The Division of Each Partzuf into Keter and the ABYA
180) In the spiritual worlds, everything is built according to the same principle, i.e., one can judge the common by the particular, and vice versa, the particular by the common. The entire Universe is usually divided into the five worlds of AK and ABYA. The world of AK is regarded as Keter of all the worlds, while the four worlds of ABYA are correspondingly Hochma, Bina, ZA, and Malchut.
Therefore, any world, Partzuf or Sefira – in general, any spiritual object, can also be divided into the five worlds of AK and ABYA. The Rosh of any Partzuf is considered its Keter and the world AK. The Guf, from Peh to Chazeh, is considered the world of Atzilut (Hochma). The space from Chazeh to the Tabur is considered the world of Beria, from the Tabur, and below – the worlds Yetzira and Assiya (the ZON).
181) Now, the Sefirot KaHaB HaGaT NHYM have many different names. Depending on what we wish to express, they may be called:
1) GE and AHP,
2) KaHaB ZON,
3) NaRaNHaY,
4) The dot of the letter “Yud” and the 4 letters “Yud”, “Hey”, “Vav” and “Hey”.
5) A simple HaVaYaH (Galgalta) and AB, SAG, MA and BON, which constitute four kinds of the light filling (Miluyim):
|
a) |
Filling of the AB |
– |
יוד הי ויו הי , |
|
|
b) |
Filling of the SAG |
– |
יוד הי ואו הי , |
|
|
c) |
Filling of the MA |
– |
יוד הא ואו הא, |
|
|
d) |
Filling of the BON |
– |
יוד הה וו הה |
6) The AA, AVI, and ZON:
|
a) |
The AA is Keter, |
|
|
b) |
The Aba is Hochma, |
|
|
c) |
The Ima is Bina, |
|
|
d) |
The Nukvah is Malchut. |
|
|
e) |
The Nukvah is Malchut. |
7) AK and ABYA or Keter and ABYA.
Malchut de Keter is called “the Peh”, Malchut de Atzilut – “the Chazeh”, Malchut de Beria – “the Tabur”, Malchut de Yetzira – “the Ateret Yesod”, and the common Malchut – “the Sium Raglin”.
182) There are two reasons why the 10 Sefirot are called differently. The first is the similarity of properties to the Sefira to which it refers. The second is the difference of properties with this Sefira, which leads to the emergence of a new and special name. For example, Keter of the 10 Sefirot de Ohr Yashar, on the one hand, is the light of Ein Sof (of Infinity); on the other hand, the Roshof any Partzuf is also called “Keter”. All five Partzufim de AK are also “Ketarim”; the Partzuf Atikis Keter and so is AA.
If all of them are “Ketarim”, then why does each of them have its own name? Furthermore, we know that spiritual objects that have completely identical properties merge into a single whole. Then why do these spiritual objects (the Ketarim) not merge?
It happens because, although they have properties similar to those of Keter (they refer to Ein Sof), there is a rule saying that unless the upper light enters the vessel (spreads to Guf), it is regarded as Ein Sof (unattainable Infinity).
Therefore, as regards the worlds of ABYA, all five Partzufim de AK are considered the light, which has not yet entered the vessel, since the AK, built according to the laws of TA, is utterly unattainable by the Partzufim de Atzilut, based on the laws of TB.
The Partzufim Atik and AA de Atzilut both correspond to Keter de Nikudim. It should be noted that during Katnut de Atzilut, AA is not Keter, its level in this state being Hochma. Meanwhile, the only Keter is Atik.
However, during Gadlut, all the Partzufim de Atzilut rise, Atik “leaves” for AK and AA takes advantage of its AHP de Aliyah and becomes the Partzuf Keter de Atzilut. Further, as with the entire Partzufim de AK, Atik is built in accordance with the laws of TA; hence, it is unattainable by the lower Partzufim and worlds (“Atik” derives from the word “Ne’etak” – “separated”).
183) The ten Sefirot are called Keter and ABYA, because Kabbalists want to point to their division into Kelim de Panim (the “front” vessels) and Kelim de Achoraim (the “back” vessels), which took place during TB. As was stated above, Malchut Mesayemet rose from the level of Bina de Guf (called Tifferet) to the Chazeh, thus creating a new Sium de Partzuf called “the Parsa” and located below Atzilut.
The vessels that are below the Parsa“left” Atzilut and are called BYA. The lower two thirds of Tifferet are called Beria, the NHY are called Yetzira, and Malchut is called Assiya. It is worth mentioning that each Sefira was divided into the vessels of “Panim” and “Achoraim”, so that those vessels above the Chazeh are Panim, while those beneath the Chazeh are Achoraim.
184) Since the Parsa is on the level of the Chazeh, each Sefira and each Partzuf splits into four levels called ABYA. Atzilut is the space above the Chazeh, the BYA – under the Chazeh. In fact, this division was also present in the world of AK, the difference being that in AK the Parsa descended to the Tabur, where as in Atzilut, it is on the level of Chazeh.
It turns out that its own Atzilut is the Partzufim AB and SAG, which end above Tabur, while its BYA, i.e., the Partzufim MA and BON, are under the Tabur. Therefore, Galgalta is Rosh; AB and SAG above the Taburare Atzilut; MA and BON under the Tabur are BYA.
185) All five Partzufim de Atzilut are divided similarly. AA is the Rosh of the entire world of Atzilut; AVI Ilayin, which correspond to AB and dress onto Partzuf AA from its Peh to Chazeh, are Atzilut de Atzilut (not to be confused with the common Parsa of the worlds of ABYA).
The YESHSUT that correspond to SAG and dress onto AA from its Chazeh to the Taburare the Beria de Atzilut. The ZON, which correspond to MA and BON and dress onto AA from its Tabur to the Sium de Atzilut,are Yetzira and Assiya de Atzilut. Thus, we see that the world of Atzilut is also divided into its own Rosh and ABYA. As in the world of AK, the Parsa is in its place, i.e., at the level of the Chazeh de AA.
The principal Partzuf de Atzilut, Arich Anpin, has four kinds of dress: 1. Abba, 2. Ima, 3. Israel Saba, 4. Tvunah. All of them are the Yud-Hey of the name HaVaYaH and dress onto AA from the Peh to the Tabur. ZA and Malchut de Atzilut dress onto AA from the Tabur down to the Parsa; they are the Vav-Hey of the name HaVaYaH. There are only Keter and Hochma in the Rosh de Arich Anpin; its Bina exited the Rosh and split into Gar and Zat.
Aba ve Ima dress the light on the Gar de Bina and remain in the state of perfection felt in the Rosh, because they have properties of Bina, which desires nothing, hence stays unaffected. The YESHSUT takes Zat de Bina of Partzuf AA (located under the Chazeh de AA), where the absence of Ohr Hochma is felt. This level is called “Beria de Atzilut”.
186) If we view the entire Universe as a single whole, we will see that the three Partzufim, Galgalta, AB and SAG of the world of Adam Kadmon, constitute its common Rosh; the five Partzufim de Atzilut, which dress onto the space from Tabur de AK to the Parsa, are Atzilut of the Universe. The three worlds of BYA under the Parsa are the BYA of the Universe.
187) All individual Sefirot de Sefirot are divided in a similar way. Even Malchut de Malchut de Assiya has its own Rosh and Guf. The Guf is divided by its Chazeh, Tabur, and Sium Raglin. The Parsa, which is located under Atzilut of this level, stands in the Chazehand limits it.
Beria of this level takes the space between the Chazeh and the Tabur. Yetzira and Assiya of this level are located between the Tabur and Sium Raglin. Sefirot HaGaT of each level correspond to Atzilut. The lower two thirds of Tifferet from Chazeh to the Taburare Beria, NHY – Yetzira and Malchut – Assiya.
188) Thus, the Roshof each level refers to Keter or Yechida, or Partzuf Galgalta. Atzilut (from Peh to the Chazeh) refers to Hochma or the light of Haya, or AB. Beria (from the Chazeh to the Tabur) refers to Bina or the light of Neshama, or SAG. Yetzira and Assiya (below the Tabur) refer to ZON or the lights Ruach and Nefesh, or Partzufim MA and BON (see dd. 3 to 12 in “Sefer haIlan”).