TUESDAY PRAYER: BINAH-MAIN READING OF THE WEEK – THE ZOHAR BOOK

READING: SUNSET MONDAY.

Main Reading for PRAYER OF MANY, today with ENGLISH ZOHAR READING, page 201

ARVUT OF : Robin Anderson

This may be compared to the example of the host (Creator) offering delicious
food (Light) to his guest (Kli), who wishes to enjoy the delicacies. However, as
a result of the shame from being the receiver, the guest refuses to receive, and
the screen repels the food (Light). It is as though the guest (Kli) says to the host
(Creator) that he refuses to receive the pleasure (Light) for himself, for his own
enjoyment. This repelling of the food (Light) forms the Returning Light, for it
stems not just from not wanting to feel shame, as it is in our world, but from the
spiritual Kli’s desire to be like the Creator.
The Returning Light is that altruistic intention, desire. This is also the
spiritual Kli, and only within it can the Light be received; only in this intention
can one feel the Creator.
After the Kli was able to repel all the pleasure coming to it, and demonstrated
that it could meet the condition of the first restriction (to refrain from egoistic
reception), it began to calculate how much Light it could receive for the Creator’s
sake. The Kli receives only the amount of pleasure that it is certain it can receive
for the Creator’s sake.
The delight that was received inside the Kli is referred to as the Inner Light.
The amount of Light received inside the vessel determines the degree of similarity
to the Creator; the Kli acts like the Creator: just as He desires to bestow pleasure
upon the Kli, so the Kli wishes to bestow upon Him, to the extent of the Inner
Light received. Therefore, the size of the Kli, (from Peh to Tabur, where it receives
the Light) determines the degree of merging with the Creator. In this place, the
Kli is merged with Him in properties and intentions.
If the Kli’s powers of resistance are not sufficient to receive for the Creator’s
sake, and it can only refrain from reception, the Kli is considered to be in the
“small” state, Katnut. The Kli that was created by the Creator is the strongest.
However, afterwards, as it begins to descend, its screen gradually weakens until
the Kli can no longer receive for the Creator’s sake. It is left with just enough
strength to not receive for itself. This is why from this state onward there is a ban
on reception of Light into the Kli’s desires “to receive.” The Kli may only use its
GE, but not its AHP. And the boundary beyond which the Light cannot spread
is called Parsa, the firmament. This barrier is built from Above; thus, even if the
Kli suddenly wishes to receive the Light for itself, it will not be able to do so.
The screen divides the firmament and consists of four parts: Hochma, Bina,
Tifferet, and Malchut (HBTM), the four letters of HaVaYaH. Because Malchut
joined with Bina and thereby corrected her egoistic properties into altruistic
ones, the screen is located not in Malchut, but in Bina. Bina is counted as
hundreds; therefore, the four parts HBTM equal 400. However, there is no Zivug
(reception of Light) on Malchut de Malchut itself (after all, it is called the “closed
gates”). This means that Malchut contains ninety Sefirot, and not 100: 9 Sefirot,
each consisting of ten.