Anthologized and translated by Rabbi Moshe Wisnefsky from the writings of the Ari.
The menora, of course, had seven branches, but what is
meant here is the general subdivision of three branches to the right, three to
the left, and the central shaft.
"And G-d said, 'Let there be light,' and there
was light. And G-d saw the light that it was good, and G-d divided
the light from the darkness. And G-d called the light day..."
(Gen.1:1-5)
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| " The five states of gevura [that spread through] Nukva and shine in it are called the lights of night..." | |
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The five states of gevura [that spread through]
Nukva and shine in it are called the "lights of night". These shine via
the lamps [of the menora]. Thus, the seven lamps - which are the vessels
[that hold the burning oil and wicks] - manifest the seven lower sefirot
of Nukva, while the seven lights which burn in them, shining from the
fire and flame of the burning wicks inside the lamps, are the lights that shine
via the vessels.
Every sefira is composed of a "light" and a
"vessel." In most contexts, the light is simply the divine energy or creative
force, which is a uniform, simple entity that does not change from one sefira
to another. What gives the sefira its unique identity is its vessel,
which is the context in which the light shines. The standard analogy for this is
clear water that is poured into different colored glasses. Although water is
colorless, it will appear to assume the color of the glass it is poured into.
Similarly, G-d is a simple, unified essence, but He acts through the various
attributes of the sefirot, which may be diametrically opposed to one
another (e.g., chesed and gevura). The dichotomy of light and
vessel allows the one G-d to assume a multitude of attributes without
compromising His unity.
As we have explained elsewhere, the states of
chesed [that spread throughout] Zeir Anpin are divided into two
categories: as far down as its "chest", they are covered within the sheath of
the yesod of Imma, which reaches this far; from its "chest"
downward, however, they are exposed lights. Thus, the exposed lights are the
lower two-thirds of tiferet [of Zeir Anpin] - this is what is
meant by "from the chest downward" - plus the two full lights of netzach
and hod [of Zeir Anpin]. They are thus two and two-thirds
[exposed] light.
The five states of chesed of Zeir Anpin
originate in Imma (the partzuf of bina), as will be
explained further on. They are transmitted from Imma to Zeir Anpin
via the yesod of Imma. In psychological terms, this simply means
that the love or enthusiasm that expresses itself throughout the entire
emotionally array originates in the intellect, specifically in bina,
where the insight of chochma is developed into a full conceptual
structure that can elicit an emotional response. But since intellect itself is
self-referencing and self-oriented, it is only the yesod of bina,
the drive of the intellect to actualize itself, which is interested in changing
reality by eliciting an emotional response.
This drive, the yesod of Imma, thus
envelopes and is the context within which the five states of chesed are
manifest in Zeir Anpin, at least as far as its "chest," i.e., as far as
the first, upper third of tiferet of Zeir Anpin, inclusive. To
that point, that is, as they manifest through chesed and gevura
and the beginning of tiferet, they are enveloped by the consciousness of
their source in the intellect. From this point onward, however, this awareness
of where the emotional response is coming from is lost, and the emotional
response (i.e., the spreading forth of the five states of chesed through
Zeir Anpin) assumes a life of its own. This is what is meant by calling
these states of gevura "revealed" or "exposed" or "unsheathed" from that
point on.
The inner experience of chesed is love; that of
gevura is fear; that of tiferet is mercy. Love and fear are still
abstract enough to retain awareness of their source in the intellect; their
thrust is simply the transmission or withholding of the idea, without too much
reference to the recipient. Mercy, in contrast, is much more subjective and
oriented toward the needs and condition of the intended recipient of the new
reality; therefore, only its first third, or intellectual, abstract aspect
(recall that every sefira itself subdivides into ten sub-sefirot,
grouped into "thirds" of intellect, emotion, and drive) can retain the
consciousness of where it's coming from. The rest of it is focused on where it's
going to.
Since these two and two-thirds lights are divested of
any envelope restraining them, they descend rapidly down to yesod [of
Zeir Anpin].
In contrast to the deliberate nature of intellect,
emotion is characterized as being impetuous and forceful.
They then rebound, ascending as reflected light, and
spread through the three axes of Zeir Anpin until they reach its keter.
In this way, they cause Zeir Anpin to grow and mature.
By receiving and transmitting the inspiration of
chochma and bina ( Abba and Imma), Zeir Anpin
matures. The flow of positive energy, well-rooted in insight into holiness and
its intellectual development, serves to make the emotionality of Zeir Anpin
more and more holy and mature in its orientation. The three "axes" here
mentioned are the right, left, and middle lines of the sub-sefirot of
Zeir Anpin (right: chochma, chesed, netzach; left:
bina, gevura, hod; center: keter, daat,
tiferet, yesod, malchut). When the light of the five states of
chesed (that originated from Imma) reach the keter of
Zeir Anpin, they influence its will, which in turn sets the tone for the
overall focus of the partzuf.
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| " The rebound occurs at the level of yesod, the outward drive for actualization of the emotions..." | |
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The rebound occurs at the level of yesod, the
outward drive for actualization of the emotions. By actualizing itself outwards,
the partzuf itself gains and matures internally. This is because
self-actualization and propagation promote self-validation and the remaking of
the self in the image one is projecting outwards. One "rises to the occasion,"
so to speak.
This is akin to the common experience that by helping
someone else or teaching someone else, the helper or teacher gains and grows
immensely. As our sages have said, "more than the householder helps the pauper,
the pauper helps the householder" ( Vayikra Rabba 34:10), and, "I have
learned much from my colleagues, more from my teachers, but most of all from my
students." (Taanit 7a)
A similar process occurs in Nukva. For when
these states of gevura issue from the back of Zeir Anpin [in order
to develop Nukva], they cannot issue simply as lights of gevura;
rather, there issue with them some of the vessels and "walls" of Zeir Anpin
itself, which clothe and envelop them.
As will be explained later, these vessels and "walls"
are the sheath of yesod of Zeir Anpin, which is the context in
which these lights of gevura issue, just as the states of chesed
issued from Imma in the sheath of its yesod.
It thus follows that just as in Zeir Anpin [the
states of chesed] are partly covered and partly exposed, so is it with
regard to Nukva: [the states of gevura] are partly covered and
partly exposed, for the vessels of Zeir Anpin [partly] cover them.
Now, with regard to Zeir Anpin, the sheath
[covering the five states of chesed] is the yesod of Imma.
Since it [yesod of Imma] is short, it ends at its [Zeir Anpin's]
chest. In contrast, however, the sheath covering the states of gevura
[spreading through] Nukva originates in the yesod of Zeir Anpin,
which is long, reaching until the bottom of tiferet of Nukva.
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| " The passage from Imma to Zeir Anpin is a change of essence, from intellect to emotion..." | |
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The passage from Imma to Zeir Anpin is a
change of essence, from intellect to emotion. Therefore, as we said, the
intellectual actualization-drive (yesod) can extend only so far as the
intellectual aspect (the upper third) of tiferet of Zeir Anpin. In
contrast, the passage from Zeir Anpin to Nukva is just a change of
focus, from emotion per se to the expression of emotion. Therefore, the
actualization-drive of Zeir Anpin can extend all the way down to the end
of tiferet of Nukva. In other words, the consciousness of the
emotions themselves can remain in the expression-consciousness of Nukva
as far its tiferet (or mercy, empathy). From that point on, the
transmission consciousness (netzach and hod) takes over.
It thus follows that in Zeir Anpin, two and
two-thirds of its states of chesed are exposed, while in Nukva
only the two states of gevura manifest in its netzach and hod
are exposed. This is one difference between the states of gevura [of
Nukva and the states of chesed of Zeir Anpin]: the extent to
which they are exposed or concealed.
A further difference is regarding the "height" [of the
point where they become exposed]. That is, in Zeir Anpin, where they are
exposed from the "chest" down, the descent, which the states of chesed
traverse, is relatively tall.
The states of chesed, once they become exposed,
traverse the remaining two thirds of tiferet before they reach yesod
of Zeir Anpin. (The sefirot of netzach and hod do
not add any length to the descent of the states of chesed, for yesod
is positioned directly under tiferet, just as the reproductive organ is
the lower extremity of the torso in the human body, the legs - which correspond
to netzach and hod - being off to the side.)
But in the case of Nukva, there is almost no
descent for its states of gevura to traverse whatsoever, for as soon as
they emerge from the bottom of its tiferet they immediately enter its
yesod.
Now, it is known that chief way the states of
chesed cause Zeir Anpin to mature is by the force of their descent
and headlong rush into its yesod.
This is clearly demonstrable: if a stone falls from a
height of ten cubits, it will rebound upward one or two cubits. But if it falls
from a height of twenty cubits, it will rebound upward double the distance.
Therefore, in the case of Zeir Anpin, when
their descent was from a great height, the states of chesed were able to
rebound as reflected light all the way up its stature, and to spread through all
three of its axes, as well, reaching its keter. But in the case of
Nukva, there are two drawbacks: firstly, in the number of exposed states of
gevura, of which there are only two in contrast to the exposed states of
chesed in Zeir Anpin, of which there are two and two-thirds, and
secondly, in the height of their descent and fall, which is practically naught,
as we have explained.
Thus, [Nukva's] exposed states of gevura
that descend to its yesod are not capable of rebounding up to its
keter and at the same time spreading upward through all three of its axes,
as do the rebounding states of chesed in Zeir Anpin. In order that
they be able to reach Nukva's keter, they do not spread upward
through its three axes; rather, they ascend to its keter only through the
middle axis. In this way, the intensity of their light is not diminished by
being spread through the other two axes.
We are only concerned that Nukva's central axis
be illuminated [by the light of these states of gevura, and not that the
other two axes be illuminated by them]. This is because [at the top] of these
two axes are Nukva's two brain-lobes, those of chochma and bina,
which shine downward through the left and right axes. But its keter
[initially] possesses no such brain, and it is improper for its keter to
be inferior to its chochma and bina. It is therefore crucial that
the states of gevura ascend to keter in order to shine as the
brain of keter itself. We have explained a similar process elsewhere with
regard to why the states of chesed of Zeir Anpin must ascend to
its keter.
You might ask, these two states of [exposed] gevura
ascend back through the middle axis and pass through tiferet, whose
light, as we said, is entirely sheathed. If so, how can they act to enlarge and
mature them, since they become hidden again, as they were to begin with?
It would seem that on the rebound, the exposed states
of gevura would re-enter the consciousness of the upper triad of
emotions, which, as we said, in Nukva is still permeated with the
consciousness of Zeir Anpin, the emotions in and of themselves. Thus, it
would seem, these lights would lose their inertia and revert to their previous,
subdued state.
The answer to this is that once they have been
exposed, their light - which was initially confined and constricted within the
sheath [of the yesod of Zeir Anpin] - expanded and spread outward.
Therefore, even when they return upward [to the level of tiferet] and
become hidden [within the sheath], they cannot become confined and constricted
as they were originally. On the contrary, they cause the sheath to expand. Thus,
the vessel of their sheath [into which they enter] together with those states of
gevura that remained covered [within it] now become greatly energized by
their impact and expand concomitantly, to the extent that the place [i.e., the
level of tiferet] can no longer contain them. This is similar to the
process we explained elsewhere regarding how the states of chesed affect
Zeir Anpin.
Thus, both the vessel of tiferet and the lights
of those states of gevura that remained hidden within it gain
immeasurably by the impact of the returning, reflected light.
We may now begin to explain the mystical significance
of kindling the lamps of the menora [in the holy Temple]. The descent of
the states of gevura [within Nukva] down to its yesod is
called "kindling" the lamps and "making them shine". This is the process
referred to in the verse [quoted above] by the words, "the seven lamps are to
shine...." The idiom "causing to ascend" is not used here, as it is earlier in the
same verse.
In contrast, the ascent and rebound [of these states
of gevura] from yesod of Nukva to its keter is a
different aspect [of kindling the lamps] and is referred to with the idiom
"causing to ascend".
It is to this that our sages referred when they said
that the meaning of "causing the lamps to ascend" is that Aaron should kindle
[the wicks] "until the flame ascends by itself." (Shabbat 21a)
I.e., rebounds on its own power. The mystical meaning
of the verse is thus: "In order to make the lights ascend, they must first
shine/descend through the seven middot of Nukva."
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| " Aaron...waited in order to ensure that even when they re-ascended they would do so only through the middle axis..." | |
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Aaron, however, did more than he was commanded to. For
he was only commanded to make sure that the wicks faced the middle shaft of the
menora, which embodies the middle axis [of Nukva], when the [five
states of gevura] were descending [through Nukva]. As it is
written, "the seven lamps are to shine toward the front of the menora."
[Editor's note: The word for "front" (penei) also means "the inner part
of," or in this context, the central shaft.] He, however, waited in order to
ensure that even when they re-ascended they would do so only through the middle
axis, as we explained. This is the mystical meaning of the following verse: "And
Aaron did thus; he kindled the lamps toward the front of the menora...." In this
verse, the idiom of "shining" is not used, as it is in G-d's commandment to him.
The reason why Aaron did this is as follows: when the
two exposed states of gevura descended down to yesod, they
separated from each other, since there was no sheath forcing them together. This
is only to be expected, inasmuch as they were netzach and hod,
which are two opposite forces, the first belonging to the right side and the
second to the left. Therefore, when they ascended on their rebound, they were
also separated, each one tending toward its native axis. But had they been
allowed to pursue this path, this would have dissipated their light such that
they would not have been able to reach [Nukva's] keter, as we
explained above. He therefore tarried [in the process of kindling them] until
"the flame ascended by itself," that is, such that the light ascended solely
into the middle axis, which is called "the front of the menora". Once it
has entered this channel it can no longer diffuse to the right or left because
[this channel] is bounded by walls preventing this. Rather, the light must
perforce ascend directly up the middle line, until it reaches keter.
Aaron's characteristic trait was that of love, as we
are taught: "Be of the students of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace,
loving the creatures and drawing them near to the Torah." (Avot 1:12) By
kindling the menora, he thus aptly represents the way the flow of Zeir Anpin
(the emotions, the principle one of which is love) inspires and causes Nukva
to mature and develop.
[Shaar HaMitzvot and Taamei HaMitzvot]
