READING: BETWEEN AFTER MIDNINGHT AND DAWN FRIDAY

Baal HaSulam. Study of the Ten Sefirot. Vol. 1. Part 2. Сhapter 1, item 6

TALMUD ESER SEFIROT

(The Study of the Ten Sefirot)

Part Two

Circles and Straightness, Containing Two Chapters

Chapter One

Explains the ten Sefirot of circles that appeared after the restriction, the light of Ein Sof that surrounds them, and all the light of the Sefirot of circles that is given to them through the line. It contains eleven subtopics:

1. The line is like a thin pipeline. 2. The expansion of the light of Ein Sof into the space. 3. The expansion unfolded slowly. 4. The circle is not attached to Ein Sof, but is connected to it through the line. 5. The light of Ein Sof surrounds and influences the circle from afar. 6. The line is called Adam Kadmon. 7. The order of expansion of the ten Sefirot of the circles. 8. The line connects all the circles. 9. Each world and each Sefira consist of ten inner Sefirot. Within each Sefira, there are ten additional Sefirot, and so on and so forth endlessly. 10. The Sefirot of circles envelop each other like onionskins. 11. The closer the circle to Ein Sof, the higher and better it is considered. Because this world is at the middle point, the farthest from Ein Sof, it is utterly corporeal.

The line is like a thin pipeline

1. This line ₍₁₎ is like ₍₂₎ one thin pipeline ₍₃₎, where the water of the upper light ₍₄₎ of Ein Sof expands and extends to the worlds in that place of space and air.

Inner light

1. The line that extends from the light of Ein Sof into the space after the restriction (see Part 1, Chap 2, item 2).

2. The vessels of the ten Sefirot of straightness are called a pipeline, or pipelines, because they confine the routes of the light that travels through them with great accuracy and control. They guarantee it will expand only through certain routes in those vessels.

They are like a pipeline that channels the water that travels through it accurately. They extend and continue from it in the same shape as inside the pipeline. If it is narrow, the water is narrow; if it is wide, so is the current, and it never changes.

For this reason, the lights that travel through those pipelines are called ten Sefirot of straightness. It is so because they expand in straightness (also honesty) and justly by the same rules as these pipelines.

This means that the more refined the vessel is, the greater the importance of the light that clothes it. This rule is unchanging because of the strong influence of the pipelines on them.

This power of control in the above pipelines is there because any desire in the upper degree is a compelling force in the lower degree, which is created by it. Therefore, the restriction on phase four, which is a free choice in the vessels of circles, becomes a compelling force in the vessels of straightness created by them. This force is called screen.

This is the meaning of the words in The Zohar (Tikkunim): “Invert ratzon [desire] and you will find tzinor [pipeline].” This means that when the pipeline is a screen, a controlled restriction, meaning when it detains its will to receive in phase four by the power of the upper one that controls it, it is the opposite of the substance of the vessel itself, namely the will to receive. That is because it detains itself from using its desire.

That is why they implied, “Invert Ratzon [desire] and you will find Tzinor [pipeline].” It means that the pipeline is opposite to the desire for it compels its desire and does the opposite of what it wants.

That is why you can find in all the teachings and the writings that when they want to denominate and emphasize the departure of the light from phase four, they call it restriction.

When we want to emphasize the power of the restriction that is added by the light of the line that did not expand to phase four, we define it as screen, which is a detaining force that prevents the light from reaching phase four.

When we discuss the vessel in general, meaning the vessel and the screen together, we define it as a pipeline. When discussing the light, the vessel, and the screen together, meaning the light that is clothed in the measure of the pipeline, it is defined as a line. And when we discuss a vessel that does not have a screen, we denominate it by the name circle.

3. The ARI’s precision with regards to the word “one” emphasizes the correction of the three lines that was performed in the world of Atzilut. It tells us that in the world of Adam Kadmon this correction is still absent, and there is only one line.

The reason for it is that the correction of the three lines occurred afterwards, in the world of Atzilut. This correction extends from the association of the quality of mercy with the quality of judgement. Here, however, we are concerned with the world of Adam Kadmon, where this association has not yet taken place. That is why there is only one line here.

The entrance of the light into the vessel of reception of the emanated is called expansion (see Table of Answers, Part one, item 14). It has already been clarified that the vessel of reception in this emanated being is called pipeline.

4. There is a specific value that discriminates between the degrees of the birth of the Partzuf. In that birth, the four phases of the desire are called by the names: light, water, firmament, and one hundred blessings (or one hundred gates). It happens because the lights change their places. Because of that displacement, the light takes the form of water.

The ARI tells us that the root of this state occurred with the appearance of the line: The light that expands as a line is considered to be water with regards to the upper light. For this reason he states precisely: “The water of the upper light of Ein Sof.” With the expansion of the upper light into the thin pipeline, the value of the light was greatly lessened from its value in Ein Sof, and it is therefore considered as water.

Expansion of the light of Ein Sof into the space. The expansion occurred slowly

2. When the light of Ein Sof extended as a straight line ₍₅₎ into the above space, it did not expand ₍₆₎ and extend all the way down at once, but rather expanded slowly.

I wish to say that in the beginning, the line of light began to expand, and right at the beginning ₍₇₎ of its expansion as a line, it expanded and extended and became like one wheel, ₍₈₎ round on all sides.

Inner light

5. A light that expands gradually, according to the laws of the four phases, meaning from refined to coarse and stops at phase four, is called a straight line.

6. Do not be mistaken and interpret the terms, “at once” and “slowly” that are used here, as times, for it is known that spirituality is above time. Therefore, “all the way down at once” means that there is no change of degrees. The term “slowly” refers to an order of degrees. He wishes to say that it follows the order of the four known phases, as he will explain henceforth.

7. This is the root of the expansion that was innovated, called a line. Because it is a new emanated being, it has a specifically designated root that shines upon it as its innovation. That illumination is called the Sefira of Keter of the line.

From this Keter, the light of Ein Sof expands to the line by way of the above four phases: phase one is called Hochma; phase two is called Bina; phase three is called Zeir Anpin; and phase four is called Malchut.

The ARI says with regards to this order that it expanded “slowly.” He says that Keter expanded first, Hochma next, and then Bina, Zeir Anpin etc. (see Answers Table part one, item 8, the meaning of the word, “afterwards”).

8. For the meaning of the word circle see Answers Table part one, item 41, and also Part One, chapter one, item 100. When the light of the line dresses in a circle, it is called a wheel.

The circle is not adhesive with Ein Sof, but is connected to it through the line.

3. This circle was not adhesive ₍₉₎ with the light of Ein Sof that surrounds it from all sides. That is because if it adheres to it ₍₁₀₎, it will return to its prior state, and will be annulled in the light of Ein Sof. In that case, its power will not be apparent at all, and everything will be only the light of Ein Sof as in the beginning.

Hence, this circle is adjacent to the circle Ein Sof and is not in adhesion with it. The connection and adhesion of that emanated circle with the emanating Ein Sof ₍₂₀₎ is done primarily through that line ₍₃₀₎, through which light from Ein Sof descends, extends and influences in that circle.

Inner light

9. That means that the entire light that is found in the circles comes only from what they receive from the line, which is regarded as a new illumination. Since that light has only three phases, it differs from the light of Ein Sof that encircles in the form of circular light.

That is why the ARI writes that it is not in adhesion with the light of Ein Sof. This means that the form of the circular light of Keter of the circles is not the same as the light in Ein Sof. It is so because equivalence of form means adhesion in spirituality (see Part 1, Table of Questions, item 12 and Part 1, Chap 2, Inner light item 1), and the term “cause” means the causing element.

10. If its illumination had been in all four phases as is light Ein Sof, its form would have been the same and in adhesion with Ein Sof. In that state it would be totally annulled in Ein Sof and completely indistinguishable.

20. The light that expands from Ein Sof to the emanated being is called direct light. This light is tied to the emanated being by a clothing of reflected light that rises from the screen upward through a coupling by striking (this will be explained later). This is called attachment because this reflected light that rises from the screen of phase four, from the straight line, holds and captures the upper light in the circle.

Thus, in a place where the reflected light does not clothe the upper light, the emanated being regards it as absent, because it cannot attain it without this clothing called reflected light. It is like a candle made of tallow; although its lighting force comes primarily from the tallow, still that light is not connected with it, but with the wick. When the wick burns down, the light burns out, although there is still a lot of tallow left.

30. The reason for it is that there is no screen in the circles that can raise reflected light. Without it the emanated being cannot connect with the upper light.

We learned that the vessel of the line is called a pipeline, and that it is much lower than the vessels of the circles that appeared with the first restriction, before the line appeared. That is why the ARI tells us that although the vessels of the circles are much higher than the line, they do not receive any light by themselves. Instead, they must receive all the light through the much lower line, for the above reason.

The light of Ein Sof surrounds and imparts to the circle from afar

4. Ein Sof encircles and surrounds it from all sides ₍₄₀₎ because it is also like a circle around it and far from it ₍₅₀₎. The illumination of Ein Sof in the emanated beings must come only through this line. If the light had come to them through their surroundings as well, the emanated beings would have been like the Emanator Himself ₍₆₀₎, without boundary (meaning unlimited) and ration (meaning unrestricted) ₍₇₀₎.

Inner light

40. We distinguish two kinds of light in each Sefira: inner light and surrounding light. The light that is clothed inside the Sefira is called inner light, and the light that cannot clothe inside it because of the boundary there, is considered to be remaining in its root. In that state the Sefira receives from it only an illumination from afar, called surrounding light.

The ARI tells us that although the circles are far from Ein Sof, meaning that there is a great disparity of form between them, still they receive from it an illumination from afar, called surrounding light. That light shines in two manners, namely in general and in particular. The term encircling relates to the general surrounding light, and the term surrounding relates to the particular surrounding light.

50. He tells us that this surrounding light that the circles receive from Ein Sof shines and surrounds them from all sides, meaning from all four phases. This means that even phase four, where the inner light does not shine, still receives an illumination from afar by means of the surrounding light from Ein Sof.

The reason for it is because Ein Sof “is also like a circle.” This means that the light of Ein Sof is called circular light because it does not discriminate between the phases, and shines and fills phase four as well. Therefore, its illumination reaches phase four of the circles as well, though from afar.

60. See answer 10.

70. The restriction and the screen that were placed on phase four, so she would not receive light inside, puts a boundary on the light. It limits its expansion, which stops on the boundary of phase four. What the emanated being does receive in general, diminished by the restriction, is called a ration.

The order of expansion of the ten Sefirot of circles. The line is called Adam Kadmon

5. That first circle is the closest to Ein Sof ₍₈₀₎, and is called Keter of Adam Kadmon.

Afterwards this line continued to expand, extended a little and became round once more ₍₉₀₎, turning into a second circle ₍₁₀₀₎ within the first circle. This circle is called the circle of Hochma of Adam Kadmon ₍₂₀₀₎.

Then it expanded further down, became round once more, and formed a third circle within the second circle. It is called the circle of Bina of Adam Kadmon ₍₃₀₀₎.

It continued to expand and become round in the same manner, finally reaching the tenth circle, called the circle of Malchut of Adam Kadmon ₍₄₀₀₎.

Thus we explained how the ten Sefirot ₍₁₎ were emanated as ten circles, one within the other ₍₂₎.

Inner light

80. We must understand the discernments in the names of the ten Sefirot. Sometimes we refer to them as four phases, sometimes we call them Yechida, Haya, Neshama, Ruach, Nefesh, and sometimes we refer to them as Keter, Hochma, Bina, Zeir Anpin (consisting of six Sefirot of its own), and Malchut.

When we refer specifically to the vessels, meaning only to the substance of the emanated being, we define the names of their ten Sefirot by means of the four phases in the will to receive. When we refer specifically to the light that clothes these vessels, we call them Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, Yechida.

Lastly, when we refer specifically to the vessels, but want to emphasize the records of the lights that they contain when they are emptied of their lights, we then refer to them as Keter, Hochma, Bina, Zeir Anpin, and Malchut.

The origin of the above ten vessels, Keter, Hochma etc., is back in the world of restriction, before the emergence of the line, after the departure of the light of Ein Sof from the ten Sefirot, when the vessels remained devoid of lights, and they are called ten circles.

It is known that although the light departed from them, there still remained a record in each and every circle from the light that it had. In other words, a very small illumination from the entire previous light was left in every vessel. This illumination produces in the vessel a yearning, so it will not rest and will not be at peace until it draws once more all that light it had before, both in quantity and quality.

This illumination is called a record. Know that the content of the names of the ten Sefirot, Keter, Hochma, etc. define primarily the records of the light that remained in the ten vessels.

From this you learn that there is not a single desire in the worlds, or even a slight awakening of a desire, both in the upper ones as well as in the lower ones, that is not rooted in these ten Sefirot of circles. It is true even with respect to the corporeal still, vegetative, animate and speaking. However, it is clearly impossible for any desire to awaken in some essence, if a sufficient fulfillment for that desire did not appear before.

We have already clarified thoroughly in the Part 1 of this book, that the will to receive is not the first reason for the light, or for its fulfillment, as people think. Quite the contrary, the light and the fulfillment are the reason for the desire. The will to bestow that is necessarily included in the upper light created the will to receive in the emanated being, because a desire in the upper one becomes a compelling force in the lower one.

Thus, the upper light became the reason for the occurrence of the four phases of the will to receive in the emanated being. These phases are the roots of all the desires that appear in the worlds.

Therefore, how can a desire appear without a reason, meaning without that upper light that begets it? It is tantamount to stating that there is some being in the world without a father and a mother that begot it.

You must also know that the entire reality and all the creations that are destined to come into the worlds, already exist in Ein Sof. Moreover, they exist there in their full glory and perfection, as it is destined to appear in the worlds.

Thus you evidently see that all the desires that are destined to appear, already appeared and were revealed in Ein Sof. They appear there in their perfect, complete state, and it is the completeness and the fulfillment, namely the upper light, that begot and revealed these desires. It turns out that the filling of the desire precedes the occurrence of the desire that is related to that fulfillment, and indeed causes it.

Now you can thoroughly understand the issue of the records that remained in the ten Sefirot of circles after the restriction and the departure of the perfection and the fulfillments that were in the above four phases that are called ten circles. These records mean that all the desires that filled them when they were in Ein Sof, and that they now lost, remained thoroughly imprinted and “recorded” in them.

For this reason, they necessarily remained longing and yearning for the fulfillments and the perfection that they had. This is what we call records.

We said above that there cannot be any occurrence of a desire of any kind, both in the upper worlds and in the corporeal world, that is not rooted in the ten Sefirot of circles. There are two roots that precede the existence of all the worlds after the restriction: The first is when every desire already exists in its full glory and grandeur. This is the reality that exists in Ein Sof. The second is when all the desires are completely emptied of the fulfillment that was related to them in Ein Sof. This root is called the world of restriction. All the vessels and the substance of the creations extend from the world of restriction. This means that they are only empty vessels and desires that have lost their fulfillments, and all the fulfillments of these desires extend from Ein Sof.

Remember these roots well, for they are among the most necessary to remember as we continue to engage in this wisdom.

90. Do not be misled into the interpretation that the word extends refers to a place and an area. Rather, anything that gains coarseness is considered as an extension from above downward, because the refined is considered to be above, and the coarse is considered to be below.

This is evaluated according to the closeness of form to phase four: the closer to phase four, the greater the coarseness it is considered to have, and the farther from it is regarded as being more refined. “Extends a little” implies that it gained some coarseness, and the word extends relates to the light of the line.

This issue of extension appears because in each and every Sefira, there are ten inner Sefirot, both in the ten Sefirot of circles and in the ten Sefirot of straightness.

When the ten Sefirot of Keter first emerged, the line appeared only with its three upper Sefirot. These are called Rosh of Keter of straightness, and their illumination expanded to the Sefira of Keter of circles, which consist of ten Sefirot as well.

These ten Sefirot of Keter of circles surround only the first three Sefirot of the ten Sefirot of Keter of the line. After that, meaning after the ten Sefirot of circles were fully completed, the line extended a little and expanded further down, meaning produced its seven lower Sefirot in order to complete the Keter with ten Sefirot of straightness.

Thus, these seven lower Sefirot of Keter of line extended downward, meaning became coarser than the ten Sefirot of Keter of circles. The reason that there are no Sefirot of circles around these seven lower Sefirot is that the circles are higher than them, meaning more refined, and you already know that higher means more refined.

You can understand the reason for it according to the above explanation (item 30) that the Sefirot of the circles precede and are much more important than the Sefirot in the line. That is because there is no screen in the circles, and this screen in the Sefirot of the line stands in the middle of each Sefira, meaning in the last phase of the Rosh of the Sefira.

In other words, it stands at the last phase of the first three Sefirot of the ten Sefirot of straightness. These Sefirot exist in each and every Sefira of straightness, and are called the Rosh of that Sefira.

It turns out that our statement that the screen is incorporated in the Sefirot of the line is true only in the seven lower Sefirot of each Sefira below the screen. However, in the upper three, called the Rosh, there is no screen, because they are above it.

Thus, these upper three are completely identical to all the ten Sefirot of circles in that they do not have a screen. For this reason, they stand at the same phase, and you find that the ten Sefirot of each Sefira of circles are the cause of the three upper Sefirot of each Sefira of the line.

However, the seven lower Sefirot of each Sefira of the line are much worse than the circles. Because worse is also regarded as lower, they are regarded as being lower than all the ten Sefirot of circles. There is not a single phase of circles that can be in the place of these seven Sefirot, because of the importance of the circles.

Thus it has been thoroughly explained how there is a vacant space between each two Sefirot of circles, the size of the seven Sefirot of the Sefira of straightness that stands there. That is because all ten Sefirot of circles of the Sefira of Keter surround only the first three Sefirot of Keter of the line.

However, the seven lower Sefirot of the Keter of line extend lower than every ten Sefirot of Keter of circles. At the end of these seven Sefirot of Keter of the line, the first three Sefirot of Hochma of the line begin to emerge, surrounded by the ten Sefirot of Hochma of circles.

Thus, between the last phase of Keter of circles and the first phase of Hochma of circles, there is a vacant space. That is where the seven lower Sefirot of Keter of the line are, meaning where the circles do not surround them. It is likewise between Hochma and Bina too, and between each two Sefirot.

100. We must be very careful here, so as not to be confused with imaginary descriptions of space and area in the straightness and the circle, which might trip us into this notion by a slip of the tongue.

As we continue, you should remember that straight illumination means that the light enters vessels that have a screen on phase four, and that rounding illumination means that the light enters vessels that do not have a screen on phase four.

You should bear in mind that although there is no screen on phase four in the vessels of circles, still phase four cannot receive any illumination from there after the first restriction. It is so because all the light in the circles must come from the illumination of the line, which is a straight illumination (see item 30), and the light of the line does not shine in phase four at all, since it is drawn from the power of the screen.

Thus, the absence of light in phase four of circles is not because of the vessels, since they have no screen at all. Rather, it is because of the first restriction that operates on them. Because the first restriction is not regarded as a disadvantage, all four phases of the vessels of circles are of equal degree, without any differentiation of small and great. Instead, the darkness that exists in phase four is due to the light that is received from the line, and does not shine there, as aforementioned.

Now you can understand that after the circles received the light through the line, there came about a differentiation of small and great in their degrees, and also in the ten Sefirot of circles. Zeir Anpin became greater and more important than phase four, namely Malchut, since there is no light in Malchut while in Zeir Anpin there is light as it is phase three.

Similarly, the Sefira of Bina of circles has a greater light than Zeir Anpin, since it is farther from phase four than Zeir Anpin, being that she is phase two. Thus, you should remember that all these degrees are created not by the vessels, but by the light of the line that they receive.

200. It has already been explained with regards to the names of the four phases, whose root, namely the will to bestow that is included in the upper light, is called Keter. The beginning of the expansion to the emanated being, meaning phase one, is called Hochma, phase two is called Bina, phase three is called Zeir Anpin (or the six Sefirot: Hesed, Gevura, Tifferet, Netzah, Hod, Yesod), and phase four is called Malchut.

It has also been explained that only when we speak of the first substance in them, we denominate them by the names of the four phases and their root. However, if these four phases are already included in the records, as they were in the world of restriction, they are called Keter, Hochma, etc.

Now we will explain why they are called by these names: The root is called Keter [crown] because it is not clothed inside the vessels of the emanated being, but rather surrounds and crowns it from outside its own vessels. The word Keter comes from the word surrounding. Phase one is called Hochma because the wisdom of the Torah extends from her, and all the various kinds of wisdoms that exist in the world, in their final form. Our sages have already defined that name well, when they said, “Who is wise? He who sees the outcome.” This means that at first glance upon a thing, the wise knows the outcome and the consequence of it. It means that he sees all the future effects that will emerge from it, to the last upshot of it.

For example, when you say that the doctor is very wise, it means that the doctor can vividly see all the possible implications that can come out of any illness. Also, when examining some remedy, he fully perceives all the ramifications of that remedy on the body of the sick.

Similarly, one who is wise in the conducts of nature, when observing some natural being, sees all the consequences that that being brings when it connects to the general reality. It is the same in every other kind of wisdom. It turns out that the meaning and definition of the name “wise,” or “wisdom,” refers solely to the ability to know the outcome of every detail and item in reality, to the last upshot.

From this you can also come to know the true meaning of the name Bina: All the power of Hitbonenut [lit. scrutiny/observation] so as to see the outcome of every item in reality, both in the holy Torah and in externality, extends from the Sefira of Bina, hence the name: Bina.

The name Malchut [kingship] indicates absolute authority through force and coercion that extends from it, much like one fears the king, hence the name: Malchut. The names of the rest of the Sefirot will be explained in their appropriate places.

Now we might ask: Bina should have come before Hochma, because the examination of the future and the desire to know it comes first. Moreover, they produce and cause the final perfection, meaning the knowing of the result in advance, called Hochma [wisdom].

Indeed, I have already explained to you that the order of the emanation of the worlds is the opposite of how we understand it: The fulfillment of the desire comes first and causes the appearance of the desire (see item 80). The perfection precedes and causes the appearance of the imperfection, for thus the degrees cascade and descend from Ein Sof, restriction after restriction, down to this world, the most corrupted.

300. See answer 200.

400. The first world, emanated after the restriction, is called the world of Adam Kadmon. It is also called the world of Keter. The four worlds: Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, Assiya, clothe this Adam Kadmon.

1. Although they are but four degrees, meaning the above four phases, they still have ten Sefirot. This is because phase three, called Zeir Anpin or Tifferet, consists of six Sefirot, called: Hesed, Gevura, Tifferet, Netzah, Hod, Yesod. The reason for it will be explained in its appropriate place.

You should be aware of the precision in Sefer Yetzira [Book of Creation], Chapter 1, section 4. It states as follows: “Ten and not nine.” This is something noteworthy indeed, for it has already been explained that all the illuminations of the Sefirot of the upper light, even in the circles which are completely even, do not shine in phase four, namely Malchut.

The name Sefira indicates light and vessel only when they are together, meaning when the upper light is clothed in the vessel. However, a vessel without light is not called by that name, for the name Sefira designates glowing and brightness.

Accordingly, it would have been plausible to think that Malchut isn’t a Sefira at all, since the upper light does not shine in her. For this reason, the author of Sefer Yetzira indicates and states precisely, “They are ten Sefirot and not nine,” because Malchut too is regarded as a Sefira.

The reason is that any connection of the upper light with the ten Sefirot happens specifically through the reflected light that Malchut raises by the power of the screen in her, from below upward (see item 20).

Thus, it is quite the contrary: Malchut is the most notable of the ten Sefirot, for without her, the light would not connect with the upper nine Sefirot. For this reason, Malchut is regarded as being all light (this will be explained further in its place).

2. (See Part 1, Inner light, Chapter 1, item 100)

The line connects all the circles together

6. What connects all the circles together ₍₃₎ is that thin line that expands from Ein Sof and passes ₍₄₎ and descends ₍₅₎ and extends ₍₆₎ from one circle to the next, down to the very last of them ₍₇₎.

The light and the abundance that each of them needs extends through that line.

Inner light

3. You have already learned that there is a cessation and a vacant place between each Sefira in the ten Sefirot of circles, as the size of the seven Sefirot of the illumination of straightness in that Sefira (see item 90).

However, there is no cessation at all in the ten Sefirot of the line. They begin at Ein Sof and expand to the middle point, which is phase four, called Malchut, the lowest point there is.

Thus, there is no cessation whatsoever between the first ten Sefirot that expanded from Ein Sof as a straight line, also called ten Sefirot of Adam Kadmon. That is why the ARI says that the Sefirot of the line connect the ten Sefirot of circles as well. The seven lower Sefirot in each Sefira of straightness connect the ten Sefirot in the upper Sefira of circles with the ten Sefirot of the lower Sefira of circles.

The illumination of the ten Sefirot of Hochma of circles that receive from the upper three of Hochma of straightness necessarily passes through the seven lower Sefirot of the Sefira of Keter of straightness. That is because GAR of Hochma of straightness must receive from the seven Sefirot of Keter of straightness, and impart to the ten Sefirot of Hochma of circles.

In the end, the seven lower Sefirot of Keter of straightness connect the ten Sefirot of Keter of circles with the ten Sefirot of Hochma of circles. The same conduct applies between Hochma and Bina and so on and so forth.

4. The line, which is an illumination of straightness, seemingly breaks through the tops of the circles, passes through the circles, descending and extending downward to the Sium, meaning to the middle point. However, this is certainly not about a place and an area.

To understand this, we must know that there is no occurrence of light in the worlds, both the upper ones and the lower ones, that does not extend from Ein Sof above the restriction. It must cascade and pass through all the degrees and worlds between that world, where the receiver of the revelation of that light is in, and Ein Sof above the restriction.

You already know that there is no absence in the spiritual. Thus, it is impossible to say that that appearance, meaning the renewed light that cascades down through the degrees, becomes absent in the first degree when it moves to the next, and becomes absent in the second when it comes to the third, as corporeal objects do when they move from place to place.

This is utterly impossible because there is no absence in spirituality. Instead, it necessarily stays in each degree as it passes through it. Moving between the degrees is like lighting one candle from another, where the first does not diminish its light in any way.

Thus, the appearance of the light that comes to a certain degree in the world of Assiya, is first given to all the degrees in the worlds between Ein Sof above the restriction and the receiver that is in the world of Assiya.

It turns out that the illumination of the straight line must pass through the vessels of circles because the vessels of circles preceded the line; they appeared immediately with the restriction. However, the vessels of straightness appeared later, with the line, which is why this illumination that passes between them never leaves there, as we have mentioned “There is no absence in the spiritual.”

You should also know that regarding the cascading of the light from place to place, there are two manners of remaining in the places of the passing: The first is “Permanent stay”: This means that it mingles and connects with the light that is already in the degree, and they become one, as though they were always one. And there is a second manner, which is only a “passing stay,” meaning that it does not mingle and unite with the light of that place and they become one. Instead, it exists there as a discernment of its own.

The ARI tells us that the light of the line that passes through the degrees of circles is not from the manner of a “permanent stay,” but from the manner of a “passing stay.” This teaches us that it does not mingle with the light of the circles to form one discernment, but is there as a discernment of its own. This is the meaning of the ARI’s precision regarding the word “passes.”

The reason for it is that the light in the line comes before the light in the circles, because the circles receive their lights only from the light of the line. That is why the light of the line is far more important than the light of the circles, and that is why it does not mingle with the light of circles.

The light of the line is called the light of Ruach, and the light of the circles is called the light of Nefesh.

5. Any expansion of the upper light to the emanated being is regarded as a descent. It means that as it expands it also becomes coarser. You already know that the more refined is regarded as above, and the coarser is regarded as below. Because the light gains coarseness as it expands, it also descends from above downward.

The reason for the increased coarseness that the light gains because it expands is that it expands by the order of the four phases: It begins with phase one until it comes and strikes the screen in phase four. It gains coarseness because phase one is the most refined, then comes phase two, and so on until phase four, the coarsest (see Part 1, Chap 1, item 50).

6. The illumination of straightness is expressed in the word “extends” and the illumination of circles in the words “becomes round” (see item 90).

7. Meaning phase four in the circles, called the “middle point.” It is also called “the material sphere in this world.”

The phase of Atzilut in the world of Adam Kadmon expanded first to this world. However, after the second restriction had been performed, called the world of Nekudim, the Sium of Atzilut Adam Kadmon rose to the point of the next world, whose place is considered to be above the world of Beria, as we will explain in its place.

Each world and each Sefira consist of ten inner Sefirot. Inside each Sefira there are another ten inner Sefirot, and so on and so forth. The Sefirot of circles envelop each other like onionskins

7. Each and every world has its own ten Sefirot. Each and every Sefira in each and every world consists of its own inner ten Sefirot ₍₈₎. They are like onionskins, one within the other ₍₉₎, as in pictures of wheels in geometry books.

Inner light

8. You can understand the reason for the above incorporation of the Sefirot according to the famous rule that “there is no absence in spirituality,” and any light that passes from one place to another retains its place forever in every phase it passes through (see item 4). Because each inferior Sefira emanates from a higher Sefira by way of cause and effect, the inferior one is considered to be passing through the superior one.

Consequently, all the Sefirot are necessarily incorporated in each other. For example, when the first two Sefirot appear, namely Keter and Hochma, the light of Hochma is compelled to exit Ein Sof, from which everything is extended. Afterwards, the light of Hochma must pass through the Sefira of Keter before it reaches the Sefira of Hochma, because Keter caused its emergence.

Because the Sefira of Hochma passed there, it acquired its place there, and now there are two Sefirot in Keter, namely Keter and Hochma. Similarly, after all ten Sefirot of the upper light emerged from above downward to Malchut, all nine Sefirot below Keter were compelled to pass through Keter. It is so because it was the first reason for the emergence of them all.

Hence, they all acquired their place there, as there is no absence in the spiritual. It means that all nine lower Sefirot are necessarily present in Keter itself, too, since they passed through there.

By the same principal there are also nine Sefirot in Hochma, because the eight Sefirot below it were compelled to pass through her, as in Keter. Also, there are eight Sefirot in Bina for the above reason, and seven Sefirot in Hesed and so on. In Malchut there is only one because she is the lowest.

We also know that Malchut raises ten Sefirot of reflected light from her upward, which clothe the ten Sefirot of the upper light, called the ten Sefirot of direct light. This reflected light is called the light of Malchut, because she has no other light.

This reflected light is referred to in all the places as ten Sefirot that rise from below upward (see Inner Observation, Part 2, Chap 6, item 66). It is written there that Malchut is regarded as the Keter of those ten Sefirot, because she is the reason for their emergence.

The one adjacent to her is called Hochma, and the third degree from her is called Bina, etc. In this manner, the more refined is also the smaller, until the real Keter receives only the Malchut of this reflected light.

From this you can deduce that these ten Sefirot from below upwards are all found in Malchut, because they pass through Malchut, as Malchut is their root. Thus, all of them acquired their place in Malchut, and you find that Malchut too consists of ten Sefirot.

Nine Sefirot pass through Yesod of reflected light, and thus there are ten Sefirot in Yesod: one from the upper light from above downward, and nine Sefirot of reflected light from below upward, which must pass through it.

The same manner applies in the ten Sefirot of Hod: two Sefirot from above downward, meaning the light of Hod and the light of Yesod that passes through it, and eight Sefirot from below upward. The same applies to the ten Sefirot of Netzah: three from above downward, and seven from below upward. The rest adhere to the same pattern.

Finally, after the emergence of the ten Sefirot of the upper light and the ten Sefirot of the reflected light, each of them necessarily contains ten complete Sefirot. The same pattern applies to every single inner item in them and every single item in the inner items, and so on and so forth, indefinitely. This manner of the above-mentioned incorporation is necessary, and there is nothing more to add here, and look in Inner Observation, where we elaborated on the subject extensively.

9. Meaning every upper one surrounds its lower one from all sides equally, without any discrimination of degrees (see above item 50).

The closer the circle to Ein Sof, the higher and finer it is considered. Because this world is at the middle point, the farthest from Ein Sof, it is utterly corporeal

8. In each and every circle within each and every world in the space, the closer ₍₁₀₎ it is to the light of Ein Sof, the higher and finer it is. You find that this earthly, material world, is the middle point, inside all the circles, within the middle of that entire space and the vacant air.

It is also utterly distanced from Ein Sof, farther from all the worlds. That is why it is so corporeal and utterly materialized, although it is the middle point, inside all the circles.

Inner light

10. You already know that the term “close” does not refer to a place, but to proximity of form. You also know that there are four phases of disparity of form, which consist of the ten Sefirot of circles from Ein Sof to the middle point.

The middle point is phase four, the coarsest of them all, and the first circle, called Keter, is regarded as instilling the root of these above four phases. Naturally, the circle of Keter is the most refined of all the circles as its form is the closest to Ein Sof. Phase one, which is slightly coarser, is farther from Ein Sof than Keter.

Phase two is even coarser and is therefore farther from Ein Sof than phase one. Finally, the middle point, which has more coarseness than all of them, is regarded as the farthest from Ein Sof.

We should not wonder about what we have said above (in Part 1, Chap 1, item 100), that there is no above and below in the circles, because here we refer to the circles after they received the illumination of the line inside them. It is that which created in them the above and below and all the other characteristics of the line.