Part 14 · Chapter 96

The Ari's Text

And this is what is said: 'this Hochma is the beginning of everything,' because through it everything below it was made and emanated, in the clothing of the bone in it. And this is the meaning of 'beginning.' And from it the brain of ZA spreads into the thirty-two paths, for in it there is no spreading at all, until it descends to ZA. And even in ZA they are narrow paths, and not wide ways, for they are still hidden, being near to Aba, who goes out of the holy Atik; and the Torah, in this Hochma, is included in the twenty-two letters and the ten utterances, and afterward, below in ZA, it is revealed more; but here it is included in concealment.

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

1This Hochma is the beginning of everything, for through it everything below it was made and emanated, in the clothing of the self within it. Meaning, as explained, that there is no revelation of the illumination of Hochma except through the ascent of the upper AVI to the GAR of AA and of Atik, for then the level of AB that is revealed in the upper AVI serves, and from it the Mochin of birth come to ZON, as above. Thus this Hochma, namely the upper AVI, is the beginning of the revelation of the Mochin, both for themselves and for ZON, and for the souls that are born from ZON. And this is what the Zohar says, that it is the beginning of everything.
2And from it the brain of ZA spreads into the thirty-two paths, for in it there is no spreading at all until it descends to ZA; and even in ZA they are narrow paths and not wide ways” Explanation: for these Mochin that come out in the upper AVI are mainly for the sake of ZA, that he may couple with the Nukva face to face for the Mochin of birth. And therefore these Mochin are called by the name of the Hochma of thirty-two paths, whose meaning is the twenty-two letters and the ten utterances, as the ARI writes below. For the twenty-two letters are the building of Bina herself, and the ten utterances are the ten Sefirot of ZON at the time they are included in Bina in the secret of the Ibur [impregnation]. And therefore they are called by the name thirty-two, to indicate that all this Hochma comes through the ascent of the MAN [Mayin Nukvin] of ZON, which awakens Bina to receive Hochma for his sake, in the manner of the Bina of direct light, which received Hochma for the sake of the ZA of direct light, as above. And therefore she is obligated to ZA, for Bina does not receive Hochma except according to the measure of ZA, which is only to shine the illumination of Hochma in Hassadim, and not the discernment of Hochma in its own right. And therefore they are called thirty-two paths, which indicates ZA together within the Ibur of Bina. And this is what he says, “for in it there is no expansion at all until it descends to ZA” — for after the birth of the Mochin of ZA, AVI return to their place, and all the Mochin of AA and of AVI return and clothe in MaLTz [Mem-Lamed-Tzadi] of Tzelem [image], and AVI are found again in the discernment of the air, like the Galgalta of AA; but these Mochin come to ZA, who needs them, since he is of the discernment of the illumination of Hochma in Hassadim, and the Mochin of the upper AVI do not suffice for him, since they are covered Hassadim.
And this is what he says, “and even in ZA they are narrow paths and not wide ways.” Explanation: for ZA receives these Mochin by way of the Yesodot of AVI, so that the Tifferet, which is the bearer of the illumination of Hochma, is not revealed in the discernment of its being in its own right, but only out of the narrowness of the Yesodot, as above. And therefore the vessels in which the Mochin clothe are called narrow paths, and there is in them only the discernment of an Orcha [path] to pass through it, and not wide ways; for there is not there the discernment of Tifferet from the side of its being in its own right, which shines in great breadth and is called like wide ways, but rather a Tifferet that shines in the narrow measure of the Yesod. And therefore the illumination of Hochma cannot be revealed in the Tifferet of ZA, that is, in his HGT, but only in the NHY of ZA, which are the discernment of his Yesod, which are the discernment of narrow ways, where the Yesod of Aba is revealed without the Yesod of Ima. But if they were shining in the Tifferet they would be wide ways, for there the Yesod of Ima is clothed, which bestows Hassadim in breadth.
3For they are still hidden, being near to Aba, who goes out of the holy Atik” meaning. Just as Aba was corrected in the Mem of Tzelem [image] because he receives from the discernment opposite him in Atik, which is the Galgalta that is likewise clothed in the Mem of Tzelem, as above — therefore the discernment of HGT of ZA as far as the Chazeh [chest] is also attributed to the discernment of GAR, which need to clothe in the Mem of Tzelem, like the HGT of AA as far as the Chazeh. And therefore they must always be in the discernment of covered Hassadim, and the Mochin of the illumination of Hochma cannot be revealed in them. And this is what he says, “for they are still hidden, being near to Aba” — meaning, that they are the discernment of covered Hassadim, like the upper AVI.
4And afterward, below in ZA, it is revealed more. Explanation: from the place of the Chazeh [chest] of ZA and below, the illumination of Hochma is revealed, for there is the place of the revelation of the Hassadim, as is known. However, the essential revelation is in Malchut, that is, in the Nukva of ZA, who is the one that takes this place of the NHY of ZA, as is written in its place.