READING: BETWEEN AFTER MIDNINGHT AND DAWN THURSDAY

Baal HaSulam. Study of the Ten Sefirot. Vol. 1. Part 3. Chapter 4, item 1

LESSON MATERIAL

Chapter Four

Explains that if the clothing of upper light is in the reflected light of the level of ‎Hochma, all ten Sefirot will be in the light of Hochma. If on the level of Bina, all ten ‎Sefirot will be in the light of Bina. If on the level of ZA, all ten Sefirot will be in the ‎light of ZA. If on the level of Malchut, all ten Sefirot will be in the light of Malchut. ‎Contains four issues:‎

‎1. When Ein Sof shines in Bina of Atzilut, it does not shine through clothing in the reflected light of ‎the screen of Bina. Rather, the light of the level of Hochma shines in Bina, too. Consequently, even ‎ZA that receives from Bina has the light of Hochma as well. 2. But in order to shine in the world of ‎Beria, it ‎clothes in the reflected light of the screen of Bina. Hence, all ten Sefirot are the light of ‎Bina, even the Keter and Hochma there. 3. In the world of Yetzira it clothes the reflected light of the ‎screen of ZA, and all ten Sefirot are from the light of ZA. It is the same in the world of Assiya: it ‎clothes the screen at the level of Malchut, and all ten Sefirot are in the light of Malchut, even KHB ‎ZA there. 4. The four letters Yod, Hey, Vav, Hey, imply the four worlds ABYA.

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When AK clothed to shine in Atzilut, it only clothed in the reflected light at the level of Hochma, ‎not in the reflected light of phase two, which is the level of Bina. Thus, only Keter disappeared ‎from that level, and Keter clothed within Hochma.‎

‎1. You should indeed know that when the Emanator wanted to shine in Atzilut, He ‎clothed in Hochma above Atzilut, and through the Hochma He clothes in, He ‎enters and shines in Keter and Hochma of Atzilut and did not have to clothe in ‎Bina above Atzilut, as well (1). He only clothed in Hochma above Atzilut, and ‎through her, He shines in the Keter and Hochma of Atzilut (2).‎

Inner Light

‎1. Here the ARI labored to explain the difference between the four phases of direct ‎light, called Hochma, Bina, ZA and Malchut, and the four phases of reflected light, ‎which are also called by the same names Hochma, Bina, ZA and Malchut. The ARI ‎has already explained (Chap 1, item 3 and in Inner Light, item 70) that the vessels of ‎Atzilut are made by the reflected light that rises to its place, where the the light of ‎Ein Sof itself is clothed, which are the four phases of direct light. You can see how ‎the four phases HB ZA and Malchut of direct light clothe the reflected light that ‎rises through a coupling by striking in the screen in Malchut of direct light.‎

You can therefore see that where it specifies the word clothing, it means that direct light ‎clothes reflected light. When he says that Ein Sof clothed Hochma it means that the four ‎phases HB TM of direct light that expand from Ein Sof, clothed the Hochma of reflected ‎light.‎

It means that according to the measure of reflected light that has the level of Hochma of ‎direct light, the reflected light of that level of Hochma clothes all four phases of direct ‎light, Hochma, Bina, ZA and Malchut, besides Keter of direct light, which is concealed in ‎the Hochma of direct light.‎

It is certain that the four phases of direct light that expand from Ein Sof also come ‎gradually by way of cause and consequence. That is because they emerge and extend from ‎one another, Hochma extends from Keter, Bina extends from Hochma, ZA extends from ‎Bina, and Malchut extends from ZA (see Inner Light, Part 1, Chap 1, item 50).‎

However, this is still not considered clothing. That is because the four phases of direct ‎light do not clothe one another, as it says, for example, that the upper light clothes in Bina ‎in order to shine for ZA. That is because clothing refers to the clothing of reflected light ‎that rises ‎through coupling by striking from the screen that is erected in phase four, which ‎is Malchut (see chapter 1, item 3 and Inner Light, there, item 100).‎

Here in Bina, there was no restriction and of course there is no screen there that is ready ‎for the striking of upper light into reflected light, so that ‎you say that the light clothed in ‎Bina of direct light in order to shine in ZA of direct light. Rather, this is called “in ‎passing.” It means that the light of Ein Sof that belongs to ZA of direct light necessarily ‎passes through the Sefirot of Bina of direct light, since she is the cause and the reason for ‎ZA of direct light. That ZA of direct light cannot acquire any light if not through its cause, ‎namely Bina.‎

However, this is not regarded as clothing in the screen of Bina, since there is no screen ‎there, as it says that there is a screen only in phase four, meaning in Malchut.‎

Remember the difference between the four phases of direct light and the four phases of ‎reflected light well, so that you will not be confused by the similarity in their names. ‎When we say Hochma of direct light, we mean the second Sefira following the Keter of ‎direct light, called Hochma. But when we say Hochma of reflected light, it means that ‎there is a coupling by striking involved, and ten Sefirot of reflected light that clothe the ten ‎Sefirot of direct light, meaning twenty complete Sefirot.‎

When they are all incorporated in one another, they are one hundred Sefirot. We call all of ‎them by the name Hochma of reflected light, because it designates the level of the ‎reflected light, and because it rises and clothes up to Hochma. That is why we call all one ‎hundred Sefirot by the name Hochma. Remember that, for it is the most important key in ‎this wisdom.‎

Much the same applies to Bina of reflected light, which is also twenty Sefirot, except ‎‎Keter and Hochma are concealed inside Bina. ZA of reflected light also has twenty ‎Sefirot, but Keter, Hochma and Bina are concealed inside ZA (see chapter 3, item 1).‎

The ARI wrote, “and did not have to clothe in Bina above Atzilut as well. He therefore ‎clothed only Hochma above Atzilut.” He wishes to say that for the purpose of the ten ‎Sefirot of Atzilut, He clothed the Hochma above Atzilut, meaning the Hochma of reflected ‎light (Inner Light, chapter 3, item 10), through a coupling by striking in the screen of ‎phase three in Malchut.‎

However, it did not have to clothe Bina of reflected light, meaning through a coupling by ‎striking in the screen of phase two in the vessel of Malchut. That is because the level of ‎Bina of reflected light belongs to the ten Sefirot of Beria and not to the ten Sefirot of the ‎world of Atzilut, where it clothes the level of Hochma of reflected light (see Inner Light, ‎chapter 3, item 1).‎

‎2. It means that it shines in the ten Sefirot of Atzilut at the level of Hochma. Since ‎Keter is concealed here inside Hochma, as written above, he includes Keter and ‎Hochma as one in this level.‎

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Bina passes the light at the level of Hochma through a window to ZA and Malchut, without a ‎second clothing in the reflected light of the screen of phase two.‎

‎2. Indeed, when He wanted to shine from Bina of Atzilut through the end of Atzilut ‎‎(3), He certainly had to clothe Bina of Atzilut as well (4). That is because ZA and ‎Nukva receive light only through Bina (5).‎

However, the thing is that Bina was helpful only as a passageway for the light of Ein ‎Sof that is clothed in the upper Hochma and passed through Bina to Atzilut (6). Bina ‎did not become a second screen and garment to shine for ZA (7), but rather the light ‎itself came through a window, without any screen (8).‎

Thus, even though it extended through Bina, it is not regarded as clothing, because ‎there is no screen there whatsoever. For that reason, what ZON of Atzilut receive is ‎the light of Ein Sof itself that is clothed only in Hochma.‎

Inner Light

‎3. Meaning from the Sefira of Bina of direct light to Malchut of direct light.‎

‎4. He did not use the term clothing here, as the ARI deduces immediately afterwards, ‎when he says, “even though it extended through Bina, it is not regarded as ‎clothing, because there is no screen there.” It has already been explained in ‎elaboration above, that the word clothing means that ten Sefirot of direct light clothe ‎the reflected light that rises through a coupling by striking in the screen. This is what ‎the ARI meant when he said that because there is no screen in Bina, it is not ‎regarded as clothing.‎

‎5. Bina is the cause and the reason for ZON, even in the four phases of direct light. ‎Consequently, every consequence must receive everything it has from its cause, as ‎explained above.‎

‎6. This has been thoroughly explained above.‎

‎7. It means that there is no screen there for the light of Ein Sof to expand upon for a ‎coupling by striking and raise reflected light in the level of Bina. This reflected light ‎at the level of Bina will become a second garment on the light of Ein Sof, in ‎addition to the first garment from the reflected light in the level of Hochma.‎

‎8. Look up the word window in the Table of Questions, item 30. In any place where ‎the screen acts to raise reflected light from below upward, the coarseness is called ‎window (see also Part 2, Inner Light, chapter 2, item 70). Here too the coarseness ‎operates from below upward, as the ARI says above (Part 3, chapter 1, item 3).‎

For that reason the ARI calls the coarseness of the ZA and Malchut phases by the names ‎window and narrow foramen (chapter 1, item 4). That is because the screens below the ‎level of Hochma operate only from below upward.‎

We should not compare this with what is explained in a different place, that there are five ‎Partzufim in the ten Sefirot of Atzilut as well. Indeed, there is a great difference between ‎them, as all these five Partzufim of Atzilut are five parts of the ten Sefirot at the level of ‎Hochma. This will be explained in its place and there is nothing more to add here.‎

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In order to shine in the world of Beria, the upper light clothes the level of phase two, which is ‎Bina. Thus, Hochma disappeared too, and Keter and Hochma became incorporated inside Bina.‎

‎3. However, in Beria, Ein Sof wears a different garment ‎in Bina of Atzilut (9). This ‎Bina becomes a “blocked screen” and a “complete garment,” by which all ten ‎Sefirot of Beria receive, even Keter and Hochma of Beria (10).‎

Inner Light

‎9. It means that the screen and Malchut refine to phase two, called Bina, and the light ‎of Ein Sof expands to coupling by striking on that screen and raises reflected light in ‎the level of Bina (see Inner Light, chapter 3, item 6). That reflected light is a ‎different and new garment over that light of Ein Sof, which greatly differs from the ‎garment of reflected light of Atzilut itself.‎

It is so because the garment of Atzilut comes from the striking in the screen of phase three ‎that extends the light of Hochma in the entire ten Sefirot. That new garment is from the ‎striking in the screen of phase two, whose level does not reach clothing the Hochma of ‎direct light, but only the Bina of direct light. For that reason, it has none of the light of ‎Hochma.‎

This coupling is necessarily done in Atzilut (see Inner Light, chapter 3, item 6), but the ‎entire ten Sefirot that clothe the garment at the level of Bina extend from the screen ‎downward and come to the world of Beria.‎

‎10. The reflected light first rises from the screen in Bina upward, meaning in the world ‎of Atzilut, and the Sefirot of Atzilut necessarily clothe this garment at the level of ‎Bina. Nevertheless, the coarseness and the blocking of that screen do not rise there ‎even a bit, since the coarseness and the blemish cannot affect the ones above them ‎in any way. Such a reception is called window and foramen (see Inner Light, Part 2, ‎chapter 2, item 70), meaning without any coarseness.‎

However, in the descending reflected light below the screen between Atzilut and Beria, ‎meaning in the ten Sefirot in the world of Beria, the force and the coarseness of the screen ‎is the entire root of the expansion of the light of Ein Sof in them. Hence, the screen ‎becomes a blockage and complete clothing that limits the light of Ein Sof from shining any ‎of the light of Hochma there, since it is the screen of phase two where reflected light does ‎not reach Hochma, but only Bina of direct light.‎

That is why the ARI writes that it became a “blocked screen,” that is, it blocks the light ‎of Atzilut, meaning the light of Hochma, from appearing in the world of Beria, even a bit. ‎It is so because this screen imparts to Beria from above downward, as we have said ‎above.‎

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The highest Sefira in any level of ten Sefirot shines in any ten Sefirot of that level, in such a way ‎that all ten Sefirot of the world of Atzilut receive the light of Hochma, and all ten Sefirot of the ‎world of Beria receive the light of Bina.‎

‎4. It turns out that Atzilut receives the light of the upper Hochma because Ein Sof is ‎clothed within her, and is therefore regarded ‎as receiving only from Hochma (20).‎

Beria receives the light of Bina because Ein Sof and Hochma are clothed within her ‎‎(30). For this reason, Beria receives only from Bina. This is the meaning of “upper ‎Ima nests in the chair” (40), because the chair receives light from the above Bina of ‎Atzilut, as it became a screen that separates ‎Ein Sof and Hochma from Beria.‎

Inner Light

‎20. Meaning only from the level of Hochma. However, Atzilut cannot receive from the ‎Keter because the screen of phase three operates there from above downward, as it ‎clothed phase three above Atzilut. Hence it became a blocked screen on the light of ‎Keter and is considered to be receiving only from Hochma.‎

‎30.‎ It means that Keter and Hochma are concealed within the level of Bina since that ‎reflected light does not reach them, but only the level of Bina. Hence Beria receives ‎only from Bina and cannot receive from Keter and Hochma, because the screen ‎blocks them, as it is above Beria.‎

This is the meaning of the words of the ARI, that a separating screen was erected between ‎Keter and Hochma and Beria. You should remember that Keter is called Ein Sof.‎

‎40. An intermittent illumination is called “nesting.” It is like a bird that does not always ‎sit over its chicks, but only sometimes. Because the above coupling of phase two is ‎not a perpetual illumination in the world of Beria, he calls it “nesting.” He says, ‎‎“upper Ima nests in the chair.” Read my book Panim Meirot ‎uMasbirot (p. 61) for ‎the reason why Bina is called upper Ima.‎

Bina of Atzilut passes the light of Hochma to ZON, and Bina of Beria passes the light of Bina to ‎ZON.‎

‎5. If you say: It follows that ZA and Nukva of Atzilut and Beria are all equal ‎because they all receive from Bina of Atzilut, we should say that we have already ‎explained that Zeir and Nukva receive the light of Hochma itself, for “you have ‎made them all in wisdom,” and Bina is used only as a passageway.‎

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After Atzilut, Bina becomes a screen and a complete clothing from the externality of ‎the vessel of Bina of Atzilut, and through that screen, all ten Sefirot of Beria receive ‎the light of Ein Sof.‎

ZA of Beria passes the light of Bina to Malchut.‎

‎6. Know that Beria too, although the light returned to clothe ZA of Beria, ‎nevertheless Malchut of Beria receives the light of Bina of Atzilut herself. ZA ‎does not stop her; it is only a passageway (50), such as in Atzilut. So it is in the ‎inner Yetzira from her and within her (60), and also in the inner Assiya from her ‎and within her.‎

Inner Light

‎50. As was explained above regarding Bina of Atzilut, the coupling was made in the ‎screen of phase two for Beria, and reflected light rose and clothed Bina. However, it ‎did not stop the light of Hochma with respect to ZA of Atzilut, which stands past ‎that Bina. It is so because the screen that operates from below upward does not ‎carry with the reflected light that rises by it any new boundary and coarseness to ‎those who receive from it.‎

ZA of Atzilut, too, receives from this ‎ reflected light, but it is not diminished because of it ‎to become unable to draw the light of Hochma. That is because reception by the power of ‎a screen from below the degree is called ‎ only a window and foramen, but it does not ‎block or limit anything.‎

It is so also in any screen in all the places, that the boundaries that are always made ‎because of the screens, these boundaries are apparent only to the receivers below the ‎screen, but not at all to the receivers above the screen.‎

This is the meaning of the ARI’s words, that “although the light returned to clothe ZA ‎of Beria” and made a coupling by striking in the screen of phase one, this reflected light ‎has the degree of ZA. Although Malchut of Beria receives from this reflected light, still, ‎because this screen operates from below upward, it does not limit Malchut of Beria so as ‎not to draw the light of Bina for herself.‎

It is so because “ZA does not stop her,” Malchut of Beria, through his screen from below ‎upward, for “it is only a passageway,” meaning as a window and not as a screen (see ‎Part 3, item 4 in Inner Light item 6). So it is in all other places too.‎

‎60. Regarding the reflected light that descends from above downward, whose conduct is ‎to broaden the screen and the vessel of Malchut until they expand to ten Sefirot from ‎above downward on their own, from Keter to Malchut (see chapter 3, item 5). This ‎expansion of Malchut is always referred to as expansion “from her and within her.”‎

It means that the one vessel called Malchut expands to ten Sefirot from her and within her, ‎and you already know that the limited ten Sefirot in all the worlds are made solely by the ‎reflected light that expands to them from above downward. Thus, these ten Sefirot are ‎called “the inner ten Sefirot from her and within her,” in Atzilut, in Yetzira and in Assiya.‎

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In the world of Yetzira, the upper light clothes the reflected light of phase one, which is the level ‎of Zeir Anpin. In the world of Assiya, the upper light clothes the reflected light at the root level ‎of the coarseness, which is the level of Nukva of ZA.‎

‎7. In order to shine in Yetzira, the Ein Sof becomes clothed in a complete garment ‎in ZA of Beria as well (70), and becomes a screen and clothing to Yetzira, by ‎which the entire Yetzira receives. In order to shine in Assiya, the Ein Sof ‎becomes clothed in a complete garment and screen in Nukva of Zeir Anpin of ‎Yetzira as well, and Assiya receives through it. This is the meaning of “six ‎Sefirot nest in Yetzira (80), and lower Ima nests in the wheel (90).”‎

Inner Light

‎70. The reflected light that expands from the screen downward is called a “complete ‎garment”, since it limits the lights that it clothes with its unique coarseness, so that ‎they will not be able to draw any light outside its boundary. However, the reflected ‎light that rises from below upward, even though it, too, is a garment over the ten ‎Sefirot of direct light, that garment does not limit the light it clothes in any way.‎

Hence it is regarded as an incomplete garment, and only as a root for the garment. The ‎issue of the expansion of ten Sefirot of Yetzira and Assiya has already been explained ‎above thoroughly.‎

‎80. ZA is called “six Sefirot” because of the absence of GAR KHB, and the absence of ‎Malchut. It only has the Sefirot HGT NHY, and the word “nesting” has already been ‎explained above.‎

‎90. Malchut of Atzilut is sometimes called “lower Ima” because Malchut of Atzilut is ‎the primary root for all those who are in BYA. The ARI names Malchut of Yetzira ‎the “lower Ima” after Malchut of Atzilut, since they are one root.‎

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ABYA are the four letters Yod, Hey, Vav, Hey. Yod is Atzilut, which is Hochma; Hey is Beria, ‎which is Bina; Vav is Yetzira, which is ZA; the last Hey is Assiya, which is Malchut.‎

‎8. Now you can understand why the four worlds Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, Assiya are ‎implied in the four letters HaVaYaH (100). Yod is Atzilut, Hey is Beria, Vav is ‎Yetzira, and Hey is Assiya.‎

The light of Atzilut is by the upper Hochma and is therefore called Yod (200). Beria is ‎by Bina of Atzilut, hence the name Hey. It is likewise with Vav in Yetzira and the ‎lower Hey in Assiya.‎

Inner Light

‎100. As he explains in the following, the name HaVaYaH consists of ten Sefirot. The four ‎worlds ABYA are ten Sefirot that include all of reality. However, even though each ‎and every world in and of itself contains inner ABYA and inner of inner, we must ‎still know that they are all arranged in ten Sefirot, implied by the four letters ‎HaVaYaH.‎

This is a very important piece of knowledge that should always be kept before the eyes of ‎the reader, since we must always deduce from the particular ten Sefirot to the general ten ‎Sefirot. They always have parallel properties and one is learned from the other.‎

‎200. Although Atzilut has only ten Sefirot, implied in the four letters HaVaYaH, because ‎the level of these ten Sefirot is up to Hochma, it is regarded as the light of Hochma ‎entirely. The Yod of the name HaVaYaH insinuates her, for the lights that are ‎smaller than Hochma do not bear their own name with respect to the important light ‎of Hochma, which greatly surpasses them. For that reason Beria is called only light ‎of Bina, and so do all of them, meaning after the names of the most important lights ‎in them.‎

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Consequential rule: The main difference between each two worlds in ABYA is according to the ‎screens in the four phases of the coarseness, HB TM.‎

‎9. We find that there is a consequential rule: Atzilut receives light only from ‎Hochma. That is because Hochma became a blocked screen between Ein Sof and ‎Atzilut.‎

Beria receives from Bina of Atzilut after the light of Ein Sof and upper Hochma ‎clothed inside her. It is called the light of Bina because she becomes a screen that ‎completely separates.‎

Likewise, Yetzira receives from ZA of Beria herself, and Assiya from Nukva of ZA ‎of Yetzira herself. Were it not for these screens and garments, they would not be ‎able to receive the upper light, except that each world is at a lower degree than the ‎other, as explained above (300).‎

Inner Light

‎300. It means that each world cannot not receive any light except for what the screen above it ‎gives it, as explained above.‎