פתיחה לפירוש הסולם 23

כג. עתה תבין היטב, מה שאמרו חז"ל (בראשית רבה סוף פרשה י"ב) “בתחילה עלה במחשבה לברוא העולם במדת הדין", דהיינו במלכות דצמצום ראשון, שהיא מדת הדין. ו"העולם" יש לפרשו על זו"ן דאצילות המכונים 'עולם'. וכן יש לפרשו על העולם הזה, המקבל מזו"ן דאצילות, כי כל המקובל לזו"ן דאצילות, אפשר שיקובל לבני אדם שבעולם הזה, וכל שאינו מקובל לזו"ן, אינו מקובל לבני העולם הזה, כי למעלה ממדרגת זו"ן אין אנו יכולים לקבל. ולפיכך, כיון ששורש הזו"ן הוא מלמטה מטבור דא"ק, ששם שולטת המלכות דמדת הדין, אין הם יכולים לקבל האור העליון ולהתקיים, מחמת הצמצום שבמלכות הרוכב עליהם, ומכל שכן העולם הזה שלא יהיה יכול להתקיים.

23. Now the statement of the Sages cited above can be properly understood:²⁸See section 15. “Initially, it was God’s intent to create the world through the attribute of judgment” – that is, through the Malkhut of the first constriction, which is the attribute of judgment.²⁹fter the placement of the partition resulting from the first constriction, Malkhut was unable to directly receive the supernal light. As a result, Malkhut operates as a force that limits the light and imposes darkness upon the vessels. This limiting dynamic is the “attribute of judgement” discussed here. The term “world” should be explained as referring to the Ze’er Anpin and Nukba of Atzilut, which are called “world.” It can also be interpreted as referring to this world, which receives supernal light from the level of Ze’er Anpin and Nukba of Atzilut, for everything that is received in the level of Ze’er Anpin and Nukba of Atzilut can be received by human beings in this world, whereas anything that is not received in the level of Ze’er Anpin and Nukba of Atzilut cannot be received by human beings in this world, as we cannot receive from any level above the level of Ze’er Anpin and Nukba in Atzilut.³⁰This level of Atzilut can be thought of as a sort of divine root of our world. There are many levels that are higher than this level of Atzilut, but since they are beyond the root of our world, and similarly, beyond the root of our very selves, we have no way of accessing them. If we think of the different levels and layers as coverings or filters for the supernal light, then the intensity or radiance of the supernal light above this level of Atzilut is beyond our capacity. Only after it is filtered through this layer does it begin to reach states that are accessible to us. The root of our souls derives from Ze'er Anpin and Nukba, the root of this world. Therefore, since the root of Ze’er Anpin and Nukba is below the navel of Adam Kadmon, where the Malkhut of the attribute of judgment is dominant, Ze’er Anpin and Nukbacannot receive the supernal light and continue to exist, on account of the constriction of Malkhut which controls them. All the more so, this world cannot exist.³¹At this point in the discussion, the author of the Sulam is addressing the state of things if there would not have been a second constriction, which is the ascent of Malkhut to Bina. He does so in order to substantiate the explanation of the words of the Sages regarding the partnering of judgment with mercy to create the world. The issue here is that the root in Adam Kadmon of the lower part of the world of Atzilut, which is Ze’er Anpin and Nukba, is positioned below the navel of Adam Kadmon. This area of the partzuf of Adam Kadmon is the end of that higher partzuf, the area where the supernal light cannot enter. This means that the supernal light has no way of reaching Ze’er Anpin and Nukba, which is the partzuf and level of Atzilut that is the root of our world. Accordingly, in this state, our world cannot exist, as it would have no access to the supernal light that provides lifeforce for existence. As the author of the Sulam goes on to explain, the ascent of Malkhut to Bina allows for Ze’er Anpin and Nukba to ascend to the higher level of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, the roots of which are above the navel of Adam Kadmon. It is this elevation that allows for our world to exist, as it allows Ze’er Anpin and Nukba to receive supernal light, and in turn, to transmit that light to the lower levels.

וזה שאמרו: “ראה שאין העולם מתקיים, הקדים מדת הרחמים ושתפה למדת הדין", דהיינו שהעלה המלכות דכל מדרגה, שהיא מדת הדין, אל הבינה של המדרגה, שהיא מדת הרחמים. ונמצא שהמלכות דישסו"ת עלתה לבינה דישסו"ת, שעל ידי זה נפלו בינה ותפארת ומלכות דישסו"ת למדרגה שמתחתיה, שהיא זו"ן, ונתדבקו עמהם. ומשום זה, בזמן הגדלות דישסו"ת, שהמלכות חזרה וירדה מבינה דישסו"ת למקומה, ושלושת הכלים בינה ותפארת ומלכות דישסו"ת חזרו למקומם לישסו"ת, כבתחילה, הנה אז לקחו עמהם גם את זו"ן הדבוקים בהם, והעלו אותם אל מדרגת ישסו"ת. ונעשו זו"ן כמדרגת ישסו"ת, דהיינו שנעשו ראויים לקבל האור העליון כמו ישסו"ת (כנזכר לעיל אות כ"א), ועל כן מקבלים האור העליון דישסו"ת ומשפיעים לעולם הזה, ועתה יכול העולם להתקיים. אבל לולא השיתוף של מדת הדין במדת הרחמים, דהיינו אם לא עלתה המלכות דישסו"ת לבינה דישסו"ת, אז לא היו נופלים בינה ותפארת ומלכות דישסו"ת לזו"ן, ולא היתה שום מציאות שזו"ן יעלו לישסו"ת, ואז לא היו יכולים לקבל האור העליון בשביל העולם, והעולם לא היה יכול להתקיים. והנה נתבאר ענין עלית המלכות לבינה.

This is the meaning of the continuation of the statement of the Sages: “When He saw that the world could not exist with the attribute of judgment alone, He preceded it with the attribute of mercy, partnering it with the attribute of judgment.” This means that He raised up Malkhut which is the attribute of judgment, of every level, to Bina which is the attribute of mercy, of the level. The Malkhut of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna ascended to the Bina of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, as a result of which Bina, Tiferet, and Malkhut of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, fell to the level below Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, which is Ze’er Anpin and Nukba, and became attached to them. As a consequence, when the level of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna reached a state of maturity, where the Malkhut reverted and descended from Bina of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna to its place, and the three vessels Bina, Tiferet, and Malkhut of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, returned to their place, to Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, as before, they also took with them the level of Ze’er Anpin and Nukba that was attached to them. They raised them to the level of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, and the level of Ze’er Anpin and Nukba became like the level of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, meaning they became fit to receive the supernal light like Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna (as stated in section 21 above). Accordingly, Ze’er Anpin and Nukba receive the supernal light of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna and give to this world, and only now this world can exist. However, without the combination of the attribute of judgment with the attribute of mercy – that is, if the Malkhut of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna had not ascended to the Bina of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna – then the Bina, Tiferet, and Malkhut of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna would not have fallen to Ze’er Anpin and Nukba, and there would have been no possibility of Ze’er Anpin and Nukba ascending to Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna. In that case, they would not have been able to receive the supernal light on behalf of the world, and the world could not exist. The ascent of Malkhut to Bina has now been explained.