Part 16 · Chapter 177

The Ari's Text

It is found, then, that the angels themselves are not the externality of the worlds, and likewise the souls are not themselves the internality of the worlds. Rather, the intention is to say that from the externality of the ten Sefirot in each world are drawn and made the souls of the angels, and from the internality are made the souls of human beings. Understand this very well.

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 angels themselves are not the externality of the worlds, and likewise the souls are not themselves the internality of the worlds etc. for from the externality of the ten Sefirot etc. the souls of the angels, and from the internality are made souls. These words are a great rule that one must remember in all the discourses on BYA. For the principal part of externality and internality is in the ten Sefirot themselves of each world of BYA, in the manner explained above in the adjacent item: that the three vessels KHB, called brain, bones, sinews, are the ones called inner vessels, in which the three lights NRN [Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama] of the Partzuf clothe; and for the lights Haya and Yechida there are no vessels, but they clothe within the light of Neshama, as above. And the two vessels ZON, called flesh and skin, are external vessels, which receive the discernment of Ruach and Nefesh to the extent that they are able to clothe them, and there are IYM [Ibur, nursing, and Mochin] in them, which are VAK [six ends] and the Mochin of VAK, as above. And as for our calling the souls of human beings by the name internality of the worlds, the intention is that they are drawn from the inner vessels of the ten Sefirot in each world of BYA. And as for our calling the angels and palaces and firmaments by the name externality of the worlds, that is because they are drawn from the coupling of the external vessels of the ten Sefirot in each world of BYA. Know also that although there is in the externality of the ten Sefirot only the discernment of VAK and the Mochin of VAK, nevertheless there are complete NRNHY [Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, Yechida] in them, both the NRNHY of Nefesh and the NRNHY of Ruach, so that all the discernments that apply in the internality apply also in the externality. And remember this.
Also one must remember that these external vessels of the ten Sefirot, called flesh and skin, are principally the discernment of surrounding vessels; that is, besides the inner lights of Ruach and Nefesh that they receive, as above, they also receive a measure of illumination from the surrounding lights of Haya and Yechida, called the surrounding light of circles and the surrounding light of straightness. And in this way the palaces and the firmaments, which are drawn from the coupling of the externality of the Sefirot, also have in them those same two kinds of lights: namely inner light, which they receive from the externality of the Sefirot, and likewise surrounding lights of Haya and Yechida, which they receive from the surrounding lights of circles and the surrounding lights of straightness. So that all that applies in the externality of the Sefirot applies also in the externality of the worlds that are drawn from their couplings.