Part 5 · Chapter 43

The Ari's Text

After that it returns to being not Matei in Keter and then it is Matei in Hochma. It is also Matei in Bina because of the Hesed there “because He desires mercy.” At that time, it is also Matei in Hesed, for then Hesed descends to his place, and then it is not Matei in Gevura because Gevura ascends with Hesed. At that time, it is Matei in Tifferet and light descends in Tifferet. Then it is not Matei in Netzah, since the light of Netzah ascends with Tifferet. At that time, it is Matei in Hod, since then the vessel of Netzah turns its anterior and gives the three lights to Hod, at which time Hod turns its anterior to Yesod and shines in it.

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 and then it is Matei in Hochma. This is because the Zachar and Nekeva de Ohr Keter purified to Behina Bet. Then their Achoraim was cancelled and they dispensed the Ohr Bina to the Kli of Hochma, they are Matei in Hochma and the Panim de Hochma returned to its place as in the beginning.
2It is also Matei in Bina because of the Hesed there. This means that Hochma turned her Panim downward, gave the Zachar and Nekeva of Bina to Kli de Bina and is Matei in Bina too. He explains the reason: “because of the Hesed there” so that he may correct the Hesed and lower it to his Kli (see Ohr Pnimi item 41).
3Matei in Hesed for then Hesed descends to his place. Through the Hizdakchut Behina Bet in Bina to Behina Aleph. This is Behinat Ohr of the five Hassadim that belong to the VAK. At that time the Ohr Hesed descends to its Kli, is Matei in the Hesed and its Panim return to its place.
4Lo Matei in Gevura because Gevura ascends with the Hesed. The whole Ohr Gevura is discerned as the Achoraim and the VAK of the Ohr Hesed. Since the Panimof Hesed returned to its place the Achoraim that was in Gevura was cancelled and incorporated once more in the Panim de Ohr Hesed. In that state the Kli de Gevura returns and turns its Panimdownward, giving the Ohr Tifferet in He’arat GAR to the Tifferet (see Ohr Pnimi item 41).
5Lo Matei in Netzah since the Ohr Netzah ascends with the Tifferet. This too is for the above reason that Ohr Netzah is only Behinat Achoraim and VAK of the Ohr Tifferet. Thus, when the Panim of Tifferet returned to its place it pulls its VAK to it as Hesed pulled the Ohr Gevura and as Hochma that pulled ZON de Bina to herself.
6Matei in Hod since then the Kli of Netzah turns his Panim. After the Ohr de Netzah rose to the Panim of the Kli de Tifferet it thus turns the Panim of its Kli to its Achoraim. This is because the previous dispensing of GAR is detained in it in Behinat Achor. Now it has become the place of bestowal as the Panim de Kli of the Hesed that now controls it. At that time it gives its remains to the Hod in dispensing of GAR.Now we have found the way to understand the Sefira of Hod of the ZA from its origin. Know, that this Sefira is the axis that all the corrections depend on and revolve around.Its Kli is the last fifth Behina of the five Behinot KHB ZA and Malchut, meaning the original Kli Malchut. This is because the four previous Hassadim correspond to KHB ZA, and Hesed is fifth, meaning the Hod which is opposite Malchut.You already know that all those Kelim de Hitpashtut Bet are the Kelim of Hitpashtut Aleph that have been emptied of their Orot. It turns out that the Kli de Hod is the Behina Dalet de Hitpashtut Alephthat has been emptied of her Ohr and did not leave any Reshimo after her (see the Rav’s words Part 4, Chap 2 item 6).However, the Ohr of the Hod is not the Ohr Malchut, but the Ohr ZA, meaning what reached her from the remains of Netzah when he was connected with theOhr de He’arat GAR of the Tifferet. Moreover, it is the most important Ohr among the Sefirot of NHYM. From the perspective of the Orot it is Behinat GAR of ZA, not ZA himself.Thus, he is more important than Netzah, as Netzah is from the Behinat Achoraim and VAK of the Ohr Tifferet, but the Hod is called the “fifth Hesed” since he is Behinat He’arat GAR that is in NHYM. Though it is Behina Dalet from the perspective of the Kli, being the greater Din in the Eser Sefirot, its gist is of course the Ohr in it. This Ohr is now very sweetened, meaning from He’arat GAR in Tifferet, and examine carefully.
7Hod turns his Panim to Yesod and shines in him. You already know that all this Ohr that extends in Matei ve Lo Matei from Bina to Hod is Ohr de Hassadim. In other words, it is the Behinat Koma that emerged on the Aviut de Behina Aleph that remained after the Hizdakchut of Bina.The matter of the difference of Matei ve Lo Matei is primarily through the changes of He’arat GAR in Hassadim or Hassadim without He’arat GAR. However, there was no difference between them in the stature of the Koma since they are all at the level of Behina Aleph.Here Sefirat Hod turned its Panim backward though it had not completed the Hizdakchut de Behina Aleph, only cancelled the Behinat He’arat GAR in it, which is the Panim and turned the Achor into Behinat Panim. However, here we must know what the Rav has written that the ZON in Kli de Binamated and procreated one Hey. The Vav ו inside the Hey ה was given to Kli de Yesod and the Dalet ד on the Vav was given to the Kli de Malchut.Interpretation: Bina turned her Panim for the first time and purified from her Aviut de Behina Bet into Behina Aleph that equalized her Panim to the Panim de Kli de Hesed. At that time she also lowered one Ohr that was born by the Zivug of the Zachar and Nekeva in herself.This Ohr is Behinat Nukva and is therefore called Hey. Thus, Behinat Zachar and Nekeva descended to the Kelim de VAK too, as they descended to the GAR de Hitpashtut Bet.The Zachar is the above Ohr Daat and the Nekeva is that Ohr born by the Zivug of ZON de Bina, called Hey. All these Orot that come and are born through a Zivug, the Rav names He’arot (see item 35).He says there that Hochma turned her Panim and shines for Bina. He also says that the Hod turned his Panim to the Yesod and shines in him. Also, he says below that so it was in all the VAK, which turn their Panim and shine below. All these are Hamshachot (pl. for Hamshacha) of the Orot that come by the Zivug, for which he names them He’arot.It is written, “Hod turns his Panim to Yesod and shines in him.” It means that there was not a complete Hizdakchut, only what is sufficient to illuminate the Hey of Bina to the Yesod. Afterwards, when there was a complete Hizdakchut, the Ohr that belongs to Yesod descended to Yesod.Yet, this Hey that was born from ZON de Bina is the beginning of the association of Midat ha Rachamim in Din, hence it is worthwhile to expand the understanding of it. We have already discussed this Hidush that was made in Hitpashtut Bet when the Ohr ZA was emanated and elicited through the Hochma and not through Bina as it would be in the Eser Sefirot de Ohr Yashar and as it was in Hitpashtut Aleph.This Hidush came here by the inversion of the Orot. Besides that there is yet another great Hidushhere: Ohr Malchut was emanated by the Bina and not by the ZA, as in Eser Sefirot de Ohr Yashar and as it was in Hitpashtut Aleph.The Ohr Daat was emanated from the Hizdakchut of the Zachar and Nekeva of Kli de Hochma, which is the Ohr Zeir Anpin. Similarly, Ohr Malchut emerged by the Hizdakchut of the Zachar and Nekeva de Kli de Bina, namely the Hey, which belongs to Malchut, as she is Ohr Nekeva.Now you will thoroughly understand the difference between Ohr Daat, which is Ohr ZA, and the Ohrof the above Hey, which is the Ohr Malchut, meaning according to their emanation. In fact, when they were emanated, both came out in Behinat Koma of Behina Aleph.This is so because Behina Bet de ZON of the Kli de Hochma purified to Behina Aleph, which is Ohr Hesed, (see item 37), called Ohr Daat or Ohr ZA. Similarly, the Behina Bet of the Zachar and Nekeva de Bina purified into Behina Bet, which is the above Ohr Hey, being the Ohr Malchut.Therefore, you find that the Ohr Hesed, which is the Ohr ZA, and the Ohr of the Hey, which is the Ohr Malchut, are of equal Koma. This is so because both are Behina Aleph, as both came from the Hizdakchut of Behina Bet.Yet, the difference between them is as great as the measure of the difference between ZON de Hochma and ZON de Bina. It has been clarified above that ZON de Bina are considered the Achoraim and Behinat VAK of the ZON de Hochma.It is therefore obvious that the consequences that stem from them are also as far as GAR is far from VAK. The Ohr Hesed that was emanated by the ZON de Hochma is considered the Behinat Panim and GAR compared to the Ohr Hey, which is considered the Achoraim and VAK compared to the Ohr Hesed, being the Ohr ZA. It is analogous to the ratio in the progenitors, and examine well.Now we can thoroughly understand what the Rav stresses above (item 38), “However, Bina did not turn her Panim to shine in Hesed below since there was no power in Hesed and VAK to receive such a great Ohr Panim be Panim, only Achor be Achor.”In that he refers to the above Ohr Hey, which he names He’arah since it came out through a Zivugand in the regular order of Hizdakchut and emanation of the Orot from one another.He stresses in that regard that the Ohr of this Hey did not come to the VAK before the seven Orotthat come in the regular order of the Hizdakchut. It is similar to the Zachar of Bina, born out of the Zivug ZON de Hochma, which comes to Kli de Bina before the Ohr Hesed comes through the ordinary Hizdakchut, as the Rav has written before (item 35).The reason is that if the Ohr of the Hey had come before the Hizdakchut to Behina Aleph, meaning before the time of the descent of Hesed, like the Zachar of Bina, it would have been the Koma of the Hey that was in Behina Bet. This is so because the Aviut de Bina had not yet purified to Behina Aleph, but only when Hesed was given to the Kli de Hesed.This is what the Rav stresses, “since there was no power in Hesed and VAK to receive such a great Ohr.” How is it possible that the Ohr Koma of Behina Bet would come and clothe the Kelim de VAK, which are Behina Aleph?Thus, first Bina was compelled to purify from Behina Bet to Behina Aleph, at which time the Ohr Heypurified to the measure of Behina Aleph. Then both of them came out, meaning the Ohr Hesed and the Ohr Hey, and came to Kli de Hesed. This Hey then moved from Kli to Kli until it came to the Kli of Yesod which is its place.Now you can also see what the Rav answers there and says that the Hochma could have illuminated to the Bina before it purified to Behina Aleph, before Abba ve Ima remain as one and come out as one. He wishes to say that Hochma emanated and gave the Zachar de Bina to the Kli of Bina before she was purified to Behina Aleph.This is because the Kli of Bina is indeed a Kli de Behina Bet like the Koma of the Ohr Hochma, hence it does not need to purify and lessen its Koma to Behina Aleph. This is not so with Bina to the Kelim de Hesed and the rest of the VAK, which are Kelim of Behina Aleph, as how can they receive the Ohrof the Hey while it has Koma de Behina Bet?It is written, “at which time the Hod turns his Panim to Yesod and shines in him.” It has been explained that this Hey is considered the Ohr Achoraim and VAK.Thus, since the Panim of the Hod is from Behinat He’arat GAR, it therefore cannot dispense the Ohr of the Hey, which is Behinat Ohr Achoraim, unless through turning the Panim downward and the Achoraim upward. In other words, her Achor, which dispenses VAK and prevents GAR will not become the giver, and will then give the above Ohr Hey to Yesod.