Part 5 · Chapter 10

The Ari's Text

Then, Nukva of the Keter, too, must receive from her upper root, which is the upper Hochma. Hence, the root of the upper Hochma descends in Bina, Bina in Hesed, etc., until Yesod descends in Malchut. Afterwards, that Keter, which rose to the place of the root of Malchut, descends in its place, for it cannot be there since it has no similarity with the root of Malchut. In addition, it is a branch, and Malchut is a root. Hence, it is worse than her, even though it receives from Keter. However, it descends to its place and can be there together with ZON that were in its place since then the three of them are equal, since they are all equal in their reception from the root of the upper Keter.

Inner Light

This commentary hasn't been matched to individual seifim yet — items are shown in reading order, and the number beside each one counts the notes themselves, not the seifim of the Ari's text.

Not matched to a seif

1The Nukva of the Keter must also receive from her Shoresh Elyon. Interpretation: This great Zivug that was made on the common Masach of the Zachar and the Nukvatogether that extended the great Ohr de Keter Elyon remained entirely in the Rosh. It cannot expand to the Guf because the Behinat Aviut of Hamshacha de Behina Dalet is absent there.This matter of the association that was made with the Behinat Hamshacha de Behina Dalet and the matter of the association that was made with the Hamshacha de Behina Gimel was enough for the Eser Sefirot of the Rosh. This is so because there is no actual Behinat Hitlabshut in them. However, it is not enough for actual Hitlabshut inside the Guf.Hence, the Behinat Aviut de Hitlabshut awakened in the Zachar de Kli de Keter to expand with this great Ohr into actual Behinat Hitlabshut, meaning to clothe in the Eser Sefirot de Guf. Because of that the Behinat Guf contained in the Ohr Keter that stands at the place of Malchut de Roshimmediately became apparent.Along with it His Tzura became different from the Malchut de Rosh. In that it is considered to have instantly become separated from the Malchut and left there to His place, as the Shinui Tzura separates and departs the spirituals from one another.Since He left the place of Malchut, you find that he immediately separated from the Ohr of the Keter Elyon and only the previous restricted He’arah remained in Him. It is called that the Ohr Keterreturned His face upward and His posterior downward.He writes, “The Nukva of the Keter must also receive from her Shoresh Elyon.” It means that the Zivug is not completed by the great Zivug de Komat Keter Elyon for its He’arah does not expand to the Guf. Thus, there is a need for the Zivug made on the Behinat Nekeva de Keter, meaning the complete Aviut de Behina Gimel both from the Behinat Hamshacha and from the Behinat Hitlabshut.
2From her Shoresh Elyon, which is the Upper Hochma. It is written above that the Reshimo that remained from Komat Hochma de Hitpashtut Aleph after its Histalkut is Behinat Aviut de Behina Gimel. It is made here into Behinat Nukva de Keter and it is the source of this second Hitpashtut.
3Hence, the Shoresh of the Upper Hochma descends in Bina, Bina in Hesed etc. The Behinat Zivug made on the Behinat Nekeva de Keter, which is Behina Gimel, causes the descent of the degrees from Rosh to Sof. Keter descends to the degree of Hochma, Hochma descends to the degree of Bina, Bina descends to the degree of Hesed etc. Finally, Yesod descends to the degree of Malchut.The reason for it is that this Zivug occurs on Aviut de Behina Gimel. It does not raise Ohr Hozer and extends only Komat Hochma. Hence, with regard to this Zivug, you find that the Ohr Hochma descends and clothes Kli de Keter.It is considered that the Keter descended from its degree and came to the degree of Hochma. Similarly, Ohr Bina clothes Kli de Hochma and Sefirat Hochma descends to the degree of Bina etc. until Ohr Malchut clothes Kli de Yesod and the Yesod descends to the degree of Malchut.
4That Keter etc. since He has no similarity with the Shoresh of Malchut. During the ascent of the Masach and the Sefirot up to the Maatzil, meaning they purified from the Behinat Aviut de Guf entirely, meaning from above downward. By that they have come to Hishtavut Tzura with Malchut de Rosh.Thus, it is considered that the Ohr de Komat Keter that rose from the Guf came to the place of Malchut since it is then as Zach as Malchut and there is no disparity of form between them, as the Rav says (item 9). He wrote, “This extends to it by purifying that Keter that remained above at the end of the Shorashim” (see Ohr Pnimi item 9).However, afterwards this first above Zivug that extended the Komat Keter Elyon has been completed in the form of from below upward as it is in the Rosh. Then came His time to turn around and expand from above downward too for Hitlabshut in the Guf as it is in all the Zivugim.At that time the Ohr Keter in the place of Malchut de Rosh awakened to expand to the Guf once more as it was there to begin with. However, the Behinat Nukva of the Rosh was not in her place in Behina Dalet since the Behina Dalet de Behinat Hamshacha was missing there (Ohr Pnimi item 10). Thus, she could not expand from above downward to Eser Sefirot from her and within her through the Tabur de Guf, and all this great Ohr of this Zivug remained in the Rosh.Still, because the Ohr Keter had awakened to return and expand in the Guf as in the beginning, even though it did not return, it still caused this awakening to disclose the Aviut de Guf from the time it was there in the beginning. Since the Aviut de Guf appeared in it, its Tzura has changed form that of Malchut of Rosh. He no longer has any semblance to her since He has grown as far from her as the Guf is far from the Rosh.He writes, “Afterwards, that Keter, which rose to the place of Shoresh of Malchut, descends in His place. He cannot be there since He has no similarity with the Shoresh of Malchut. In addition, He is a branch and Malchut is a Shoresh.” It means that after the Zivug is completed the Aviut de Guf awakened in Him and His Tzura was changed from Malchut until He had no likeness with her.Hence, He was completed to descend from there and return to His place. It is written, “for this is a root and that is a branch.” This is because the Behinat Guf is a branch and the Behinat Rosh is a Shoresh.
5He comes down to His place. It is below Kli Malchut of the Rosh, meaning intermediate between Rosh and Guf. This is because it cannot descend and expand to the Guf since the Nukva of the Rosh does not expand in her Eser Sefirot de Ohr Hozer to become Kelim to clothe Him, as written in the previous item. He also cannot be in the Rosh because of the above Shinui Tzura. Hence, He is regarded as intermediate between them.
6They are all equal, having received equally from the Shoresh of the Keter Elyon. Before the second Zivug was made on the Masach de Aviut from Behina Gimel only on the Behinat Nekeva de Keter, the Nekeva was still mingled with the Behina Dalet of the Zachar and the Zachar de Keter was contained in the Ohr Keter. Hence, now the three of them are equal in their reception from the Keter Elyon, meaning what they still receive from Komat Keter of Rosh.