Topics examined in this lesson:
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125 Levels
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The Sin of Adam HaRishon
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The Shattering of the Vessels
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The Breaking of the Souls
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The Breaking of the Worlds
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World of Nikudim
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World of Correction
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Partzufim of World of Atzilut
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The birth of the Worlds of BYA
There are five worlds between the Creator and our world. Each of them consists of five Partzufim and each Partzuf of five Sefirot.
In total there are 125 levels between us and the Creator. Malchut, moving through all these levels, reaches the last one, and in this way, Behina Dalet, the only creation, merges with the four previous phases.
Malchut fully absorbs the properties of the four phases and thus becomes equal to the Creator. This is the Goal of Creation.
In order to mix Malchut with the remaining nine Sefirot, a special Partzuf is created. This consists of Malchut and the nine Sefirot from Keter to Yesod. Its name is Adam.
In the beginning, the nine Sefirot and the tenth, Malchut, are not connected to each other in any way. That’s why it was said that in the beginning Adam was forbidden to eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
With the fall of Adam and the shattering of his Kelim, the four upper phases, or the nine first Sefirot, fall into Malchut. Here the fourth stage can choose to remain the same old Malchut or to prefer spiritual development in the similarity of the four phases.
If Malchut remains like its own self, this means that Malchut, or the soul, or Adam, is in the World of Assiya, though, if it becomes like the third phase, then Malchut is in the World of Yetzira.
The similarity to the second phase means that Malchut is in the World of Beria. Similarity to the first stage corresponds to Malchut in the World of Atzilut. Finally, similarity to the zero phase means existence of Malchut in the World of Adam Kadmon.
All spiritual movements from above downward, from Malchutof the Ein Sof to our world, and back to the World of Ein Sof, are preordained.
Nothing is planned that is not in accordance with the goal of Creation. This goal is achieved when the fourth stage becomes similar to the third, second, first and zero stages, which are all contained in the fourth stage.
All the worlds appear as the descent of the Creator from above downward, over the 125 levels of the five worlds. This is like a permanent restriction of the Creator, making the whole of Creation recede from Him until Creation reaches the level of our world, which no longer feels Him.
When Creation rises upward, it makes its way through the same 125 levels of the five worlds, which were formed for this specific purpose. Advancing a single level provides you with the power to take a leap forward to the next one.
The descent from above to below is the regression process of the soul, but the ascent is progression.
During the descent, the power of each level lessens, because it conceals more and more of the Light of the Creator from His Creation. But the reverse movement increasingly reveals to man the Light of the Creator and consequently grants him the power to overcome obstacles.
Let us explain what happens when Shevirat haKelim takes place.
The nine altruistic Sefirot that Malchut, being the selfish part, tries to use for its own sake, fall into Malchut. At this time, altruism and selfishness are blended together.
Now, if a strong Light enlightens this blend and awakens Malchut, making it understand its own nature and what the Creator is, this enables Malchut to strive to be like the upper Sefirot, i.e. the Light of the Creator.
Even though Shevirat haKelim is, so to say, an anti-spiritual action, actually it is the only possible process that can enable Malchut to bond with the altruistic properties of the Creator and to rise up to His level at a later stage.
After Shevirat haKelim, two parallel systems of worlds, Assiya, Yetzira, Beria, Atzilut and Adam Kadmon are built as two systems: altruistic and selfish. These worlds are built on the basis of Shevirat haKelim, which is why their system specifically grasps a man’s soul.
The soul of man also consists of selfish and altruistic Kelim. The Fall of Adam combined these two sorts of Kelim and his Partzuf was broken.
When ascending to the appropriate level in the system of worlds, each such broken part may discover its respective attribute there.
Shevirat Neshamot (the breaking of souls) of Adam and Shevirat Nikudim are built on the same basis. The worlds are a kind of outer casing for the soul.
In our material world, it is the Universe, the Earth and everything around us, which forms the outer casing, enclosing mankind within it.
When examining how the World of Atzilut is designed, we may note that its structure completely matches the World of Nikudim. The Nekudot de SAG, after Tzimtzum Bet, ascend to the Rosh of SAG with three kinds of Reshimot.
From the restricted Reshimot of Bet-Alef, the World of Nikudim is formed in the Katnut on Kelim Galgalta ve Eynaim. This spreads downward from the Tabur to Parsa.
This Partzuf, like any other, is composed of Rosh and Guf. Its Rosh is divided into three parts: the first Rosh is called Keter, the second Abba (Hochma) and the third Ima (Bina).
The Guf of the World of Nikudim is called ZON-Zeir Anpin and Nukva. Above the Parsa is Gar de ZON, below the Parsa we find Zat de ZON .
Following this the World of Nikudim craved to enter the Gadlut, i.e., to join the AHPs to itself. But when the upper Light reached Parsa and tried to cross it, the World of Nikudim broke apart.
Rosh Keter and Rosh Abba ve Ima remain, since the Heads do not break.
But ZON, i.e., Guf, breaks completely, both above the Parsa, and below it. Now, there are in total 320 broken parts, 32 of which (Lev haEven) are not possible to correct by one’s own power. The remaining 288 parts are subject to correction.
Next, in order to correct the broken Kelim, Olam haTikkun (Olam Atzilut) is created. Reshimot from the breakage of all 320 parts ascend to Rosh of SAG.
At the beginning, the Rosh of SAG selects the purest parts, the lightest with respect to the ability to be corrected.
This is the law of correction: first the easiest parts get corrected and then with their help, the next parts are handled.
Out of the corrected Kelim, Rosh of SAG creates the Partzufim of the World of Atzilut, similar to a small World of Nikudim:
(i) Keter of the World of Atzilut, also named Atik
(ii) Hochma, also named Arich Anpin
(iii) Bina, also named Abba ve Ima
(iv) Zeir Anpin
(v) Nukva, also named Malchut
The World of Atzilut is a replica of the World of Nikudim. Atik is between the Tabur of Galgalta and Parsa, Arich Anpin from Peh of Atik to Parsa, Abba ve Ima from Peh of Arich Anpin to Tabur of Arich Anpin. Zeir Anpin stands from Tabur of Arich Anpin to Parsa, Malchut is in the form of a point under Zeir Anpin (see Figure 7).
Figure 7. The World of Atzilut and the Worlds of BYA
Each Partzuf is composed of two parts: Galgalta ve Eynaim, Kelim of bestowal, and AHPs, Kelim of reception.
After being shattered, the Vessel consists not of two parts, but of four: Galgalta ve Eynaim, AHP, Galgalta ve Eynaim inside AHP and AHP inside Galgalta ve Eynaim.
Such a combination can be found in each of the 320 broken Kelim. The aim is to break each particle and separate Galgalta ve Eynaim from AHP.
The process is as follows: the World of Atzilut directs a ray of powerful Light to every non-corrected part, separating out its Galgalta ve Eynaim, then lifts it and sets aside the AHP, the Kelim. Therefore the AHPs will not be used. After the World of Atzilut corrects all the Galgalta ve Eynaim, Malchut of the World of Atzilut ascends to Bina, i.e., under the Rosh of the World of Atzilut. Rosh of the World of Atzilut are Atik, Arich Anpin, Abba ve Ima. There Malchut performs the following actions:
(i) Zivug on Bet de Aviut (level 2), creating the World of Beria.
(ii) Zivug on Alef de Aviut (level 1), creating the World of Yetzira.
(iii) Zivug in Aviut Shoresh (level 0), giving birth to the World of Assiya.
The ascent of Bina moves the World of Atzilut two levels up: Malchut is now in the place of Abba ve Ima, Zeir Anpin in the place of Arich Anpin, and Arich Anpin and Atik ascend in proportion.
Partzuf Malchut of the World of Atzilut, which is in this ascent equivalent to Bina, Abba ve Ima, can create, “give birth.”
The result is that the World of Beria is born out of Malchut of Atzilut and occupies a new place instead of Zeir Anpin of the World of Atzilut, under the Rosh, that has given birth to it. The newborn is usually one level below its mother.
After this, the World of Yetzira is brought to life. Its first four Sefirot, i.e. its upper part, now occupies the place of Malchut of the World of Atzilut. Though in its lower part, six lower Sefirot, are located, correspondingly, in the position of the first six Sefirot, the place of the World of Beria.
The next world, Assiya, covers half of the World of Beria and half of the World of Yetzira. The four Sefirot of the World of Yetzira and ten Sefirot of the World of Assiya remain empty.
This empty place is called Mador Klipot, the place of evil forces.
In order to emphasize its importance we can consider the whole process once more:
The World of Nikudim went out in Katnut with Rosh being Keter, Rosh being Abba ve Ima, ZON being its Guf.
All this is called Galgalta ve Eynaim and spreads from Tabur to Parsa. After this the Gadlut of the World of Nikudim begins to emerge, which has ten Sefirot both in Rosh and Guf.
Gadlut appeared in Keter, in Abba ve Ima, but when ZON wants to receive Gadlut the World of Nikudim breaks apart.
All the Kelim of Guf break into 320 parts, they fall under Parsa and combine with each other, yielding four groups:
(i) Galgalta ve Eynaim
(ii) AHP
(iii) Galgalta ve Eynaim in AHP
(iv) AHP in Galgalta ve Eynaim
To correct the broken Kelim, the World of Atzilut is created. Firstly, its three Partzufim are born: Atik, Arich Anpin, Abba ve Ima, which fully correspond to the Partzufim: Keter and Abba ve Ima in the World of Nikudim.
Zeir Anpin and Malchut correspond to the same Partzufim in the World of Nikudim.
At this stage, the correction of the extracted Kelim Galgalta ve Eynaim from all the 320 parts is finished.
Further, we have Galgalta ve Eynaim inside the AHPs. There is no way to extract it, but the directed ray of Light may bring it closer to the Light.
Atzilut wants to do the correction in AHP. Malchut ascends to Bina and gives birth to the ten Sefirot of the World of Beria, which stands in place of Zeir Anpin of Atzilut because Malchut of the World of Atzilut is now in Abba ve Ima.
At this stage the ten Sefirot of the World of Yetzira are brought about; the last one partially overlaps the World of Beria. The part of the World of Yetzira is under Parsa in the place of the upper half of the World of Beria.
Finally, the World of Assiya is located from the middle part of the place of the World of Beria to the middle part of the place of the World of Yetzira.
Beginning in the middle of the place of the World of Yetzira and finally ending in the place of the World of Assiya is emptiness, Mador Klipot.
Presently we will see that the worlds can ascend and descend, but always moving together with respect to their initial position.
All that has been discussed in the present chapter is described in the 1500 pages of the Talmud Esser HaSefirot (Study of the 10 Sefirot) by Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag. This work of major importance provides guidelines for our spiritual progression and helps us to keep focused on the correct goal.
Our correction pertains to the Second Restriction, Tzimtzum Bet. As a result we cannot see beyond Tzimtzum Alef, the First Restriction. Actually, there is no human way to even imagine what sort of forces operate there, nor the nature of reality that exists in this place. These are referred to as the secrets of the Kabbalah.