Part 16 · Chapter 234

The Ari's Text

And behold, the secret of this point, its matter is that it is indeed known how the two luminaries were, in their emanation, created equal in stature one to the other. And when the moon diminished herself, meaning: that which was in the secret of a complete Partzuf was diminished and stood in the secret of a small point containing the ten Sefirot, and the other nine points flew away from her, as is known — that her root at first is only one point, and afterward nine other points came to her as additions through ZA. For this reason she is called 'a mirror that has nothing of her own.' Therefore ZA took them back, and she remained in the secret of a small point. And then she could not stand next to him because of her great smallness, and then she descended to this place, at the head of Beriah.

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

1That their root at first is only one point, and afterward nine other points came as additions through ZA. For it is the secret of the point of the Chazeh [chest] of the ZAT of Nekudim, for in the secret of the ascent of the bottom Hey to the Nikvey Einayim, the concluding Malchut at the feet of AK rose to Bina of the Guf [body], which is Tifferet, at the point of the Chazeh in it, and there she concluded the ZAT of Nekudim. And this concluding Malchut, which is at the place of the Chazeh of Nekudim, is the secret of the root of the Malchut of Atzilut. And although at the time of the Gadlut [greatness/adulthood] of Nekudim, when they expanded back to the place of BYA, this concluding Malchut there became a complete Partzuf, for the vessels that had separated to BYA returned to her and became her nine lower ones — nevertheless they did not endure, for they died and broke, as is known. And therefore in Atzilut, when the five Partzufim of Atzilut were corrected in the discernment of fixed Mochin, ZON came out in the secret of the anterior vessels alone, which are the HBD HGT of the Katnut [smallness/infancy] of Nekudim up to the Chazeh, in the lights of HGT NHYM. For this is the main discernment of ZON, who never have diminution; and it is found thereby that the Nukva returned and became only a point of Sium for ZA, and from the discernment of the vessels this point is regarded by the name Keter, and likewise by the name the point of the Chazeh, for she is the Sium of the HBD HGT of the vessels, which is called Chazeh. However, from the side of the lights there is in them only HGT NHYM, so the point is only the discernment of Malchut alone. And through this you will understand why the ARI calls this point sometimes by the name Malchut and sometimes by the name Keter, that is, as explained. And with this you will understand the continuation of the ARI’s words.
2Therefore ZA took them back, and they remained in the secret of a small point. And behold, above he says that at the time of the diminution of the moon her nine lower ones descended to BYA and not to ZA (page 1979, the passage beginning “The Shechina” — see there). And the matter is that through this descent of hers, the discernment of Atzilut in her flew away from her, and ZA takes these, but the nine Sefirot themselves, in the secret of the vessels, descended and became the discernment of Neshama for the Partzufim of BYA, as is written there. Study it there well.
3A small point, and then she could not stand next to him because of her great Katnut [smallness/infancy], and then she descended to this place at the head of Beria. Behold, here he says that only the point descended and became Atik of Beria, and above (in this part, items 158 and 159) he says that all the nine Sefirot of the Nukva descended to BYA. And the matter is that there are here two discernments: one is the discernment of her nine lower ones, which descended and became the discernment of Neshama in BYA, and not the discernment of Atik. But the discernment of the point of Keter in her descended and became Atik of Beria. As written above, page 1979, the passage beginning “The Shechina” — see there.