The Weakening of the Masach for the Creation of the Partzuf
30) In order to understand the development of the spiritual levels, expressed by the five degressive Partzufim of the world AK, and all levels of the five Partzufim of each of the four worlds of ABYA, down to Malchut of the world of Assiya, we have to learn properly what the thinning of Masach de Guf is.This occurs in all the Partzufim of the worlds AK, Nikudim and Atzilut (the world of Correction).
31) The fact is that any Partzuf, or even any spiritual level, has two kinds of the light: the Ohr Makif (the Surrounding Light)and the Ohr Pnimi (the Inner Light). As was made clear, in the first Partzuf of the world AK Galgalta the Surrounding Light is the light of the World of Infinity, which fills the entire Universe. After TA and emerging of Masach, the Stroke Contact (the Zivug de Haka’a) between the entire light of the World of Infinity with this Masach takes place.
The Ohr Hozer that emerged as a result of this Zivug allowed a part of the Upper Light to enter the world of Restriction (the Olam HaTzimtzum) and thus created the ten Sefirot de Rosh and the ten Sefirot de Guf, as was said in § 25.
However, the entire light did not enter the Partzuf Galgalta. Now the light of the World of Infinity does not fill the entire Universe, as was the case before TA. Now there are Rosh and Sof, i.e., while the ten Sefirot spread downwards, the light stops at the point of “this world”, in “limiting” Malchut, as said: “his feet are standing on the Mount of Olives”…
Furthermore, now there is a notion “from inside out”. Similarly to the downward spreading of the ten Sefirot Keter, Hochma, Bina, Tifferet, Malchut (KaHaB-TuM) and limiting Malchut. There also exists the spreading of the ten Sefirot KaHaB-TuM from inside out.
Here the Sefirot are called: Mocha-brain (Keter), Atzamot-bones (Hochma), Gidin-tendons (Bina), Basar-flesh (Tifferet), and Awr-skin (Malchut; “Awr” with the letter “Ayn”, not with “Alef”, i.e., “the light”). Concerning the World of Infinity, where the entire Universe was filled with the light of the Partzuf Galgalta, thereis just a thin ray of light. Awr-skin (Malchut) limits the Partzuf on the outside, preventing the light from “widening” furtherand filling the empty space.
The amount of light (its thin ray) received in Galgalta is called “the Ohr Pnimi” (the Inner Light). The enormous amount of light of the World of Infinity, which did not enter Galgalta, remained outside. Now this light is called the Ohr Makif (the Surrounding Light). It cannot enter the Partzuf but rather surrounds it on all sides.
32) Now let us clear up what is the Ohr Makif of the world AK (or rather Galgalta), which is infinitely great and in exhaustible. It is not a question of the light of the World of Infinity being the Ohr Makif. It means that, when the Stroke Contact took place, the enormous light of the World of Infinity hit the screen of the Malchut de RoshGalgalta. Although it wished to enter Behina Dalet, as if no TA had ever happened, the screen stopped and reflected it, preventing it from getting inside Behina Dalet (see § 14).
This Ohr Hozer has virtually become the vessel of reception of the Upper Light. However, there is a tremendous difference between the reception by Behina Dalet before TA and the reception with the help of the Masach and the Ohr Hozer after it. As we have already said, the light that entered Galgalta is just a thin ray compared to what it was before TA.
The part of the Upper Light that could not enter the Partzuf has turned into the Ohr Makif of Galgalta. There is a rule: nothing ever disappears in the spiritual world, hence the light of the World of Infinity that was meant for Behina Dalet has not vanished; it is bound to fulfill its predestination and enter Malchut, so now it starts filling the worlds AK and ABYA, albe it according to a totally different principle. Now the creation gets only that part of the light that it can receive, not for its own sake, but for the sake of the Creator.
It happens due to a large number of Stroke Contacts between the light and the Masachim of the worlds and the Partzufim, until Behina Dalet corrects itself with their help and reaches the state of absolute perfection, conceived by the Creator at the beginning of the creation.
Then the entire light of the World of Infinity will enter it; but now the creation will be the Creator’s partner in creating itself, “earning” the reception of the light. Therefore, the Stroke Contact between the light and the Masach does not lead to a disappearance or a transformation of the light.
But for the time being, before the Final Correction (the GmarTikkun) the light of Infinity turns into the Ohr Makif (the Surrounding Light), which means that it will have to enter this Partzuf in the future. However, for the present moment it surrounds the Partzuf and shines upon it as if from “outside”.
This outside luminescence spreads through all the worlds in the form of corrections, capable of leading Malchut to being completely filled with the light of the World of Infinity.
33) Now, the time has come to learn about the impact between the Ohr Makif and the Ohr Pnimi, which leads to a thinning of the screen and the subsequent loss of its highest level of Aviut. These two kinds of light have quite opposite properties, although the screen, positioned in Malchut's Peh de Rosh of the Partzuf, inseparably connects them.
They are in constant contradiction, leading to concussion between them. The same Zivug de Haka’a that happened on this screen, on the one hand, called forth a filling of the Partzuf with the Inner Light (the Ohr Pnimi); on the other hand, the same Zivug de Haka’a produced the Surrounding Light (the Ohr Makif). In this way, it prevented the light of Infinity from entering Behina Dalet.
34) The Ohr Pnimi and the Ohr Makif are concerned with the Masach, even though their actions are contrary to one another. According to the ability of the Masach to let a part of the Ohr Yashar that has dressed on the Ohr Hozer inside the Partzuf, it prevents the Ohr Makif from entering it. The amount of the Surrounding Light left outside the Partzuf exceeds by far the Ohr Pnimi.
The screen, with its Aviut and Kashiut, does not allow the Ohr Makif to enter the Partzuf as much as it resists the Ohr Yashar. The concussion between the Ohr Makif and the screen’s Aviut is called Bitush – the impact between the Ohr Makif and the Ohr Pnimi. This impact happens only in the Guf of the Partzuf, since that is where the reception of the light in the vessels took place; however, a considerable part of the light was left outside. In the 10 Sefirot de Rosh, this impact does not occur, for the Ohr Hozer is not yet regarded as a true vessel of reception. It only forms the Shorshey Kelim (roots, sources of the vessels).
Therefore, the light that is in them is not yet genuine Ohr Pnimi. Due to the same reason, the Ohr Makif cannot be distinguished there either. Since there is still no difference between them, there cannot be any impact in the Rosh of the Partzuf. Only after the light spreads downwards from the Peh by way of the 10 Sefirot de Guf (where the lights dress into the vessels, i.e., the 10 Sefirot of the Reflected Light), then the impact between the Ohr Pnimi and the Ohr Makif takes place.
35) This impact continues until the Ohr Makif liquidates the Aviut of Masach de Guf in the Tabur. As a result of this, the Masach de Guf starts ascending towards the screen, positioned at the Peh de Rosh, which is the root, the cause of the screen de Guf. After merging with the screen in the Peh de Rosh, the Masach of Tabur also gets involved in the Zivug de Haka’a, which is constantly taking place between the Masach in Peh de Rosh and the light. This Zivug results in the formation of a new Partzuf and the emergence of 10 new Sefirot called AB de AK or the Partzuf Hochma of the world of Adam Kadmon. In relation to the first Partzuf Galgalta-Keter, this new Partzuf is considered its result, its “son”.
36) After the Partzuf AB de AK was born and completed its development by formingthe Rosh and the Guf, the process of the Bitush Ohr Pnimi be Ohr Makif resumed in it, as in the first Partzuf of AK. Its Masach de Guf (the screen of its spiritual body) gradually lost all its Aviut and merged its properties with the Masach de Rosh.
Now this Masach happens to be involved in a Zivug between the Upper Light and the screen that is positioned in the Peh de Rosh. In it the Zivug de Haka’a was renewed and gave birth to a new Partzuf at the level of Bina, which is called SAG de AK. It is considered to be the consequence of the Partzuf AB de AK, since it emerges because of a Zivug on the Masach positioned at the Peh de Rosh. The Partzufim, starting from SAG and further down, emerge according to the same principle.
37) Thus, we have made clear the consecutive emerging of the Partzufim (one under another), which happened due to the impact between the Inner and the Surrounding Lights, the (Bitush Ohr Pnimi u Makif). This impact weakens the Masach so that it loses its strength and returns to the Peh de Rosh (coincides with it in its qualities), thus getting involved in the Zivug de Haka’a constantly occurring at the Masach de Rosh.
Owing to this Zivug, a new Partzuf emerges as an offspring of the previous one. So AB is a result of the Partzuf Keter, SAG is an off shoot of AB, MA – of SAG and so on in all subsequent levels of the worlds of Nikudim and ABYA. However, we also have to understand why the Partzuf AB can only reach the level of Behina Gimel and not Dalet. SAG reaches only Behina Bet. I.e., each following Partzuf is one level lower than the previous. Why are they not all equal?
38) First, we have to understand why the Partzuf AB is regarded as the offspring of Partzuf Keter. After its birth because of the Zivug at Peh de Rosh of the Partzuf Galgalta, its height corresponds precisely to the 10 Sefirot de Guf of the Partzuf. So why is it unable to continue as part of the Partzuf Galgalta and not as an individual Partzuf, the result of the first one?
Here you should realize what an enormous difference there is between the Masach de Guf and the Masach de Rosh. There are two kinds of Malchut in the Partzuf. The first is Malchut Mizdaveget, i.e., Malchut that interacts with the Upper Light owing to its corrected intentions (Masach); the second is Malchut Mesayemet, which with the help of its screen prevents the spreading of the Upper Light into the 10 Sefirot de Guf of the Partzuf.
The distinction between them is as great as between the Creator and the creation. It is because Malchut de Rosh ,in the Stroke Contact with the Upper Light, is considered to be the Creator as regards the Guf of Partzuf. Its screen does not push away the light when it strikes. Rather, following the dressing of Ohr Hozer onto Ohr Yashar, the 10 Sefirot de Rosh emerge, allowing the light to spread downwards, until the 10 Sefirot of the Upper Light dress in the Kli de Ohr Hozer, called the Guf (body of the Partzuf).
Hence, the Masach and Malchut de Rosh are regarded as the Creator for the 10 Sefirot de Guf. However, so far there is absolutely no resisting power in this Malchut and in its Masach. It will happen thanks to Malchut and the Masach of Guf de Partzuf. Let us explain: after the 10 Sefirot spread from the Peh de Rosh downwards, they could only reach the Malchut of these 10 Sefirot, for the Upper Light cannot spread into Malchut de Guf. The Masach positioned there prevents the light from filling it; therefore, the Partzuf ends and the Behina Sof (End of Partzuf) appears there.
Since all the power of the Restriction manifests in this Masach of Malchut de Guf, the impact between the Inner and the Surrounding Lights occurs only in the Masach de Guf (the screen of the body) of the Partzuf. It restrains and repels the OhrMakif, preventing it from shining inside the Partzuf. The Masach de Rosh does not do it, since it only attracts and dresses the light, but the resisting power is not yet apparent in it.
39) As stated above, the impacts between the Ohr Pnimi and the Ohr Makif have turned the Masach of Malchut Mesayemet into the Masach of Malchut, which makes a Zivug at Peh de Rosh. The Bitush of the Ohr Makif so weakened the restraining power of the Masach that, out of all the Aviut de Guf of Masach de Rosh, only a thin Reshimot (equal to Aviut of Masach de Rosh) remained, which led to the merging of the Masach de Guf with the Masach de Rosh. As a result, it enabled the Masach de Guf to make the same Zivug de Haka’a as the Masach de Rosh.
Out of this Zivug emerged a new Partzuf that has its own 10 Sefirot, whose level is one-step lower than the preceding. At the same time, the Reshimot de Aviut that had originally been in the Masach de Guf was renewed there; therefore, the difference between the properties of both screens reappears. This difference separates the Masach de Guf from the Masach de Rosh.
When its true nature manifests, it cannot remain in the Peh of the higher Partzuf, since in the spiritual world the changing of properties separates one object from another. Therefore, it is forced to descend and become an individual Partzuf. Even the Rosh of the new Partzuf is at the level of the Guf of the higher one, because it was born out of its Masach de Guf.
This distinction between them divides them into two different Partzufim, and since the new Partzuf emerged out of the Masach de Guf of the previous one, it relates to its superior as a branch relates to its root.
40) The difference between the lower and the higher Partzufim consists in the fact that each lower Partzuf appears at a different level, lower than the preceding one. As was mentioned, this level is determined by the Aviut of Masach, consisting of the five Behinot.
The highest level of the light and the lowest Behina of the Kelim of the previous Partzuf are absent in each subsequent one. The smaller the desire I use with the screen, the lower the quality of the light I receive in my Partzuf.
The Impact between the Ohr Makif, and the Ohr Pnimi in the screen that separates them, contributes to the loss of the last Behina of the Aviut of this Masach. Therefore, Behina Dalet disappears in the Partzuf Galgalta, so that no Reshimot are left from it.
After the Masach de Guf rises and merges with the Masach de Peh making a Zivug de Haka’a on the Aviut left in the Reshimot of Masach, the Partzuf of one level lower emerges, i.e., the Partzuf Hochma. The Behina Dalet of the vesselsis absent in it as well as the light of Yechida. Because of the transformation of properties, a new Partzuf AB separates from the Partzuf Galgalta and becomes independent, but is considered its offspring.
41) After the formation of the Partzuf AB, the impact between the Ohr Makif and the Ohr Pnimi on the Masach de Guf of AB (with Aviut Gimel) takes place. This impact makes for the loss of the last Behina of the Reshimo de Masach. The Masach rises to the Peh de Rosh and makes a Zivug de Haka’a there only on the Aviut de Behina Bet. This Zivug forms the 10 Sefirot on the level of Bina, i.e., the Partzuf SAG of the world of Adam Kadmon, which has neither the Kelim of ZA and Malchut, nor the lights of Yechida and Haya.
42) Now we will understand the meaning of the consecutive descent of the levels during the development of the Partzufim one after another because of the Bitush Ohr Makif and Ohr Pnimi, which governs in each Partzuf and contributes to the loss of its last Behina of the Reshimo de Aviut.
The Reshimot left after the thinning of the screen are of two kinds: the Reshimo de Aviut and the Reshimo de Hitlabshut. Therefore, after the weakening of the Masach of the Partzuf Galgalta, the Reshimo de Aviut ofthe Behina Gimel remained, while the Reshimo de Hitlabshut of the Behina Dalet did not change.
43) The disappearance of the Reshimo de Hitlabshut in each last level left in the Masach leads to the formation of two stages: Zachar and Nekeva (“male” and “female” essence) in the Rosh of each Partzuf, starting from AB de AK, but also in SAG, MA, BON and in all the Partzufim of the world of Atzilut.
There is the Reshimo de Aviut of the Behina Gimel in the screen of the Partzuf AB. It elevates the 10 Sefirot of the Reflected Light only up to the level of Hochma, but the Reshimo de Hitlabshut of the Behina Dalet that is left there is unfit for Zivug with the Upper Light, due to its Zakut (the absence of the 'desire to receive', but wishing to be like the Creator). By absorbing the Reshimo de Aviut and forming one common Reshimo with it, it now receives enough strength for a Zivug de Haka’a with the Upper Light.
Then a Zivug de Haka’a with the Ohr Elion takes place, and as a result, the Partzuf of the level close to that of Keter emerges, as the Reshimo de Hitlabshut of the Behina Dalet is present in it. This merging is called the inclusion of Nekeva in Zachar; since the Reshimo de Aviut of the Behina Gimel is called “Nekeva”. This is because it is determined by the property of Aviut (the sensation of the 'desire to receive'). However, the Reshimo de Hitlabshut of the Behina Dalet is called Zachar, because it corresponds to a higher state and does not have Aviut.
The Reshimo de Zachar cannot make a Zivug by itself. A Zivug de Nekeva determines the level of the emerging Partzuf, the quality and the quantity of the light that will really enter the Partzuf.
44) There is also the inclusion of Zachar in Nekeva. This means that the Reshimo de Hitlabshut unites with the Reshimo de Aviut. In this case a Zivug occurs only on the level of Nekeva, i.e., on Behina Gimel (Hochma), which is called HaVaYaH (Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey, the unutterable Name of the Creator) de AB.
There are the so-called “upper” and “lower” Zivugim. Theupper Zivug corresponds to the inclusionof Nekeva in Zachar. Because of this Zivug, the Partzuf whose level is close to Keter emerges. The lower Zivug corresponds to the inclusionof Zachar in Nekeva. This Zivug leads to the creation of a Partzuf whose level is only Hochma. Aviut, which corresponds to the level of Zachar, does not belong to it, as was mentioned above; it was acquired because of the “inclusion”, the interaction with Nekeva.
Therefore this Aviut is sufficient only for creating the 10 Sefirot bottom-up (called Rosh), but not for spreading top-down, which forms the Guf – the true vessels. The Guf of the Partzuf is formed with the help of the level of Nekeva, which has its own Aviut. Hence, we call the Partzuf according to the level of Nekeva, in this particular case AB. The main part of the Partzuf is the Guf; it is where the reception of the light in the vessels takes place.
45) Similar to the formation of the two levels of Zachar and Nekeva in the Rosh of the Partzuf AB, the same levels emerge in the Partzuf SAG. The only difference is that, in the former case, the level of Zachar is approximately Hochma, since it emerges as a result of a Zivug on the inclusion of Aviut Bet (Bina) in the Reshimo Gimel de Hitlabshut (Hochma). The level of Nekeva in SAG is a pure Bina with Aviut Bet.