Часть 2 · Внутреннее созерцание 7

Chapter SevenExplains the matter of the refinement of the screen, and the emergence of the five levels KHB, ZA, and Malchut, one below the other, because of the refinement of the screen.The detaining force in the screen and the measure of the coarseness in Malchut are equal.In order to understand the issue of the refinement of the above screen, we must first present two forewords: The first is that the detaining force in the screen is equal to the level of coarseness, which is the yearning in phase four, like the two pans of the scales. There is a simple reason for it: If there is a great yearning to receive, it necessitates great efforts to refrain from receiving; and if there is a small yearning, it does not take a great effort to refrain from receiving. Thus, the detaining force in the screen is equal to the measure of coarseness in phase four, whether more or less.

The surrounding light refines the screen.The second foreword is that the surrounding light, which is not clothed in the emanated being, its nature is to refine the coarseness in phase four bit by bit, by order of the four phases, until it refines all the coarseness in it. First, it refines it from phase four to phase three, then to phase two, then to phase one, until it makes it completely refined, without any coarseness whatsoever.

Because it wants to clothe, but the screen detains it.The reason for it is that surrounding light is the upper light that cannot clothe in the emanated being because of the screen that detains it from expanding further than its own level. It remains outside the Partzuf and surrounds it. In other words, it shines on it from afar. Because the surrounding light wants to shine in the internality of the Partzuf, as well, as it did in Ein Sof, when it shone in phase four, too, it strikes the screen and refines it, meaning revokes the coarseness and hardness in it so it will be able to clothe.

First the screen intensifies, and then the light intensifies.In the beginning, the screen intensifies and pushes it back. Afterwards, the light intensifies and refines the screen. However, it revokes only the level of coarseness over which there was a coupling by striking. If the coupling by striking was on phase four, it revokes the coarseness of phase four that detains it from clothing in the Partzuf, leaving the coarseness of phase three, with which it had no dealings. If the coupling by striking was on the coarseness of phase three, it revokes only the coarseness of phase three, leaving the coarseness of phase two, etc. (The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 4, Inner light, Chapter One).

Phase four does not become absent although it has been refined into phase three.You already know that with any new form that forms in spirituality, the previous form does not become absent as a consequence, since there is no absence in spirituality, but there is only an additional form here. From this you can understand that that phase four that has now become refined into phase three in it, is regarded as having emerged from that emanated being into a new emanated being that was added to the first. Its Phase four is not the phase four in phase four, but phase three in phase four. However, that refinement did not cause any change at all in the first emanated being.

Immediately as it refined into phase three, the upper light copulated with her because it never stops shining.It has been explained above that the upper light does not stop shining to the lower ones even for a minute. Its expansion to the emanated being depends solely on the preparation of its vessel, meaning according to the measure of the will to receive in the emanated being. Any time the emanated being awakens and yearns for the upper light, it immediately receives it, to the extent of its desire, as it is written above (Part Two, Inner Observation, Item 63). Therefore, after phase four was refined into phase three, became a new emanated being in and of herself, and drew the upper light to herself, new ten Sefirot of upper light emerged in her from above downward, as well as new ten Sefirot of reflected light from below upward, just as the first emanated being had expanded. However, there is a big difference between their statures because the new emanated being lacks the level of Keter and has only the level of Hochma.

The reason why phase three lacks the Keter.The reason for the absence of the degree of Keter in the second emanated being is that it does not have the coarseness of phase four in phase four, which, with respect to the reflected light, is the Keter in phase four. For this reason, the screen did not push back the upper light but only from Hochma downward, meaning that measure that was intended to enter phase three in phase four. Conversely, there would not be expansion in Keter of phase four even if the screen had not detained it, since the vessel that drew the upper light did not draw more than from Hochma and below to begin with. For this reason, the screen did not push the light of Keter back, but only from the light of Hochma downward. Therefore, the light of Keter is absent in this reflected light. Because the reflected light lacks the light of Keter, the light of Keter of the upper light is absent there, as well, since no light can clothe in the emanated being without reflected light to clothe it, which is its vessel of reception (Part Two, Inner Observation, Item 21). This is why it has only the level of Hochma.

Any drawing is done by phase four; this is why she needs a screen, so the light will not expand into phase four.The rule is that any extension of light must be only in phase four in the emanated being, even though there is no intention to draw the light into there. The reason is that the coarseness, which is above phase four, is unsuitable for extension (Inner Observation, Chapter Five, Item 56). Even phase one in phase four is more suitable for extension than the real phase three, which is above, meaning more refined than all of phase four. Therefore, if all the coarseness has vanished from phase four, there is no one there to draw light from Ein Sof and the light stops there entirely. Since the extension must be done with phase four, while at the same time, she must guard herself so that the light will not expand into her own phase due to the restriction on phase four, therefore, she set the screen on herself, which guards that thing. When the light expands and reaches phase four, the screen awakens and pushes that part of the light back to its root, and the part that is pushed back does not disappear, but is turned into reflected light, meaning that from it are the vessels of reception for the upper light.

With respect to the extension of light, phase four and the screen are as one.Regarding the extension of light from Ein Sof, phase four and the screen that is placed on her are regarded as one because the hardness of the screen lies over the coarseness in phase four. Hence, in most cases, only the screen is mentioned. Regarding the extension of light, it necessarily refers to both. To keep our words brief, we, too, will name the extension of the light from Ein Sof only after the screen. Regarding the emergence of the degrees from one another, we will also refer to it with the name refinement of the coarseness, although it actually refers to the hardness in the screen. Remember that it refers to the levels of the coarseness in phase four, which make four levels of hardness in the screen.

The emergence of the degree of Hochma from phase three.The emergence of the degree of Hochma from the degree of Keter has already been explained in detail above. The first ten Sefirot emerged after the restriction by the encounter with the upper light in the screen that consists of the complete coarseness in phase four (Part Two, Inner Observation, Item 64). For this reason, it raised reflected light in the entire level up to the root, which is called Keter. Once that degree was completed with Rosh, Toch, and Sof, a part of the coarseness in the screen was refined from phase four to phase three (Part Two, Inner Observation, Item 74). Because the screen acquired a change of form, it is regarded as having gone out from the degree of Keter. Then, by the encounter of the light of Ein Sof with that screen, which was refined to phase three, a second ten Sefirot emerged, whose level is only up to Hochma, lacking Keter (Part Two, Inner Observation, 78).

The emergence of the degree of Bina from phase two.Once that degree of Hochma was completed with Rosh, Toch, and Sof, the surrounding light returned and refined another part of the coarseness of the screen, meaning from phase three in phase four, to phase two in phase four. That new screen of phase two in phase four is considered to have gone out from the degree of Hochma for the same reason mentioned concerning the degree of Keter (Part Two, Inner Observation, Item 76). From the encounter of the upper light with that new screen of phase two emerged new ten Sefirot at only the level of Bina, lacking Keter and Hochma.

The reason for the absence of Hochma in the screen of phase two.The reason for the absence of Hochma from this new degree is the same reason mentioned above (Part Two, Inner Observation, Items 75-76) regarding the absence of Keter. Because that phase four has only the coarseness of phase two, which is regarded as Bina of phase four, this extension that was made was not from her beginning, but only from Bina downward. Therefore, even the screen would not detain the upper light, it would not expand to phase four herself, but only from Bina and below. Thus, now the screen did not push back the Keter and Hochma that are intended for phase four, ­and therefore, there are no Keter and Hochma in this reflected light. Because that reflected light is not there, the upper light of Keter and Hochma is also not there, for they do not have vessels of reception.

The emergence of the degree of Zeir Anpin from the screen of phase one.After that new degree of the level of Bina was completed with Rosh, Toch, and Sof, the surrounding light returned and refined one more part from the coarseness in the screen, meaning from phase two to phase one. Consequently, it, too, is considered to have gone out from the degree of Bina. From the encounter of the upper light with the screen of phase one in phase four emerged ten new Sefirot on the level of Zeir Anpin. The first three Sefirot Keter, Hochma, and Bina, are absent here for the above reason.

The emergence of the degree of Malchut.Once the degree of Zeir Anpin was completed with Rosh, Toch, and Sof, the last part in the coarseness of phase four was refined, as well. It is also considered that that ­screen that was completely refined, departed from the degree of Zeir Anpin, and it is called “the degree of Malchut,” in which no new light was innovated, but it rather receives illumination from Zeir Anpin, for it no longer merits extension. Hence, all it has is the light of Nefesh. The rest about this matter will be explained in Part 3.