Part 1 · Inner Observation 1

First, we must know that when dealing with spiritual matters, which have no concern with time, space, or motion, and moreover when dealing with Godliness, we do not have the words by which to contemplate and express. Our entire vocabulary is taken from sensations of imaginary senses. Thus, how can they assist us where sense and imagination do not reign?For example, if you take the subtlest of words, namely “lights,” it nonetheless resembles and borrows from the light of the sun or an emotional light of contentment. Thus, how can they be used to express Godly matters? They would certainly fail to provide the reader with anything true.It is even truer in a place where these words should disclose the negotiations in the wisdom in print, as is done in any research of wisdom. If we fail with even a single inadequate word, the reader will be instantly disoriented and will not find his hands or legs in this whole matter.For this reason, the sages of Kabbalah have chosen a special language that we can call “the language of the branches.” There is not an essence or a conduct of an essence in this world that does not derive from its root in the upper world. Moreover, the beginning of every being in this world begins from the upper world, and then cascades to this world.Thus, the sages have found an adequate language without trouble by which they could convey their attainments to each other by word of mouth and in writing from generation to generation. They have taken the names of the branches in this world, where each name is self-explanatory, as though pointing to its upper root in the system of the upper worlds.That should appease your mind regarding the perplexing expressions we often find in books of Kabbalah, and some that are even foreign to the human spirit. It is because once they have chosen this language to express themselves, namely the language of the branches, they could no longer leave a branch unused because of its inferior degree. They could not avoid using it to express the desired concept when our world suggests no other branch to be taken in its place.Just as two hairs do not feed off the same foramen, so we do not have two branches that relate to the same root. It is also impossible to exterminate the object in the wisdom that is related to that inferior expression. Such a loss would inflict impairment and great confusion in the entire scope of the wisdom, since there is no other wisdom in the world where matters are so intermingled through cause and effect, reason and consequence, as in the wisdom of Kabbalah, where matters are interconnected and tied to each other from top to bottom like one long chain.Thus, there is no freedom of will here to switch or replace the bad names with better ones. We must always provide the exact branch that points to its upper root and elaborate on it until the accurate definition is provided for the scrutinizing readers.Indeed, those whose eyes have not been opened to the sights of heaven, and have not acquired the proficiency in the connections of the branches of this world with their roots in the upper worlds, are like the blind scraping the walls. They will not understand the true meaning of even a single word, for each word is a name of a branch that relates to its root.Only if they receive an interpretation from a genuine sage who makes himself available to explain the matter in the spoken language, which is necessarily like translating from one language to another, meaning from the language of the branches to the spoken language, only then he will be able to explain the spiritual term as it is.This is what I have troubled myself to do in this interpretation: to explain the ten Sefirot as the Godly sage the Ari had instructed us, in their spiritual purity, devoid of any tangible terms. Thus, any beginner may approach the wisdom without failing in any materialization or mistake. With the understanding of these ten Sefirot, one will also come to examine and know how to comprehend the rest of the matters in this wisdom.Chapter One“Know that before the emanated beings were emanated and the created beings created, an upper, simple light had filled all of reality” (Tree of Life, 1:1). These words require explanation: How was there a reality that the simple light had filled before the worlds were emanated? Also, the matter of the ascent of the desire in order to be restricted so as to bring to light the perfection of His deeds. It is implied in the book that there was already some deficiency there.Also, the matter of the middle point in Him, where the restriction occurred, is also quite perplexing, for he had already said that there is neither beginning nor end there, so how is there a middle? Indeed, these words are deeper than the sea, and I must therefore elaborate on their interpretation.There is not one thing in all of reality that is not contained in Ein Sof [infinity/no end]. The contradicting terms in our world are contained in Him in the form of One, Unique, and Unified.Know that there is not an essence of a single being in the world, both the ones perceived by our senses and the ones perceived by our mind’s eye, that is not included in the Creator, for they all come to us from Him, and can one give that which is not in him?This matter has already been thoroughly explained in the books, but we must understand the concepts that are separated or opposite for us, such as the term “wisdom” is regarded as different from the term “sweetness,” as wisdom and sweetness are two separate terms. Similarly, the term “operator” certainly differs from the term “operation.” The operator and its operation are necessarily two separate concepts. It is even more so with opposite terms such as “sweet” and “bitter”; these are certainly discerned as separate.However, in Him, wisdom, pleasure, sweetness and acerbity, operation and operator, and other such different and opposite forms are all contained as one in His simple light. There are no differentiations among them whatsoever, as is the term “One, Unique, and Unified.”“One” indicates a single evenness. “Unique” implies that everything that extends from Him, all these multiplicities, are in Him as single as His self. “Unified” shows that although He performs the multiple operations, one force performs all these, and they all return and unite in the form of One. Indeed, this one form swallows all the forms that appear in His operations.This is a very subtle matter and not every mind can tolerate it. Nachmanides explained to us the matter of His uniqueness, as “One, Unique, and Unified.” These are his words in his commentary on The Book of Creation, Chapter 1, 47: There is a difference between One, Unique, and Unified: When He unites to act with one force, He is called “Unified.” When He divides to act His act, each part of Him is called “Unique.” When He is in a single evenness, He is called “One.” Thus far his pure words.Interpretation: “Unites to act with one force” means that His operations differ from each other and He seems to be doing good and bad. At that time, He is called “Unique” since all His different operations have a single outcome: doing good.We find that He is unique in every single act and does not change by His different operations. “When He is in a single evenness,” meaning “One,” it points to His self, for in Him, all the opposites are in “single evenness,” as written above. It is as Maimonides wrote, “In Him, the one who knows, the known and the knowledge are one, for His thoughts are far higher than our thoughts, and His ways than our ways.”

Two discernments in bestowal: before it is received and after it is received.We should learn from those who ate the manna. Manna is called “bread from heaven” because it did not materialize when clothing in this world. Our sages said that each one tasted in it everything he wanted.This means that it had to have contained opposite forms: One person tasted it as sweet and another tasted it as acrid and bitter. Thus, the manna itself had to have contained both opposites together, for can one give what is not in him? Thus, how can there be two opposites in one subject?It is therefore necessary that it is simple and devoid of both flavors, but is only included in them in a way that the corporeal receiver might discern the taste that one wants. Likewise, you can understand that anything spiritual is unique and simple in itself, but contains all the myriad forms in the world. When it comes to corporeal, limited receiver, the receiver makes in it a separate form from all the myriad forms united in that spiritual essence.We should therefore always distinguish two discernments in His bestowal: The first is the form of the essence of that upper abundance before it is received, when it is still an inclusive, simple light. The second is that after the abundance has been received, for by this it acquired one separate form according to the properties of the receiver.

How can we perceive the soul as a part of Godliness?Now we can come to understand what the Kabbalists wrote about the essence of the soul: “The soul is a part of God above and is not at all changed from the Whole, except in that the soul is a part and not the Whole.” It is like a stone that is carved from a mountain. The essence of the mountain and the essence of the stone are the same and there is no distinction between the stone and the mountain, except that the stone is a part of the mountain, and the mountain is the Whole, thus far the essence of their words.These words seem utterly perplexing, and the most difficult is to understand how it is possible to discern a difference and a part in Godliness to the point of resembling it to a stone that is carved from a mountain. The stone is carved from the mountain by an ax and a sledgehammer. But in Godliness, how and what would separate them from one another?

The spiritual is divided by disparity of form, as the corporeal is divided by an ax.Before we come to clarify the matter, we shall explain the essence of the separation in spirituality: Know that spiritual entities become separated from one another only by disparity of form. In other words, if one spiritual entity acquires two forms, it is no longer one, but two. Let me explain it in souls of people, which are also spiritual: It is known that the form of the spiritual law is simple. Certainly, there are as many souls as there are bodies, where the souls shine. However, they are separated from one another by the disparity of form in each of them, as our sages said, “As their faces are not the same, their opinions are not similar.” The body can discern the form of the souls and tell if each specific soul is a good soul or a bad soul, and likewise with the various forms.You now see that as a corporeal matter is divided, cut, and becomes separated by an ax and motion that increase the distance between each part, a spiritual matter is divided, cut, and separated by the disparity of form between each part. According to the measure of disparity, so is the distance between each two parts, and remember this well.

How can there be disparity of form in creation with respect to Ein Sof [infinity/no end]?We are still not content. In this world, in souls of people, in relation to the soul, of which it was said to be a part of God above, it is still unclear how it is separated from Godliness to the point that we can call it “a Godly part.” We should not say “by disparity of form,” since we have already said that Godliness is simple light that contains the whole abundance of forms and opposite forms in the world in His simple uniqueness, as in “one, unique, and unified.” Hence, how can we depict disparity of form in the soul, making it different from Godliness, rendering it distinct, to acquire a part of Him there?Indeed, this question applies primarily to the light of Ein Sof prior to the restriction, for in the reality before us, all the worlds, upper ones and lower ones, are discerned by two discernments: The first discernment is the form of this entire reality as it is prior to the restriction. At that time, everything was without a boundary and without an end. This discernment is called “the light of Ein Sof.” The second discernment is the form of this entire reality from the restriction downward. Then everything became limited and measured. This discernment is called the four worlds Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, Assiya.It is known that there is no thought or perception whatsoever in His self, and there is no name or appellation in Him, anything that we do not attain, how can we define it by a name? Any name implies attainment, indicating that we have attained it as that name. Thus, it is certain that there is no name or appellation whatsoever in His self, and all the names and appellations are but in His light which expands from Him. The expansion of His light prior to the restriction, which had filled the whole of reality, without a boundary or an end, is called Ein Sof. Thus, we should understand how the light of Ein Sof is defined in and of itself, and has departed from His self to the point that we may define it by a name, as we have said about the soul.

Explanation of the words of our sages: “Hence, work and labor have been prepared for the reward of the souls, for ‘One who eats that which is not one’s own is afraid to look at one’s face.’”To somewhat understand this sublime place, we must go into further detail. We shall research the axis of the entire reality before us and its general purpose. Is there an operation without a purpose? And what is that purpose for which He has invented this entire reality before us in the upper worlds and in the lower worlds?Indeed, our sages have already instructed us in many places that all the worlds were created only for Israel, who observe Torah and Mitzvot [commandments], etc., and this is well known. However, we should understand this question of our sages, who asked about it: “If the purpose of the creation of the worlds was to delight His created beings, why did He create this corporeal, turbid, and tormented world? Without it, He could certainly delight the souls as much as He wanted, so why did He bring the soul into such a murky and filthy body?” They explained it with the verse, “One who eats that which is not one’s own is afraid to look at one’s face.” This means there is a flaw of shame in any free gift. To spare the souls this blemish, He created this world, where there is work, and they will enjoy their labor in the future, for they take their complete reward in return for their work, and are thus spared the blemish of shame.

What is the connection between working seventy years, and eternal delight, since there is no greater free gift than this?These words of theirs are perplexing through and through. First bewilderment: Our primary aim and prayer is “Spare us the treasure of a free gift.” Our sages said that the treasure of a free gift is prepared only for the greatest souls in the world. Their answer is even more perplexing: They said that there is a great flaw in free gifts, namely the shame that encounters every receiver of a free gift. To mend this, the Creator has prepared this world, where there is work and labor, so as to take the reward for their work and labor in the next world.But their answer is very odd. What is this like? It is like a person who says to his friend, “Work with me for just one moment, and in return, I will give you every pleasure and treasure in the world for the rest of your life.” There is indeed no greater free gift than this, since the reward is utterly incomparable with the work, for the work is in this world, a transient, worthless world compared to the reward and the pleasure in the eternal world, for what value is there to the passing world compared to the eternal world? It is even more so with regard to the quality of the labor, which is worthless compared to the quality of the reward.Our sages said, “The Creator is destined to bequeath each and every righteous 310 worlds, etc.” We cannot say that the Creator gives some of the reward in return for their work, and the rest as a free gift, for then what good would that do? The blemish of shame would remain in the rest of the gift! Indeed, their words are not to be taken literally, for there is a profound meaning here.

All of reality was emanated and created with a single thought. It is the operator; it is the very operation; it is the sought-after reward, and it is the essence of the labor.Before we delve into the explanation of their words, we must understand His thought in creating the worlds and the reality before us. His operations did not come to be by many thoughts, as is our way, for He is one, unique, and unified. And as He is simple, His lights, which are extended from Him, are simple and unified, without any proliferation of forms, as it is written, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.”Therefore, understand and perceive that all the names and appellations, and all the worlds, upper and lower, are all one simple, unique, and unified light. In the Creator, the light that is extended, the thought, the operation, the operator, and anything the heart can think and contemplate, are one and the same thing in Him.Thus, you can judge and perceive that this entire reality, upper ones and lower ones alike, in its final state of the end of correction, was emanated and created with a single thought. That single thought performs all the operations; it is the essence of all the operations, the purpose and the essence of the labor. It is by itself the very perfection and the sought-after reward, as Nachmanides wrote, “one, unique, and unified.”

The matter of the restriction explains how an incomplete operation emerged from the perfect operator.The ARI elaborated on the matter of the first restriction in the first chapters of this book. This is a very serious matter as it is necessary that all the corruptions and all the various shortcomings are extended and come from Him. It is written, “maker of light and creator of darkness,” but the corruptions and the darkness are the complete opposite of Him, so how can they stem from one another? Also, how could they come together with the light and the pleasure in the thought of creation? We cannot say that they are two separate thoughts; God forbid that we should even think that. Thus, how is all this extended from Him down to this world, which is so filled with scum, torment, and filth, and how do they exist together in the single thought?