Teil 4 · Innere Betrachtung 3

Chapter ThreeTwelve kinds of recordsA record of extension and a record of clothingThe first kind is the record that remains of the lights after their departure, which come from the phases of clothing. The second kind is the record that remains of the lights after their departure, which comes from the phase of extension. It means that you already know that the greatness of the level is measured by the level of coarseness in the screen, where the coarser draws a greater level.It is also known that we should always discern two ends in this, which stretch from one person to another. It is so because the greater the level, the farther are the ends. The greater level necessitates a greater coarseness in the screen and the vessel of Malchut, and also more refined vessels of reception. For example, phase four, which is the coarsest, draws the level of Keter, but at the same time needs the most refined vessel, fitting to receive the entire light of Keter inside her (see Inner Observation Part 2).

Records of extension remain in the vessels of extension, and of clothing remain in the vessels of receptionThus, after every departure we discern two kinds of records: the first remains in the vessel of extension of that light, and the second is the record that remains in the vessel of reception of that light. Indeed, if we judge by the record for itself, they are almost one, though in their origin, they are as far from one another as the distance of the east from the west. The record of the phase of extension is from the lowest coarseness there is, and the record of the phase of reception is from the highest refinement there is. It is so because one is phase four and the other is the root phase.

The record of clothing is male and the record of coarseness is femaleKnow that they relate to one another as male and female. It is so because in fact both have the same level of light, meaning light clothed in a properly suited vessel. However, after the light departed from there and the coarseness in the vessel is regarded as lowliness (as the ARI says here in item 18), that great distance between these two records appears. Still, since they are one to begin with, they are therefore regarded as male and female.

There is no record of coarseness left of the last phase after the refinementKnow that this record of the female phase did not remain after the departure of the light from there. Though she is not lost, as there is no absence in the spiritual, she remains silent and completely inactive until the end of correction.In chapter 2, item 6 the ARI writes that the last phase does not leave a record, and only the record of the male phase remains there. In chapter 2, item 4, the ARI writes that when the Keter rises and departs, it leaves one record in its place in that vessel, to shine from it to Hochma below it, after it rises and departs. See Inner Light there.

Records that clothe in their vesselsThe third kind are records that clothe in the place of the general light that departed, meaning in the reflected light and the vessel of Malchut that expanded from her and within her into ten Sefirot. These clothed the ten Sefirot of direct light, and thus each and every one of the records that remained after their departure clothed according to its phase and share as well.For example, Keter of direct light was clothed in Nefesh of reflected light during the expansion. Afterwards, when it departed from there, the record clothes in its place, meaning in Nefesh of reflected light, and also the record of Hochma in Ruach of reflected light, etc. However, they certainly did not need the entire measure of the vessel, as the record is a small part of the departing light, and occupied a certain measure of the vessel, according to its share. This is brought in the ARI’s words here (item 18).

Records that do not clothe in their vessels but are above their vesselsThe fourth kind is the records that do not clothe in their vessels. Instead, each and every one of them is found above its designated vessel, as tags over the letters (as the ARI says in Chapter 4, item 4). The reason for their exit from their vessels is this: Because of the striking of the descending reflected light and the record on each other, since the reflected light comes from the illumination of the coupling, it overpowers the record, regarded as a residue of the departure of the coupling.Since the light of the record is opposite from the reflected light descending into her vessel, they cannot be together in the same carrier, meaning in one vessel. For that reason the record was forced to depart from her vessel and exit above her vessel.

Records that returned to their vesselsThe fifth kind is the records that returned to their vessels after having left there. As a result of the departure of the coupling from the upper phase, too, the illumination of the descending reflected light departed too, and the sparks that fell into the vessel below it were extinguished. Then the record returned into its own vessel as before, for now there is no longer resistance from the reflected light inside its vessel, since it, too, is after the departure of its coupling. Hence, the record overpowers the reflected light once more.The reason that the departure of the coupling is called “extinguishing the sparks” is that the illumination of reflected light is called sparks. Hence, the discontinuation of its illumination is called extinguishing, which is a term used for sparks of fire.

A record that consists of refined light and coarse light, a record from the refined light, a record from the coarse lightThe sixth kind is a record that contains refined light and coarse light. The seventh kind is called refined light, brought by the ARI here (Chapter 2, item 10). The eighth kind is called the coarse light of the record.

As the refined light was mixed with the coarse light in the lights of the first expansion, so it is in the record that the first expansion leftExplanation of the words: Everything that is found in the light is also found in the record that remains of that light. Hence, the record is called a record of a seal (see Part 2, Inner Light, item 3).For this reason, the records that remain from the lights of the first expansion contain light and vessel, like the lights from which they came (see item 44). However, as long as the record is clothed in its vessel, there is no distinction between the light and the vessel, similar to the lights of the first expansion where the lights and the vessels are mixed (see the ARI’s words, Chapter 6, item 2, and Inner Light item 6).Thus, in the record that comes from them there is also no distinction between the light and the vessel. Rather, they are mixed together. This is the above sixth kind, meaning the record that contains the refined light and the coarse light, although the coarse light is not apparent in it but mixed in it.

The coarseness in the vessel manifests after the departure of the record from the vesselNow you will understand the above seventh and eighth kinds. It has been explained above (item 45), regarding the fourth kind of the record, that because of the striking of the descending reflected light on the record, the record departed and went out from its vessel, rising above it as tags over the letters.Now, because of the departure of the record from the vessel, the difference between the vessel and the record has become apparent, as now the coarseness in the vessel becomes apparent. It is now regarded as coarse light, like the lights of the first expansion (Chapter 6, Inner Light, item 7). Also, you already know that everything that applies to the lights also applies to the records that come from them.

It has been explained that after the departure of the record from the vessel, the difference between the light of the record and the vessel of the record has become apparent. The vessel is now called the coarse light of the record, and you should know that the vessels of the males of the second expansion were made of the coarse light of the record. The light of the record is now called the refined light of the record, from which the lights of the males of the second expansion are made, and remember that.

The record of clothing that remains in MalchutThe ninth kind is the record of the light of Malchut, brought in the ARI’s words here (Chapter 6, item 20). Know that this record is of the above-mentioned seventh kind, called refined light. It means that it does not have the phase of a vessel. It is written above (item 45), that the record from the phase of the extension had been lost. It means that the phase of the coarse light of this record, which is the eighth kind of the record but the refined light in her remained without a vessel, which therefore rose above its own vessel, meaning to Yesod (Chapter 4, items 2, 3).

The records incorporated in the screen after its refinementThe tenth kind is the records that were incorporated in the screen on its ascent to the emanator. The light of Malchut, which is the screen and the reflected light in her, is refined and rises from phase to phase until it reaches the emanator, meaning the Peh of the Rosh. As it passes in them, it also becomes incorporated with the records that the lights left there after their departure. Hence, when it reached the Peh, it was incorporated with all three phases of the records over which the new coupling was done, from which the vessels and lights of the second expansion emerged (see Inner Light, Chapter 4, item 4).

The records that remained of the four levels that emerged during the refinementThe eleventh kind is the records that remain of the four levels that emerged during the refinement from the phase of the first nine Sefirot in them. Here the ARI speaks only of the records that remained from the first nine of the first expansion, before it began to be refined, called the first light, as the ARI says here (Chapter 3, item 8). However, the four levels that emerged afterwards, during the refinement, also left records in their vessels after they departed, meaning also from the first nine Sefirot in them, as it is known that the last phase does not leave a record.

The records of clothing that remained of the last phases in the above four levelsThe twelfth kind is the records that remain of the last phases in the above four levels that exited during the refinement, meaning only the phase of refined light in those records. The coarse light in these records was lost from the last phases, as was clarified with the last phases of the records that remained from the first light (see above items 29 and 51).

Now we have clarified the twelve kinds of records, which are:1. The records that emerge from the phase of clothing, explained in items 40, 41, 42, 43.2. The records that emerge from the phase of extension, explained in the above items too.3. The records clothed inside their vessels, explained in item 44.4. The records that do not clothe in their vessels, but are as tags over the letters, explained in item 45.5. The records that returned to their vessels after having left there, explained in item 46.6. The records that include refined light and coarse light, and the coarse light is not apparent in them, explained in items 47, 48, 49.7. The refined light of the records from which the lights of the males of the second expansion were made, explained in the above items, too.8. The coarse light of the records, from which the vessels for the males of the second expansion were made, explained there too, as well as in item 50.9. The record of the light of Malchut which is only from the phase of the refined light in this record, because the last phase does not leave a record, explained in item 51.10. The records that were incorporated in the screen along its ascent to the eEmanator, where they were renewed in the coupling for the second expansion, explained in item 52.11. The records that remained of the first nine Sefirot of the four levels that emerged during the refinement, explained in item 52.12. The records of the last phases from these levels, explained in item 54.