Topics examined in this lesson:
-
Partzufim of the World of Nikudim
-
Partzufim of the World of Atzilut
-
What AHP Is
-
The Breaking of the Partzufim
-
The Birth of Adam HaRishon
-
Connecting with the Creator
The first Partzuf of the World of Atzilut, Atik, comes out on the Reshimot of Alef-Shoresh (Hitlabshut of Level 1, Aviut of Level 0) in the Katnut at first, from Tabur to Parsa. Then it spreads in the Gadlut all the way to our world on the Reshimot of Dalet-Gimel (4,3).
It is the only a Partzuf by means of which the Light can shine in our world. We do not see or feel this Light, but it shines and drives us forward.
Whoever ascends from our world to below Parsa, where the worlds Beria, Yetzira and Assiya are located, is called a righteous man, a tzadik.
It should be noted that the Partzuf Atik spreads not only to the Parsa, in order to pass on Light to other Partzufim of the World of Atzilut, but below the Parsa as well.
Since Atik is in Tzimtzum Alef, this Partzuf is able to spread everywhere, and when it is below the Parsa it lights up the souls of the righteous who want to ascend to the World of Atzilut.
Being in the Worlds of BYA means “giving for the sake of bestowal,” while being in the World of Atzilut means “receiving for the sake of bestowal.” The next Partzuf, Arich Anpin, Hochma, comes out in Katnut. After this Partzuf, Abba ve Ima (Bina) is born, then Partzuf Zeir Anpin, and finally Malchut is born in the form of a point. The AHPs of the five Partzufim of the World of Atzilut are the Kelim de Kabbalah, Vessels for receiving. They are to be restored and corrected.
The World of Atzilut is the only world we study. All the others we study inasmuch as they are related to the World of Atzilut.
The aim is to ultimately raise all the souls to Atzilut. Partzuf Arich Anpin wraps itself up with many different coverings, which are called Seairot, hair, similar to the hair of the human body.
The Light is passed onto all the lower worlds through the Seairot. If the souls in the lower worlds desire the Light of Hochma, they apply to Arich Anpin and receive this Light through its “13 kinds of mercy” - 13 parts of the Partzuf Seairot.
If this Partzuf contracts, the flowing of the Light ceases, and through this occurrence all the worlds suffer. All kinds of exiles stem from this.
But if Arich Anpin allows the Light to pass through it, such a period is considered very beneficial.
In order to receive the Light of Hochma from Arich Anpin, it is necessary to rise in its Rosh.
When Malchut of the World of Atzilut ascends to the level of Arich Anpin, it indicates that Malchut improves its properties to such an extent that it becomes similar to Arich Anpin.
This process unfolds as follows: first a request from Malchut is sent to Abba ve Ima, which performs a correction on Malchut, and then Malchut ascends to the Rosh of Arich Anpin.
There can only be the Light of Hassadim in the next Partzuf, Abba ve Ima. Malchut and Zeir Anpin are being corrected with the help of this Light, and further they are able to receive the Light of Hochma from the Rosh of Arich Anpin.
Abba ve Ima creates additional Partzufim, which enter Zeir Anpin and Malchut, in order to show by example how to carry out different actions.
Such an additional Partzuf, which gives power and knowledge to Zeir Anpin and Malchut, is called Tzelem (image or semblance).
Everything that corrects relates to Abba ve Ima. Everything that is corrected relates to Malchut and Zeir Anpin.
Why are only these two Partzufim to be corrected? Because these two Partzufim were broken in the World of Nikudim.
The first three Partzufim of the World of Atzilut came out on the Reshimot of Rosh (Heads) of the World of Nikudim.
Zeir Anpin of the World of Atzilut is called “Ha Kadosh Baruch Hu” (The Holy One Blessed Be He).
Malchut of the World of Atzilut is called Shechina - the aggregation of all the souls.
All the names, including the names of personages mentioned in the Torah, spring from the World of Atzilut. Those personages, furthermore, who are in the Worlds of BYA, all the same, are under the control of the World of Atzilut.
The World of Atzilut does not let through any Light below the Parsa apart from a tiny ray of Light, Ohr Tolada. This is done in order to avoid Shevirat haKelim (the shattering of the Vessels) again, as had happened in the World of Nikudim.
How are the AHPs, located below the Parsa, corrected? They are illuminated with a powerful Light by which they see how they differ from the Creator.
They then wish to improve themselves and apply to the Partzuf located above, which is the Creator for them. They ask for the feature of bestowal, or in other words a Masach (Screen). If the request coming from AHP is authentic, the Partzuf located above lifts it out of the Worlds of BYA and into the World of Atzilut.
The filling with Light only takes place in the World of Atzilut. AHPs in the Worlds of BYA are actually seven Sefirot of Zeir Anpin and nine lower Sefirot of Malchut of the World of Atzilut; it is so because Galgalta ve Eynaim of Zeir Anpin and the Sefira of Keter of Malchut are in the World of Atzilut.
The request for help ascends to AHPs of Zeir Anpin and Malchut, located in the Worlds of BYA.
If these Sefirot can be lifted and attached to the corresponding Sefirot of the World of Atzilut, then it will be possible to fill them with Light. Such a condition is called Gmar Tikkun (Final Correction).
What is the difference between the ascending AHPs from those which are reached by the Light coming below the Parsa? The difference is qualitative: when AHP goes up, it is used as a Vessel for bestowal, not for receiving. Its main feature of receiving is removed during the ascension.
It is thus used as Galgalta ve Eynaim. This adds something to the World of Atzilut, but does not correct the AHP fundamentally. While ascending, AHP does not use its own Light but the Light of Galgalta ve Eynaim.
In addition to AHPs that can be raised to the World of Atzilut, there are many Kelim left in BYA that cannot be raised. This is because they are not combined with Galgalta ve Eynaim.
What is to be done in order to correct these Kelim? Just like the Shevirat haKelim in the worlds, a Shevirat haKelim in the souls is produced.
For this purpose Malchut of the Ein Sof - which is nothing more than a purely selfish created being, devoid of altruism and in a state of restriction that it accepted on itself - is added to the Kelim of Galgalta ve Eynaim of the ZON of the World of Atzilut.
Here there will be such a combination of Kelim de Kabbalah with Kelim de Ashpa’a, that naturally, such a Partzuf will break into smaller particles.
Further, the separate sparks of altruism and selfishness will combine, paving the way for the correction of Malchut by means of these same particles.
And so, after the World of Atzilut enters the state of Katnut, Malchut of the World of Atzilut ascends to the level of Ima (Bina) of the World of Atzilut and there gives birth to the World of Beria, by making a Zivug on the Aviut Bet.
After the second Zivug of Malchut on the Aviut Gimel, the World of Yetzira is born.
Then the World of Assiya is brought about after the third Zivug of Malchut on the Aviut Dalet.
After all this, a fundamentally new Partzuf is being created in Katnut with Galgalta ve Eynaim. The AHP of this new Partzuf in the future Gadlut will be Malchut of the Ein Sof itself.
This Partzuf is called Adam HaRishon (First Man). But why were these additional Worlds of BYA created? This is to build the necessary environment for this Partzuf, wherein it would exist and receive from all around the required Light, to match its ever changing desires.
As in the World of Nikudim, Partzuf of Adam HaRishon is born in Katnut with Kelim Galgalta ve Eynaim.
Similar to all Partzufim, it wishes to enter to Gadlut. But the moment it starts to receive Light for Gadlut, in the Kelim de Kabbala (AHP) of Malchut of the Ein Sof, it breaks up into small particles.
When Adam was born, he was absolutely righteous (a tzadik), he was already circumcised, and devoid of Kelim de Kabbalah.
Then, as he developed, he wanted to correct the whole Garden of Eden, i.e. all his desires.
This, in spite of strict instructions from the Creator, not to do Zivug on Malchut of Malchut, which is not able to absorb altruistic intentions, any Kelim de Ashpa’a that will fall into it.
Adam had no qualms about his capacity to perform a correction on Malchut of the Ein Sof, because it was his AHP.
But the moment Light began to descend from the World of Atzilut below the Parsa, Adam HaRishon was shattered into a great number of parts (600,000).
Each of these parts has to spend 6,000 years striving to accomplish its individual correction. The part of selfishness that a man may sacrifice to the Creator is called the soul.
In the instant of breaking up, all the desires of Adam fell down to the lowest level of selfishness. At this point all the fragments are separated, and each separate particle strives to draw pleasure and delight from this world.
This explains why special conditions were established to help man strengthen his bonding with the Creator and to receive the correcting Light from above.
While undergoing correction, a man sends a request to the Creator, for assistance to correct all his desires. The Light of the Creator comes down, and this man must undergo 6,000 consecutive actions to correct his soul.
When this happens, the soul becomes similar in its attributes to Malchut of the Ein Sof. It then receives all the Light for the sake of the Creator.
Everything we discover relates to the World of Atzilut and to the Partzuf of Adam HaRishon.
All that is written in the Kabbalah concerns some part of this Partzuf, or the world in which it comes out.
The perception of the surrounding world at any given time depends on how high a level man has risen to, and which part of the Partzuf of Adam HaRishon.
In order to bond with the spiritual world, a man has to achieve a similarity of attributes with this world.
If even only one desire matches the spiritual attribute of giving relentlessly, then at this stage, a connection with the Creator is established.
It is quite difficult to establish this first contact. When a man opens up to the spiritual he clearly comprehends it and cannot mistake it. He then needs to transform his desires. The Creator, for His part, wants man to achieve correction and expects man’s request.
The divine Light exists in an absolute stillness, only the souls are transformed. At every stage of the transformation they receive new information from the Light.
The Creator only replies to sincere prayer-desire. If there is no answer, it means that this is not yet a true desire to be answered.
When man is ready, the answer comes immediately, because the Light always wants to fill the Kli.