Partie 4 · Observation intérieure 2

Chapter TwoTwelve kinds of reflected lightThe general reflected light rejected from Malchut becomes the surrounding lightWe find twelve kinds of reflected light in the ARI’s words; here they are:The first is the reflected light rejected from phase four during the first look when the screen detains the upper light and does not let it expand there. The light returns backwards and clothes the ten Sefirot of direct light.There are two kinds of reflected light to discern here: the first is all of the light that was rejected from clothing in the vessel of Malchut. There is a great measure of it, especially in the first Partzuf of AK that we are concerned with. It contains the entire difference from Ein Sof, which filled the entire reality, to Partzuf AK, which is but a thin line of light, in relation to the light of Ein Sof. Know that this reflected light incorporates all the surrounding light in all the worlds.

The reflected light that clothes the direct light is an outcome of the first reflected light, rejected from MalchutThe second kind of reflected light included here is the reflected light that ascends from below upward, and clothes the ten Sefirot of direct light. There is great depth in that, as there is existence in the reflected light rejected from phase four, meaning the actuality of the light that is rejected from there.We must discern the negation in it, which is the force of the striking itself, generating a great light because of the withdrawal from the light. It is a correlation between the light that is rejected back, and phase four, which is left empty of that light.This reflected light, which is born by the withdrawal from the light, is the second kind of reflected light, rising and clothing the ten Sefirot of direct light. Hence it is considered an outcome of the first kind of reflected light, especially from the negation, but through the correlation, as explained above.

There are two kinds of reflected light: inner light and surrounding light. A great difference between HB TM of inner lightThe above two kinds of reflected light are considered the inner light and the surrounding light of the ten Sefirot of the Rosh. It is so because that reflected light clothing the ten Sefirot of direct light is a very small part of all the reflected light that is rejected back, as it is but an outcome and correlation of the vessel of Malchut and the rejected light.You already know that there are four phases of direct light one above the other, called HB ZA and Malchut, and Keter is their root. The differences between them are indeed great and very vast. Hence, the outcome born from the correlation of the rejected light with the phase of Malchut is not like the outcome born from the correlation between the rejected light and the phase of ZA, let alone with the phases above ZA.

NRNHY are born and emerge from the correlation between the rejected reflected light and the KHB TM of direct lightNow you can understand the birth of the five lights, called: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, Yechida. The outcome of the correlation of the reflected light with the phase of Malchut is called the light of Nefesh. The outcome of the correlation between the reflected light and the phase of ZA is called the light of Ruach. The outcome of the correlation between the reflected light and the phase of Bina is called the light of Neshama. The outcome of the reflected light with the phase of Hochma is called the light of Haya, and the outcome of the reflected light and the phase of Keter is called the light of Yechida.

If the clothing reflected light is a result of the correlation between the rejected reflected light and Malchut, it is considered the light of NefeshNow the clothing reflected light over the ten Sefirot of direct light was an outcome of the reflected light with the phase of Malchut. Hence, the light that is drawn into these ten Sefirot is called the light of Nefesh. It is discerned as inner light of these ten Sefirot, and the general rejected reflected light is the surrounding light of these ten Sefirot. Thus we have explained two kinds of reflected light.

The third reflected light is that which is clothed in Malchut of the Rosh. It is the origin and the Keter for both the ten Sefirot of reflected light in the Rosh, and the ten Sefirot in the GufThe third kind of reflected light is the reflected light that remains permanently present in Malchut of the Rosh, as the origin and the emanator of all the lights and the vessels in the Guf. You have nothing in the Guf that is not extended from that origin. Since Malchut, with the amount of reflected light that she raises, clothes all the lights of Rosh, she is therefore regarded as the phase of Keter and a root for both the lights of the Rosh, and the lights of the Guf. There is no hold at all of the light without a vessel, and since she begets the reflected light that clothes the lights, she is also regarded as begetting the lights themselves.

The fourth reflected light expands from the Peh to the Tabur, becoming vessels over the direct light, though incompleteThe fourth kind is the reflected light that expands the vessel of Malchut to ten Sefirot from her and within her from above downward, called from Peh to Tabur. Malchut of the Rosh is called Peh, and Malchut of the Guf, which is the tenth Sefira of Malchut of the Rosh, is called Tabur.Indeed, this reflected light becomes actual vessels over the ten Sefirot of direct light that descend inside it from above downward. This is why these ten Sefirot are called the “Guf of the Partzuf,” although they do not seem as such because of the great importance of the coarseness in it (see Inner Light Chapter 6, item 5).

The fifth reflected light is the reflected light in Malchut of the Guf called TaburThe fifth kind is the reflected light in Malchut of the Guf, called female light. This is actually illumination from the direct light, but it is a small illumination, having only the quality of reception, without any power of bestowal. This is why it is called reflected light, and remember that.

The sixth reflected light is the one that expands from Tabur downwardThe sixth kind of reflected light is all that expands from Tabur of the Guf downward. It is entirely the phase of Malchut of the Guf alone, as the first nine Sefirot of the ten Sefirot that expand from the Peh to the Guf end at the Tabur. Malchut in them occupies the entire place from Tabur to the end of the Partzuf. Although she is only Malchut, for herself, she is still regarded as expanding into ten Sefirot. This is from the perspective of the end of each and every Sefira distinguished in this place.

That which emerges in the coupling by striking in the Rosh is discerned only in the Guf. The expansion to Malchut is regarded as being from Peh to Tabur, and the rejection from Malchut is considered to be from Tabur downYou must understand here that we have no perception in the ten Sefirot of the Rosh. It is so because they are the state of Ein Sof, and everything we discern in the ten Sefirot of the Rosh is only their expansion into the Guf, and the upper one is studied from the lower one.We say that the upper light expanded up to Malchut and the screen in the vessel of Malchut struck the light and did not let it enter the vessel of Malchut and pushed it back, and this reflected light clothed the ten Sefirot of direct light. This clothing of the first nine Sefirot and this rejection from expanding in Malchut are discerned by us because this is how they operate in the Guf on the Tabur.The first nine Sefirot from Tabur up are received and clothed inside the reflected light, and the light that belongs to the Sefira of Malchut is rejected. It is not received in Malchut of the Guf, which is the entire place from the Tabur down.Since that Malchut had clothed all ten Sefirot when she was in the state of Ein Sof, prior to the restriction, hence the light filled the entire reality, as written at length (Inner Observation, Part 1, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2). For this reason, we also discern ten hollows in the Malchut that has been restricted, meaning in the place from Tabur downward, which have been emptied of the light that they had had in the state of Ein Sof. Now there is only reflected light inside them.Hence, we discern ten Sefirot in and of themselves in Malchut of the Guf, as they carry the entire deficiency that appeared because of the restriction. For this reason, the place from Tabur down is called posterior, due to the lack of direct light. The place from Tabur up is called the anterior of the Partzuf because it is the place of all the light in the Partzuf.

The seventh reflected light is what remains in the Partzuf after the departure of the direct light from itThe seventh kind is the reflected light that remains in the Guf below, after the departure of the direct light from there. It is brought in the ARI’s words (Chapter 2, item 10). When the direct light returns up to its root, the reflected light does not ascend with it, as the very essence of the reflected light is the light of departure.It has been explained above in item eight that it comes from the withdrawal of phase four, which does not receive the light because of the force of the restriction and the screen that rides over her, regarded by its origin as coarseness and judgment. But when it becomes a vessel that draws and clothes the upper light, the coarseness and judgment are inverted to complete refinement and mercy until it is no longer regarded as lowly and dark compared to the upper light that is clothed in it (see item 14).However, during the departure, when the upper light expands from it and rises to its root, its importance expires and nothing more than its own essence remains of it, meaning coarseness, restriction and judgment. It is therefore clear that during the departure, when the direct light returned to its root, the reflected light could not ascend with it. Moreover, now its descent below has been revealed, meaning that the judgment and the coarseness in it became apparent as it is according to its own essence, and for this reason, it is called coarse light.From now on, the difference is regarded in advance between the vessels that clothed the light, meaning the reflected light, and the light clothed in it, which was not at all apparent prior to the departure (see item 13). This is why the ARI says there that this coarse light is the phase of the vessels of the Partzuf.

The eighth reflected light is the above reflected light, after having acquired additional coarseness to its own coarsenessThe eighth kind is the above reflected light from the perspective of its reception of additional coarseness to its own coarseness, as the ARI says (Chapter 6, item 2). It is so because besides the coarseness that appeared in it, from what it is according to its own essence, the impression of a new judgment that it acquired by the current departure, which left it in the dark, has been added to it. Because of this, it is in double coarseness.

The ninth reflected light rises from the coupling by striking on the screen during the degrees of its refinementThe ninth kind is the reflected light that ascends through the coupling by striking performed on the screen in the degrees of its refinement. The levels that emerge in these couplings are generally regarded as reflected light, even the direct light in them. This is because the couplings emerge during the judgment, meaning during the departure of the lights to the emanator.

We might ask: but there is expansion of direct light from above downward into the Guf in each and every level, and it is known that all that is extended from above downward is mercy. The thing is that, indeed, there is nothing more than a matter of refinement here.Even those couplings made of the upper light are also included in the departure of the lights, as this is the conduct of refinement. It must pass and come through the four phases during its refinement, as the upper light, which does not stop for even a minute, makes a coupling with it on its way.It is like a person who walks out of the house: even though he takes, for example, four steps on his way out of the house, we still don’t regard them as being four rests in his walk; this is completely unthinkable. It is impossible for him to exit the house except through steps as that is the conduct of walking.So is the issue before us: Even though the screen passes four phases during the departure, and the upper light makes a coupling with it on its way, it is still not regarded as expansion of the upper light into the Partzuf, as mercy. Rather, it is considered judgment because the time is a time of departure, which includes the expansions on its way, as well, as this is the usual manner of departure, and remember that.

It has been explained that even though there is a complete level of RTS (Rosh, Toch, Sof) in each and every coupling, which emerges during the refinement of the screen, they are still not regarded as direct light, mercy, but as reflected light and judgment. However, all of this relates to the self of the Partzuf in general, suffering from the departure of the lights from inside it. Hence, it pays little regard to the levels that emerge during the refinement and the departure of the light.Nevertheless, regarding the values of the levels, meaning as the levels are in and of themselves, we have an inverse relation: Every level that emerges by a closer coupling to the emanator is better (see items 9, 10). That is because in phase four, only the light of Nefesh emerges, and when it is refined into phase three, the light of Ruach emerges. When that is refined into phase two, the light of Neshama emerges, etc.

This above matter of inverse relation must be thoroughly and clearly understood, as it is the whole connection and the entire difference between the light and the vessel. Hence, not knowing it will fail us every step of the way throughout the wisdom before us.The thing is that there is a vessel for the reception of the upper light on the part of the direct light, which are the five phases KHB ZON, or NRNHY, and there is a vessel for reception on the part of the reflected light, which are the levels that are also called KHB, ZA and Malchut. They are completely opposite from one another because from the same coupling by which the level of Keter of reflected light emerges, meaning the greatest vessel, the phase of Nefesh of direct light emerges, too, which is the smallest light.

The origin of these two values has already been explained. The value of the four phases of direct light is extended so from the light of Ein Sof. The first three phases are still not considered vessels of reception, as the distinction of disparity of form is still not apparent in them. The difference between them and the upper light is only in that they cause the cascading of phase four, which is known to be the phase of absolute reception.Each more refined phase is therefore considered greater because it has greater adhesion with the upper light clothed in it. Hence, Keter, which is the farthest cause from phase four, is the root of the entire expansion, and phase one, which is the nearest cause to phase four, from Keter, is regarded as a smaller light than Keter. Besides being a consequence and an outcome of Keter, there is also a fine difference in it from the light that is clothed in it, in that it is a second cause and closer to phase four.In phase two, which is a third cause and closer to phase four, the light clothed there is smaller, and so on similarly. Finally, phase four itself has no light at all because of the disparity of form in it, and on which there was the restriction. All this is known from previous parts and there is no need to elaborate.

The differences in values of the above phases are called by the names: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, Yechida. There is a great difference between them, which pertains primarily to the proximity and distance from phase four, over which there is the force of restriction.There is yet another difference between them, that of cause and consequence. Keter is the cause of Hochma; Hochma of Bina and so on. The merit of the cause over its consequence is indeed great in the spirituals, unlike any cause and consequence in corporeality. It is so because here they are all eternal and all the lights attained by the consequence must pass to it through its cause.Moreover, most of this light that passes remains in the cause, and only a small branch of it is imparted and comes to the resulting lower one, although the light belongs solely to the consequence, and there are many other discernments too. Thus, the distance between the cause and its consequence is immeasurably great.Besides all this, there is a great difference between these four phases according to the kind of light in the essence. Even though the upper light is entirely even, there is a matter of a correlation here between the upper light and the phase of direct light in which it is clothed. Thus, the light of Haya is the self, the light of Neshama is primarily light of Hassadim, and there are other differences that will be explained in their place.

Know that all the above-mentioned values in the four phases of direct light are extended so from Ein Sof, since they come to shine from the restriction down. Also, all the above discernments apply to the ten Sefirot of circles, as well, since they come this way from Ein Sof before they enter into the coupling by striking and the clothing of the reflected light. You already know that the whole difference between the ten Sefirot of circles and the ten Sefirot of straightness is only with regard to the coupling by striking, which does not apply to the circles.

Now we shall explain the second term, meaning the five levels of reflected light, which is an entirely different matter. It has already been explained in Inner Observation Part 2 (Chapter 6) that from the restriction down the reflected light became the vessel of reception for the upper light instead of phase four (see there, Chapter 2).It is because that reflected light that was rejected from Malchut, which Malchut does not receive due to the detainment in the screen, became a vessel and a receptacle for the light, as phase four was in Ein Sof. Thus, no light is received in the worlds except by way of the reflected light, see there.

Therefore, if the coupling by striking performed on the screen of phase four, which is the primary receptacle in Ein Sof that clothed all the light up to Keter, which is the meaning of the light filling the entire reality, now, however, when all that great measure has been rejected from her and has risen up as reflected light, that reflected light also clothes the entire height of the light up to Keter.However, if it is refined to phase three in her, and the measure of phase four disappears from there, then the screen that rejects the upper light from clothing in her rejects only the measure of three phases. Thus, even if the light had clothed this vessel of phase three, she would only receive from it up to Hochma. Hence, the level of the rejected reflected light is also short and clothes only up to Hochma, etc., similarly.

Just as the difference between Keter and Hochma of direct light is indeed great, precisely so is the difference between the level of Keter and Hochma of reflected light immeasurably great. Even though in the reflected light the coarser is greater, this pertains to the vessels of extension, meaning the screen and the Malchut in which the coupling by striking is carried out.However, they need the more refined vessels for the clothing of light, as it is necessary for the light to have equivalence of form with the vessel. The light is greater in the phases of direct light because it is more refined (see item 22). It is therefore obvious that when it comes to be clothed in the vessel of reflected light, that vessel must equalize with it.Consequently, it is necessary that if the level of reflected light reaches Keter, then there is a refined and clear vessel there, fitting to clothe that great light of clear Keter. However, the level of phase three, whose level reaches only up to Hochma, the merit of the vessel that clothes the light of Hochma is immeasurably lower than the vessel of Keter on the level of phase four, etc., similarly.

We might ask: if only the coarseness of phase three remains when the coarseness of phase four is refined, it turns out that the phase of Malchut disappeared from there and only the first three phases KHB and ZA remained. In that case, that level should have been cut off from Malchut, as that part of reflected light is missing there. Why then was the reflected light cut off from clothing in Keter, while that phase is not absent from there?The thing is that the matter of the two directions in the ten Sefirot has already been explained in Inner Observation Part 2 (Chapter 9). The ten Sefirot of direct light are regarded as from above downward, and the reflected light is the opposite, regarded as from below upward. Thus, below, in the place of Malchut of direct light, there is the Keter of reflected light, and in the place of ZA of direct light there is Hochma of reflected light etc. Finally, in the place of Keter of direct light, there is Malchut of reflected light.

Now you can understand what is written in Sefer Yetzira (Book of Creation), that “Its end is embedded in its beginning, and its beginning in its end.” Phase four, which is Malchut, is the end of all the Sefirot, and through the striking of upper light on the screen in her, she draws the light of Keter into her, meaning she binds it to shine in the Partzuf.Thus, she is literally embedded in its beginning, meaning Keter, the beginning of all the Sefirot. Since Keter is drawn to the reflected light of phase four, all ten Sefirot are drawn along with it, since Keter contains all of them.Thus, Malchut is regarded as Keter of reflected light, meaning the actual measure of Keter. Phase three is called ZA of reflected light, which is second to her, attributed only to the Sefira of Hochma, as she is second to the place of the coupling at the level of Keter and one degree more refined. It continues similarly until the Keter in her, which is the fifth from the place of the coupling, regarded only as Malchut. Thus, the end of the direct light, namely the Sefira of Malchut, is embedded in the beginning of the reflected light, namely Keter of the reflected light.

Now you can simply understand the question we raised: If it is refined to phase three, then it lacks only Malchut. Why then was the reflected light so shortened that it cannot clothe up to Keter but only from Hochma down? Now this is clearly understood, since there is an inverse relation here: phase four is regarded here as Keter, phase three as Hochma and so on, the complete opposite of the direct light.

However, we must still consider the measure of the reception of the direct light explained above (items 22, 24). Although its end is embedded in its beginning and Malchut draws the light of Keter for herself and becomes the Sefira of Keter, it does not mean that Malchut draws the actual light of Yechida for herself.It is utterly impossible for the light of Yechida to come through the drawing of the vessel of Malchut, but only through the drawing of the vessel of Keter of direct light. Moreover, how can the relation of the phases of direct light with the upper light that are clothed and extended so from Ein Sof change? The difference of above and below in them is immeasurably great, as we have explained above (items 23, 24). However, they are kept in utter precision, and each phase does not move from the value of her merit even a bit.

The matter of its end being embedded in its beginning means that the light of Nefesh of Malchut, ascribed to her by the direct light, grows and attains its own phase, which is included in the Keter. It is so because Keter contains all ten Sefirot up to Malchut, and the lights in them are regarded as the five parts of Yechida, called NRNHY of Yechida. Hence, the light of Nefesh of Malchut now attains the root that she has in Keter, called Nefesh of Yechida. Indeed, she does not attain anything above her own phase.

You can see that although there is an inverse relation between the ten Sefirot of reflected light and the ten Sefirot of direct light, they still do not cancel or diminish each other even slightly. One does not touch the other at all, although they emerge simultaneously from a single coupling.The level of ten Sefirot up to the actual Keter emerges from the coupling of phase four, though only up to Nefesh of Yechida. The ten Sefirot on the level of Hochma emerge from the coupling of phase three, though it does not attain the phase of Hochma, called Haya. It is so because phase three is the phase of ZA, which is the light of Ruach of direct light, and the light of Hochma is drawn only through Hochma of direct light.Instead, it attains its own phase, rooted in Hochma, called the phase of Ruach of Haya. It is similar with all of them, as each one draws and attains only its own phase in the direct light, but the level of reflected light causes it to take its phase from a high place, according to the measure of the level.

We might ask accordingly, how is the light of Ruach, whose merit is many times greater than the Nefesh (see items 23, 24), found to be clothing a lower level than Nefesh? After all, the light of Nefesh is drawn by phase four and clothes in the level of Keter, and the light of Ruach must be drawn by phase three and is found to be clothed in merely the level of Hochma, which is much lower than Keter.Indeed, in the world of correction, when the vessels were properly corrected, we always find that even though the light of Ruach is drawn by phase three, it is still clothed only in the level of Keter. This is because then Nefesh descends from the level of Keter and clothes the level of phase three, and the light of Ruach is clothed in the level of Keter.It is the same with all of them, though here, before the vessels were corrected, they emerged here only by way of refinement. When phase three emerged and drew the light of Ruach, the vessel at the level of Keter was no longer in reality, as the screen had already departed from there. Hence, it had to come and clothe in a lower vessel than the vessel of Nefesh, and this is why the Partzuf could not receive from it the entire measure of its illumination.

The tenth reflected light is the one that descends from the four levels that emerge during the refinement of the screen into the empty vessel below themThe tenth kind is the reflected light descending from the four levels that emerge in the refinement of the screen from the place of the coupling down into the vessel below it, which is empty of light. It is brought here in the ARI’s words (Chapter 4, item 3), that when phase four was refined into phase three, the light departed from phase four, the level of Keter disappeared, the coupling was done on phase three, and the level of Hochma emerged. At that time, the reflected light descends from the illumination of the coupling in phase three and comes into the vessel of phase four, which is empty of her own light. Also, when the place of the coupling departed from phase three and rose to phase two and phase three was emptied of her own light, the illumination of the coupling descended from phase two into the empty vessel of phase three, etc. similarly.

There are two flaws in this reflected light: 1. It comes from the refinement of the screen, which is judgment. 2. It is extended below the TaburThis reflected light has two flaws:1. It comes from the coupling that is done during the refinement. For this reason, that level is generally considered reflected light and judgment, as in the eighth kind of reflected light.2. The second flaw is its being extended from the phase below the Tabur. When the screen was refined to phase three, Malchut of the Rosh rose to the Hotem, which was then regarded as the Peh of the Rosh. From there the light descends and expands from above downward into the Guf, reaching phase three of the Guf, which is now regarded as the phase of Malchut of Malchut of the Rosh, called Tabur. Also, when it was refined into phase two, phase two of the Guf is regarded as the phase of Tabur, etc., similarly.Thus, the reflected light descending from the illumination of the coupling of phase three from the Guf to phase four of the Guf is regarded as reaching below the Tabur. It has already been explained that this reflected light is the quality of posterior and judgment (see items 15, 16).

The eleventh reflected light is reflected light born out of the striking of the record and the descending reflected light on each other, called sparksThe eleventh kind is the reflected light born by the coupling by striking of the record and the descending reflected light on one another brought in the words of the ARI here (Chapter 3, item 9), and is called there “fourth light.” This is because the record and the reflected light naturally disagree and strike each other. As a result, sparks emerged from the above-mentioned descending reflected light and came into the empty vessel below the place of the coupling.

The twelfth reflected light is the above-mentioned reflected light after the cessation of the coupling, at which time it is extinguished and grows darkThe twelfth kind is the same reflected light as the eleventh kind, but after they are extinguished. After the illumination of the coupling stops from phase three, for example, the illumination of the coupling that was extended from there into phase four also stops along with it. Hence, the sparks that fell and came into phase four are extinguished, meaning they become darkened from their illumination, as do the rest of the sparks from the rest of the phases.