Lesson 6
As I have mentioned earlier, the World of Atzilut is quite similar to the World of Nekudim. The first Partzuf of the World of Atzilut, Atik, comes out on the Reshimot of Aleph-Shoresh (Hitlabshut of level 1, Aviut of level 0) in the Katnut (smallness) at first, from Tabur to Parsa. Then it spreads in the Gadlut (greatness) all the way to our world on the Reshimot of Dalet-Gimel (4,3).
It is the only Partzuf by means of which the Light can shine in our world. We do not see or feel this Light, but it shines and drives us forward. Whoever ascends from our world to below Parsa, where the worlds Beria, Yetzira and Assiya (BYA) are located, is called a righteous person, in Hebrew Tzadik, a Kabbalist.
It is important to note that Partzuf Atik spreads not only to the Parsa in order to pass on Light to other Partzufim of the World of Atzilut, but below the Parsa as well. Since Atik is in Tzimtzum Aleph, this Partzuf is able to spread everywhere, and when it is below the Parsa it lights up the souls of the righteous who want to ascend to the World of Atzilut.
Being in the Worlds of BYA means “giving for the sake of bestowal,” while being in the World of Atzilut means “receiving for the sake of bestowal.” The next Partzuf, Arich Anpin (Hochma) comes out in Katnut (smallness – only Vessels of bestowal). After this Partzuf, Abba ve Ima (Bina) is born, then Partzuf Zeir Anpin, and finally Malchut is born in the form of a point. The AHPs of the five Partzufim of the World of Atzilut are the Kelim de Kabbalah, Vessels for receiving. The latter are to be restored and corrected.
The World of Atzilut is the only world we study. Our study of the other Worlds is limited only to the point by which they are related to the World of Atzilut. Our aim is to ultimately raise all the souls to Atzilut. Partzuf Arich Anpin wraps itself up with many different coverings, which are called Se’arot, or hair, similar to the hair of the human body.
The first three Partzufim of the World of Atzilut came out on the Reshimot of Rosh (Heads) of the World of Nekudim. Zeir Anpin of the World of Atzilut is called Ha Kadosh Baruch Hu (The Holy One Blessed Be He).
Malchut of the World of Atzilut is called Shechina the aggregation of all the souls.
All the names, including the names of personages mentioned in the first five books of the Bible, spring from the World of Atzilut. And those personages in the Worlds of BYA are all the same under the control of the World of Atzilut.
The World of Atzilut does not let through any Light below the Parsa apart from a tiny ray of Light called Ohr Tolada. This minute Light is what allows us to feel the tiny pleasures we feel in this world. How are the AHPs that are located below the Parsa corrected? They are illuminated with a powerful Light by which they see how they differ from the Creator.
They then wish to improve themselves and apply to the Partzuf located above, which is the Creator for them. They ask for the feature of bestowal, or a Masach (screen). If the request coming from the AHP is authentic, the Partzuf located above lifts it out of the Worlds of BYA and into the World of Atzilut.
The filling with Light only takes place in the World of Atzilut. AHPs in the Worlds of BYA are actually the seven Sefirot of Zeir Anpin and the nine lower Sefirot of Malchut of the World of Atzilut. This is because the Vessels of bestowal (Galgalta ve Eynaim) of Zeir Anpin and the Sefira (singular for Sefirot) of Keter of Malchut are in the World of Atzilut.
The request for help ascends to AHPs of Zeir Anpin and Malchut, located in the Worlds of BYA. If these Sefirot can be lifted and attached to the corresponding Sefirot of the World of Atzilut, then it will be possible to fill them with Light. Such a condition is called Gmar Tikkun (End of Correction).
So what is the difference between the ascending AHP (Vessels of reception) and those which are reached by the Light coming below the Parsa? The difference is qualitative: when the AHP goes up, it is used as a Vessel for bestowal, not for receiving. Its main feature of receiving is removed during the ascension.
In other words, instead of being used as a Vessel of reception (AHP) it is used as Galgalta ve Eynaim (Vessels of bestowal). This adds something to the World of Atzilut, but does not correct the AHP fundamentally. While ascending, the AHP does not use its own Light, but the Light of Galgalta ve Eynaim.
In addition to AHPs that can be raised to the World of Atzilut, there are many Kelim (Vessels) left in BYA that cannot be raised. This is because they are not combined with Galgalta ve Eynaim. What can be done in order to correct these Kelim? Just like the Shevirat ha Kelim (breaking of the Vessels) in the worlds, a Shevirat ha Kelim in the souls is produced.
For this purpose, Malchut of the Ein Sof (nothing more than a purely selfish created being, devoid of altruism and in a state of restriction that it accepted on itself) is added to the Vessels of Galgalta ve Eynaim of the ZON of the World of Atzilut.
Here there will be such a combination of Kelim de Kabbalah (vessels of reception) with Kelim de Hashpa’a (vessels of bestowal) that naturally, such a Partzuf will break into smaller particles. Further, the separate sparks of altruism and selfishness will combine, paving the way for the correction of Malchut by means of these same particles.
And so, after the World of Atzilut enters the state of Katnut, Malchut of the World of Atzilut ascends to the level of Ima (Bina) of the World of Atzilut and there gives birth to the World of Beria, by making a Zivug on Aviut Bet (level 2).
After the second Zivug of Malchut on the Aviut Gimel (level 3), the World of Yetzira is born. Then the World of Assiya is brought about after the third Zivug of Malchut on the Aviut Dalet (level 4). After all this, a fundamentally new Partzuf is being created in Katnut with Galgalta Eynaim, the Vessels of bestowal. The AHP of this new Partzuf in the future Gadlut will be Malchut of the Ein Sof itself.
This Partzuf is called Adam ha Rishon (First Man). But why were these additional Worlds of BYA created? This is to build the necessary environment for this Partzuf, wherein it would exist and receive from all around the required Light, to match its ever changing desires. As in the World of Nekudim, the Partzuf of Adam ha Rishon is born in Katnut with Kelim Galgalta ve Eynaim.
Similar to all Partzufim, it wishes to enter to Gadlut. But the moment it starts to receive Light for Gadlut, in the Kelim de Kabbalah (AHP) of Malchut of the Ein Sof, it breaks up into small particles.
When Adam was born, he was absolutely righteous (a Tzadik), he was already circumcised (his Vessels were of pure bestowal), and devoid of Kelim de Kabbalah. Then, as he developed, he wanted to correct the whole Garden of Eden, i.e., all his desires. This, in spite of strict instructions from the Creator not to do Zivug on Malchut of Malchut (those are the bad boys, the strongest desires to receive only for ourselves), which is unable to absorb altruistic intentions, any Kelim de Hashpa’a.
Adam had no qualms about his capacity to perform a correction on Malchut of the Ein Sof, because it was his own AHP. But the moment Light began to descend from the World of Atzilut below the Parsa, Adam ha Rishon was shattered into 600,000 parts.
Each of these parts has to spend 6,000 years (6,000 stages of correction) striving to accomplish its individual correction. The part of selfishness that one corrects to similarity with the Creator is called “the soul.” In the instant of breaking up, all the desires of Adam fell down to the lowest level of selfishness. At this point all the fragments are separated, and each separate particle strives to draw pleasure and delight from this world.
This explains why special conditions were established to help one strengthen one’s bonding with the Creator and to receive the correcting Light from above. While undergoing correction, one must send a request to the Creator for assistance to correct all desires. The Light of the Creator comes down, and 6,000 consecutive actions must be taken to correct the soul.
When this happens, the soul becomes similar in its attributes to Malchut of the Ein Sof. It then receives all the Light for the sake of the Creator. Everything we discover relates to the World of Atzilut and to the Partzuf of Adam ha Rishon.
All that is written in the Kabbalah concerns some part of this Partzuf or the world in which it comes out. The perception of the surrounding world at any given time depends on how high a level a person has risen to, and which part of the Partzuf of Adam ha Rishon. In order to bond with the spiritual world, we must achieve a similarity of attributes with that world.
If even one desire matches the spiritual attribute of giving relentlessly, then at this stage, a connection with the Creator is established. However, it is quite difficult to establish this first contact. When we open up to the spiritual, we clearly comprehend it and cannot mistake it. We then need to transform our desires. The Creator, for His part, wants us to achieve correction and awaits our request.
The divine Light exists in an absolute stillness—only the souls are transformed. At every stage of the transformation they receive new information from the Light. The Creator only replies to sincere prayer/desire. If He does not answer, it means that this is not yet a true desire to be answered. When we are ready, the answer will come immediately because the Light always wants to fill the Kli.