I have no dealing with any book from the books of the first and last kabbalists. I did not even learn in the words of the other disciples of the ARI. When I come across a word of their words, I skip it, for by this I am not warning but reminding: For God’s sake, let your hands not touch their words.”
We should not be surprised about those books that were taken after what the friends received, for they probably did not see the words in Shaar HaGilgulim, and therefore were not careful to distinguish between what Rav Chaim Vital received and what the other friends did. This is what has prompted me to compile the book Ha’Ilan [The Tree] and arrange in it the worlds and Partzufim from the Rosh of the line that is attached to Ein Sof through the bottom world of Assiya, established on the purity of the words of Rav Chaim Vital, for all the trees I have seen are mixed with what the friends received. For this reason, they must not be trusted.
Tree of Life, Part 1, Gate 10, Chapter 3.
Tree of Life, Part 1, Gate 10, end of Chapter 3.
268) The name SAG will return to its beginning and to its merit, and the name SAG will govern and shine in the world. This means that SAG of AK was diminished during the second restriction and rose from Sium Raglayim of AK to the place above Tabur of AK and ended on Tabur of AK, below which the Parsa was set up inside the intestines of AK, causing the emergence of the Parsa between Atzilut and Beria. At the end of correction, all those Parsas of the second restriction will be canceled and SAG of AK will return to its initial state and expand through the Sium Raglayim of AK, meaning to the point of this world as he had expanded prior to the second restriction. Also, the name BON—meaning the five Partzufim of BON of the world of Atzilut which come from the ten Sefirot of Nekudim that emerged from SAG of AK from the Nikvey Einayim after he was diminished and rose above Tabur—will return to his root as SAG himself, and he, too, will expand through the point of this world. By this, BYA will return to truly being Atzilut, and you will find that the name SAG from before the second restriction will rule and shine in the world.
At that time, MA will be canceled and there will be only two lights, of AB and SAG, since the new MA, which contains all five male Partzufim of Atzilut emerged from the small Hey of BeHibara’am [when they were created], which is the second restriction that was done in SAG of AK. From this coupling of AB with SAG of the second restriction emerged the new MA. You find that after the second restriction is canceled and SAG spreads once again through the Sium Raglayim of AK as prior to the second restriction, there will no more be a place for the emergence of the new MA, and it, too, will return to his root, to AB of AK, and only AB and SAG will reign. Understand this, for there is nothing more to add.