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Yehuda Leib HaLevi Ashlag (Baal HaSulam)

Five Discernments in the Masach

While studying, it is recommend to examine the drawings at the end of the essay, HaIlan

17) Thus far we have clarified the three basic elements in the wisdom. The first is the Light and the Kli, where the Light is a direct extension of His Essence, and the Kli is the will to receive, which is necessarily included in that Light. One departs the Emanator and becomes an emanated being to the extent of that desire. Also, this will to receive is considered the Malchut discerned in the Upper Light. This is why it is called Malchut, by way of “He is One and His Name, One,” as His name in Gematria is Ratzon (desire).

The second matter is the clarification of the ten Sefirot and four worlds ABYA, which are four degrees one below the other. The will to receive must hang down through them until it is completed — Kli and content.

The third matter is the Tzimtzum and the Masach placed on this vessel of reception, which is Behina Dalet, in return for which new vessels of reception were made in the ten Sefirot, called Ohr Hozer. Understand and memorize these three foundations and their reasons, as they had appeared before you, since without them there is no understanding of even a single word in this wisdom.

18) Now we shall explain the five discernments in the Masach, by which the levels change during the Zivug de Hakaa performed with the Upper Light. First, we must thoroughly understand that even though Behina Dalet was banned from being a vessel of reception for the ten Sefirot after the Tzimtzum, and the Ohr Hozer that rises from the Masach through the Zivug de Hakaa became the vessel of reception in its stead, it must still accompany the Ohr Hozer with its power of reception. Had it not been for that, the Ohr Hozer would have been unfit to be a vessel of reception.

You should also understand that from the allegory in Item 15. We demonstrated there that the power to reject and decline the meal became the vessel of reception instead of the hunger and appetite. This is because hunger and appetite, the usual vessels of reception, were banned from being vessels of reception in this case, due to the shame and disgrace of receiving a gift from one’s friend. Only the powers of rejection and refusal have become vessels of reception in their stead, as through the rejection and refusal, reception has become bestowal, and through them he achieved vessels of reception suitable to receive one’s friend’s meal.

Yet, it cannot be said that he no longer needs the usual vessels of reception, namely the hunger and the appetite, as it is clear that without appetite for eating he will not be able to satisfy his friend’s will and bring him contentment by eating at his place. But the thing is that the hunger and appetite, which were banned in their usual form, have now been transformed by the forces of rejection and decline into a new form—reception in order to bestow. Thus, the humiliation has been turned into dignity.

It turns out that the usual vessels of reception are still as active as ever, but have acquired a new form. You will also conclude, concerning our matter, that it is true that Behina Dalet has been banned from being a Kli for reception of the ten Sefirot because of its Aviut, meaning the difference of form from the Giver, which separates from the Giver. Yet, through correcting the Masach in Behina Dalet, which strikes the Upper Light and repels it, her previous, faulty form has been transformed and acquired a new form, called Ohr Hozer, like the transformation of the form of reception into a form of bestowal.

The content of its initial form has not changed; it still does not eat without appetite. Similarly, all the Aviut, which is the force of reception in Behina Dalet, has come inside the Ohr Hozer, hence the Ohr Hozer becomes suitable for being a vessel of reception.

Therefore, two discernments must always be made in the Masach:

  1. Kashiut (hardness), which is the force within it that rejects the Upper Light;

  2. Aviut, which is the measure of will to receive from Behina Dalet included in the Masach. By the Zivug de Hakaa through the force of the Kashiut in it, its Aviut is turned to purity, meaning reception is transformed into bestowal.

These two forces in the Masach act in five discernments: the four Behinot HB TM and their root, called Keter.

19) We have already explained that the first three discernments are still not considered a Kli, but only Behina Dalet is considered a Kli. Still, because the first three discernments are its causes and induce the completion of Behina Dalet, once Behina Dalet is completed, four measures are registered in its quality of reception.

These are the five discernments of reception contained in Behina Dalet, which are called by the names of the ten Sefirot KHB (Keter – Hochma – Bina) TM, included in Behina Dalet, since the four phases are HB TM, and the root is called Keter.

20) The five discernments of reception in Behina Dalet are called by the names of the Sefirot KHB TM. This is so because prior to the Tzimtzum, while Behina Dalet was still the vessel of reception for the ten Sefirot included in the Upper Light by way of “He is One and His Name One,” since all the worlds are included there, its clothing of the ten Sefirot in that place followed these five Behinot. Each Behina of the five Behinot in her clothed its corresponding Behina in the ten Sefirot in the Upper Light.

Hence, even now, after the first restriction, when Behina Dalet has been banned from being a vessel of reception, the five discernments of Aviut in her are named after the five Sefirot KHB TM.

21) And you already know that in general, the substance of the Masach is called Kashiut, which means something very hard, which does not allow anything to push into its boundary. Similarly, the Masach does not let any of the Upper Light through it and into Malchut, Behina Dalet. Thus, it is considered that the Masach halts and repels the entire measure of Light that should clothe the Kli of Malchut.

It has also been made clear that those five Behinot of Aviut in Behina Dalet are included and come in the Masach, and join its measure of Kashiut. Hence, five kinds of Zivug de Hakaa are discerned in the Masach, corresponding to the five measures of Aviut in it:

22) Thus you see how the five levels of ten Sefirot emerge though five kinds of Zivug de Hakaa of the Masach, applied on its five measures of Aviut in it. And now I shall tell you the reason, for it is known that Light is not attained without a Kli.

Also, you know that these five measures of Aviut come from the five measures of Aviut in Behina Dalet. Prior to the Tzimtzum, there were five Kelim in Behina Dalet, clothing the ten Sefirot KHB TM (Item 18). After Tzimtzum Aleph, they were incorporated in the five measures of the Masach, which, along with the Ohr Hozer it elevates, return to being five Kelim, with respect to the Ohr Hozer on the ten Sefirot KHB TM, instead of the five Kelim in Behina Dalet itself prior to the Tzimtzum.

Accordingly, it is clear that if a Masach contains all these five levels of Aviut, it contains the five Kelim to clothe the ten Sefirot. But when it does not contain all five measures, since the Aviut of Behina Dalet is absent in it, it contains only four Kelim. Hence, it can only clothe four Lights: HB TM, and lacks one Light—the Light of Keter—just as it lacks one Kli— Aviut of Behina Dalet.

Similarly, when it lacks Behina Gimel, too, and the Masach contains only three measures of Aviut, meaning only up to Behina Bet, it contains only three Kelim. Thus, it can only clothe three Lights: Bina, Tifferet, and Malchut. In that state, the level lacks the two Lights, Keter and Hochma, just as it lacks the two Kelim, Behina Gimel and Behina Dalet.

And when the Masach contains only two measures of Aviut, that is, Behinat Shoresh and Behina Aleph, it contains only two Kelim. Hence, it clothes only two Lights: the Light of Tifferet and the Light of Malchut. Thus, the level lacks the three Lights KHB, just as it lacks the three Kelim, Behina Bet, Behina Gimel, and Behina Dalet.

And when the Masach has but one level of Aviut, which is only Behinat Shoresh of the Aviut, it has only one Kli. Hence, it can clothe only one Light: the Light of Malchut. This level lacks the four Lights KHB and Tifferet, just as it lacks the four Kelim, Aviut of Behina Dalet, Behina Gimel, Behina Bet, and Behina Aleph.

Thus, the level of each Partzuf precisely depends on the measure of Aviut in the Masach. The Masach of Behina Dalet elicits the level of Keter, Behina Gimel elicits the level of Hochma, Behina Bet elicits the level of Bina, Behina Aleph elicits the level of Tifferet, and Behinat Shoresh elicits the level of Malchut.

23) Yet, we must still find out why is it that when the Kli of Malchut—Behina Dalet—is missing from the Masach, it lacks the Light of Keter, and when the Kli of Tifferet is missing, it lacks the Light of Hochma, etc. It would seem that it should have been to the contrary, that when the Kli of Malchut, Behina Dalet, is absent in the Masach, only the Light of Malchut would be missing in the level and it would have the four Lights KHB and Tifferet. Also, in the absence of two Kelim, Behina Gimel and Behina Dalet, it would lack the Lights of Tifferet and Malchut, and the level would have the three Lights KHB, etc.

24) The answer is that there is always an inverse relation between Lights and vessels. In the Kelim, the Higher Ones grow first in the Partzuf: first Keter, then the Kli of Hochma, etc., and the Kli of Malchut grows last. This is why we name the Kelim by the order KHB TM, from Above downwards, as this is the order of their growth.

It is to the contrary with the Lights. In the Lights, the lower Lights are the first to enter the Partzuf. First enters Nefesh, which is the Light of Malchut, then Ruach, which is the Light of ZA, etc., and the Light of Yechida is the last to enter. This is why we name the Lights by the order NRNHY [1], from below Upwards, as this is the order by which they enter—from below Upwards.

Thus, when only one Kli has grown in the Partzuf, which is necessarily the Highest Kli— Keter—the Light of Yechida, ascribed to that Kli, does not enter the Partzuf, but only the lowest Light—the Light of Nefesh. Thus, the Light of Nefesh clothes in the Kli of Keter.

And when two Kelim grow in the Partzuf, which are the Highest two— Keter and Hochma—the Light of Ruach enter it, as well. At that time, the Light of Nefesh descends from the Kli of Keter to the Kli of Hochma, and the Light of Ruach clothes in the Kli of Keter.

Similarly, when a third Kli grows in the Partzuf—the Kli of Bina—the Light of Neshama enters it. At that time, the Light of Nefesh descends from the Kli of Hochma into the Kli of Bina, the Light of Ruach to the Kli of Hochma, and the Light of Neshama clothes in the Kli of Keter.

And when a fourth Kli grows in the Partzuf—the Kli of Tifferet—the Light of Haya enters the Partzuf. At that time, the Light of Nefesh descends from the Kli of Bina to the Kli of Tifferet, the Light of Ruach to the Kli of Bina, the Light of Neshama to the Kli of Hochma, and the Light of Haya to the Kli of Keter.

And when a fifth Kli grows in the Partzuf, the Kli of Malchut, the Light of Yechida enters it. At that time, all the Lights enter their respective Kelim. The Light of Nefesh descends from the Kli of Tifferet to the Kli of Malchut, the Light of Ruach to the Kli of Tifferet, the Light of Neshama to the Kli of Bina, the Light of Haya to the Kli of Hochma, and the Light of Yechida to the Kli of Keter.

25) Thus, as long as not all five Kelim KHB TM have grown in a Partzuf, the Lights are not in their designated places. Moreover, they are in inverse relation: in the absence of the Kli of Malchut, the Light of Yechida is absent, and when the two Kelim, TM, are missing, Yechida and Haya are absent there, etc. This is so because in the Kelim, the Higher ones emerge first, and in the Lights, the last ones are the first to enter.

You will also find that each new Light that reenters dresses only in the Kli of Keter. This is so because the receiver must receive in its purest Kli, the Kli of Keter.

For this reason, upon reception of each new Light, the Lights that are already dressed in the Partzuf must descend one degree from their place. For example, when the Light of Ruach enters, the Light of Nefesh must descend from the Kli of Keter to the Kli of Hochma, to make room in the Kli of Keter to receive the new Light, Ruach. Similarly, if the new Light is Neshama, Ruach, too, must descend from the Kli of Keter to the Kli of Hochma, to clear its place in Keter for the new Light, Neshama. As a result, Nefesh, which was in the Kli of Hochma, must descend to the Kli of Bina, etc. All this is done to make room in the Kli of Keter for the new Light.

Keep this rule in mind and you will always be able to discern in each issue if it is referring to the Kelim or to the Lights. Then you will not be confused, because there is always an inverse relation between them. Thus we have thoroughly clarified the matter of the five discernments in the Masach, and how, through them, the levels change one below the other.

[1] Translator’s note: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, Yechida, pronounced NaRaNHaY.

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