Kabbalah Library

FOUR PHASES OF DIRECT LIGHT

The learning begins with a discernment called “The connection between the Creator and the creatures,” since we do not speak of the Creator Himself and we cannot attain Him. Instead, “By Your actions we know You,” meaning the attainment is only in the operations extending from Him.

This connection is also called “the purpose of Creation.” Our sages perceived that His wish and goal were to benefit His creations. Hence, the order of evolution begins from this discernment until it reaches the souls, whose root is the soul of  Adam ha Rishon, which extends from the internality of the worlds  BYA.

Allegorically speaking, when the Creator wished to benefit His creatures, He wanted to give them 100 kilograms of pleasure. Hence, He had to create such creations that would want to receive it. We learned that the desire to receive delight and pleasure is the very essence of the creature and the reason why Creation is called “existence from absence.” And He created it so His Thought of delighting His creations would be realized.

And for the will to receive to be born, there had to be an order of four discernments, since one can enjoy something only according to one’s desire for it. This is why we call the  Kli (vessel) by the name, “will to receive” or “craving.” Thus, according to the measure of the need is the measure of the craving to satisfy the need.

There are two conditions for the making of a craving:

1. One should know what to crave. One cannot crave something one has never seen or heard of. 
2. One will not have the desired thing, since if he has already obtained his wish, he loses the craving.

To realize these two conditions, four phases/discernments emerged in the will to receive, which are actually five, along with their root. The fifth discernment is called a  Kli, suitable for reception of delight and pleasure.

They follow this order:

1)  Keter: His desire to benefit His creations.

2)  Hochma: His desire to benefit His creations created a deficiency—existence from absence—and along with it, created the Light. Thus, the abundance and the desire to receive the abundance came together. This is so because the desire still did not know what to want; hence, it was born along with its filling. But if it has its filling, it loses the desire for filling, as the second condition requires. This discernment is called  Behina Aleph (first discernment)  de Aviut (of the desire).

3)  Bina: Since the Light comes from the Giver, the force of bestowal is included in it. Hence, at its end,  Hochma wishes to equalize its form, meaning to not be a receiver, but a giver. There is a rule in spirituality: “Any generation of a form is considered a new discernment.” Hence, this discernment is given its own name—  Bina, and this is  Behina Bet (second discernment)  de Aviut. We also learned that the Light that spreads while the lower one wishes to equalize its form is  Ohr Hassadim (Light of Mercy), and this is the Light that shines in  Bina.

Question: If  Bina craves to bestow, why is it considered  Aviut Bet (second degree of  Aviut)? On the contrary, it seems like it should have been purer than  Behina Aleph de Aviut (first degree of  Aviut).

Answer: I explain it with an allegory: A person gives his friend a present and the friend receives it. Afterwards, he reconsiders and decides that it is not in his interest to receive, and returns the gift. In the beginning, he was under the influence and domination of the giver; hence, he received. But once he received, he felt that he was the receiver, and that sensation caused him to return the gift.

Lesson: in  Behina Aleph, he received due to the domination of the giver, but he still did not feel like a receiver. And when he saw and felt that he was the receiver, he stopped receiving, and this is  Behina Bet. In other words, in that state, he felt that he was the receiver, and hence wanted to bestow upon the giver. This is why  Behina Bet is called  Bina, for it  Hitbonena (examined/observed) herself being a receiver and hence wanted to bestow. This is also why we learn that the beginning of the learning is from  Bina down.

4)  ZA: At its end,  Bina received a kind of drive that stems from the purpose of Creation, which she must receive because the purpose of Creation was not for the creatures to engage in bestowal. On the other hand, she also wanted equivalence of form, bestowal. Therefore, she compromised: she would receive  Hassadim (mercy) and illumination of the  Ohr Hochma (Light of Wisdom).

This is called  Behina Gimel de Aviut, since she already extends  Hochma, but there are still  Hassadim in her. This is the reason for the name  Zeir Anpin (small face).  Hochma is called Panim (face), as in, “A man’s wisdom makes his face shine,” but it receives this  Ohr Hochma in a  Zeir, meaning very small extent. But this discernment is still not considered a  Kli (vessel), since if it can bestow and receive only an illumination of the  Ohr Hochma, it is a sign that its craving to receive is incomplete, since it still has the strength to engage in bestowal, too.

5)  Malchut: At its end,  Behina Gimel is prompted from Above to receive abundantly because of His desire to benefit His creations. After all, the purpose of Creation was not for the lower ones to receive in  Zeir Anpin. Hence, this awakening causes  Malchut to have a desire and craving to receive the  Ohr Hochma as it shone in  Behina Aleph, when she had all the  Ohr Hochma.

But the difference between  Behina Aleph and  Behina Dalet is that in  Behina Aleph, it could not be said that she was enjoying the  Ohr Hochma, since she still did not possess the craving and deficiency, since the  Kli and the abundance came together. But  Behina Dalet craves the  Ohr Hochma when she does not have it; hence, when she receives, she feels the delight and pleasure that come with fulfilling her wish.

Only this  Behina is called a  Kli, since it wishes only to receive. All the  Behinot (plural for  Behina) prior to it are considered “Light without a  Kli.” And when this  Behina Dalet receives the Light, it is a state called  “the world of Ein Sof,” and also  “filling the whole of reality.”

Question: If we are dealing with spirituality, where there is no time and no place, what does “filling the whole of reality” mean?

Answer: Let us return to our allegory from the beginning of this explanation, the allegory that He wanted to give His creatures 100 kg of pleasure and therefore had to create 100 kg of deficiency and desire to receive in the creatures, corresponding to the pleasure. When the 100 kg of desire receive the 100 kg of filling, this is called  “filling the whole of reality,” meaning no deficiency is left unfulfilled.

And now we will explain the meaning of the name  Malchut de Ein Sof: This  Malchut, which craves to receive abundance to fill her deficiency, is called “receiving in order to receive.” This means that she receives in order to satisfy her lack. At a later stage, she put an end and  Tzimtzum (restriction) on using this  Kli. But in the initial stage, which we are dealing with, she still did not make that  Sof(end) and Sium (conclusion); hence, this state is still called  Ein Sof (no end).

We learned that, at its end, after receiving the abundance, a desire to bestow awakened in  Hochma, fitting the Emanator’s wish to bestow. Also, once  Malchut received the Light, it evoked within her a desire to bestow, since this Light possesses the power of bestowal.  Bina wished to bestow, but failed because in  Bina’s way, the purpose of Creation is missing. Even her subsequent reception of illumination in  ZA was not enough, since the Creator’s desire to benefit His creations was for abundance, not for  ZA. Hence, how could  Malchut achieve equivalence of form and obtain the purpose of Creation, too?

It is said about that that she invented something new:  Malchut was to receive everything, but unlike Ein Sof, where it was all in order to receive, she would do it in order to bestow. Thus, on the one hand she would be realizing the purpose of Creation of benefiting His creations, since she would be receiving, and on the other hand her aim would be to bestow, which is equivalence of form.

TZIMTZUM ALEPH

Malchut’s decision that she did not want to receive in order to receive is considered that she repelled the Light. This state is called  Tzimtzum (restriction). There is a rule in spirituality that any appearance of a new form is considered a new discernment. Therefore, we should discern two states:

1. When Behina Dalet received all the Light with a Kli called “craving.” This is called “filling the whole of reality.” It is also called “the world of Ein Sof.” 
2. After she wanted equivalence of form, this state is considered a different world, called “the world of Tzimtzum,” from which the Light departed.

Hence, as we discerned that  Hochma received and  Bina reflected the Light,  Malchut remained as she was, in the state of the world of  Ein Sof, receiving all the Light. And now we discern a new  Malchut, which reflects the Light.

We should know that in the first state, called  Ein Sof, it was “He is One and His Name One,” meaning the Light and the  Kli were one discernment. Only after the  Tzimtzum was there a distinction of the four phases, or the ten  Sefirot, since the Light departed from them.

Question: With this  Tzimtzum, the Light departed from all ten  Sefirot. This is perplexing, since the Tzimtzum was on reception in order to receive, which is  Behina Dalet, and not on the other  Behinot!

Answer: The first three  Behinot are not considered  Kelim, they only prompt an order of development, at the end of which the  Kli, called receiving in order to receive, is born and becomes separated from the Giver. But the first three  Behinot are still not separated from the Giver.

After  Malchut was born, she obtained her causes. Hence, it cannot be said that after the  Tzimtzum, the Light remained in the Upper Nine, since they are not  Kelim. The only  Kli is  Malchut, and if she does not want to receive, all the Light departs and she does not receive a thing.

The Ari also says, “The  Tzimtzum was equal,” without distinction of degrees.

Question: If this is so, why did we say that the four  Behinot became distinct after the  Tzimtzum?

Answer: The distinction was made with respect to cause and consequence, but there was no distinction of Above and below.

Question: What do Above and below mean in spirituality?

Answer: Importance—whereas cause and consequence do not imply importance. For example, the Vilna Gaon was a consequence of his father, but who was more important, the cause or the consequence?

We need to understand why there was no distinction of Above and below.  Malchut received the Light that “fills the whole of reality,” and this is not considered a deficiency or inferiority in importance. Hence, she could have remained in that state, had she not chosen to make the  Tzimtzum.

This is what the Ari wishes to imply when he says that the  Tzimtzum was equal, that  Malchut was not of inferior importance, but that the  Tzimtzum was made through her own choice. But afterwards, when  Malchut does not receive due to the prohibition, she becomes inferior in importance. Then, what is farther from  Malchut becomes  of Higher importance, and what is nearer to  Malchut becomes of  lower importance.

THE TEN SEFIROT DE IGULIM (CIRCLES) AND THE LINE OF EIN SOF THAT FILLS THEM

After the  Tzimtzum, the  Kelim were left empty, and within them  Reshimot (recollections/memories) of the Light that they’d had. They are called “the ten  Sefirot de Igulim in the world of  Tzimtzum.” They are called  Igulim to imply that the issue of Above and below does not apply to them, as it is in a corporeal circle.

And since  Malchut is the operator, since she is the actual  Kli,  Malchut de Igulim returned and extended the Light to receive it in order to bestow. And here we learn a new rule: “A desire in the Upper One becomes a binding law in the lower one.” Hence, now she is forbidden to receive.

I once offered an allegory about that: The eve of a new month is a time for saying the small  Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) prayer and for awakening to repent. Sometimes, a person debates whether or not to fast on that day. It is not mandatory to fast and there is no prohibition on the food, as well. Hence, the choice is in one’s own hands.

If, in the end, a person decides to fast, and later regrets and wishes to eat, the rule is that the food is now forbidden, so “he shall not break his word” concerning the oath. Thus, we see that initially, there was no prohibition on the food, but after he had chosen to avoid eating, the food became forbidden.

Lesson: In the beginning,  Malchut did not want to receive through her own choice. But now that she extends the Light again, it is prohibited to receive the Light. And if there is prohibition, there is Above and below in importance. Hence, this extension is called “a line that extends from  Ein Sof from Above downwards.”

We also learned that even though the  Igulim extended the Light, they received it only from the line. We must understand why this is so: Any new form in spirituality is a new discernment. Hence, there are two kinds of  Kelim (plural for  Kli):

1. Kelim in which there is no prohibition on reception. 
2. Kelim that extend now, with the extension of the Light, and whose Malchut is called Malchut de Yosher (directness), on which there is a prohibition to receive, due to the rule: A desire in the Upper One becomes a binding law in the lower one.

We also learn that the  Igulim should receive Light from what they had drawn anew. This Light is called “a line.” It contains Above and below in importance, and there is no other Light. This is the meaning of the  Igulim having no Light but from the line.

Yet, there is a great difference between  Malchut de Igulim and  Malchut of the line.  Malchut de Igulim had the Light in the form of “filling the whole of reality,” while  Malchut de Yosher never had any Light, nor will it ever have Light in its  Kli, called “receiving in order to receive.”

THE LINE AND THE ZIVUG DE HAKAA

Thus far, we have discussed three states:

1. The will to receive that was created in the world of Ein Sof, and which received all the Light. 
2. In the world of Tzimtzum, it became apparent that the will to receive must be corrected for the purpose of decoration. 
3. In the line, it is apparent that the Kli must be corrected due to the deficiency. Otherwise, the Light does not expand to it.

And now we shall speak of the line. We have already learned that the line has Above and below in importance, since  Malchut of the line was forbidden to receive because she is regarded as receiving in order to receive. The rule is that in all the degrees,  Malchut’s name was not changed, which is “receiving in order to receive.” And her Light is  Ohr Hozer, meaning she wishes to bestow upon the Upper One.

And when the Light extends to  Malchut, she made a  Zivug de Hakaa, a  Masach, which implies ending the Light and making calculations. For example, she assumed that she could receive only twenty percent of the Light in order to bestow. Hence, she decided to clothe only that much Light.

However, she felt that there was too much pleasure in the remaining eighty percent, and if she were to receive it, it would be in order to receive. Hence, she decided to not receive that part of the Light. So what is the difference between a  Tzimtzum and a  Masach (screen)?

• A Tzimtzum occurs through choice, as we learned that Malchut had all the Light and she chose to not receive it. 
• A Masach is the domination of the Upper One on it. Thus, even if the lower one wished to receive, the Upper One would not let it.

The meaning of the term  Zivug de Hakaa (coupling of striking) is as follows: In corporeality, it sometimes happens that when people disagree, they strike each other. In spirituality, when two things contradict each other, it is considered that they strike each other.

And what is the dispute? The Upper One, who wishes to benefit His creations, evokes in the lower ones a desire to receive all the Light. But the lower one wishes the contrary, to equalize its form, and hence does not wish to receive at all. This is the striking that unfolds between the Upper One and the lower one.

In the end, they equalize with one another and create a union and  Zivug between them. In other words, the lower one receives the Light as the Upper One wishes, but only as much of it as it can receive in order to bestow, as the lower one wishes. Thus, there are two things here: 1) equivalence of form, and 2) reception of the Light.

However, the  Zivug is possible only if a striking preceded it, since without the striking, and with the lower one’s desire to receive the Light, this would be oppositeness and separation from the Creator. This process of  Zivug de Hakaa is called  Rosh (head). A  Rosh means root, a potential, which needs a process of realization. The  Rosh exists because of the existence of the  Sof, the prohibition on reception. Hence,  Malchut is compelled to calculate, and this is called a  Rosh, preceding the actual reception.

Accordingly, we can understand the Ari’s words in the beginning of  Talmud Eser Sefirot (The Study of the Ten Sefirot): “Behold that before the emanations were emanated and the creatures were created, etc., and there was no such part as head, or end,” etc. This is so because in  Ein Sof, there was still no prohibition on receiving; hence, it immediately received it. But now that there was an end, we should distinguish between the  Rosh, which is the potential, and the  Guf (body), which is the realization.

And afterwards it actually receives, meaning the twenty percent that it receives in order to bestow are called the  Toch (interior) of the degree, and the place of the expansion of the Light is called from Peh (mouth) to Tabur (navel). And  Malchut de (of)  Toch stands at the  Tabur, saying, “What I receive from here on, meaning the eighty percent, will be in order to receive. Hence, I do not want to receive, so I will not be separated.” Thus, the Light departs, and this discernment is called  the Sofof the degree.

THE BITUSH BETWEEN INTERNAL AND SURROUNDING IN THE PARTZUF

Everything discussed here concerning the  RTS (Rosh,  Toch,  Sof) concerns the first  Partzuf, called Galgalta, which uses the  Aviut of  Behina Dalet. And we learned that  Galgalta received the maximum it could receive in order to bestow. It could not receive more. Yet, we learned that in the Thought of Creation, the  Kli received everything. This is so because the  Kli of reception in order to receive was created by the Creator, while in the  Kli that the lower one makes, called “in order to bestow,” there is a limit to the amount it can receive. It follows that there is no  Kli that can receive the eighty percent of Light that remained outside the  Partzuf.

So what shall become of them? To correct that, a  Bitush of Internal and External was created. These are the Ari’s words concerning this issue  (Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 4, Chapter 1, Item 4): “When the Inner Lights connect to the Surrounding Lights, they connect inside the  Peh. Hence, when they emerge together outside the  Peh, tied together, they strike and beat on each other, and their beatings beget the  Kelim.” Thus,  it is through the beatings that the Kelim are made.

And we need to understand why 1) the  Ohr Pnimi (Inner Light) and  Ohr Makif (Surrounding Light) beat on each other, and 2) why this beating creates the  Kelim.

Answer: We have already said that in spirituality, a beating occurs when two things are in opposition to one another. But we also need to understand why the beating occurs “when they emerge together outside the  Peh.”

At the  Rosh of the degree, 100 percent of the Light expands without a distinction of Internal and Surrounding. This is because His desire to benefit His creations is complete. But the lower one, who is limited, calculates and decides, for example, that it can only receive twenty percent in order to bestow. This occurs in the  Rosh, in potential.  “When they emerge together outside the Peh”: Emergence, in spirituality, is called “revelation,” when what was in potential is revealed in actuality. At that time, it receives a part and repels a part, to become  Ohr Makif.

This  Ohr Makif seemingly comes to the  Masach and argues, “Your conduct, meaning the fact that you have erected the  Masach, is not good, since how will the purpose of Creation of benefiting His creations be implemented? Who will receive the Light?”

On the other hand, the  Ohr Pnimi agrees with the  Masach, since the very expansion of the Light within is through the  Masach and the  Ohr Hozer (Reflected Light).  This dispute is called Bitush of Ohr Makif and Ohr Pnimi, or Bitush of Ohr Makif in the Masach.

In truth, the  Ohr Makif is on the right; hence, the  Masach agrees with it. And since it agrees, it can no longer repel and raise  Ohr Hozer, and hence can no longer receive in order to bestow. Thus, the Light departs and the  Masach is purified, meaning stops receiving. This state is called  Din (judgment) and  Achoraim (posterior).

And since each  Behina (discernment) consists of four  Behinot, the  Masach departs  gradually, beginning with  Behina Dalet in  Behina Dalet, then from  Behina Gimel in  Behina Dalet, etc., until it rises to  Peh de Rosh, the source from which the  Masach de Guf arrived. In other words, it stops receiving altogether.

As it rises, it uses a smaller  Aviut each time, and thus receives smaller Lights in order to bestow. For example, when it ascends to  Behina Aleph, it can only receive the Light of  Ruach. When it rises to Behinat Shoresh (root), it can only receive the Light of  Nefesh in order to bestow. Finally, it cannot receive anything in order to bestow and thus stops receiving altogether.

Question: What is the benefit of the  Ohr Makif, which wants to shine because of the purpose of Creation, and therefore wishes for the  Masach to receive more? After all, things are unfolding in contrast to its will, meaning  the Masach loses even what it had!

Answer: All the degrees that appeared during the departure are not residue of what it had in the beginning, since there is a rule: “There is no generation of Light that does not extend from  Ein Sof.” This means that each discernment that appears is a new discernment. Thus, in the beginning, it could not receive anything more. But now that  Behina Dalet has departed, it can receive more from  Behina Gimel.

This is the meaning of  the Kelim were made through the Bitush, that is, prior to the  Bitush, it did not have any more  Kelim for reception, since it received all it could with the aim to bestow. But after the  Bitush, when the  Masach of  Behina Dalet was purified, there was room to receive on  Behina Gimel, since it departed from  Behina Dalet and had nothing. And when it departed  Behina Gimel, it could receive on  Behina Bet.

But this still leaves the question: What is the benefit, if it receives less each time?

Answer: There is no absence in spirituality. This means that anything that appears remains, except he does not see it, and cannot currently enjoy it, but only from the present. But when the work is done, all the Lights will appear at once. Thus, in the end, it is benefitting.

Baal HaSulam once said an allegory about it: Two people who were childhood friends separated as adults. One of them became a king, and the other, indigent. After many years, the poor one heard that his friend became a king and decided to go to his friend’s country and ask for help. He packed his few belongings and went.

When they met, he told the king that he was destitute, and this touched the king’s heart. The king said to his friend: “I will give you a letter to my treasurer to allow you into the treasury for two hours. In those two hours, whatever you manage to collect is yours.” The poor man went to the treasurer, armed with his letter, and received the longed for permit. He walked into the treasury with the box he was used to using for his beggary, and within five minutes, he filled his box to the rim and merrily stepped out of the treasury.

But the treasurer took his box from him and spilled its entire contents. Then the treasurer told the sobbing indigent, “Take your box and fill it up again.” The poor man walked into the treasury once more and filled his box. But when he stepped outside, the treasurer spilled its contents as before.

This cycle repeated itself, until the two hours were through. The last time the beggar came out, he told the treasurer: “I beg you, leave me what I have collected. My time is through and I can no longer enter the treasury.” Then the treasurer told him: “The contents of this box is yours, and so is everything that I have spilled out of your box for the past two hours. I have been spilling your money every time because I wanted to benefit you, since  each time, you were coming with your tiny box full and you had no room for anything more.”

Lesson: Each reception of Light in order to bestow remains. But if the Light remained, we would not want to receive anymore, since we would not be able to receive in order to bestow on more than we had received. Hence, each degree must depart, and each time we correct a  Kli of will to receive with the aim to bestow, until all is corrected. Then, all the Lights will shine at once.

And now let us return the purification of the  Masach. The first expansion that emerged from the  Pehdown is called  Taamim (flavors), from the verse, “as the palate tastes its food.” After the  Bitush of Ohr Makif, the  Masach began to purify, and on its way, produced a new degree each time. These degrees are called  Nekudot (points).

I have already explained the Ari’s words, that the  Kelim were made through the  Bitush, since now it has the ability to receive more Light. But Baal HaSulam interprets the making of the  Kelim (plural for Kli) differently: While the Light was in the  Kli, the Light and the  Kli were mingled in each other. Through the  Bitush, the Light departed, and then the  Kli became apparent.

Interpretation: While the Light shines in the  Kli the deficiency of the  Kli is indistinguishable; hence, it does not merit the name  Kli. This is because without the  Kli, the Light cannot shine. Hence, they are of equal importance. But once the Light departs, the  Kli is distinguished as a  Kli, and the Light, as Light.

The  Nekuda (point) of  Tzimtzum is the reason why the degrees emerging during the purification are called  Nekudot.

And what is the  Nekuda of the  Tzimtzum? The Holy  Zohar says that  Malchut is called “a black point without any white in it.” This means that during the darkness,  Malchut is called “a point.” And when there is  Tzimtzum, and it is forbidden to receive in order to receive, it becomes dark. In other words, the point of Tzimtzum is present wherever it is impossible to receive in order to bestow and there is a desire to receive in order to receive.

To return to our subject, when the  Masach was purified from  Behina Dalet,  Behina Dalet was forbidden to receive. This is the meaning of the point of  Tzimtzum being over her. But  Behina Gimel could still receive, and when the  Masach was purified from  Behina Gimel, too, this became the point of  Tzimtzum.

We should also explain the difference between  Rosh,  Toch, and  Sof:  Rosh is considered “potential,” meaning there is no reception there. Two parts spread from the  Rosh:

• One part can receive the Light, and it is called ten  Sefirot de Toch. The Light is the abundance that enters the Kelim, and it is called Ohr Pnimi, which is Ohr Hochma—the Light of His desire to benefit His creations. 
• The second part that spreads from the Rosh is the part of the desire to receive in order to receive, which it does not want to use. It says that it does not want to receive there, meaning it ends it. Hence, this part is called ten  Sefirot de Sof.

Question: We learned that the word  Sefirot comes from the word ‘sapphire,’ meaning it shines. But if Malchut de Guf, called  Malchut de Tabur, does not want to receive and puts a  Sof over the Light, why is this part called  Sefirot?

Answer: They are called ten  Sefirot because, in truth, the Light did shine for them. An explanation of that can be found in Part 4, Chapter 5, Item 1, where he explains the difference between  Toch and Sof: “From  Peh de AK emerged ten internal  Sefirot and ten surrounding  Sefirot. They extend from opposite the  Panim through opposite the  Tabur de AK. This is the essential Light, but it also shines through the sides and all around that Adam,” meaning not necessarily opposite the  Panim,but also from the sides.

In Item 2, he interprets the Ari’s words as follows: “In short, we will explain that  from Tabur up it is called Panim. This is because the Light of  Hochma, considered the essential Light,spreads there, and from Tabur down it is called Achor (posterior), since it is considered receiving in order to receive. Hence, the Light of  Hochma does not spread there, but  comes through the sides.”

Further down that page, it continues, “…because through the  Ohr Hozer that  Behina Dalet brings to the  Partzuf, which is  Ohr Hassadim.” This means that  Malchut de Tabur does not want to receive there, since there it is a will to receive in order to receive. Instead, it wants equivalence of form, called Hassadim. “Thus, she receives illumination of  Hochma, as well, though in the form of ‘female Light,’ meaning only receiving and not bestowing.”  “Receiving and not bestowing” means that she does not want to bestow the Light upon herself, but, to the contrary, she says that she does not want to receive.

And through this  Dvekut (adhesion), an illumination of the Light of  Hochma shines upon her, and this is called “illumination of  Hochma.” Accordingly,  the difference between Toch and Sof is that the Ohr Hochma shines in the Toch and in the Sof as long as she does not want to receive, for the purpose of equivalence of form, the Light that shines is Ohr Hassadim in illumination of Hochma.

And we still need to explain why the names in  Ohr Hassadim are “right” and “left,” and in the  Ohr Hochma they are called “long” and “short.” When the Light shines, in  Hassadim,it is called “right,” and in  Hochma, “long.” And when it does not shine, in  Hassadim,it is called “left,” and in  Hochma, “short.” What do these names mean?

Answer: We learned that  Ohr Hochma shines in the vessels of reception in order to bestow, of course. Hence, the measure of illumination depends on its measure of  Aviut. This is called “Above” and “below,” and this is why the names in  Ohr Hochma are “long” and “short.” But  Ohr Hassadim is not extended through  Aviut and is not dependent on it. Hence, the names in  Ohr Hassadim relate to width: “right” and “left,” implying that  they shine in the same level, and it does not matter to them if there is more  Aviut or less  Aviut.

AN INNER PARTZUF

Thus far we have discussed the first  Partzuf of  AK, called  Galgalta or the Inner  Partzuf de AK. Now we will explain the inner  Partzuf. There is a rule that in all the worlds, there are inner  Partzufim (plural for  Partzuf), with four clothes. We will explain it in  AK:  Partzuf Galgalta has complete  HaVaYaH within its degree, and a complete degree emerges from each letter in this  HaVaYaH.

• Its Rosh, called Keter or “the tip of the Yod,” is unattainable. 
• From Peh to Chazeh, it is called Yod de HaVaYaH, and from there emerges Partzuf AB de AK, which clothes it. 
• From its first Hey, called Bina, emerges Partzuf SAG, from the Chazeh down.

Thus, the  Yod-Hey, which are  AB and  SAG, clothe it from  Tabur up. And below  Tabur, it is  Vav-Hey de HaVaYaH.

• The Vav is called the Upper third of NHY, called Partzuf MA, and from it, emerges the world of Nekudim, which clothes there. 
• From its last Hey, called Malchut, which are the two lower thirds of NHY de AK, emerged Partzuf BON, called “the world of Atzilut,” which uses Aviut Shoresh.

THE RESHIMOT

When the Light departs  Partzuf Galgalta, empty  Kelim remain, and in them are  Reshimot from the Lights that shone within the  Kelim. The meaning of  Reshimot is as we see in corporeality: when a person eats a delightful dish or hears of something pleasant, a taste remains of what he had experienced, evoking him to re-extend what he had had. Similarly, a  Reshimo (singular for  Reshimot) is a  desire for what he had had.

There are two discernments in the  Reshimot: 1) the pure Light in the  Reshimo, and 2) the coarse Light in the  Reshimo.

This means that as the general  Ohr Yashar shone in  Kelim called “general  Ohr Hozer,” when the  Ohr Yashar departs, it leaves a  Reshimo that is a part of the  Ohr Yashar. This  Reshimo clothes in part of the  Ohr Hozer that was there, meaning it leaves a recollection of the fact that it worked with the aim to bestow. This is called  Reshimo from the Ohr Hozer.

• What remains of the Ohr Yashar is called “the pure Light in the Reshimo”;
• And what remains of the Ohr Hozer is called “the coarse Light in the  Reshimo.  ”

Both are clothed in the general  Ohr Hozer, called  Kli, and both are one discernment.

Explanation: When the Light shines in the  Kelim, we say that the Light and the  Kli are mixed in one another until the Light and the  Kli become indistinguishable.  This means that they are performing the same action, and one cannot be without the other. It is like meal and appetite: they both perform the same action, since it is impossible to eat if there is appetite but no meal, and it is also impossible to eat if there is a meal but no appetite. But afterwards, when the Light departs, we discern the  Kli, meaning the  Ohr Hozer receives a  Kli there.

So it is concerning the  Reshimot: when the pure Light and the coarse Light are together,  they are both called Light and they are mingled in one another. And when the pure Light is separated from the coarse Light, the coarse Light receives a new name:  Nitzotzin(sparks).

We should understand why it is that when the general  Ohr Yashar departs, the general  Ohr Hozer is called  Kli, but when the  Ohr Yashar in the  Reshimo departs, the coarse Light in the  Reshimo is called Nitzotz (spark), meaning a spark of Light.

Answer: We should say that when the general  Ohr Yashar departs,  it does not shine at all. But when the  Ohr Yashar in the  Reshimo departs,  it shines from afar.

Now we can understand the matter of the root of the  Kelim and the root of the Lights: there is a rule that all the worlds emerge in the form of seal and imprint. This means that as the discernment emerged the first time, the worlds expand from Above downwards by that same order. The first time that  Kelim emerged was in  Partzuf Galgalta. This is why it is considered “the root of the  Kelim.”

This means that when the Light shines in the  Kelim, they are mixed. For this reason, it is impossible to distinguish the Light from the  Kli. But after the departure of the Light, the  Kelim appear. Also, Reshimot from the Light remain in the  Kelim: a  Reshimo of the Light of  Keter in the  Kli of  Keter, a Reshimo of the Light of  Hochma in the  Kli of  Hochma, etc. Hence, when we speak of the  Kelim, we begin with  KHB.

And when the second  Partzuf emerged, called  AB, where the Light of  Hochma shines, following the rule that each Light that comes shines in the purest  Kli, called  Keter, now the Light of  Hochma shines in the  Kli of  Keter. This is called “the root of the Lights,” which are arranged in this order, the order of HBD. Thus we can understand why he sometimes starts the ten  Sefirot with  KHB and sometimes with HBD.

TAGIN AND OTIOT

Now we shall explain the matter of  Tagin and  Otiot. We learned that the  Reshimot that remained from the  Taamim are called  Tagin. Sometimes it calls the  Reshimot that remain of the  Nekudot by the name  Otiot. The reason for it is that when the whole of  Partzuf Galgalta purifies, which is  Behina Dalet de Aviut, the  Masach was included with the  Reshimot of all the levels that departed. This level rose to the  Rosh of the degree and asked for the powers it had lost. And since the last  Behina is lost, due to the  Bitush de Ohr Makif that weakened the force of the  Masach, it could not overcome  Behina Dalet, but only  Behina Gimel, which is similar to  Nekudot.

And we learned that two kinds of  Reshimot remained—a  Reshimo from the Light of  Keter that was clothed in the  Kelim, called  Dalet de Hitlabshut (clothing). However, it lost the  Reshimo from the powers and intensifications. It is said about that, “the last  Behina is lost,” and what remains is only the  Gimel de Aviut.

It follows that when the  Masach de Guf de Galgalta rose to the  Rosh de Galgalta, it asked for the power of the  Masach for both kinds of  Reshimot:

1. On Dalet, the Reshimo from the level of Taamim. 
2. On the Aviut of the level of Nekudot.

Hence, two  Zivugim were made at the  Rosh of the degree:

1. On the Dalet de Hitlabshut at the level of Keter. 
2. On the Gimel de Aviut at the level of Hochma.

We also learned that  Dalet de Hitlabshut shines only at the  Rosh of the degree of the lower one, the Rosh de AB. But  Gimel de Aviut has  Hitpashtut in the  Guf, as well. And since the  Guf is called  Kelimand  Otiot,  the Reshimo de Aviut, meaning the Reshimo de Nekudot, is called Otiot. This is so because afterwards,  Kelim spread from this  Reshimo, while the  Reshimo de Hitlabshut remains as Tagin, shining only at the Rosh of the degree.

Orally, he explained it in this manner:  Gimel de Aviut de AB, and  Gimel de Galgalta are not identical, since  Gimel de AB is the  Gimel of the general  Aviut, while  Gimel de Galgalta is the  Gimel of  Dalet de Aviut. But even so,  Gimel de AB still extends from  Gimel de Galgalta. Hence, here he ascribes the Reshimo de Aviut on which  Partzuf AB emerged to  Reshimo de Nekudot, whose Highest  Behina is Gimel.

THE CONTINUANCE OF THE SEQUENCE

Let us return to clarifying the rest of the sequence. Once the  Ohr Makif cancelled the  Masach de Guf de Galgalta, the  Masach de Guf rose to the  Rosh. And since the last  Behina was lost, there was a Zivug at the  Rosh de Galgalta on  Reshimot Dalet Gimel only, spreading from  Peh to  Chazeh.

And since the  Masach de Tabur is included in the  Aviut de Rosh, while it is at the  Rosh, there are two discernments to make in it:

1. Its own Behina—Masach de Tabur; 
2. Aviut de Rosh.

Once this  Masach descended from  Peh to  Chazeh, which is  Behina Gimel, it is considered that the Light of  AB shines in the internality of  Kelim de Galgalta. This means that the inner  AB made a  Zivugon what was included in the  Aviut de Rosh. From  Chazeh to  Peh de Galgalta, a new degree emerged, called  “Rosh of the outer  AB,” and from  Chazeh to  Tabur emerged the  Guf de AB.

Question: This is perplexing. After all, there is a rule that the next degree should fill the empty  Kelimof the previous degree. So why does  AB not expand below  Tabur de Galgalta?

Answer: It is because it does not have a  Masach on  Behina Dalet. Hence, were it to expand below and see the will to receive that is present there, it would not be able to overcome it. This is why it remained above the  Tabur.

In  Partzuf AB, too, there was a  Bitush of  Ohr Makif, and  Partzuf SAG emerged from the  Reshimot of Partzuf AB. These are still the  Reshimot from above  Tabur de AK, but the  Reshimot from below  Tabur de AK have not yet been fulfilled.

And this  Partzuf SAG emerged on  Reshimot Gimel de Hitlabshut and  Bet de Aviut, and filled the empty  Kelim of  Partzuf AB, as well. However, it could not descend below  Tabur de Galgalta and fill the empty  Kelim there, since it has  Gimel de Hitlabshut, which are  Kelim for extension of  Hochma. It follows that this discernment, called  Taamim de SAG, expanded through  Tabur de AK.

But  Nekudot de SAG, considered merely  Hassadim, since they do not have the above-mentioned Behina Gimel, could expand below  Tabur de Galgalta, although there is  Behina Dalet de Aviut there, which is a vessel of reception on which it is impossible to put a  Masach. Still, because  Nekudot de SAG are vessels of bestowal, they have no interest in vessels of reception. Hence, they expanded below  Tabur de Galgalta and filled the empty  Kelim that were there.

Yet, since they saw the will to receive that was there, they wanted to receive in order to receive, as they did not have a  Masach on  Behina Dalet. And since we learned that there was a  Tzimtzum on receiving in order to receive, the Light immediately departed them.

Question: We learned that  Nekudot de SAG are vessels of bestowal. Thus, how were they restricted?

Answer: There is a difference between  GAR de Bina and  ZAT de Bina, since we learned that  ZAT de Bina should receive  Hochma in order to bestow upon  ZA, but  GAR de Bina engage solely in bestowal.

Now we can understand why  GAR de Bina, which are  GE, were not mixed, which left  GE in the degree, unrestricted, while  ZAT de Bina, called  AHP, departed the degree because they wanted to receive in order to receive. This is called  Tzimtzum Bet (second restriction).

It follows that in  HBD,  HGT de Nekudot de SAG, which are  GE, there is no mixture of  Behina Dalet. Hence, their place is still considered the place of  Atzilut. And below  Tabur de Nekudot de SAG, clothing the two bottom thirds of  NHY de AK, the reception in order to receive governs.

And when  Partzuf SAG rose to  Peh de Rosh, two  Zivugim were made there at  Rosh de SAG:

1. A Zivug on Reshimot de Taamim de SAG that did not descend below Tabur de AK, and from which the Partzuf of the Upper MA emerged. 
2. A Zivug on Reshimot de Nekudot de SAG that were restricted and mingled with Behina Dalet below Tabur de AK, from which MA emerged—the world of Nekudim. This Zivug unfolded on half a degree of Aleph de Aviut and on Bet de Hitlabshut.

Therefore, we must understand that  Malchut does not extend Light on her own vessels of reception, but only on vessels of bestowal, due to the  Tzimtzum. Because of it, were she to use the vessels of reception, it would be in order to receive.

And here, too, we learn that the Light expands in both the inner  Kelim de SAG, and in the outer  Kelim de SAG. And we should know that as a rule, he does not speak of the Upper  MA, since we are speaking primarily about the association of  Midat ha Rachamim (quality of mercy)in the  Din(judgment), which begins in  Partzuf MA, which is the world of  Nekudim.

We learned that there are two  Roshim (plural for  Rosh) in the world of  Nekudim: 1) from the  Aviut, and 2) from the  Hitlabshut (clothing).  Keter is called  Bet de Hitlabshut, and  AVI are  Aleph de Aviut. And since  Bet de Hitlabshut cannot extend Light, since there is no deficiency there, it needs the association with the  Aviut, which has the power to extend Light. We also learned that the level of Light that shines there is  VAK de Bina, in the form of “for He delights in Mercy,” which liberates the degree from the need for  Hochma.

This Light is also called  Tikkun Kavim (correction of lines). Hence, we learned that the  Tikkun Kavimshines only at the  Rosh, since the  Hitlabshut does not have  Hitpashtut (expansion) in the  Guf. But the  Guf had only a small illumination, and it was not satisfied with the state of  Katnut. Hence, when the Light achieved  Gadlut, the vessels of bestowal of the  Guf broke, as well.