Part 11 · Chapter 11

The Ari's Text

*And behold, what enters first into these vessels to give them life is not the three Names themselves, but their fillings enter first, for they are lower degrees than the Names themselves, as is written in the discourse of the 288 sparks. And behold, the number of the fillings alone of these Names, after the simple Names are removed from them, are these: the filling of AB, when you remove the simple, which is 26 in gematria, leaves 46; and the filling of SAG in the above manner is 37; and the filling of MA in the above manner is 19.

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

1Their fillings enter first, for they are lower degrees than the Names themselves: For the letters of the Name are the vessels and the Sefirot of the Partzuf. And their filling is the phase of the screen and coarseness upon which the coupling with the upper light is made, and on them depends the measure of the stature of the Partzuf: the stature of AB requires phase three, and the stature of SAG, phase two, etc., for the stature that emerges upon the coarseness, which is the secret of the filling, is the whole praise and virtue in the letters of the Name. For if the filling is of the phase of coarseness of the root, there is in that HaVaYaH only a stature of Nefesh; and if the filling is of phase one, there is there a stature of Ruach, etc.
And with this you will understand that on the one hand, the fillings are reckoned as lower than the Names themselves, which are the vessels and the letters of the name HaVaYaH, for the fillings are only the phase of coarseness in general, while the Names are the very substance of the vessels that there are in the Partzuf. But on the other hand, it may be said that the coarseness is more important than the Name, for at the time when the Name is alone, without the letters of the filling — namely, without the coarseness and the screen fit for coupling with the upper light — then there is no light at all in these vessels. Thus, the whole praise of the Names is in their fillings, as explained.
And this is what they said: “What enters first into these vessels to give them life is not the three Names themselves, but their fillings” — meaning, that now, at the time of the Ibur [impregnation], ZA is reckoned as included in the couplings of AVI, and it is the thigh of its mother, and it does not yet have a name of its own, as is known. Therefore we need not now take into account the substance of the Sefirot of ZA in all these couplings of the NRNHY that it receives in the Ibur through the couplings of AVI, but only the fillings alone, for the fillings are the phase of the coarseness and the MAN [Mayin Nukvin] included in the records and the sparks standing in the belly of Ima, for this MAN is included in the MAN of the Katnut [smallness/infancy] of Ima herself, and AVI stand upon them for the coupling. And thus it is found that now, at the time of the Ibur, only the fillings enter first, and there is not yet any disclosure of the Names themselves of ZA except after the birth.