Part 7 · Chapter 24

The Ari's Text

Above all is the fourth degree, which is the male and female face-to-face one opposite the other, for then she receives the light of the anterior of the male, which is a wonderful light. Moreover, there is no need for it to first become coarser in her posterior; she can receive it as she is, refined, through her anterior.

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 fourth degree, being the Zachar and Nekeva in Panim be Panim. The first two degrees, Achor be Achor and Achor be Panim, are extended through the Achoraim de Ima, and the third degree is extended through the Zivug Elyon de AB SAG that lowers the Hey Tata’a from the Eynaim. This Tikun is beneficial only for the Zachar to acquire its Panim as in the beginning. However, the Nukva is still cleaved by the force of her Achoraim, choosing Hassadim and rejecting Hochma.Hence, Bina needs raising MAN from the Tachtonim, which are ZON, as only then is she forced to stop her force of Achoraim and return the Panim to Hochma. She does it only for ZON since she cannot extend them He’arat Hochma except by that. For this reason she returns Panim be Panim with the Hochma, which is the fourth degree.Know, that the matter of raising MAN that returns to HB Panim be Panim is rooted back in Eser Sefirot de Ohr Yashar. This is because Bina de Ohr Yashar is Behinat Ohr de Hassadim and not Hochma (Part 1, Chap 1, Ohr Pnimi item 50).Thus, she too is considered to be with her Achoraim to Hochma. However, when she wishes to emanate the ZA, who is essentially He’arat Hochma, she must return her Panim to Hochma Panim be Panim in order to receive He’arat Hochma from him to the ZA de Ohr Yashar.It follows that as long as she does not emanate the ZA, she is in Achoraim with the Hochma. After she emanates the ZA she is Panim be Panim with the Hochma, to extend its He’arah for it. You find that the original root of the state of HB Panim be Panim is the ZA de Ohr Yashar.Now you can thoroughly understand the above words of the Rav (Part 5, item 51), who says that the Ohr Hesed placed in Bina, which is Ohr ZA, remains in her always in Behinat MAN. It means that when Bina wants to extend the Gadlut of the Ohr Hesed in order to emanate it to its place, she must then return her Panim to the Hochma. For this reason this Ohr Hesed is considered Behinat MAN to the Bina, meaning that which causes her Zivug Panim be Panim with the Hochma.Thus, the matter of raising MAN has been thoroughly explained, meaning a stimulating element for Zivug HB. Without that element, Hochma and Bina would not have mated Panim be Panim because of the Achoraim de Bina that reject Hochma, “because He delighteth in mercy.”This element is the ZON, as they are the progeny of Bina and their essence is only He’arat Hochma. This is so because the whole difference between Bina de Ohr Yashar and the ZON de Ohr Yashar is only in that He’aratHochma that the Bina extends for the ZA.After all, they are both Ohr of Hassadim, though Bina is Ohr de Hassadim without any He’arat Hochma, and ZA is in He’arat Hochma (Part 1, Chap 1, Ohr Pnimi item 50). For this reason a Zivug de Gadlut cannot be depicted for AVI without ascent of MAN since as long as the ZON do not rise to MANto Bina, it is tied in a craving for Hamshacha of Hassadim, being the essence of her structure back from the Ohr Yashar. Remember these words in all the places that bear any mention of raising MAN.