READING: BETWEEN AFTER MIDNINGHT AND DAWN FRIDAY

Baal HaSulam. Shamati, 68. Man’s Connection to the Sefirot

LESSON MATERIAL

68. Man’s Connection to the Sefirot

I heard on Adar 12, February 17, 1943

Prior to the sin of Adam HaRishon:

1. His Guf [body] was from Bina de Malchut de Malchut de Assiya,
2. And he had NRN from Beria and NRN from Atzilut.

After he sinned, his Guf fell into the discernment of the serpent’s skin, which is the Klipa [shell] of Behina Dalet, called “the dust of this world.” Clothed within it is the inner Guf of Klipat [Klipa (shell) of] Noga, which is half good and half bad. And all the good deeds that he does are only with his Guf of Noga. Through engaging in Torah and Mitzvot, he brings this Guf back to being all good, and the Guf of the serpent’s skin departs from him. At that time, he is awarded NRN of Kedusha according to his actions.

Man’s NRN connection to the Sefirot:

The essence of man’s NRN is from Behinat Malchut of the three Sefirot, Bina and ZON in each of the worlds from ABYA. If he is awarded the NRN of Nefesh, he receives from the three Behinot Malchut de Bina and ZON de Assiya. If he is awarded NRN de Ruach, he receives from the three Behinot Malchut de Bina and ZON de Yetzira. And if he is awarded NRN de Neshama, he receives from the three Behinot Malchut de Bina and ZON de Beria. And if he is awarded NRN de Haya, he receives from the three Behinot Malchut de Bina and ZON de Atzilut.

And this is what our sages said, that man thinks only from within the thoughts of his heart, that the whole body is regarded as the “heart.” Even though man consists of four Behinot of still, vegetative, animate, and speaking, they are all registered in the heart.

Since after the sin, the Guf of Adam HaRishon fell into the serpent’s skin, which is the Klipa of Behina Dalet, called “the dust of this world”; hence, when he calculates, all his thoughts are of his heart, meaning his Guf from the Behina of the serpent’s skin.

When he grows stronger, through his engagement in Torah and Mitzvot, which is the only remedy, if he aims to bestow contentment upon his Maker, the Torah and Mitzvot cleanse his body. This means that the serpent’s skin departs from him. Then, the previous act of the Torah and Mitzvot, called “Klipat Noga,” considered the “inner Guf,” which was half good and half bad, has now become all good. This means that now he has achieved equivalence of form.

And then he is awarded the NRN of Kedusha according to his actions. That is, in the beginning he attains NRN de Nefesh from the world Assiya. Then, when he sorts all the Behinot that belong to the world Assiya, he is awarded NRN de Ruach of the world Yetzira, until he achieves NRN de Haya de Atzilut.

Thus, a different structure is made within his heart each time: Where there was previously the inner Guf from Klipat Noga, which was half good and half bad, this Guf is now turned into all good through the cleansing he has received from the Torah and Mitzvot.

Accordingly, when he had a Guf from the serpent’s skin, he had to think and calculate his thoughts only from within the thoughts in his heart. This means that all his thoughts were only about how to satisfy the desires to which the Klipa compels him. He had no way to think thoughts and aim intentions, but only what settled in his heart, which was then in the form of the serpent’s skin, the worst Klipa.

Also, when he is rewarded through his engagement in Torah and Mitzvot, even Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], when he asks and demands of the Creator to help him by engaging in Torah and Mitzvot in the form of “All that your hand and strength can do, do,” and he awaits mercy from above, that the Creator will help him achieve Lishma [for Her sake] by this, where all the reward he is asking for his work is to be rewarded with working in order to bring contentment to his Maker, as our sages said, “the light in it reforms him.”

In that state, the body of the serpent’s skin is purified, meaning that that body is separated from him and he is awarded a completely different structure—the structure of Nefesh de Assiya. He also adds further until he achieves a structure from Nefesh and Ruach de Bina and ZA and Malchut de Atzilut.

But even then he has no option to think other thoughts, but only according to what the structure of Kedusha [holiness] dictates. This means that he has no room to think thoughts against his own structure, but he must think and act only with the intention to bring contentment to his Maker, as his structure of Kedusha necessitates.

All the above means that one cannot correct one’s thought, but should only aim the heart—make one’s heart straight to the Creator. Then all of his thoughts and actions will naturally be to bestow contentment upon his Maker. When he corrects his heart to be a heart and desire of Kedusha, the heart will then be the Kli in which to place the upper light. And when the upper light shines in the heart, the heart will grow stronger and he will add and supplement continuously.

Now we can interpret our sages’ words, “Great is the learning that yields action.” It means that through the light of the Torah he is led into action, as the light in it reforms him. This is called “an act.” This means that the light of the Torah builds a new structure in his heart.

Thus, the previous Guf, which came to him from the serpent’s skin, has been separated from him and he has been awarded a holy Guf. The inner Guf, called “Klipat Noga,” which was half good, half bad, has become all good, and now the NRN is in it, which he attains through his actions, as he adds and supplements.

Before he is awarded a new structure, although he tries to cleanse his heart, the heart is still unchanged. In that state, it is considered that he is in the form of “doers of His word.” Yet, we must know that the beginning of the work is specifically in the form of “doers of His word.”

However, this is not completeness since he cannot cleanse his thoughts in that state, since he cannot be saved from thoughts of transgression, as his heart is of a Guf of Klipa, and one thinks only from the thoughts in his heart, and only the light in it reforms him. At this time, the separating Guf departs from him, and the inner Guf, the Klipat Noga, which was half bad, becomes all good. In that state, the Torah brings him into action through the making of a new structure. And this is called “an act.”