Chapter Four
(The Study of the Ten Sefirot)
Part 3
Explains the following questions: If Hitlabshut Ohr Elyonis Ohr Hozer at the level of Hochma, will all Eser Sefirot be at the level of Hochma? If it is in the level of Bina, will all Eser Sefirotbe in Ohr of Bina? If it is in the level of ZA, will all Eser Sefirot be in Ohr ZA? If it is in Malchut, will all Eser Sefirot be in Ohr Malchut? Contains four issues:
1. When Ein Sof shines in Bina de Atzilut, it does not shine through Hitlabshut in Ohr Hozer de Masach de Bina, but the Ohr of the degree of Hochma shines in Bina too. Consequently, even ZA that receives from Bina has Ohr Hochma as well.
2. But in order to shine in Olam Beria, it clothes in Ohr Hozer de Masach de Bina. Hence, all Eser Sefirot are Ohr de Bina, even the Keter and Hochma there.
3. In Olam Yetzira it clothes the Ohr Hozer de Masach de ZA, and all Eser Sefirot are from Ohr ZA. It is the same in Olam Assiya: it clothes in a Masach at the level of Malchut, and all Eser Sefirot are in Ohr Malchut, even KHB ZA there.
4. The four Otiot Yod, Hey, Vav, Hey, imply the four Olamot ABYA.
When AK clothed to shine in Atzilut, it only clothed the Ohr Hozer at the level of Hochma, not the Ohr Hozer de Behina Bet, being the level of Bina. Thus, only the level of Keter de Keter disappeared from that level and clothed inside Hochma.
1. You should indeed know, that when the Maatzil wanted to shine in Atzilut, he had clothed in Hochma above Atzilut, and is inside her through the clothing of Hochma. Then He had entered and illuminated in Keter and Hochma de Atzilut and did not have to clothein Bina above Atzilut as well (1). He therefore clothed only Hochma above Atzilut and illuminated in Keter and Hochma de Atzilut through her (2).
Ohr Pnimi
1. Here the Rav laboured to explain the difference between the four Behinot de Ohr Yashar, called Hochma, Bina, ZA and Malchut, and the four Behinot de Ohr Hozer, called by the same names Hochma, Bina, ZA and Malchut. The Rav has already explained (Chap 1, item 3 and in Ohr Pnimi, item 70) that the Kelim de Atzilut are made by the Ohr Hozer that ascends to its place, where Atzmut Ohr Ein Sof is clothed, which are the four Behinot de Ohr Yashar. You can see how the four Behinot HB ZA and Malchut de Ohr Yashar clothe the Ohr Hozer that ascends by Zivug de Hakaa in the Masach in Malchut de Ohr Yashar.
You can therefore see that where it specifies the word Hitlabshut, it means that Ohr Yashar clothes Ohr Hozer. When he says that Ein Sof clothed Hochma it means that the four Behinot HB TM de Ohr Yashar that expand from Ein Sof, clothed the Hochma of Ohr Hozer.
It means that to the extent of Ohr Hozer that has the level of Hochma de Ohr Yashar, the Ohr Hozer of that level of Hochma clothes all four Behinot de Ohr Yashar, Hochma, Bina, ZA and Malchut, except Keter de Ohr Yashar, which is concealed in Hochma de Ohr Yashar.
It is certain that the four Behinot de Ohr Yashar that expand from Ein Sof also come gradually by way of cause and consequence. That is because they stem from one another, Hochma extends from Keter, Bina extends from Hochma and Malchut extends from ZA (see Ohr Pnimi, Part 1, Chap 1, item 50).
However, this is still not considered as Hitlabshut. That is because the four Behinot de Ohr Yashar do not clothe one another, as it says, that Ohr Elyon is clothed in Bina in order to shine for ZA. That is because clothing refers to the clothing of Ohr Hozer that ascends by the Zivug de Hakaa from the Masach that is erected in Behina Dalet, which is Malchut (see Chap 1, item 3 and Ohr Pnimi, there, item 100).
Here in Bina, there was no Tzimtzum and of course there is no Masach there that is ready for the striking of the Ohr Elyon in Bina de Ohr Yashar to shine in ZA de Ohr Yashar. This is called “In Passing”. It means that Ohr Ein Sof that belongs to ZA de Ohr Yashar necessarily passes through the Sefirot of Bina de Ohr Yashar, since it is the reason for ZA de Ohr Yashar. That ZA de Ohr Yashar cannot acquire any Ohr if not through its cause, namely Bina.
However, this is not regarded as Hitlabshut in Masach Bina, since there is no Masach there, as it says that there is only a Masach in Behina Dalet, meaning in Malchut.
Remember that difference between the four Behinot de Ohr Yashar and the four Behinot de Ohr Hozer well, so that you will not be confused by the similarity in their names. When we say Hochma de Ohr Yashar, we mean the second Sefira after Keter de Ohr Yashar, called Hochma. But when we say Hochma de Ohr Hozer, it means that there is a Zivug de Hakaa involved, and Eser Sefirot de Ohr Hozer that clothe the Eser Sefirot de Ohr Yashar, meaning twenty complete Sefirot.
When they are all incorporated and mingled, they contain one hundred Sefirot. We call all of them by the name Hochma de Ohr Hozer, because it designates the level of the Ohr Hozer, 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 de Ohr Hozer, which is also twenty Sefirot except Keter and Hochma are concealed inside Bina. ZA de Ohr Hozer also has twenty Sefirot, but Keter, Hochma and Bina are concealed inside ZA (see Chap 3, item 1).
The Rav 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 Eser Sefirot de Atzilut, He clothed the Hochma above Atzilut, meaning Hochma de Ohr Hozer (Ohr Pnimi, Chap 3, item 10), but a Zivug de Hakaa in the Masach de Behina Gimel in Malchut.
However, it did not have to clothe Bina de Ohr Hozer, meaning by the Zivug de Hakaa in Masach de Behina Bet in Kli Malchut. That is because the level of Bina de Ohr Hozer belongs to Eser Sefirot de Beria and not to Eser Sefirot de Olam Atzilut, where it clothes the level of Hochma de Ohr Hozer (see Ohr Pnimi, Chap 3, item 1).
2. It means that it illuminates in Eser Sefirot de Atzilut in the level of Hochma. Since Keter is concealed here in Hochma, Keter and Hochma are included in this level as one.
Bina passes the Ohr at the level of Hochma through a Halon to ZA and Malchut, without a second Hitlabshut in Ohr Hozer de Masach de Behina Bet.
2. Indeed, when He wanted to shine from Bina de Atzilut down through the end of Atzilut (3), He certainly had to clothe Bina de Atzilut as well (4). That is because ZA and Nukva receive Ohr only through Bina (5).
However, the thing is that Bina was only useful in transferring Ohr Ein Sof that is clothed in Upper Hochma and passed to Atzilut through Bina (6). Bina did not become a second Masach and Levush to shine for ZA (7), but the Ohr itself comesthrough a Halon, without any Masach (8).
Thus, even though it extends through Bina, it is not called Hitlabshut, because there is no Masach there whatsoever. For that reason, what ZON de Atzilut receive is the Ohr Ein Sof itself that is clothed only in Hochma.
Ohr Pnimi
3. Meaning from the Sefira of Bina de Ohr Yashar to Malchut de Ohr Yashar.
4. He did not use the term Hitlabshut here, as he did immediately after when he said, “even though it is extended through Bina, it is not called Hitlabshut, because there is no Masach there.” It has already been explained elaborately above, that the word Hitlabshut means that Eser Sefirot de Ohr Yashar clothe the Ohr Hozer that ascends by the Zivug de Hakaa in the Masach. This is what the Rav meant when he said that because there is no Masach in Bina, it is not called Hitlabshut.
5. Bina is the reason and the cause of ZON, even in the four Behinot de Ohr Yashar. 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 Masach there for Ohr Ein Sof to expand for Zivug de Hakaa and raise Ohr Hozer in the level of Bina. This Ohr Hozer in the level of Bina becomes a second Levush on Ohr Ein Sof, in addition to the first Levush from Ohr Hozer in the level of Hochma.
8. Look up the word Halon in the Table of Questions, item 30. In any place where the Masach acts to raise Ohr Hozer from below upward, the Aviut is called Halon (see also Part 2, Ohr Pnimi, Chap 2, item 70). Here too the Aviut operates from below upward, as the Rav says above (Part 3, Chap 1, item 3).
For that reason the Rav calls the Aviut of the Behinot ZA and Malchut by the names Halon, and narrow Nekev (Chap 1, item 4). That is because the Masachim below the level of Hochma operate only from below upward.
We should not compare this with what is brought in a different place, that there are five Partzufim in the Eser Sefirot de Atzilut as well. Indeed, there is a great difference between them, as all these five Partzufim of Atzilut are five parts of Eser Sefirot at the level of Hochma. This will be explained in its place and there is nothing more to add here.
In order to shine in Olam Beria, the Ohr Elyon clothes the level of Behina Bet, which is Bina. Thus, Hochma too disappears and Keter and Hochma become incorporated inside Bina.
3. However, in Beria the Ein Sof puts on a different Levush than in Bina de Atzilut (9). This Bina becomes a “Blocked Masach” and“Complete Levush”, by which all Eser Sefirot de Beria receive, even Keter and Hochma de Beria (10).
Ohr Pnimi
9. It means that the Masach and Malchut purify to Behina Bet, called Bina, and Ohr Ein Sof expands to Zivug de Hakaa on that Masach and raises Ohr Hozer in the level of Bina (see Ohr Pnimi, Chap 3, item 6). That Ohr Hozer is a new and different clothing over that Ohr Ein Sof, which greatly differs from the Levush de Ohr Hozer of Atzilut itself.
It is so because Levush de Atzilut comes from the Hakaa in Masach de Behina Gimel that extends Ohr Hozer in the entire Eser Sefirot. That new Levush is from the Hakaa in the Masach de Behina Bet, which does not come to clothe the Hochma de Ohr Yashar, but only Bina de Ohr Yashar. For that reason it has nothing of Ohr Hochma.
This Zivug is necessarily done in Atzilut (see Ohr Pnimi, chap3, item 6), but the entire Eser Sefirot that clothe the Levush at the level of Bina extend from the Masach downward and come to Olam Beria.
10. The Ohr Hozer first ascends from the Masach in Bina upwards, meaning in Olam Atzilut, and Sefirot de Atzilut necessarily clothe this Levush at the level of Bina. However, the Aviut and the blocking of this Masach do not count there, not even a bit.
It is so because the Aviut and the blemish cannot affect their superiors in any way. Such a reception is called Halon and Nekev (see Ohr Pnimi, Part 2, Chap 2, item 70), meaning without any Aviut.
However, in the descending Ohr Hozer below the Masach between Atzilut and Beria, meaning in the Eser Sefirot in Olam Beria, the force and the Aviut of the Masach is the entire Shoresh Hitpashtut Ohr Ein Sof in them. Hence, the Masach becomes a block and complete clothing that limits Ohr Ein Sof from shining anything of the Ohr Hochma, for it is Masach de Behina Bet where Ohr Hozer does not reach Hochma, but only Bina de Ohr Yashar.
That is why the Rav writes that it became a “Blocked Masach,” meaning it blocks the Ohr of Atzilut, meaning Ohr Hochma from appearing in Olam Beria, even a bit. It is so because this Masach affects Beria from above downward, as we’ve said above.
The top Sefira in any level of Eser Sefirot shine in any Eser Sefirot of that level, in such a way that all Eser Sefirot of Olam Atzilut receive Ohr Hochma, and all Eser Sefirot of Olam Beria receive Ohr Bina.
4. It turns out that Atzilut receives the Ohr of the Upper Hochma because Ein Sof is clothed within her, and is therefore not regarded as receiving from Hochma alone (20).
Beria receives the Ohr of Bina because Ein Sof and Hochma are clothed within her (30). For that reason, Beria doesreceive but only from Bina. This is the meaning of “Upper Ima nests in Kursaya” (40), because Kursaya receives Ohr from the above Bina de Atzilut, as it became a separating Masach between Ein Sof, Hochma, and Beria.
Ohr Pnimi
20. Meaning only from Hochma. However, he cannot receive from Keter de Atzilut because the Masach de Behina Gimel operates there from above downward, as it clothed Behina Gimel above Atzilut. Hence it became a blocked Masach on Ohr Keter and is considered to be receiving only from Hochma.
30. It means that Keter and Hochma are concealed in the level of Bina since that Ohr Hozer 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 Masach blocks them as it is above Beria.
This is the meaning of the words of the Rav, that a separating Masach was erected between Keter and Hochma and Beria. You should remember that Keter is called Ein Sof.
40. An intermittent He’arah is called “nesting”. It is like a bird that does not always sit over its chicks, but only sometimes. Because the above Zivug de Behina Bet is not a perpetual He’arah in Olam Beria, he calls it “nesting”. He says, “Upper Ima nests in Kursaya.” Read my book Panim Meirot u Masbirot” p. 61 for the reason why Bina is called Upper Ima.
Bina de Atzilut passes Ohr Hochma to ZON, and Bina de Beria passes Ohr Bina to ZON.
5. If you say: It turns out that ZA and Nukva de Atzilut and Beria are equal because they all receive from Bina de Atzilut, then we should also say that we have already explained that Zeir and Nukva receive the Ohr Hochma itself, for “In wisdom hast Thou made them all,” and Bina is used only as a passage.
After Atzilut, Bina becomes a Masach and complete clothing from the Hitzoniut de Kli de Bina de Atzilut, and through that Masach, all Eser Sefirot de Beria receive the Ohr Ein Sof.
ZA de Beria passes Ohr Bina to Malchut.
6. Know that Beria too, although the Ohr returned to clothe ZA of Beria, still Malchut of Beria receives the Ohr of Bina de Atzilut herself. ZA permits her only an isolated passage (50), such as in Atzilut, as it is also in the inner Yetzira from her andwithin her (60), and also in the inner Assiya from her and within her.
Ohr Pnimi
50. As was explained above regarding Bina de Atzilut, the Zivug was made in Masach de Behina Bet for Bina’s needs and Ohr Hozer rose and clothed Bina. However, it did not stop the Ohr Hochma toward ZA de Atzilut, which stands passed that Bina. It is so because the Masach that operates from below upward does not carry with the Ohr Hozer that ascends by it any new Gevul and Aviut to those who receive from it.
ZA de Atzilut too receives from this Ohr Hozer, but it does not diminish because of it, so as to become unable to extend Ohr Hochma. That is because reception by the power of a Masach from below the degree is called a Halon and Nekev, but it does not block or limit anything.
It is so also in any Masach in any place, for the borders are always created by the Masachim. However, these borders are never apparent except to the receivers below the Masach, but not at all to the receivers above the Masach.
This is the meaning of the Rav’s words, that “although the Ohr returned to clothe ZA of Beria” and made a Zivug de Hakaa in Masach de Behina Aleph, this Ohr Hozer has the degree of ZA. Although Malchut de Beria receives from this Ohr Hozer, still, because this Masach operates from below upward, it does not limit Malchut de Beria so as not to draw the Ohr de Bina for herself.
It is so because “ZA permits her” - Malchut de Beria, through his Masach from below upward, for he is “only an isolated passage,” meaning a Halon and not a Masach (see Part 3, item 4 in Ohr Pnimi item 6). So it is in all other places too.
60. Regarding the Ohr Hozer that descends from above downward, whose conduct is to widen the Masach and the Kli de Malchut until they expand to Eser Sefirot from above downward on their own, from Keter to Malchut (see Chap 3, item 5). This Hitpashtut of Malchut is always referred to as Hitpashtut “from her and within her”.
It means that the Kli called Malchut expands to Eser Sefirot from her and within her, and you already know that the limited Eser Sefirot in all the Olamot are made solely by the Ohr Hozer that expands to them from above downward. Thus, these Eser Sefirot are called “the inner Eser Sefirot from her and within her”, in Atzilut, in Yetzira and in Assiya.
In Olam Yetzira, Ohr Elyon clothes Ohr Hozer de Behina Aleph, which is the level of Zeir Anpin, and in Olam Assiya, the Ohr Elyon clothes the Ohr Hozer at the Shoresh level of the Aviut, which is the level of Nukva de ZA.
7. In order to shine in Yetzira, the Ein Sof becomes clothed in a complete Levush in ZA de Beria as well (70), and becomes a Masach and clothing to Yetzira, by which the entire Yetzira receives. In order to shine in Assiya, the Ein Sof becomes clothed with a complete Levush and Masach in Nukva de Zeir Anpin de Yetzira as well, and Assiya receives through him. This is the meaning of “six Sefirot nest in Yetzira (80), and Lower Ima nests in the wheel (90).”
Ohr Pnimi
70. The Ohr Hozer that expands from the Masach downward is called “complete Levush” since it limits the Orot from clothing by means of its special Aviut, so that they cannot descend past its Gevul. However, Ohr Hozer that ascends from below upward, even though it is a Levush over the Eser Sefirot de Ohr Yashar as well, that Levush does not limit the Ohr it clothes in any way.
Hence it is regarded as incomplete Levush, and only as a Shoresh for Levush. The issue of the Hitpashtut of Eser Sefirot de 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 de Atzilut is sometimes called “Lower Ima” because Malchut de Atzilut is the primary Shoresh for all those who are in BYA. The Rav names Malchut de Yetzira the “Lower Ima” after Malchut de Atzilut, since they are one Shoresh.
ABYA are the four Otiot Yod, Hey, Vav, Hey. Yod is Atzilut, namely Hochma; Hey is Beria, namely Bina; Vav is Yetzira, namely ZA; the last Hey is Assiya, which is Malchut.
8. Now you can understand why the four Olamot Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, Assiya are implied in the four Otiot HaVaYaH (100). Yod is Atzilut, Hey is Beria, Vav is Yetzira and Hey is Assiya.
The Ohr of Atzilut is by the Upper Hochma and is therefore called Yod (200). Beria is by Bina de Atzilut, hence the name Hey. Also, Vav in Yetzira and lower Hey in Assiya.
Ohr Pnimi
100. As he explains in the following, the name HaVaYaH consists of Eser Sefirot. The four Olamot ABYA are Eser Sefirot that contain the entire reality. However, even though each and every Olam in and of itself contains particular ABYA and ABYA inside the particular, we must still know that they are all arranged in Eser Sefirot, implied by the four Otiot HaVaYaH.
This is very important information that should always be kept before the eyes of the reader, since we must always deduce from the particular Eser Sefirot to the general Eser Sefirot. They always have parallel properties and one is deduced from the other.
200. Although Atzilut has only Eser Sefirot, implied in the four Otiot HaVaYaH, because the level of these Eser Sefirot is up to Hochma, it is regarded as Ohr Hochma entirely. The Yod of the name HaVaYaH insinuates her, for the Orot that are smaller than Hochma do not bear their own name with respect to the important Hochma, which greatly surpasses them. For that reason Beria is only called Ohr Bina, and so do all of them, meaning after the names of the most important Orot in them.
Consequential rule: The main difference between each two Olamot in ABYA is the Masachim in the four Behinot of the Aviut, HB TM.
9. We find that there is a consequential rule: Atzilut receives Ohr only from Hochma. That is because Hochma became a blocked Masach between Ein Sof and Atzilut.
Beria receives from Bina de Atzilut after Ohr Ein Sof and Upper Hochma clothed inside her. It is called Ohr Bina because she becomes a Masach that completely separates.
Yetzira receives from ZA de Beria herself, and Assiya from Nukva de ZA de Yetzira herself. Had it not been for these Masachim and Levushim (pl. for Levush), they would not have been able to receive Ohr Elyon, though each Olam is at a lower degree than the other, as explained above (300).
Ohr Pnimi
300. It means that each Olam does not receive any Ohr, except what the Masach above it gives it, as explained above.