Part 7 · Chapter 20

The Ari's Text

Indeed, you should know that as they are four worlds ABYA in Kedusha, and their root is only ten Sefirot that expand in them sort-by-sort and degree-by-degree, so it is in ABYA of the shells. They are all rooted in the sorting of the kings that could not be sorted, and they are eleven Sefirot. It is written in The Zohar, portion Truma, “The Sitra Achra is given an extra count, and it is counted as a deficit, such as eleven.” It means that when it is given the extra count, it is a demerit, since they are ten in Kedusha and eleven in the shells. This is so because while they are eleven, they are only nine, since those eleven are seven phases, seven kings, and two posterior of AVI, which are only nine. However, in the division of AVI into two phases, they will have four posterior, and then they will all be eleven phases.

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

1“The Sitra Achra is given an extra count, and it is counted as a deficit, such as eleven.” He brings evidence to his words above when he says that in general, ABYA de Klipot are eleven Sefirot vis-à-vis the general ABYA de Kedusha, which are Eser Sefirot. He explains that the reason they number eleven is because they are from the residue of the Sigim that were not sorted.There are eleven Behinot in this matter, which are seven Melachim and four Achoraim, de AVI and YESHSUT, which are eleven, as it is written, “Where are their gods, the rock in whom they trusted.” These are the very eleven days from Horev through Mt. Seir, and this is the meaning of the eleven signs of the incense. Since they are the entire sustenance in the Klipot, when they are burnt, the vitality of the Klipot rises upwards, the Sigim and the death are cancelled, and the plague stops.The Rav does not come down to interpret the words of the Zohar here. However, since there is a great secret in their words, the text should be brought complete and be somewhat interpreted. It says, “The Sitra Achra is given an extra count, and it is counted as a deficit, such as eleven. It is as we have stated that in every place where letters are added, such as here, it is a demerit, such as your brothers have said, that they said enough, and on the side of Kedusha, he reduced a letter, and it is an addition,” thus far its words.Interpretation: The whole of the Sitra Achra is from the breaking of the vessels, as the Rav says, that there are eleven Behinot. It is known that their Tikun is in the form of the twelve Partzufim of Kedusha, as the entire Tikun of the breaking of the vessels is in the twelve Partzufim of Atzilut. Through them, the Sitra Achra is gradually annulled until “He will swallow up death for ever.”He says, “The Sitra Achra is given an extra count, and it is counted as a deficit.” This is so because a “count” is a name for Malchut, and Malchut de Sitra Achra is considered an extra count. [Written aside in the manuscript of the author: “Count” means wisdom; “Extra” means adding, by way of “All who adds, subtracts.”].This is the meaning of Malchut without a crown, which are nine and not ten since they have no sucking from the Keter. A Crown is Keter. Hence, they are in impudence, in the form of “Malchut without a Crown”. They are the evil eye, in the form of, “Ninety nine die of evil eye, and one from other diseases.”He says, “such as eleven,” meaning all who adds, subtracts. They add seventy to the eleven [Written aside in the manuscript of the author: and the Partzuf Elyon of the twelve departs, which is Ein Sof and Keter] and are left only in the eleven. [Written aside in the manuscript of the author: eleven because they cancel and break and fall to the authority of the Klipot. This is the meaning of the tree shouting, “Do not touch me,” because in the touching of the Ayin in the eleven it falls to the Klipot.] This is so because they have no sucking in Keter.This is the meaning of, “in the side of Kedusha he diminished an Ot and it is an addition. It means that the Ayin is reduced from the eleven and the combination of Kedusha comes out in the addition since it becomes twelve. Understand that in addition to the Rav’s words and with the rest of the words of the Zohar there.