Baal HaSulam. Gatehouse of Intentions

The Gatehouse of Intentions

Chapter 1

¹1) There is an Emanator and there is an emanated being. The emanated being contains four elements: fire, wind, water, and dust. These are the four letters HaVaYaH [Yod-Hey-Vav-Hey], and they are HB TM, and they are TANTA, and they are ABYA, which are the four phases in man: One is the inner man, which is the spirituality. It is called NRNHY. Two is the body, three is the garments on the body, and four is the house in which man and his body and garment dwell.

Simple Light

1) There is an Emanator and there is an emanated being. The emanated being contains four elements, etc. This teaches us a great rule that contains the entire wisdom, to learn to know how the entire whole, with even its tiniest details, are all similar, since all of reality, upper and lower together, are but five phases: Keter, Hochma, Bina, Tifferet, and Malchut. These are called by the names of five worlds: Adam Kadmon, Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya. AK [Adam Kadmon] is Keter, meaning the root of everything and the Emanator. The world of Atzilut is Hochma, the world of Beria is Bina, the world of Yetzira is Tifferet, and the world of Assiya is Malchut. These are the four letters in the name HaVaYaH: Yod is Hochma, the first Hey is Bina, Vav is Tifferet, and the bottom Hey is Malchut. They are also called tastes, dots, tags, and letters. It follows that all the worlds are included in one HaVaYaH, meaning Hochma and Bina, Tifferet and Malchut, and the tip of the Yod is regarded as the Emanator, meaning the world of AK. Correspondingly, there is not a tiny element in all of reality that does not contain these five phases KHB TM.

The reason for this is that everything is emanated and created only by the Sefira of Malchut, and Malchut necessarily contains the four phases above it, which precede it, since she is the lowest of the five phases. Hence, the first ten Sefirot that emerged after the first restriction, which are called “the world of AK” or “the line of Ein Sof,” which begins near Ein Sof and ends at the point of this world, emerged by a coupling in the Sefira of Malchut, and therefore necessarily contains the above-mentioned five phases, as well as the four worlds ABYA and all the details in them, which also emerge through a coupling in the Sefira of Malchut. Thus, there are the same five phases in them, as well.

We should know that the ten Sefirot KHB HGT NHYM are but five phases, which are KHB TM. We count ten Sefirot because Tifferet contains six Sefirot HGT NHY within it. The reason Tifferet contains six Sefirot is because of the incorporation of the Sefirot in one another, where each one is incorporated in all of them.

Thus, there are five phases in Keter, five phases in Hochma, five phases in Bina, five phases in ZA, and five phases in Malchut. However, the incorporation of GAR in Tifferet is not complete incorporation because the Sefira Tifferet is light of Hassadim and is regarded as Guf [body], so how can it contain within it the three phases KHB, which are essentially light of Hochma? For this reason, incorporation of KHB is discerned in it, which descended from their degree and became three Hassadim. This is why their name was changed to HGT, and this is why the five phases in it are called HGT NH, indicating that KHB that were included in Tifferet became Hassadim in it, there is no Hochma in them, Netzah is its own phase, and Hod is the inclusion of Malchut in it. For this reason, they are also called “five Hassadim.”

There is also no complete incorporation of KHB in Malchut, and in her, too, they are called HGT, as in ZA, and the five phases HGT NH in her are called “five Gevurot,” since they are all regarded as Gevurot. Also, the Sefira of Yesod is an incorporation of the five Hassadim in Tifferet and is not a new phase in and of herself.

Thus, these ten Sefirot are no more and no less than five phases, where each of them includes all of them. Also, there is a difference in this matter of incorporation, since only GAR incorporate all five phases in full, which is why they are considered to have complete KHB TM in each of them. But in Tifferet, where KHB became Hassadim, although it includes KHB, it still lacks them because they became HGT in it. This is why Tifferet is regarded as having six Sefirot HGT NHY, to emphasize the absence of KHB in it. It follows that each KHB contains ten actual Sefirot, which are the three phases KHB, the six Sefirot of ZA, and Malchut, since this innovation that was done in ZA, whose five phases became five Hassadim, is also included in each of the KHB. However, ZA has only six Sefirot HGT NHY because it does not contain the three phases KHB, but only the three Hassadim called HGT. It follows that these HGT NHY, which are incorporated only in Tifferet, are not because of its merit over GAR, but on the contrary, it indicates the lack of GAR in it.

The reason why the ARI counts only four phases HB TM and not five phases KHB TM is that Keter is regarded as the root of all four phases and is not counted along with them.

2) All of these phases incorporate four phases, and these are they: Phase one of spirituality is Neshama to Neshama and NRN. Phase two, which is the body, is the bones, in which there is the marrow, and the tendons, flesh, and skin, as it is written, “Clothe me with skin and flesh, and knit me with bones and tendons.”

3) The third phase is the garments. It is known that they are mandatory garments for a regular priest [as opposed to the high priest]: a shirt, trousers, a bonnet, and a belt. The same four of the high priest are higher garments than these, as is mentioned in The Zohar. These are the garments of the name ADNI, and these are the garments of the name HaVaYaH. However, essentially, they are only four phases. The fourth phase is the house, and there are house, yard, field, and desert. However, in all those four particular phases there is one phase that incorporates all of them; it is the medium between each two phases and incorporates both.

²4) Once we have clarified that all the emanated beings are one phase that incorporates all four elements, which are the four letters Yod-Hey-Vav-Hey, and which are the four worlds ABYA and have an upper, fifth phase between them and Ein Sof, now we will elaborate on each world in general, and then we will return to explain them all together as one whole.

5) Everything that was created in all the worlds is only four phases, which are HaVaYaH. These are the spiritual, which is called soul, the organs of the body, the garments, and the house.

6) Let us speak of the world of Atzilut, and from there we will understand the rest. The internality of the whole of Atzilut is the spirituality called soul. It is clothed inside the organs of the body, which are called vessels. These are the ten Sefirot called Rosh [head], Zero’ot [arms], and Guf [body].

7) Let us return to the matter of the body, for this phase is ten Sefirot, ten qualities, for there is a boundary and a measure to them. It is written in Pirkey Heichalot, in the measure of the level, that it is 2 billion, 236 million parsas. This body is clothed inside the garments of Atzilut, and as our sages said, the Creator clothed in ten garments, a garment of pride, as was said, “The Lord is King, He wears pride.” This is the meaning of what is mentioned in Pirkey Heichalot, that there the robe of the Creator is called Zahariel, but the soul within has no measure at all. However, compared to Ein Sof, we can call them “measures and Sefirot” to the soul, as well.

8) These garments are inside the houses, which are the seven halls of Atzilut, which are the world itself. These are the heaven and the earth, and the air between them, for all this is regarded as “houses.” They are called “the world of Atzilut,” within which dwells the upper Adam, who is a soul and a body, and royal garments placed in the hall of the upper King, who is the whole of the world of Atzilut.

9) These four phases are regarded as the ten Sefirot that begin from Hochma and contain four phases. There is also the phase of Keter, which is the fifth phase, the root of all of them, and which also contains the root of the four above-mentioned phases. It follows that the light and the soul in Keter are the root of the ten Sefirot of the souls of Atzilut that begin from Hochma, and the body in Keter is the root of the ten Sefirot of bodies in the ten Sefirot of Atzilut that begin from Hochma. Also, the garments in Keter is the root of the ten Sefirot of garments in the ten Sefirot of Atzilut that begin from Hochma, and the hall in Keter is the root of the ten Sefirot of halls in the ten Sefirot of Atzilut that begin from Hochma.

10) Afterward, the world of Beria was created in the exact same manner, where through the screen that is the bottom of the hall of Atzilut, it illuminated downward and imprinted there an imprint of all that was in the world of Atzilut. It is called “the world of Beria” since it is a light of consequence and not the upper light itself. However, since it is the seal of Atzilut, it must contain all the phases that exist in Atzilut.

³11) Indeed, the medium rule that is shorter than all is this: In all ten Sefirot of Atzilut, including Keter, there are root, soul, body, garment, hall. It is likewise in BYA, and likewise in AK, which is the root of all of ABYA.

12) It follows that all that was emanated is one HaVaYaH, which comprises five phases, which are the tip of the Yod in AK, Yod in Atzilut, Hey in Beria, Vav in Yetzira, and Hey in Assiya, and each of these phases comprises all five.

Simple Light

12) All that is emanated is one HaVaYaH that comprises five phases, which are the tip of the Yod in AK, Yod in Atzilut, etc., and each of these phases comprises all five. These five phases are in the upper light itself. From their perspective, there is no change from world to world or from degree to degree. All the changes in the worlds and the degrees are only in the screens in the vessels of Malchut, on which a coupling by striking was made, raising reflected light that clothes the upper light.

There are four phases of coarseness in this screen. The coarsest screen reveals the highest level through its coupling with the upper light, since the coarseness in phase four elicits a complete level of reflected light through Keter; the level of coarseness of phase three is only up to Hochma; the coarseness of phase two is only up to Bina; and that of phase one is only up to ZA. If there is only root of coarseness in the screen, it elicits only the level of Malchut.

These are all the changes between those five worlds AK and ABYA, since the screen of phase four operates in AK; hence, the reflected light there extends the level of Keter. For this reason, it is regarded as the Keter of all the worlds. The screen of phase three operates in the world of Atzilut, and the reflected light there extends the level of Hochma. This is why the world of Atzilut is regarded as the Hochma of the worlds. The screen on phase two operates in the world of Beria, which extends only the level of Bina. For this reason, it is regarded as Bina of the worlds. The screen of phase one operates in the world of Yetzira, which extends only the level of ZA, and is therefore regarded as ZA of the worlds, meaning Tifferet. The faintest screen of all is in the world of Assiya; hence, there is only the level of Malchut there.

Although the four phases of direct light are all equal, even in Assiya, they only have the level of Malchut in Assiya, and in Yetzira there is only the level of ZA in all four phases, and so forth likewise.

We could ask: There are five Partzufim in AK, which are five levels one below the other, and likewise in Atzilut, where they are called AA [Arich Anpin], AVI [Abba veIma], and ZON [Zeir Anpin and Nukva]. Thus, how do ZON of AK differ from ZON of Atzilut and from ZON of the rest of the worlds, which are Yetzira and Assiya? The thing is that each world is discerned primarily according to its uppermost phase. Since Partzuf Galgalta of AK, which is its highest, has the level of Keter, the rest of the Partzufim are regarded as degrees in Keter. It is likewise in the world of Atzilut whose highest Partzuf, called AA, has the level of Hochma. Thus, all the Partzufim are regarded as degrees of Hochma. It is likewise in Beria: Since the highest Partzuf in it has the level of Bina, they are all degrees of Bina. Likewise, in Yetzira, its highest Partzuf has only the level of ZA, so all the degrees in it are only degrees of ZA. And in Assiya they are regarded as degrees of Malchut. The rule is that all the degrees in any world are related to and regarded as branches of the highest Partzuf in it, whose level shines in all its branches.

13) The tip of the Yod in AK contains the first HaVaYaH of five other phases, which are the above-mentioned five phases in AK itself. These are the AK and ABYA in it, which are five phases: root, soul, body, garment, and hall. Also, the Yod of Atzilut contains one HaVaYaH that incorporates all above-mentioned five phases, and likewise in the rest of the letters in BYA. Thus, they are five letters where each one incorporates all of them, making them twenty-five phases.

14) Afterward, in the same manner, there is another incorporation, where each of them incorporates all twenty-five phases. This is so because the Yod of Atzilut contains one HaVaYaH that incorporates all five phases, and each of the five phases incorporates five. These are the ten Sefirot of the root, ten Sefirot of the soul, ten Sefirot of the body, ten Sefirot of the garment, and ten Sefirot of the hall. It is likewise in the tip of the Yod in AK, Yod in Atzilut, in the letter Hey in Beria, in the letter Vav in Yetzira, etc.

15) It follows that in short, AK is the tip of the Yod and contains one HaVaYaH that incorporates five phases: root, soul, body, garment, and hall. Each of these phases incorporates five, which are ten Sefirot of the root, ten Sefirot of the soul, ten Sefirot of the body, ten Sefirot of the garment, and ten Sefirot of the hall. Also, each Sefira of these ten Sefirot is incorporated in the five Partzufim [pl. of Partzuf], which are the root and ABYA.

Chapter 2

16) Now we will discuss the meaning of each of these worlds. Know that the root and the souls and the bodies are one phase and there is no separation between them. However, the garments and halls are two phases that are separate from the three above phases.

Simple Light

16) the root and the souls and the bodies are one phase and there is no separation between them. However, the garments and halls are two phases that are separate, etc. To understand these matters, we must know the meaning of the association of the quality of mercy with judgment that was done during the second restriction of AK, as it is written, “On the day when the Lord God made earth and heaven,” when He associated the quality of mercy with judgment. This is also as our sages said, “In the beginning, He contemplated creating the world with the quality of judgment. He saw that the world did not exist; He put the quality of mercy first and associated it with the quality of judgment.” That is, Malchut is called “the quality of judgment,” and Bina is called “the quality of mercy.” In order to sweeten the quality of judgment in Malchut, He associated and connected Malchut with Bina, as it is written, “And they both went,” connecting the bottom Hey, which is Malchut, with the first Hey, which is Bina, so the bottom Hey was mitigated by the first Hey.

The beginning of this correction took place when Nekudim emerged from the light of Eynaim [eyes], for by the expansion of SAG through the Sium Raglin of the inner Partzuf of AK, called Galgalta, SAG, which is the level of Bina, merged and connected with the Malchut in TNHY of the inner AK, and the two Heys connected to each other on all the degrees until the bottom Hey rose to the place of Nikvey Eynaim. Eynaim is Hochma and Nikvey Eynaim means the Nukva of Hochma. It follows that the Eynaim have the last Hey and the first Hey, as in “I am asleep, and I am second.” It follows that by this, the quality of mercy, which is Bina, was associated with the quality of judgment, which is Malchut.

However, although this association is a very valuable merit for Malchut, it caused a new restriction in the worlds, since the first restriction impacted only the Sefira of Malchut, while all of the first nine Sefirot were clean of any restriction. But now that Malchut rose and connected to Bina, along with it, she elevated the restriction to Bina, which is called Nikvey Eynaim. Thus, now each degree ended at the Sefira of Bina, as it previously ended in the place of Malchut. And since the Sium [ending] of each degree was made in the place of Bina, the two Sefirot ZA and Malchut parted and went outside of each and every degree, leaving only the three Sefirot KHB in the degree.

This is why he said, “Know that the root and the souls and the bodies are one phase and there is no separation between them. However, the garments and halls are two phases that are separate from the three above phases.” The root, soul, and body, which are the three Sefirot Keter, Hochma, Bina remained in each degree after the second restriction, too, which is why they are united in the degree. However, the garments and halls, which are ZA and Malchut, separated from each degree in the second restriction because it ended at the Sefira of Bina. For this reason, they parted and became surrounding of the degree, since anything that the degree cannot receive now, but only some time later, is regarded as having become surrounding. Therefore, ZA and Malchut that parted from each degree are destined to reunite with it in the future, at the end of correction. This is why it is considered that they have become surrounding.

This is the meaning of what the ARI wrote, “However, from the world of Nekudim downward, which is the world of Atzilut, there was one lack that did not appear in them in all their details more than five internal lights and two surrounding lights, which are surrounding for Haya and surrounding for Yechida.” This is so because there were five internal phases KHB ZON in the Partzufim of AK before the world of Nekudim, and opposite them five phases KHB ZON of surrounding lights, since there is no light that does not have inner and surrounding within it, for every inner light has its own surrounding. However, in the world of Nekudim, when the place of the restriction ascended to the Sefira of Bina, a lack was created in the inner ones themselves, as well, since the two internal Sefirot ZON separated from the degree and became surrounding, and only the three vessels KHB remained in the degree, in which three inner lights NRN clothe, while Haya and Yechida do not have corresponding vessels in the Partzuf and they remain outside as surrounding.

We might ask: The three great lights—Neshama, Haya, Yechida—should have remained in the Partzuf, and only Ruach and Nefesh should have become surrounding, since the lights of Neshama, Haya, Yechida always clothe the vessels of Keter, Hochma, Bina, and Nefesh Ruach in the vessels of ZA and Malchut. Thus, why does he say that NRN remained in the Partzuf and Yechida Haya have no vessels? We must remember here what the ARI wrote, that the rule is that in the vessels, the higher ones grow first, and it is the opposite in the lights. Upon the entry of the lights into the vessels, the lower lights enter first, since when there is only light of Nefesh there, it dresses in the vessel of Keter. When the light of Ruach comes, the light of Nefesh descends to the vessel of Hochma and the Ruach dresses in the vessel of Keter. When the light of Neshama comes, the light of Nefesh descends to the vessel of Bina, the light of Ruach to the vessel of Hochma, and the light of Neshama dresses in the vessel of Keter. When the light of Haya comes, the Nefesh descends to the vessel of ZA, Ruach to the vessel of Bina, Neshama to the vessel of Hochma, and the light of Haya dresses in the vessel of Keter. When the light of Yechida comes, the Nefesh descends to its place in the vessel of Malchut, and likewise Ruach to the vessel of ZA, Neshama to the vessel of Bina, Haya to the vessel of Hochma, and Yechida to the vessel of Keter.

Thus, as long as not all five lights NRNHY enter the Partzuf, not only are the lights not clothed in their respective vessels, but there is also an inverse relation between them: When Yechida is absent, the four lights NRNH do not clothe HB TM and the vessel of Keter is empty of its light. Rather, it is the complete opposite: the vessel of Malchut is empty of any light because the four lights clothe the vessels KHB and ZA. And when there are only three lights NRN there, they do not clothe in vessels Bina, ZA, and Malchut, and the two vessels Keter and Hochma remain empty of light. Rather, they clothe KHB, and the two bottom vessels remain empty. Thus, there is always an inverse relation between the vessels and the lights. You should always remember this for without this rule there cannot be any understanding of the writings of the ARI.

By this we thoroughly understand that from the world of Nekudim onward, after a new place of restriction was made in the vessel of Bina, and the two vessels ZA and Malchut separated from each degree and became surrounding, only three lights NRN can clothe in each degree: Neshama in the vessel of Keter, Ruach in vessel of Hochma, and Nefesh in vessel of Bina, while the two lights Yechida and Haya have no vessels in which to clothe.

However, in the end of correction, when the two vessels ZA and Malchut reconnect to the degree as they were in the first restriction, Nefesh will descend to vessel of Malchut and Ruach to vessel of ZA, and Neshama will be able to descend to vessel of Bina. At that time there will be room for the two lights Haya Yechida to clothe in the vessels of Keter Hochma. Thus, the absence of the vessels of ZA and Malchut eliminates the lights of Haya Yechida, for they have no place in which to clothe. For this reason, the vessels of ZA and Malchut are considered to have become surrounding for Haya and Yechida. That is, it is impossible for Haya and Yechida to return to the degree if not through them, since by the return of the vessel of ZA, room is made for the light of Haya to clothe in the degree, and by the return of vessel of Malchut, room is made for the light of Yechida, as well.

This is why the ARI says, “From Nekudim onward, the five surrounding disappeared from each Partzuf, and there are only two surrounding now, Haya and Yechida, and they themselves are also not surrounding.” This is so because prior to the second restriction of AK that was in Nekudim, when five inner lights NRNHY dressed in their respective vessels, they also had five respective surrounding lights. Each surrounding was in itself: The inner one of Yechida had a surrounding light of Yechida, and the inner one of Haya had a surrounding light of Haya, etc. However, after the second restriction of Nekudim, when the two lights Haya Yechida disappeared from each degree, now there are no five surrounding opposite the five complete internal, since the internal themselves lack the Haya and Yechida in them. Hence, those Haya and Yechida will now be regarded as surrounding the NRN that remained in the degree. Once they fully enter the inner ones, meaning after the two vessels of ZA and Malchut reconnect to the degree and all five inner ones are properly completed, the five surrounding from before will return, as well.

It follows that now there are two deficiencies: The first deficiency is that the previous five surrounding have disappeared due to the lack that made in the internal ones themselves. The second deficiency is that even the two surrounding Haya and Yechida that remained are not surrounding in and of themselves, since there are no internal Haya and Yechida in the Partzuf, which relate to these surrounding. Rather, the surrounding Haya and Yechida illuminate to NRN that are not of their own phase, since they are actually internal and the only reason they became surrounding is due to the separation of the two vessels ZA and Malchut.

This is why it is written, “The other three inner ones do not have surrounding from the phase of NRN, but only from the phase of Yechida and Haya, which surround everyone, and not from their own phase,” as has been explained.

We could ask why in the Tree of Life, Gate 40, the ARI says that there are three internal and two surrounding, while in the Tree of Life, Gate 6, Chapter 2, he says that there are five internal and two surrounding. The thing is that in truth, there are two vessels of ZA and Malchut in each degree even after the second restriction, as well. However, they are not from their own phase but from the expansion of Bina, since the vessel of Bina itself expanded to ZA and Malchut, too. Since these ZA and Malchut are not original but are from Bina, now, too, we should not count more than three vessels KHB in each degree. However, this expansion of the vessel of Bina to ZA and Malchut made it possible for the two lights Haya and Yechida to clothe in the Partzuf, as well. However, they do not have a designated vessel, and they clothe inside the light of Neshama. For this reason, these lights of Haya and Yechida are not in in this completeness, as when they had five designated vessels for clothing.

Hence, considering the degrees of AK when there were five vessels in the Partzuf, the lights of Haya and Yechida are completely absent after they separated and became surrounding of garment and hall. This is why he says that only three inner lights NRN remained in the Partzuf. However, when considering the degrees of the second restriction themselves, it is possible that they, too, will have five inner [lights] NRNHY through the two new vessels of ZON that expand from Bina, but Haya and Yechida clothe inside the light of Neshama, as is known.

17) Between those two, between the bodies and the garments, is the section of the shells. They truly attach themselves to the posterior of the light of the body. This is so because the three internal phases contain inner light and the worst of the inner light comes out inside the skin, and there it ends. The surrounding light is the opposite, since the more external light is also greater. It follows that surrounding light in the most internal garment that is attached to the body is the smallest surrounding light in all of them.

Simple Light

17) The surrounding light in the garment, etc., is the smallest surrounding light, etc. It has already been explained that the vessel of ZA that was separated because of the second restriction became surrounding of Haya and is called garment. Also, the vessel of Malchut that was separated from the degree became a surrounding of light of Yechida because of the inverse relation between the vessels and the clothing of the lights. Hence, the surrounding of the garment is smaller than the surrounding of the hall, since the surrounding of garment is Haya and the surrounding of hall is Yechida.

18) For this reason, the section of the shells is there in the middle, where there are neither inner light nor surrounding light. It is in the middle between the inner and the surrounding, and it is called “the place of darkness.” That matter applies to each and every world with regard to the shells in that world.

19) However, after we explained the matter in particular, we shall speak in general. It is known that inside AK is the Ein Sof that dresses in the root of the souls of the ten Sefirot in it, and these clothe the souls of all ten Sefirot in him, which clothe the ten Sefirot of the body of AK.

20) The ten Sefirot of the bodies should have clothed the ten Sefirot of garments, but this is not so for the above-said reason. Rather, the three phases Atik of Atzilut surround these three phases of AK. How? The ten Sefirot of the bodies of AK clothe inside the ten Sefirot of roots of the souls of the ten Sefirot of Atik of Atzilut, which clothe the ten Sefirot of the souls of Atik of Atzilut, which clothe the ten Sefirot of the bodies of Atik of Atzilut.

21) Likewise, the roots and bodies and souls of AA clothe the bodies of Atik, and likewise the three phases of Abba clothe AA. Similarly, the three phases of Ima toward Abba, the three phases of ZA toward Ima, and the three phases of Nukva toward ZA. Thus, now all the bodies have been completed through the Nukva of ZA. And here, in the posterior of the bodies of the Nukva, all the shells of Atzilut of ten Sefirot in them are attached.

⁴22) This requires that we notify you the meaning of garments and halls. Know that the garments are the vessels for the surrounding light, and between each two garments there is one surrounding light. These are phases of surrounding lights of straightness over all of Atzilut, as mentioned elsewhere that there are three phases of surrounding vessels and over them surrounding (lights) of NRN.

Simple Light

22) There are three phases of surrounding vessels and over them surrounding (lights) of NRN. There are books where it is written that the lights of NRN surround them. However, the word “lights” is a writer’s mistake, since the surrounding vessels of straightness, which are the garments, are the vessels of ZA, and the surrounding light over these surrounding vessels are the surrounding of Haya and not lights of NRN, as the ARI wrote, that “The other three inner ones do not have surrounding from the phase of NRN, but only from the phase of Yechida and Haya, which surround everyone, and not from their own phase.” Thus, there are no surrounding lights at all from the phase of NRN. However, it is written in other books, “and over them surrounding of NRN,” and the word “lights” is not written there. This is the true version.

This means that as there are three inner vessels—outer, middle, and inner—in which three inner lights of NRN clothe, so there are three phases of surrounding vessels—inner, middle, and outer—in the garments, encircled by the surrounding lights that illuminate to the inner NRN. Although this surrounding light is discerned as surrounding light of Haya, it still illuminates to the inner NRN although this surrounding light is not from their own phase, which is why it is considered surrounding of NRN.

23) Those surrounding vessels are the garments. Also, the halls are the circles, as mentioned everywhere that they encircle the surrounding lights, which are the garments. These are discerned as the encircling firmaments, which are discerned as the halls of that world.

24) For this reason, these circles encircle all the phases because they are as houses in which man lives, and over them is an illumination of very big surrounding, which cannot be placed in a boundary or measure, for they cannot be restricted even inside the houses and halls, which are very, very big vessels, and all the more so in small vessels such as bodies. Therefore, do not be surprised if the surrounding lights are in the circles and garments, for due to their great measure, they do not clothe in a body but rather in a very wide place, and the wider the place, the greater the surrounding light.

Simple Light

24) …as houses in which man lives, and over them is an illumination of very big surrounding. It has already been explained that the halls and the houses are surrounding light of Yechida, as it is written that there is a very big illumination of surrounding over them, since the light of Yechida is the greatest of all the lights.

The wider the place, the greater the surrounding light. This means that the wide expanse in the place indicates the distancing of the surrounding light from the person who sits within it, meaning from his inner vessels. Thus, the surrounding light of garments, which is surrounding light only in the phase of Haya, which is smaller than the light of Yechida, does not have such remoteness and space between the garments and man’s body, since it is close to illuminate to the inner vessels. But the houses and halls, which are surrounding to the light of Yechida, which is very big, the inner vessels are very far from receiving that surrounding light since it is big. Hence, there is a great distance between man and his inner vessels, and the walls of the houses and halls, which are the surrounding vessels.

Chapter 3

⁵25) Let us explain what was the state of the worlds of BYA themselves. Know that there is nothing that does not have internality and externality, even in the vessels. Indeed, from half of Tifferet and NHY of Adam Kadmon through his Sium Raglin, their externality is divided into two phases. Their externality from the side of the anterior is called Beria, and from the posterior, it is called Yetzira.

Simple Light

25) There is nothing that does not have internality and externality, even in the vessels. The vessels that are fit to receive the lights of GAR are called “internality,” and the vessels that are unfit to receive lights of GAR are called “externality.” Therefore, each Partzuf is divided at its Tabur [navel]: From its Tabur up it is fit to receive GAR and is called “internality,” and from its Tabur down, where it is unfit to receive GAR, it is called “externality.”

Also, the vessels from its Tabur down are divided into internality and externality in and of themselves. That is, when Mochin dresses and is made in the lower one, the NHY of the upper one are divided into three thirds—Rosh, Toch, Sof, meaning HBD HGT, NHY—since they expand and become a complete Partzuf of Rosh-Toch-Sof in the lower one. For this reason, the NHY from Tabur down are also divided into internality and externality where HBD-HGT in it through Tabur are called “internality,” and the three bottom thirds of NHY, namely NHY of NHY, are called “externality” in it.

From half of Tifferet and NHY of Adam Kadmon through his Sium Raglin, their externality is divided into two phases, etc. From the side of the anterior is called Beria. Here we must know the state of the Partzufim of AK and Nekudim. This was explained in the book The Study of Ten Sefirot, Part 6, and here we will present it in brief. The first ten Sefirot that emerged after the first restriction are called “inner HaVaYaH of AK,” or “inner AK.” This is the line of Ein Sof that begins near the surrounding of Ein Sof and ends at the point of this world. Partzuf AB of AK clothes it from its Peh of Rosh through the Tabur, and from Peh of Rosh of this AB through the Sium Raglin [Aramaic: legs] of the inner AK clothes Partzuf SAG of AK, which is until the point of this world.

However, this Partzuf SAG of AK is divided in itself into two special Partzufim called tastes and Nekudot [dots]. Its Partzuf of tastes begins at the Peh of the Rosh of AB of AK and ends evenly with the Raglaim [feet/legs] of AB, meaning through Tabur of the inner AK, where it stops. Partzuf Nekudot of SAG of AK begins at the place of Tabur of the inner AK after the Sium of the tastes of SAG and ends evenly with the Raglaim of the inner AK, which is the place of the point of this world.

These TNHY of AK that the ARI brings here is TNHY of the inner AK, which is the inner HaVaYaH that clothes from its Tabur down inside the whole of Partzuf Nekudot of SAG of AK. Hence, it is regarded as a complete Partzuf, Rosh-Toch-Sof, and is therefore divided into four divisions: internality and externality, anterior and posterior. First, it divides into internality and externality, where HBD HGT in it through the Chazeh are called “internality,” and from the Chazeh through its Sium Raglaim in this world, it is called “externality.” Afterward, from the Chazeh down in it, it also divides into two phases—anterior and the posterior—where from the Chazeh through the Sium of Tifferet, it is called anterior, and its NHY is called posterior. The anterior is regarded as Beria, and the posterior is regarded as Yetzira and Assiya.

26) When the Emanator wished to emanate the world of Nekudim, it has already been explained above that Adam Kadmon restricted himself once more and raised the internality of the light from half of Tifferet in him and below. He raised it up, and then that light emerged through the Eynaim [eyes] and expanded outside from half of Tifferet in him and below, and the world of Nekudim was made.

Simple Light

26) Restricted himself once more and raised the internality of the light from half of Tifferet in him and below. He raised it up and then that light emerged through the Eynaim. This matter of the second restriction of AK has already been explained in Item 16, that the first restriction was only on the Sefira of Malchut so she would not receive the upper light into her. It therefore follows that Malchut stopped and ended the upper light. However, the second restriction was done in the place of Bina, since Malchut rose and connected to Bina herself, for which the upper light ended in the place of the Sefira of Bina.

This does not mean that Bina herself was restricted so as not to receive the upper light, but rather that since the restricted Malchut was already incorporated in and connected to Bina, the upper light stopped there because of the Malchut in Bina. For this reason, the upper light stopped at the place of Bina.

There are two phases in this restricted Malchut: The first is Malchut that makes a coupling by striking with the upper light. By this she raises reflected light from-below-upward and dresses the upper light. This clothing makes the ten Sefirot of the Rosh of the Partzuf. Also, through this reflected light that she raised to the ten Sefirot from her and within her, she expands and elicits the ten Sefirot of the Guf of the Partzuf through the Sium Raglin.

The second phase of Malchut is the Malchut that ends the upper light. Once Malchut expanded from-above-downward through the reflected light in her, from her and within her, into ten Sefirot of the Guf, only the upper nine Sefirot in her reflected light are fit to receive the upper light within them, but her Malchut is unfit to receive due to the restriction that was made on her. Because she is unfit to receive, she stops the upper light, and the Guf ends. Thus, any Sium Raglin of a Partzuf is done because of the ending Malchut. These two phases are also called Malchut of the Rosh and Malchut of the Guf, since Malchut of the Rosh is the mating Malchut, and Malchut of the Guf is the ending Malchut.

It has also been explained above (item 1) that only the ten Sefirot of Rosh and GAR are called KHB TM, but the ten Sefirot of VAK and Guf are not called KHB TM, but rather HGT NH. It is known that each Guf is regarded as VAK compared to its Rosh, and you find that HGT is just like KHB, except that in the Guf, KHB is called HGT.

It follows that now, in the second restriction, when the restricted Malchut rose to the Sefira of Bina, we should also discern the two above phases of Malchut, where Malchut of the Guf, regarded as the ending Malchut, rose to the place of Bina of the Guf, meaning the Sefira of Tifferet, since Tifferet is the Sefira of Bina of the Guf. The second phase of Malchut, which is Malchut of the Rosh, which makes a coupling, rose to the Sefira of Bina of the Rosh called Nikvey Eynaim, since the ten Sefirot of Rosh are called Galgalta-Eynaim-Ozen [ear]-Hotem [nose]-Peh [mouth]. Eynaim is Hochma of the Rosh, Nikvey Eynaim is Bina, Nukva of Hochma, and you find that now the place of the coupling of Malchut of the Rosh, which makes a coupling by striking with the upper light, is in the place of Nikvey Eynaim since the mating Malchut rose from the place of the Peh to the Nikvey Eynaim, as has been explained.

It was written, “Adam Kadmon restricted himself once more and raised the internality of the light from half of Tifferet in him and below. He raised it up and then that light emerged through the Eynaim.” That is, Malchut of the Guf, which ends the Guf, ascended into Bina of the Guf called Tifferet, so now the Guf ends inside Tifferet. It follows that all the light that expanded from half of Tifferet and below was now forced to depart from there and rise above the half of Tifferet, meaning above the ending Malchut.

Likewise, the Malchut of the Rosh, which makes a coupling, now rose from the place of the Peh to the Nikvey Eynaim where a coupling by striking was done, as he writes, “then that light emerged through the Eynaim,” since through this new restriction, the coupling was done in the Nikvey Eynaim and the level of the coupling expands and emerges downward through the Eynaim. This is the level of the ten Sefirot of Nekudim that expand from Tabur of AK downward, meaning into the vessels of Partzuf Nekudot of SAG that stand from the Tabur of AK downward.

It will be explained below that Partzuf Nekudot of SAG itself, which stands from Tabur and below, also divides because of the second restriction, as the ARI explained with regard to the general SAG of AK in which the coupling was done for the Nekudot. This is so because as soon as the new restriction took place, the ending Malchut rose from the place of Raglaim of Partzuf Nekudot of SAG to the place of Chazeh in it. It follows that all the vessels from the Chazeh and below separated from this Partzuf and fell below the Raglaim of the inner AK, since they were already below the ending Malchut, which now stands at the place of the Chazeh.

27) Indeed, immediately upon the restriction, which is the ascent of the light upward, before it exits the Eynaim, and before the Nekudim were made, the two external phases were promptly darkened, since the inner light departed upward and they could not stand there. Hence, they descended below the Raglaim of straightness of Adam Kadmon, in the place of the surrounding light under the Raglaim of straightness of only Adam Kadmon.

Simple Light

27) Immediately upon the restriction … before it exits the Eynaim …the two external phases were darkened. Interpretation: The ascent of the ending Malchut to half of Tifferet of AK that the ARI explained above did not really leave any impression in AK itself. These ascents of Malchut were in order to make a new coupling for the lower one, which are the Nekudim. However, there was no change at all in AK itself, since any restriction that is emerges anew acts only from the place of its emergence onward, but does not operate on the ones above it whatsoever. For this reason, no new Sium was made inside Partzuf AK itself. Rather, the whole of the new Sium that was initiated by this restriction operated only on the vessels of the Partzuf below AK, called Nekudot of SAG, which begins from Tabur of AK and below, and ends at the point of this world.

A new Sium was made in that Partzuf of Nekudot of SAG of AK, too, through the ascent of Malchut to the place of Bina. Here the restriction caused the separation of the vessels below its Chazeh because of the ending Malchut that arose there. It follows that this entire part from the Chazeh down to the point of this world was separated from the Partzuf and is unfit to receive any light, just like the point of this world below the Raglaim of the inner AK. (The ARI calls this Partzuf “half of Tifferet of AK and below,” and elsewhere, he calls it Nekudot of SAG. This is a complete Partzuf, Rosh and Guf, where by the new restriction, all the light departed from it and rose above Tabur of AK.)

It was said, “Immediately upon the restriction …before it exits the Eynaim…, the two external phases were darkened since the inner light departed upward.” As it is written above, there are four divisions in this Partzuf of Nekudot of SAG. From the Chazeh and above, it is called “internality”; from the Chazeh and below, it is called “externality.” Also, from the Chazeh and below it divides into two phases: anterior and posterior. Those two phases of externality, meaning the anterior and posterior from the Chazeh and below, fell and separated from it due to the ascent of the ending Malchut to the place of the Chazeh. This is why it is written, “the two external phases were darkened since the inner light departed upward.” That is, due to the ascent of the ending Malchut above them, they were emptied of all their inner light.

The words “immediately upon the restriction, before it exits the Eynaim” mean before the coupling was made on Malchut of the Rosh that ascended to the place of the Eynaim, for then this entire Partzuf was really emptied, even the inner vessels in it from the Chazeh and above, since all the lights from Tabur of AK and below departed. However, although the lights departed from the vessels from the Chazeh and above, they nonetheless did not separate from Atzilut because the ending Malchut stands below them now, as well. Hence, after the coupling, they are fit to receive the upper light. Conversely, those two external phases, which are below the ending Malchut, completely separated from Atzilut, and as they are similar to being below the point of this world. Even afterward, when the coupling is made in the Eynaim, they will still not be fit to receive the upper light because they are below the point of Sium.

They descended below the Raglaim of straightness of AK in the place of the surrounding light under the Raglaim of straightness of AK. This means that the two external, above-mentioned phases from the Chazeh and below of Nekudot of SAG have now descended below the Raglaim of AK in the place where the surrounding light of straightness is destined to stand. The Sium Raglaim of AK is at the point of this world, and now they have descended and fell below the point of this world, since with regard to Partzuf Nekudot of SAG, in whom the ending Malchut rose to the place of Bina of Guf, which is the point of Chazeh in Tifferet. Hence, there, at the point of Chazeh, it is already the Sium on the upper light, and the vessels from the Chazeh and below became completely dark, just like this world, which is below the Raglaim of AK. For this reason, it is considered that the two external phases descended below the Raglaim of AK into the place of darkness. Afterward, when the coupling is done in the Nikvey Eynaim, the surrounding light of straightness and the circles of Nekudim is destined to emerge there and they will illuminate there. But now, before the coupling was done in the Nikvey Eynaim, and the surrounding light of straightness has not emerged there below the Raglaim of AK, this place is completely dark.

We should remember what is written above, that the new Sium at the place of Bina of the Guf that was made in the second restriction is completely unknown to Partzuf AK itself, and it always ends at the point of this world, as before the second restriction took place. The whole matter of the new Sium operated only on Partzuf Nekudot of SAG of AK, called Partzuf TNHY of AK. For this reason, the ARI values the fall of the vessels from Chazeh of SAG and below the same as the inner AK that fell below the Raglaim, since the same point that ends the Raglaim of the inner AK rose to the Chazeh of Partzuf Nekudot of SAG and ended the upper light there. Thus, the vessels from Chazeh and below are considered to be below the Raglaim of the inner AK.

28) It did not take the rest of the place of the surrounding light or below it, and the surrounding light of straightness that is below its Raglaim rose to their place above, around the internality of NHY of Adam Kadmon.

Simple Light

28) It did not take the rest of the place of the surrounding light or below it. This indicates that it does not mean that the vessels took all the place of the surrounding of straightness, since this surrounding is destined to emerge and become circular very far from the Raglaim of AK, meaning in the full measure that it encircles above the center of Tabur of AK. This is so because this is the manner of the circle: It encircles its center at an even distance, since in a circle, the center is regarded as its end. It follows that the middle point of this surrounding of straightness is at the point of Chazeh of Partzuf Nekudot of SAG, since the ending Malchut ascended there and the surrounding of straightness encircles around it at an even distance from above as from below.

Also, the uppermost circle, which is the most external, is the Sefira of Keter of surrounding light. Following it is Hochma of the surrounding, until Malchut of the surrounding light is at the very center. Accordingly, there is no division of above and below in the surrounding light because its Keter is far from the center from above just as it is far from the center from below.

It follows that the farther it is from the center, the more important it is, since the circle of Malchut is close to the center from below, as well, and below it is the circle of ZA, below which is the circle of Bina, below it is the circle of Hochma, and the lowest of all is the circle of Keter. Accordingly, even before the emergence of the surrounding light of straightness from the Eynaim, you find that the lower its place, the better it is. Therefore, the fallen vessels from Chazeh of Nekudot of SAG and below did not take all of the place of the surrounding light of straightness, but remained standing nearby, below the Raglaim of AK, which is still regarded as the place of Malchut of the surrounding of straightness and not below there, which is more important since there is the place of the first nine of the surrounding of straightness. This is the meaning of the words “It did not take the rest of the place of the surrounding light or below it,” but only some of the place, meaning that which is close to the Raglaim of AK, and not below it.

The surrounding light of straightness that is below its Raglaim rose to their place above, around the internality of NHY of AK. This does not refer to the actual surrounding light of straightness, since this surrounding light has not emerged yet, for it emerges from the coupling in Nikvey Eynaim, while here it is before the coupling there took place. Rather, this refers to the light that departs from those fallen vessels of the two external phases from the Chazeh and below. This light that departs from them is destined to be included in the two surrounding of garments and halls, as written above in the words of the ARI. With regard to ZON that separated from the degree because of the second restriction, two surrounding were made—garment and hall. The surrounding light of straightness was made from the garments that are the vessels of ZA that were separated, and the surrounding light of circles was made from the halls, which are the vessels of Malchut that were separated.

The ARI tells us that this light that was separated from the vessels of ZA, which is destined to be a surrounding of straightness, departed from the fallen vessels that stand below the Raglaim of AK, and rose to its preliminary place, namely the place of NHY of AK where it clothed prior to the second restriction. The rule is that there is no falling in the lights; therefore, they remained in the place of their vessels as before, without any change, and only the vessels fell below the Raglaim of AK. This is the meaning of the words, “and the surrounding light of straightness that is below its Raglaim rose to their place above,” to the place where they clothed their vessels.

We should know that those two phases of externality of TNHY of AK from the Chazeh of Nekudot of SAG and below, which fell below the Raglaim of AK, are actually only the vessels of ZA and Malchut of that Partzuf, since through the ascent of Malchut to the place of Bina, Bina was divided in two: GAR and ZON. Her GAR remained in the degree, and only her ZON fell below. It follows that there are ZON of Bina here and general ZON. Thus, only the vessels of ZON fell, since ZON of Bina are also regarded as ZA and Malchut. It follows that not all of Bina of the Guf, called Tifferet, fell down, but only its half, meaning this ZON of Tifferet, which is regarded as from the Chazeh down to the Sium of Tifferet.

By this you will thoroughly understand the two external phases that the ARI regards as anterior and posterior. It is so because there are two phases of ZON here: 1) the actual ZON, and 2) ZON of Bina, which is the bottom half of Tifferet. Hence, ZON of Bina are regarded as the anterior, and the real vessels of ZON are regarded as posterior. For this reason, the world of Beria was made from the vessels of the anterior since they are discerned as Bina, and Beria is Bina, and Yetzira and Assiya were made from the vessels of the posterior, since they are real ZON.

29) When Beria and Yetzira descend below his Raglaim, they did not stand in their proper place. Through their descent, the externality of the posterior side was darkened in them more and more because it drew farther from the upper light. At that time, the externality of the externality of the posterior descended to the place called Assiya.

Simple Light

29) When Beria and Yetzira descend below his Raglaim, they did not stand in their proper place. … At that time, the externality of the externality of the posterior descended to the place called Assiya. It has been explained above that there are anterior and posterior in these vessels that fell. The anterior is Beria, and the posterior consists of Yetzira and Assiya. They are also called “internality and externality of the posterior,” where the internality of the posterior is Yetzira, and the externality of the posterior is Assiya. This is the meaning of what the ARI wrote, that the vessels fell below the Raglaim of AK and did not stand in their proper place, for had they stood in their proper place, they would have clothed the inner NHY of AK like today’s corrected BYA, and would end equally with the inner NHY of AK, meaning the Raglaim of AK. This is so because today’s world of Assiya is in the place of Sium Raglaim of AK, but then, before the coupling was made in Nikvey Eynaim, they all fell below the Raglaim of AK, and they all stand below their place, to the point that the world of Assiya, the externality of the posterior, descended below the place called Assiya, and likewise, Beria is below the place which is called Beria today, and so is the world of Yetzira below the place called Yetzira today, since they are all below the point of Sium Raglaim of AK, which is the point of this world. When it says “descended to the place called Assiya‎,” it should say below the place called Assiya since the Raglaim of AK end at the point of this world, which is below the place called Assiya.

30) Afterward, an illumination of upper light emerged through the Eynaim and clothed from half of Tifferet of Adam Kadmon downward, and the world of Nekudim was made, while the main light, which is the root, remained inside. It has already been explained that the circles of Nekudim emerge first, and when they encircle the NHY of Adam Kadmon, they also encircle under his Raglaim of straightness and stop between under his feet and the externality, which are Beria and Yetzira that had descended there, and were expelled from there and did not find a place, and they raised those two phases of externality to their place above, in the posterior of these Nekudim.

Simple Light

30) The circles of Nekudim emerge first … they also encircle under his Raglaim of straightness. So it is in all the Partzufim—the circles precede the straightness. It is so because the circles emerge from the coupling of Malchut of the Rosh from the discernment of from-below-upward, and all their illumination is only an illumination of Rosh. But with regard to the expansion of Malchut from above downward to the ten Sefirot of Guf, called straightness, the circles have no part in them at all, as it is written in Tree of Life. For this reason, the circles always come before the straightness as the Rosh comes before the Guf. This matter is thoroughly explained in The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 2.

There are two types of circles: circles from the first restriction, and circles from the second restriction. Circles are discerned as surrounding, since after Malchut was restricted from receiving light into her, a deficiency of one vessel was made in the ten Sefirot. This vessel of reception that became deficient in the first restriction was separated from the internal ones and became surrounding in the Partzufim of AK. With respect to the coupling from-below-upward that was done in the Malchut of the Roshim [pl. of Rosh] of AK, the surrounding light went out to these circles, since all of this part that Malchut of the Rosh had to receive, were it not for the restriction on her, emerged from the Rosh and became surrounding on the vessels of circles. Thus, the vessels of circles are from the receiving Malchut that was eliminated from the inner ten Sefirot of the Roshim of AK, and the surrounding light of the circles is the full measure of light that was received in the ten Sefirot of the Rosh had there not been a restriction on Malchut.

However, with regard to the expansion of Malchut into ten Sefirot of Guf, there are still no circles since this expansion from-above-downward is by the reflected light of the restricted Malchut from before, in the coupling by striking of the Rosh, and that same receiving Malchut that will make of her vessels of circles is no longer in her, and no light that belongs to that receiving Malchut expanded whatsoever, which would become surrounding light, since they are already below the screen in Malchut of the Rosh. It follows that after the straightness of AK expanded, meaning the ten Sefirot of Guf from-above-downward, there are no more circles that are fit to emerge from it.

However, during the second restriction of AK, when the restriction was made in the place of Bina and the two vessels of ZON departed and were separated from receiving lights within them, and are unfit for internal vessels, at that time, completely new circles were made with regard to these two vessels. These are also called garments and halls. Circles that are made of vessels of ZA are called garments, and the surrounding light in them is called surrounding of straightness. Circles that are made of vessels of Malchut are called halls or houses, and the surrounding light in them is called surrounding light of circles. Thus, there are two phases of circles from the two phases of restriction.

This is the meaning of “God has made man straight, and they sought many calculations.” After AK came out in its phase of straightness, which are the ten Sefirot of the Guf, it no longer needs circles to emerge from it at all, since all that was separated from the ten Sefirot of AK, which is the receiving Malchut from before the restriction, has already departed in the coupling of the Rosh, and from the screen and below she expanded only in the phase of the first nine expanded in the inner vessels. Thus, there are no more vessels there to be separated and become circles. This is the meaning of “God has made man straight,” meaning that the Guf of Adam was already established and emerged in the form of straightness, “but they sought many calculations.” “They” pertains to the ten Sefirot of Nekudim that were made in the second restriction, where the two Heys conjoined, when the bottom Hey rose and connected to the first Hey. By this, new circles emerged after the straightness of AK, meaning also from vessels of ZA that were also parted from the inner ones and became vessels of circles.

By this you will understand why the garments that are made of vessels of ZA are called surrounding of straightness although they are regarded as circles like the halls, since they encircle inside the circles of halls (as it is written in Tree of Life). Hence, why are they called surrounding of straightness? It cannot be said that they were called so because they illuminate to the straightness, since the surrounding of circsles also illuminate to the straightness, like they do. Rather, with the above said, you will thoroughly understand that surrounding of circles that are made of the vessel of Malchut, because they were still in the first restriction in the Partzufim of AK and did not have any straightness before them, they are regarded as surrounding light of circles. However, the surrounding of garments that are made of vessels of ZA that were now renewed in the second restriction, where in the Partzufim of AK from the first restriction there were straightness and internal vessels of the Guf there, are therefore called surrounding of straightness, meaning that in their root, in AK, they are actual straightness there and are regarded as internal vessels.

… and were expelled from there and did not find a place, and they raised these two phases of externality to their place above, in the posterior of these Nekudim. This is so because before the coupling was made in Nikvey Eynaim, the surrounding of straightness did not come out at all since it emerges only when the coupling is made in Malchut of the Rosh through an expansion of the upper light into her. When she rejects all the parts of the upper light that want to spread and be received within her through the coupling by striking (as it is written in The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 2, Inner Observation), those rejected parts emerge outside and become surrounding light. Thus, the surrounding light emerges only after the coupling that is done in Malchut of the Rosh.

For this reason, immediately upon the restriction, before the light emerged through the Eynaim to become surrounding light, meaning at the moment when the ending Malchut rose to Bina of the Guf, which is the place of the Chazeh in Tifferet, those vessels from the Chazeh and below were separated in their anterior and posterior and fell below the point of Sium of the inner AK, meaning below its Raglaim, since the point of Sium of Partzuf Nekudot of SAG is already in the place of the Chazeh above them. This is because they could no longer clothe the inner NHY of AK as before for now their value is completely below those NHY of AK, as they are below the point of Sium, which to AK is regarded as being below its Raglaim, at the point of this world.

However, now that the coupling was done in Nikvey Eynaim and the surrounding light of garments and halls came out and encircled around NHY of AK and below its Raglaim like onionskins, and separated between below its Raglaim and the two external phases that fell there, meaning that that space of those garments and halls that emerged from Nikvey Eynaim was filled with their ten Sefirot of surrounding, and it is known that in the circles, their end is discerned at their center, but the above and below are even in them. Thus, the last Sefira in them, meaning Malchut of these surrounding, surrounds that Malchut that has now risen to the place of Chazeh.

Also, below Malchut of the circles is ZA of the circles, and below ZA there is Bina of the circles, etc. It follows that compared to their current value, this fall of the externality that they fell below the Raglaim of AK is now regarded as an ascent, since there is no above or below in the surrounding light. It follows that the lower place is more important.

This is why the ARI says that the surrounding light of circles that has now emerged reversed the importance of the places, for which they expelled the empty vessels from this space below the Raglaim of AK, for now the first nine of surrounding shine there, as these vessels are not worthy of being received. Hence, this surrounding light rejected them back to their place above, which has now become a worse place as it is closer to the center of the new second restriction. This is why he says that they were expelled from there.

31) Now that Nekudim separated the internality of the vessels of NHY of Adam Kadmon from the externality, they can stand there although they were darkened, and they already have the power to receive the light intended for them, as will be explained regarding the correction of Nekudim below.

Simple Light

31) Now that Nekudim separated the internality of the vessels of NHY of Adam Kadmon from the externality, they can stand there although they were darkened, and they already have the power to receive the light intended for them. Interpretation: the surrounding light of circles, which are the garments that were renewed now in the second restriction, expelled the vessels of externality to their Sof [end], meaning close to their center. By this they returned to the actual place where they stood prior to the fall, meaning in all the place from the point of the second restriction that was done at the point of Chazeh of Nekudot of SAG, to the point of the first restriction below the Raglaim of the inner AK. And the vessels of the anterior of the externality, which are the two thirds of Tifferet, reconnected to the point of Chazeh as in the beginning, and the internality of the posterior, which is the vessels of NHY from the phase of ZA, reconnected to the two thirds of Tifferet. Also, the bottom thirds of those NHY, which are discerned as the vessels of Malchut, reconnected with the vessels of ZA, meaning precisely as they stood prior to the second restriction. By this they were established as three worlds: Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya. The two thirds of Tifferet from the Chazeh down to his Sium became the world of Beria, although they are discerned as ZON. However, they are discerned as ZON of Bina, and therefore became the world of Beria, which is discerned as Bina. The two external phases of the posterior, which are NHY, became Yetzira and Assiya because they are discerned as ZON completely, since NH [Netzah-Hod] of the Guf are ZON of the Guf.

We should not be mistaken that they returned to being Atzilut just like the vessels from the Chazeh of Nekudot of SAG and above, since the Parsa has already been established there, meaning a new screen of the second restriction in the place of that Chazeh. Thus, the upper light cannot expand from there and below. Rather, they receive a lessened light that can pass through the Parsa downward. This is the meaning of the words, “they already have the power to receive the light intended for them,” meaning the light that can pass through the Parsa, which is called a light of consequence, and not a light of Atzilut.

We could say that since the surrounding light of circles expelled the vessels below the Raglaim of AK because in them, the lower place is more important, therefore, these vessels of BYA should have all been inverted: Assiya should have been close to the point of the Chazeh, where it is the end of the circles and the worst place, and below it Yetzira, and below it Beria, according to the order of the circles. The thing is that the illumination of the circles does not work at all in the place of straightness of AK. The rule is that illumination of circles works only in the Rosh. Hence, after they returned to the place of NHY of the inner AK, they received the order of straightness, where each higher one is more important, and the whole matter of the expulsion was only in the space below the Raglaim of AK.

32) Beria returned opposite the anterior, and Yetzira opposite the posterior, as it was in the beginning, and with it, a fourth reason was clarified concerning the Nekudim emerging in a manner of circles, as mentioned above. Now, the place of BYA has returned to being a vacant space as in the beginning.

⁶33) Know that when I heard this fourth reason, I wrote it very succinctly, and I will copy it for you here because in my humble opinion, I seem to have heard that the place of BYA is the posterior of the Nekudim of the circles, which is truly this externality that ascended. However, here it seems the opposite—that the place of BYA is below, in the above-mentioned space, and this requires scrutiny.

Simple Light

33) The place of BYA is the posterior of the Nekudim of the circles, etc. However, here it seems the opposite—that the place of BYA is below, in the space. Rav Chaim Vital was perplexed because it is known from all the teachings of the ARI that the place of BYA is below the whole of the world of Nekudim, while here he heard that the circles of Nekudim encircle the Raglaim of AK. It follows that all three worlds BYA stand in the space below the Raglaim of AK, meaning below the circles of Nekudim that surround the Raglaim of AK.

However, this baffled him before he saw the great tractate of AK, when he thought that the straightness did not emerge in Nekudim at all, but only circles, while straightness emerged only in the new MA. Thus, if we say that BYA stand below the circles of Nekudim, it necessarily means that they are in the space below the Raglaim of AK, and this cannot be for several reasons. This is why he wondered about it here.

However, after he saw the great tractate of AK, he saw that circles and straightness emerged in Nekudim, as well, so it was not perplexing at all because what he had heard, that the worlds BYA stand below the Nekudim, meaning below the straightness of Nekudim, since the straightness of Nekudim begins at the Tabur of AK, like Partzuf Nekudot of SAG, and ends at the point of Chazeh of Partzuf Nekudot of SAG where the Parsa was set up, which is the new point of Sium of the second restriction that was done in the world of Nekudim. Below this Parsa through the Sium Raglaim of AK of straightness to the point of this world, it is the place where the three worlds Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya stand. But the circles of Nekudim, which are the surrounding of Nekudim, truly encircle the space below the Raglaim of AK.

34) These are the words of the copy that I wrote. In the above-mentioned restriction, the externality of the anterior and the posterior descended from Tabur of AK and below, Beria and Yetzira, and descended in a surrounding of straightness below the Raglaim, but not in all of it, and the surrounding ascended instead of it. When the posterior descended, the externality was darkened even more and descended lower, to Assiya. This is the fourth reason that the Nekudim are circles and surrounding, in order to raise them.

35) How? This surrounding descended and entered between the Raglaim, to Beria, and they were expelled and did not find a place, and they ascended behind this surrounding of Nekudim, opposite from their first place. Below, a space remained called “the place of Beria.” The place is bigger than the whole world. Therefore, the vessels of Nekudim are spoiled although they were corrected into vessels of Atzilut.

---

1. ^* Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 42, Chapter 1↩
2. ^* Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 42, Chapter 2↩
3. ^* Tree of Life, Part 2, Gate 42, end of Chapter 2↩
4. ^* Tree of Life, Gate 42, Chapter 3↩
5. ^* Shaar HaHakdamot [Gate to Introductions]↩
6. ^* Mavo She’arim, Gate 2, Part 1, Chapter 3.↩