Part 6 · Chapter 31

The Ari's Text

*We shall repeat that we have explained above that the Nekudot [dots] are divided into three parts: the top ones above the letters, like the Holam, the middle, like the Shuruk, and the bottom ones, like the rest of the Nekudot. The dot of Holam is the vapor that emerges from the Tabur, where Keter stands, since Keter is the Holam on the Tifferet, as the Holam is mainly in Tifferet of AK. However, it became a Keter for the Nekudot, as it says in the fifth correction, that Holam is the Keter in the letters. The Nikud [punctuation] of Shuruk in the Vav, which is called Melafum, is in the middle. It is the vapor that emerges from Yesod to AVI. It is divided into two because the dot of Shuruk is Vav, the Yod in the middle, and the Yod of Shuruk is for Abba, called the first Yod of the Name. Also, the Vav of Shuruk is for Ima, to elicit and engender the VAK of ZA. This is the phase of Vav that Ima takes. There is yet another reason: The dot, which is like a Yod in the Shuruk, is higher, Abba of Nekudim suckles from it, and the Vav of Shuruk, which is the letter Vav, Ima of Nekudim suckles from it, since the dots are Hochma, the letters are Bina, and the seven lower dots, with the three phases, are one—NHY of Keter, and two—the posterior of AVI. These are the ten that emerged through the nails of the Raglayim. We do not mean to say that these are the dots themselves, only that light emerged from all these vapors to the ten dots that emerged through the Ayin, and remember that.

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 Nekudot were divided into three parts: By the three Orot Bina, ZA and Malchut that shine in Nekudim (see Ohr Pnimi item 23). This is so because there is Ohr Bina there from Behinat Hitlabshut called Zachar, being Keter de Nekudim. There is also Koma de Behina Aleph there, being the Nekeva de Nekudim, called Hochma and Bina, where Ohr ZA is in Hochma and Ohr Malchut in Bina.It is written that the Nekudot are divided into three parts Bina, ZA and Malchut, clothed in Keter, Hochma and Bina of the Nekudot. However, know that ZA and Malchut found in Hochma and Bina are both considered as one part, since they are Behinat Ohr of one Koma, Koma de Behina Aleph.For that reason the seven lower Sefirot are considered the third part. In this way, that Keter that has Bina from Behinat Hitlabshut, is the upper part, and both Hochma and Bina together are the second part, while the ZAT are the third part.
2The Holam is the Hevel that exits from Tabur, where the Keter stands. It is Ohr Bina from Behinat Hitlabshut. It’s been explained above (Ohr Pnimi item 23) that no Hitpashtut Kelim came out of this Zivug of Behina Bet de Hitlabshut, but from a Masach that has Behinat Hamshacha. Hence, the Kelim only came out from Behina Aleph of the Nekeva, being Hochma and Bina.This is why it is written that the Hevel comes out of the Tabur to the Keter of Nekudim. This Hevel is the Ohr Bina (item 27), Behinat Holam above the Otiot (see item 17). This is so because the Otiot are the Kelim and this Ohr Bina that only came out from Behina Bet de Hitlabshut has no Hitpashtut for Kelim. Consequently, it is Behinat Holam above the Otiot and does not touch them, for it cannot clothe within them.
3Shuruk in the Vav, called Melafom, being in the middle. It is written above that only AVI, which are the Nekeva de Nekudim, have Hitpashtut Kelim and can clothe within them. Hence AVI are implied in the Shuruk, meaning a Melafom in the middle of the Otiot.
4Yod of Shuruk is for Abba, called the first Yod of the Name. Meaning the Yod of the Name HaVaYaH, which is Behinat AB, being Abba. He implies the Behinat five Hassadim of the Yesod that Abba took. This is because it is known that the influence of Yesod is only the Hassadim and Gevurot and Abba takes the five Hassadim, since AB is Hassadim.
5The Vav of Shuruk is for Ima, to produce and generate the VAK de ZA. Ima is the first Hey of the Name HaVaYaH. Hence she received the Behinat “truncated Vav inside the Hey” from the Yesod, which is her MAN and is the ZA in the intestines of Bina.
6The Nekuda… …and Abba de Nekudim suck from it. Nekuda implies the lower Hey that rose to Nikvey Eynaim from which came AVI de Nekudim. Now she became Behinat MAN for Abba for the great Zivug of Histaklut Eynaim de AVI.
7The Vav of the Shuruk, being the letter Vav, Ima de Nekudim sucks from that. It is as he wrote in the Tree of Life, that through the force of the raising of MAN to Nikvey Eynaim, it splits the HaVaYaH de SAG there, where the Vav in the Peh is Ima.
8Nekudot of Hochma, the Otiot Bina. Because AVI have only Komat ZA from the beginning of their creation. Abba is considered Ohr ZA, and Ima the Kli, which is Otiot. This Ohr in the Katnut is called Ohr Nekudot, as the Rav says in item 30 here. This is why it is written Nekudot – Hochma, and Otiot – Bina.
9And the seven lower Nekudot… …these ten came out through the Tzipornaim of the Raglaim. It means that they are the Nekudot under the Otiot, which are the nine Nekudot. In the first two Nekudot: Kamatz, Patach, there was no breaking, as they are Keter and Hochma. In the seven lower Nekudot there was a breaking of the vessels, as the Rav says in the Tree of Life.These nine Nekudot are Tachtonim under the Otiot because they received the Behinat Havalim coming out through the Tzipornaim of the Raglaim, which are under the Kelim of the Partzuf.We might ask: He says above that Holam and Shuruk are the Keter and Hochma, meaning the Upper and Middle Nekudot. However, here he considers them Kamatz and Patach. It turns out that Keterand Hochma are also Lower Nekudot.The thing is that we must distinguish in them the Etzem of their emanation, as they first emerged through the Nikvey Eynaim, when only two Orot came out of there, Zachar and Nekeva. The Keterwas the Zachar, reaching up to Bina, from the viewpoint of Hitlabshut, and the Nekeva is both Hochma and Bina together, in the Koma of Behina Aleph.Hence they are considered Holam and Shuruk here, implying that the Zachar, which is Keter, has no Hitpashtut for Kelim, and he is above the Partzuf as a Nekuda of Tabur above Partzuf Nekudim, as Behinat Holam. He is Keter to the Otiot and does not participate in the Hitpashtut of the Partzuf. Opposite that the AVI are implied in the Shuruk, inside the Otiot, meaning inside the Partzuf, as they are the Behinat Nekeva, having complete MAN from Behinat Hamshacha too.However, the Nekudot below the Otiot imply the time of Gadlut of the Nekudim after the AB and SAGmated and the Koma that emerged by their Zivug descended and fissured the Parsa. It means that the Gevul of the Sium Raglin de SAG was canceled, and then the entire Partzuf of Nekudim that stands under the Parsa received from the Raglaim de SAG above the Parsa.This means that the Eser Sefirot de Sium of the SAG that the Parsa rides on now acquired Behinot Hitpashtut and illuminated for the Nekudim. Thus, the Nekudim are now found to be receiving from the Orot below the Partzuf in its previous form. These are called the Nekudot under the Otiot.Study that well for that Behinat Holam above the Otiot of Partzuf de Nekudim during its creation descended from there during the Gadlut and clothed in Nekudim, meaning inside the Otiot. We refer to them as under the Otiot only compared to the state of the giver, not with respect to the state of the receiver.Thus we have learned that these Keter and Hochma too received from Sium Raglin de SAG as the ZAT. Moreover, they are the prime receivers, and they are the ones that gave them to the ZAT.In that sense they are called Kamatz Patach, for they are under the Otiot. Thus, in order to indicate the Behinat Keter and Hochma from their very creation, they are marked with Holam and Shuruk. Conversely, when indicated with respect to what they received by the Gadlut de Nekudim, they are then called Kamatz Patach.However, when the Rav writes that Kamatz Patach did not break, he refers to what they have from their very creation, not to what they received from Sium Raglin de SAG. This is because these He’arotwere canceled from both Keter and Hochma, and they are called Orot Achoraim or AVI.
10We do not mean to say that these are the Nekudot themselves. It means that these Orot and Havalim that came out of the Tzipornaim of his Raglaim are not the Atzmut of the Nekudot. Rather, they are considered as mere additions, because the Behinat Atzmut of the Nekudot came out of the Ohr Eynaim.