Chapter Eight
(The Study of the Ten Sefirot)
Part 3
Explains that the four Behinot HB TM are like a person with a Neshama clothed in his Guf, and the Guf is clothed in a Levush, sitting in his Heichal. Hochma is the collective of the Orot in Olam Atzilut, and it is the Neshama of the entire Atzilut, called “the Upper Adam”. He is clothed in Bina, which is the collective of the Kelim called Guf de Atzilut. The Guf is clothed by ZA, which is a Levush and Malchut is the Heichal of them all. Containing four issues:
1. The four Behinot HB TM are called Neshama, Guf, Levush, Heichal. Olam Atzilut, where the Upper Adam resides, is a Neshama clothed in a Guf, Levush and the Heichal of the King.
2. Keter is a Shoresh to them. It is divided into four: Shoresh to Neshama is Hochma is Keter; Bina in Keter is Shoresh to the Guf; ZA in Keter is a Shoresh to the Levush and Malchut in Keter is a Shoresh to the Heichal.
3. All that was explained in Olam Atzilut is the conduct in Olam Beria as well, being that it is Ohr de Tolada. It is so because Beria was imprinted from Olam Atzilut. Thus, Keter de Keter de Atzilut imprinted Keter de Keter de Beria; Hochma de Keter imprinted Hochma de Keter de Beria etc. and so it is in all the Sefirot.
4. The Orot do not extend directly from Keter de Atzilut to Keter de Beria, for Olam de Beria does not receive but only through Malchut de Atzilut. Malchut de Atzilut imprinted everything that exists in Olam Atzilut in Olam Beria, and similarly in Olam Yetzira and Assiya.
1. We’ve already explained how all the Ne’etzalim are one Behina, containing all four rudiments, which are the four Otiot HaVaYaH, being the four Olamot ABYA, having a fifth, Upper Behina, between them and Ein Sof. Now we will elaborate on each and every Olam, in general, and afterwards we will return to explain all of them as one whole.
Everything that exists in Olamot ABYA is not more than the four Behinot HB TM, which are the Otiot Yod, Hey, Vav, Hey, and are Neshama, Guf, Levushim, Bait.
2. Everything that was created in all the Olamot is only four Behinot, which are HaVaYaH. They are: the spiritual (1), called Neshama, the organs of the Guf, the Malbushim, and the Bait.
Ohr Pnimi
1. This refers to the time when BYA are in completeness, when they rise to Atzilut, such as on Shabbat. At that time they clothe each other like the Adam Elyon who is Neshama and Guf and Levush, residing in the King’s Heichal.
The Ohr in Atzilut is the spirituality called Neshama, which is Hochma. The Neshama is clothed in Kelim de Atzilut called Guf.
3. We will speak of Olam Atzilut and from that the rest will be understood. The Pnimiut of the entire Atzilut is the spirituality, called Neshama. It is clothed inside the organs of the Guf, called Kelim, which are the Eser Sefirot called Rosh, arms and Guf (2).
Ohr Pnimi
2. They are names for the Eser Sefirot of the Partzuf: Rosh is the Sefira of Keter in it; the arms are HG: the Sefira of Hesed is the right arm, and the Sefira of Gevura is the left arm. The Guf is the Sefira of Tifferet, and from Tabur downward they are four Sefirot NHY and Malchut.
There are ten Kelim in the Guf, which are Eser Sefirot in the Gevul and measure that exist in Atzilut, which is Bina.
4. Let us return to the issue of the Guf (3): This Behina is Eser Sefirot, Eser Midot (pl. for Mida) because they contain a Gevul and a Mida, as it is written in Pirkey Heichalot, of the degree of 236 thousands of tens of thousands Parsas (a measurement unit) etc.
Ohr Pnimi
3. Relates to his above words (Chap 5, item 1), that Hochma is Neshama, Bina is Guf, ZA is Levush, and Malchut is Heichal. It has already been explained that there is no Gevul from the aspect of the Ohr. Moreover, it is not meticulous with the Gevul in the Kelim, which is why it performs Hakaa (see Chap 1, item 70 in Ohr Pnimi).
The Kelim that limit begin only from Bina downward. They are: Guf, Levush, Heichal, which are Behina Bet, Behina Gimel and Behina Dalet. Although Behina Aleph is Hochma, called Neshama, it is not regarded as a Kli, as the Rav writes, that Eser Sefirot de Guf are called Eser Midot. It is so because the Kelim that place a Gevul and a measurement begin in Behina Bet.
However, in Eser Sefirot de Neshama, meaning Behina Aleph, called Hochma, there is no measurement whatsoever. It is so because Behina Aleph is not regarded as Aviut, and therefore has no Kli and measurement.
And Guf de Atzilut is clothed in Levushim, and it is ZA, which clothes Bina.
5. This Guf is clothed inside the Levushim of Atzilut, as our sages said: “The Creator was clothed with ten Levushim: a Levush of pride, as it says “The Lord reigneth; He is clothed in majesty.” It is written in Pirkey Heichalot that the Haluk (robe) (4) of the Creator is called Zahariel there, but the Neshama inside has no Mida at all. However, when compared to Ein Sof (5), we can denominate them Midot and Sefirot relating to the Neshama as well.
Ohr Pnimi
4. It is Levush.
5. It means that compared to Keter, called Ein Sof, Hochma is also regarded as having Aviut, for Ein Sof does not have any will to receive, hence the name Behina Aleph (see Ohr Pnimi, Part 1, Chap 1, item 50).
The Levushim dwell within the Batim (pl. for Bait), which are the seven Heichalot (pl. for Heichal) de Atzilut, being Malchut. Altogether, it is considered that the Upper Adam, which is a Neshama that is clothed in a Guf, and the Guf in Levushim, are placed in the Heichal of the King.
6. These Malbushim are inside the Behina of the Batim, which are the seven Heichalot de Atzilut, which are the Behina of the Olam itself, being the heaven and earth and the Avir between them. All this is the Behina of the Batim and they are called Olam Atzilut, where the Upper Adam resides, who is a Neshama, Guf, and Levush Malchut placed in the Upper Heichal of the King, which is Olam Atzilut in general.
The four Behinot Neshama, Guf, Levush, Heichal, are HB TM. Keter is their fifth, containing the roots of these NGLH.
7. These four Behinot are the Eser Sefirot that begin at the above Hochma and have four Behinot. Then there is also the Behina of Keter, which is the fifth Behina, the Shoresh of them all, which contains the Shoresh of the above four Behinot as well.
Each of the four Behinot NGLH in Atzilutcontains Eser Sefirot HB TM. The Neshamain Keter is the Shoresh of the Eser Sefirot HB TMde Neshama in Atzilut, and Guf de Keter is the Shoresh to the Eser Sefirot HB TM de Gufim (pl. for Guf). The Levushim de Keter are the Shoresh to the Eser Sefirot HB TM de Levushim, and Heichal in Keter is the Shoresh to the Eser Sefirot HB TM de Heichalot.
8. It turns out that the Behina of the Ohr and the Neshama in Keter is the Shoresh of the Eser Sefirot of the Neshamot (pl. for Neshama) de Atzilut, which begin from Hochma. The Behina of the Guf in Keter (6) is the Shoresh of the Eser Sefirot of the Gufim (pl. for Guf) in the Eser Sefirot de Atzilut, which begin in Hochma. The Behina of the Levushim in Keter is the Shoresh of the Eser Sefirot of Levushim in the Eser Sefirot de Atzilut, which begin in Hochma. Behinat Heichal in the Keter is the Shoresh of the Eser Sefirot of Atzilut that begin in Hochma.
Ohr Pnimi
6. It has been written above that in Keter too there are the four Behinot called: Neshama, Guf, Levush, Heichal, which are HB TM, but as mere roots.
All that exists in Olam Atzilut is imprinted in Olam Beria.
9. Then Olam Beria was created by the very same way. That is because through the Masach (7), which is the Karka of Heichal de Atzilut, it illuminated downward and there imprinted everything that was in Olam Atzilut (8). It is called Olam Beria because it is Ohr of Tolada (9), and is not the Ohr Elyon itself. However, because it is a Hotam of Atzilut, it should have all the Behinot that are in Atzilut.
Ohr Pnimi
7. The Sium of the degrees in any place is only because of the Masach in their Kli of Malchut. Thus, the Hitpashtut of the degrees from Ein Sof to the Ne’etzal stops and remains “standing” from expanding when it touches the Masach. It is like standing on the Karka above it, where the Karka does not let it expand inside and within it. By the same manner, the Masach stops the Ohr from expanding inside and within it, hence the name of the Masach – Karka.
It has already been explained (Part 3, Chap 3, item 6) that Eser Sefirot de Olam Beria were created by the Hizdakchut of the Masach de Behina Gimel in Olam Atzilut into Behina Bet (see also Histaklut Pnimit, Part 2, item 72). It is written there that it illuminated downward through the Masach, which is the Karka of Heichal Atzilut, meaning because of its Hizdakchut, as it explains there.
8. It means that just as the Nechtam (stamped) does not lack any of the forms that exist in the Hotam, so all the forms in Olam Atzilut emerge in Olam Beria, hence the names Hotam and Nechtam. There is yet another most original reason: the entire Ohr Elyon that comes to Beria, comes because of that Ohr Hozer that ascends by the power of the Zivug de Hakaa on Masach de Behina Bet in the Karka from her and above in Atzilut itself.
That very same Ohr Hozer glittered once more and passed through the Masach, broadening the Kli de Malchut into Eser Sefirot from her and within her. It expanded in her from above downward (as thoroughly explained in Ohr Pnimi Part 3, Chap 2, item 3).
By that all the Behinot that the Ohr Hozer clothed in Atzilut from the Karka upward, returned, extended and came from the Karka downward as well. Thus, this Ohr Hozer is completely similar to a Hotam: everything that is imprinted off it is copied to its Nechtam.
Similarly, regarding that Ohr Hozer, all the Behinot and the measure that it clothed from below upward returned and brought them to Beria from above downward and copied them there in Beria without any change and lessening. For that reason this act is called Hotam and Nechtam.
9. This is the rule: in any place where this Ohr Hozer rises from below upward, the Atzmut of Ohr Elyon is clothed in that Ohr Hozer. This indicates the Hitpashtut of Ohr Ein Sof to make Kelim, which the Rav speaks of above (Part 1, Chap 1, item 1).
However, in a place where Ohr Hozer is considered to be expanding from above downward as it is in Eser Sefirot de Beria, this Ohr Elyon that is clothed here in this Ohr Hozer is no longer the Atzmut of Ohr Elyon. Instead, it is regarded as Ohr of Tolada, extending from the Ohr Elyon but it is not the Ohr of the Ohr Elyon itself.
The reason is that it extends by the power of the Masach that raises Ohr Hozer because of the detainment in it. For that reason, the force of the Tachton is already involved in it, and it too is limited in the measure of the Kelim and the level of the Masach, for the Masach precedes the Hitpashtut of these Eser Sefirot.
It turns out that the Masach is the reason that causes the appearance of these Eser Sefirot. As a result, the Ohr is limited by it, and is no longer the Atzmut of Ohr Elyon, but is regarded as Ohr de Tolada. However, Ohr Hozer that ascends from the Masach upward cannot raise any of its Aviut (see Part 3, Chap 4, Ohr Pnimi, item 50). Indeed, this applies from Olam Beria downward, but in Atzilut there is no Masach whatsoever. Consequently, any Ohr there, until Sium Raglin, is regarded as the Atzmut of the Ohr.
Keter de Atzilut imprinted the four roots of NGLH in Keter de Beria. From Neshama in Keter de Atzilut, the Neshama in Keter de Beria was imprinted. From the Guf in Keter de Atzilut, the Guf de Keter de Beria was imprinted, from Levush, Levush and from Heichal, Heichal.
10. It is because Behinat Keter, which is the fifth Behina that consists of the above Behinot, imprinted Keter in the Rosh of Beria as it is. From Ohr of Keter de Atzilut the Ohr de Keter de Beria was imprinted, and from the Guf of Keter de Atzilut, the Guf of Keter de Beria was imprinted. The Levush de Keter de Beria was imprinted from the Levush of Keter de Atzilut, and Heichal Keter de Beria was imprinted from Heichal Keter de Atzilut.
NGLH de Keter de Atzilut that extend to NGLH de Keter de Beria extend through Malchut de Atzilut that was clothed in Keter de Beria. The rest of the Sefirot de Atzilut that were imprinted in Beria were also extended through Malchut de Atzilut by the Zivug de Hakaa on the Masach in her.
11. However, these Orot did not extend from the actual Keter de Atzilut to Keter de Beria but through Malchut in Malchut de Atzilut, which is Atik de Beria, clothing Keter de Beria. She extended these four Behinot in Keter de Atzilut (10) and created them in Keter de Beria.
Eser Sefirot de Atzilut did similarly and extended their Ohr through the above Malchut in the above Keter. They imprinted a Hotam de Atzilut in Beria: Neshama from Neshama, Guf from Guf, Levush from Levush and Heichal from Heichal.
Ohr Pnimi
10. Because of that, Malchut de Elyon is called Nitzotz of the Creator, since it extends and emanates its inferior degree. It is written above that all the degrees and the Partzufim and the Olamot from Rosh de Kav to the end of Assiya emerge and are emanated from one another by way of cause and effect.
It means that Malchut de Malchut of every Elyon descends below her degree and extends to all four Behinot of the Tachton, as is explained in detail in Part 2, Histaklut Pnimit, Chap 5, item 59. (All these things should have been written here as well, had I not spared the costs of print).
Malchut de Beria came down and clothed Keter de Yetzira. She extended the Hotam of the five Partzufim KHB TM de Beria, which are NGLH to Olam Yetzira, Neshamot (pl. for Neshama) from Neshamot, Guf from Guf, Levush from Levush, Heichal from Heichal, as it is in Yetzira and Assiya as well.
12. Similarly in Yetzira, Malchut de Beria was Atik, connected with AA de Yetzira. There it was named Keter de Yetzira, and the five Partzufim de Beria extended and imprinted their Hotam in Yetzira by the same way as in Beria: Neshamot from Neshamot, Gufim from Gufim, Levushim from Levushim and Heichalot from Heichalot.
Similarly, the five Partzufim de Yetzira imprinted their Behinot in Assiya: Neshamot from Neshamot, Gufim from Gufim, Levushim from Levushim and Heichalot from Heichalot and so on by the same way, all the Olamot in general and in particular.