READING: BETWEEN AFTER MIDNINGHT AND DAWN TUESDAY

Baal HaSulam. Study of the Ten Sefirot. Vol. 2. Part 6. Inner Observation, item 1

LESSON MATERIAL

Part Six Inner Observation

We should know that the world of Nekudim is the first root that the worlds ABYA stem from. It is here that the association of the quality of mercy with judgement is established and rooted as a first beginning. This is the meaning of the ten utterances from which the world was created, referring to the ten vessels for the clothing of the upper light, as we have already elaborated on above (Inner Light, beginning of Part 4).

However, in the previous three Partzufim of AK there was only one utterance, meaning that the upper light clothed only one vessel, called Malchut, but the nine Sefirot prior to Malchut were completely clear of a vessel.

Hence, we should thoroughly understand the evolution of the matters brought in the words of the ARI in this part, and how they come and connect by way of cause and consequence from the three previous Partzufim. We shall begin by explaining the order of the emanation of this Partzuf Nekudim from its upper Partzuf, called SAG of AK.

1. It has already been explained that the primary factor in the creation of any new Partzuf is the clash of the surrounding light and inner light with one another. This screen and reflected light that it raises draws and clothes the inner light of the Partzuf. To the extent that it clothes and draws the inner light, it repels from the Partzuf the surrounding light that belongs to the Partzuf (see Part 4, Chap 1, inner light item 7).

This clash of the surrounding light refines the screen from its coarseness until it raises it to its root, meaning completely refines it from its coarseness of the Guf [body] until it equalizes with the Malchut of Rosh of that Partzuf. This is considered that the screen rose and was incorporated in the screen in Malchut of Rosh, in the coupling from below upward that is there.

At that time, the screen of the Guf is renewed with a new coarseness, raising a new level of ten Sefirot in Rosh, Toch, Sof. This new level is considered a new Partzuf, the son of the previous Partzuf, where the new refinement and coupling were made (see Part 3, Table of Questions, item 210).

That light of the newly born Partzuf is discerned as part of the surrounding light of the upper Partzuf, since the surrounding light appears only by the creation of the souls and the Partzufim of the lower ones, as our sages have written, “The Son of David does not come before all the souls in the body end.” This refers to the entire well of souls included in the upper, inclusive surrounding light. This is also the meaning of the clash of the surrounding light with inner light, as this is the entire manner of its appearance.

You find that the screen of the Guf, which is the screen of Tabur, is the primary operator in the emanation of the lower one, since it ascends to be incorporated in the upper coupling of the Rosh and raises the records of the ten Sefirot that remain after the departure of the lights of the Guf of the upper one to the Emanator, which is Malchut of the Rosh (as written in Part 4, Table of Topics, item 210).

The reason for this is that in holiness, concealment and revelation always come as one, and wherever you find concealment, know this is also the place of the revelation, since they are gripped to each other as a wick to a candle, and the whole covering and concealment are the only preparation for its appearance. Thus, were it not for the concealment, that revelation would never have come to be, just as there is no existence for the candlelight without the wick.

You already know that the first appearance of this screen of Tabur, in the first Partzuf of AK, was the only cause of the existence of the darkness and the vacant space in the worlds. Also, the whole difference between the world of Ein Sof that filled all of reality and between Partzuf AK, which is only a thin line of light, occurred because of that screen of Tabur. That screen impeded the upper light did not let it spread and fill all of reality as it would, and put a Sof [end] and Sium [conclusion] on the upper light in the middle point, as has been elaborated on in previous parts.

Although the screen in Malchut of the Rosh did the matter of the impeding and striking on the upper light, it is known that the screen of the Rosh does not impede the upper light, but only in potential, since there is no discernment of clothing in the Rosh at all, much less impeding on clothing. Rather, anything that is marked as “potential” manifests and appears in the Guf “in practice,” and the phase of clothing that it made in the reflected light of Rosh, meaning on the first nine Sefirot, appears in the first nine Sefirot of the Guf, whose place is called “from Peh to Tabur.” The impeding and the repelling that it made in the Rosh appear in Malchut of the Guf, whose place is called “from Tabur to Sium Raglayim.”

Thus, it is made completely dark from the Sium Raglayim downward, for the line of light that is drawn from Ein Sof has been stopped there. It is known that that point of Sium was discerned as this world, meaning our very Planet Earth, as it says, “And His feet shall stand on the mount of Olives.”

2. It has been explained that the entire phase of judgement that exists in reality is packed and sealed in the screen of Tabur in its first appearance, which is the first Partzuf of AK. Hence, a strong clash took place there between the surrounding light and the inner light, since the inner light that clothed in Akudim of this Partzuf was very small compared to the upper light that remained outside, which is all the previous light that filled all of reality, called surrounding light with respect to that Partzuf. Also, the place of the clash was in the screen of Tabur, for had it not been for that screen, the surrounding light would have entered the internality of the reality as before.

This caused the refining of the screen and the departure of the lights of Akudim of the first Partzuf of AK, called Partzuf Galgalta. The screen, with all the records that remained of the ten Sefirot, rose and were incorporated in the coupling of Malchut of the Rosh of this Partzuf, except for the last phase, which does not leave a record.

This coupling was done there on the record of the upper phase included in the screen, which is the record of phase three, since the record of phase four disappeared, as it is the last phase. This is why the coupling was made there on phase three, eliciting the level of Hochma by the ascent of Malchut to the Hotem since she was incorporated in the screen of Tabur, which consists only of phase three (see Part 3, Table of Topics, item 210).

It explains there that after the coarseness was recognized in the records of the screen of Tabur, which come from coarseness of the Guf, they promptly descend from the Rosh to the Guf, meaning to phase three of the Guf, called Chazeh. From the Chazeh and above it elicits ten Sefirot of Rosh through a coupling with the upper light, up to the Peh of the upper Partzuf. From the Chazeh down, it expands in the ten Sefirot of Toch and Sof of the Guf, ending in the place of the Tabur of the upper one, since it cannot expand below Tabur, as it lacks phase four, and below the Tabur is the place of phase four.

3. You find that this screen of Tabur obstructed the surrounding light of the first Partzuf of AK and did not let it expand from the Tabur down. Now, by the force of the clash that the surrounding light made in it, it has been qualified to draw and clothe a complete Partzuf in RTS [Rosh-Toch-Sof]. Thus, it is precisely the force of concealment that has been inverted and became a force of revelation.

Moreover, the screen of the Tabur of this second Partzuf of AK is also refined by the force of the clash of the surrounding light on it, until it ascends and becomes incorporated in the coupling of the Rosh of that Partzuf, and it, too, is renewed there with a new coarseness of phase two, since here, too, the last phase, namely phase three, disappeared and did not leave a record of itself.

After the coarseness of the Guf in the screen had been recognized, it descends to the place of phase two of the Guf, which has the value as the Chazeh of its upper one because the Tabur of this Partzuf AB is phase three, since there is no longer phase four at all in the second Partzuf of AK, and therefore, the Chazeh is its phase two.

For this reason, the new level that was emanated from it descends to the place of its Chazeh and elicits the ten Sefirot of Rosh from the Chazeh and above, and the ten Sefirot of the Guf with Toch and Sof from the Chazeh and below. This Partzuf is the third Partzuf of AK, called SAG of AK.

Thus, we find once more that the force of concealment has been inverted into a force of revelation because the screen of the Tabur, which obstructed the surrounding light of Partzuf AB and did not let it expand below it even a bit has now been renewed and expanded into a complete Partzuf with RTS.

4. The matter of the screen of the Tabur does not refer solely to the point of Tabur, but to the entire ten Sefirot of Sium in it, and the point of Tabur is only the force of Sium on Keter-Hochma-Bina, after which there are two more points: the point of Yesod and the point of Sium Raglayim. The force of the Sium on ZA is at the point of Yesod and the force of the Sium on Malchut is at the point of Sium Raglayim. They are all contained in the screen of the Tabur, and remember that.

This entire place, called “from the Tabur to the Sium Raglayim,” is only the lowest Sefira [singular of Sefirot] of the Guf, called Malchut. The first restriction was on her and the screen, which detains and repels the upper light from clothing in her, had been installed in her.

Since the upper light contains the ten Sefirot, this screen in Malchut also contains ten forces of Sium for these ten Sefirot. The extension of these ten forces of Sium is called “from the Tabur down.” Now you can see that the whole matter of the above clash of the surrounding light with inner light, expanding the boundary of the screen of the Tabur as has been explained above, all this refers to that place from the Tabur and below.

5. We have yet to understand what is brought in several places, that the place of MA and BON is from the Tabur of the Partzuf downward, as well as the matter of the five Sefirot TNHYM of the Partzuf, whose place is from the Tabur of every Partzuf and below. According to the above, there is only one Sefira there, the Sefira of Malchut.

The thing is that the ARI has already noted in several places that there is no Malchut without NHY, as it is written, “three herds of sheep lying beside it.” The reason for it has already been explained above in Part 5, inner light item 45. It states that the three Sefirot, Hod, Yesod, Malchut, are only an expansion of the vessel of Malchut. Thus, in the vessel of Malchut itself there are three Sefirot HYM.

It is also known that in the posterior phases, Netzah and Hod are considered one Sefira, and they are incorporated in one another without any difference and distinction between them. Hence, all these four Sefirot NHYM are regarded as only the Sefira of Malchut. However, when the light reaches them from the anterior phase, Netzah is separated from Hod, its merit over Hod becomes apparent, and then they are considered two separate Sefirot.

Yet, even then, since the four Sefirot were once connected, they no longer separate. Rather, it is considered that Netzah contains the four Sefirot NHYM from the discernment of “right,” and Hod contains the four Sefirot NHYM from the discernment of “left.”

You can therefore see how there are always four Sefirot Netzah, Hod, Yesod, Malchut in Malchut. Thus, you should know that even though this entire place from the Tabur of AK and below is actually only the Sefira of Malchut. Nevertheless, there are four Sefirot NHYM there.

We have yet to explain the matter of MA and BON, which are always from the Tabur down. This is a completely different matter, for it is not considered among the Sefirot of the five phases of direct light, since then the place from the Tabur down is regarded as the four Sefirot NHYM. Rather, it is by the measures of the level of the five Partzufim Galgalta, AB, SAG, MA and BON.

Know that from the perspective of the measure of the level, MA and BON are regarded as one level that emerges through the coupling by striking in a screen whose coarseness is from phase one, drawing only the level of ZA. The reason is that here there are only four phases of coarseness in the screen: The level of Keter emerges on the screen of phase four, etc., and the level of ZA on the screen of phase one.

However, on a screen that is already refined, such as the phase of Keter, from which the level of Malchut should emerge, there is no striking there between it and the upper light, in a manner that a level of Partzuf would emerge from it in Rosh, Toch, Sof, since it is not in disparity of form from the upper light. Hence, there is only coupling by striking up to the measure of coarseness of phase one.

Moreover, even phase one is considered a very faint coarseness, and in the screen of phase one, the coupling by striking is called a thin look, from which there is no expansion of a Partzuf in RTS (see Part 3, Chap 11, item 6, and inner light there).

This Partzuf MA and BON that emerged on the screen of phase one was only through a special correction, meaning by the ascent of the bottom Hey to the Einayim, where the two Heys connected together, the first Hey with the last Hey, as the ARI wrote (this part, item 44). The association of this coarseness with phase one caused a coupling by striking sufficient to elicit a Partzuf in RTS called MA and BON. However, without the association with the last Hey, phase one, too, is unfit for a coupling sufficient for a Partzuf to emerge.

6. It has been explained that the very cause of the emergence of the level of phase one, called MA and BON, is the last Hey, meaning Malchut of AK. Thus, two Partzufim are related to the last Hey, which is phase four: The first is Partzuf Galgalta of AK, whose level is up to Keter. The second is Partzuf Nekudim of AK, which are MA and BON of AK, whose level is up to ZA, which went out because of the ascent of the bottom Hey, which is phase four, to the Nikvey Einayim. The reason phase four did not elicit the level of Keter here, as in Partzuf Galgalta of AK, will be explained below.

Thus, you find that through the clash of surrounding light with inner light, the power of restriction in the screen of the Tabur of Partzuf Galgalta keeps broadening (see item 4 here), since once it had been refined into phase three, the RTS of the second Partzuf of AK, called AB, expanded from it. After it had been refined into phase two, a third Partzuf, called Partzuf SAG, expanded from it in RTS. Finally, after it had been refined into phase one, Partzuf Nekudim expanded from it, called MA and BON of AK.

7. Yet, we must thoroughly understand, since the screen had already been refined into phase one, meaning the measure of coarseness found in the vessel of Hochma, how can phase four still participate here with its coarseness, so that through the both of them, the level of MA and BON would emerge?

Furthermore, if phase four has actually been connected here with phase one, a Partzuf on the level of Keter should have emerged, like Partzuf Galgalta of AK. Thus, why did only the level of ZA emerge here, meaning as the measure of the level of phase one, and not the level of phase four?

The thing is that it is known that there is no issue of refinement in the vessels. Hence, even though the screen of phase four that operated in Partzuf Galgalta of AK has been refined when it emanated the AB, nevertheless, the vessels themselves were not changed by that in any way. The coarseness of phase four remained in them as in the beginning, before the refinement of the screen.

However, after the light departed from them, no action manifested from them, since a vessel without light is like a body without a soul. Therefore, after the Nekudot of Partzuf SAG expanded and shone from Tabur to the Sium Raglayim of Partzuf Galgalta of AK (see inner light item 1), because of this illumination of SAG, the coarseness of phase four in the vessels from the Tabur of AK and below was revived as in the beginning, and then the coarseness of phase four in the vessels from the Tabur of AK and below mixed with the screen in the vessels of Nekudot of SAG, since in the ascent of the screen to the emanator, it is incorporated with all the records in the Sefirot from which the lights had departed (see Partzuf 4, Chap 4, inner light item 50).

Thus, as it is was incorporated with the records of the Sefirot of SAG, which are phase two, it was also incorporated with the records in the vessels from the Tabur down, which are phase four. It raised those two phases together to the emanator, which is Malchut of the Rosh of SAG.

You already know that this screen consists solely of the coarseness of phase one because phase two is the last phase here, which does not leave a record behind it, but only from the phase of clothing. Thus, the screen consists of two records that remained after the departure of the lights from the Sefirot of SAG, which are phase two of clothing and phase one of extension, called male and female.

Therefore, Malchut of the Rosh also rose to phase one of the Rosh, meaning according to the measure of coarseness contained in the record that remained in the screen, which is phase one, as the ARI wrote concerning Partzuf AB (Part 5, item 6 and inner light there). However, the record of phase four is also included in the screen that remained in the vessels below Tabur of Galgalta of AK after the departure of the Nekudot of SAG from within them.

Hence, since the screen is primarily phase one, and phase four is subordinate to it and is not at all from its phase, it was drawn with it to the Nikvey Einayim, which is phase one of the Rosh. For this reason, the coupling was not made on the coarseness of phase four, which draws the level of Keter, but only on phase one, which draws the level of ZA.

8. With all that has been explained thus far, you will understand that the corrections depend primarily on MA and BON, standing from the Tabur of every Partzuf downward, since that is the place of the judgement and deficiency in every Partzuf, as in the Tabur of the first Partzuf of AK (see items 1, 2), and likewise in all the Partzufim to the end of Assiya.

Also, every lower Partzuf comes only to fill and complement the place of this lack in the upper one, because of the force of rejection and detainment that is present in the screen of that Tabur over the upper light. As he writes above, any the lower one reveals a part of that light which was rejected by the screen of the Tabur of the upper one.

Thus, the more the Partzufim and souls multiply, the more that boundary from the Tabur and below expands and becomes fit to receive the upper light. Finally, the general surrounding light, called surrounding light of Ein Sof, appears, and then it will be the end of correction.

Hence, the corrections depend primarily only on Partzufim MA and BON that stand from the Tabur down. Remember this, as this is a fundamental concept in the entire scope of the wisdom.

Thus, this world of Nekudim that the ARI engages in here is the first MA and BON that appeared in the worlds. It is called merely BON because all that remains from it to come to the worlds ABYA is the phase of female, called BON, as the male that draws the Mochin, meaning the GAR, is called MA, and the female that receives the Mochin is called BON.

‎9. Now we shall come to the words of the ARI themselves. First, we shall explain the matter ‎of the vessels of Partzuf Nekudim. The ARI says (Part 6, item 19) that the vessels emerged ‎by the looking of the Einayim in AHP. We must understand why the emergence of the ‎vessels of Nekudim is different from the rest of the Partzufim. It is known that Malchut of ‎the Rosh expands from her and within her into ten vessels from above downward in the ‎entire measure that her reflected light clothed the ten Sefirot of the Rosh. Accordingly, here, ‎too, Malchut of the Einayim should have expanded as vessels from Nikvey Einayim and ‎below to the same measure that she clothed from the Nikvey Einayim and above. Hence, the ‎looking should have been in the Nikvey Einayim and not in the AHP.‎

Indeed, there is a profound matter here. It has been explained above [item 7] that although ‎the bottom Hey, which is phase four, rose to Nikvey Einayim, which is phase one, the ‎coupling was not done on phase four but on the record of phase two of clothing, called Ozen, ‎which is the phase of male, and on the record of phase one of extension, called Hotem Peh, ‎as elaborated on above (Inner Light item 44).‎

It follows that the vessels of Nekudim have nothing of the phase of the bottom Hey, namely phase ‎four, since the bottom Hey remained in the Nikvey Einayim and her phase was not extended ‎downward.‎

We might therefore ask: How were the GAR of Nekudim divided into two Roshim, GE, ‎which is Keter, and AHP, which are HB, as it is known that the bottom Hey is in the Einayim ‎and the YHV are in the AHP? Indeed, we must remember that after the records rose for a ‎coupling in the Nikvey Einayim of the Rosh of SAG were incorporated in the coupling of the ‎Rosh and their coarseness was renewed, they immediately descended from there to their ‎appropriate place in the Guf, namely the Tabur. Then the upper light descended once more ‎on the screen and its records in a coupling by striking, eliciting ten Sefirot of the Rosh from ‎the Tabur and above, and ten Sefirot of the Guf from the Tabur and below, as in all the ‎Partzufim. Hence, the bottom Hey was incorporated once more in the screen in the place of ‎the Tabur, and the AHP descended outwards once more as in the Rosh.‎

It is likewise in the GAR of Nekudim themselves. Once they are divided into GE and AHP, ‎the bottom Hey is once again in the Einayim. However, the bottom Hey does not expand at all ‎from the Einayim and below because the looking, namely the coupling, is not done in phase ‎four, meaning the bottom Hey, but in phase two and phase one, which are AHP. Thus, it ‎becomes clear that the vessels of Nekudim are only from phase two and phase one, and have ‎nothing of phase four, even though Malchut of the Rosh includes the bottom Hey.‎

Thus, you can understand the matter of the association of the quality of mercy with ‎judgement, which are the connection of the two Heys: the first Hey and the bottom Hey. This ‎association remains permanent and existing in the Nikvey Einayim, and not in the phase of ‎AHP, which went outside, since there is only the phase of Vav in the AHP that exited, which ‎is only the screen of the first Hey, since the phase of the bottom Hey was not drawn to them ‎from the Nikvey Einayim.‎

Accordingly, we can understand the matter of the two kinds of NHY that shone in HB of ‎Nekudim, which are NHY of Keter and NHY of AK, meaning Yesod of AK (Part 6, item ‎‎16). Also, there is the matter of the upper Daat in the GAR of Nekudim (Part 6, item 26), ‎and the matter of the lower Daat, which is the Rosh of ZAT and the first king of Nekudim, ‎brought below in Part 7.‎

‎10. In order to understand this, we must have thorough knowledge about the emergence of ‎the seven lower Sefirot through the connection of the bottom Hey in the Nikvey Einayim. ‎Know that this bottom Hey made four steps before coming to her place in the ZAT of ‎Nekudim. First, she came to the Nikvey Einayim as Holam, after her descent from her ‎incorporation in the Rosh of SAG to her place in Tabur of AK. The first looking was done on ‎her double screen, and the ten Sefirot emerged from the Tabur up to the Chazeh, called the ‎first Rosh, or YESHSUT. In that place, the bottom Hey in the screen is in the Holam above ‎the letters YHV, called the GAR of Nekudim. This is the first step.‎

Next, she expanded from the Tabur down to the phase of Guf as AHP that exit the Rosh. ‎These AHP are the GAR of Nekudim, and they are also regarded as Rosh in and of ‎themselves, with ten complete Sefirot, which are also divided into Galgalta and Einayim and ‎AHP (see Inner Light item 48), where GE is the Keter of Nekudim and AHP are the HB of ‎Nekudim.‎

Then the bottom Hey comes once more in the Nikvey Einayim, meaning in the screen of the ‎vessel of Keter, called Yesod of Keter, or NHY of Keter, since the place of the coupling is ‎called Yesod or NHY. Here the bottom Hey is called “the dot of Kamatz,” which is a ‎firmament and a spark , or a line and a dot below it. This is the second step.‎

Here lies the main distinction, as the bottom Hey is above, in the Einayim, and the YHV are ‎below, in the AHP. This indicates that these AHP have nothing of the bottom Hey that is ‎connected in the Nikvey Einayim because the coupling and the looking were done only in ‎the AHP, which is only the phase of first Hey. Thus, only the Keter carries within it the ‎bottom Hey, while the HB are clear of the bottom Hey.‎

‎11. The difference between the phase of Holam and the phase of Kamatz is that the point of ‎Holam, which is the bottom Hey incorporated in the screen of the first Rosh, which stands at ‎the place of Tabur, remains permanently there and does not move from there, since the first ‎Rosh is not regarded as Nekudim at all (Inner Light item 20). However, there are ascents and ‎descents in the dot of Kamatz, which is the bottom Hey incorporated in the Keter of Nekudim ‎because during the coupling of AB and SAG this bottom Hey descends from the Nikvey ‎Einayim to the place of the Peh, below the letters YHV, and then HB of Nekudim return to ‎the phase of Rosh.‎

This is so because these HB of Nekudim were rejected from the Rosh to the phase of Guf ‎only because of the bottom Hey that came in the Nikvey Einayim, meaning NHY of Keter, ‎where she was like the Holam above the letters YHV. Therefore, the letters YHV, which are ‎HB of Nekudim, went out into the phase of Guf. However, now that the bottom Hey ‎descended from there and went below the letters YHV, meaning as a dot of Kamatz, whose ‎conduct is to come below the letters, HB return once more and join the Keter into a phase of ‎Rosh.‎

This matter is considered as Netzah, Hod, Yesod of Keter having clothed inside Hochma and ‎Bina, becoming Mochin for them. It means that it brought them back to being GAR and ‎Rosh because when the NHY of Keter were above them, they were rejected from the Rosh ‎and were discerned as Guf. However, now that the NHY of Keter became longer and the ‎bottom Hey in them descended below their letters, they regained the GAR. This is why it is ‎called clothing for Mochin. This is the third step of the bottom Hey, since she descended ‎below the letters.‎

12. Now you can see what is always brought in the words of the ARI, that Yesod of the upper one is Daat to the lower one, as here was this matter rooted. When NHY of Keter are above HB like the Holam above the letters, these YHV of HB are regarded as HGT, meaning a Guf where Yod is Hesed, Hey is Gevura, and Vav is Tifferet.

However, after NHY of Keter became longer and clothed in the HB as Kamatz under the letters YHV, by which the HB returned to the Rosh, the YHV have now become Hochma, Bina, Daat in the Rosh. The Yod became Hochma, the Hey Bina, and the Vav Daat.

Thus, it is considered that Netzah of Keter raised Hesed of HB to Hochma by clothing in them, the Hod of Keter raised Gevura to the degree of Bina, and the Yesod of Keter raised the Tifferet of HB to the degree of Daat. You find that through the clothing of Yesod of Keter in Tifferet of HB, Tifferet became the Sefira of Daat. This is the meaning of Yesod of the upper one becoming Daat through clothing in the lower one.

You should know that there are two phases of Daat: upper Daat, and lower Daat. This is because the Tifferet of HB, which has now become the phase of Daat of HB, is called upper Daat, since these vessels of HB have nothing of the bottom Hey, but only of the first Hey (Inner Observation here, item 9).

For this reason, it has no relation to the ZON, which are incorporated with the bottom Hey (here, item 6). Know that this Daat that shines in the vessels that have incorporation with the bottom Hey is called lower Daat.

13. Thus we have clarified that the coupling and clothing of NHY of Keter in HB of Nekudim benefits only the HB, since it returned them to the phase of Rosh. However, these GAR do not shine to the ZAT of Nekudim at all because of the bottom Hey in the Peh of Nekudim. These GAR cannot shine to her because they are not incorporated in her at all.

Therefore, a second coupling is required for the GAR to shine to the ZAT, as well, and this is the coupling of NHY of AK to HB of Nekudim. From this coupling emerge the ZAT with the lower Daat, as will be explained.

First, we must thoroughly understand the matter of NHY of AK. You already know that these NHY are the root of this whole connection of the two Heys and their ascent to Nikvey Einayim. First, SAG expanded to the Sium Raglayim of AK and clothed the inner NHY of AK, meaning of the first Partzuf of AK. Then the light of SAG, which is phase two, mixed with phase four in the inner NHY of AK. Therefore, after the screen was refined and rose to the Rosh of SAG to be renewed in a new coupling, it also raised with it the record of phase four, which is included in it. By this the bottom Hey, which is phase four, rose to Nikvey Einayim (see Inner Light item 6), and this ascent is called the restriction of NHY of AK.

The coupling made in the Nikvey Einayim took the Bina and ZON of each degree out, AHP of the Rosh became the Guf and HGT, and Bina and ZON of the Guf became NHY. Bina and ZON of NHY went out from the emanation of the Partzuf completely, meaning to the phase of the separated BYA. For this reason, Partzuf SAG of AK ended at the place of the Tabur of AK, and the Parsa was installed below it (see Inner Light item 6).

14. We must thoroughly understand what the ARI has written above (Part 6, items 11, 12), that the restriction and Parsa are two separate matters. This is because the restriction of NHY of AK was to diminish the light for the purpose of Nekudim, and the correction of the Parsa is not for the world of Nekudim itself, which is the world of Atzilut, but for the the world of Beria below it.

This means that here the beginning and the root of the three worlds Beria, Yetzira, Assiya, called “the separated worlds,” was made. It was done by the restriction of NHY of AK, where the records rose from the two Heys: the first Hey, and the bottom Hey. They connected in NHY of AK and came in the Nikvey Einayim, and from this coupling emerged the essential ten Sefirot of Nekudim, as the bottom Hey in the Einayim and the YHV in the AHP.

It is known that the records of ZON that came from NHY of AK returned to their place below the Tabur like the GAR of Nekudim, meaning also through the division of the degree, where Bina and ZON went out from the degree. It turns out that this same light of ZON that returned to its place after the coupling of Nikvey Einayim in the Rosh of SAG did not fill the entire ten Sefirot from the Tabur of the inner AK downward, but only the Keter and Hochma in it. Bina, ZA and Malchut in it went out from Atzilut completely and became the three worlds Beria, Yetzira Assiya, and all this was done through the restriction of NHY of AK.

However, the Parsa is a special correction for the purpose of Beria, meaning for the purpose of the three separated worlds BYA that were separated from the light of Atzilut because of the division of the degree. However, they are all named after Bina, meaning the world of Beria, since this is the highest Sefira.

The matter of this correction is truly a profound issue, since in fact, the Parsa is also a division of the degree on the Nikvey Einayim that is extended from the restriction of NHY. However, there is a matter of “draws from above and gives below” in it, as the ARI brought from The Zohar (Part 6, item 9). It means that there is a matter of ascending and descending in it, where on the one hand, it is the firmament that separates between the male upper waters and the female lower waters through the division of each degree, bringing Bina and ZON outside, and making Keter and Hochma of the degree into male upper waters, and Bina and ZON of the degree were separated and went out as female lower waters, after which the Parsa is called the “separating firmament.”

On the other hand, there is a matter of drawing from above and giving below in her, meaning that by the upper coupling of AB-SAG, the bottom Hey descends from the Einayim to the place of the Peh of the Rosh. At that time, the Parsa is breached, meaning that the difference between Keter and Hochma to Bina and ZON is canceled because they return to their degree as before (see Inner Light item 12).

15. This correction of the return of Bina and ZON to the degree is named only after the Parsa. However, ostensibly, this was all done only because of the coupling of AB and SAG, so how does the Parsa help in that, to even merit this correction being named after it? The thing is that anything that manifests does not change after its emanation. Hence, after the bottom Hey came in the Nikvey Einayim once, she never descends from there again. Thus, a second Rosh was installed for the purpose of the ascent and the descent of the bottom Hey from the Nikvey Einayim, which receives from the first Rosh.

Thus, the bottom Hey in the Nikvey Einayim of the second Rosh is in a state of ascending and descending, and that difference in the Nikvey Einayim of the second Rosh between the Keter and Hochma in it and the Bina and ZON in it is called the correction of the Parsa, since she is in a state of ascending and descending. This is why the matter of the return of BYA to Atzilut is named after the Parsa, since only she is corrected in this way, that the bottom Hey will descend to her place, to Assiya, and Bina and ZON that went out from all the degrees will return.

However, the difference that was made in the Nikvey Einayim of the first Rosh, called YESHSUT, is never canceled with respect to the Bina and ZON that went out from it, since there it is regarded as the beginning of Atzilut, which is not subject to change.

Besides the above said, there is another special correction in the Parsa: It hides and conceals the force of the bottom Hey in the Nikvey Einayim of the first Rosh, so it does not impart below when the AHP return to the Rosh. Had it not imparted down to the second Rosh, the bottom Hey of the second Rosh would have been unable to descend from the Nikvey Einayim to the Peh, since the force of the upper one always dominates its lower one. However, the Parsa conceals it, and her power is not imparted below at that time, and remember that.

From the above said, you can understand the distinction between HaVaYaH of AB and HaVaYaH of SAG. As HaVaYaH of AB is filled with Yods, so HaVaYaH of SAG is filled with Yods. The only difference between them is in the filling inside the Vav: The filling of the Vav of HaVaYaH of SAG is with Aleph, like this: ואו, since the meaning of the shape of the Aleph is explained regarding the correction of the Parsa: its shape has two Yods, an upper Yod and a lower Yod, with an slanted line, which is the Parsa, diagonally separating between them. This implies the division of the degree that occurred because of the restriction of NHY and the ascent to the Nikvey Einayim. The upper Yod is the phase of Keter and Hochma of the degree from the Nikvey Einayim and above, called male upper waters, and he lower Yod is Bina and ZON of the degree from the Nikvey Einayim and below, which went out from it, called female lower waters, and the Parsa between these Yods is the firmament that separates between waters and waters. This matter is the association of the quality of mercy with judgement; it is the first beginning of the worlds. This is why Aleph is the Rosh and the beginning of the twenty-two letters from which the worlds were created.

16. It has been clarified that the correction of the Parsa is not in the first Rosh, which is YESHSUT from the Tabur up, but in the second Rosh, which is from Tabur down. In the internality they are NHY of AK, and in externality they are the GAR of Nekudim, the place of MA and BON of AK, which the Vav of the Name HaVaYaH implies.

Hence, in the YH of HaVaYaH of SAG, which are from Tabur up, there is no issue of the Parsa and the bottom Hey there. They are equal to Partzuf AB, filled with Yodin equally with Partzuf AB. However, the Vav of HaVaYaH of SAG from Tabur down is filled with Aleph, for there is the place of the correction of the Parsa and the division to upper water and lower water.

Know, that because of that, HaVaYaH of MA is found to be filling all four letters with filling of Aleph. This is because it was primarily emanated in the form of the Parsa and the association of the bottom Hey (Inner Observation here, item 6).

However, in HaVaYaH of AB there is no filling with Aleph whatsoever, because the entire differentiation between AB and SAG refers to the association with the bottom Hey performed in Partzuf SAG, not in Partzuf AB. Even in the SAG the connection is unapparent, but only from Tabur down in its ZA, and not from the Tabur up.

17. Now you can understand the matter of the coupling of AB and SAG by which the bottom Hey descends from the Nikvey Einayim and returns to her place as in the beginning. You already know that the Rosh of the SAG clothes the HGT of AB from Chazeh of AB to its Peh, since it is its phase of expansion Bet, as written in the previous parts.

After the AB dispenses its lights to the SAG, and since the light of AB hasn’t any the phase of bottom Hey in the Einayim, when lights AB come in SAG they lower the bottom Hey in the Nikvey Einayim of SAG to the place of the Peh too, which is her real place, as she is in AB.

Below, in the world of correction, this coupling is performed by the ascent of MAN from the lower ones. Here, however, there is still no conduct of raising MAN, but the coupling is done by itself, namely by SAG’s suction of sufficient amount of lights of AB. These lights lower the bottom Hey to her real place.

18. After the above-mentioned coupling of AB SAG is performed, two operations occur: one in internality of AK, meaning the inner ZON from its Tabur down, and one in externality of AK, meaning in GAR of Nekudim clothing without, from Tabur down. This is because in externality of AK, the Keter of Nekudim lowers its NHY and clothes them to Mochin in Hochma and Bina of Nekudim.

It means that it lowers the bottom Hey from its Nikvey Einayim, separating it from the HB of Nekudim, which took them out to the phase of Guf. Now it lowered the bottom Hey to her real place, to Peh of Nekudim, as a Kamatz under the letters YHV (see Inner Observation here, item 12), and the YHV that were as HGT returned and became the phase of HBD, meaning GAR and Rosh.

However, this is enough only for the phase of HB of Nekudim themselves, but no illumination is extended to ZAT of Nekudim any longer, because these HB have nothing of the phase of bottom Hey. Hence, they have no connection to the ZON that are incorporated with the bottom Hey, as he wrote there in item 12, and item 9 here.

The second act extended from the above-mentioned coupling of AB and SAG to the inner ZON of AK below its Tabur. This is because this light descended and breached that Parsa in the internality of AK that separates the inner ZON and brings them outside the Atzilut of SAG. Now it is canceled and the light of SAG returns and expands to the inner ZON as before the restriction of NHY, meaning through Sium Raglayim of AK.

This is so because then Bina and ZA and Malchut too, which came outside NHY of AK, and became the three worlds Beria Yetzira Assiya, have now returned to the phase of Atzilut, meaning NHY of AK, as in the beginning. Now you can understand the ARI’s words above, who says that the Parsa is a correction for the purpose of Beria, mentioned in item 14. It is so because through the correction of ascent and descent in the Parsa, Beria Yetzira and Assiya were returned to NHY of AK, and returned to the phase of Atzilut.

19. Since GAR of Nekudim clothe NHY of AK, here too there is a coupling of NHY of AK with the HB of Nekudim, as in AB and SAG. It bestowed upon them the light of the Melafom, which is the Vav with the dot, which means that it is the phase of bottom Hey that shines inside the letters YHV. The bottom Hey is called a dot and the phase of Peh of Nekudim is the Vav, and the dot comes inside the Vav, incorporated in the Vav of the HB.

Before they received the Melafom from NHY of AK, they could not impart anything to the ZAT because they were not incorporated with the bottom Hey (see item 9). This is because the bottom Hey remained in the Nikvey Einayim, meaning NHY of Keter of the Nekudim and YHV, which means a lack, for the bottom Hey descended to HB, which are AHP to the Keter.

However, now that the Vav of the YHV received the bottom Hey, which is the dot inside the Melafom, from Yesod of AK, and Hochma and Bina were incorporated with the bottom Hey, HB returned and made a coupling on her, meaning drew upper light on that screen that is incorporated with the bottom Hey, and drew the level of Keter. This light returned and imparted also from above downward to the ZAT, to the phase of Guf, as it is written in its place, in Part 7.

This is the fourth step that the bottom Hey made, meaning when she came inside the letters YHV, which are HB of Nekudim, as a dot inside the Vav. From here she can expand into the Guf of Nekudim, called the “seven lower Sefirot of Nekudim”.

Delve deep into the matter of these four steps that the bottom Hey made from the time of her connection with the first Hey inside the vessels of the inner NHY of AK, until she came inside the letters, which are the vessels of HB of Nekudim. From there she could come to her place, meaning ZAT of Nekudim.

This is because she made the first step from NHY of AK to Nikvey Einayim as Holam. There are three degrees in this step: the first in Nikvey Einayim of Rosh of SAG; the second, in Nikvey Einayim of YESHSUT, which is the place of the Tabur; the third, in Nikvey Einayim of Keter of Nekudim.

In all of these, she was as Holam above the letters YHV, meaning as bottom Hey in the Einayim and YHV in the AHP. In this phase, there were the YHV, which are the AHP, completely clean from the bottom Hey (see Item 10).

She made the second step from the Nikvey Einayim of Keter Nekudim to Peh of Nekudim as Kamatz under the letters of YHV. By that the HB returned to the phase of Rosh because YHV that were in the phase of HGT departed and came to the phase of HBD of Rosh. They are still clean of the bottom Hey since she is below them as Kamatz.

She made the third step by the coupling of Yesod of AK, at which time she came to receive inside the vessels of HB, meaning inside letters YHV. Through the coupling of AVI she descends to her place to ZON of Nekudim, and this is the fourth step.

Know that this step is called stepping outside. It means that here she stepped outside of Atzilut because the vessels of the seven lower Sefirot, where the bottom Hey expanded, illuminate outside Atzilut first by the force of the illumination of Yesod of AK that returned the BYA to Atzilut.

However, the ZAT could not exist like that, and their BYA returned, departed and were separated from Atzilut. This is called “the breaking of the vessels”, and for that reason this last step is called stepping outside.

We have explained two steps in the phase of Holam itself (Item 10 above). This is because there is the phase of Holam that does not have correction of the Parsa, meaning it can expand under the letters, which is the bottom Hey in the Nikvey Einayim of YESHSUT. Also, there is the phase of Holam that does have the matter of ascent and descent, which is the bottom Hey in Nikvey Einayim of Keter of Nekudim. We considered them two steps, so there are five steps here: four steps until it comes inside the vessels of HB, and one stepping outside.

20. We must thoroughly understand the difference between the two phases in the above-mentioned Holam. The phase of bottom Hey in the Nikvey Einayim on the first Rosh does not descend form her place any longer and the bottom Hey of the second Rosh, which is the Keter of Nekudim, descends below through the coupling of AB and SAG.

The reason for it is that it’s been explained above (here, item 15) that the primary correction in Parsa is to conceal and hide the force of the bottom Hey found in the Nikvey Einayim of Rosh of the upper one when the bottom Hey of the Rosh of the lower one descends to the place of the Peh.

The matter of this correction will not be portrayed in the first Rosh itself, since there, in the place of her first creation, the bottom Hey is in association with the first Hey. Had she descended from there, she would have had no way of ascending any longer. Moreover, the whole issue of the Parsa is nothing but an upshot of this bottom Hey that rose to Nikvey Einayim of the first Rosh.

Hence, she cannot descend from her place, as there is no one to conceal her force. However, after the Parsa is born under the first Rosh, and the AHP that went outside the first Rosh also divided into GE and AHP by themselves, it became possible for the bottom Hey to descend from these Nikvey Einayim of that Rosh.

This is because the Parsa conceals the bottom Hey in the Nikvey Einayim of the first Rosh in a way that the primary association of the quality of mercy with judgement, is made in Nikvey Einayim of the first Rosh into a fixed, existing root. However, the Parsa can conceal her force on occasion, not permanently. This act of association, meaning the above-mentioned ascent and descent is placed in the second Rosh.

21. You should also remember the need for two couplings made in Hochma and Bina of Nekudim that were explained above. They are the matter of clothing NHY of Keter Nekudim as Mochin in HB, and the matter of the illumination of Yesod of AK of the point to Shuruk to HB of Nekudim.

This is because the coupling of NHY of Keter helped only HB, meaning the phase of Rosh of Nekudim, as by the descent of the bottom Hey to the place of the Peh, the HB returned to the phase of Rosh. However, that did not help at all to the phase of Guf of Nekudim, which is the seven lower Sefirot, as it is written in Item 10.

Thus, the illumination of the inner NHY of AK was necessary, as they themselves are the bottom Hey (see Inner Light, Item 7). After the HB received the illumination of the bottom Hey from Yesod, as Vav with the dot inside it, meaning the bottom Hey, because the dot came inside the vessels of HB, that light is the core of ZAT that came to Bina of Nekudim. She procreated them and they came down to their place.

22. We must still clarify, that it is known that any lower Partzuf clothes its upper one from the Peh of Rosh down, as it is thoroughly written in the previous Partzufim of AK. Thus, why doesn’t that Partzuf of Nekudim, emanated from Partzuf SAG, clothe it whatsoever? After all, Keter of Nekudim begins below the Sium of the entire Partzuf of SAG, but it clothes the NHY of the first Partzuf of AK, called Partzuf Galgalta of AK.

We must also ask: what happens with the records of tastes of SAG that remained after the departure of these lights? After all, all the lights of Guf depart and rise to their emanator because of the refinement of the screen.

What is even more perplexing, where does the filling to the Guf of SAG from Tabur up to the Peh come from after the departure of the light from there? In all the Partzufim, the lower one fills and clothes the Guf of its upper one after its departure. However, Partzuf Nekudim does not clothe its upper one, which is SAG, as it stands below its Sium Raglayim. Thus, who fills it after the departure of its lights to the emanator?

To understand this, we must be precise with the ARI’s words here (Part 6, item 17). He writes, “all the light extended through the Tabur, though it is from the phase of Einayim, is all swallowed and incorporated in Akudim, hence becoming indistinguishable. However, only the light that is extended below the Tabur to its Raglayim is called dots, as now it stands alone.”

We must understand this: Why is the light from the phase of Einayim, which is emanated from Partzuf SAG, swallowed and incorporated with Akudim of SAG and is not apparent whatsoever through the Tabur? After all, any lower Partzuf clothes the upper one above the Tabur, too. Nevertheless, it is clearly apparent and is not contained in it and swallowed in it.

23. Here you must remember all the elements in the order of the emanation of a lower Partzuf from an upper one, explained in the previous parts. We will mention just a few:

The primary factor in the birth of a Partzuf is the refinement of the screen until it equalizes with the emanator. By that, it raises all the records of the Sefirot of the Guf to the emanator, which remain after the departure of the lights of Guf. There the screen is incorporated with them in the screen of Malchut of Rosh, called emanator, and then the records are renewed by the upper coupling of the Rosh.

When the coarseness in their Guf is recognized, they must exit the phase of Rosh and return to the phase of Guf as they were in the beginning. However, not to the phase of Tabur of the upper one as they first were, but one phase higher than the Tabur of the upper one. This is because the last phase always disappears during the refinement, until it leaves no record.

The Tabur of the upper one is always the last phase to disappear. Hence its corresponding phase in the Guf of the upper one is found to be one degree above the Tabur of the upper one. This is the conduct in all the Partzufim, (see above Part 4, Table of Topics, item 210).

Partzuf Nekudim, which is MA and BON of AK, emanates from its upper one, which is Partzuf SAG of AK, according to the above order. By the refinement of the screen of the Guf of Partzuf SAG of AK, it equalized its form with the emanator, which is Malchut of Rosh SAG, and raised all the records that the lights left after their departure from the Guf to the emanator.

After their renewal there in a coupling of Rosh, and after their coarseness had been recognized, they came out of the Rosh and descended to their corresponding phase in the Guf, which is one degree above the Tabur of SAG. That place is called Chazeh of SAG, and from the Chazeh up emerged the ten Sefirot of Rosh by a coupling with the upper light. From the Chazeh of SAG down the ten Sefirot of Guf came out in Toch and Sof through Tabur, meaning through Sium Raglayim of SAG, and this is the order in all the Partzufim.

24. It is known that this screen of the Guf SAG was refined and rose to Malchut of the Rosh SAG, meaning to Nikvey Einayim, to phase one of the Rosh. It also contains all the records that remained from the lights of ZON of the inner AK after the departure of their lights from them (see Inner Light, Item 1).

It turns out that in this refinement of the screen of the Guf of SAG there is a great difference from all the Partzufim, as it consists of two records from two separate Partzufim: The first is the records that remain from the ZON of Partzuf Galgalta of AK. These are distant from one another because the records of itself come from the screen of phase two, and the records of ZON of the inner AK come from screen of phase four.

Hence, when they were incorporated with the screen and rose to the coupling of the upper one in the Rosh of SAG, two kinds of couplings came out on them: the first on its own records, from which the light of Einayim that expanded to the Tabur came out (here Item 22). He says about it that it was swallowed and incorporated in Akudim and is not apparent, and its order of clothing is as mentioned above. This is because after its coarseness had become apparent and the screen descended from the Rosh to the Chazeh, it produced ten Sefirot of Rosh from the Chazeh to the Peh of SAG, and ten Sefirot of Guf from the Chazeh down to the Sium Raglayim of SAG, meaning the place of Tabur of AK.

The second coupling was made on the records incorporated with phase four, meaning the light of Nekudot of SAG that clothed that ZON of Partzuf Galgalta of AK. The phase four that is there connected to them (Inner Light Item 6), and this is the light that descended from the Einayim and expanded below Tabur of AK. The ARI says about it that only it is named “Nekudot” because it came out in the phase of the bottom Hey in the Einayim and YHV in the AHP.

25. Indeed, the above division of the two Partzufim from Tabur up and from Tabur down has been rooted in Partzuf SAG itself even before its departure. This is because then, too, the ARI states (Part 6, Item 6) that it is divided by tastes and dots (Nekudot). The tastes of SAG are the part of SAG that is not mixed with the inner MA and BON, which he compares to AVI, extending through Tabur of AK. The Nekudot of SAG are the part of SAG that clothed and connected in the inner MA and BON, which he compares to YESHSUT, beginning from the Tabur down.

Thus, back in Partzuf SAG before the departure of its lights, two separate Partzufim have been rooted in it, by the force of the connection with phase four of the inner MA and BON. Its upper Partzuf is called tastes, and is the phase of AVI, and its lower Partzuf is the phase of YESHSUT, called Nekudot.

Thus we have learned that the outer Partzuf MA and BON of AK, emanated from the outer Partzuf SAG of AK is divided into two Partzufim: the upper one until the Tabur, and the lower one from the Tabur down. When you regard both as one Partzuf, like the tastes and Nekudot of SAG, then the upper one will be considered GAR, and the lower one as VAK, in the same relation that AVI relate to the ZON of Atzilut.

26. Now you can understand what is presented in several places, that GAR of ZA remain in Ima during its Atzilut, and do not depart with it. It has been explained above (here Item 8) that the world of Nekudim is the first ZON that appears in the worlds, meaning MA and BON.

It also explains that the core of MA and BON is its connection with the phase four (here item 6). It is always emanated from Partzuf SAG, meaning Partzuf Bina, because as it is here, so it is in all the worlds. Hence, SAG is called Ima, since she is the emanator of ZON, meaning MA and BON.

In the first MA and BON you find that the emanated being from the SAG of AK had to come out in two Partzufim: Partzuf GAR from the Peh of SAG to Tabur, not incorporated with the bottom Hey, and Partzuf VAK from the Tabur down, incorporated in the bottom Hey.

The upper Partzuf above Tabur was swallowed and incorporated with Akudim of SAG because it has no phase of Nekudim at all, meaning the connection with the bottom Hey. Only the Partzuf from the Tabur down is considered Partzuf Nekudim, meaning MA and BON. Thus, the GAR of MA and BON remain and are swallowed in the Guf of Ima, meaning the SAG, and do not exit with the MA and BON.

In other words, they do not connect with them whatsoever since they are an entirely separated Partzuf, as the ARI says, that the light from Peh to Tabur is swallowed and incorporated in Akudim of SAG.

It is known that all the forces in the upper one must be in all its lower ones. Hence, the matter of the division of MA and BON into two Partzufim GAR and VAK that appeared in the first MA and BON, applies in all the Partzufim of MA and BON from here on. The GAR remains adhered and swallowed in its emanator, meaning Ima, and only the VAK emerge with the name MA and BON.