Part 8 · Chapter 77

The Ari's Text

However, since the body of man is divided into two parts, as is known, for down to the chest the Yesod of Bina expands and the lights within it are covered, and from the chest downward the lights are revealed, as explained by us in the secret of the Hassadim that expand in Tifferet of ZA, hence his body is divided between two worlds: his covered upper half is placed in the six lower [Sefirot] of Yetzira, and his revealed lower half is placed in the four first [Sefirot] of Assiya. And thus it is found that the main of his body was above, in Yetzira, as is known that the body alludes to the Vav of the name HaVaYaH, and Yetzira itself is also alluded to by the letter Vav.

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 body of man is divided into two parts, etc. — down to the Chazeh the Yesod of Bina expands and the lights within it are covered, and from the Chazeh downward the lights are revealed: it has already been explained above the great discernment that exists between the Chazeh and above and the Chazeh and below. For down to the Chazeh, the posterior of Ima illuminate, and there is no possibility whatsoever for the shells to nurse from there; but from the Chazeh downward, the posterior of Ima has already ceased, and the shells can take hold there. Yet, on the other hand, all the praise of the Partzuf is found to be revealed only from the Chazeh downward, for from the Chazeh and above, the Hassadim are found sealed in the Yesod of Ima — meaning that the illumination of Hochma cannot be revealed there, because of the posterior of Ima, which repel Hochma, in the secret of, “for He delights in mercy.” In such a way that the illumination of Hochma is not revealed in the Partzuf except from the Chazeh downward, that is, only after the screen of the Yesod of Ima has ceased.
And this is what is meant by, “hence his body is divided between two worlds: his covered upper half is placed in the six lower [Sefirot] of Yetzira, and his revealed lower half is placed in the four first [Sefirot] of Assiya.” Namely as above, that there is a very great difference between the Chazeh and above, where the shells have no hold whatsoever, and the Chazeh and below, where the shells have the power to take hold there; hence the Chazeh and above is reckoned as the discernment of Yetzira and the discernment of the male, and the Chazeh and below is reckoned as the discernment of Assiya and the discernment of the female.