Part 5 · Chapter 35

The Ari's Text

*We must thoroughly explain the meaning of Matei [expanding] and not Matei. It is said that in the beginning, the light comes in Keter, and all nine lights are contained in it. Afterwards, it returns to being not Matei, when the light that reaches Keter exits it once more, but the nine other lights remain in Keter since Keter has the power to tolerate them. In that state, when the light is not Matei in the Keter, the Keter extends the nine lights to Hochma face-to-face, and places them in Hochma. At that time, Hochma turns her anterior, after receiving the nine lights, and shines to Bina face-to-face. It is only illumination, but she still does not give her the seven lights.

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

1In the beginning the Ohr comes in Keter and nine Orot are contained in Him. In order to understand the Rav’s words here we must thoroughly remember and clearly understand all his words in the beginning of the Part from item 1 to item 15 and what we explained there, as it is because it is impossible to repeat all that length from there. Here we shall briefly review the item headlines.First examine the order of the ascents of the Sefirot to the Maatzil after their Histalkut from the first Hitpashtut explained in Part 4, Chap 4 item 6. The gist of all the above is that the Zivug de Hakaa made in the first Partzuf de AK was on the corrected Masach in Kli Malchut that was in the Gadlut of the Aviut, meaning Aviut de Behina Dalet.Hence, that Malchut raised the greatest Ohr Hozer, up to Komat Keter. This Ohr Hozer rose and clothed the Ohr Elyon from below upward, and these Eser Sefirot are called Eser Sefirot of Rosh.It is the conduct of the Malchut and the Ohr Hozer that as it clothes from below upward, to the same extent it inverts and expands the Kli Malchut from above downward from her and within her up to that Malchut de Malchut. There it descends and clothes the entire Komat Ohr Yashar that is clothed in the Rosh.This Hitlabshut is called Hitpashtut Aleph de AK. It is also called Eser Sefirot de Guf, the Malchut of the Rosh is called Peh, and Malchut de Malchut, which is Malchut de Guf, is called Tabur.Since there is still no apparent limitation in Malchut of the Rosh, the Ohr Makif and the Ohr Pnimi shine there equally. However, when the Ohr expands from there into the Eser Sefirot de Guf through the Tabur, being Malchut de Guf, the Masach de Tabur stopped the Ohr Yashar and did not let it expand below Tabur. That means that that Ohr Yashar ascribed to the first nine Sefirot called Ohr Pnimi clothed the nine Sefirot de Guf through the Tabur. Also, that Ohr Yashar ascribed to Malchut could not enter and clothe its place below Tabur since of the Masach there and remained outside the Partzuf as Ohr Makif.Hence, there was a Hakaa and Bitush between the Ohr Makif and the Ohr Pnimi on that Gevul, called Masach de Tabur. This is because the Ohr Makif also wanted to come down and clothe in its place as did the Ohr Pnimi since both of them illuminated equally in the Rosh. For that reason the Ohr Makif overpowered and purified the Masach from its Aviut so that its force of detainment would disappear from it and the Ohr Makif would be able to clothe too.Understand that thoroughly for this is the explanation of the whole issue of the Hizdakchut of the Masach in each and every Partzuf. There is no apparent limitation on the Ohr Makif in any Rosh. Hence, it too wishes to clothe in the Guf.Thus, it purifies the Aviut in the Masach, meaning the Behinat detainment in it. This is because the measure of the Aviut in the Masach is the measure of its detainment; they are one matter in it.Indeed, the Ohr Makif purified the entire Aviut present in the Masach all at once and brought it to the Maatzil, meaning to Peh de Rosh, where it is not limited at all. It means that the Masach purified from the entire Aviut de Guf and all that remained in it is the Behinat Shoresh in it, which is the Behinat Masach de Malchut of the Rosh. This is called the ascent to the Peh, as Hishtavut Tzura makes the spirituals into one.However, since there are four degrees in the Aviut, it is necessary that that the Masach that had Behinat Aviut de Behina Dalet and has completely purified necessarily went through the same four degrees one by one. Also, the Ohr Elyon never stops shining even for a moment, except it is not discerned in the Olamot unless there is a proper receiver to receive its Ohr.For that reason we discern that the Ohr Elyon mates with the Masach as it passes through the four degrees found from Behina Dalet to the complete purification. It generates four Komot of Ohr on its way according to the measure of the Aviut that the Masach stands in since as long as there is some measure of Aviut that merits a Zivug, Ohr Elyon still connects and clothes it.Also, when the Koma departs, though it certainly leaves at once, we still discern four stops along its way. For example: when it purifies from Behina Dalet to Behina Gimel, when Komat Keter disappears from the Partzuf, since there are five degrees, KHB, ZA and Malchut in Komat Keter, we discern four stops on its way as in the order of its Histalkut.Keter in the Koma disappears first and only the lower nine Sefirot remain there. You then find that Hochma rose to the place of Keter and Bina to the place of Hochma etc. until Malchut in the place of ZA. Afterwards the Hochma disappears from the Koma and then Bina ascends to the place of Keterand ZA to the place of Hochma. After that ZA too disappears from the Koma and Malchut rises to the place of Keter.Finally, Malchut too disappears from the Koma and you find that the entire Komat Keter has departed from the Partzuf. Thus, even in Komat we discern that it makes four stops during its Histalkut.Before the Masach comes to the Aviut de Behina Gimel only one Behina of Hizdakchut is discernible there. That Hizdakchut rejects and expels the Ohr Hozer as it is then unfit for Zivug, as it is occupied in its purification from that attribute.It is also known that the Masach de Tabur of the above Hitpashtut Aleph that purified and reached the Peh was incorporated in all the Reshimot of the Eser Sefirot de Guf except Behina Dalet, which did not leave its Reshimot of bestowal. All that was left of her was the Reshimo de Hitlabshut, see Ohr Pnimi item 9 throughout as all of it is needed here.It explains there that we regard primarily the highest Behina in them, which is Behina Gimel that extends Komat Hochma. However, there is Behinat Reshimo de Behina Dalet de Hitlabshut too there, called Behinat Zachar de Kli de Keter.On the one hand it is much higher than Behina Gimel, since it is from Behinat Komat Keter. However, since it does not have the Behinat Aviut of Hamshacha it must connect with a Behinat Nekeva, meaning with Behinat Aviut of Hamshacha, which is the Reshimo of Behina Gimel that has Behinat Hamshacha too.Now we shall come to the heart of the examination of the Rav’s words. He says, “in the beginning the Ohr comes in Keter and nine Orot are contained in Him.”There are two things to discern here: A – Why has the order been reversed here from what it was in Hitpashtut Aleph? There the Ohr came into Malchut first, and here it began to expand in Keter first. B – Why did all the Orot come each into its designated Kli, and here they all came together into one Kliof the Keter?Indeed, if we understand where these Kelim came here from, these two above questions will be clarified simply. We must know that the Rav speaks briefly and says that the Orot expanded back to the empty Kelim after the Orot have departed from within them. This means that it does not only speak of the first Partzuf where the Histalkut occurred.However, this is a matter of a special Partzuf, completely separated from the first Partzuf. This is because the first Partzuf is called Partzuf Galgalta de AK and this Hitpashtut Bet is called Partzuf AB de AK. It is considered a child and a progeny of the first Partzuf since this Hitpashtut Bet was born and came out of this Zivug.The Rav has already thoroughly explained to us the order of that Zivug (items 9-15). We should not repeat the words, but we must understand the rule that the whole matter of the Histalkut of the Orotand the empty Kelim that remained, spoken of in the first Partzuf, all that already belongs to the second Partzuf.This is so because there is no absence in the spiritual and any matter of Shinui Tzura discerned in the spirituals means additional Tzura, not an absence or replacement. Hence, all these empty Kelimspoken of in the first Partzuf are the Kelim of this Hitpashtut Bet, where the Orot return and expand a second time.Thus, the Zivugim were made on the Masach contained of the two Reshimot mentioned in the Rav’s words above, which are the Reshimo de Behina Dalet, called Zachar, and the Reshimo de Behina Gimel, called Nekeva. Afterwards these two Komot expanded into the Kli de Keter that remained empty from the time of Hitpashtut Aleph, and this Hitpashtut Bet was contained in those two Komot.All the Komot were contained in Komat Keter in Hitpashtut Aleph, and all four Komot HB ZON came out through the Hizdakchut Masach of the Aviut de Behina Dalet, which is Komat Keter. Similarly here, all nine Sefirot are contained in the first Koma of Zachar and Nekeva that came out inside the Kli de Keter.This is so because afterwards that Masach de Behina Dalet and Behina Gimel purified and the Zachar and Nekeva came out to the Kli of Hochma etc. similarly, just as it was in the order of Hitpashtut Aleph.Now you can simply understand that it was not possible for the Koma de Behina Gimel and Behina Dalet, which are close to the degree of Keter (see item 9) to clothe Kli de Hochma, which is much smaller than them. Also, they have no interest in clothing the Komot HB ZON since every single Sefira from those Eser Sefirot de Zachar and Nekeva are of the same Koma. In other words, each of them is close to Komat Keter, and how can any of them clothe the other low Komot HB ZA and Malchut.
2Lo Matei, when the Ohr that reaches the Keter exits there once more. It is because the Masach of Behina Dalet de Zachar purified to Behina Gimel and the Masach de Behina Gimel of the Nekeva to Behina Bet. Hence, the two Komot de Zachar and Nekeva de Keterdeparted and this is the meaning of his words, “the Ohr that reaches the Keter exits there once more.” This matter of Hizdakchut that happened in the Zachar and Nekeva de Keter is also because of the Bitush and Hakaa de Ohr Makif and Ohr Pnimi as in Hitpashtut Aleph.
3The nine other Orot remained in Keter. It means that the above Aviut of Behina Bet remains in it, where the Zivug that comes out on this Aviut elicits Komat Bina and Bina contains within it Komat ZA and Malchut, which are eight Orot. There is also Behina Gimel of the Zachar de Keter. Thus there are nine Orot in Kli de Keter that remains after the Hizdakchut of her own Behina.
4Lo Matei in the Keter, Keter extends the nine Orot to Hochma Panim be Panim. You already know that these Kelim de Hitpashtut Bet are the same empty Kelim that remained after Hitpashtut Aleph. Also, the order of the making of these Kelim has been explained in the Rav’s words above (item 26).First, Malchut was made since she was the first to be emptied of her Ohr. Afterwards, when Kli de ZAwas emptied from its Ohr the Kli de ZA was made. Then, when Kli de Bina was emptied, the Kli de Bina was made etc.The reason for it is that it did not rise and depart with the Ohr Yashar, as the Rav explained above (Part 4, Chap 2, item 7). Hence, each and every Kli was made with the Histalkut Ohr from inside it since then the Ohr Av remained below and became a Kli.You find that the Kelim were arranged from the time they were made one above the other: Malchutfirst, ZA atop her, Bina atop him, up to Kli Keter above all. Hence, know that here too in Hitpashtut Bet, even before the Orot expanded, the Kelim are already arranged and stand from above downward, Keter at their head and finally Malchut, meaning as they came out in Hitpashtut Aleph.Thus, when the Orot expanded and came out of the Zivug de Komat Keter and Hochma, where all these Eser Sefirot were on an equal Koma, close to Keter, they’ve found the Kli de Keter suited for them standing ready for them.While Lo Matei in the Keter means that the Behina Dalet de Zachar de Keter purified and Behina Gimel de Nukva de Keter, the Komat Keter de Zachar and Komat Hochma de Nukva departed. It follows that all these Eser Sefirot de Zachar and Nekeva lost, the Komat Keter in them and the Eser Sefirot de Zachar were diminished into Komat Hochma, and the Eser Sefirot de Nekeva diminished into Komat Bina.Thus, this Koma is no longer ascribed to the Keter at all, but to Kli de Hochma. Therefore the Keterpours them to the Kli de Hochma, as the Rav says.Yet, we must understand how the Orot extend from the Kli de Keter to the Kli de Hochma. After all, there is a great distance between these Kelim. Kli de Keter is in Aviut de Behina Gimel, and it is known that Shinui Tzura separates and distances the spirituals.Thus, how do they touch one another so as to be able to bestow upon each other? We must not be mistaken to say that the Kli de Keter purified to Behina Gimel and thus became equal with the Kli de Hochma since it is known that no Hizdakchut is applied in the Kelim whatsoever. The whole issue of the above Hizdakchut relates only to the Masach in the Kelim, not to the Kelim themselves.However, we must remember what the Rav explained above (item 15 and in Ohr Pnimi), and then the Kli turns its Panim. It has been explained there that when the Ohr leaves the Kli, the Kli turns its Panim downward and its Achoraim upward, the Panim of the Kli becomes the Achor and the Achorbecomes the Panim, and examine it there.Here, however, the Ohr that belongs to Kli de Keter departed because the Behina Dalet de Zachar and Behina Gimel de Nekeva have departed and a Zivug was made on the Behina Gimel de Zachar and Behina Bet de Nekeva. After that the Kli de Keter turned its Panim downward, which is the great Aviut that was in it. Its entire Panim and importance has now become very bad, and Achor, meaning the pure side of it has become the most important.Now you can see that after the Kli de Keter turned its Achoraim upward, it equalized with the Kli de Hochma. This is because the whole Shinui Tzura that was in Kli de Keter is the great Aviut of Behina Dalet and Behina Gimel in it, for this is its entire merit over the Kli de Hochma. Now all that Aviut has been annulled from it because of the turning of its Panim downward, and thus it is now considered equalized in form with Hochma.It is written, “Keter extends the nine Orot to Hochma Panim be Panim.” It implies that because of the Histalkut Ohr Keter, Kli de Keter has turned its Panim downward. Therefore, it is standing Panim be Panim with Kli de Hochma.This is so because now too the Panim de Keter is the Behina Bet and Behina Gimel, meaning that pure side that prior to that was the Behinat Achor of Keter. In fact, it is equal to the Panim de Hochma; hence it can pour the Ohr to Hochma, as they are in Hishtavut Tzura with one another. This is the reason that the Rav wrote above that any giving of Orot is always in Behinat Panim be Panim.The matter of these nine Orot that Hochma received from Keter has already been explained above. They are the remains of the Aviut that was left of the Zachar de Keter after its Hizdakchut.This is Behinat Reshimo de Hochma of the first Hitpashtut that was contained in the Zachar de Keter(see Ohr Pnimi item 6), and this is one Ohr. Also, she received the rest of the Aviut de Nekeva de Keter, which is Behina Bet and Komat Bina where the two Komot are incorporated, de ZA and de Malchut. They are eight Orot together and with the Behina Gimel de Zachar, they are nine Orot.
5Hochma turns her Panim, after receiving the nine Orot, and shines to Bina. This refers to the turning of the Panim only of the Zachar de Hochma, not the Behinat Nekeva de Hochma. This is so because the turning of the Panim means Hizdakchut of the Aviut and the Histalkut Ohr from there since then the Kli turns its Panim downward, as the Rav says (item 15).In that state the Masach de Aviut de Behina Gimel of the Zachar purifies into Behinat Aviut of Behina Bet and you find that the Kli de Zachar turns its Panim downward and its Achoraim upward. It means that the importance of Behinat Gadlut of the Aviut in it is cancelled (see Ohr Pnimi item 15).At that time that residue de Zachar de Hochma is poured to the Kli de Bina. This is the meaning of Hochma turning her Panim after having received the nine Orot and shining to Bina, meaning the Behinat Zachar of the Kli de Bina.However, the Rav did not explain any Hizdakchut in the Zachar de Kli de Keter. Rather, he wrote it along with the Nekeva de Keter in a single Hizdakchut.This is so because the Zachar de Keter does not have any Behinat Aviut of Hamshacha, but only from Behinat Hitlabshut, and there is no Hizdakchut in its own Behinat Hitlabshut since there is no Behinat Aviut in it. Instead, it is incorporated and connects with the Aviut of the Nekeva (Ohr Pnimi item 9, par. “However”). Thus, the matter of its Hizdakchut comes along with the Hizdakchut of the Masach of the Nekeva, therefore the Rav write them as a single Hizdakchut.However, the Zachar de Kli de Hochma, which is the Behinat Reshimo de Ohr Hochma that remains in Hitpashtut Aleph as in the previous item, also has Behinat Aviut de Hamshacha. For that reason it is necessary that it will purify before the Nekeva purifies since its measure of Aviut is greater, as it is Behina Gimel and the Nekeva is Behina Bet.
6It is only He’arah, but she still does not give her the seven Orot. It means that it gives only one Ohr of the Zachar de Kli de Bina since its time has now come to purify, and it gives its remains to Bina. However, the time of the Nekeva to purify has not come yet; thus it does not give the seven Orot related to the Nekeva de Bina, as has been explained in the previous item.