📜 THURSDAY PRAYER: HESED- KABBALAH MED-TIKKUN CHATZOT תקון חצות – LESSON WITH RAV MICHAEL LAITMAN

READING: BETWEEN AFTER MIDNINGHT AND DAWN THURSDAY

Baal HaSulam. Study of the Ten Sefirot. Vol. 2. Part 7, item 8

PART SEVEN

The ten Sefirot of the seven kings that died

1. *Know that the root of these kings is the first name BON that emerged from the illumination of Einayim of AK, called the world of Nekudim. Every phase of Malchut that exists in all the worlds was made of this name BON.

This is so because there is Malchut in Arich, in AVI, and in ZON, and they were all sorted by the name MA that elicited from the Metzach of AK, which is the male. You already know that there is not a Sefira that does not consist of ten Sefirot. Hence, each and every Sefira in all the worlds must have a phase of Malchut, made of the above kings.

Inner Light

1. The root of these kings is the first name BON.

This means that in the world of correction they are the name HaVaYaH filled with Heyin, which is BON in Gematria, although they are the quality of HaVaYaH of SAG in their origin, meaning the Nekudot [dots] of SAG. It is as the ARI wrote in Tree of Life, Gate 10, end of Chapter 3, that in the future, when all these kings will be completely corrected, the name SAG shall be as before and the name MA shall be cancelled. This is the meaning of the return of the world to Tohu veBohu (lit. Unformed and Void). At that time, there will be only two lights, AB and SAG.

However, in the world of correction, the Nekudot of SAG descended and became the name BON there, meaning a Nukva of the name MA and subordinate to him. Everything she has, she receives from the male, which is HaVaYaH of MA. This is why we always name the ZAT of Nekudim, BON, though they are the Nekudot of SAG.

In fact, the Partzuf that emerged by the coupling in the screen of phase one, called the light Einayim, which is HaVaYaH of MA, means ten Sefirot at the level of ZA. However, it is called HaVaYaH of SAG for two reasons: One, because there is male light there, which emerged on phase two of clothing, called YESHSUT (see Part 6, Inner Light item 14), and the level of YESHSUT is called HaVaYaH of SAG.

The second reason is that the vessels of Nekudim, which are the Nekudot of SAG of AK, meaning the lower nine of SAG that descended below Tabur of AK. The light departed from them and these vessels moved to the ten Sefirot of the world of Nekudim (see Part 6, Inner Light item 38). For this reason, they are called the Nekudot of SAG.

The phase of Malchut that exists in all the worlds was made of this name BON.

Through the ascent of the bottom Hey, namely Malchut, to the place of the Einayim, which is Hochma, Malchut mixed and connected to each and every Sefira of the ten Sefirot. From then onward, this Malchut is connected with the First Hey, incorporated in each Sefira and in each Partzuf (see Part 6 Inner Light item 38).

2. When the upper emanator began to create the world, He emanated, created, made, and did the four worlds ABYA. He began to sort the four above-mentioned kings that died. What was sorted from Him, rose in the Kedusha of the worlds, and what was not sorted remained a shell and dross.

However, the essence of these dross and kings, their root is the first name BON. It is one Partzuf Adam from its Rosh to its Raglaim, containing corresponding shells from its Rosh to its Raglaim.

Inner Light

2. These dross and kings, their root is the first name BON.

We must thoroughly understand what these dross are and how they were rooted and come from the name BON.

The thing is that you already know that the vessels of each Partzuf come to it from its upper one. This is so because once the lights of the ten Sefirot of Guf of the upper one depart and the vessels of ten Sefirot remain emptied of light, these vessels move to the lower one and fill up with the lights of the lower one (see Part 5, Inner Light item 35, par. “The ARI has already thoroughly explained”).

Accordingly, you see that the vessels of the lower nine of Partzuf SAG of AK that were emptied of their lights with the restriction of NHY of AK are the very vessels of the Nekudim of AK, called BON there. It has been explained in Inner Light (Part 6 item 1, Sub Header “Its SAG”) that the lower nine of SAG of AK mixed there with the phase four that is in the vessels of NHY of Partzuf Keter of AK (Part 6 Inner Light item 38).

Phase four was mixed with every single Sefira up to Hochma, and thus there is a mixture of phase four in the vessels of SAG, in each and every phase in them. It has also been explained above (Part 6 item 1, Sub Header “Its SAG”) why the lights and vessels of SAG could shine in the place of phase four of AK. This is so because there was no restriction on the light SAG, which is the light of Bina; the restriction was only on the light of Hochma.

Afterwards, these vessels moved to the ZAT of Nekudim, and AVI of the Nekudim make a coupling in a coupling of Gadlut face-to-face, and drew the level of Hochma in their place from below upwards in the Rosh. After that they imparted this light of Hochma to the ZAT of Nekudim where the phase four was mixed in each and every one of their phases.

Thus, that light could not clothe in these vessels since the phase four was already restricted to not receive the light of Hochma. Therefore, when the light was extended into the vessel and struck the phase four that was included in the vessel, it instantly departed and left all the vessels. Then the vessel too broke and died because of phase four in it. It suckled some of the light before it departed from there, and this suckling caused a disparity of form in oppositeness from the emanator, which is the Light of Life, hence it is called “death.”

You find that this mixture of phase four in the vessels of SAG, which are phase two, caused a shattering and death in the vessels. For this reason, this mixture is called dross in the vessels. These are parts in the vessels that cannot receive the upper light and because of them, the corruption falls into all the vessels, even in the parts that were worthy of receiving the light, namely the vessels of SAG that are from phase two.

He says that when He “began to create the world etc. He began to sort the four above-mentioned kings that died. What was sorted from Him, rose in the Kedusha of the worlds, and what was not sorted remained a shell and dross,” since after the light departed from the vessels and the vessels died and fell to the Separated worlds, to BYA, the emanator returned and sorted the broken vessels of the kings.

This means that He sorted the vessels that are worthy for clothing of the upper light, which belong to the vessels of SAG, which are the Partzufim of Atzilut in the BON part in them. These dross that are mixed in phase four that were not sorted, remained in BYA within the shells.

Thus, we learn that the dross are parts of phase four that mixed with the vessels of SAG. That mixture was rooted in the vessels of Nekudim, called BON, as he says, “these dross and kings, their root is the name First BON,” meaning in Nekudim.

Containing corresponding shells from its Rosh to its Raglaim.

This is because in general, ZAT are considered one whole Partzuf in Rosh and Guf. This is because they received the light GAR and the Rosh from the coupling of Gadlut of AVI. The entire ZAT broke, anterior and posterior, as it is written below in this part, and because phase four was mixed in every single phase of the vessels of the Nekudim. Because of that there are shells in it from its Rosh to its Raglaim, meaning dross that remained inside the shells.

3. Even though they are seven kings, they are ten, as we say that they are seven halls, when they are actually ten. This is so because the first hall consists of the first three Sefirot, called Kodesh Kodashim. The last hall consists of two, Yesod and Malchut, which is Livnat haSapir. So it is here, since they are Yod Sefirot, called seven kings.

Inner Light

3. Though they are seven kings, they are ten.

This means that not only do ZAT HGT NHYM of the Katnut contain ten Sefirot as well, meaning ten Sefirot in each contains HGT NHYM, but they also had a coupling of Gadlut that have actual GAR, meaning HBD too.

4. A more elaborate matter is this: We have learned that from these kings, the suitable phases were sorted for Atik, AA, and AVI of Atzilut. However, there was some breaking in their posterior. Not actual death, which is the shell, but a diminution of light.

Thus, these posterior fell below their place in the Kedusha itself and do not have actual dross, which are death. All the phases of Malchut in each Sefira were sorted from these kings of the name BON in the part of ZON of Atzilut. However, some sparks, which were not sorted, remained in them and are mixed inside the shells and the dross. Hence, in these there is actual death. You find that all the shells cling solely to ZON, not from Ima upwards.

Inner Light

4. There was some breaking in their posterior, etc., do not have actual dross.

Interpretation: GAR of Atzilut too were not completely sorted, and the posterior that fell from them during the breaking of the vessels did not rise to their place completely until the end of correction. However, that does not give any hold to the shells since these posterior never left the world of Atzilut at all, but descended from a high degree to a low degree.

Conversely, ZAT of Nekudim, called ZON, have actual dross, as we have written above. This is why they died and fell to the Separated worlds. Thus, because these vessels were not entirely sorted, but much dross remained inside the shells, they have a hold of ZON too, in the extent that they take their authority from these vessels of ZAT.

The shells cling solely to ZON, and not from Ima and above.

It is written above in the previous item that unsorted parts remained inside the shells only from the vessels of ZA, and this is why they have a hold of it. Conversely, nothing fell to the share of the shells from Ima upwards, hence the shells have no hold at all from Ima upwards.

5. You know that the root of ZA is only six Sefirot. However, afterwards they grew and became ten Sefirot for it. Similarly, the root of Malchut is one dot, which is later made to incorporate ten Sefirot.

Thus, in their first root they are only seven kings, six in ZA and one in Nukva. These cling to the last two letters of The Name, which are VH, and these two letters are eleven in Gematria.

This is the meaning of the eleven signs of the incense, ten inner Sefirot, and one surrounding. Although the surrounding also consists of ten Sefirot, it is called one.

Inner Light

5. The root of ZA is only six Sefirot.

This is so because when it was born, it had no Rosh, which is GAR, called HBD. He had only VAK, which are HGT NHY, and Malchut has only her Malchut, lacking all first nine Sefirot. Hence, the Sitra Achra do not have any suckling from the Rosh of ZA, since during the Katnut it has no Rosh.

As we shall see, these are very interesting matters, but here we shall only explain the reason that ZA emerged without GAR. Indeed, even during the Gadlut, it has no more than six vessels HGT NHY. When the ARI writes that it has ten Sefirot, it does not mean that the first three Sefirot, namely KHB, were added to it, only that its HGT of Katnut grew to become a HBD, and the NHY of Katnut grew to become a HGT. All that was added are the three lower Sefirot, which are NHY.

Thus, even during the Gadlut it does not attain the first three vessels KHB, and because this is a great principle in the wisdom, we must understand it at its source, each with its own reason.

It is known that the root of ZA emerged at Nekudim, called HaVaYaH of BON. This is Partzuf MA, called YESHSUT that emerged from the Nikvey Einayim. Also, you find a great innovation in this Partzuf, unlike all the previous Partzufim of AK.

The Gufim emerged in them in ten Sefirot and ten vessels, and each Guf begins with vessel of Keter, as it is written in present and not present. However, in this Partzuf that came out of the Einayim, the Guf begins from Daat; there is no memory of the first three Sefirot Keter Hochma Bina in them.

Besides that, there is a great difference in the ten Sefirot of Rosh itself. Until here there is only one Rosh for each Partzuf: the first is YESHSUT that stands from Tabur of AK upward to the Chazeh; the second is the Keter of the Nekudim; and the third is AVI of Nekudim.

These two changes are interdependent. It has already been thoroughly clarified in Part 6 that all these three Roshim are only ten Sefirot of one Rosh. The matter of their division in this manner is because of the ascent of the bottom Hey in the Einayim, where the coupling was made on the screen of phase one, called Nikvey Einayim.

The first Rosh emerged in the two Sefirot Keter and Hochma and in the Nukva of Hochma, the coupling was made on the bottom Hey incorporated there, and this Rosh is called YESHSUT. For this reason, the three Sefirot Bina, ZA, and Malchut, are considered HGT of Rosh, as they are below the screen and the place of the coupling and in that they are no longer considered GAR.

Nonetheless, these HGT are also considered Rosh. Moreover, they are the main part of the Rosh of Partzuf Nekudim because the above first Rosh, called YESHSUT that stands from Tabur of AK up to the Chazeh does not join the Partzuf at all. Instead, it is regarded entirely as Akudim (see Part 6, Inner Light item 20), but its AHP that exited to the phase of HGT are considered the Rosh of Nekudim.

However, these AHP are divided into two Roshim. This is so because the phase of Ozen, called the Sefira of Keter of Nekudim is considered the phase of Keter and Hochma of this Rosh, in the form of the bottom Hey in the Einayim.

The Hotem Peh that existed this Rosh too are YHV in the AHP. They are considered the third Rosh, called AVI of Nekudim. Know that the second Rosh too, called Keter of Nekudim, is also not considered the Rosh of the Partzuf. This means that its Malchut does not expand from above downward to the ten Sefirot of Guf since it only shines and clothes in the third Rosh, meaning AVI of Nekudim.

AVI of Nekudim alone are the Rosh for the Partzuf of Nekudim. This means that the Malchut expands from above downward to the ten Sefirot of Guf of Nekudim (see above Inner Observation Part 6, section Cause and Consequence, item 30).

Know that even during the Gadlut, when the bottom Hey descends from the Einayim in the Keter to the Peh of the Rosh, the Keter itself still does not join AVI in such a way that they will literally be made into one Rosh. Instead, only the illumination of NHY of Keter clothes AVI. This is the meaning of AVI becoming HBD, and the second Rosh is in the phase of Keter above their Rosh.

You see how the ten Sefirot of one Rosh were divided and made into three Roshim. The first Rosh took Keter and Hochma; the second Rosh took the Bina in them, called Ozen; and the third Rosh, called AVI, took the ZAT in them, called Hotem and Peh. However, the first two Roshim do not join the Guf of the Partzuf.

You already know that all the Sefirot of the Guf are extended from the Rosh. The full measure that Malchut of Rosh clothes in her reflected light from below upward in the Rosh expands from her and within her in that same amount to ten Sefirot of Guf.

Yet, understand that Malchut of the third Rosh has no more than the two Sefirot Hotem Peh, which are ZAT of Rosh. The GAR of Rosh are in the two previous Roshim because Keter and Hochma are in the first Rosh, called YESHSUT and Bina is in the second Rosh, called Keter. Thus we have thoroughly explained that it is impossible for ZON to have more than seven vessels HGT NHYM, since their Rosh, which is AVI, have no more than these ZAT, which are Hotem Peh.

We might ask about that: Since both lack GAR, what then is the greatness of AVI over ZON? The ARI has already explained that to us above (Part 6 items 21-25). The whole merit of AVI over the ZON is because AVI took a little bit illumination from the light of Ozen. This is why their vessels did not break, and only their ZON, which did not receive any illumination from the light of Ozen, but only from the Hotem and Peh. This is why all their vessels broke.

In general, we have already learned there thoroughly and we shall explain further in this part that this illumination that AVI received from the light of Ozen corrected them by means of a back-to-back coupling. This means that because of that they had GAR of Bina, as we shall elaborate below.

6. The essence of how they were seven and became eleven is that the four posteriors broke from HB and YESHSUT. They were joined above with these seven kings and became eleven. Do not wonder at how shells were made of HB etc. since this is discerned as what clothes in ZON below to become Mochin for them, and that phase is considered actual ZON.

7. *Let us complete the scrutiny regarding the primary reason and what it was. His intention is to create this world, which contains reward and punishment. This is impossible except through an officer, which is the measure of repaying the evil. Also, the evil is the root of the dross and the yeast of the Gevurot and the judgments, as it is written, “in the place of justice, that wickedness was there.”

Inner Light

7. “In the place of justice, that wickedness was there.”

This refers to the sentence of the Sitra Achra that is turned into harsh and bitter judgments, as it is written, “His ordinances, they have not known them.” Now you can understand the words of the Zohar (Truma, p.164), “The Sitra Achra is given an extra count, and it is counted as a deficit, such as eleven.”

This is the evil attribute to repay the evil, since the Sitra Achra is given more power to hold than they deserve. In that, “a whirling storm; it shall whirl upon the head of the wicked,” and this is what our sages imply, “A camel that went looking for horns, its ears were cut off.”

8. The dross and the shells cannot appear except through a concatenation of worlds. In the end, the dross will be sorted and manifested, and all this was through the death of these kings. All of them are strong judgments, named BON, which are Gevurot.

This is so because all these are phases of dots, which are females and phases of reflected light, Mayin Nukvin. The shape of the dots is sparks and they are the strong sparks mentioned in Parashet Pekudei, “Come and see, the Rosh of the beginning of the faith inside the thought. It hammered a strong spark and produced sparks.”

Inner Light

8. Phases of dots, which are females and phases of reflected light, Mayin Nukvin.

Malchut is called a dot. This is named after the root Malchut over which there was the first restriction, called The Middle Point. Hence, the Malchuts and the females in all the worlds are called dots, since they are the subject of the restriction and the screen over which the coupling by striking with the upper light occurred.

He writes, “through the death of these kings. All of them are strong judgments,” etc. These are the phases of dots, which are the dots and reflected light and MAN. It is so because these three are one matter, meaning the phases of the screen that raises reflected light and unite and copulate the upper Partzufim when they rise to MAN from the sorting of BYA. The explanation to this matter will be brought below.

9. The thing is that these seven kings are the Gevurot that emerged in the world first, as it is written, “In the beginning God created.” Afterwards He associated the quality of mercy with it “in the day that the Lord God made” so that the world could exist and not return to Tohu veBohu, as it is written, “Now the earth was unformed and void.”

After he says, “In the beginning God created,” which are the seven kings, there are seven words corresponding to them in the verse “In the beginning.” The name HaVaYaH is the Hassadim and is the eighth king, called Hadar, which is the upper Hesed, as mentioned in the Idra, and this is the name MA.

It is known that the name MA is in Hassadim, and the name BON in Gevurot. They are all harsh and strong judgments from which dross the shells came out through their death and fall as the dust of the upper Earth.

That dust that will be in the ground of the tabernacle, the world of Beria, where they were sorted as in a man in the grave. This is because Beria under the Mishkan is Malchut of Atzilut and these strong sparks are thrown there, as it is written in the portion Pekudei, “Throws sparks in every direction and sorted the waste from within the thought.”

Thus, throwing these sparks down to Beria is to sort out the waste and the shells that were in potential in the upper thought, and have now been executed. As the sparks that the craftsman beats with his hammer instantly quench, so these sparks quenched and died and returned to the dust, and then they were sorted.

Inner Light

9. The Gevurot that emerged in the world first, as it is written, “In the beginning God created.”

This refers to what our sages have written, “In the beginning it came up in the thought to create the world in the quality of judgment. Saw that the world does not stand, preceded the quality of mercy and associated it with the quality of judgment.”

We have already discussed it at length (Part 4, Chapter 1, Inner Light item 4), and it explains there that the first three Partzufim of AK had only one vessel from the phase of Malchut, which is the quality of judgment, hence they had only one line. In order for the world to exist according to His wish to do good to His creatures, this can only be depicted in the form of a conduct of reward and punishment, by way of ten utterances, and the correction of the three lines, Hesed, judgment, and mercy.

This was done by the association of the quality of mercy with judgment, meaning the association of the First Hey, called the quality of mercy, namely Bina, with the bottom Hey, called the quality of judgment, which is Malchut. The beginning of this association is made in the coupling of the Rosh of SAG for the world of Nekudim in the form of the ascent of the bottom Hey to the Einayim and YHV in the AHP.

This is sufficient only for the correction of lines in the GAR, but in the ZAT there was still no correction of lines. For this reason, the vessels of the ZAT broke and fell to BYA, as written there at length.

The association of the quality of mercy with judgment in the GAR was not enough to correct the ZAT entirely, meaning from the phase of Hassadim too. Nonetheless, the association in GAR of Nekudim did help to correct the ZAT in the phases of Gevurot. Although the vessels of ZAT broke and fell to BYA, still, sparks came down with them to revive the vessels.

Know that these sparks mean the correction of the Gevurot to be ready to receive the Hassadim afterwards, when they are sorted, and rise from there to Atzilut as MAN. He writes, “these seven kings are the Gevurot that emerged in the world first, as it is written, ‘In the beginning God created.’”

This refers to the correction of the Gevurot to be fitting for sorting and to raise them as MAN to receive the Hassadim of the new MA. They are implied in the words, “In the beginning God created,” as the name God indicates Gevurot.

He associated the quality of mercy with it “in the day that the Lord God made.”

This refers to the verse, “These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven” (Genesis 2; 4). The name HaVaYaH (lit. Lord) implies Hassadim, which is the king Hadar, called the new MA.

They cause an upper coupling there through raising MAN from the sorting of the sparks and the vessels in BYA to the Atzilut, and receive the illumination of Hassadim of the new MA. At that time the desired association of the quality of mercy with judgment is over, meaning by that the correction of lines is completed in ZAT too, and all this will be explained elaborately in its place.

10. It is written in Idrat Nasso (p. 131), “Some were corrected and some were not corrected.” This does not mean that there are some kings among them that were corrected and some that were not corrected. Rather, it means that some were sorted and corrected from them, from the actual kings themselves, from each and every part of them, and that a part of them in each and every one of them was not corrected and remained below.

Inner Light

10. “Some were corrected and some were not corrected” etc., a part of each and every one of them was not corrected and remained below.

It is a Partzuf of one Adam, having corresponding shells from its Rosh to its Raglaim, meaning opposite all five Partzufim of ZON of Atzilut. These five Partzufim that were sorted and became the world of Atzilut, each of them left parts of it that were still not sorted, but are destined to be sorted by raising MAN from the work of the righteous throughout the six thousand years of the world of correction.

Know that this residue of the above Partzufim of Atzilut that remained unsorted are the entire good reward awaiting the righteous because the world was created in ten utterances, meaning the ten vessels of Atzilut in the association of the quality of mercy with judgment.

It is by that that the conduct of reward and punishment was made in the world, and this is because of the two states of ZON, Katnut and Gadlut. By doing good deeds they raise MAN to ZON, by which it attains the Gadlut and GAR, and the mercy appears. If they do bad deeds, by that they cause ZON to return to the state of Katnut and a conduct of judgment is manifested in the world. It is also the same for each and every individual, relating to one’s own Neshama.

However, here you should understand that there is no absence in the spiritual, much less in Atzilut, where He is One and His name One. The matter of Mochin of Gadlut and Katnut that travel back and forth in ZA of Atzilut by the actions of the lower ones, does not mean that when the Mochin of Katnut is absent, the previous Mochin of Gadlut vanish. Rather, there is only an addition here, as the previous Mochin of Gadlut that were extended through the work of the righteous remain forever, unchanged at all by the bad deeds of the wicked.

Instead, the wicked caused a new phase of Mochin to be made, in addition to the previous Mochin, though the conduct of the world is always through the Mochin that is added last. Thus, the chain of time we find in this world, in terms of past and present, is extended to us from the upper ones, from the internality and externality.

The past is extended from the internality, and the present is extended from the externality. The externality is always apparent to us in this world, and the internality is hidden from us and does not serve us at all, but is destined to appear before us in the future, at the end of correction.

This is the meaning of “Righteous have no rest, not in this world and not in the next world.” This does not refer to the next world after they die, as it is known, “Set free among the dead.”

Instead, some righteous are awarded the lights of the next world in their life. Our sages tell us that even those great righteous that have already been awarded the next world in their life have no rest. Instead, they must labor in the Holy Work and always come in the posterior that precede the anterior in order to raise MAN to a new, higher Mochin.

This is so because there is sorting in the Partzufim of GAR of ZA too, above the lights of the next world. This is the meaning of the Partzufim of the souls being destined to clothe up to the level of AK of Assiya. At that time they will equalize the level of the Hey Partzufim of AK, and this will be explained in its place.

The matter of this clothing, that the souls are awarded clothing the upper Partzufim means the good reward, that is hidden for the righteous in the future. Because of all the Mochin, drawn by raising MAN that they raise by the good deeds that they do, though afterwards they come in the posterior and cause Katnut in ZON again, we see that the previous Mochin of Gadlut are not absent. Instead, they come as internality.

Hence, they have a way of always drawing new Mochin. The first Mochin come to them in internality, in a way that they draw a higher Mochin every time.

Also, all these Mochin that were drawn to the upper Partzufim through the MAN that they raised, all these belong to their share. Though in the present they enjoy only the last Mochin that they have drawn, the previous Mochin remain forever. However, they do not use them in the present, so that they will be able to increase strength and go from strength to strength. In the future, they will all acquire all these Mochin that were drawn by them at once.

This is the meaning of what our sages said, “The Creator is destined to impart every righteous 310 worlds, as it is said, ‘That I may cause those that love Me to inherit substance, and that I may fill their treasuries’” (end of Masechet Okatzin). It means that the Mochin that they have drawn in the upper worlds is their share in their future.

11. The thing is that of these 288 sparks of the kings that died and descended to the world of Beria, when the correction of the eighth king, Hadar, came, he began to sort out the sparks and the vessels from them too. Everything that it sorted of them was only the Nukva parts in all the Partzufim. In the beginning, the selected and the best of them was sorted and rose in Atzilut.

12. There are also degrees in Atzilut itself. First, through the above mentioned upper Ibur, they began to sort the best among them, of which Nukva of Atik was made.

After the light of the sparks of the 288 sparks mixed with the light of the dot of Keter that remained in Atzilut, and the vessels of the kings mixed with the new vessels of the new MA, all that was made into the Nukva of Atik and Atik, and likewise in all of them.

Afterwards, through the coupling of the male of Atik with the female, they raised and sorted from the sparks that fell down, the part that was fitting for the female of Arich, and entered the place of the Ibur, as Mayin Nukvin. There they are sweetened and corrected by being there for the time of the Ibur, and become a Partzuf.

13. Likewise, Arich sorted for Nukva of AVI and AVI for ZON, the entire phase of Malchut in them. This is why these are called kings, since all the Malchuts were made of them.

Similarly, every Yod Sefirot themselves in each and every Partzuf were sorted in the above-mentioned order. What could not be sorted and rise in the world of Atzilut even for the bottom Nukva of ZA, remained in Beria. Later on, all the parts of Beria were made of them, in its order of degrees.

The sparks of Beria cannot be sorted by AVI of Atzilut since they cannot rise above ZON. Instead, they are sorted in the abdomen of the Nukva of ZA through the coupling of ZA with it.

However, there too only the phase of Atik of Beria is sorted, and there Arich of Beria is sorted, and AVI of Beria are sorted in Arich, and likewise always. This is so because it is impossible for any part to be sorted above the place of its degree, not in place and not in time. They are only one after the other in both order of degrees and the order of the time of their correction, and this is elaborated sufficiently.

14. See regarding Ibur ZA, how it is impossible to open the grave without blood when it is born. These are the parts called dross in relation with Atzilut. These dross and blood return to be sorted in Beria, that which is dross with respect to Beria returns to be sorted in Yetzira etc. similarly in each degree, and this is enough.

Afterwards it is likewise with the worse in Yetzira, and after that with the worst of all in Assiya, also according to its degrees. This is so because all the parts of these three worlds BYA are female; there is no male among them at all. Even the males among them are but forces of the female, since they are all soldiers and armies of the Malchut, and all were made of the sorting of the seven kings as we have mentioned.

15. Also, all the creatures and the souls of the righteous are all from the sorting of these kings. They are sorted daily by our prayers and rise up as Mayin Nukvin. Then they are corrected and come to the world.

This is the meaning of, “All of Israel are children of kings,” and this is the meaning of, “Messiah Son of David doth not come until all the souls in the Guf perish,” being the Guf that is mixed of good and evil. Also, all the angels and all the creatures in heaven and in earth, all came from these scrutinies.

16. After everything that was made to create the four worlds ABYA had been sorted, Adam haRishon was created to complete and examine through his actions and Mitzvot.

By the power of the Mitzvot and the prayers to scrutinize the scrutinies these kings were joined in the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad in their dross. Then he too died and his entire offspring after him, to sort his parts that were mixed with good and bad like the kings.

This is the meaning of reincarnation, as it is explained in its place. For this reason, there are angels that die and are renewed every day, as it is written, “created His servants,” etc. This is enough for the understanding for the pen fails to detail every thing.

17. After all these scrutinies that was scrutinized during the creation of the worlds ABYA, most of the dross in them had still not been sorted, as the good leaves and the little good remains with the completely evil. Every day the good is sorted and leaves, and the evil remains.

Hence, these parts that were not sorted before the creation of Adam haRishon and had to be sorted by Mayin Nukvin that Adam will raise through his actions, these were the dross and shells. They were also as it is mentioned in ABYA since the better part in them were the constituents of dross in Atzilut of the shells. This too is according to the degrees Atik and Arich etc. and the worst in Beria of the dross, and that too through her degrees etc. similarly through Assiya.

18. Indeed, you should know that when these dross were sorted and the four worlds ABYA were made of them, they are complete dross and shells. All the phases of Melachim that could not be sorted were placed inside them as the Neshama and sustenance in them, reviving them, as mentioned in the portion Yitro p. 69, “There is no Sitra Achra that does not have a minute light.”

This is the meaning of the pursuit of the evil inclination and the Sitra Achra to make the righteous sin and cling to Kedusha, as they have no sustenance besides that. When Kedusha and goodness increase, their lives increase. Now you should not wonder why the evil inclination is in pursuit of Adam to make him sin.

19. Everything that we always sort in our prayers from the day of Adam’s creation to the days of the Messiah, it is all from those phases of the kings placed inside the shells. There are phases that are sorted every day, even now, which pertain to Atzilut, there are for each world in BYA, and there are for the souls and so on in every item.

When all the sustenance and goodness complete their exit from them and complete dross are left, it is then written, “He will swallow up death for ever.” These are Sitra Achra, called death because they are the dross of the dead kings, and keep that. It is as we have written about Son of David, that he doth not come before all the souls in the Guf perish.

20. Indeed, you should know that as they are four worlds ABYA in Kedusha and their root is only ten Sefirot that expand in them sort-by-sort and degree-by-degree, so it is in ABYA of shells. They are all rooted in the sorting of the kings that could not be sorted, and they are eleven Sefirot.

It is written in the Zohar (portion Truma p.164), “The Sitra Achra is given an extra count, and it is counted as a deficit, such as eleven.” It means that when it is given the extra count, it is a demerit, since they are ten in Kedusha and eleven in the shells.

This is so because while they are eleven, they are only nine, since these eleven are seven phases, seven kings, and two posterior of AVI, which are only nine. However, in the division of AVI into two phases they will have four posterior, and then they will all be eleven phases.

Inner Light

20. “The Sitra Achra is given an extra count, and it is counted as a deficit, such as eleven.”

He brings evidence to his words above when he says that in general, ABYA of shells are eleven Sefirot vis-à-vis the general ABYA of Kedusha, which are ten Sefirot. He explains that the reason they number eleven is because they are from the residue of the dross that were not sorted.

There are eleven phases in this matter, which are seven kings and four posterior, of AVI and YESHSUT, which are eleven, as it is written, “Where are their gods, the rock in whom they trusted.” These are the very eleven days from Horev through Mt. Seir, and this is the meaning of the eleven signs of the incense. Since they are the entire sustenance in the shells, when they are burnt, the vitality of the shells rises upwards, the dross and the death are cancelled, and the plague stops.

The ARI does not come down to interpret the words of the Zohar here. However, since there is a great secret in their words, the text should be brought complete and be somewhat interpreted. It says, “The Sitra Achra is given an extra count, and it is counted as a deficit, such as eleven. It is as we have stated that in every place where letters are added, such as here, it is a demerit, such as your brothers have said, that they said enough, and on the side of Kedusha, he deducted a letter, and it is an addition,” thus far its words.

Interpretation: The whole of the Sitra Achra is from the breaking of the vessels, as the ARI says, that there are eleven phases. It is known that their correction is in the form of the twelve Partzufim of Kedusha, as the entire correction of the breaking of the vessels is in the twelve Partzufim of Atzilut. Through them, the Sitra Achra is gradually annulled until “He will swallow up death forever.”

He says, “The Sitra Achra is given an extra count, and it is counted as a deficit.” This is so because a “count” is a name for Malchut, and Malchut of the Sitra Achra is considered an extra count. [Written aside in the manuscript of the author: “Count” means wisdom; “Extra” means adding, by way of “All who adds, subtracts.”].

This is the meaning of Malchut without a crown, which are nine and not ten since they have no suckling from the Keter. A Crown is Keter. Hence, they are in impudence, in the form of “Malchut without a Crown”. They are the evil eye, in the form of, “Ninety-nine die of evil eye, and one from other diseases.”

He says, “such as eleven,” meaning all who adds, subtracts. They add seventy to the eleven [Written aside in the manuscript of the author: and the upper Partzuf of the twelve departs, which is Ein Sof and Keter] and are left only in the eleven. [Written aside in the manuscript of the author: eleven because they cancel and break and fall to the authority of the shells. This is the meaning of the tree shouting, “Do not touch me,” because in the touching of the Ayin in the eleven it falls to the shells.] This is so because they have no suckling in Keter.

This is the meaning of, “in the side of Kedusha he deducted a letter and it is an addition. It means that the Ayin is deducted from the eleven and the combination of Kedusha comes out in the addition since it becomes twelve. Understand that in addition to the ARI’s words and with the rest of the words of the Zohar there.

21. You find that the kings that remain from the sorting are the very sustenance of the shells. They are called “Multiple Authorities” since they are separated and are not connected, as they have not been corrected yet. These are eleven days from Horev to Mt. Seir, and they are the kings that ruled in Mt. Seir, which is Edom.

They are the ones who said, “Where are their gods, the rock in whom they trusted,” and these are the eleven signs of the incense that rise upward when they burn. They depart from within the dross, called death, and then the dross and the death are cancelled and the plague stops.

22. These eleven signs of the incense are but one phase, which is the Noga around it, and corresponds to it in Yetzira, in Beria, and in Atzilut. This shell of Noga is called “Ruach Elokim Merachefet” (lit. the spirit of God hovered). Its letters are Mem, Tav – Peh, Reish, Het.

These are the 288 sparks of the kings that died and this shell is made of the 288 sparks that remained inside the vessels and were not sorted. It hovers over the shells and does not enter them.

Inner Light

22. The Noga around it, and corresponds to it in Yetzira, in Beria, and in Atzilut.

Know that ABYA of shell are the opposite of ABYA of Kedusha. This is so because in Kedusha, all that is higher is holier, and anything that is becomes diminished, its Kedusha decreases through the Sof of Assiya.

Conversely, in the shells, the highest shell opposite Atzilut is weak and not so bad, and the lower it descends the stronger are the impurity and the shells.

Also, there is a difference regarding the mixture of good and bad in shell of Noga, meaning in the dross that were not sorted. In Assiya it is mostly bad, where they father every impurity, meaning the impurity of the dead.

The shells of Yetzira are mixed good and bad, half each, and she defiles the weekdays too, as the world of Yetzira is the pure weekdays. In the shells of Beria the mixture is mostly good and some bad. It defiles only the donation because the world of Beria is the quality of donation.

The world of Atzilut is mostly good and there is a little bit of shell in it. However, even that little bit is not mixed with the Kedusha. The Kedusha of Atzilut has no impurity, but disqualifies the Kodashim, as Atzilut is the state of Kodashim.

“Ruach Elokim Merachefet” (lit. the spirit of God hovered). Its letters are Mem, Tav – Peh, Reish, Het.

It means that the sparks are phases of records from the lights that went out of the seven kings and died. The records descended with them so that they would have the strength for the revival of the dead. Also, the letters Reish, Peh, Het (288) and Peh, Reish, Het (fled) are the same, and understand that.