READING: BETWEEN AFTER MIDNINGHT AND DAWN WEDNESDAY

Baal HaSulam. Study of the Ten Sefirot. Vol. 1. Part 3. Chapter 3, item 5

LESSON MATERIAL

Chapter Three

Explains the four couplings by striking in the four phases of the screen that elicit four levels HB TM one below the other in the four worlds ABYA; containing five issues:

1. Ein Sof shines in the world of Atzilut by clothing the level of Hochma. 2. The level of Hochma disappears in the world of Beria and clothes the level of Bina. 3. The level of Bina also disappears in the world of Yetzira and clothes the level of Tifferet. 4. The level of ZA also disappears in the world of Assiya and clothes the level of Malchut. 5. The level of Hochma that emerged in Atzilut was extended from the coupling by striking above the world of Atzilut. Also, the level of Bina that emerged in Beria was extended from a coupling by striking above Beria, meaning from the screen between Atzilut and Beria. The level of ZA in Yetzira is extended from the coupling by striking on the screen at the end of Beria, and the level of Malchut in Assiya emerged from the screen at the end of Yetzira.

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Ein Sof shines in the world of Atzilut by clothing the level of Hochma.

1. You should also know that in order for the light of Ein Sof to shine in the entire Atzilut, its self must be clothed inside Hochma ₍₁₎. After it is clothed in Hochma it expands in the entire Atzilut. Only by that clothing can the entire Atzilut receive from Ein Sof. This is the meaning of the verse, “You have made them all in wisdom [Hochma ]. ₍₂₎”

Inner Light

1. In order to understand the ARI’s words from here on, we must repeat the explanation about the five discernments in the screen: They emerge from the gradual refinement of the screen from the great coarseness of phase four, to the great refinement in the phase of Keter, and the root of the screen. By that they create five Partzufim.

You will find the explanation to these matters in Part Two (Inner Observation), for all these things pertain here, but it is impossible to present them here due to their length. For this reason, I must rely on what I have written there, and I can only present an abbreviation and summary of everything, as much as is needed for the ARI’s words here.

It has been explained there that the light Ein Sof, which contains four phases, called the ten Sefirot of direct light, does not stop shining for the lower ones, not even for a moment. However, since there is no perception of the light without a vessel, it is only the vessel for reception that we need. Any Partzuf or degree that acquires a vessel, simultaneously acquires the light as well, according to the measure of the vessel that has been acquired.

It has also been explained there that the root of all the vessels in all the worlds is the reflected light that ascends ‎from the coupling by striking on the screen in the vessel of Malchut. Thus, the very moment when a new screen is formed in some Partzuf, the light of Ein Sof, which contains ten Sefirot of direct light, immediately expands to it and strikes that screen. Then reflected light rises and clothes the light of Ein Sof according to the measure of that reflected light.

This is called the clothing Ein Sof in the vessels, or in some Sefira. That is because the name of a Sefira indicates the measure of the light of Ein Sof that clothes it. For example, when referring to the clothing of Ein Sof in the Keter, it implies that the reflected light clothes the entire ten Sefirot of direct light up to the Keter. When referring to the clothing of Ein Sof in Hochma, it indicates that the reflected light clothes only up to Hochma.

We might ask, how does such clothing apply only to nine Sefirot, while there are ten and not nine? Indeed, there is Keter there too, but this Keter is clothed in the internality of Hochma and thus does not merit a name, but only the Sefira Hochma, and in this way you can understand all the levels of the other Partzufim.

The measure by which the extent of the reflected light is measured has also been explained there; it is the discernment of the measure of the coarseness incorporated in the screen in the vessel Malchut.

They are five discernments: the coarsest screen, being phase four, reflects the greatest measure of the reflected light. It clothes the level of Keter in the light of Ein Sof, meaning in the ten Sefirot of direct light. A screen with coarseness of phase three clothes the level of Hochma of the ten Sefirot of direct light; a screen, whose coarseness is only phase two clothes the level of Bina of the ten Sefirot of direct light. A screen with only coarseness of phase one clothes the level of ZA of the ten Sefirot of [direct light], and a screen whose coarseness is only of the root phase of the screen, called the Keter of the screen, there is no coupling by striking in that screen and no level at all, but only at the level of Malchut. However, we should remember all the reasons and arguments regarding the matters as they were explained there in the above-mentioned Inner Observation and in the previous parts. Study it there, for without understanding the reasons and the necessity in these matters it is impossible to understand even a single word here in its true meaning, for here I must be brief, of course.

2. It means that the world of Atzilut is regarded as the Rosh of all the worlds. Even though there are many worlds above Atzilut, meaning all the many worlds contained in Adam Kadmon, are indeed all concealed within the world of Atzilut. They are not at all roots to the worlds, but are merely regarded as the root of the world of Atzilut. This is why they are concealed inside it and shine only in it and in concealment.

It has been explained in previous parts that the screen of phase four operates only in the world of AK. Hence, the measure of reflected light there is indeed great, clothing up to the level of Keter in the light of Ein Sof. Consequently, all the worlds contained in the world of Adam Kadmon are called the world of Keter.

The world of Atzilut uses only the screen of phase three (see Inner Observation, Part 2, chapter 2, item 10). The measure of its reflected light that ascends from the coupling by striking on that screen reaches only up to Hochma, and does not reach the Keter of the light of Ein Sof. Rather, Keter is hidden and concealed inside Hochma.

For that reason, the world of Atzilut is called the world of Hochma. This is the meaning of the verse, “You have made them all in wisdom [Hochma].” It means that everything is rooted only in Atzilut and not in AK, which is the world of Keter. It is so because the world of AK is not regarded as the root of the lower worlds at all, and it will appear in the worlds only after the end of correction, as it says, “And His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives.”

We must know that the entire ten Sefirot are named after the highest Sefira: if it is Keter, all the Sefirot are regarded as Keter; if it is Hochma, they are all Hochma etc. By the same manner, every world is named after its first Partzuf.

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The world of Beria shines by clothing the level of Bina and Hochma is hidden there.

2. But in order to shine in Beria, Hochma must be clothed ‎in Bina. Through those two, when the light of Ein Sof clothes within them, it shines in Beria. This is the meaning of the screen between Atzilut and Beria, for this screen extends from Bina, where Hochma is clothed so as to shine in Beria.
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The world of Yetzira shines by clothing in the level of Tifferet and Bina is also hidden there. In the world of Assiya it shines by clothing in the level of Malchut and Tifferet becomes hidden there too.

3. In order to shine in Yetzira, it adds one more screen and clothing, by Bina also clothing in Tifferet. After that Ein Sof shines in Yetzira through Tifferet.

In order to shine in Assiya, it adds another screen and clothing. It means that Tifferet also clothes in Malchut and Ein Sof shines to the entire Assiya through Malchut.

This is the meaning of “upper Ima nesting in the chair, and the middle pillar nesting in Yetzira, and Malchut nesting in Assiya.”

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The coupling by striking to elicit the ten Sefirot of Atzilut was made in the world of AK above Atzilut, in the screen of phase three, which is the level of Hochma.

4. Indeed, to improve your understanding, know that the verse says, “you have made them all in wisdom.” It means that in Atzilut, the light of Ein Sof is clothed in Hochma₍₃₎, and through it, it shines in all of Atzilut. This wisdom shall be clarified to you from what I had let you know, that “for one higher than the high watches,” etc., and there are several worlds above Atzilut₍₄₎, and in that Hochma that there is above Atzilut ₍₅₎, Ein Sof clothes within it and shines in Atzilut.

Inner Light

3. This has already been explained. However, that does not mean that when the world of Atzilut was emanated, it received the level of Hochma immediately. That is because the smaller levels were emanated there first, called conception and suckling. Rather, it refers to the highest level that finally emerged there, in AA, which is in fact the level of Hochma, lacking the Keter.

4. It has been explained above that all the innumerous worlds that exist prior to Atzilut, are all included in the name Adam Kadmon, or the world of Keter, for the above reason.

5. You already know about the diminution of the reflected light that comes because of the refinement of the level of the coarseness in the screen (see Inner Observation, Part 2, chapter 7, item 72). You can therefore see that after the world of AK has been completed, over the clothing in reflected light of its screen of phase four, that screen was refined to phase three for the above reason in Inner Observation.

This does not mean that there was a change in the screen of phase four in the world of AK itself, because there is no absence in spirituality. Instead, any change denotes an addition, for by the refinement to phase three, a new screen of phase three was added and born, and the upper light promptly spreads to it for a coupling by striking, raising reflected light from the screen upward to the level of Hochma (see chapter 3, item 1).

This is called “a new clothing in the world of AK,” meaning clothing the light of Ein Sof in Hochma. However, this new clothing is not required for itself, but only for the world of Atzilut.

The above screen of phase three, whose reflected light rose from the place of the screen upward, clothed the light of Ein Sof up to the level of Hochma. Consequently, all ten Sefirot above the screen return and descend from the place of the screen downward (see Chap 3). This is regarded as the screen and Malchut expanding from her downward, to the ten Sefirot, because of the reflected light that is drawn to it once more from above.

Thus, Malchut expands to ten Sefirot of reflected light that rose from the screen of phase three from above, meaning in the level of Hochma, and they are the ones called “ten Sefirot of Atzilut.”

The ARI writes “and in that Hochma above Atzilut there inside the Ein Sof clothes and it shines in Atzilut.” He wishes to say that this coupling by striking on the screen of phase three had to be in the world of AK above Atzilut, because the screen of phase three is but a refinement from phase four, and phase four is in the world of AK.

Thus, the refinement and the coupling by striking had to be in the world of AK above Atzilut. After Ein Sof clothed there, in the reflected light that rose up from the screen, the ten Sefirot of Atzilut descended and extended from the place of the screen downward.

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The coupling by striking to elicit the ten Sefirot of Beria was done in the world of Atzilut in the screen of phase two, which is the level of Bina. The coupling by striking to elicit the ten Sefirot of Yetzira was done in the world of Beria in screen of phase one, which is the level of Tifferet. Also, the coupling by striking to elicit the ten Sefirot of Assiya was done in Yetzira in the screen of the root, which is the level of Malchut. The coupling by striking was done above Atzilut in the screen of phase three, which is the level of Hochma, for the ten Sefirot of Atzilut.

5. Thus, when he wanted to shine in Beria ₍₆₎, he also clothed Bina in Atzilut, which is above Beria, and by that Bina, he shines in Beria ₍₇₎. Also, in order to shine in Yetzira ₍₈₎, he clothes in Tifferet of Beria. Likewise, from Yetzira to Assiya, he clothes in Malchut of Yetzira. So is the matter in Atzilut, as in order to shine in Atzilut, he clothes in the above-mentioned Hochma above Atzilut, and through it, he shines in Atzilut. Thus, you should not think that it is the Hochma of Atzilut itself.

Inner Light

6. Here too, as in Atzilut, it does not mean that the level of Bina emerged in the world of Beria right at the beginning. Instead, he wishes to say that the highest level that finally emerged there is not more than the level of Bina, and the coupling by striking was above in phase two of Atzilut.

It also means that for the above-mentioned reason, the refinement of the screen from phase three to phase two, called Bina, had to have been in the world of Atzilut, the place of the screen of phase three, called Hochma. In the four Partzufim AB SAG MA BON of AK, the coupling of every Partzuf occurred in the Peh of Rosh of its upper Partzuf. The coupling of AB, which is phase three, was made in the Peh of Rosh of Partzuf Galgalta. The coupling of SAG was made in the Peh of Rosh of AB etc. (as is explained clearly in Inner Observation, Chapter 9).

It is the same in the worlds of ABYA, where the coupling for every world was done ‎in its upper world. After the screen of phase three is refined there to phase two, it is considered that a new screen of phase two was born and added there. The light of Ein Sof promptly expands to it for a coupling by striking, and the reflected light rises and clothes the degree of Bina of the ten Sefirot of direct light. Then Keter and Hochma of direct light clothe the internality of Bina.

When the clothing of Ein Sof in Bina is completed from the screen upward, the reflected light descends once more from the place of the screen downward, and expands that Malchut into ten Sefirot from her and within her, meaning from Keter to her Malchut. It is like the ten Sefirot from the screen upward in Atzilut, meaning only at the level of Bina, in which Keter and Hochma are concealed.

However, these ten Sefirot are the ten Sefirot of the world of Beria, so the ten Sefirot in the level of Bina that emerged above the screen are in the world of Atzilut. The ARI says about them, “when he wanted to shine in Beria, he also clothed Bina in Atzilut,” and the second ten Sefirot that extended and emerged downward from the screen are called the ten Sefirot in the world of Beria.

7. It means that everything that exists in the ten Sefirot of the world of Beria extends in the ten Sefirot of the level of Bina above Beria, for the reason explained above (see also chapter 2, item 3).

8. Meaning also for the reason explained above in Atzilut and in Beria, namely that the world of Yetzira extends from the screen of phase one and the refinement from phase two to phase one must be in the world of Beria. It is so because that is where that screen is, and after the refinement is done there, ten Sefirot emerge there from the screen upward on the level of ZA, called Tifferet.

The first three Sefirot Keter, Hochma, Bina of direct light are concealed and clothed in the internality of Tifferet. After this clothing is completed, a second ten Sefirot descend once more from the place of the screen downward in the level of ZA, and they are called the “ten Sefirot of the world of Yetzira.”