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Yehuda Leib HaLevi Ashlag (Baal HaSulam)

The Five Partzufim of Atzilut and the MA and BON in Each Partzuf

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

120) It has been explained that the level of the new MA expanded into a whole world in itself, as well, like the world of Nekudim. The reason is, as it has been explained regarding the level of Nekudim, the doubling of the Masach from Behina Dalet, too (Item 116). This is because the illumination of ZON de AK that shone through the Tabur and the Yesod to GAR de Nekudim brought Tzimtzum Aleph back to its place, and the lower Hey descended from her Nikvey Eynaim to the Peh, which caused all these levels of Gadlut de Nekudim to emerge (Item 101). Yet, all these levels were cancelled and broken once more, and all the Lights departed them. For this reason, Tzimtzum Bet returned to its place, and Behina Dalet was reunited with the Masach.

121) Hence, in the new MA, too, which emerged from the Metzach, there are the two Behinot of Katnut and Gadlut, too, as in the world of Nekudim. The Katnut emerges first, according to the Aviut disclosed in the Masach, which is the level of ZA de Hitlabshut, called HGT, and the level of Malchut de Aviut, called NHY, due to the three lines made in Malchut. The right line is called Netzah, the left line is called Hod, and the middle line is called Yesod.

Yet, since there is only Hitlabshut in Behina Aleph, without Aviut, it has no Kelim. Thus, the level of HGT is devoid of Kelim, clothing in Kelim de NHY, and this level is called Ubar (embryo). This means that there is only Aviut de Shoresh there, which remained in the Masach after its Hizdakchut, during its ascension for Zivug at the Metzach of the Upper One. And the level that emerges from there is only the level of Malchut.

Yet, within her is the concealed lower Hey, regarded as “the lower Hey at the Metzach.” Once the Ubar receives the Zivug of the Upper One, it descends from there to its place (Item 54), and receives the Mochin de Yenika from the Upper One, which are Aviut of Behina Aleph, considered “the lower Hey in Nikvey Eynaim.” Thus, it acquires Kelim for HGT, too, and HGT spread from NHY and it has the level of ZA.

122) Afterwards, it rises for MAN to the Upper One once again. This is called Ibur Bet (second conception/impregnation), where it receives Mochin from AB SAG de AK. At that time Behina Dalet descends from Nikvey Eynaim to her place at the Peh (Item 101), and a Zivug is made on Behina Dalet at her place, producing ten Sefirot at the level of Keter. Thus, the Kelim de AHP rise back to their place at the Rosh, and the Partzuf is completed with ten Sefirot of Lights and vessels. And these Mochin are called Mochin de Gadlut of the Partzuf. This is the level of the first Partzuf de Atzilut, called Partzuf Keter or Partzuf Atik de Atzilut.

123) And you already know that after the breaking of the vessels, all the AHP fell from their degrees, each to the degree below it (Items 77, 106). Thus, the AHP of the level of Keter de Nekudim are in GE of the level of Hochma, and the AHP of the level of Hochma is in the GE of the level of Bina, etc. Therefore, during Ibur Bet de Gadlut of the first Partzuf of Atzilut, called Atik, which elevated its AHP once more, GE of the level of Hochma rose along with them. They were corrected along with the AHP of the level of Atik, and received the first Ibur there.

124) And once GE de Hochma received their level of Ibur and Yenika (nursing) (Item 121), they rose to Rosh de Atik again, where they received a second Ibur for Mochin de Gadlut. Behina Gimel descended to her place at the Peh, produced ten Sefirot on her, at the level of Hochma, and their Kelim de AHP rose back to their place at the Rosh. Thus, Partzuf Hochma was completed with ten Sefirot of Lights and Kelim. This Partzuf is called Arich Anpin de Atzilut.

125) The GE of the level of Bina rose along with these AHP de AA, where they received their first Ibur and Yenika. Afterwards, they rose to the Rosh of AA for a second Ibur, raised their AHP, received the Mochin de Gadlut, and Partzuf Bina was completed with ten Sefirot, Lights and vessels. This Partzuf is called AVI and YESHSUT, since the GAR are called AVI, and the ZAT are called YESHSUT.

126) And GE de ZON rose along with these AHP de AVI, where they received their first Ibur and Yenika. This completes the ZON in the state of VAK to ZA and Nekuda (point) to the Nukva. Thus we have explained the five Partzufim of the new MA that emerged in the world of Atzilut, in the constant state, called Atik, AA, AVI, and ZON.

Also, there can never be any diminution in these five levels, since the acts of the lower ones never reach the GAR in a way that they can blemish them. The actions of the lower ones do reach ZA and Nukva, that is, their Kelim de Achoraim, which they obtain during the Gadlut. But the actions of the lower ones cannot reach the Kelim de Panim, which are GE in Lights of VAK and Nekuda. Hence, these five levels are considered constant Mochin in Atzilut.

127) The order of their clothing of each other and on Partzuf AK is that Partzuf Atik de Atzilut, although it emerged from Rosh de SAG de AK (Item 118), it still cannot clothe from the Peh of SAG de AK downwards, but only below Tabur. This is because above Tabur de AK it is considered Tzimtzum Aleph, Akudim.

Since Partzuf Atik is the first Rosh of Atzilut, Tzimtzum Bet does not control it, so it should have been worthy of clothing above Tabur de AK. But since Tzimtzum Bet had already been established in its Peh de Rosh, for the rest of the Partzufim de Atzilut, from it downwards, it can only clothe from Tabur de AK downwards.

It turns out that the level of Atik begins at Tabur de AK and ends equally with the Raglaim de AK, that is, above the point of this world. This is so because of its own Partzuf. Yet, because of its connection to the rest of the Partzufim of Atzilut, from whose perspective it is regarded as being included in Tzimtzum Bet, as well, in that respect, it is considered that its Raglaim end above Parsa de Atzilut, since Parsa is the new Sium (end) of Tzimtzum Bet (Item 68).

128) The second Partzuf in the new MA, called AA, which was emanated and came out of the Peh de Rosh Atik, begins from the place of its emergence, from Peh de Rosh de Atik, and clothes the ZAT de Atik, which end above Parsa of Atzilut. The third Partzuf, called AVI, which emerged from Peh de Rosh de AA, begins from Peh de Rosh de AA and ends above the Tabur de AA. And the ZON begin in Tabur de AA and end equally with the Sium of AA, that is, above the Parsa de Atzilut.

129) You should know that each level of these five Partzufim of the new MA sorted and connected to itself a part of the Kelim de Nekudim, which became its Nukva. Thus, when Partzuf Atik emerged, it took and connected to itself all the GAR de Nekudim that remained complete during the breaking of the vessels. This refers to the GE in them, which emerged during their Katnut, called Kelim de Panim (Item 76). In the Katnut of Nekudim, only the Upper half of each degree came with them, that is, GE and Nikvey Eynaim. The bottom half of each, called AHP, descended to the lower degree.

Hence, it is considered that Partzuf Atik of the new MA took the Upper half of Keter from the Kelim of Nekudim, as well as the Upper half of HB, and the seven roots of ZAT, included in GAR de Nekudim. And these became a Partzuf Nukva to the Atik of the new MA, and joined with one another. They are called MA and BON de Atik de Atzilut, since Atik’s male is called MA, and the Kelim de Nekudim that joined it are called BON (Item 119). They are arranged face and back: Atik de MA at the Panim, and Atik de BON in its Achor.

130) Partzuf AA of the new MA, which emerged at the level of Hochma, sorted and connected to itself the lower half of Keter de Nekudim—the AHP de Keter—which, during the Katnut, were at the degree below Keter, that is, in Hochma and Bina de Nekudim (Item 77). It became a Nukva to the AA of the new MA, and they were joined. Their stance is right and left: AA de MA, which is the male, stands at the right, and AA de BON, which is the Nukva, stands at the left.

And the reason why Partzuf Atik de MA did not take the lower half of Keter de Nekudim, as well, is that since Atik is the first Rosh de Atzilut, whose level is very high, it connected to itself only the Kelim de Panim de GAR de Nekudim, where no flaw occurred during the breaking. This is not so at the bottom half of Keter, the AHP that were fallen in HB during the Katnut. Afterwards, during the Gadlut, they rose from HB and were joined in Keter de Nekudim (Item 84). Then, after the breaking of the vessels, they fell from Keter de Nekudim once more and were cancelled. Thus, they were flawed by their fall and cancellation, and are therefore unworthy of Atik. This is why AA de MA took them.

131) And the new Partzuf AVI, at the level of Bina, sorted and connected to themselves the lower half of HB de Nekudim, which are the AHP de HB that fell in the ZAT de Nekudim during the Katnut. But afterwards, during the Gadlut de Nekudim, they rose and joined with HB de Nekudim (Item 94). During the breaking of the vessels they fell into ZAT de Nekudim once more and were cancelled (Item 107), and AVI de MA sorted them into being their Nukva.

They are called ZAT de Hochma and VAT de Bina de BON, since Hesed de Bina remained with the GAR de HB de BON in Partzuf Atik, and only the lower Vav, from Gevura downwards, remained at the bottom half of Bina. It turns out that the male of AVI is the level of Bina de MA, and the Nukva de AVI is ZAT of HB de BON. They stand at the right and the left: AVI de MA on the right, and AVI de BON on the left. And YESHSUT de MA, which are the ZAT de AVI, took the Malchuts of HB de BON.

132) And Partzuf ZON of the new MA, at the level of VAK and Nekuda, sorted and connected to themselves the Kelim de Panim of ZAT de Nekudim, out of their shattering in BYA, that is, the Behinat GE of the ZAT de Nekudim (Item 78). They became Nukva to ZON de MA and stand on the right and on the left: ZON de MA on the right, and ZON de BON on the left.

133) Thus we have explained the MA and BON in the five Partzufim of Atzilut. The five levels of the new MA that emerged in the world of Atzilut sorted the old Kelim that worked in the Nekudim, and made them into Nukvas (females), called BON.

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