Part 5 · Chapter 41

The Ari's Text

Afterwards, it returned to being not Matei in Keter, and then it is Matei in Hochma. At that time, Bina was supposed to remain there in Hochma as in the beginning, but because of the light of Hesed in her place, she descends to be there with him. It is so “because He desires mercy,” and you already know that Bina is called “He” When Bina descends in her place, Hesed does not need her, and he descends to his place, and is called Matei in Hesed. Then, the light Gevura ascends in Hesed, and this is called not Matei in Gevura. At that time, the vessel of Gevura turns her anterior downward and gives the five lights below, in Tifferet. This is called Matei in Tifferet.

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

1Lo Matei in Keter. This is so because the Aviut de Behina Gimel de Nekeva and Behina Dalet de Zachar in Kli de Keterpurified once more. At that time the ZON de Keter departed to its Shoresh and then turned its Panimdownward.In other words, it cancelled its Panim and the Achoraim became Panim. After that it gave the remains of it, being the Aviut de Behina Gimel de Zachar and Behina Bet de Nekeva to Kli de Hochma, and then it is Matei in Hochma.
2At that time Bina is suitable to remain there in Hochma as in the beginning. After the Panim returned to its place in the Hochma, the HB immediately return to one degree. At that time Bina is in Kli de Hochma.However, it does not remain so here since Hochma turned her Panim down and her Achoraim up. She returned the ZON de Bina to Kli de Bina and they were divided into two Partzufim once more, and examine it carefully.First, when Kli de Hochma received her Orot ZON and the Panim of Hochma returned to its place as in the beginning, it is certain that Bina and Hochma joined and became one Kli. It is so for the same reason mentioned above regarding the birth of Gadlut Hesed.Here too when the Hesed is in Kli de Bina, joined with Kli de Hochma, he receives He’arat Hochma as in the beginning. Thus you find once more that Hesed has grown and does not need its Ima.Yet, it is still impossible for it to descend from itself to its Kli, except through the influence of Bina. Hence, Hochma had to return ZON de Bina to Kli de Bina, as then Bina returns her Panim downward too and returns the Ohr Hesed to its place, to its Kli.
3But because of the Ohr Hesed in her place she comes down with him. In other words, had Bina remained connected to Kli de Hochma, Hesed would have remained in her place and would not have descended to his Kli de Hesed.
4“Because He delighteth in mercy.” This is the whole property of Bina; she craves Hassadim more than the Ohr Hochma. This is the cause of the Hizdakchut of Aviut de Behina Gimel de Zachar de Hochma to Behina Bet and afterwards the Behina Bet de Bina to Behina Aleph, whose Ohr is Ohr Hassadim.At that time she is Panimbe Panim with the Kli de Hesed and then gives the Ohr Hesed back to Kli de Hesed. It is written, “When Bina descends in her place, Hesed does not need her and he descends to his place.” This is so because after he had already received He’arat Hochma from the time the Kli de Bina and Kli de Hochma were connected, he no longer needs the sucking of the Kli de Bina, hence he descends to his place.
5Lo Matei in Gevura. At that time Kli of Gevura turns her Panim downward. The entire division of Gevura from Hesed was because of the two distances, meaning because of the return of ZON de Keter to their place when their Achoraim detained the Ohr Hochma from the Kli de Hochma. At that time the He’arat Hochma stopped from Hesed, hence he turned his Panim downward and gave Behinat VAK to the Gevura.Thus, now that Hesed attained his GAR once more, it is natural that Behinat Ohr Gevura that departed from the GAR returned to Kli de Hesed once more as in the beginning before they separated.See and understand that it is completely similar to the comportment of the Kelim de Hochma and Bina. The division of the Orot de ZON de Hochma and ZON de Bina was made because of the inversion of the Achoraim de Kli de Hochma. This means that Hochma abandoned the dispensing of her GAR and gave only VAK, which are Behinat ZON de Kli de Bina.Similarly, the Orot de Hesed and Gevura were divided by the inversion of the Panim de Kli de Hesed. After the He’arat GAR was deprived of him because of the two distances, he turned his Panim and dispensed VAK without GAR, which is the Ohr of Gevura.After it is Lo Matei in Keter and his force of Achor was cancelled and he returned the Ohr Hochma to Kli de Hochma, the Panim of Hochma returned to its place as in the beginning. Thus, the Orot de ZON de Hochma and ZON de Bina reunited into a single Partzuf.Similarly here, after the Hesed acquired He’arat Hochma when he was in Kli de Bina at the time she was joined with Hochma, he returned with the Gadlut to his place. At that time his Panim returned as in the beginning, and thus the Orot of Hesed and Gevura unite into one Ohr.All this is because the Ohr is only divided into GAR and VAK because some element compels it to. Consequently, as soon as that element is cancelled they return to a single Ohr as in the beginning.He writes, “Lo Matei in Gevura. At that time Kli of Gevura turns her Panim downward and gives the five Orot below in Tifferet. This is called Matei in Tifferet.” This is because when the Ohr Gevura joins the Ohr Hesed into one, that connection operates on their Kelim as well.Since the Kli de Gevura joined with the Kli de Hesed, by that she returned her Panim below, since she cancelled her Panim that detained the dispensing of GAR and returned her Panim upwards. In other words, she turned to dispense He’arat GAR like the Kli de Hesed.At that time she dispensed her remains, ascribed to Tifferet, to the Kli de Tifferet and Tifferet receives He’arat GAR as well. This is the meaning of Tifferet being called Vavו with a Rosh. It is the same He’arat GAR that it receives through the dispensing of the Ohr Gevura when Gevura is connected into one with the Ohr Hesed.Now you can understand what is brought in several places that Tifferet is merged of Hesed and Gevura together. It means that it receives the remains of the Ohr Gevura from the time it is connected into one with the Ohr Hesed.Now we understand Sefirat Tifferet de ZA from its origin. Its Kli is Behinat Bina de VAK because the HGT are the KHB of the VAK. However, it is regarded as merely Behinat Sefirat Daat de VAK.This is so because of its Ohr, which is Behinat Daat. However, first we must know what is the Ohr Daat. After all we only have ten Sefirot KHB HGT NHYM. It is known that it is written in Sefer Yetzira (Book of Creation), “Ten and not eleven.” Thus, what is that Ohr Daat?Know, that the source of that Ohr is the interchanging of the Orot here in Hitpashtut Bet. Here Ohr Hochma comes to Kli de Keter, Ohr Bina to Kli de Hochma, Ohr Hesed to Kli de Bina and Malchut to Kli de ZA, as we learn from the Rav’s words.Note, that this Ohr Hesed that comes to Kli de Bina is the origin of the Ohr Daat, hence the Rav calls it “Bina’s son”. Its Behinat AVI are the Zachar and Nekeva in Kli de Bina. The Zachar is Behinat Hochma de Kli de Bina and the Nekeva is Behinat Bina de Kli de Bina. Ohr Hesed is the Behinat Daatbetween this HB, which is always called “the son of HB”.More precisely, the ZON de Kli de Hochma are both considered Behinat Hochma and Behinat Abba, and the ZON in Kli de Bina are both considered Behinat Bina and Behinat Ima. The Ohr Hesed in Kli de Bina is considered Behinat Daat and Behinat son of these AVI.This clarifies that the Ohr Hesed was originally emanated from the remains of the Ohr of ZON de Hochma after they purified into Behina Aleph. It came to Kli de Bina, which is discerned as its Ima, and lingered there in the intestine of the Kli de Bina until it acquired He’arat Hochma, meaning until it grew. At that time it came out to the place of the Kelim de VAK, called “Avirha Olam”, and there is nothing more to add here.Now we have explained the Ohr Daat from its Shoresh, that it is a son and a progeny that was renewed because of the interchanging of the Orot in Hitpashtut Bet. For that reason it comes and clothes Kli de Bina though it is only Ohr ZA and Behinat VAK, having no equivalence with Behinat GAR.This is so because the difference between GAR and VAK is so far, as between an Ohr and its Kli. Yet, because of the interchanging of the Orot this Ohr de VAK came and clothed the Kli de GAR. This is a very wonderful matter. Examine this for there is no need to elaborate here in what is not necessary for our issue.From all that has been explained thus far you can see that these three Sefirot HGT de ZA are not considered that essence of ZA, but Behinat GAR KHB or HBD de ZA. It has been written above that the five Ktzavot HGT NH are the very five Behinot KHB, ZA and Malchut. Yet, when they are Behinat Ohr Hassadim and Ohr VAK, their names change to HGT NH.Thus, the actual Behinat ZA begins at the fourth end of the five Hassadim Netzah since it is opposite the fourth Behina, called ZA. The Tifferet, however, is opposite the third Behina, called Bina, and remember that.Therefore, Orot de HGT are also Behinat GAR, but begin from Hochma for the above reason. The Ohr Hesed is considered Ohr Hochma of the VAK, Ohr Tifferet is considered that same Ohr Hesed from the point of its clothing in Kli de Bina, meaning Behinat Ohr Daat and the son of HB.This is the actual Behinat Ohr VAK. The Orot de Hesed and Gevura, however, are considered Behinat He’arot Hochma and Bina that reached that Ohr Hesed though they are not the Atzmut Ohr Hesed in its own essence.The reason for it is the attitude of the Kelim. Hesed and Gevura are originally in Behinat Kelim de Keter and Hochma. Since this Ohr Hesed never clothed in these Kelim, it also does not clothe the Kelim de Hesed and Gevura.However, since it clothed the Kli de Bina, it takes its place in the Kelim de VAK in the Kli Tifferet in the place of Bina. Hence, the Tifferet is considered the gist of the Partzuf de ZA, the Guf de Ilana. The above Atzmut Ohr Hesed inside it is considered the Shokaim de Ilana (shins of the tree), and all the other Sefirot of the ZAT are considered the Anafim that hang in the Tifferet.