📜 FRIDAY PRAYER: MALCHUT- KABBALAH MED-TIKKUN CHATZOT תקון חצות – LESSON WITH RAV MICHAEL LAITMAN
READING: BETWEEN AFTER MIDNINGHT AND DAWN FRIDAY
Baal HaSulam. Study of the Ten Sefirot. Vol. 1. Part 2. Chapter 2, item 7
Chapter Two
Explains the ten Sefirot of straightness, their emergence and evolution and what they contain. This chapter contains seven issues:
1. The order of the emergence of the ten Sefirot of straightness. 2. The five parts in the soul of the lower Adam: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, Yechida. 3. There is surrounding light, inner light, external vessel and inner vessel in both the circles and the straightness. 4. The light of circles is the light of Nefesh, and the light of straightness is the light of Ruach. The circles were emanated first, and the straightness next. 5. Arich Anpin of circles shines for Abba and Ima of the circles in the form of windows, from the three lines – right, left and middle in him. The light extends from them to all the circles, and therefore, every detail that is in the straightness also exists in the circles. 6. Adam Kadmon extends from Ein Sof until the end of Atzilut, contains all the worlds, and we are not permitted to delve into it. 7. We do not delve into the circles, but only into the straightness;
The order of the emergence of ten Sefirot of straightness
1. Now we will explain the second discernment of the ten Sefirot, being the light of straightness, which is similar to three lines in the form of the upper Adam. The circles expand from above downward through the aforementioned line, which also expands in straightness from above downward, from the beginning of the upper top (1) of the highest circle, to below the bottom of the end of all the circles from above downward. It consists of ten Sefirot, like the image of a straight Adam (2), upright (3), consisting of 248 organs (4) depicted as three lines: right, left and middle. He consists of ten Sefirot overall, and each and every Sefira is divided into ten inner Sefirot and so on and so forth indefinitely.
Inner light
1. In each world or Sefira, the Keter is regarded as the top of that world or Sefira. Malchut in each world or Sefira is regarded as the bottom of that world or Sefira. The upper circle is the Sefira of Keter, and the top of that Keter is the Keter of the ten Sefirot of that Keter.
2. The clothing of the Mochin is called Tzelem [image, semblance], from the word Tzel [shade]. The illumination of straightness, which consists of the first three Sefirot, is called Adam, because it receives GAR clothed in Tzelem. This is a long issue and here is not the place to elaborate on it.
3. The Rosh of every Sefira and Partzuf consists of the first three Sefirot: Keter, Hochma, Bina. The seven lower Sefirot: Hesed, Gevura, Tifferet, Netzah, Hod, Yesod, Malchut in each Sefira and Partzuf are regarded as the Guf of that Sefira and Partzuf.
When they are in the right order, meaning when the lights of GAR are in the vessels of GAR and the lights of ZAT are in the vessels of ZAT, the Partzuf is considered to be in an “upright” state. However, if the lights of Guf are clothed in the vessels of GAR instead of clothing the lights that should clothe there, then that Partzuf is not considered to be “upright.”
It is so because in that state, the Rosh is not more important than the Guf, since even the Rosh uses only the lights of the Guf. This state is called the lowering of the Rosh, in which the Rosh is on the same level as the Guf.
4. There are 248 discriminations of Hesed in the upper Partzuf, from which extend 248 organs in the lower ones (elaborated in the Mishnah, Ohalot).
Five parts in the soul of the lower Adam: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, Yechida
2. There are five types of light in the lower Adam (5): Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, Yechida (6). They form five levels (7), one above the other. This is the meaning of the five repetitions of the verse, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, etc.” as mentioned in Masechet Berachot (page 10, 71), which represent the five phases of the soul.
Inner light
5. There is not an essence in all the worlds, both in the Upper Worlds, as well as in this world, that do not consist of the above ten Sefirot, being the four above mentioned phases and their root. That is what he means by saying that these five phases are also found in the lower Adam of this world.
6. The vessels in the ten Sefirot are called: Keter, Hochma, Bina, Zeir Anpin, and Malchut, and the lights in them are called: Yechida, Haya, Neshama, Ruach, Nefesh. It is written (Midrash Raba, 82, 26), that the light of Yechida clothes the vessel of Keter, and the light of Haya clothes the vessel of Hochma, the light of Neshama clothes the vessel of Bina and the light of Ruach clothes the vessel of Zeir Anpin. The light of Nefesh clothes the vessel of Malchut.
7. You have already learned that the degrees are differentiated according to their refinement and coarseness. The term “above” refers to a greater refinement than the “lower” degree.
There is surrounding light, inner light, external vessel and inner vessel in both circles and straightness
3. Each of the ten Sefirot of circles has all the above discernments, namely lights and vessels (8). The light is divided (9) into inner light and surrounding light, and the vessel is divided (10) into externality and internality. The ten Sefirot of straightness in the image of Adam have all those discernments too.
Inner light
8. The lights are NRNHY and the vessels are KHB ZON.
9. The spiritual division happened due to the disparity of form that was innovated there (see Part 1, Chap 1, item 30). Higher than another means more refined than the other, and lower than another implies being coarser than the other. It is in the disparity of form of this coarseness that one is separated and exits from the other, becoming lower than him.
It is known that the lights are imparted from any upper one to its lower one. Because of that, the lower one must receive the abundance in its highest and most refined phase, while the upper one imparts the abundance only from its lowest and coarsest phase.
Thus, the form of the light that comes from the upper one equalizes with the form of the vessel in the lower one, since the coarsest and crudest phase in the upper one is equal to the finest and most refined phase in the lower one. It turns out that the lower one cannot receive all the light that belongs to it, but only a very small part, as much as its most refined vessel can receive. Its other phases, which are not that refined, must remain without their appropriate light, because of their disparity of form from the upper one that imparts to them.
For this reason, we find that the light that belongs to the lower one is divided into two phases: The first is the small amount of light that it receives from the upper one inside its uppermost vessel. That kind of light that it receives is called the inner light in the lower one. The second is the full amount of light that belongs to the phases that remain in the lower one and cannot receive due to their disparity of form from the upper one. That full amount is regarded as remaining in the upper one and not descending to the lower one. It is called surrounding light because it surrounds the lower one, meaning shines on it from afar, though it is not clothed in it; rather it is a diminished and far illumination. This distant illumination can purify the coarseness in the lower one until all the phases in the lower one equalize in form with the upper one. Then it will be able to receive the full measure of the light that belongs to it. This state is called the entrance of surrounding lights. It means that the surrounding lights entered and clothed the vessels of the lower one that were refined, turning all of them into inner light.
10. Because the lights were divided into inner light and surrounding light there are now two kinds of reception in the vessel. They are: reception inside the vessel, and reception in the externality of the vessel (see Part 1, Table of Topics, item 102).
The inner light is received inside the vessel, and the surrounding light that refines it from its coarseness is regarded as received through the externality of the vessel, meaning without clothing inside the vessel.
This division of the vessel to internality and externality is determined according to the coarseness and refinement in the vessel. That is because only its coarseness is worthy of receiving the inner light, because the vessel of reception of the emanated being consists primarily of phase four.
Indeed, the first three phases are not qualified to receive, but cause phase four to appear. For this reason, each vessel is regarded as having its own four phases in the vessel, and the light appears primarily in its phase four. That is why she is called the internality of the vessel and its interior, where the abundance is found.
The three phases that only make phase four appear in the vessel, while they do not receive themselves, are regarded as encircling phase four from the outside. It is like the coarseness of a wall of a corporeal vessel that consists of four layers, one surrounding the other. Everything is received only in the interior of the vessel, meaning in the interior crust, while the other three crusts of the walls of the vessel only strengthen the interior crust so that it has the strength to tolerate its filling.
We should understand spirituality in much the same way, namely that phase four is the primary phase that holds the abundance in the vessel. The first three phases are the reasons for the appearance of the full power of phase four, until she is suitable to hold the abundance, while for themselves they are not qualified to sustain the inner light.
They are called the externality of the vessel because they are excluded from receiving the inner light. Phase three is the externality of phase four; phase two is the externality of phase three; phase one is the externality of phase two and surrounds all the other phases.
Outside all of them there is yet another external phase, without any coarseness, which is the root of all four phases in the vessel. Know that this totally refined phase is the vessel of reception for the surrounding light. The reason for it is that its wondrous purity enables it to receive the illumination of the surrounding light, although it comes from afar.
We now learned about the division of the vessel. Its internality, meaning its coarsest phase, namely phase four in the vessel, receives the inner light. Its externality, meaning its most refined phase, the root phase in the vessel, receives the surrounding light from afar. We should also not ask why phase four is not worthy of receiving because of the power of the restriction and the screen in her, as we are concerned only with the reflected light that rises from phase four (see Inner Observation).
The light of circles is the light of Nefesh, and the light of straightness is the light of Ruach. The circles were emanated first, and the straightness next
4. The difference between the circles and the straightness relates to the fact that the ten Sefirot of circles (20) are regarded as the light of Nefesh. They have inner light and surrounding light, internal and external. They consist of ten Sefirot of vessels, each consisting of internality and externality. There are also ten Sefirot of lights, where each light consists of inner light and surrounding light.
However, the ten Sefirot of straightness are regarded as the light called light of Ruach (30), which is a higher degree than the degree of Nefesh. They too consist of inner light and surrounding light, and have ten Sefirot of vessels, in each of which there are internality and externality. Obviously, the Nefesh was emanated first, and the Ruach next.
Inner light
20. All the Sefirot that can only receive lights and have no ability to bestow upon others, the light in them is called light of Nefesh. It has already been explained that all the light in the circles must be received from the light of the line (see Part 2, Chap 1, item 30).
The reason is that the upper light cannot permeate the vessels except by a coupling with the screen that raises reflected light. That is because this reflected light connects the light with the vessels (see Part 2, Chap 1, item 30).
Consequently, the upper light does not connect with the vessels that do not have that screen and they cannot impart unto others from above downward. Instead, they can only receive light from the previous degree, from below upward, for their own sustenance. This light is called the light of Nefesh.
Thus, because there is no screen in the above vessels of circles, the upper light cannot permeate them, and they must receive light from the line, but even that is for their mere sustenance, and not to bestow. For this reason, the light in the circles is called the light of Nefesh.
30. The ten Sefirot of Ruach are regarded as bestowing. For this reason, the light of Ruach is denoted as male light, meaning it bestows. However, the ten Sefirot of Nefesh are called female light, meaning they receive and cannot bestow.
For this reason, the ten Sefirot of the light of the line are regarded as the ten Sefirot of Ruach, indicating that they are regarded as male light, namely bestowing, as we’ve explained above. The Ruach is regarded as higher than the Nefesh because it bestows upon the Nefesh.
Arich Anpin of the circles shines for Abba and Ima of the circles in the form of windows, from the three lines – right, left and middle in him. The light extends from them to all the circles, and therefore, every detail that is in the straightness also exists in the circles
5. Even when the ten Sefirot are regarded as circles (40) one within the other, they already have all the forms of reception of the abundance that exist in the line of straightness (50). It is so because the circle of Keter (called Arich Anpin after the correction (60)) has one foramen and window (70) on the right hand side of the circle (80). From there the light of Arich comes to the circle of Abba and shines to it (90).
There is yet another window on the left hand side of the circle of Arich. The light reaches the left hand side of the circle of Abba, which is inside it, punctures it and makes a window in it (100).
The light extends from there to the circle of Ima inside the circle of Abba and shines in it. Thus, the light that passes in the left of the circle of Abba is not for Abba himself; it only passes there (200), but the illumination is primarily for Ima.
It turns out that Arich Anpin shines for Abba and Ima together, just like their straightness. Even though they are one circle within the other, they still have straight lines, (300) right, left and middle, in the windows in them.
The light extends from there in ten Sefirot of circles, through completely straight lines, in every detail in the ten Sefirot of the straight line of Ruach.
Inner light
40. Meaning the five degrees KHB ZON do not extend in straightness, meaning one below the other, from refined to coarse, but rather the five degrees are equal, and not one below the other, namely with greater coarseness. Of course, there is a differentiation of cause and effect between them, because they do emerge from one another and are drawn from one another.
For example, Hochma came from Keter, Bina from Hochma and Zeir Anpin from Bina, and Malchut from Zeir Anpin (see Inner light, Part 1, Chap 1, item 50). However, that above differentiation of cause and effect is defined by their being one inside the other.
In that state, each reason causes its consequence: Hochma is caused by Keter and Bina is caused by Hochma, etc. Thus, one within the other means that one is the result of the other. However, there is no differentiation of up or down between them whatsoever (see Part 1, Chap 1, item 100)
50. Because that is the impression of the light from the vessel in which it is clothed. Even when it leaves there to go to another, it does not change its conduct from the previous vessel. Thus, while the light in the line was in straightness, it extended and descended, one below the other, meaning gained coarseness in a gradual order because of the screen that is found there (see Part 2, Chap 1, item 6).
Therefore, even after it had left there and came to the ten Sefirot of circles, which do not have a screen, and after it was compelled to become round in them, it still did not change its conduct of expansion from degree to degree. For example, when the light of the line comes to the Sefira of Keter, it becomes round there, meaning it adopts the shape of the vessel, in which case there is no distinction of above and below.
However when the light expands from the circle of Keter to the circle of Hochma, it does not become round, but extends in straightness, distinguishing between above and below. Consequently, the Sefira of the circle of Hochma stands below the circle of Keter and consists of greater coarseness, because their form is not the same.
In much the same way, when light moves from Hochma to Bina, it extends in straightness. It is therefore considered that Bina is below Hochma, meaning it is coarser than Hochma, and this is also the rule for all the Sefirot.
The ten Sefirot of circles are of equal form, without discriminations of above and below in the vessels. However, there is still a discrimination of above and below in them because they do receive the abundance by means of the ten Sefirot of the line of straightness.
60. After the four worlds ABYA were formed, each Sefira became a complete Partzuf with Rosh, Toch, Sof. Because of that they were given different names: the Partzuf that originated from Keter was named Arich Anpin, the Partzuf that originated from Hochma was named Abba, and the Partzuf that originated from Bina was named Ima. The Partzuf that was made from the six Sefirot HGT NHY was named Zeir Anpin and the Partzuf that originated from Malchut was named Nukva [female]. The meaning of these names will be explained in their places.
70. You already know that because of the light of the ten Sefirot of the line that is received in the circles, all the phases of straightness are necessarily imprinted in the circles as well (see item 50). This phase in the line, which is called screen, whose reflected light connects the upper light in the vessels, is imprinted in the circles as well, but without its coarseness.
This is because this coarseness cannot rise from a lower degree to a higher one whatsoever, because of the fact that the upper one does not have the same coarseness as the lower one, and that is what makes it “upper.” Only the “gap” that this screen reveals in the lower degree (in the ten Sefirot of straightness) rises from the screen of the line of straightness and is imprinted in the circles.
This “gap” from the screen is called a window. As a window is placed in a room to bring the light into that room, so this screen reveals the ability of the reflected light to connect the light with the emanated being. Thus, if the screen disappeared, the light would also disappear from the emanated being and he would remain in the dark, as if the window had been shut.
Thus, when we refer only to the gap from the screen, excluding its coarseness, we refer to it as a window or a foramen.
80. This means that it was imprinted in the right and left that operated in the ten Sefirot of straightness.
90. The above-mentioned window created a discrimination of extension and descent of light there. It means that it gradually gained coarseness, and thus each lower degree became coarser than its preceding one.
The text “From there the light of Arich comes to the circle of Abba and shines to it,” means that because of the window the light received coarseness and descended to Abba of circles. In other words, Hochma was lowered and is no longer equal to Keter of circles, as it was before they received the light of straightness through the window. The same principle applies in Bina below Hochma.
100. This window was made in the Sefirot together with the descent of the light to it from the upper circle. It means that then this light imprinted in it the screen that is contained in it. That is why it is considered that the light punctured it and made a window in it.
200. Has already been thoroughly explained above (Part 2, Chap 1, item 4).
300. The light descends from circle to circle by way of extension in straightness, in straight lines. However, this is not regarded as an actual correction of the three lines that descend from the screen and contain the male light with which to bestow upon others. These lines of circles have no power for bestowal because they come down as windows. The windows suffice only for receiving the light for themselves, but not to impart it to others. This is the rule: “Without a screen, there is no male light, only female light, meaning light of Nefesh.”
Adam Kadmon extends from Ein Sof to the end of Atzilut, contains all the worlds, and we are not permitted to engage in it
6. This Adam Kadmon (400) extends from one end to the other (1), from the upper end to the lower end throughout the above space of Atzilut. All the worlds are contained in that Adam, but we have no permission whatsoever to delve and speak of this Adam’s internality and self (2).
Inner light
400. We should not wonder at the use of the name Adam. It is written (Midrash Raba, Bereshit 27): “Rabbi Yudah said: ‘Great is the power of prophets who resemble a form with its Maker, as it is written: ‘And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai etc.’ ‘and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above.’” The reason will be explained in its appropriate place.
1. It means that it connects everything from Ein Sof, the most refined of all the worlds down to the middle point, the coarsest phase in all the worlds. Thus, the entire reality before us, upper ones and lower ones, are its branches, which have cascaded from it, hang on it, and clothe it. This is why it connects all of them.
2. The internality, meaning the light of Ein Sof that is clothed in Him, and His self, is considered the GAR in Him. It has already been explained (Introduction, item 27) that we have no permission to speak of any discernment of GAR in any degree or Partzuf, even in the world of Assiya. However, we are permitted to engage in the ZAT, even the ZAT of GAR of Adam Kadmon.
The circles came out first, and the straightness next. We do not engage in the circles, but only in the straightness
7. In the beginning, the ten Sefirot came out through the circle (3), one within the other. Afterwards, within the circles, they extended in straightness as an image of one Adam, throughout the length of the above-mentioned circles (4). Still, we have no dealings with the circles (5) but only with the straightness.
Inner light
3. It has already been explained that the circles appeared immediately after the restriction and the departure of the light. After that the straightness appeared in such a way that the circles were regarded as the cause and the reason for the light of the line. Because of that they are also considered to be preceding it.
4. Meaning, from the top end to the bottom end. Observe, for example, an imaginary corporeal length. Doing that will bring you to know its spiritual root. We understand an imaginary length by three discernments: its top end, its bottom end, and the distance between them.
You can distinguish a spiritual length precisely by the same way: first, you find its bottom end, meaning its last and coarsest phase, such that there is no lower coarseness than that. From knowing the bottom end, you will immediately find the top end too, because the measure of the coarseness at the bottom, is also the measure of the level of the reflected light (see Inner Observation, item 86).
For example, the coarseness of phase four within phase four reaches the level of the Keter of Keter; the coarseness of phase three within phase four reaches only as high as the Keter of Hochma, and phase two within phase four reaches only as high as the Keter of Bina, etc. Thus, by knowing the bottom end, the top end immediately becomes known as well.
Once you know both ends of a degree, you naturally know the distance between them too. That is because a spiritual distance means a disparity of form between two discernments.
The measure of the disparity of form determines the distance between them. For example, if the bottom end is phase one within phase four, then the top end reaches only as high as the Keter of ZA. In that instance, the distance is not so great.
But if the bottom end is phase two, then the top end will be the degree of Keter of Bina. Thus, the distance would be of two levels of coarseness, which are phase one and phase two.
If the bottom end consists of coarseness of phase three within phase four, then the top end would be the Keter of Hochma. In this case, the distance would be that of three levels of coarseness, and so on by the same way.
5. This is because the circles surround the first three Sefirot of straightness (see Part 2, Chap 1, item 90). It is known that their vessels are far superior to GAR of straightness. However, you already know that we are forbidden to study and speak of the GAR. For this reason we have no permission to study the circles.