פתיחה לפירוש הסולם 30

ל. והפרש זה, וימין ושמאל אלו, אין הפירוש חס וחלילה במקום, כי הרוחני הוא למעלה ממקום ולמעלה מזמן. אלא, 'הפרש' פירושו שאינם רוצים להתחבר זה עם זה. ו'ימין' פירושו אור החסדים. ו'שמאל' פירושו אור החכמה.

30. This gap, and this right and left, do not refer to a location, God forbid, as that which is spiritual is beyond place and transcends time. Rather, “gap” means that they do not want to connect with each other. “Right” refers to the light of giving and “left” means the light of Ḥokhma.

והענין הוא, כי כתר וחכמה של המדרגה, הנשארים בה בעת קטנות עם אור החסדים, הם מסתפקים באור החסדים הזה גם בעת גדלות, דהיינו גם אחר שירדה המלכות מבינה, משום שאור זה לא נפגם, כנזכר לעיל; ואינם רוצים לקבל אור החכמה ושלש ראשונות שחזרו אל המדרגה זה עתה, עם חזרת בינה ותפארת ומלכות אל המדרגה (המובא לעיל באות י"ח), ועל כן נבחנים הכתר והחכמה לקו ימין, דהיינו לאור חסדים. ובינה ותפארת ומלכות אלו, שבחזרתם למדרגה הביאו אור החכמה ושלש ראשונות למדרגה, אינם רוצים להתחבר עם כתר וחכמה, מפני שהם מחזיקים באור החסדים שהיה להם בזמן הקטנות, ובינה ותפארת ומלכות מחשיבים יותר אור החכמה שהגיע עתה אל המדרגה, ועל כן נבחנים לקו שמאל, מפני שמחזיקים באור החכמה.

The idea conveyed here is that Keter and Ḥokhma of the level, which remain in the level at the time of immaturity⁴³The time of immaturity is a reference to the state of the sefirot resulting from the second constriction, before any rectifications, when Malkhut is partnered with Bina. with the light of giving, are satisfied with this light of giving at the time of maturity as well, that is, also after the Malkhut has descended from Bina, because this light was not impaired, as stated above.⁴⁴The light of giving is not impaired or impacted by the ascent of Malkhut to Bina. Malkhut is the essence of the will to receive, the vessel meant to receive the light of Ḥokhma. After the first constriction, the light of Ḥokhma could no longer be received by the vessel of Malkhut, so Malkhut is considered “dark.” Thus, when Malkhut ascends to Bina, it stops the light of Ḥokhma from manifesting in the level. It has no impact on the light of giving, however, because the first constriction was only for the light of Ḥokhma. Accordingly, the light of giving was not impaired by the ascent of Malkhut. They do not wish to receive the light of Ḥokhma⁴⁵These sefirot, operating in the level of Sag of Adam Kadmon, are the essence of the level of Bina (which is synonymous with Sag, the Bina of Adam Kadmon). Bina does not yearn for the light of Ḥokhma, as it is the essence of the light of giving. Therefore, these vessels, unaffected by the second constriction, since they did not descend beneath the diaphragm, are not “interested” in the light of Ḥokhma. They form the right line, the column of the light of giving. As the section explains, the sefirot of Bina, Tiferet and Malkhut, now possessing some of the qualities of the level below with which they interacted during the second constriction (the phase of immaturity), remain divided by the diaphragm and now operate as the left side. and the first three lights of neshama, ḥaya, and yeḥida, which just returned to the level, along with the return of Bina, Tiferet, and Malkhut to the level (as stated in section 18 above). Therefore, the Keter and Ḥokhma are considered the right line, the light of giving. Bina, Tiferet, and Malkhut, which upon their return to the level brought the light of Ḥokhma and the first three to the level, do not want to connect with Keter and Ḥokhma. This is because Keter and Ḥokhma hold on to the light of giving, which they had at the time of immaturity, whereas Bina, Tiferet, and Malkhut have higher regard for the light of Ḥokhma, which just arrived in the level. They are therefore considered the left line because they hold on to the light of Ḥokhma.