1. It has already been explained that in the four phases of direct light there is no difference between each world or between each Partzuf from the Rosh of the line to the end of Assiya. It is so because there is not a single degree that does not have the four phases of direct light, which are: Hochma, Bina, Tifferet and Malchut. The only difference between the degrees is the level of the reflected light (Inner Light, Part 3, Chap 3, item 5).

That level depends on the coarseness of the screen in Malchut of the degree: the screen of phase four raises reflected light and clothes up to Keter; phase three raises up to Hochma, lacking Keter. Consequently, Keter of direct light must clothe the internality of Hochma and is not apparent there.

The screen of phase two raises reflected light only as high as Bina, lacking the level of Hochma, too. Hence, Keter and Hochma of direct light clothe the internality of Bina here. The screen of phase one raises reflected light only as high as the level of Tifferet, called ZA. It lacks the level of Bina, too, and therefore GAR KHB are clothed in him in the internality of Tifferet, and are therefore not apparent (see Inner Observation, Part 2, item 72 to understand the reasons for these things).

Now you can see that the five worlds, called Adam Kadmon, Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya, which contain the entire reality from the restriction downward, are also regarded as ten Sefirot that contain the entire reality, and are measured by the values of the levels in the five phases of the screen.

It is so because phase four, over which there was the first restriction and the first coupling by striking, these first ten Sefirot are called ten Sefirot or four phases of Adam Kadmon. Their level is up to Keter of direct light, and that is why Adam Kadmon is called the world of Keter.

After the four phases of AK had been completed, the screen of phase four was refined to phase three and the light of Ein Sof, which never stops, returned and expanded in four phases of direct light over this screen of phase three in coupling by striking. However, here their level reaches only Hochma, and they are called ten Sefirot or four phases of the world of Atzilut.

Once the world of Atzilut had been completed, the screen was refined once more to phase two, and ten Sefirot on the level of Bina emerged, called the world of Beria. Afterwards it was refined into phase one and ten Sefirot in the level of Tifferet emerged, called ten Sefirot or four phases of the world of Yetzira.

After that, when it was refined entirely and no coarseness was left in the screen, but only a root to the coarseness, there was no striking in it at all. All it had were ten Sefirot on the level of Malchut, called ten Sefirot or four phases of the world of Assiya. The reason for this refinement was explained in Inner Observation, Part 2, item 72.

Now the ten Sefirot that contain the entire reality have been thoroughly explained: the world of AK is the general Keter, the world of Atzilut is the general Hochma, the world of Beria is the general Bina, the world of Yetzira is the general ZA, which in turn consists of six Sefirot HGT NHY, and the world of Assiya is the general Malchut.

However, in each and every world of these five worlds there are also ten particular Sefirot. In each world there are levels one below the other, even in the world of Adam Kadmon. However, as in the particular levels of the ten Sefirot, we consider the level of the light according to the highest Sefira. If the highest Sefira is Keter, all the Sefirot have light of Keter; if the highest Sefira is Hochma, all the Sefirot contain Hochma.

Similarly, we consider the level of the light in each world according to the first Partzuf in it. In AK it is the level of Keter; in Atzilut, the level of Hochma and in Beria, the level of Bina, etc.

2. We must speak at great length in order to explain these matters well. It will be explained here in Inner Observation, but I will explain it somewhat here, enough to arrange the issues so that we do not muddle with the multitude of similar names, the general, the particular, and the particular of the particular, brought before us.

We shall first examine the Sefira of Keter: We find five phases of Keter here in the words of the ARI. Each of them is given a special name: 1. Keter of the four phases of direct light. 2. Keter that contains four potential phases. 3. Keter that contains the four actual phases. 4. Keter that contains an entire world, called AK. 5. Keter of each particular degree in all the worlds, that take from the world of AK.

You should know that all the above phases of Keter are always presented by the single name Keter, without interpretation. However, they are immeasurably far from one another and it is impossible to tell them apart, except by the relevant issue. For that reason we must first know the exact discernment for each of them accurately.

Keter of direct light was called expansion of Ein Sof as vessels and as coupling by striking (Part 3, Chap 1, item 1) by the ARI. Thus, Ein Sof is the root to the four phases of direct light, called Keter of direct light.

Know that this is Ein Sof before the restriction, for there is no new light in the worlds that is not extended from the light of Ein Sof before the restriction. You already know that these four phases of direct light are equal without any difference from the beginning of the line to the end of Assiya, and so is their Keter.

Indeed, Keter, called Atik, contains four potential phases, as the ARI says (Part 3, Chap 6, item 4). Also, Keter, called AA, contains roots for the actual four phases, meaning it is the complete root for the emanated beings, as the ARI says above (Part 3, Chap 6, item 6).

These are completely separate matters from Keter of direct light, because they are regarded as the Rosh of the world, or of a Partzuf, containing ten Sefirot of direct light and ten Sefirot of reflected light, as has been explained above in Inner Light. These ten Sefirot are called Rosh or Keter wherever reflected light rises from below upward.

However, the ARI distinguishes between two phases of Keter in this Rosh: He calls the first Atik or “I am the last,” containing the four potential phases, and the second AA or “I am the first,” (see Part 3, Inner Light, Chap 7, item 90), containing the four actual phases. The difference between these two Ketarim has already been explained above, and here in Inner Observation they will be explained elaborately.

The Keter that contains all the worlds is called Adam Kadmon. It is a different and separate matter from all the other three phases of Ketarim because the Keter of direct light is regarded as Ein Sof before the restriction.

The two Ketarim called Atik and AA are discerned according to their refinement, since the screen operates in them from below upward, and this reflected light cannot raise the coarseness in the screen with it. There is no consideration of the level of these ten Sefirot here, because these two Ketarim, Atik and AA, are discerned even in Yetzira and Assiya, as the ARI says (Part 3, Chap 6, item 7, and Chap 7, item 5).

However, the world of Adam Kadmon, called Keter, is only because of the level that is dependent on and measured by the coarseness of the screen. Reflected light rises and clothes up to Keter of direct light from the screen of phase four, but the reflected light of the screen of phase three is too short to clothe the Keter, and it reaches only up to Hochma (see Inner Observation Part 2, item 65).

Because the screen of phase four operates only in the first world, called AK, the level of ten Sefirot that reaches Keter is found only in that world, but nowhere else. Consequently, all the degrees in that world are regarded as Keter, even the degrees of the Guf and the degrees below the Tabur down to the Sium; they are all regarded as Keter.

However, we should still know that the above three kinds of Ketarim are found in AK itself as well, even though it is Keter from its Rosh to its Sof, for the Keter of direct light in it is necessarily the phase of Ein Sof from before the restriction.

There are also two phases of Keter, called Rosh, whose reflected light is from below upward. There are always two Ketarim in this Rosh: Atik and AA. However, they are called “the inner Keter of AK itself,” for it has Rosh and Guf too, and the Rosh is its particular Keter. The Rosh itself has a Keter of direct light, which is the instilling of the light of Ein Sof from before the restriction, namely the particular Keter of Rosh itself.

The ARI wrote, “The Keter in it is the four roots of the four phases of the ten Sefirot in it, being: souls, bodies, garments and halls. This is in particular.” It means that here he speaks from the perspective of the Rosh, called Keter, because the screen operates in it from below upward, at which time the reflected light does not clothe any coarseness.

Because of that it is only regarded as the roots of the vessels, meaning four roots to four phases of the vessels HB TM that will later appear in the body of AK. They are called soul, body, garment, hall, and because they are merely roots, they are named Keter, for any root is called Keter.

However, the four phases that are subsequently extended from above downward are actually complete vessels, and are called Guf of Adam Kadmon (see Inner Observation Part 2, item 22). For that reason the ARI names this Rosh of AK “Keter in particular,” meaning a particular Keter, which is four roots to the four phases from above downward in it.

That is why the ARI wrote, “the collective of the souls in AK shall be called the root of the souls.” The collective of the phases of the souls of AK shall be called the root of the souls, and the collective phases of the garments of AK shall be called the root of the garments. The collective of the phases of the halls of AK shall be called root of the halls.

He speaks here from the perspective of the Keter, from which all the phases in AK, its Rosh to its Sium are called Keter. Hence, the four phases below the Rosh in it are also called Keter, meaning complete vessels, where reflected light descends from the screen downward.

They are not regarded as Keter with respect to the inner AK itself because only the Rosh in it is called Keter; they are only regarded as soul, body, garment, hall, namely the four Sefirot HB TM. However, relating to the differentiation of the degrees, they are also regarded as Ketarim to all the worlds.

The level of Keter is found only in the world of AK. For that reason the ARI says that its Hochma is called soul. Even though it is below the Rosh of AK, it is still regarded as Keter to all the Hochmot in the worlds. The Bina in it, called body, is the Keter to all the Binot in all the worlds, and the ZA in it, called garment, is Keter to all the ZA in the worlds. Malchut in it, called hall, is the Keter to all the Malchuyot in all the worlds. It is so because they all have one reason: the screen of phase four operates only in them and not in any other world.

The souls in AK are roots of souls; the souls in Atzilut are the self of the souls; the souls in Beria are the bodies in the souls; the souls of Yetzira are the garments in the souls; the souls in Assiya are halls of souls. Thus, the souls that are Hochma in the five worlds AK and ABYA connect with each other like the upper Adam, in whose body the root and soul are clothed, and he is clothed in a garment and dwells in his hall.

2. The collective of the souls in AK shall be called the root of the souls ₍₃₎. The collective of the phases of the soul of Atzilut shall be called actual souls of souls; the collective of souls of Beria shall be called bodies with respect to the souls of Atzilut, and the collective of the souls of Yetzira shall be called garments of souls. The collective of the souls of Assiya shall be called halls of the soul.

Inner Light

3. Here too the ARI speaks only from the perspective of the degree, as we have explained regarding the four phases HB TM of AK. It has already been explained above (Inner Light, Chap 3, item 2) that the four phases of Atzilut come from the reflected light that rises from the screen of phase three. For that reason their degree of ten Sefirot of Atzilut begins only from Hochma, called Neshama.

Hence, all the phases in them are regarded as Hochma and Neshama from Rosh to Sium in the world of Atzilut as well. That is why the ARI writes that all the phases of the souls of Atzilut, meaning Hochma, are phases of souls of souls to all the worlds, meaning the phases of Hochma with respect to the Sefirot of Hochma in all the worlds.

Also, the bodies of Atzilut shall be called souls of the bodies of all the worlds. It is the same with the garments of Atzilut and the halls of Atzilut, as they all emerged by the clothing in reflected light of phase three, clothing up to the level of Hochma.

The bodies of AK are roots of the bodies; the bodies of Atzilut are souls of the bodies, and of Beria are the bodies themselves; bodies of Yetzira are garments of the bodies; bodies of Assiya are halls of the bodies. All the bodies of AK and ABYA connect with each other in the Upper Adam, in whose body the root and soul are clothed.

3. Also, all the phases of the bodies of AK shall be called the root of the bodies ₍₄₎. The collective of the bodies of Atzilut shall be called souls of the bodies, and the collective of the phases of the bodies of Beria shall be called bodies of the bodies. The collective of the phases of the bodies of Yetzira shall be called garments of the bodies, and the collective of the bodies of Assiya shall be called halls of the bodies.

Inner Light

4. This is also because of the degree, as the entire ten Sefirot of Beria have no more than the degree of Bina, meaning from reflected light of the screen of phase two (Inner Light, Chap 3, item 4). Thus, all the degrees in it are regarded as phases that are called bodies. Even Malchut of Beria is the phase of Bina to the Malchuyot in all the worlds for the above reason.

Similarly, you can see that all the phases of the world of Yetzira are regarded as garments, meaning ZA in all the worlds. It is so because they come from reflected light of phase one, whose degree is up to ZA, called garment. Similarly, all the phases of the world of Assiya are halls, meaning only Malchut without a degree. You will understand the words of the ARI by the same manner and we need not elaborate further here (we shall elaborate in Inner Observation here).

Also, the garments in every world from AK and ABYA connect with each other and become as the upper Adam, in whose body the soul and root are clothed, and he is clothed in garments and dwells in his hall.

4. Also, the collective of the phases of garments of AK shall be called the root of the garments. The collective of the garments of Atzilut shall be called the souls of garments, and the collective of the phases of garments of Beria shall be called the bodies of garments. The collective of the phases of garments of Yetzira shall be called the garments of garments and the collective of the garments of Assiya shall be called the halls of garments.

Also, the halls in every world from AK and ABYA connect with each other like the Upper Adam, in whose body it is clothed etc.

5. The collective of the phases of halls of AK shall be called the root souls of halls. The collective discernments of the halls of Atzilut shall be called the souls of halls and the collective of halls of Beria shall be called the bodies of halls. The collective discernments of the halls of Yetzira shall be called the garments of halls and the collective halls of Assiya shall be called the halls of halls.

SNGLH of AK are roots for NGLH in ABYA; SNGLH of Atzilut are souls inside SNGLH in AK and BYA; SNGLH of Beria are bodies inside SNGLH in AK and AYA; SNGLH of Yetzira are garments inside SNGLH in AK and ABA; SNGLH of Assiya are halls inside SNGLH in AK and ABY.

6. It is so when we speak of it in general because the five phases of AK are roots: for the souls, for the bodies, for the garments or for the halls. The five phases of Atzilut are souls: for the roots, for the souls, for the bodies, for the garments or for the halls.

The five phases of Beria are bodies for the roots, for the souls, for the bodies, for the garments or for the halls. The five phases of Yetzira are garments: for the roots, for the souls, for the bodies, for the garments or for halls. The five phases of Assiya are halls: for the roots, for the souls, for the bodies, for the garments or for the halls.

Beria is called body because she receives from Atzilut as a body from a soul.

7. Now you can understand the words of our sages: “His wife is like his own body.” Beria is the wife of Atzilut, for they are Hochma and Bina. Even though there are souls in Beria as well, it is called bodies from the perspective of the souls of Atzilut.

It is so because as the wife receives from her husband, so the body receives from the soul. Our sages also said: “A house (home) is but a wife.” This is in Assiya, because Assiya is the house and the hall to all five phases.

Assiya is the wife of Yetzira. This is the meaning of “A house is but a wife,” referring to Assiya. It is so in the phase of Assiya in each and every world; it is called the house of that world. The phase of Beria in every world is called the body of that world.

Another way: the lights in AK, meaning the souls in it, are called Yechida. The souls of Atzilut are called Haya, and the souls of Beria are called Neshamot. The souls of Yetzira are called Ruach and the souls of Assiya are called Nefesh.

8. If we want, we can take a different way: All the lights of AK are called Yechida, and lights of Atzilut, Haya. Lights of Beria are Neshama and lights of Yetzira are Ruach, and lights of Assiya are Nefesh.

It is similar in the bodies and garments and halls in AK and ABYA: the bodies in AK are Yechida of the bodies of ABYA, and in Atzilut, Haya etc. It is similar in the garments: the garments of AK are Yechida of garments of ABYA, and the garments of Atzilut are Haya of garments of AK and BYA etc.

9. It is similar in the garments in all the worlds and the bodies and the halls. All the garments of AK are the first and highest garment among all five garments, and all the garments of Atzilut are the second garment etc.

SNGLH are YHNRN, meaning lights of KHB TM.

10. This way is the first way because the Nefesh is called hall, Ruach—garment, soul—body, Haya—soul, and Yechida—the root of the soul. Thus, all the above is in each and every world in particular.

How so? The light of Keter of Atzilut is called the root of the soul, and it is called Yechida. The light of Hochma of Atzilut is called the soul to the soul, and it is called Haya. The light of Bina of Atzilut is called body, and it is called Neshama. The light of Tifferet of Atzilut is called garment, and it is called Ruach. The light of Malchut of Atzilut is called Nefesh, and it is called hall. It is the same in the inner of the inner, too.

Each Sefira of the KHB TM in AK and ABYA is divided into five phases SNGLH.

11. Indeed, the median rule, the shortest of them all is this: Every ten Sefirot of Atzilut, and Keter too, contain root, soul to soul, body, garment, hall. It is the same in BYA, as well as in AK , which is the root of the entire ABYA.

AK and ABYA are five phases in the name HaVaYaH, incorporated in one another. In each of them there are AK and ABYA, which are the five phases in HaVaYaH, and are SNGLH, which are twenty five phases.

12. You find that all that was emanated is but one HaVaYaH, which consists of five phases. They are: the tip of the Yod in AK, Yod in Atzilut, Hey in Beria, Vav in Yetzira and Hey in Assiya. Each of these phases consists of all five, because the tip of the Yod in AK contains one HaVaYaH of the other five phases. These are the above five phases in AK Himself, which are AK and ABYA in Him, being the five phases. Those are: root, soul, body, garment and hall.

The Yod of Atzilut also has one HaVaYaH, containing all the above five phases, and it is likewise in the rest of the letters, in BYA. Thus, they are five letters where each one consists of all the others, which are twenty five phases.

Each of the above twenty five phases is divided into five other phases SNGLH, and each of those contains ten Sefirot. Each Sefira is then divided into five Partzufim, which are SNGLH.

13. Afterwards, in this above manner, there is another incorporation. Each of them consists of all twenty five phases. It is so because the Yod of Atzilut has one HaVaYaH, comprising all five phases, and each phase of the five consists of five. These are: ten Sefirot of the root, ten Sefirot of the soul, ten Sefirot of the body, ten Sefirot of the garment, and ten Sefirot of the hall.

It is likewise in the tip of the Yod in AK, in the Yod in Atzilut, and likewise in the letter Hey in Beria, in the letter Vav in Yetzira, etc. Thus, in short, AK is the tip of the Yod, and has one HaVaYaH, which contains five phases: root, soul, body, garment, hall.

Each of these phases consists of five, which are: ten Sefirot of the root, ten Sefirot of the soul, ten Sefirot of the body, ten Sefirot of the garment and ten Sefirot of the hall. Each Sefira of these ten Sefirot comprises five Partzufim, namely the root and ABYA.