Part 9 · Chapter 1

The Ari's Text

*At the first time of each and every Zivug [coupling], of all the discernments of Zivugim in the whole of Atzilut, from Atik through AVI [Aba ve Ima, Father and Mother], there was still no one who would awaken to raise MAN [Mayin Nukvin, female waters] — which are the clarifications of the Melachim [kings] — to correct them. Rather, the male alone would awaken of itself to the Zivug, although there was no one to raise MAN. This is the meaning of the words Kad Salik beRe'uta ["when it arose in the desire"], for there is as yet no distinct recognition of a Nukva [female] in particular, except from Ima onward, as will be written in the coming Gates, God willing. Hence it is not a complete Zivug of male and female, Yesod in Yesod, but only a desire, in the secret of the Mochin, in a place where no distinct Nukva is present. The intent also refers to what was said: the MAN rose of itself to be corrected, without anyone raising it. This is Kad Salik beRe'uta — and not by means of the lower ones.

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

1At the first time of each and every coupling, etc.: That is to say, at the time each Partzuf comes out from the root of Atzilut, by way of the cascading of every lower one from its upper one, as written in the previous parts, which comes about through the refinement of the screen and its ascent to the head, as is known — and from this phase the Katnut of every Partzuf comes out, and this is called the first coupling for the Atzilut of the Partzuf. And it is known that afterward it rises again as MAN [Mayin Nukvin] for the coupling of Gadlut, to attain the Mochin, and this is called the second coupling.
2The male alone would awaken of itself to the coupling, etc.: For every lower one is emanated and comes out through the coupling of the head of its upper one, by the inclusion of the screen and the records of the lower one in the coupling that is there, and there is no matter here of a coupling of male and female, as with the Partzufim of AK, but it is reckoned like the phase of the male alone. For the order of this coupling comes from the phase of the striking of the upper light on the screen, so that according to the measure of its coarseness is the level of the reflected light and the direct light, as is known — without MAN and without the partnership of male and female, but everything depends on the coarseness of the screen, as is known.
3There is no distinct recognition of a Nukva in particular, except from Ima onward: For the whole matter of a Nukva comes about through the restriction that was made upon Malchut, and therefore, in the Partzufim of AK, no phase of Nukva is discernible in any of the first nine Sefirot. Only from Nekudim onward, where the second restriction was made in the secret of the bottom Hey in the Nikvey Einayim — for then the bottom Hey joined with the first Hey, in the secret of “and the two of them went” — did Bina then descend to the level of Malchut, and receive within itself the phase of the restriction that had previously been only in Malchut. Because of this, Bina and ZON came out beyond all of RTS [Rosh-Toch-Sof], since the AHP of the head descended and became the phase of Guf and Toch. And Bina and ZON of the ten Sefirot of Toch descended and became the phase of the ten Sefirot of the Sium of the Partzuf. And Bina and ZON of the ten Sefirot of the Sium of the Partzuf went out entirely beyond Atzilut, similar to the Malchut of the first restriction, in which the line of Ein Sof ended. But afterward, in this Bina and ZON, the three worlds of BYA were corrected, as is known. And you see that even after the second restriction, the existence of restriction begins only from Bina onward, which is Ima, but not at all from above her. And this is the meaning of “there is no distinct recognition of a Nukva in particular, except from Ima onward.” And you must remember here that the restriction spoken of in the place of Bina was made only in ZAT of Bina, and GAR of Bina is not included in this restriction, as written in the previous parts.
4The MAN [Mayin Nukvin] rose of itself to be corrected, without anyone raising it, and this is the meaning of Kad Salik beRe’uta: For after the screen of the body of Nekudim was refined of all its coarseness, and became equal to the phase of coarseness of the head, it is then reckoned that it rose and became unified with the screen of the head, and was included with it in the coupling of the head — for equivalence of form joins spiritual things into one, as is known. It follows that the screen and all the records included in it rose of themselves to the head of SAG of AK, without anyone raising them (as above, part 8, item 2, the passage beginning “Returned”). And then the level of Katnut of the Partzuf of Atik came out, as written there. And this is called the first coupling of Atik.