עד. ופירוש הדברים הוא: כי אף על פי שהזדככות המסך גורמת שתאבד בחינה אחרונה, אשר משום זה נמצאות חמש הקומות זו למטה מזו (כמו שנתבאר היטב בפתיחה לחכמת הקבלה אות מ' מ"א עיין שם). עם כל זה, אין הבחינה האחרונה כולה נאבדת, אלא שנשאר במסך ממנה רשימו דהתלבשות (כמו שנתבאר שם באות מ"ב).
74. The meaning of all this is as follows: Although the purification of thepartitioncauses it to lose the lastlevel,212As was mentioned previously, the partition of a given level loses “layers” of opacity after generating a column of returning light. The returning light serves as a vessel for the supernal light, but only a certain amount can be contained, called the “inner light.” The remaining supernal light, surrounding light, beats against the vessel of the returning light, eroding the opacity within it until it is purified. The “last level” referred to here is relative, meaning, the surrounding light erodes the most opaque level of the partition that is present in a given context.on account of which the fiveheights of partzufimare positioned one beneath the other (as explained in detail in Petiḥa LeḤokhmat HaKabbala, sections 40–41), the lastlevelis, nevertheless, not entirely lost. Rather, a trace ofenclothingremains of it in thepartition(as explained there in section 42).
2
למשל, כשנזדכך המסך דפרצוף הכתר דא"ק, ועלה לפה דראש, ונכלל בזווג אשר שם, ונתחדשו רשימותיו; הנה מבחינת העובי שבמסך, שעליה נעשה זווג דהכאה, לא נשאר במסך אלא הרשימה דעובי דבחינה ג', מחמת שהבחינה האחרונה, שהיא בחינה ד', נאבדה. אבל חלק ההתלבשות דבחינה ד' נשאר עוד במסך.
For example, when thepartitionof thepartzufofKeterofAdam Kadmonwas purified and ascended to themouthof thehead,213When a partition is purified of opacity, it then ascends to the head of its partzuf where it unites with the partition of the head. In that new context, remnants of its previous opacity are renewed (except the lowest level directly eroded by the surrounding light) and it is now able to undergo a new fusion through collision, creating a new partzuf.it was incorporated in the fusion there and its remnants were renewed. From the perspective of theopacityof thepartition, upon which thefusion through collisionoccurred, only the trace ofopacityof the thirdlevelremained in thepartition, since the lastlevel, which is the fourthlevel, was lost.214These levels are specific to this example. In an example in which the partition had previously had the second level eroded directly, only the trace of opacity of the first level would have been renewed, while the second would have been lost.However, theenclothingpart of the fourthlevelstill remained in thepartition.215This is the key idea of this paragraph. Although the lowest level of the partition is eroded and lost because of the returning light, only one of two aspects of this level are fully lost. The traces, or remnants of opacity of the level are fully lost. There remains, however, a remnant of that level of the partition called “the traces of enclothing.” This remnant, while unable to participate in a fusion through collision on its own, can join an existing fusion through collision with renewed opacity in the partition.
3
ונמצא שיש במסך שתי בחינות עליונות הראויות לזווג: א. היא העובי דבחינה ג'. שהיא המעכבת על האור העליון והיא המקבלת זווג דהכאה, שעליה יוצאת קומת החכמה. ב. היא בחינת התלבשות דבחינה ד'. שאף על פי שהיא אינה ראויה לזווג דהכאה, כי אין בה עובי המעכב על התפשטות האור, עם כל זה כשהיא נכללת ומשתתפת עם העובי דבחינה ג', נעשה גם עליה זווג דהכאה ויוצאת עליה קומת כתר בקירוב.
It thus turns out that there are two upper aspects that are fit forfusion through collision in thepartition: (a) theopacityof the thirdlevel,216This is the level with the greatest opacity remaining in the partition after the erosion of the surrounding light in this particular example.which blocks thesupernal lightand receives thefusion through collisionupon which thelevelofḤokhmaemerges,217This is the new partzuf generated in this example as a result of the third level of opacity generating returning light of the height of the level of Ḥokhma. and (b) the aspect ofenclothingof the fourthlevel.218This is the remnant of the fourth level of opacity of the partition that was not lost, the “trace of enclothing.”Although the aspect of enclothing is unfit for afusion through collision, since it does not containopacitythat blocks the spread of light, nevertheless, when it is incorporated and participates in theopacityof the thirdlevel, afusion through collisionoccurs upon it as well, and aheightnear to that ofKeter219Returning light that is the height of Keter is generated by opacity of the fourth level in a partition. Since the aspect of enclothing here is a remnant of the fourth level, the height of light generated by it in this second-hand fusion through collision is also that of Keter.is generated from it.
4
ושתי קומות אלו מכונות 'זכר' ו'נקבה', כי הקומה שיצאה על בחינה ד' דהתלבשות בשיתוף עם בחינה ג' דעובי, נקראת 'זכר'. והקומה היוצאת על בחינה ג' דעובי בלבד, נקראת 'נקבה' (כמו שנתבאר כל זה שם באות מ"ב עיין שם).
These twoheightsare called “male” and “female.” Theheightthat emerged upon the fourthlevelofenclothingparticipating with the thirdlevelofopacity, is called “male,” while theheightthat emerged only upon the thirdlevelofopacity in the partition, is called “female.” (All this is explained in Petiḥa LeḤokhmat HaKabbala, section 42.)
5
ועל דרך זה, כשנזדכך המסך דגוף דפרצוף החכמה דא"ק, ועלה לפה דראשו, נשארו בו גם כן שתי רשימות, זכר ונקבה, על דרך הנזכר לעיל בפרצוף הכתר. כי הרשימו דבחינה ג' דהתלבשות המשתתפת עם בחינה ב' דעובי, מוציאה קומת חכמה בקירוב, והוא בחינת הזכר. והרשימו דבחינה ב' דעובי שהיא העיקרית המקבלת זווג דהכאה, מוציאה קומת בינה. והיא בחינת הנקבה.
Along the same lines, when thepartitionof thebodyof thepartzufofḤokhmaofAdam Kadmon220This is the same situation as the previous example, except that it relates to the partzuf of Ḥokhma of Adam Kadmon instead of Keter of Adam Kadmon. As a result, each of the levels discussed are reduced by one, since Ḥokhma is the level one step down from Keter.was purified and ascended to themouthof itshead, two remnants,221This refers to the remnants of opacity and the remnants of enclothing mentioned in the preceding paragraphs.male and female, remained in it as well, in the manner described above with regard to thepartzufofKeter. The trace ofenclothingof the thirdlevel, which joins theopacity of the partition of the secondlevel, generates nearly theheightofḤokhma, and this is the male aspect. The trace ofopacityof the secondlevel, which is the core element that undergoes afusion through collision, generates theheightofBina, which is the female aspect.
6
ועל דרך זה יש זכר ונקבה בהזדככות המסך דגוף דפרצוף בינה. שהזכר הוא בקומת בינה בקירוב, והנקבה היא בקומת ז"א. שהוא הזווג לפרצוף נקודים.
In the same manner, there are male and female aspects in the purification of thepartitionof thebodyof thepartzufofBina. The male aspect is nearly at theheightofBina, while the female is at theheightofZe’er Anpin, which is the level of the fusion through collision for thepartzufofNekudim.222The partzuf of Nekudim refers to the structure that emerges at this point in the levels of Adam Kadmon, yielding the world of Nekudim.
7
ועל דרך זה יש זכר ונקבה בהזדככות המסך דגוף דפרצוף נקודים. שהזכר, דהיינו הרשימו דבחינה א' דהתלבשות שנשאר במסך, המשתתפת עם בחינת העובי דשורש, הוא בקומת בחינה א' בקירוב, דהיינו קומת ז"א, שהיא קומת רוח, דהיינו קומת חג"ת. והנקבה, שהיא העובי דבחינת שורש, שהיא המקבלת את זווג דהכאה, הנה היא בקומת אור הנפש, שהיא קומת מלכות, שמבחינת שלשה קוין נקראת נה"י.
Similarly, there are male and female aspects in the purification of thepartitionof thebodyof thepartzufofNekudim. The male, which constitutes the trace ofenclothingof the firstlevelthat remained in thepartition, which joins with theopacityof the rootlevel in the partition, is nearly at theheightof the firstlevel, that is, thelevelofZe’er Anpin. This is theheightofruaḥ, which is the height ofḤesed,Gevura, andTiferet. The female, which constitutes theopacityof thelevelof the root and which receives afusion through collision, is at theheightof the light ofnefesh. This is the structural height ofMalkhut, which is calledNetzaḥ,Hod, and Yesodfrom the perspective of the three lines.
עד. ופירוש הדברים הוא: כי אף על פי שהזדככות המסך גורמת שתאבד בחינה אחרונה, אשר משום זה נמצאות חמש הקומות זו למטה מזו (כמו שנתבאר היטב בפתיחה לחכמת הקבלה אות מ' מ"א עיין שם). עם כל זה, אין הבחינה האחרונה כולה נאבדת, אלא שנשאר במסך ממנה רשימו דהתלבשות (כמו שנתבאר שם באות מ"ב).
74. The meaning of all this is as follows: Although the purification of the partition causes it to lose the last level,212As was mentioned previously, the partition of a given level loses “layers” of opacity after generating a column of returning light. The returning light serves as a vessel for the supernal light, but only a certain amount can be contained, called the “inner light.” The remaining supernal light, surrounding light, beats against the vessel of the returning light, eroding the opacity within it until it is purified. The “last level” referred to here is relative, meaning, the surrounding light erodes the most opaque level of the partition that is present in a given context. on account of which the five heights of partzufim are positioned one beneath the other (as explained in detail in Petiḥa LeḤokhmat HaKabbala, sections 40–41), the last level is, nevertheless, not entirely lost. Rather, a trace of enclothing remains of it in the partition (as explained there in section 42).
למשל, כשנזדכך המסך דפרצוף הכתר דא"ק, ועלה לפה דראש, ונכלל בזווג אשר שם, ונתחדשו רשימותיו; הנה מבחינת העובי שבמסך, שעליה נעשה זווג דהכאה, לא נשאר במסך אלא הרשימה דעובי דבחינה ג', מחמת שהבחינה האחרונה, שהיא בחינה ד', נאבדה. אבל חלק ההתלבשות דבחינה ד' נשאר עוד במסך.
For example, when the partition of the partzuf of Keter of Adam Kadmon was purified and ascended to the mouth of the head,213When a partition is purified of opacity, it then ascends to the head of its partzuf where it unites with the partition of the head. In that new context, remnants of its previous opacity are renewed (except the lowest level directly eroded by the surrounding light) and it is now able to undergo a new fusion through collision, creating a new partzuf. it was incorporated in the fusion there and its remnants were renewed. From the perspective of the opacity of the partition, upon which the fusion through collision occurred, only the trace of opacity of the third level remained in the partition, since the last level, which is the fourth level, was lost.214These levels are specific to this example. In an example in which the partition had previously had the second level eroded directly, only the trace of opacity of the first level would have been renewed, while the second would have been lost. However, the enclothing part of the fourth level still remained in the partition.215This is the key idea of this paragraph. Although the lowest level of the partition is eroded and lost because of the returning light, only one of two aspects of this level are fully lost. The traces, or remnants of opacity of the level are fully lost. There remains, however, a remnant of that level of the partition called “the traces of enclothing.” This remnant, while unable to participate in a fusion through collision on its own, can join an existing fusion through collision with renewed opacity in the partition.
ונמצא שיש במסך שתי בחינות עליונות הראויות לזווג: א. היא העובי דבחינה ג'. שהיא המעכבת על האור העליון והיא המקבלת זווג דהכאה, שעליה יוצאת קומת החכמה. ב. היא בחינת התלבשות דבחינה ד'. שאף על פי שהיא אינה ראויה לזווג דהכאה, כי אין בה עובי המעכב על התפשטות האור, עם כל זה כשהיא נכללת ומשתתפת עם העובי דבחינה ג', נעשה גם עליה זווג דהכאה ויוצאת עליה קומת כתר בקירוב.
It thus turns out that there are two upper aspects that are fit for fusion through collision in the partition: (a) the opacity of the third level,216This is the level with the greatest opacity remaining in the partition after the erosion of the surrounding light in this particular example. which blocks the supernal light and receives the fusion through collision upon which the level of Ḥokhma emerges,217This is the new partzuf generated in this example as a result of the third level of opacity generating returning light of the height of the level of Ḥokhma. and (b) the aspect of enclothing of the fourth level.218This is the remnant of the fourth level of opacity of the partition that was not lost, the “trace of enclothing.” Although the aspect of enclothing is unfit for a fusion through collision, since it does not contain opacity that blocks the spread of light, nevertheless, when it is incorporated and participates in the opacity of the third level, a fusion through collision occurs upon it as well, and a height near to that of Keter219Returning light that is the height of Keter is generated by opacity of the fourth level in a partition. Since the aspect of enclothing here is a remnant of the fourth level, the height of light generated by it in this second-hand fusion through collision is also that of Keter. is generated from it.
ושתי קומות אלו מכונות 'זכר' ו'נקבה', כי הקומה שיצאה על בחינה ד' דהתלבשות בשיתוף עם בחינה ג' דעובי, נקראת 'זכר'. והקומה היוצאת על בחינה ג' דעובי בלבד, נקראת 'נקבה' (כמו שנתבאר כל זה שם באות מ"ב עיין שם).
These two heights are called “male” and “female.” The height that emerged upon the fourth level of enclothing participating with the third level of opacity, is called “male,” while the height that emerged only upon the third level of opacity in the partition, is called “female.” (All this is explained in Petiḥa LeḤokhmat HaKabbala, section 42.)
ועל דרך זה, כשנזדכך המסך דגוף דפרצוף החכמה דא"ק, ועלה לפה דראשו, נשארו בו גם כן שתי רשימות, זכר ונקבה, על דרך הנזכר לעיל בפרצוף הכתר. כי הרשימו דבחינה ג' דהתלבשות המשתתפת עם בחינה ב' דעובי, מוציאה קומת חכמה בקירוב, והוא בחינת הזכר. והרשימו דבחינה ב' דעובי שהיא העיקרית המקבלת זווג דהכאה, מוציאה קומת בינה. והיא בחינת הנקבה.
Along the same lines, when the partition of the body of the partzuf of Ḥokhma of Adam Kadmon220This is the same situation as the previous example, except that it relates to the partzuf of Ḥokhma of Adam Kadmon instead of Keter of Adam Kadmon. As a result, each of the levels discussed are reduced by one, since Ḥokhma is the level one step down from Keter. was purified and ascended to the mouth of its head, two remnants,221This refers to the remnants of opacity and the remnants of enclothing mentioned in the preceding paragraphs. male and female, remained in it as well, in the manner described above with regard to the partzuf of Keter. The trace of enclothing of the third level, which joins the opacity of the partition of the second level, generates nearly the height of Ḥokhma, and this is the male aspect. The trace of opacity of the second level, which is the core element that undergoes a fusion through collision, generates the height of Bina, which is the female aspect.
ועל דרך זה יש זכר ונקבה בהזדככות המסך דגוף דפרצוף בינה. שהזכר הוא בקומת בינה בקירוב, והנקבה היא בקומת ז"א. שהוא הזווג לפרצוף נקודים.
In the same manner, there are male and female aspects in the purification of the partition of the body of the partzuf of Bina. The male aspect is nearly at the height of Bina, while the female is at the height of Ze’er Anpin, which is the level of the fusion through collision for the partzuf of Nekudim.222The partzuf of Nekudim refers to the structure that emerges at this point in the levels of Adam Kadmon, yielding the world of Nekudim.
ועל דרך זה יש זכר ונקבה בהזדככות המסך דגוף דפרצוף נקודים. שהזכר, דהיינו הרשימו דבחינה א' דהתלבשות שנשאר במסך, המשתתפת עם בחינת העובי דשורש, הוא בקומת בחינה א' בקירוב, דהיינו קומת ז"א, שהיא קומת רוח, דהיינו קומת חג"ת. והנקבה, שהיא העובי דבחינת שורש, שהיא המקבלת את זווג דהכאה, הנה היא בקומת אור הנפש, שהיא קומת מלכות, שמבחינת שלשה קוין נקראת נה"י.
Similarly, there are male and female aspects in the purification of the partition of the body of the partzuf of Nekudim. The male, which constitutes the trace of enclothing of the first level that remained in the partition, which joins with the opacity of the root level in the partition, is nearly at the height of the first level, that is, the level of Ze’er Anpin. This is the height of ruaḥ, which is the height of Ḥesed, Gevura, and Tiferet. The female, which constitutes the opacity of the level of the root and which receives a fusion through collision, is at the height of the light of nefesh. This is the structural height of Malkhut, which is called Netzaḥ, Hod, and Yesod from the perspective of the three lines.