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Yehuda Leib HaLevi Ashlag (Baal HaSulam)

The Ascent of MAN de ZAT de Nekudim to AVI and the Explanation of the Sefira Daat

92) It has already been explained that due to the lower Hey’s ascent to Nikvey Eynaim, which occurred in Tzimtzum Bet, when the Katnut of the ten Sefirot de Nekudim emerged, each degree was divided into two halves.

Thus, each degree is now made of internality and externality, since the Kelim de Achoraim of the Upper degree fell to the internality of its own Kelim de Panim. And the fallen AHP de Keter Nekudim are clothed inside Galgalta ve Eynaim de AVI, and the fallen AHP de AVI are clothed inside Galgalta ve Eynaim de ZAT de Nekudim (Item 76).

93) In consequence, when the new Light of AB SAG de AK comes to the degree, and lowers the lower Hey back to her place at the Peh, during the Gadlut de Nekudim, the degree brings her AHP back to her, and her ten Sefirot de Kelim and ten Sefirot of Lights are completed. It is then considered that the lower degree, too, which was attached to the AHP of the Upper One, rises along with them to the Upper One.

This is so because the rule is that “there is no absence in the spiritual.” And as the lower one was attached to the AHP of the Upper One during the Katnut, they are not separated from each other during the Gadlut as well, when the AHP of the Upper One return to their degree. It turns out that the lower degree has now actually become a Higher degree, since the lower one that rises to the Upper One becomes like Him.

94) It turns out that when AVI received the new Light of AB SAG and lowered the lower Hey from the Nikvey Eynaim back to their Peh, and raised their AHP to them, the ZAT, too, which clothe these AHP during the Katnut, now rose along with them to AVI. Thus, the ZAT became a single degree with AVI. This ascent of the ZAT to AVI is called “raising MAN.” And when they are at the same degree as AVI, they receive the Lights of AVI, as well.

95) And it is called MAN since the ascent of ZA to Bina brings her back to being face-to-face with the Hochma (Item 80). It is known that every ZAT are ZON. Hence, when the ZAT rose with the AHP de AVI to the degree of AVI, they became MAN to the Bina of the Sefirot de AVI. Then she returns to being face-to-face with the Hochma de AVI and provides ZON, which are the ZAT de Nekudim that rose to them, with illumination of Hochma.

96) Despite the above-mentioned ascent of ZAT to AVI, it does not mean that they were altogether absent from their place and rose to AVI, since there is no absence in the spiritual. Also, any “change of place” in spirituality does not mean that it has departed its former place and moved to a new location, as one relocates in corporeality. Rather, there is merely an addition here: they came to the new location, while remaining in the former one. Thus, although the ZAT rose to AVI to MAN, they still remained in their place, at their lower degree, as before.

97) Similarly, you can understand that even though we say that once ZON rose to MAN to AVI and received their Lights there, and left there and returned to their place below, here, too, it does not mean that they departed their place above and moved to the place below. Had ZON been absent from their place above in AVI, the face-to-face Zivug de AVI would stop instantaneously, and they would return to being back-to-back as before. This would stop their abundance, and ZON, below, would lose their Mochin, too.

It has already been explained above that Bina naturally craves only Ohr Hassadim, as in, “for he delights in mercy.” She has no interest whatsoever in receiving Ohr Hochma; hence, she is back-to-back with Hochma. Only when ZON ascend to them for MAN does Bina return in a face-to-face Zivug with Hochma, to bestow illumination of Hochma to ZA (Item 80).

Hence, it is necessary that the ZON will always remain there, to give sustenance and subsistence to the face-to-face Zivug de AVI. For this reason, it cannot be said that ZON are absent from the place of AVI when they come to their place below. Rather, as we have said, any “change of place” is but an addition. Thus, although ZON descended from their place, they still remained above, as well.

98-99) Now you can understand the Sefira Daat that was initiated in the world of Nekudim. In all the Partzufim of AK, through Nekudim, there are only ten Sefirot KHB ZON. But from the world of Nekudim onwards, there is the Sefira Daat, which we regard as KHBD ZON.

The thing is that there was no ascension of MAN in the Partzufim of AK, but only the ascent of the Masach to Peh de Rosh (Item 79). But you should know that the Sefira Daat extends from the ascension of MAN de ZON to AVI, as it has been clarified that ZON, which rose there to MAN to Hochma and Bina, remain there even after their exit from there to their place below, to provide sustenance and subsistence to the face-to-face Zivug de AVI. These ZON, which remain in AVI, are called “the Sefira Daat.” Hence, now HB have the Sefira Daat, which sustains and positions them in a face-to-face Zivug. These are the ZON that rose to MAN there and remained there even after the exit of ZON to their place.

Hence, from now on we call the ten Sefirot by the names KHBD ZON. But in the Partzufim of AK, prior to the world of Nekudim, before the raising of MAN, there was no Sefira Daat there. You should also know that the Sefira Daat is always called “five Hassadim and five Gevurot,” since the ZA that remains there is considered five Hassadim, and the Nukva that remained there is considered five Gevurot.

100) We might ask about what is written in the Book of Creation, that the ten Sefirot are “ten and not nine, ten and not eleven.” It was said that the Sefira Daat was initiated in the world of Nekudim; thus, there are eleven Sefirot KHBD ZON.

The answer is that this is not at all an addition to the ten Sefirot, since we have learned that the Sefira Daat is ZON that rose to MAN and remained there. Hence, there is no addition here, but rather two discernments in ZON:

  1. The ZON in their place below, which are considered Guf;

  2. The ZON that remained in Rosh de AVI, since they were already there during the raising of the MAN, and there is no absence in the spiritual. Thus, there is no addition to the ten Sefirot here, whatsoever, for in the end, there are only ten Sefirot KHB ZON here. And if the discernment of ZON remains in Rosh in AVI, it does not add a thing to the ten Sefirot.

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