Chapter 3.17 - The World of Atzilut

Once broken, the screen refined and rose to AVI together with the Reshimot. The Reshimot in the screen demanded to be corrected and to have a Zivug over them for the reception of the Light. But the Rosh of AVI de Nekudim returned to a state of Katnut and could not do it; hence, the screen rose to the Partzuf of the adjacent Partzuf, that of Rosh de SAG.

There is no difference between the refining screen from the Bitush (beating) of the Inner Light and the Surrounding Light, and the screen that refined after the breaking. After the breaking there were also Reshimot left in the screen that demanded to be realized:

• Restricted Reshimot Aleph de Hitlabshut and Shoresh de Aviut that remained from Partzuf Nekudim.

• Reshimot Dalet de Hitlabshut and Gimel de Aviut from the end of Partzuf Galgalta.

The restricted Reshimot Aleph de Hitlabshut and Shoresh de Aviut came from Partzuf Nekudim itself; hence the screen performs its first Zivug on them. Once a Partzuf is realized from them, the screen would satisfy the 4/3 Reshimot that produced the exit of the Gadlut of the Partzuf.

Therefore, once the screen rose to Rosh de SAG, it continues to rise by the Reshimo de Aviut Shoresh that was restricted to Bina of Keter de SAG. The five Behinot of the Rosh are called:

Keter – Galgalta – Aviut Shoresh

Hochma – Eynaim – Aviut Aleph

Bina – Awzen – Aviut Bet

Zeir Anpin – Hotem – Aviut Gimel

Malchut – Peh – Aviut Dalet

In each of the Sefirot of the Rosh are five inner Sefirot: Keter, Hochma, Bina, Zeir Anpin, Malchut. The restricted Reshimo of Aviut Shoresh demands a Zivug only on the vessels of bestowal. The Reshimo wants to create a Partzuf that would work only with vessels of bestowal, GE of Aviut Shoresh. Hence the screen that creates that Partzuf must perform a Zivug only on the vessels of bestowal of Aviut Shoresh in the Rosh.

Because of that, the screen rises from the Peh to Keter of Rosh de SAG and farther up from there to Bina de Keter and stands above the Sefirot KHB de Keter. It turns out that above the screen there are only the vessels of bestowal of Keter, meaning those of Aviut Shoresh. The place where the screen now stands is called Metzach (forehead).

The Partzuf that was created, as a result of the Zivug on the restricted Reshimo de Aviut Shoresh, is called a “fetus.” There cannot be any lesser degree than that in spirituality; this is the minimal degree. Once born, the Partzuf descends to the place where the Reshimot come from, meaning below Tabur de Galgalta, and expands there from Tabur and below.

Once the Partzuf of the fetus has taken its place, Reshimot Dalet de Hitlabshut and Gimel de Aviut (from the Sof of Galgalta) awaken in it. It is over these Reshimot that the Gadlut of the Partzuf comes out: the screen performs a Zivug on Reshimot 4/3 and the degree of Gadlut expands from Tabur de Galgalta to the Parsa. That Partzuf is called Atik (meaning Detached, but also Ancient), because it is detached from the attainment of the lower ones, or the souls.

Atik is the first of a series of new Partzufim called the “world of Atzilut.” Partzuf Atik serves as the Keter of the new world.

Once Partzuf Atik comes out in Gadlut, Rosh de SAG passes it all the Reshimot that rose to it after the breaking. Of all these Reshimot, Atik chooses the finest Reshimo, makes a Zivug on it, and creates the next Partzuf: it first creates it in the fetus degree, and then performs a Zivug on Gadlut for it (4/3). The new Partzuf expands from the Peh of Atik to the Parsa. It is called Partzuf Hochma, or Arich Anpin (AA).

Once the Gadlut of Arich Anpin expands, Partzuf Atik gives all the remaining Reshimot from among those that rose to Rosh de SAG. Arich Anpin chooses the finest of the Reshimot among them, performs a Zivug, which creates Partzuf Bina in the world of Atzilut, first in Katnut and then in Gadlut. That Partzuf expands from the Peh of Arich Anpin to Tabur of Arich Anpin. It is named Abba ve Ima (AVI), literally meaning, "Father" and "Mother."

After Partzuf AVI is created in Gadlut, Arich Anpin gives it the remaining Reshimot. Of all the Reshimot that Arich Anpin gives it, AVI chooses the finest, and performs a Zivug, which creates Partzuf Zeir Anpin of the world of Atzilut. Here, for the first time, there are three situations: Fetus, Katnut and Gadlut. Partzuf Zeir Anpin takes its place from Tabur of Arich Anpin to the Parsa.

Once Partzuf Zeir Anpin is out, it is given all the remaining Reshimot. Zeir Anpin performs a Zivug on them and creates Partzuf Malchut of the world of Atzilut. That concludes all the Zivugim (couplings) that can be performed on the Reshimot that rose to Rosh de SAG after the breaking of the vessels.

The permanent state of the world of Atzilut is Katnut, or GE, vessels of bestowal. There cannot be any less than that in Atzilut. In that state, it is exactly the same the world of Nekudim was in Katnut before it broke. But the world of Atzilut came about in order to bring Creation to the end of correction, so that Malchut de Ein Sof would be filled with the Light of Ein Sof, with the intent to bestow, and that hasn’t been accomplished yet.

The breaking of the vessels caused the vessels of reception to mix with the vessels of bestowal and create four distinctions in each vessel:

A. Vessels of Bestowal.

B. Vessels of Bestowal inside vessels of reception.

C. Vessels of reception inside vessels of Bestowal.

D. Vessels of reception.

The first sorting is done by selecting the vessels of bestowal from the mixture. They are used to construct the Katnut of the world of Atzilut.

The second sorting sorts the vessels of bestowal inside the vessels of reception. They construct the world of BYA. These worlds are vessels of bestowal, GE just like the world of Atzilut, but they remained contained in the AHP, the vessels of reception. But in and of themselves, these vessels are vessels of bestowal, hence the Light can expand in them.

Therefore, once the world of Atzilut comes out, Malchut of Atzilut rises to AVI and performs a Zivug on the vessels of bestowal inside the vessels of reception. She creates the world of Beria, then the world of Yetzira, and then the world of Assiya. The Zivug on GE in the vessels of reception of Bet de Aviut creates the world Beria; the Zivug on GE in the vessels of reception of Gimel de Aviut creates the world, Yetzira; and the Zivug on GE in the vessels of receptions of Dalet de Aviut creates the world, Assiya.

The third sorting takes out the vessels of reception that were mixed with the vessels of bestowal. That sorting and correction is done by souls of people. They sort these vessels and raise them above the Parsa to the world of Atzilut. This work is called an “awakening from below,” because it is done by the souls. The broken vessels that rise to Atzilut are called “AHP de Aliah” (The Raised AHP).

The fourth sorting is the sorting of the vessels of reception that were not mixed with the vessels of bestowal. Those are sorted out as ones that remain in their attribute of reception and hence they are disqualified for use. Those vessels are called Klipot (shells), or Lev HaEven (the stony heart) because they cannot be corrected before the end of correction.