Part 5 · Chapter 15

The Ari's Text

*Now we will explain the reality of this departure of the upper light. When evaluating this reality of the vessel that contains all the light, it is necessary that when the light departs from it, there will be parts in it that are suitable for looking to that light. When it draws far from them, the face-to-face looking draws as far from them as it has drawn far. The lesson in this is that when the light departs from the tenth part of that vessel, which will later be called Malchut, that tenth part of that vessel, from which that light departed, thus becomes a vessel. At that time, the vessel turns its face downward because it has now been discerned as a vessel. When separated from its light, it is unable to look at it face-to-face, and then, it turns its face after it has become a vessel, and then it looks at the upper light that has drawn far from it only through the posterior.

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

1Parts in it that are suitable for looking to that Ohr. The place of bestowal or the place of reception in the Kli, is called Panim. The bestowal or the reception themselves are called Histaklut or Habata (gazing).It is written, “When evaluating this reality of the Kli that contains all the Ohr, it is necessary that when the Ohr leaves it, there will be parts in it that are suitable for looking to that Ohr.” This is so because each Histalkut is done by Hizdakchut of the Aviut in the corrected Masach in the Kli.It is known that there are four Behinot in the Masach. For example, if Behina Dalet of the Kli is purified and the Ohr departs from the Kli because of that, three Behinot of Aviut still remain in the Klifrom which the Ohr has not departed and they are still suitable for Habata on the Ohr.
2The Panim to Panim looking draws as far from them as it has drawn far. If the Aviut has been purified from Behina Dalet, the Ohr is distanced from the Kli in the measure of Behina Dalet, not from the three other Behinot. If it is also distanced from Behina Gimel, the Ohr will be distanced from the Kli in the measure of Aviut of Behina Gimel too, and not from the rest of the Kliwhich is from Behina Bet upward.
3At that time the Kli turns its Panim down. Here we must remember everything the Rav wrote regarding Hitpashtut Aleph de Akudim in Part 4 regarding the descending Ohr Hozer from the Komot that emerge during the Hizdakchut that shines to the empty Kelim located under the place of the Zivug. Also, the issue of Hakaa that these He’arotmade with the Reshimot that remain in those Kelim (see Part 4, Chap 9 and Ohr Pnimi items 50, 90).From there you will understand that after the Aviut has been purified from Behina Gimel to Behina Bet (for example), the Zivug is made in Behina Bet and Behina Gimel remains empty without its Ohr. At that time the Ohr Hozer descends from the He’arat Zivug de Behina Bet into the Kli of the empty Behina Gimel.Then there is Hakaa and Bitush between the descending Ohr Hozer and the Reshimo in the empty Klisince the Reshimo is from the Histalkut of the Zivug. For that reason the Reshimo must exit there and ascend above the Kli as Tagin, making room for the Ohr Hozer to come down into its Kli. Know, that this Ohr Hozer that descended into the empty Kli operates in the Kli that will turn its Panim downward and its Achor upward, as the Rav says here.You already know that from the Behina of Hamshacha of Ohr in the Kli, the wall of the Kli is divided into two halves called Panim and Achor or Pnimiut and Hitzoniut (see Part 4, Chap 5 item 3). Accordingly, you find that that empty Kli of the above Behina Gimel is divided into Panim and Achor.Its more Av half of the wall is called Panim since it extends the Ohr Elyon to it through a Zivug, and the half of the wall that is not so Av is called Achor. This is because it is silent in the Kli, and the Ohrhas no contact with it.All this refers only to a time when the Ohr is present in the degree. However, during the Histalkut of the Ohr from the degree de Behina Gimel to Behina Bet, made in the Zivug de Behina Bet when the He’arah of this Zivug descends to the empty Kli of the empty Behina Gimel, the two halves of the wall are turned. The half of Panim becomes Achor, and the half of Achor becomes Panim.This is because the descending Ohr Hozer from Behina Bet into the empty Kli becomes distant from the Aviut de Behina Gimel there since it is Ohr from Behina Bet. It draws nearer to the half of the wall of the Kli that is closest to Behina Bet and shines there.Thus, the most Av of that Kli does not receive any He’arah from that Ohr Hozer and now becomes Behinat Achor of the Kli. The most Zach of that Kli now becomes the Panim of the Kli since the Ohrshines only in its Zach part.This is the meaning of, “At that time the Kli turns its Panim down,” since it cannot receive anything from the He’arat Zivug made in the Upper Behina. The Panim becomes Achor and turns its Achoraim upward since it is now all that receives from the He’arat Ohr Hozer that descended to it, and the Achor becomes Panim. This is called inversion.
4It has now been discerned as a Kli. However, afterwards, when the Behina above it also becomes a Behinat Kli, meaning the Zivugdeparts from there too, the He’arat Ohr Hozer stops coming down to it. Then the Kli returns its Panimupward as in the beginning since its Achor has now lost all its merit, as the Reshimo now begins to shine to the Kli and the He’arat Reshimo only the Behinat Panim of the Kli. It is like the Ohr prior to its departure, not reaching its Behinat Achor. You find that the Kli has been restored as in the beginning.
5It looks at the Ohr Elyon etc. through the Achor. This means that then you find that the He’arat Zivug that descends to it from the highest Behina is received only through the Achor of the Kli, which is the more Zach part of it. This is considered that the Kli turned its Achoraim upward.