📜 THURSDAY PRAYER: KETER- 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 11

LESSON MATERIAL

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 tabernacle 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.

23. *Know that there are four phases in the world of Atzilut, in how the male and the female are situated there, whether they are in phases of dots prior to the correction, or when they are in the phase of a complete Partzuf after the correction.

This is their arrangement: the worst is both being back-to-back. Above it is back-to-face. This means that the male will turn its posterior facing the anterior of the female, as now the female can receive the light from the posterior of the male, through her anterior. However, she still does not have the strength to receive from the anterior of the male.

Above it, it is face-to-back. This means that the male turns his anterior facing the posterior of the female and shines in her. There is greater merit in that since the light of the anterior of the male itself shines in the female, though she still does not have the strength to receive it through the anterior. For this reason, she turns her posterior and receives the light in the anterior themselves through there.

By so doing, the light becomes a little coarser there, and when the light passes through the posterior and reaches the side of her anterior, she will be able to receive it, since it became a little coarser. This is the meaning of, “a wise will improve her in the back.”

When the anterior of the Hochma, which is the male, look in the posterior of the female and shine in her, it will give her merit and shine in her an additional illumination, more than if they were the opposite, which is the posterior in the anterior, which is the second degree.

Inner Light

23. Four phases etc. the worst is both being back-to-back.

These four degrees apply both in ZON and in AVI, though they originate in AVI. Since they are the first elements to understand the Mochin of AVI and ZON, it is appropriate to elaborate and explain them thoroughly.

It has been explained (Part 6) that the Rosh of Nekudim, called AVI, are only the phases of Hotem Peh of Rosh compared to the ten Sefirot of the general Rosh. From the perspective of the second Rosh, they are the AHP that exited the Rosh because the bottom Hey is in the Einayim of Keter. Thus, AVI are below the screen of the Rosh, because of which they are considered HGT (Part 6, Inner Light item 44, sub-header “The letter Yod”).

You must know that even though we have said that these AVI are the phases of HGT, they are still considered as GAR and Rosh from the perspective of Bina, by the correction of back-to-back in them. This correction is extended from the Bina of direct light since the Bina of direct light is light of Hassadim, not Hochma, by way of “because He delights in mercy” (as the ARI has written above, Part 6 item 41 and Inner Light item 40, par. “The anterior and posterior”).

Hence, it is considered that her posterior reject Hochma and her anterior is only light of Hassadim. It follows, that the Hochma and Bina of direct light are in posterior to each other (see above Part 1, Chapter 1, Inner Light item 50).

It has been explained above in the ARI’s words (Part 6 item 24) that AVI took some illumination from the light of Ozen, meaning the light Bina of the ten Sefirot of the general Rosh. Hence, the posterior of the light of Bina helped to sustain them in the state of GAR.

Although they are below the screen of Rosh at Nikvey Einayim of Keter, and this screen, which is the bottom Hey, prevents the illumination of Hochma of the Rosh from them, it is still not considered a flaw for them at all. It is so because in any case, they do not want to receive the illumination of Hochma at all, as they specifically crave and want Hassadim. They reject Hochma by the force of the posterior that rides on them and imprints that desire in them, in the form of “because He delights in mercy.”

Now you can thoroughly understand the ARI’s words there (Part 6, item 25) that the ZAT that did not receive anything from the illumination of Ozen, and because of that the vessels broke anterior and posterior. However, AVI, which received some illumination from the light of Ozen did not break, only their posterior. Their anterior sustained and did not break although they took the illumination of the light of Ozen in remoteness of location.

Now you can thoroughly understand the matters. It has been explained that through the illumination that they received from the posterior of the light of Ozen, they were not at all blemished from the remoteness of location. This means that they have departed from the Rosh, by the bottom Hey in the Einayim of Keter that prevents the illumination of Hochma of Rosh from them.

This is so because they have no wish for light of Hochma. Even if they had been at a near location, they would still reject the light of Hochma from them, as they are in posterior with it. For this reason, they still have a complete Rosh from this phase of Bina, and this is why the flaw of the breaking did not govern them at all in this state. It means that the anterior vessels were sustained entirely, namely the anterior of Bina, which is light of Hassadim.

Only what they later received in their vessels of posterior through the coupling of Yesod AK, by which coupling they turned their posterior vessels and made them into anterior, meaning that they received the illumination of Hochma in them, only these vessels broke (see Part 5, item 40, par. “The anterior and posterior”). This is because they had already been blemished by the remoteness of location and have become a Guf.

The ARI says above that if AVI were not initially in the state of back-to-back, they would have broken like the ZAT of the Nekudim. It means that through this correction of back-to-back, which is the illumination of the light of the Ozen, they are regarded as Rosh, although they are below the screen of the bottom Hey in the Einayim. For this reason, the breaking does not govern them.

However, if that correction of back-to-back had not been in them, they would have been considered actual Guf, like the ZAT of Nekudim, as both are only the Hotem and Peh (Inner Light item 5, par. “We might ask”).

Thus we have thoroughly clarified the matter of the posterior of Ima with respect to Hochma. Yet, Abba too is considered to be with his posterior toward Bina because of the bottom Hey in the Nikvey Einayim of the Keter.

Consequently, Abba cannot impart to Bina any Hochma, as he is below the screen. This is why it is considered back-to-back, since Abba cannot administer to Bina from the illumination of Hochma, due to the posterior of the bottom Hey, even if Bina had returned her anterior to the Hochma.

Conversely, Bina would not have received the light of Hochma from Abba, even if Abba had returned his anterior to Bina, to give her light of Hochma, “because He delights in mercy.” Thus we have thoroughly explained the situation of the first degree, called back-to-back.

Above it is back-to-face. This means that the male will turn its posterior facing the anterior of the female.

You must know that two diminutions occurred in the Bina by the ascent of the bottom Hey in the Einayim: 1 – The screen that was established in the Einayim, because of which Bina came down to the restricted Malchut, in which there was a coupling by striking in the Rosh and in which the Partzuf ended, meaning in the Sefira of Bina of NHY. The second diminution occurred in her by the force of the Gevurot, meaning the blockage of Hassadim in the vessel of Malchut from the source of her emanation.

The matter of these Gevurot in the vessel of Malchut was explained above in the ARI’s words regarding the light Malchut in the vessel of Yesod, present in Partzuf AB of AK, which is the second expansion of AK. The lights have changed and the light of Hochma came in the vessel of Keter, the light of Bina in the vessel of Hochma etc. until the light of Malchut in the vessel of Yesod (Part 5, item 45 and Inner Light there).

This is the posterior light that remains of the Sefira Hod that no longer has an illumination of Hassadim of the VAK of ZA in it. Hence, it is discerned there as five Gevurot in the vessel of Yesod.

It has also been explained there that the root of Malchut is the Sefira of Hod, meaning the fifth Hesed of the five Hassadim, though she has two diminutions in Yesod and in Malchut. Hence, Malchut is discerned as having vessels of anterior from the perspective of her incorporation in the ZA, that receive the illumination of Hochma like the ZA, but with a blockage of Hassadim.

Thus, the anterior and posterior found in the vessels of Malchut have been explained, and they are both Gevurot. In herself, she is corrected with a screen that rejects Hochma. This is discerned as her posterior. Also, she has the illumination of GAR from the perspective of her incorporation in ZA, which is the fifth Hesed, Hod, though she is blocked to Hassadim. Bina received these two diminutions from Malchut, by the ascent of the bottom Hey in the Einayim.

Now you can understand the necessity for these two states, back-to-back and back-to-face. First, the first diminution is established, which is the hard posterior of the Malchut because of the screen and the restriction that lie on Bina because of the bottom Hey in the Nikvey Einayim. This correction is done by the posterior of Bina.

After this is corrected, there still remains the second diminution on her, which is the blockage of Hassadim in the vessel of anterior of the Malchut that rests on the Bina due to the bottom Hey in the Einayim. This is done by the state of back-to-face, as the male, which is Hochma, shines light of Hassadim in her from his posterior into the vessels of anterior of the Bina, which suffer from this shortage only, as they do not lack the illumination of GAR.

Now Bina is corrected from the perspective of the vessels, both in her posterior part, and in her anterior part. However, she still receives only light of Hassadim from the posterior of the Hochma, and she is still unfit to receive the anterior light, which is light of Hochma.

Above it, it is face-to-back.

The first two corrections, back-to-back and back-to-face, was extended from the posterior of Bina. The correction of back-to-back is the posterior of Bina, which reject Hochma, “because He delights in mercy.” Hence, the matter of the screen does not diminish her at all, since she rejects Hochma anyhow. For this reason she is not blemished by the screen at all.

After the posterior is corrected, begins the correction of the anterior vessels by itself, since their whole deficiency was from the blockage of Hassadim. Now, however, after the correction of back-to-back, they receive abundant Hassadim from the posterior of Hochma.

However, that third degree, which is face-to-back, meaning the anterior of the male in the posterior of the female, comes to him by the coupling of AB SAG that lowers the bottom Hey from Einayim to Peh. At that time HB return to the Rosh, and the male, which is Hochma, attains his anterior as in the beginning. However, Bina still remains in posterior, since she still does not have the power to receive with her anterior vessels.

She still does not have the strength to receive it through the anterior.

In fact, she can receive the inner light of Hochma, as she is already above the screen, as in the previous Partzufim of AK. Bina holds to her posterior due to the previous corrections, back-to-back and back-to-face, the first being the posterior of Ima that want Hesed and reject Hochma, the second being the Gevurot in her anterior vessels that are thirsty for the light of Hassadim from their root.

She does not wish to disclose her anterior vessels to receive light of Hochma from the male, only posterior light, namely Hassadim. He says, “she still does not have the strength to receive it through the anterior,” because of the great yearning for light of Hassadim that she has.

The light becomes a little coarser there etc. she will be able to receive it, since it became a little coarser.

It means that this anterior light, received in the posterior vessels of Bina, greatly improves her posterior, until the posteriors themselves ascend to complete GAR. Thus, the anterior vessels become of secondary importance and receive the light GAR from the posterior vessels. It follows that the posterior vessels are more important than the anterior vessels , as they administer them.

The reason for it is that indeed, the posterior vessels receive only a very small illumination from the anterior light of the male since they are vessels that reject Hochma and crave only light of Hassadim. However, that diminished illumination that they receive brings the posterior to be more important than the anterior vessels.

This is so because when the anterior vessels received Hochma, meaning the light Malchut in vessel of Yesod in the previous Partzufim, they were in great blockage of light of Hassadim, which is the five Gevurot in the Yesod. However, these posterior vessels have an abundance of light of Hassadim, and some diminished the illumination of Hochma that they receive.

He says, “the light becomes a little coarser,” meaning it is a small illumination because of the force of rejection found in the posterior vessels. “The light becomes a little coarser there, and when the light passes through the posterior and reaches the side of her anterior, she will be able to receive it, since it became a little coarser.”

In other words, when the anterior vessels could receive the illumination of Hochma, they could not receive the light of Hassadim, but were in the phase of Gevurot. Now, however, that they receive the illumination of Hochma through the posterior vessels, they have both Hochma and Hassadim.

“A wise will improve her in the back” etc., more than if they were the opposite, which is the posterior in the anterior.

This is because now the Hochma improves the posterior light and turns it into GAR and anterior light. Before that, when they were in the state of back-to-face, although they received in the anterior vessels, they only received posterior light from Hochma. Now, however, although they receive in the posterior vessels, she receives the light of GAR and anterior.

24. Above all is the fourth degree, which is the male and female face-to-face one opposite the other, for then she receives the light of the anterior of the male, which is a splendid light. Moreover, there is no need for it to first become coarser in her posterior, she can receive it as she is, refined, through her anterior.

Inner Light

24. The fourth degree, which is the male and female face-to-face.

The first two degrees, back-to-back and back-to-face, are extended through the posterior of Ima, and the third degree is extended through the upper coupling of AB SAG that removes the bottom Hey from the Einayim. This correction is beneficial only for the male to acquire its anterior as in the beginning. However, the Nukva is still cleaved by the force of her posterior, choosing Hassadim and rejecting Hochma.

Hence, Bina needs raising MAN from the lower ones, which are ZON, as only then is she forced to stop her force of posterior and return the anterior to Hochma. She does it only for ZON since she cannot draw to them the illumination of Hochma except by that. For this reason she returns face-to-face with the Hochma, which is the fourth degree.

Know that the matter of raising MAN that returns to HB face-to-face is rooted back in ten Sefirot of direct light. This is because Bina of direct light is light of Hassadim and not Hochma (Part 1, Chapter 1, Inner Light item 50).

Thus, she too is considered to be with her posterior to Hochma. However, when she wishes to emanate the ZA, who is essentially the illumination of Hochma, she must return her anterior to Hochma face-to-face in order to receive the illumination of Hochma from him to the ZA of direct light.

It follows that as long as she does not emanate the ZA, she is in posterior with the Hochma. After she emanates the ZA she is face-to-face with the Hochma, to draw its illumination for it. You find that the original root of the state of HB face-to-face is the ZA of direct light.

Now you can thoroughly understand the above words of the ARI (Part 5, item 51), who says that the light Hesed placed in Bina, which is the light of ZA, remains in her always as MAN. It means that when Bina wants to draw the Gadlut of the light Hesed in order to emanate it to its place, she must then return her anterior to the Hochma. For this reason this light of Hesed is considered as MAN to the Bina, meaning that which causes her face-to-face coupling with the Hochma.

Thus, the matter of raising MAN has been thoroughly explained, meaning a stimulating element for the coupling of HB. Without that element, Hochma and Bina would not have made a coupling face-to-face because of the posterior of Bina that reject Hochma, “because He delights in mercy.”

This element is the ZON, as they are the progeny of Bina and their essence is only the illumination of Hochma. This is so because the whole difference between Bina of direct light and the ZON of direct light is only in that the illumination of Hochma that the Bina draws for the ZA.

After all, they are both light of Hassadim, though Bina is light of Hassadim without any the illumination of Hochma, and ZA is in the illumination of Hochma (Part 1, Chapter 1, Inner Light item 50). For this reason, a coupling of Gadlut cannot be depicted for AVI without ascent of MAN since as long as the ZON do not rise to MAN to Bina, it is tied in a craving to draw Hassadim, which is the essence of her structure back from the direct light. Remember these words in all the places that bear any mention of raising MAN.

25. Know that in ZON, all four mentioned phases were in the above order, but in AVI there were only three phases in them, which are the first, the third and the fourth, though the second phase had no need for them.

Inner Light

25. In AVI there were only three phases in them.

This is so because the second degree of back-to-face does not apply to AVI. The reason is that the two degrees, back-to-face and face-to-back, are established in them at once, meaning at the lowering of the bottom Hey from Einayim to Peh. At that time Bina returns to her previous state and the diminutions of the bottom Hey do not touch her at all. However, in ZON, the Nukva needs two corrections for both her diminutions, one for the posterior vessels and another for the anterior vessels.

26. *Now we shall explain the matter of posterior of AVI that fell and broke as well. First, we must explain the introduction of face-to-face and back-to-back.

The thing is that the place of the shells and the exteriors are the posterior of Nukva of ZA, and there they cling. However, there is also some gripping to the posterior of ZA.

Before God created Adam on earth, the shells had the power to suckle abundance from the Kedusha, as it is written, “and there was not a man to till the ground.” One of the works on the soil is mowing thorns from the vineyard, for which, practical Mitzvot are needed.

However, when ZAT were emanated, the lower Adam haRishon had not been created in the world. ZON emerged back-to-back for fear of the suckling of the exteriors.

This is because had they stood face-to-face, the shells would have had a place to cling to their gripping place to suckle, which are the posterior. This is because they cannot suckle from the anterior, and for this reason they had to be adhered back-to-back so that the exteriors would not be able to suckle from there.

Inner Light

26. The place of the shells and the exteriors are the posterior of Nukva of ZA, and there they cling.

This is so because the shells cling only to a place of lack, meaning in a place that does not shine, called posterior, meaning precisely to the posterior of ZAT, which are ZON. However, they have no hold at all in GAR.

There is also a division in ZON between the ZA and the Nukva. This is because their hold is primarily in Nukva of ZA, as she is the ending Sefira of the Partzuf, which stops the light in the Partzuf from expanding further by the force of the restriction and the screen in her.

For this reason, her posterior are complete darkness, as it is written, “Her feet go down to death,” being the shells, called “death”. He writes, “the place of the shells and the exteriors are the posterior of Nukva of ZA, and there they cling.” It means that the shells and the exteriors begin from the place of darkness downward, which is from the Sium of the Nukva downward, because after her begins darkness, as she is the Sium on the light in the Partzuf.

However, there is also some gripping to the posterior of ZA.

Meaning in the full amount that does not shine, called posterior, because the rule is that Tzor is built only over the ruin of Jerusalem. This is so because the entire sustenance and construction of the Sitra Achra is on the ruin of the Kedusha. Thus, when Kedusha is corrected until there is no form of ruin in it, the Sitra Achra will be cancelled from the world, as it is written, “He will swallow up death for ever.”

Before God created Adam on earth, the shells had strength to suckle abundance.

This means that then ZON could not make a coupling face-to-face because there is no face-to-face coupling without a raising of MAN by their lower one. It is explained there in AVI, and so it is regarding ZON, as ZON too are corrected in back-to-back because of the posterior of Ima, as we shall see below.

Thus, Nukva too does not cease her posterior before she has an element that compels her to that. This element are the souls of the righteous that rise to her for MAN. In order to give them the illumination of GAR, she must cease her posterior and return her anterior to ZA, and then make a coupling with ZA face-to-face.

Hence, before Adam haRishon was created, there was no one to raise MAN to the Nukva of ZA. For this reason they lacked GAR, meaning anterior light, which is the primary sustenance of the Partzuf. This is why there was power in the shells to draw abundance from the Kedusha, meaning from the lack of this light of GAR.

ZON emerged back-to-back for fear of the suckling of the exteriors.

It means that they emerged in the correction of the posterior of Ima since they rose above to AVI, ZA was incorporated in Abba, and Nukva of ZA in Ima. By so doing they have acquired the posterior of Ima, which is as sufficient for them as the illumination of GAR (Inner Light item 23).

Once they have obtained that, the exteriors can no longer suckle from ZON, it is considered for them as light of GAR. Since there is light of GAR in the Partzuf, there is no place for the exteriors to suckle from, as there is grip only in ZAT without GAR.

Had they stood face-to-face, the shells would have had a place to grip in their holding place.

This does not mean had they stood in a face-to-face coupling. On the contrary, then the shells would have been expelled from ZON entirely. Instead, it means that if they had not had that correction of back-to-back, but the Nukva had wanted to receive the anterior light of ZA, their posterior would have been revealed. In other words, the lack of GAR in them would have been revealed and sensed. In that state the shells would have had a place to grip, meaning in the lack in them.

Now, however, when they are corrected in the posterior of Ima, when they reject light of Hochma, meaning anterior light, no lack is felt in them where the exteriors can grip. This is because now the lack of light of Hochma is not considered a flaw in them, as they do not want Hochma anyhow (see Inner Light item 23).

He writes, “had they stood face-to-face, the shells would have had a place to cling to their gripping place, which are the posterior, to suckle. This is because they cannot suckle from the anterior.” This means that if the vessels of anterior of the Nukva had been open to receive the anterior light, the lack of anterior light would have been revealed in them, and this lack is posterior, from which the shells grip and suckle.

Remember onward that posterior means a place of lack of light of Hochma. In this manner there is hold and suckling for the exteriors, whose entire sustenance is from the place of lack in the Kedusha.

Conversely, the posterior of Ima is GAR, although there too there is a necessary lack of Hochma, hence the name posterior. However, with respect to Bina, this is not at all considered a lack since she is so from her root in Bina of direct light, choosing Hassadim and rejecting light of Hochma.

Because Bina is essentially a Sefira from the GAR, hence her light of Hassadim is also considered GAR. After ZON rise and are incorporated in AVI too, and receive this correction of the posterior of Ima from them, they too obtain the illumination of GAR from these posteriors of Ima, because of which, this lack of anterior light is not considered a deficiency, even in the ZON.

27. When Adam haRishon was created and performed practical Mitzvot he returned them face-to-face. In that state there was no longer fear of the shells, as he had already dug, hoed, removed the stones, and cut the thorns from the vineyard.

When they are back-to-back, ZON have only one wall for both of them. One wall is enough for both of them and they use one wall, half a wall for ZA and half a wall for Nukva. When Adam returned them face-to-face through Mitzvot and good deeds, one posterior was finished and completed, one complete posterior for one, and one complete posterior for the other, and they can return face-to-face.

Inner Light

27. Practical Mitzvot he returned them face-to-face.

This means that through good deeds that he deed, he cleaved further to Kedusha and could scrutinize scrutinies in the sparks and vessels that fell to BYA, purifying them from the dross in them, meaning from the mixture of phase four in them (Inner Light item 2).

In that state he raised them for MAN to the Nukva. These sparks and vessels that he raised came from the seven kings of Nekudim that already had light of Hochma before they broke. Also, they are parts of the Nukva, and hence the Nukva of ZA feels their lack of light of Hochma, and hence stops her posterior, brings her anterior back to ZA, and makes a coupling face-to-face.

In that state there was no longer fear of the shells, as he had already dug, hoed, removed the stones, and cut the thorns from the vineyard.

It means that after he sorted the sparks and the vessels from all the dross in them, called cultivating the vineyard, meaning dug, hoed, etc. they are worthy of rising to MAN to Nukva, causing a face-to-face coupling there with ZA. At that time these vessels are corrected in the GAR and there is no fear anymore that they will break, as had happened to these vessels in the first time in the world of Nekudim. This is so because the thorns have already ended in the vineyard, which are the dross in them, and from here on they remain forever in Kedusha.

One wall for both of them. One wall for both of them is enough and they use one wall.

A “Wall” means posterior. This refers to the posterior of Ima, corrected in her in the state of back-to-back, which is sufficient for both of them as the illumination of GAR. It complements the lack of Hochma in them, and for this reason they are protected from the exteriors.

He writes, “One wall for both of them is enough.” It means that it is enough for them to cover and conceal the lack of Hochma in their posterior and the shells cannot suckle from there.

Half a wall for ZA and half a wall for Nukva.

It means that both are contained in these posterior in a way that the shells can suckle from neither the ZA, nor the Nukva.

One complete posterior for one, and one complete posterior for the other, and they can return face-to-face.

This is so because by the Hassadim and the Gevurot that they obtain from the upper coupling of AVI, by the Hassadim the posterior of ZA are completed in the GAR. Also, the posterior of Nukva are completed in and of themselves in the illumination of GAR through the Gevurot, as written below, and then they are fitting to return face-to-face.

28. *The reason that now two complete posterior were made for them was in this manner: Through Mitzvot and good deeds of the lower Adam, he caused an upper coupling in AVI, and they returned to give them, to ZON, another Mochin. These are the Hassadim and Gevurot of Daat of ZA, and this is the essential drop that AVI give in their coupling.

The reason is that the lights of two Mochin of ZA, called HB, do not appear in ZA. This is because they are clothed in the form of Netzah Hod of Ima, and only a diminished illumination emerges by the force of the striking of disclosed lights of Hassadim that strike them and elicit a little bit of illumination from them outwards.

It is not so in Hassadim and Gevurot that clothe inside Yesod of Ima that end at Chazeh of ZA because from there they appear in complete disclosure, exit into ZA, and shine in it. For this reason, the most important are the Hassadim and the Gevurot.

Inner Light

28. Induced an upper coupling in AVI.

This is because when Adam raises MAN to ZON, ZON too raise MAN to AVI; then AVI above them, and further up above the upper one to the end of all the degrees. At that time a new Mochin come from Ein Sof through the degrees until they reach AVI, and from them to ZON, as there is no new light in the worlds except from Ein Sof alone, and remember that always.

Another Mochin, which are the phases of Hassadim and Gevurot of Daat of ZA.

It is written in the Zohar (Mishpatim p. 172), that “the Rosh of the king is corrected in Hesed and Gevura.” However, Hesed rose to Hochma, Gevura to Bina, and the upper third of Tifferet from the Chazeh upwards became its Daat. This is done by the Hassadim and the Gevurot that it receives from coupling of AVI.

This is the essential drop that AVI give in their coupling.

You already know that the whole coupling of AVI face-to-face is because of the ZON that rose to them for MAN (Inner Light item 24). Thus, first ZON were back-to-back, meaning without the illumination of Hochma. Instead, they were corrected in posterior of Ima, and then they do not need Hochma at all.

This is the meaning of, “their hinder parts were inward.” This is because the phase of NHY of ZON, which are their posteriors, are not disclosed outwardly since the posterior of Ima is extended from the Bina of direct light before she emanated ZON outwardly.

It is so because when she emanated the ZON she had already returned to face-to-face to draw the illumination of Hochma for it (Inner Light item 24, par. “Know”). Hence, since ZON were also corrected in those posterior, because of that you find that NHY of ZON too, are still incorporated in their HGT, in their internality, and only the HGT is disclosed outwardly.

After Adam haRishon raised MAN to ZON, these MAN caused ZON to not suffice for back-to-back, but need to draw the illumination of Hochma. For this reason they too rise for MAN to the Bina. They caused Bina to cease her posterior as well, and make a coupling with the Hochma face-to-face.

In that state the drop departed this coupling of AVI for the ZON. It refers to that the illumination of Hochma that is suitable for the NHY of ZON, rooted in the direct light, and in that the lack of the NHY of ZON is satisfied.

This drop of AVI clothes Yesod of Ima. This Yesod clothes in Tifferet of ZA up to the Chazeh, and this is the disclosed HG that exit from Yesod of Ima from the Chazeh downward, meaning the new NHY, contained in that drop of coupling of AVI.

It has been said, that there is the illumination of Hochma in them, that they can now appear outwardly, and there is no fear of the shells, as now they are complete without any dearth. For this reason they are called revealed Hassadim and Gevurot.

However, prior to that, when the ZON were corrected in back-to-back, these HB were covered and concealed in the screen of posterior of Ima in the form of, “their hinder parts were inward.”

HB, do not appear in ZA. This is because they are clothed in the form of Netzah Hod of Ima.

The Mochin of ZA are clothed in NHY of Ima and NHY of Ima are clothed in the HGT of ZA. Hesed ascends to Hochma, Gevura ascends to Bina, and from the Chazeh upwards rises to Daat.

Hochma and Bina remained in Rosh of ZA and have no expansion into the Guf. However, Daat of ZA in Yesod of Ima has expansion from the Chazeh downward, which are the new NHY that now appear in ZON.

He writes, “HB, their lights do not appear,” etc. It is not so in Hassadim and Gevurot that clothe inside Yesod of Ima that end at Chazeh of ZA from which they appear in complete disclosure and come out. In other words, they are the phase of NHY that appear outwardly because they received the illumination of Hochma, and their posterior is completed entirely.

29. You find that when Hassadim and Gevurot expand below in the Guf of ZA, the Hassadim are given to ZA and in that complete and finish the construction of its posterior entirely. Also, the Gevurot are given to the Nukva and thus complete her posterior.

Thus, he has complete posterior and she has complete posterior. Then, they can return to being face-to-face since their posterior are complete and now the exteriors are unable to grip there. Conversely, in the beginning, when one had half the posterior and the other had half, they could have a grip on them.

For this reason, they can now return to being face-to-face, as there is no fear of the exteriors, as we say in the explanation of the intention in the blessing of the patriarchs of the stance during the weekdays, and examine that closely.

You find that the benefit from the entrance of the Hassadim and the Gevurot in ZA was for two reasons, which are one: They enlarge and complement the posterior of ZON, and in addition, by that they return to being face-to-face.

Inner Light

29. The Hassadim are given to ZA, etc. Also, the Gevurot are given to the Nukva.

It has already been explained that the drop of coupling that is extended to ZA is a new disclosed phase of NHY; It is Hassadim and Gevurot that emerge from Yesod of Ima that stops in the place of the Chazeh of ZA. This is because their own phase is Hassadim, and the part of Malchut in them is Gevurot.

He writes, “the Hassadim are given to ZA and in that complete and finish the construction of its posterior entirely.” This is because now that it acquired NHY in the illumination of Hochma in the phase of NHY of direct light, the entire Gadlut of its posterior is completed and there is no lack in them anymore.

For this reason they can now appear outwardly without any fear of the exteriors. “The Gevurot are given to the Nukva and thus complete her posterior.” This is because the Gevurot, which are the phase of NHY in the illumination of Hochma, contained in the drop of coupling of AVI from the perspective of the Gevurot in them, are imparted to the Nukva.

Now the NHY of Nukva too are completed and finished and appear outwardly without any fear of the shells. Thus, they are now separated from one another as each has his own posterior.

Then, they can return to being face-to-face since their posterior are complete, etc. Conversely, in the beginning, when one had half the posterior and the other had half, they could have a grip on them.

It is written above that when they were back-to-back it means that they were protected in the posteriors of Ima that choose the light of Hassadim more, and reject the light of Hochma. It is true that that was enough to keep them from the exteriors so that they will not be able to grip the place of their lack, meaning the lack of illumination of Hochma, since when they are corrected in these posterior, they do not want Hochma and do not need it.

Hence, no lack is apparent in them where the exteriors could grip. However, they are still regarded as having no NHY because the place of the lack of Hochma is manifested primarily in their NHY [written aside in the author’s manuscript: What is missing in the NHY of vessels is missing in the GAR of lights due to the inverse relation between the vessels and the lights, and thus it should be said].

It is so because with respect to the direct light, they are the essence of ZON of direct light, whose essence is not more than the illumination of Hochma in them. This is because the Bina of direct light is light of Hassadim without any Hochma, as she wants only Hassadim, “because He delights in mercy.” Thus, the GAR in her are considered HGT, as it is known that KHB in the phase of Hassadim are regarded as HGT.

Only when she emanated the ZON, because she saw that Hassadim cannot exist without illumination of Hochma, and she drew illumination of Hochma into Hassadim once more, this drawing is regarded as having departed from the Bina of [direct light] and acquired her own name, which are ZON, or NHYM of direct light (see Part 4, Chapter 6, Inner Light item 80).

Thus you see that the only difference between the Bina and the NHY of direct light is only in the illumination of Hochma that she drew. The Hassadim without illumination of Hochma is originally a part of Bina herself, and the illumination of Hochma in Hassadim are the part of the NHYM, or ZON (see above Part 1, Chapter 1, Inner Light item 50).

Now we have thoroughly clarified that the essence of the degree of NHY is only the illumination of Hochma in them. For this reason as long as there is no illumination of Hochma in them, they carry that lack. Also, this is why the shells and the exteriors grip that lack. Because of that too the NHY are called posterior, since posterior means a place of lack. This is what the ARI wrote above (item 26), that the place of the shells and the exteriors is the posterior of the Nukva of ZA, and the posterior of ZA.

Because of the fear that the shells would grip these posterior, the posterior were established back-to-back, meaning in the posterior of Ima, called “wall”. Through this wall, the NHYM take caution that the lack of Hochma will not appear in them, and this is the meaning of, “their hinder parts were inward.”

The NHY are concealed in the internality, which is inside the wall of Ima that protects them, and their anterior are disclosed outwardly, meaning the HGT, which they do not need for an illumination of Hochma in their origin in direct light. We have said that they are extended from the phase of Bina before she drew the light of Hochma. For this reason, they can be disclosed outwardly, as no want appears in them and no place to grip for the outer ones.

He writes, “Then, they can return to being face-to-face since their posterior are complete and the exteriors are unable to grip there. Conversely, in the beginning, when one had half the posterior and the other had half, they could have a grip on them.”

In the beginning, when they were established in one wall, meaning in the posterior of Ima, they were both adhesive in this wall, which is the wall of HGT, and there was no difference between the ZA and the Nukva. This is because now both are Hassadim without Gevurot because the whole HGT is now Hassadim because of the posterior of Ima, and this is the meaning of “because He delights in mercy.”

However, now that they have already obtained the drop of coupling of AVI, which is the NHY in illumination of Hochma, their posterior now grew and were completed. ZA took the NHY from the side of Hassadim, and its posterior were completed and finished until there was no lack in it, as there is already illumination of Hochma in it. For this reason, his posterior, meaning the NHY, can appear outwards without any fear.

Similarly, the Nukva took these NHY from the side of the Gevurot and her posterior was completed. Now she could separate from the posterior of ZA, as she had a complete posterior of her own, namely the Gevurot of NHY. For this reason they now make a coupling face-to-face and impart illumination of Hochma to their MAN, which are the souls of the righteous.

For two reasons, which are one. They enlarge and complement the posterior of ZA, and in addition, by that they return to being face-to-face.

This is because the complete posterior that they have acquired, meaning the new disclosed NHY, raise the HGT to HBD and Mochin, and they make a coupling face-to-face. The Mochin and the coupling are extended from the disclosed coupling, and for this reason they are regarded as one phase.

30. It turns out that as mentioned in the introductions, on the one hand, this illumination that now comes from these Hassadim and Gevurot that now came anew will be more, and better, and greater than the first illumination that ZON had already had. This is because he emanated the first only in the state of back-to-back, and this new illumination returned them to being face-to-face. Hence, this new illumination will be called a state of face-to-face.

However, on the other hand, this new illumination will be worse than the first illumination since the first illumination made and emanated all their Partzufim, and this new illumination only increased half of their posterior.

Their return to face-to-face came anyway, which is why this new illumination will be called a state of back-to-back, since its benefit was only to increase half of the posterior.

Inner Light

30. He emanated the first only in the state of back-to-back, etc., made and emanated all their Partzufim, etc.

The first illumination is the concealed HGT and NHY, and the second illumination is the disclosed NHY. He says that we can call the first illumination both by the name anterior, and by the name posterior.

The second one can also be called anterior and posterior. This is so because from the perspective of the first illumination being the actual emanation of the entire Partzuf, it can be called anterior, all the more so since the HGT are the anterior vessels that become HBD in Gadlut.

It can also be named posterior because of the situation of back-to-back in them. Similarly, the new illumination can be called anterior although she is only the phase of NHY. Because these NHY are disclosed, they draw the face-to-face of the ZON, and they can be called posterior since they are a completion and an increase of the posterior, meaning the NHY.

31. Regarding this introduction, it will be clarified to you, and you shall understand and learn what will be explained regarding the fall of the posterior of the vessels of AVI from here on.

Know that the thing is that these phases of Hassadim and Gevurot that increase the posterior of ZON and return them to being face-to-face, is a matter of the posterior phases of AVI that fell. Hence, do not be surprised if at one time we call this phase anterior, and another time it is called posterior.

This and those Hassadim and Gevurot with the phases they had increased in the posterior, all fell down. These are the phases of Hassadim and Gevurot that take AVI from AA so that they return to being face-to-face. This is so because in AVI, too, their stance was back-to-back, as will be explained.

Inner Light

31. These phases of Hassadim and Gevurot that increase the posterior of ZON and return them to face-to-face, is the matter of the phases of the posteriors of AVI that fell.

He explains below that the state of AVI of Nekudim was first back-to-back too, like the ZON. For this reason, they too were in the state of “their posteriors were inward.” It means that their NHY were concealed and covered in the posterior of Ima, which is the original HGT prior to the exit of the NHY from them, meaning the Bina of direct light before she emanated the NHY of direct light.

However, afterwards, the bottom Hey descended from the Einayim of Keter and HB in it returned to the Rosh, and then the Yesod of AK gave them its drop, which is the Vav and a dot that became MAN in them. At that time NHY of Keter clothed in them in the form of the illumination of disclosed NHY, and AVI make a coupling face-to-face on their MAN.

You find that the coupling of Gadlut face-to-face of AVI on the MAN of Yesod of AK was also through attaining the new disclosed NHY that they have acquired from the Keter because that is where their face-to-face coupling is extended from. Afterwards, the Guf of that coupling is imparted to the ZAT and they break. Consequently, the Gadlut of AVI descends to HGT and VAK.

This Gadlut is not more and not less than the new disclosed NHY that had the illumination of Hochma and GAR, that have now fallen into VAK. It means that the illumination of GAR departed from them and they have become incomplete posterior.

32. It is known that the drop that raises and shapes the fetus is the phase of Hassadim and Gevurot, as we have mentioned above. This is the meaning of the letters that make up the fetus.

Also, the letters are always vessels. These become vessels to AVI in the posterior. They are also the ones that descended and fell below with the rest of the Hassadim that descend to depict the vessels of the fetus. These are the general seven kings that died, which are incorporated in ZON.

33. All these are the twenty-two letters of the Torah. The seven letters are vessels to the ZON, which are seven kings, and fifteen letters are vessels to AVI because the posterior of AVI are greater than any ZON. The sign of the number of letters, vessels of AVI, is fifteen, like the number YH.

Also, it is known that AVI are the first two letters YH of the HaVaYaH. The letters of ZON are SATNZ GT (Shin, Ayin, Tet, Nun, Zayin, and Gimel, Tzadik), and the other fifteen letters of the alphabet are in AVI. Six letters of them are BDK HYH (Bet, Dalet, Kof, and Het, Yod, Hey), mentioned in the manuscript of the book of Zohar, which are the posterior of AVI, and the rest of the letters are anterior to AVI.

Inner Light

33. The letters of ZON are SATNZ GT

This points to phase four that mixed in their vessels. This mixture is called SATNZ, which are the dross (Inner Light, item 2). GT implies the sparks that descended to revive the vessels.

34. Now you will thoroughly understand why there are tags over these thirteen letters, more than the other nine, why on seven of them that are SATNZ GT there are three tags on each and every letter of them, and on the other six, which are BDK HYH, there are no tags on them, but only one tag on each of their letters.

The thing is that the SATNZ GT are the seven kings of ZON, from whose dross the shells called STN AZ were made, hence the name SATNZ. It is a connection of STN, as mentioned in the Zohar, indicating that through the fierce and strong judgment came out the SaTaN, which is the shells.

It is also called a spark, to indicate what they said in The Book of Zohar, portion Pekudei, that these kings are the 320 sparks that were thrown, like that craftsman that hammered the iron and produced sparks. It is also as our sages said, “A spark that comes from under the hammer is SATNZ GT.”

Inner Light

34. BDK HYH, etc., which are the posterior of AVI.

This implies the revealed NHY, which are the posterior of AVI. BDK means correction, from the words Badak (lit. Checked) the house. HYH means light of Hochma, since it is known that light of Hochma is called Haya. The entire merit of these NHY is the illumination of Hochma in them, hence they are implied in the name BDK HYH, meaning correction Hochma in Hassadim.

There is yet another reason why they are implied in the letters BDK HYH. It is that these posterior of AVI fell in the place of ZON. Afterwards, at the time of the correction, ZA sorts scrutinies from these posterior and raises them for MAN to AVI.

AVI make a coupling face-to-face through these MAN, and impart Mochin to ZA. Thus, all the Mochin of ZA are through the MAN that rise from these posteriors. For this reason, they are called BDK HYH, named after the correction of the Mochin of GAR of the ZA that comes through them. As we have said above, BDK means correction, and HYH is the light of Hochma and Mochin.

35. It has already been explained above that these seven kings took their illuminations because of the looking of the light of the Einayim of AK in the lights of Akudim in their expansion below in the place of the Guf of AK. This is why they broke, since they lacked the illumination of GAR in it, which are AHP in their place above, hence they broke anterior and posterior.

Also, for this reason they were tagged with three tags on each of their letters, indicating the shortage and absence of the three above-mentioned kinds of lights, which are the letters. The light remained above the Gufim, which are the letters, and not inside them, as will be explained below in the meaning of tags.

Inner Light

35. These seven kings took their illuminations, etc., in their expansion below in the place of the Guf.

There are four divisions in the Einayim: three Roshim, and Guf. This is because the ten Sefirot of Rosh are divided into three. The first Rosh is Galgalta and Einayim, the second Rosh is Ozen, and the third Rosh is Hotem Peh. After that the Guf, which is ZON.

The first Rosh is YESHSUT from the Tabur of AK upward. It does not join Partzuf of Nekudim at all. The second Rosh is Keter of Nekudim, and the third Rosh is AVI of Nekudim.

The Guf is the ZAT of the Nekudim, and it is known that every Partzuf is emanated by the Rosh in the upper Partzuf. Also, Partzuf of Nekudim that emerged from the Einayim was emanated in its upper one, which is the Rosh of Partzuf SAG of AK.

This coupling that was in Rosh of SAG for the purpose of the Nekudim, where four divisions emerged, is called Se’arot Dikna of SAG. The first three corrections of Dikna that depend on the Rosh of SAG itself, are the first Rosh, which does not join the Partzuf. They are called lights of AHP in the place where they emerged, meaning the root of Partzuf AHP, which are the Nekudim.

The Shibolet haZakan is the second Rosh, and the third Rosh, called “lights of AHP not in the place where they emerged,” receive from the first Rosh. The KHB of Nekudim receive from these AHP in Shibolet haZakan. The Keter receives from the phase of Ozen in Shibolet haZakan, HB receive from the phase of Hotem Peh in Shibolet haZakan, meaning each phase from its corresponding phase in the Rosh of SAG.

The Keter, which is the second Rosh, receives from the Ozen in the Shibolet, which is the second Rosh of Dikna. HB of Nekudim, which are the third Rosh, receive from HP in the Shibolet, which are the third Rosh of Dikna, and the ZAT of Nekudim, which is the Guf of the Nekudim, receive from the Dikna below the Shibolet. These are also the phases of Guf of the Dikna [and we have already elaborated on that in Part 6, Inner Light item 23].

He says, “The seven kings took their illuminations because of the looking of the light of the Einayim of AK in the lights of Akudim in their expansion below in the place of the Guf of AK.” It means that the seven kings, which are the Guf of the Partzuf Nekudim, receive from the Guf of the Dikna from below the Shibolet, which is in turn, their corresponding phase in the Rosh of SAG.

They are called Akudim of AK since they are above Tabur of AK, and the Nekudim being only below Tabur. He says, “This is why they broke, since they lacked the illumination of GAR in it, which are AHP in their place above.” It means that they do not have a root in the Rosh, which are GAR, from the beginning of their creation, and their whole illumination is only from the Gadlut of AVI of Nekudim. When they could no longer tolerate the light of the Gadlut, they broke anterior and posterior.

36. Yet, the letters BDK HYH, which are posterior vessels of AVI, of which it has been explained that AVI took two lights, Hotem and Peh, and only the light of Ozen is absent in them. For this reason, only the posteriors descended from them.

To indicate that one light of the Ozen that is missing from them, we place one tag only on each letter of them, for it alone departed. It stands hanging above the letter, which is the vessel.

Inner Light

36. He writes, “AVI, of which it has been explained that they took two lights Hotem and Peh, and only the light of Ozen is lacking in them. For this reason, only the posterior phases descended from them.” Because they are essentially the phase of Rosh and also had some illumination from the light of Ozen (Part 6 item 24), hence there is the phase of GAR in them from the beginning of their creation, though in the state of back-to-back.

For this reason, this whole phase that they have from their very creation is called anterior. They sustained and were not cancelled but only the phase of coupling of Gadlut and face-to-face that they have attained afterwards as additions, called posterior, and this alone descended and was cancelled from them.