Table of Questions and Answers for the Meaning of the Words
(The Study of the Ten Sefirot)
Part 6
1. Aleph in the Vav de SAG?
2. What are Otiot?
3. What are AHP in their Place?
4. What is Butzina de Kardinuta?
5. What is the Fissuring of the Parsa?
6. What is One Over the Other?
7. What is Holam?
8. What is Taffel?
9. What is “Coming out Strongly”?
10. What are Twenty-two Otiot?
11. What are Male Mayim Elyonim?
12. What are Female Mayim Tachtonim?
13. What is Melafom?
14. What is Mazla?
15. What is Mayin Nukvin?
16. What is Death?
17. What is Upper Nekudot?
18. What are Nekudot Under the Otiot?
19. What is Nitzotz de Kardinuta?
20. What are Nikvey Eynaim?
21. What are Nikvey Awzen?
22. What is the Opening of the Eynaim?
23. What is Parsa?
24. What is Tzimtzum Bet?
25. What are Tzipornaim of the Raglaim?
26. What is Separating Rakia?
27. What is Shuruk?
28. What are Se’arot Rosh?
29. What are Se’arot Dikna?
30. What is Shibolet ha Zakan?
1. What is Aleph in the Vav de SAG?
There are two Shorashim for the Otiot Yod and Aleph. Indeed, the Yod is considered the genuine Shoresh of the Otiot, since when we want to write any Ot, we begin with Yod, meaning with a point. When we stretch the point sideways and down, the desired Ot appears. Thus, the Yod is the Shoresh of each and every Ot. Despite that, the Aleph heads all twenty-two Otiot.
The thing is that the Otiot in their Upper Shoresh are Kelim for the reception of the Shefa. It is known that Hitpashtut Ohr and its Histalkut cause the making of the Kelim. This is so because the Kelim are made of the Reshimot that remain after the Histalkut Ohr.
From that you will understand that the Shoresh of all sorts of departures is the Shoresh to the Kelim, being the Otiot. It is known that the first Tzimtzum is the Shoresh of any Histalkut in the Olamot. Hence, the Nekuda of Tzimtzum, being the Yod, is considered the Shoresh of all the Otiot.
However, it is known that Tzimtzum Aleph is still not considered the Shoresh of the Olamot, only the Shoresh de Shoresh, because the real Shoresh of the Olamot is Tzimtzum Bet. The difference between them is that Tzimtzum Aleph was only on a single Nekuda, namely Behina Dalet, which is Malchut, the lower Hey. Tzimtzum Bet, however, was also on Bina, meaning the two Nekudot joined in this Tzimtzum, the Nekuda of Malchut and the Nekuda of Bina, which is the association of Midat ha Rachamim with Din.
It is known that connecting two Nekudot together creates a Kav, longitudinally or across. Hence, Tzimtzum Bet is called a Kav, because of the two Nekudot that joined in this Tzimtzum, as it says, “and they two went.” Because of that it is called Rakia, or Parsa, which is like a Kav laid across, separating the Elyonim from the Tachtonim.
It has been explained inside the book that the primary innovation that occurred in Tzimtzum Bet is the matter of the division of the Eser Sefirot into two Behinot in all the degrees. This is because Bina, ZA and Malchut of every degree went out of the degree and acquired the value of its inferior degree. Thus, from a single degree, an upper and lower were made, where Keter and Hochma became the upper, and Bina, ZA and Malchut became a lower degree to Keter and Hochma.
These two innovations, which are the connection of the two points together like a line and the division of the degree into upper and lower manifest in the shape of the Aleph(א): the connection of the two points in the Tzimtzum is the line of the Aleph in this manner – (). The upper Behina of each degree is the Yod(י) over the Kav, containing Keter and Hochma of the degree, as Mayim Elyonim, like this (). The lower Behina of each degree is the lower Yod below the Kav, containing Bina, ZA and Malchut, which became the Tachtonim, meaning Mayim Tachtonim, like this ().
Thus, you can see how there are two Shorashim to the Olamot: the Yod is the first Shoresh, made in the first Tzimtzum only on the point of Malchut, and the Aleph is the second Shoresh, made in Tzimtzum Bet on the two points Bina and Malchut together.
The first Tzimtzum is a far Shoresh from the Olamot, and only Tzimtzum Bet is considered the Shoresh of the Olamot. Hence, the Yod is not considered the Shoresh of the Olamot, until it is fit to head all the twenty-two Otiot.
Only the Ot Aleph is considered the Shoresh of all the Otiot, since it is regarded as Tzimtzum Bet, being the true Shoresh to the Olamot. Hence, the Aleph is at the head of the twenty-two Otiot, and the Yod is considered a primordial Shoresh, serving the Otiot in hiding.
Now you can understand the meaning of the four fulfillments operating in the Name HaVaYaH. They are: AB – Yod, Hey, Viv, Hey; SAG – Yod, Hey, Vav, Hey; MA – Yod, He, Vv, He; BON – Yod, Heh, Vav, Heh.
The primary difference is whether the Kelim come from Tzimtzum Aleph, or from Tzimtzum Bet. Fulfilling the Otiot with Yodin indicates that they come primarily from Tzimtzum Aleph, and fulfilling the Otiot with Alephin indicates that they come from Tzimtzum Bet.
Now you can see that if all the Otiot de HaVaYaH are fulfilled with Yodin, being HaVaYaH de AB, then the Kelim of that Partzuf have nothing of Behinat Tzimtzum Bet, only Tzimtzum Aleph. Conversely, if the Otiot are filled with Alephin, which is Gimatria MA, then the Kelim of that Partzuf have nothing of Behinat Tzimtzum Aleph, only Tzimtzum Bet.
However, in HaVaYaH de SAG the Otiot are not filled equally, as they are all with Yodin except for the Vav de HaVaYaH, which is with Aleph.
The reason for it is that HaVaYaH is also divided into four Partzufim, which are: Hochma, Bina, ZA and Malchut, by the order of her Otiot. Thus, the Vav in her is Behinat ZA de Partzuf SAG.
It is known that Tzimtzum Bet was only in Partzuf SAG, not in the first two Partzufim in her, being YH, meaning Hochma and Bina in her, but only in ZA in her, standing below Tabur de SAG (see Histaklut Pnimit item 15).
Thus, the beginning of the Shoresh of the Aleph, meaning Tzimtzum Bet, was not in YH de SAG, only in the Vav de SAG. Hence the YH de SAG are filled with Yodin as in HaVaYaH de AB, but the Vav de SAG is filled with the Aleph, as Tzimtzum Bet is unapparent at all before ZA de SAG.
The matter of HaVaYaH fulfilled with Heyin indicates that she lacks the fulfillment, but receives from her Upper Partzuf. Hence she is only double HaVaYaH, for two HaVaYot are BON in Gimatria.
The reason for it is that the fulfillment indicates the measure of the Koma extending by the Zivug of the Ohr Elyon on the Masach there. The Masach in Partzuf ZA, being in Aviut de Behina Aleph, extends the Ohr for Malchut too, whose Masach is very frail. It doesn’t have sufficient Aviut for Zivug de Hakaa with the Ohr Elyon, hence she lacks the fulfillment of her Behina. All she has is double HaVaYaH, indicating the part of ZA in her.
Now you can see why Hochma and Bina are not considered the Shoresh of the Olam, and the Olam begins only in ZA. This is the meaning of the six days of creation, as their Kelim contain only from Behinat Tzimtzum Aleph. Thus, only ZA, being Behinat HaVaYaH de MA with fulfillment of Alephin, meaning Tzimtzum Bet, is the Shoresh for all the Olamot.
2. What are Otiot?
See answer No. 1.
3. What are AHP in their Place?
The first three Tikkunim of the thirteen Tikkunim of Dikna are called “AHP in their Place”. It means that they did not come out from the Behinot Rosh, and they are Behinot GE de Rosh of the Dikna. They are named AHP only with respect to Rosh de SAG.
(Part 6, item 20)
4. What is Butzina de Kardinuta?
Butzina means illumination and Kardinuta means hardness or darkness. It implies the lower Hey, meaning Behina Dalet. This is the meaning of the lower Hey in the Eynaim in Keter de Nekudim, whose He’arah is uncovered. It is the Nekuda inside the Vav, meaning the Melafom that poured Yesod de AK to HB de Nekudim. Only the Vav actually appeared, but the Nekuda is concealed in it. This means that Butzina de Kardinuta is concealed in Yesod de Ima.
(Part 6, item 37)
5. What is the Fissuring of the Parsa?
The fissuring of the Parsa implies the annulment of the Gevul in her, separating between Keter Hochma, and Bina and ZON inside the Toch of the degree. Through the fissuring, Bina and ZON return to the degree as in the beginning.
(Part 6, item 15)
6. What is One Over the Other?
One Over the Other means that the Sefirot stand by themselves and cannot receive or bestow upon each other. This is due to the disparity of form between each and every one of them, separating them from one another. In that state they stand one over the other according to the order of degrees; the Panim of the Tachton in the Achor de Elyon.
For instance: ZA, whose Panim is Behina Aleph, equalizes with the Achor de Bina, who is also Behina Aleph. Also, Panim of Bina, being Behina Bet, equalizes with Achor de Hochma, which is also Behina Bet, etc. similarly. In that state they are opposite from one another and separated from one another.
(Part 4, Chap 3, Ohr Pnimi item 30)
7. What is Holam?
The Nekudot indicate primarily the He’arat Zivug emerging by the force of the connection of the lower Hey with the first Hey, called Nekudot.
There are three Behinot in that:
1. When the lower Hey is in Keter de Nekudim in the form of Lower Hey in the Eynaim and YHV in the AHP. In that state she is called Holam, which is above the Otiot YHV.
It is so because Ohr Keter is not poured to the HB from Behinat lower Hey, but only from Behinat first Hey.
2. As Nekudot under the Otiot YHV, which are the Kelim of HB. This is by the Upper Zivug of AB and SAG, lowering the lower Hey from the Eynaim to the Peh in the form of Kamatz under the Otiot.
Even now the lower Hey is concealed in the Kamatz, which is Behinat Yesod de Keter, and the YHV still have no He’arat lower Hey.
3. In the form of Nekudot inside the Otiot de YHV. This is by the He’arat Yesod de AK on the Behinat Melafom, where the Nekuda de lower Hey is inside the Vav.
This He’arah comes inside the Otiot de YHV, which are HB, from which elicit the Lower Seven de Nekudim.
(Part 6, item 31, and Histaklut Pnimit item 19)
8. What is Taffel?
The first Sefira in every degree contains all the Behinot below it. Hence, the Upper Behina is always considered the kernel of the degree, compared to which all other Behinot are secondary, and do not merit a name.
(Part 6, item 8)
9. What is “Coming out Strongly”?
The greater the Aviut in the Masach, the more strongly the Ohr comes out. If the Aviut is frail, the Ohr does not come out strongly, meaning there is little Ohr Hozer, and the Komat Ohr it extends does not expand downward. Since the lower Hey connected with the Nikvey Eynaim, the Orot there are found to be coming out forcefully, expanding downward.
(Part 6, item 11)
10. What are Twenty-two Otiot?
The Otiot are the Kelim where the Atzmut clothes. They contain twenty-two heads of discernments, from which all the Partzufim are built. They are called, twenty-two Otiot. See answer No. 1.
(Part 6, item 53)
11. What are Male Mayim Elyonim?
See answer No. 1.
It explains there that Keter of the Nekudim is the Mayim Elyonim above the Rakia, which is the Parsa. HB de Nekudim is the Mayim Tachtonim under the Rakia.
It is known that Keter is the Zachar, and HB is its Nekeva (Ohr Pnimi item 23). Thus, Mayim Elyonim are considered Zachar, and Mayim Tachtonim, being HB, are Behinat Nekeva.
(Part 6, item 9)
12. What are Female Mayim Tachtonim?
See answers No. 11 and answer No. 1.
13. What is Melafom?
See answer No. 7.
14. What is Mazla?
Se’arot Dikna are called Mazla, as it is written, “Water shall flow from his branches etc.” This is because their Shefa flows bit-by-bit until they join the greater Orot in the Olamot (see below answer No. 29).
(Part 6, item 2)
15. What is Mayin Nukvin?
It is known that two Behinot Reshimot were joined in the Masach through the Hitpashtut of Nekudot de SAG to MA and BON de AK ha Pnimi: Behinot first Hey in SAG, and the lower Hey in AK ha Pnimi. You find that the Masach consists of two females, Bina and Malchut, hence the name of the Masach “Mayin Nukvin”. From here on these two females are incorporated in it in every Zivug it makes with the Ohr Elyon.
(Part 6, item 15)
16. What is Death?
Life is until the place where Kav Ohr Ein Sof reaches. After the Sium of the Kav, meaning below the point of Tzimtzum, the Light of life ceases. This is Behinat Death.
Hence, the Kelim that fell to BYA, below the new point of Tzimtzum, are considered to have died there, as they were departed from the Light of life.
(Part 6, item 39)
17. What is Upper Nekudot?
See answer No. 7.
18. What are Nekudot Under the Otiot?
See answer No. 7.
Three He’arot operated in Nekudim: Hevel ha Tabur, Hevel ha Yesod, and Hevel de Tzipornaim of the Raglaim. The Hevel Tabur is the Behinat Nekudot above the Otiot, meaning Holam. Hevel ha Yesod is Behinat Nekudot inside the Otiot, being the Melafom, and Hevel de Tzipornaim of the Raglaim is the Behinot Nekudot under the Otiot.
(Part 6, item 28, and Ohr Pnimi there)
19. What is Nitzotz de Kardinuta?
See answer No. 4.
20. What are Nikvey Eynaim?
Behina Aleph in the Rosh is called Nikvey Eynaim because Hochma de Rosh is called Eynaim, and because of the ascent of the lower Hey there, Behinat Nukva was also made in Hochma, called Nikvey Eynaim.
(Part 6, item 7)
21. What are Nikvey Awzen?
See answer No. 20.
The two Heys joined in the association of Midat ha Rachamim with Din, and the lower Hey rose to the Eynaim. From then on a Behinat Nukva was made in all the Sefirot up to Hochma. These are the Nekavim (foramens) made in Hotem, Awzen, and the Eynaim. However, before they were connected, Behinat Nukva was only in the Peh.
22. What is the Opening of the Eynaim?
He’arat Hochma is called “Opening of the Eynaim” because Eynaim are Hochma.
(Part 6, item 51)
23. What is Parsa?
Parsa is the premises of the liver (diaphragm) separating the breathing organs, which are the sustenance, from the feeding organs. It seemingly creates two Gufim within a single Guf. Similarly, when Partzuf MA and BON came out of the Nikvey Eynaim, it was divided into two Partzufim on the Tabur and the Parsa.
From Peh de Rosh SAG to Parsa it is Behinat GAR de MA and BON, considered a complete Partzuf in and of itself. Its Sium Raglaim is on the Tabur, because it came out from the Behinat Reshimot de Taamim de SAG that didn’t connect with the lower Hey.
From Parsa down came out the lower BON, being the Eser Sefirot de Nekudim. They came out from Behinat Nekudot de SAG, and connected with the lower Hey below Tabur. Thus, the Parsa divides a single Partzuf of MA and BON into two Partzufim.
(Part 6, item 9, and Histaklut Pnimit item 34)
24. What is Tzimtzum Bet?
Tzimtzum NHY de AK is called Tzimtzum Bet. This is because similarly to Tzimtzum Aleph on Behina Dalet in Ein Sof, so here there was a Tzimtzum on Behina Bet.
As Kav Ohr de Ein Sof stopped at the Malchut of NHY de AK, so Kav Ohr Ein Sof stopped here on Bina de NHY de AK. Thus Bina, ZA and Malchut remained under the point of Tzimtzum without Ohr, forming the three separated Olamot, called BYA: Beria from Bina, Yetzira from ZA and Assiya from Malchut.
(Part 6, item 7)
25. What are Tzipornaim of the Raglaim?
The Behinot Sium of every Partzuf, which is Malchut de NHY of the Partzuf, is called Etzbaot Raglaim. From the time of the Tikun of Parsa on, another force was made on the Behinat Sium of the Partzuf, relating to the association of the point of Bina in the Tzimtzum.
When this additional force is in the place of Tabur, it is called Parsa; when it is in the place of Sium NHY, it is called Tzipornaim, namely Tzipornaim of the Raglaim.
(Part 6, item 29)
26. What is Separating Rakia?
The “Separating Rakia” is the Parsa placed in the Eser Sefirot of each degree by the connection of the two points, Bina and Malchut. It distinguishes Keter and Hochma in it as Male Mayim Elyonim, from the Bina, ZA and Malchut in it, being Behinat Female Mayim Tachtonim, See answer No. 11 and answer No. 1.
(Part 6, item 9)
27. What is Shuruk?
The Melafom is also called Shuruk, explained in above in answer No. 7.
(Part 6, item 31)
28. What are Se’arot Rosh?
The first Zivug for Partzuf Nekudim was in Nikvey Eynaim of Rosh de SAG. It did not take out the AHP of Rosh de SAG outwardly, since there is no absence in the spiritual.
The matter of the division of the degree did not affect in Rosh SAG itself whatsoever, only as an addition to the Partzuf, being the Partzuf Se’arot. From Nikvey Eynaim up came out the Se’arot Rosh, and from there down the Se’arot Dikna in Behinot AHP.
(Ohr Pnimi item 2)
29. What are Se’arot Dikna?
See answer No. 28.
30. What is Shibolet ha Zakan?
Shibolet ha Zakan is Behinot AHP that came out of the first Rosh de Dikna because the first three Tikkunim de Dikna are Behinot GE, meaning Rosh de Dikna. Shibolet ha Zakan is the AHP that came out of Rosh de Dikna into Behinat Guf, where the Shefa of the first three Behinot Tikkunim of Dikna accumulates.
(Part 6 item 9, and Ohr Pnimi item 23)