The States of Katnut and Gadlut in the World of Nikudim
69) Having acquired some general idea of the TB in the Partzuf Nekudot de SAG, we now proceed to a more detailed analysis of the creation of the ten Sefirot of the world of Nikudim, the fourth Partzuf of the world AK. We already know how one Partzuf takes form out of another. It happens when each lower Partzuf emerges from the Masach de Guf of the upper one, after it loses its strength and rises to the Peh to resume a Zivug de Haka’a. Bitush of the Ohr Makif in the Masach facilitates a loss of the Aviut of Masach de Guf down to Aviut de Rosh.
This allows the creation of a new Partzuf from the previous one. In this way, the Partzuf AB (Hochma) emerged from the Partzuf Galgalta (Keter); similarly, the fourth Partzuf of the world of AK, called the ten Sefirot of the world of the Nikudim, emerged from the Partzuf SAG (Bina).
70) Now, what is the fundamental difference between the Partzuf (the world) Nikudim and the previous Partzufim? The fact is that, during the creation of the previous Partzufim, a Zivug de Haka’a was always made on one pair of Reshimot – de Hitlabshut and deAviut. In this case, however, two pair of the Reshimot rose to Rosh de SAG.
This is because it consists not merely of Reshimot of its own Aviut, i.e., reflects the properties of the Sefirot of Guf de SAG, but it also includes the Reshimot of Aviut de ZON of Partzuf AK below the Tabur. This happened because they were mixed under the Tabur of Partzuf AK; as said in § 61, the Nekudot de SAG descended under the Tabur de AK and merged there with the ZON de AK.
71) Owing to the merging of the Sefirot under the Tabur of the Partzuf AK, new states of Gadlut and Katnut (big and small states) emerged in the Partzuf Nikudim. The ten Sefirot de Katnut of Nikudim emerged on the Reshimot de Aviut in the Masach of Partzuf SAG. The ten Sefirot de Gadlut of Nikudim emerged on the Reshimot ZON de AK under the Tabur that were mixed with the Reshimot of the Masach.
72) Know that the ten Sefirot of Katnut of the world of Nikudim are considered the principal Partzuf, since it emerged similarly to the three previous Partzufim of the world AK. It was born because of a Zivug de Aka’a on the Reshimot Bet/Alef in the Masach de Guf of the upper Partzuf. The ten Sefirot de Gadlut are only an addition to the Partzuf Nikudim, because they appeared, not in the order of the emergence of levels, but from a Zivug on the Reshimot of ZON de Galgalta, which were added to the screen as a result of the descent of Nekudot de SAG under the Tabur.
73) First, let us examine the process of the birth of the Partzuf Katnut de Nikudim. As we know, after the spreading of Partzuf SAG, the Bitush Ohr Pnimi and Makif takes place in its Masach. It weakens the Masach and forces it to return to the Peh de Rosh. With that, the intermediate Partzufim, called Nekudot de SAG, emerge and descend under the Tabur of the Partzuf AK. There they are mixed with Behina Dalet. After the Masach lost all of its Aviut and only the Masach de Rosh is left in the Partzuf, the Masach de Guf supposedly rises to the Peh de Rosh and leads to a new Zivug on the Aviut de Reshimot that remained in the Masach.
74) As always, the last level (in this case the Aviut of the BehinaBet) completely disappeared after the return of the Masach to the Rosh. Only the Reshimo de Hitlabshut and the Behina Alef de Aviut remained.
As in all the previous Partzufim, two Zivugim occur in the Rosh de SAG after the Reshimot leave the intermediate Partzuf Nekudot de SAG rose there. One of them happens because of the inclusion of the Reshimo de Aviut (Nekeva) in the Reshimo de Hitlabshut (Zachar).
In this case, the matter concerns the emergence of the world of the Nikudim; hence, this is the Reshimo Alef de Aviut and the Bet de Hitlabshut. Because of this Zivug, the Sefira of the level called “Bina be Kiruv” or “VAK de Bina” emerges, i.e., the interim state between Bina and ZA. This Sefira is called Keter of the world of Nikudim.
A second Zivug happened because of the inclusion of the Reshimo de Hitlabshut (Zachar) in the Reshimo de Aviut (Nekeva), from which the Sefira of the level of ZA or “VAK bli Rosh” emerged. This Sefira is called AbaveIma of the world of the Nikudim, and they are in a back-to-back position (Achor be Achor).
These two levels are called two heads of the world of the Nikudim. However, there is a difference between them. It consists in the fact that Keter de Nikudim, i.e., the level of Zachar, does not spread into the Guf, but shines only in the Rosh, whereas Aba ve Ima de Nikudim, i.e., the level of Nekeva, spreads into the Guf and is called HaGaT NHYM de Nikudim.
75) Here, we speak about the three levels, one under the other, in the world of Nikudim:
a) Keter de Nikudim on the level of VAK de Bina;
b) AbaveIma on the level of ZA – the two heads;
c) Zat or HaGaT NHYM – the Guf de Nikudim.
76) Know that all the levels of the Nikudim are determined by the risiing of Malchut to Bina. Moreover, they divide into two parts: “Panim ve Achoraim” (front and back of the Partzuf). After making a Zivug in the Nikvey Eynaim, there are only two and a half Sefirot in the Rosh: GE and Nikvey Eynaim, i.e., Keter, Hochma, and the upper third of Bina, which are actually the Kelim de Panim. AHP, which consists of the lower two thirds of Bina, ZA and Nukva (Malchut) got outside the ten Sefirot de Rosh and is now called the Kelim de Achoraim, which are not taken into account during a Zivug. Each subsequent level divided similarly.
77) There is no level in the world of the Nikudim that would not divide into Panim and Achoraim. Therefore, the AHP de Keter, i.e., the Zachar de Nikudim, descended to the level of the Panim de Rosh, Aba ve Ima; in other words, to the level of Nekeva. AHP, i.e., Achoraim de Nekeva of Aba ve Ima, descended to the Guf, i.e., to HaGaT NHYM de Nikudim. Thus, both Keter and AbaveIma consist of two parts: Panim and Achoraim. In other words, Panim de Aba ve Ima dress onto the Achoraim de Keter that descended from above. Achoraim de Aba ve Ima, which descended to the Guf, constitutes the inner part on which Panim de Guf dress.
78) The division of each level into two parts led to the presence of only the lights of Nefesh and Ruach in each upper part of the level, i.e., VAK, and the vessels Keter, Hochma and a part of Bina. Therefore, there are three levels in Katnut de Nikudim: Keter, Aba ve Ima and Zat, i.e., the vessels Keter, Hochma and a part of Bina, and the lights Nefesh and Ruach, since Zat de Bina and ZON descended from their level to the lower one.