Part 11 · Chapter 117

The Ari's Text

Now, in this phase that clothes in the Vav Sefirot of the third Tevuna, there is the entirety of all the phases as will be explained, which are the three letters of Tzelem [Tzadi-Lamed-Mem]. Therefore this phase alone is called Tzelem, because all of them are included in it, even though they are only the Mem of Tzelem, as mentioned above. Thus this phase of Mem is like a surrounding light extending from its place to the whole of ZA, down to his feet.

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

1In this phase that clothes in the Vav Sefirot of the third Tevuna, there is the entirety of all the phases: For this phase — namely, the Mem of Tzelem — is mainly from the phase of the coupling made in the Rosh [head], which is HBD; but also the phase of HGT is included in it, since there is no clothing there for the sake of ZA except in the upper thirds that rose and joined the HGT, as above, in the adjacent item. And this is what he means, that in this phase of the first Vav Sefirot there are all the phases of the Lamed and the Tzadi of Tzelem, since the main going-out of the Mochin is in the Rosh, from below upward, and this is called the Mem of Tzelem, while the going-out from above downward of the level that came out in the Rosh comes in the Lamed and the Tzadi. Thus in the Mem there is the entire totality of the Lamed and the Tzadi. And this is what he means: “And it is thus found that this phase of Mem is like surrounding light from its place to the whole of ZA, down to his feet” — meaning, as explained, that the going-out from above downward of the phase of the Mem extends into the Lamed, and also into the Tzadi, which is all ten Sefirot of ZA, down to his feet. And this is what he means: “But it does not truly descend there; rather, it remains above as surrounding light for the whole of ZA” — meaning, as explained, that there is no phase of clothing at all for the Mochin of ZA from the HBD-HGT of Tevuna, but only from the upper thirds of the NHY of Tevuna that returned to HGT, in which the first clothing for the sake of ZA is made; and this clothing is called the Lamed of Tzelem. And there, while it is still in the phase of the HGT of Tevuna, it is also regarded as surrounding light, as will be stated further on; but only when it extends from there to the place of ZA is it regarded as complete clothing, to be called by the phase of inner light, and it is called the Tzadi of Tzelem, as will be stated further on.