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Yehuda Leib HaLevi Ashlag (Baal HaSulam)

The Katnut and Gadlut Initiated in the World of Nekudim

While studying, it is recommend to examine the drawings at the end of the essay, HaIlan

69) Now that you know about the Tzimtzum Bet that occurred in Partzuf Nekudot de SAG for the purpose of emanating the ten Sefirot of the world of Nekudim, the fourth Partzuf of AK, we shall go back to explaining the elicitation of the ten particular Sefirot of Nekudim. The elicitation of one Partzuf from the next has already been explained. Each inferior Partzuf is born and originates from the Masach de Guf of the Upper One, after its Hizdakchut and ascension for renewing the Zivug in the Peh of the Upper One. And the cause of this Hizdakchut is the Bitush of Ohr Makif in the Masach of the Upper Partzuf, which purifies the Masach from its Aviut de Guf, and equalizes it with the Aviut de Rosh (Item 35).

In this manner, Partzuf AB de AK emerged from Partzuf Keter de AK, Partzuf SAG de AK from Partzuf AB de AK, and the fourth Partzuf de AK, called “ten Sefirot of the world of Nekudim,” was born and emerged from its superior, being SAG de AK, in the same way.

70) Yet, there is another issue here. In the previous Partzufim, the Masach was made only of the Reshimot de Aviut of the Guf of the Upper One, during the Hizdakchut of the Masach to the Peh de Rosh of the Upper One. But here, in the Hizdakchut of the Masach de SAG de AK for Nekudim, this Masach was made of two kinds of Reshimot. Besides being made of its own Reshimot de Aviut, with respect to the Sefirot de Guf de SAG de AK, it is included with the Reshimot de Aviut de ZON de AK below Tabur, too. This is because of their mixture below Tabur de AK, as it is written (Item 61) that Nekudot de SAG descended below Tabur de AK and mixed with the ZON de AK there.

71) Thus, the matter of Katnut (smallness) and Gadlut (adulthood) has been initiated here in Partzuf Nekudim. With respect to the Reshimot de Aviut in the Masach, ten Sefirot of Katnut Nekudim emerged over them. And with respect to the Reshimot de ZON de AK below Tabur, which mingled and connected with the Reshimot of the Masach, the ten Sefirot de Gadlut of Nekudim emerged over them.

72) You should also know that the ten Sefirot of Katnut Nekudim that emerged on the Masach are considered the core of Partzuf Nekudim, since they emerged gradually, that is, from the core of the Masach de Guf of the Upper One, the same as the three previous Partzufim de AK emerged. But the ten Sefirot de Gadlut of Nekudim are regarded as mere addition to Partzuf Nekudim. This is because they only emerged from the Zivug on the Reshimot de ZON de AK below the Tabur, which did not appear gradually, but were added and connected to the Masach because of the decline of Partzuf Nekudot de SAG below Tabur de AK (Item 70).

73) We shall first clarify the ten Sefirot de Katnut Nekudim. You already know that following the Hitpashtut (spreading/expansion) of SAG de AK, it underwent the Bitush of Ohr Makif and Ohr Pnimi on its Masach, which gradually purified it. The levels that emerged as it purified are called Nekudot de SAG, and they descended below Tabur de AK and mingled with the Behina Dalet there (Item 62). After it completed its purification of all the Aviut de Guf in the Masach and remained with only Aviut de Rosh, it is considered to have risen to Rosh de SAG, where it received a new Zivug on the measure of Aviut that remained in the Reshimot in the Masach (Item 35).

74) And here, too, it is considered that the last Behina of Aviut, Aviut de Behina Bet that was in the Masach, completely vanished, leaving only the Reshimo de Hitlabshut. Thus, nothing was left of the Aviut but Behina Aleph. Hence (Item 43), the Masach received two kinds of Zivugim (plural for Zivug) in Rosh de SAG:

  1. Hitkalelut of Behina Aleph de Aviut within Behina Bet de Hitlabshut (clothing), called “Hitkalelut of the female Reshimo in the male Reshimo,” produced a level at nearly the degree of Bina, which is the degree of VAK de Bina. This level is called “the Sefira Keter de Nekudim.”

  2. Hitkalelut of the male with the Reshimo of the female, the Reshimo of Behina Bet de Hitlabshut in Behina Aleph de Aviut, produced the level of ZA, considered VAK without a Rosh, called “Aba ve Ima de Nekudim back to back.”

These two levels are called GAR de Nekudim, that is, they are considered ten Sefirot de Rosh Nekudim, since each Rosh is called GAR or KHB. But there is a difference between them: Keter de Nekudim, which is at the male level, does not spread into the Guf and shines only at the Rosh. Only AVI de Nekudim, which are the female level, called “seven lower Sefirot de Nekudim” or “HGT NHY de Nekudim” expand to the Guf.

75) Thus, there are three degrees one below the other:

  1. Keter de Nekudim, with the level of VAK de Bina.

  2. The level of AVI (Aba and Ima) de Nekudim, which has the level of ZA. These are both considered Rosh.

  3. ZAT de Nekudim, HGT NHYM, considered Guf de Nekudim.

76) Know, that by Malchut’s ascent to Bina, these two degrees of Nekudim split into two halves upon their exit, called Panim (face) and Achoraim (back). This is so because since the Zivug was made at the Nikvey Eynaim, there are only two and a half Sefirot at the Rosh—Galgalta, Eynaim (eyes) and Nikvey Eynaim, that is, Keter, Hochma, and the Upper half of Bina. These are called Kelim de Panim (frontal Kelim).

The Kelim de AHP, which are the lower half of Bina, ZA, and Nukva, emerged from the ten Sefirot de Rosh and were considered the degree below the Rosh. Hence, Kelim de Rosh, which departed the Rosh, are considered Kelim de Achoraim (posterior Kelim). Each degree was split in this manner.

77) It follows that there is not a single degree that does not have Panim and Achoraim. This is because the AHP of the male level, the Keter de Nekudim, emerged from the degree of Keter and descended to the degree of AVI de Nekudim, the female level. And AHP of the female level — AVI de Nekudim—descended and fell to their degree of Guf, the degree of the seven lower Sefirot HGT NHY de Nekudim.

It turns out that AVI comprise two Behinot Panim and Achoraim: within them are the Achoraim of the Keter degree, that is, the AHP de Keter, and atop them clothe the Kelim de Panim de AVI themselves, that is, their own Galgalta, Eynaim, and Nikvey Eynaim. Also, ZAT de Nekudim comprise Panim and Achoraim: the Kelim de Achoraim de AVI, which are their AHP, are within the ZAT, and the Kelim de Panim de ZAT clothe them from without.

78) This issue of the division into two halves made the degrees of Nekudim unable to contain more than Behinat Nefesh Ruach, meaning VAK without GAR. This is because each degree is deficient of the three Kelim, Bina and ZON, hence the absence of Lights of GAR there, being Neshama, Haya, Yechida (Item 24). Thus we have thoroughly explained the ten Sefirot de Katnut de Nekudim, which are the three degrees called Keter, AVI, and ZAT. Each degree contains only Keter Hochma in Kelim and Nefesh Ruach in Lights, since the Bina and ZON of each degree fell to the degree below it.

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