Part 14 · Chapter 53

The Ari's Text

And this is what is said, 'at the time that this Eden couples with her in a complete coupling' — that in order for the coupling to be complete, for blessing and endurance, the complete coupling is when it is in this Path that is not known, neither above nor below.

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 complete coupling is when it is in this Path that is not known, neither above nor below. It was already explained in the previous part, that all the Mochin from AA and below were corrected in the Izka [ring], which is the secret of the Mem of Tzelem, and the secret of the Mem of “lemarbeh hamisrah” [of the increase of the government] — meaning, that there is no revelation of the GAR of Hochma corrected in the Mem except from the discernment of the Bina of Hochma, corrected in the Lamed; and we already elaborated much on this in the previous part. It was also explained there, that this correction of MaLTz [Mem-Lamed-Tzadi] is drawn by the power of the concealment of the Malchut of the first restriction that served in all the Partzufim of AK, for she was concealed in Radla [the unknown head], in the secret of the cornerstone. And therefore the Rosh of Atik is called by the name the Rosh that is not known, neither above nor below, because it did not serve with her in the Peh of its Rosh in order to emanate AA, but rather served with the Malchut of the second restriction; and therefore AA has no more than nine Sefirot, and lacks Malchut. And likewise below, from AA, this Malchut is not known, for there is no coupling upon her in any Partzuf in ABYA. And therefore the Rosh of Atik is called by the name the Rosh that is not known, neither above nor below. And you already know that Daat means coupling, as in “And Adam knew,” etc.
And the essence of Malchut that was concealed in Radla is called the Path that is not known, neither above nor below — meaning, likewise for the same reason above, that there is no coupling upon her, neither in the Partzufim of the GAR nor in the Partzufim of the ZAT. It was also explained in the previous part, that the discernment of the hairs of the Rosh and the Dikna of AA are, from their root, the discernment of the Malchut of the first restriction, being the discernment of garments and reflected light from the Mochin of Gadlut of AA, from the time of the inclusion of AA in Radla — where, in the place of Radla itself, there is a coupling for this Malchut; but at the time of the birth of the Mochin and their descent to AA, then the Malchut of the second restriction serves, and the Mochin clothe in the Izka of the Mem of Tzelem, and the level of the revealed AB withdraws from there outward, in the secret of a returning surrounding. As stated there at length; and the discernment of the garments of that revealed AB likewise go out from the Mochin, in the secret of the residue of the brain, and they too become the discernment of the surrounding of the vessels, called the hairs of the Rosh and the Dikna. Study it there well.
It was also explained there, that there is no coupling for AVI of the level of AB except through the MAN of the hairs of the Dikna, since the Malchut of the first restriction is included in them; and therefore they couple upon them at the time of their inclusion in AA, and AA in Radla — meaning, at the time of the coupling and the ascent of every Partzuf to its upper one — and then, from it, they too can receive the Mochin of AB of AK, since there is no Mochin of birth except from it. (See well in Inner Observation, Part 13, item 14.)
And this is what is said, “The complete coupling is when it is in this Path that is not known, neither above nor below” — meaning, specifically in the discernment of the Malchut of the first restriction, which is included in the hairs of the Dikna, called the Mazal; for without her, they could not receive anything from the Mochin of AB of AK, which are the Mochin of birth. As explained there.