Chapter Thirteen

Chapter thirteen explains the matter of coupling by striking of the looking of the Eynaim in AHP, from which the vessels were formed, with an added explanation.

1. A Drush [homily] that I wrote regarding the roots of the emanation of the self and vessels that were made of AHP and Eynaim as sight, sound, smell, and speech. I have found this in the words of Rav Gedaliah Halevi. When the lights expanded from Ozen and Hotem up to opposite the Peh, where all the vapors join, in the place they join they all have the phase of Nefesh.

The vapor of the Ozen cannot connect to the vapor of the Peh, but only at a distance. The same applies for the vapor of the Hotem, but it does not need as great a distance as the vapor of the Ozen to connect to the vapor of the Peh.

For that comes the look of the Eynaim, and the vessels were made in the striking that it struck in this vapor. There is internal and external in this look, as there is internality and externality in all the organs, and thus all their vessels were made. Since no vapor comes out in the sight of the Eynaim, but only a look, only the vessels are made.

2. That look is greater than all the above three vapors because the sight is Yod, the sound is Hey, the smell is Vav and the speech is Hey. Thus we have the four letters HaVaYaH, which are HBTM and are NRNH.

The sight is Haya, Yod of the Name, called Hochma. The upper Hochma shines through the Eynaim, but if actual vapor were to emerge through the Eynaim, it would be impossible to receive it below. For this reason, only a look was extended from it, and it had the strength to make vessels for these three phases: Yod of Neshama in the vapor of Ozen, Yod of Ruach in the vapor of Hotem and Yod of Nefesh in the vapor of Peh. This is the meaning of “From afar the Lord appeared unto me.”

Regarding the other vapors, had there been a look from them alone through a screen like the Eynaim, they wouldn’t have had the strength to make vessels. All this is judgment, whether in the phase of the expansion of the vapor, or in the look of sight. This Reiah [sight] is Gevura in Gematria, and Dibur [speech] with four letters is 216 in Gematria.

3. This look comes and strikes at the place where the three vapors join together, which is the phase of Nefesh. This is, “And God saw the Light.” The light is the phase of the vapor of Ozen and Hotem, which is the phase of Neshama and Ruach. Et [the] is the phase of Peh, which is Nefesh. And when He saw the Nefesh, then “God divided,” which is the making of the roots of the vessels.

4. This look in the direct way made an impression in each and every phase (another version—Roshim, pl. for Rosh). It is because it struck every single phase of the look: for the phase of vapor, Keter in Keter. Every impression (another version—beginning) of the vessels was made in this manner, the external ones in the external organs, and the internal ones in the internal organs.

It did not end before the look struck the place where the vapors join, which is the place of the expansion of the vapors, namely their externality. From the striking of the light of vapor with the light of the look, the light of the look returned as reflected light and became a vessel in every phase for the rest of the Guf, the external one for the external organs, and the internal one for the internal organs

5. Since in the look, the more adhesive with the root is higher ₍₁₎, for Keter (another version—the Keter), which is adjacent to the Ayin, emerged last, and Malchut emerged first ₍₂₎, when it strikes and returns, all the vessels are equal ₍₃₎. If Yesod had previously expanded more than Malchut (Yod is equal to Malchut), it would have been because of Malchut (although it is Yesod, for it expanded more) ₍₄₎.

Because of the light of (over) Malchut, Yesod had the strength to expand further, and it has no merit over Malchut ₍₅₎. However, because this expansion is as reflected light, it returns and draws near to its origin, but in the vessels themselves they are equal.

Inner Light

1. It means that in the ten Sefirot of reflected light that emerge from the coupling by striking called a look, the Malchut, which is the Peh, called Et, is the root for the ten Sefirot of reflected light. Thus, the more it is adhesive with the root, meaning with the phase of Malchut in the Peh, the higher and more important it is. That is because the reflected light was extended from her and emerged from below upward.

2. Meaning, in the ten Sefirot of direct light, Keter, which is adjacent to the Ayin, emerged first and is the root of every ten Sefirot of direct light, and its level is regarded as higher than all.

However, it is the opposite in the ten Sefirot of reflected light that emerge by the look in Malchut. Malchut in the Peh becomes the root for the ten Sefirot of reflected light and gives the light to all ten Sefirot. Thus, Yesod is second in merit, Hod is third etc., up to the Keter, which is adjacent to the Ayin, which is the last recipient.

He said, “Keter, which is adjacent to the Ayin, emerged last.” It means that it is the last to receive the expansion of the reflected light from Malchut.

3. It means that since Keter is first in merit from the perspective of the direct light, Malchut is last in merit, for she receives last, and is the farthest from the root. It is the opposite from the perspective of the expansion of [reflected light]: The Sefira of Malchut became the root and is the first in merit, and Keter is the last.

It turns out that by the clothing of reflected light over direct light, all the vessels become equal, on the exact same level. It is so because all that is better in the ten Sefirot of direct light is regarded as worse in the ten Sefirot of reflected light, and vise-versa, all that is better in ten Sefirot of reflected light, is regarded as worse in the ten Sefirot of direct light. Thus, all the vessels become equal.

4. It means that by the reflected light that emerged from Malchut from below upward, all the Sefirot expanded and ascended on an equal level up to Keter which is adjacent to the Ayin. However, it is all because of the Malchut in the Peh.

It is written that the more Yesod expands inwardly, meaning although it is more internal than Malchut, Malchut clothes it from without. However, this is not regarded as merit because its entire expansion up to Keter is by the strength of Malchut. Thus, Malchut is its root in this expansion of its level and its merit.

It is written, “Because of the light of [over] Malchut, Yesod had the strength to expand further.” It means that the reflected light of Malchut made it expand its level more than its measure in the ten Sefirot of direct light. It is therefore not better than its root, which is Malchut.

5. It means that in any case, there is merit in Yesod over Malchut, for her entire merit is only in reflected light. Yesod is superior to her in that he is first in the ten Sefirot of direct light, which is known to be far superior to the reflected light.

However, this is only with respect to the lights. From the perspective of the vessels, their essence is primarily of reflected light, as it is said, “in the vessels themselves they are equal.” It is so because the level and the merit of the vessels are extended solely from reflected light. See Part 1, Panim Masbirot, Branch 3, where it is explained elaborately.

6. When the light returns and clothes the vapor, meaning when it is adjacent to the Peh, the vapor of the Peh is greater than the vapor of the Ozen, since the vapor of the Peh is now adjacent to the Peh as the phase of Rosh, while the vapor of the Ozen is still regarded as the phase of the rest of the Guf, until it ascends opposite the Ozen.