Rose
1. Rabbi Chizkiyah began by saying: “It is written, as the rose amongst the thorns.”(Song of Songs 2:2). He asked, What is the rose? And answered, It is the Community of Israel, meaning Malchut. Because there is a rose, and there is a rose. Just as the rose among the thorns is tinged with red and white, so is the Community of Israel (Malchut) affected by the qualities of judgment and mercy. Just as the rose has 13 petals, so the Community of Israel is surrounded by the 13 attributes of mercy on all sides. As it is said in the first sentence in the Torah, “In the beginning Elokim created” (Elokim is the Creator’s name that points to His attitude towards the souls by the force of law). This is when He thought and initially created 13 words to surround the Community of Israel and guard it. Here they are: THE, HEAVEN, AND THE, EARTH, AND THE EARTH, WAS, WITHOUT FORM, AND VOID, AND DARKNESS, WAS UPON, THE FACE, OF THE DEEP, AND THE SPIRIT, up to the word Elokim.
Kabbalah takes man’s “I” as its object of study, the only creation that exists besides the Creator, and researches it. This science breaks “I” into parts, and then explains the structure and properties of each part and the purpose of its creation. Kabbalah explains how every part of man’s “I” called soul can be changed, so that a person would reach the purpose of creation, the state desired by the Creator and man, provided he realizes that.
No other science in the world can describe graphically or analytically (by formulas) our sensations and desires, or show how diverse, inconstant, unique, and unpredictable they are in everyone. This is because our desires are being gradually and constantly revealed to us (to our mind and sensations) in a certain sequence, with the purpose of their realization and correction.
Our “I” is our essence, the only thing that characterizes a person. However, it is ever-changing, and only an external animate shell remains; hence it is said that man is born anew every moment. Yet, if this is so, how should we treat each other, and how should we perceive ourselves? How can we possibly “stabilize” anything inside and around ourselves if we are constantly changing, and all that we perceive is the function of our inner state?
The Creator is the source of Light (pleasure). Those who approach Him feel Him this way. Such people, who approach the Creator and consequently feel Him, are called Kabbalists (from the word Lekabel – to receive the Creator’s Light). One can approach the Creator only by making one’s desires similar to His. The Creator is incorporeal, and only with our heart can we feel Him. By the heart, we naturally do not mean the pump that keeps blood moving in the mass of flesh, but the center of man’s sensations.
However, the heart cannot simply feel the Creator. Only a small point in the heart can do that. In order to feel this point, a person himself has to develop it. When it has developed and expanded enough, the sensation of the Creator, His Light, can enter it. Our heart is our egoistical desires, and the small point in it is the Creator-given part of the spiritual, altruistic desire from above. We have to grow this embryo of the spiritual desire to such an extent that it will determine all our aspirations instead of our egoistical nature. At the same time, the egoistical desire of the heart will surrender, contract, wither and diminish.
After being born in our world, a person is obliged to change his heart from egoistical to altruistic during his stay here. This is the purpose of his life, this is why he appeared in this world, and this is the goal of the entire creation. A complete replacement of egoistical desires with altruistic ones is called the End of Correction. Every person and all of humanity have to attain it in this world. Until a person achieves this, he will continue coming to this world. The Torah and all the prophets speak only about this. The method of correction is called Kabbalah.
One can change his desires only if one wants to change them. Man is created an absolute egoist and he cannot adopt other desires from other people or from the surrounding world. He has no contact with the spiritual worlds because such contact is possible only through similar properties. The spiritual can be perceived only in the altruistic desires.
Hence, a person in our world has no opportunity to transcend the boundaries of this world by himself. Hence, we were given the Torah and its most effective part, Kabbalah in order to help man acquire the desires of the spiritual worlds.
To create man in remoteness to Himself, to make him realize his insignificance and give him an independent desire to ascend, the Creator made the entire creation as levels of descending Light. At the lowest level, He created our world and man in it. By realizing his insignificance and wishing to rise to the Creator, a person (to the extent of his desire to approach Him) ascends the same levels through which the Light initially descended.
In all, there are 10 levels and they are called 10 Sefirot: Keter, Hochma, Bina, Hesed, Gevura, Tifferet, Netzah, Hod, Yesod, and Malchut. Like 10 screens or curtains, these 10 Sefirot conceal from us the Creator’s Light or Him (which is the same). These 10 screens constitute the 10 levels of our remoteness from the Creator.
Therefore, in order to approach the Creator by one lowest level, we are obliged to acquire the properties of that level instead of our own. This means that we become similar to the properties of that level and do not remain below it. To acquire similar properties means to have the same desires. As soon as our desires coincide with the desires of that level, its concealment will disappear because we will already reach it, and only 9 levels will separate us from the Creator.
Nevertheless, the lowest level differs from all the other levels. As soon as a person rises above this world and reaches the first spiritual level, he begins to see (feel) the Creator. All the subsequent levels are the degrees of approximation to the Creator. Only the last level, on which we exist, now conceals the Creator completely. All the higher levels only hold Him away from us.
Although we count 10 levels, in fact, they are only 5 of them, because 6 levels: Hesed, Gevura, Tifferet, Netzah, Hod, and Yesod are combined in one Sefira called Zeir Anpin (ZA). ZA is sometimes referred to as Tifferet because this Sefira reflects the common attributes of all of its 6 Sefirot.
So, there are 5 levels of concealment from the Creator down to our world: Keter, Hochma, Bina, ZA, and Malchut. Every level is alternatively called Olam (world), from the word Alamah (concealment). Every level has its sublevels called Partzufim (pl. of Partzuf) and every sublevel has its own sublevels called Sefirot (pl. of Sefira). Thus, in all 5 x 5 x 5 = 125 levels-Sefirot exist between us and the Creator.
The levels from the Creator down to our world:
The Creator is an absolutely altruistic desire to create a soul (man) in order to fill it with delight.
The World of Infinity is the state of the souls in the ultimate perfect state.
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WORLDS |
SEFIROT |
PARTZUFIM |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Adam Kadmon (AK) |
Keter Hochma Bina ZA Malchut |
Galgalta AB SAG MA BON |
(*) (*) (*) (*) (*) |
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|
Atzilut |
Keter Hochma Bina ZA Malchut |
Arich Anpin (AA) Abba ve Ima (AVI) Israel Saba ve Tvuna (YESHSUT) MA (ZA and Malchut are called ZON) BON, Nukva |
(*) (*) (*) (*) (*) |
|
|
Beria |
Keter Hochma Bina ZA Malchut |
Arich Anpin (AA) Abba ve Ima (AVI) Israel Saba ve Tvuna (YESHSUT) MA (ZA and Malchut are called ZON) BON, Nukva |
(*) (*) (*) (*) (*) |
|
|
Yetzira |
Keter Hochma Bina ZA Malchut |
Arich Anpin (AA) Abba ve Ima (AVI) Israel Saba ve Tvuna (YESHSUT) MA (ZA and Malchut are called ZON) BON, Nukva |
(*) (*) (*) (*) (*) |
|
|
Assiya |
Keter Hochma Bina ZA Malchut |
Arich Anpin (AA) Abba ve Ima (AVI) Israel Saba ve Tvuna (YESHSUT) MA (ZA and Malchut are called ZON) BON, Nukva |
(*) (*) (*) (*) (*) |
|
Our world is the 5 egoistical states that man feels in his heart.
(*) – each Partzuf in its turn consists of 5 Sefirot Keter, Hochma, Bina, ZA, and Malchut.
In all, there are 125 levels from the Creator to our world.
THE PURPOSE OF CREATION:
Since there is no notion of time in the spiritual, we already exist in our final perfect state in the World of Infinity (Ein Sof). Therefore, desire in the spiritual world means action; desire acts without a body. So, when the desire to create souls (the will to receive pleasure) and to fill them with the most perfect delight of feeling Him and being like Him appeared in the Creator, His desire was immediately fulfilled. This way, the World of Infinity, in which we exist in our final state, came into being.
However, we still have to attain this state in our sensations. This is reminiscent of a sleeping person who does not understand where he is until he wakes up. To achieve this perfect state, we are obliged to go through a gradual process of transformation of our inner properties (desires), which corresponds to the spiritual ascent from our world through all the worlds, to the World of Infinity.
In order to lead us to the final state, the Creator governs us from above through all the worlds. Thus, there is nothing in our world that does not originate in the World of Infinity. The world of Infinity is where the final state of every soul determines what path it is destined to cover in general and what changes it has to undergo in particular at every moment of its spiritual advancement towards the World of Infinity.
There is no way back: everything that happens is dictated by the need to bring every soul to its final state. Only this goal constantly determines what happens to our world in general and to each of us in particular. The Creator created nothing in vain; everything serves His purpose. However, the will that descends from above does not exclude our active participation in our own advancement. We can stop being slaves that move under the compulsion of a stick called suffering, and instead, by realizing the desirability of the Creator’s purpose, we can turn the path of suffering into the path of Torah, i.e., actively and quickly cover this path from down to up.
This is possible if we request spiritual elevation, raise MAN, our prayer. In response, we will receive spiritual powers from above that will help us to improve our qualities, meaning to ascend. The entire Torah speaks only about this, and Kabbalah goes further and gives a detailed explanation of this path. As if on a map, it shows a person what he goes through and where (in what state and at which level) he is now.
Kabbalah studies the structure of the spiritual worlds. The purpose of these worlds is to weaken the Creator’s signals (desires) so that we could understand them with our egoism and realize them with our mind. In Hebrew, the word for “world” is Olam (Alamah means concealment) because these worlds hide and weaken the Creator’s Light to such an extent that will not allow us to feel it.
Depending on everyone’s spiritual qualities, i.e., on the level of a person’s attainment (complete egoism means our world and partial egoism means the spiritual worlds), he perceives the Creator or His Light differently at each of 125 levels. These 125 levels boil down to just 10 Sefirot between the Creator and us, where every lower Sefira is less transparent for the Creator’s Light in the perception of those who exist at that level. The lower the Sefira is, the less Light it lets through for those that are below it.
SEFIROT:
The names of the Sefirot are KETER, HOCHMA, BINA, HESED, GEVURA, TIFFERET, NETZAH, HOD, YESOD, and MALCHUT. However, 6 of them are combined into one Sefira called Zeir Anpin, so in all there are 5 Sefirot: Keter, Hochma, Bina, ZA, and Malchut. ZA is sometimes called Tifferet because of its 6 Sefirot, Tifferet is the main one. It absorbed the properties of all the 6 Sefirot of ZA. Thus, the Creator created only 5 Sefirot:
Keter – the Creator’s desire to bestow delight upon us (Malchut);
Hochma – pleasure which the Creator wishes to give us;
Bina – passes pleasure from Hochma to ZA;
ZA – accepts pleasure from Bina and passes it to Malchut;
Malchut – accepts pleasure.
Bina consists of two parts: its upper part called GAR or AVI is unwilling to receive the Light from Hochma. However, since the Creator wants to give this Light to the lower Sefirot, the lower part of Bina called ZAT or YESHSUT receives the Light from Hochma and passes it to ZA. ZA does not want to receive the Light, but Malchut (to the extent of its correction) stimulates ZA to receive the Light from Bina and pass it on to her. Hence, sometimes we speak about the general reception of the Light of ZA by Malchut. Together they are called ZON (ZA and Nukva).
However, the process goes like this: Malchut (to the extent of its corrected altruistic desires) asks ZA for the Light “for the sake of the Creator.” Accordingly, ZA asks Bina for the Light and Bina turns to Hochma, receives the Light from it and passes it to ZA. Malchut (to the extent of its corrected properties) merges with ZA by likening her properties to his and receives this Light.
Keter, Hochma, and GAR of Bina do not want to receive the Light, but starting with ZAT of Bina (YESHSUT) the desire to receive the Light for the lower ones appears in the Sefirot.
Malchut itself is the creation, the egoistical will to receive pleasure, to enjoy the Creator’s Light. This desire is to enjoy the Creator’s Light or the Creator Himself (which is the same) is the essence of Malchut. We are parts of Malchut. However, if we have only egoistical desires, we feel the Creator’s Light as pleasures in our world. This is a micro dose of His Light. By correcting our desires (properties), we can ascend the spiritual levels of the Upper Worlds and feel the Creator’s true delight there.
According to the plan of creation, Malchut should receive the Light from the 4 previous Sefirot and enjoy it. Hence, Malchut itself consists of 5 parts: it receives the Light in 4 of them and feels it in the 5th. All the Sefirot that precede Malchut (except Malchut) are similar to our sense organs. Malchut is like the heart that receives from all organs: brain, sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. The heart is Malchut; sense organs are the first 9 Sefirot that precede Malchut. All of these parts of Malchut are egoistical; they wish to receive the Light (pleasure) to enjoy it. With such properties, Malchut cannot receive more than a micro dose of the Light of our world and feels the Creator in the way that is called “this world.”
However, if Malchut, i.e., every one of us, receives other desires and aspirations from above to bestow delight upon the Creator in the same way the Creator bestows upon us, he will ascend spiritually in his property (desire) above the level of our world. He feels the Creator as the spiritual Light, altruistic pleasure and great knowledge, as the attainment of supernal thoughts and the essence of existence.
SCREEN:
Malchut (man) can receive the Light only in anti-egoistical desires. If such desires appear in Malchut as a result of the realization that egoism is its enemy (with the help of Kabbalah), then to the extent of its hatred for it, Malchut (man) can push the egoistical pleasures away for the sake of spiritual perfection, i.e., similarity to the Creator in its desire to please Him and act for His sake.
This ability to push away selfish reception of pleasure is called a screen, and the repelled pleasure is called the reflected Light (the pleasure that comes to Malchut is called the direct Light). It is exactly in the repelled pleasure, meaning in the desire to bestow selflessly, that man can feel the Creator’s Light and the supreme knowledge.
Since Malchut (man’s egoism) has to push away pleasure from the 5 parts of its egoism, the reflecting screen must also consist of 5 parts; hence, it creates 5 parts of the reflected Light. 5 parts in Malchut are called by the names of the Sefirot from which they receive. 5 kinds of the direct Light are called NaRaNHaY: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, and Yechida. The Light that emanates from the Creator descends in this order:
Yechida Haya Neshama Ruach Nefesh
PARTZUF:
After Malchut reflected the Light (pleasure), it decides to receive it to bestow delight upon the Creator. This is because He wants Malchut to receive pleasure and feel Him. The reflection of all the coming pleasure is called Rosh (head). The partial reception of the Light to the extent of one’s anti-egoistical powers is called Toch (inner part). The unfulfilled desires (for lack of a screen on them) are called Sof (end).
This is the structure of the soul (Kli, vessel, corrected altruistic desire, Partzuf or spiritual body). We give the parts of the spiritual body the names of our physiological body: forehead - Galgalta, eyes – Eynaim, ears – Awznaim, nose – Hotem, and mouth – Peh. There are 5 parts in the Guf (body) from mouth – Peh to navel – Tabur. Similarly, from navel to toes there are 5 parts.
THE INVERSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE VESSEL AND THE LIGHT:
The more powers Malchut has to oppose egoism, the greater Light that enters it. However, although a person works on the correction of the vessel’s coarse part, he receives the Light in his pure desires. In other words, there is an inverse relationship between the vessel and the Light. The coarser the corrected desire (Kli) is, the greater the Light that enters Malchut (vessel) and fills its upper Kli (desire).
Since Malchut (i.e., all that exists except the Creator) is absolutely egoistical, it can be corrected only by imparting to it the properties of Bina (the Creator), bestowal without reception. This is the property of absolute altruism, of selfless bestowal. To receive such a property (desire) is tantamount to ascending from the level of Malchut to the level of Bina.
Malchut itself is the will to receive pleasure. The ban imposed on the selfish reception is called the 1st restriction (Tzimtzum Aleph). This restriction bans the egoistical reception of pleasure, but if the receiver aspires to please the Creator and not himself, he is allowed to receive. Whether Malchut wants it or not, if it (soul, man) has egoistical desires, it will not receive (feel) the Light. Hence, we are utterly unable to feel the spiritual (the Creator).
SMALL STATE:
However, Malchut is not the only Sefira that cannot receive the Light. From the world of Atzilut and below it, Sefirot Bina and ZA cannot receive the Light either. This ban is called the 2nd restriction (Tzimtzum Bet): Malchut rises in its desires to the Sefira Bina. Its desires of reception rule over 3 Sefirot: Bina, ZA, and Malchut. The Sefirot Bina and ZA fell under the elevated Malchut, under its power (desire).
If a Partzuf has no power to oppose its egoistical desires of reception in the Sefirot Bina, ZA, and Malchut (AHP), its lower part is not entitled to receive the Creator’s Light because it will receive it selfishly and thereby cause great harm to itself. To avoid this, the upper part of the Partzuf, the Sefirot Keter and Hochma (GE) are separated from the lower part by Parsa (partition) through which the Light cannot penetrate downwards. Therefore, due to the ascent of Malchut to Bina, each level was divided into two parts:
Malchut restricted the spreading of the Light inside the Partzuf and 2 parts were formed in it: GE receives the Light, i.e. Sefirot Keter and Hochma receive the Lights Nefesh and Ruach. The other part of the Partzuf (Sefirot Bina, ZA, and Malchut) is below the Parsa; hence it does not receive the Light. The corresponding Lights Neshama, Haya, and Yechida remain outside of the Partzuf.
This level (Partzuf) is deprived of the Light Neshama-Haya-Yechida and remains only with the Light Nefesh-Ruach called “air.” This is designated by the entry of the letter Yud into the word Light (Ohr = Aleph-Vav-Reish). This way, the word Ohr (Light) turns into air (Avir = Aleph-Vav-Yud-Reish). This state is called Katnut (small state). In other words, the ascent of Malchut to Bina is designated by the entry of the letter Yud into the word Light (Ohr = Aleph-Vav-Reish +Yud = Aleph-Vav-Yud-Reish = Avir - air). This means that because of the ascent of Malchut to Bina, the Partzuf lost its Light and remained with air.
The level in such a state is called Katnut: the Sefirot Keter and Hochma have the Light Nefesh-Ruach because the Sefirot Bina, ZA, and Malchut are below the Parsa and do not receive the Light. The Parsa prevents the Light from spreading below it.
The Sefirot Keter-Hochma and Bina-ZA-Malchut are designated by the following letters:
In the reverse order, these letters form the Creator’s name Elokim, where the letters GE = Mem + Yud = IM (pronounced as MI) and AHP = Aleph + Lamed + Hey = ELEH. Since man attains the Creator from down to up, the Creator’s name ELOKIM is read from down to up.
After the birth of all the worlds and the descent of the entire creation down to our world, all the Partzufim of the worlds Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira and Assiya passed to the small state (i.e., the Light is present in GE, but absent in AHP). The AHP of the upper level fell into the GE of the lower level. This way, a spiritual ladder was created between the Creator and man in our world. The lowest part of the last spiritual level of the world of Assiya fell into the point in man’s heart. All the intermediate levels exist one inside another: the AHP of the upper level is inside the GE of the lower level:
Man’s desires are generally referred to as his heart. Since the nature with which we are born is absolute egoism, a person does not feel the spiritual point in his heart. However, in one of his life incarnations, man gradually starts to strive after knowledge of the causes of life. He yearns to know himself and his source just as you do at this moment. Man’s aspiration to know his origin is his aspiration to the Creator. A person’s discontent in life often helps him in this search, when he sees nothing attractive in the surrounding world. Such circumstances are sent from above to make a person feel an empty point in his heart and stimulate in him the desire to fulfill it.
The Creator manifests as the altruistic property to bestow pleasure without any benefit for Himself. From this we can understand the property of the Sefirot Keter, Hochma, and Bina that have the Creator’s property of bestowal. The only creation is Malchut, the will to receive the Light (pleasure). We all and our entire world are the lowest part of this egoistical Malchut.
BIG STATE:
If a person (Malchut) raises MAN, the request for his spiritual ascent, by making efforts to free himself from egoism and by praying to the Creator for help, the Light AB-SAG descends from above. It comes from the world of AK, brings Malchut altruistic powers and enables it to return from Bina to its own place. In other words, Malchut’s ability to refrain from selfish reception of pleasure is complemented with the power to receive pleasure for the sake of the Creator, to receive the Light of Hochma for His sake in the AHP. The AHP or the Sefirot Bina, ZA, and Malchut become reactivated; the Partzuf regains all 5 Kelim (parts), the letter Yud disappears from the word “air,” and it turns into “Light.” All 5 Lights of NaRaNHaY fill the Partzuf; the letters MI join the letters ELEH and form the Creator’s name Elokim. This state is called Gadlut.
THE ASCENT OF THE LOWER PARTZUF TO THE HIGHER ONE:
As a result of the ascent of Malchut to Bina the higher Partzuf establishes contact with the lower one. Owing to that, the lower Partzuf can rise to the level of the higher one. This is the reason of the 2nd restriction: to let man ascend to the World of Infinity, up to the Creator Himself.
To establish this contact, the higher Partzuf deliberately diminishes itself, descends to the level of the lower Partzuf and their properties become similar. The AHP of the higher Partzuf willingly falls into the GE of the lower one, as if it has no power to receive the Light, and becomes a single whole with the lower Partzuf. This resembles a strong person who enters into a society of criminals and imitates their behavior, so that after being admitted to their circle and establishing contact with them, he can gradually start influencing and correcting them.
In what way? The Upper Light (the so-called Light AB-SAG) comes and provides the AHP of the higher Partzuf with power to rise to their GE. The GE of the lower Partzuf rise together with them. Because they were a single whole and equal in their properties below, they receive the same power to rise up.
Upon receiving the Light AB-SAG, the GE of the lower Partzuf become like higher one. Therefore, we should not look upon the 2nd restriction as something negative. Rather, we should see it as the help of the higher Partzuf. It descends to the lower Partzuf by spoiling its own properties in order to equalize itself with it and subsequently rise together with it to its previous level. This way, the lowest level can rise not only to the next higher level, but it also can reach the highest level of the spiritual ladder.
THE LIGHT OF ZON IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLDS BYA:
The Partzuf YESHSUT is the AHP of the Partzuf Bina of the world of Atzilut, and all that it receives and passes to ZON of the world of Atzilut subsequently descends to the worlds BYA and then to us.
In the state of Katnut, the AHP of YESHSUT fall into ZON. YESHSUT then receives power and by lifting its own AHP, it also lifts ZON. By rising to YESHSUT, ZON becomes similar to it and receives the Light of its level there. ZON can never receive the Light of Hochma at its own level. They can only sustain their existence with the help of the Light of Hassadim.
ZON of the world of Atzilut are called Olam (world) just like our world is also called Olam, because all that ZON de Atzilut receive can be received by man in this world. And vice versa, all that ZON de Atzilut cannot receive is unattainable for man because we can only reach up to the level of ZON and no higher.
Since ZON cannot receive the Light of Hochma in its place, the Creator purposely created the 2nd restriction by lowering the Sefirot of the AHP of the Partzuf YESHSUT to ZON, so that ZON would be able to rise to YESHSUT and higher, up to the highest level. That is why it is said in the Torah (Beresheet Barah): “In the beginning the Creator created all in strictness (restriction), but after seeing that the world (ZON) cannot exist (receive all the Light of Hochma prepared for it), added the property of mercy to strictness.”
In the beginning, He raised Malchut (the restriction of YESHSUT because it is banned from reception of the Light) to Bina (mercy of YESHSUT). Because of that, the AHP of YESHSUT fell into ZON and merged with them. However, the world (ZON) cannot yet exist this way. Hence, the Creator added mercy to strictness: He gave power to YESHSUT to raise its AHP together with ZON to the level of YESHSUT. ZON receive the Light of YESHSUT there and pass it on down to all the worlds of BYA and our world.
CORRECTION IN THREE LINES:
Each of 10 Sefirot in its turn consists of 10 individual sub-Sefirot. Malchut rises to Bina in each individual Sefira, i.e., it moves up from its place to Bina in each particular Sefira:
The sign | means a particular Parsa in Sefira, the restriction imposed on spreading of the Light. The GE that remained in each Sefira above the Parsa are called the right line because there is Light in them. The Malchut that rose to Bina in each Sefira creates the left line by its restriction on the reception of the Light. A Zivug made on the elevated Malchut (only on the free, unrestricted Kelim K-H-B) allows the Light of Hassadim to shine in the GE. This reception of the Light of Hassadim in the GE is called the left line.
Now let’s proceed to the clarification of what is written in The Zohar. There are 10 Sefirot: Keter (K), Hochma (H), Bina (B), Hesed (H), Gevura (G), Tifferet (T), Netzah (N), Hod (H), Yesod (Y), and Malchut (M). Actually, as we mentioned before, there are 5 of them: Keter (K), Hochma (H), Bina (B), Tifferet (T), and Malchut (M) because Tifferet (alternatively called Zeir Anpin - ZA) consists of 6 Sefirot, from Hesed to Yesod. 5 Sefirot K-H-B-ZA-M created 5 Partzufim in each world. The Partzufim in the world of Atzilut are Arich Anpin (AA), Abba ve Ima (AVI), and Zeir Anpin and Nukva (ZON). Keter is called AA. Hochma and Bina are correspondingly called AVI. ZA (Tifferet) and Malchut are called ZON.
The essence of the 7 days of the creation lies in the Partzufim ZA and Nukva of the world of Atzilut, which consist of 7 Sefirot: H-G-T-N-H-Y-M. From the description of the creation, it transpires how AVI (Hochma and Bina) give birth to ZON (the entire creation including us) and grow them up to the final state during 6000 years. This is what The Zohar tells us.
Rabbi Chizkiyah started explaining Nukva of the world of Atzilut with clarifying the birth of ZON from Ima-Bina called Elokim. Hence, he began his explanation from the rose, Nukva of ZA. Nukva of ZA in the state of its complete development is called Knesset Israel, the Community of Israel. This is because Nukva consists of all the souls jointly called Israel; hence, it is said that the rose is Knesset Israel.
There are 2 states of the rose (Malchut). One is low, initial, and small, when Malchut consists only of one Sefira filled with the Light Nefesh; its other 9 Sefirot fell from the world of Atzilut to the world of Beria. The other state of Nukva is mature, big, and complete, when its 9 Sefirot rise from the world of Beria back to the world of Atzilut and make its Partzuf complete by supplementing it to 10 Sefirot. Being equal to its husband, ZA, it then rises together with him to AVI and dresses them, i.e. receives their Light.
The dressing of the lower, outer Partzuf on the upper, inner one means that the lower Partzuf attains the higher one’s part, rises to a higher spiritual level and becomes somewhat similar to the upper Partzuf.
In this case ZA is called Israel. The word is formed by the combinations of letters LI (Heb., to me) and ROSH (head), which means the big state. Nukva is called the Community of Israel because she accumulates all the Light of her husband, ZA, and passes it down to the souls in the worlds BYA.
The small state of Nukva is called “the rose among the thorns” because its 9 lower Sefirot in the small state fell under the Parsa of the world of Atzilut. Hence, they lost the Light of Atzilut and turned dry as thorns. In the big state, Nukva is simply called the rose or the Community of Israel. Therefore, it is written: “there is a rose, and there is a rose.”
The color red designates the rose’s connection with the outer, impure forces, which in view of this connection can suck its powers (Light) from it. This is because its 9 Sefirot are in exile under the world of Atzilut in Beria, where the impure forces already exist. There is also white color in the rose, in its Sefira Keter, because the Sefira Keter is in the world of Atzilut, above the Parsa, where there is no contact with the low, impure forces. In other words, there are two opposite states: perfection and its absence, the Light and darkness. The person who attains that level can feel them.
It is therefore written: Just as the rose among the thorns is tinged with red and white, so does the Community of Israel consist of the qualities of judgment and mercy. This shows that in the big state, when Malchut is called Knesset Israel, even though it rose to Bina and dressed it, it still retains the property of judgment or restriction. This property is tough and just, and has no compassion in it because it needs a screen (a force of resistance to its egoistical desires) which, if available, enables Malchut to receive the Upper Light.
The law, judgment or restriction does not allow receiving the Light in the egoistical desires. The screen, the aspiration to oppose one’s own egoistical desires, repels the Light (pleasure) back to its source, the Creator. This Light pushed away by man is called the reflected Light or the Light of judgment. To the extent of intensity of the reflective force (i.e., the force of resistance to one’s will to receive), it allows a person to receive in these altruistic desires 10 Sefirot of the Upper Light (called the direct Light or the Light of Mercy) for the sake of the Creator. Therefore, even in its complete state, it consists of judgment and mercy which corresponds to the red and white colors of the rose among the thorns.
This is a pool made by the King Solomon. It stands on 12 bulls because these are the 9 lower Sefirot of Malchut that fell to the world of Beria and were corrected there by 12 bull heads. Of their Sefirot, Keter that remained in the world of Atzilut is called the “pool” standing on 12 bulls. Together, they are called 13 rose petals. (The reason why 10 Sefirot of Malchut are divided into 10 Hassadim or 13 Hochma will be clarified later).
The Light of the complete Nukva is called Hochma because it contains the Light of Wisdom and originates in the 13 names called “13 attributes of mercy.” However, the main thing that Rabbi Chizkiyah wants to tell us is that the rose among the thorns is above the Community of Israel because, as is well known, all that is present in the big state of Nukva must also remain in its small state.
Therefore, it is said that the properties of white and red in the small state correspond to the properties of mercy and judgment in the big state. The 13 petals of the small state at their correction create in Nukva 13 attributes of mercy in its big state. Later on, we will see how these 13 attributes of Malchut of the world of Atzilut change it in its small and big states.
It is written that in the process of creation “in the beginning Elokim (Bina de Atzilut) created” Nukva of the world of ZA with the words: ET SHAMAIM, VE’ET, ARETZ, VEARETZ, HAITA, TOHU, VAVOHU, VECHOSHECH, AL, PNEI, TEHOM, VERUACH (from “Elokim” to “Elokim”). These 13 words designate 13 petals of the rose among the thorns (its small state). Like the pool built by the King Solomon that stands on 13 (12) bulls (9 lower Sefirot of Malchut without Light because they are in the world of Beria, under the Parsa of the world of Atzilut), they are a preparation for purifying and correcting the Community of Israel in order to receive 13 attributes of mercy.
These 13 attributes of mercy (the Light of complete Nukva) surround it and shine upon it from all sides. They guard it from the touch of foreign (egoistical) desires. Until it is filled with all the Light of Hochma in its complete, big state, foreign, egoistical desires have an opportunity to cling to it and feed on it.
2. After this, the name Elokim is mentioned another time in the passage “Elokim moved upon”. Why is it mentioned in this sense? This is to bring out the five rigid leaves that surround the rose that are called “salvation.” And this secret is written about in the verse, “I will raise the cup of salvation” (Tehilim 116:13). This is the “cup of benediction.” The cup of benediction must rest on five fingers, just as the rose rests on five rigid leaves that correspond to the five fingers. And this rose is the cup of benediction. From the second to the third mention of the name Elokim (The Torah, p. 1), there are five words, which translate as “moved, over, the surface, of the waters, and said.” In all, 5 words parallel the 5 leaves. From this point, the verse continues, “The Creator said: “Let there be Light.” After this Light was created, it was concealed and enclosed within that covenant that entered the rose and fructified it. This is referred to as “a tree bearing fruit whose seed is within it” (The Torah 1:12) and this seed is the sign of the covenant.
5 leaves mean 5 Sefirot of the Light reflected from Malchut which it raises above Zivug de Haka’a. The direct coming Light is called 5 Hassadim H-G-T-N-H. It gets clothed in 5 parts (types of restrictions) of the reflected Light H-G-T-N-H called the rigid leaves of the rose, which corresponds to the text from the second (the spirit of God moved over the surface of the waters) to the third (and said) mention of the word Elokim in the Torah.
These words explain how the 5 rigid leaves (attributes) can be removed from Malchut so that it will be fit to make a Zivug and achieve the big state. During the big state, when the 5 rigid leaves become 5 restrictions, they are defined as 5 gates of reception of the Light of Hassadim (of the direct Light). They are called salvation, and Malchut is called the cup of salvation or the cup of benediction and good fortune, because thanks to these leaves, (restrictions) Malchut can receive the Light of Hassadim or benediction.
The cup of benediction must rest on 5 fingers because Malchut can receive the Light of Hochma only if it is clothed in the Light of Hassadim. Therefore, first it has to make a benediction (which means to receive 5 parts (NaRaNHaY) of the Light of Hassadim with the help of 5 fingers (5 restrictions), and then to receive the Light of Hochma in them (i.e., in the corrected intentions).
Hence, a cup must be lifted with two hands because the 5 fingers of the right hand symbolize mercy – Hassadim, and the 5 fingers of the left hand symbolize restrictions. However, once a person starts pronouncing a blessing, he should hold the cup only with the 5 fingers of his right (Hassadim, bestowal) hand. Otherwise, the impure forces that take from the left (receiving) side become active because they cling only where there is reception of the Light.
After that, the big state of Malchut follows, which corresponds to the words of the Torah: “Let there be Light.” These are the 5 lights in which Adam saw the world from end to end (The Talmud. Chagigah 12). Yet, the Creator saw that there would be transgressions in the generation of the Flood and the Tower of Babel and concealed this Light. The subsequent generations have to attain it by themselves.
Previously, these 5 Hassadim were in Yesod of ZA, and Malchut received from it and not from Bina called Elokim as now. Yesod de ZA is called the sign of the covenant with the Creator (after the correction called circumcision is made), and the 5 Hassadim received on the 5 restrictions are called “seed.” The main power of restrictions and the impact forces of the screen that push the Light back are in Ateret Yesod (the end of the Sefira Yesod). Zivug de Haka’a occurs there from which Malchut receives the Light. Only in the end of correction will this Zivug pass on to Malchut itself.
Therefore, during 6000 years, the screen that stands in Yesod strikes the coming Light (pleasure) with its 5 restrictions (the forces that resist egoistical pleasure), thus creating 5 parts of the reflected Light and receiving in them the Light of Hassadim. Subsequently, ZA passes these 5 Lights of Hassadim from its Yesod to Nukva. These 5 Lights of Hassadim are called “seed.”
3. And just as the covenant is impregnated by 42 Zivugim from that same seed, so the engraved and holy name is impregnated by all the 42 letters that describe the act of creation.
The name MB = Mem + Bet = 40 + 2 is composed of HaVaYaH (4 letters), fulfilled HaVaYaH (10 letters), and doubly fulfilled HaVaYaH (28 letters). In all, 4 + 10 + 28 = 42, which means the seed that exists in the sign of the covenant, i.e., in 5 Hassadim and in 5 Gevurot.
There are two aspects to Nukva: its body (Partzuf) that emerges from Bina and its Zivug called the secret of unity with ZA. Nukva can be in 2 states: small or big. The small state is an incomplete, insufficient state of Malchut, but it is necessary as a preparation for the big state called the revelation of the concealed.
Since the big state reveals the small one and all that is concealed in the small state becomes clear in the big one, a person in a state of spiritual fall does not see the reasons of his condition. However, everything clears up when he achieves the following big state.
Due to the ascent of Malchut of AVI to their Bina, the Partzuf of Bina (AVI) was divided into two parts: the upper part, GE, acquired the name AVI while the lower part became YESHSUT. AVI are filled with the Light of Hassadim because they wish nothing else, but YESHSUT receives it from them because, although it desires the Light of Hochma, it cannot receive it in view of the fact that Malchut of AVI rose above it.
Although there is no Light of Hochma in AVI, they do not suffer at all without it and therefore exist in perfection called GAR. Even when a person raises MAN and asks for power (the Light of Hochma) to overcome his impure desires, AVI do not receive the Light of Hochma. YESHSUT receives this Light and passes it to ZA. Hence, although AVI are below the Rosh of AA and have no Light of Hochma, they do not suffer from it.
However, YESHSUT suffers from the lack of the Light of Hochma, wishing to pass it to ZA. It waits for MAN from ZA to rise to AVI in the form of Sefira Da’at. This is because when the lower Partzufim raise MAN, the entire Bina rises to the Rosh of AA; YESHSUT receives the Light of Hochma from AA and passes it to ZON. This corresponds to the disappearance of the letter Yud from the word air (Avir), and this word turns into Ohr – Light (Hochma).
For all that, AVI remain in the Rosh of AA only with the Light of Hassadim (air). Hence, the heads of both AA and AVI are called “superior waters” or “heaven.” Although AVI can be beneath the Rosh of AA, since this does not affect their independence and perfection, it is as if they are in the Rosh of AA.
Under AVI there is a firmament, the Parsa of the world of Atzilut, which separates the Kelim of bestowal from the Kelim of reception of the world of Atzilut. YESHSUT and ZON (inferior waters) that need the Light of Hochma stand under the Parsa, which is in the chest of AA. It is said that the inferior waters weep (i.e., their state is small) because they feel the lack of Ohr Hochma and wish to rise to the Rosh of AA. One should in no way confuse the Parsa of the world of Atzilut (inside Atzilut) that divides it into GE and AHP with the Parsa below the world Atzilut that separates it from the worlds BYA.
The Light that is received above the Parsa of the world of Atzilut is called Mem-Bet (MB). However, the 7 Sefirot of ZON (6 Sefirot of ZA and 1 Sefira of Malchut) that designate the 7 days of creation cannot receive this Light of MB because they are under the Parsa and receive only the Light of Hassadim (minimal sustenance) from YESHSUT.
However, when the souls (man) raise MAN and MAD descends from AB-SAG (the Light that brings Bina back to the Rosh of AA), then YESHSUT receives the Light of Hochma and passes it to ZON. Owing to that, ZON rise above the Parsa that stands at the level of the chest of AA and receive the Light MB.
That is why the Light MB is manifested in 32 Elokim and 10 adages, where 32 Elokim mean YESHSUT in the state of ascent. YESHSUT receives 32 streams of wisdom (Hochma) that create in it 32 names Elokim, mentioned in the act of creation: “In the beginning God created,” and so on.
The 10 adages are 5 Hassadim. After ZON have already received the Light of Hochma from 32 Elokim, the 5 Lights of Hassadim that were received from AVI (meaning MB) are called “superior waters.” We see that 5 Hassadim in ZON do not turn into the name MB before they receive from 32 Elokim. It is therefore said that 32 Elokim with 10 adages form the name MB, i.e., in the state of ascent.
Hence, Rabbi Chizkiyah said that the 5 Lights in the sentence “Let there be Light” (meaning 5 Hassadim) are called “seed” (or abundance) which Yesod of ZA passes to Malchut. It is called MB, although basically it is merely 5 Hassadim. However, since it has the Light of Hochma that was received from 32 Elokim of YESHSUT, it refers to MB.