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פתיחה לפירוש הסולם 36

Introduction to Sulam Commentary · Chapter 36

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    לו. והטעם שהחכמה אינה יכולה להאיר בלי אור החסדים הוא, כי המדובר הוא בישסו"ת, שהוא שבע ספירות תחתונות דבינה, שהם חג"ת נהי"מ דבינה. ואלו חג"ת נהי"מ דבינה אינם בחינת בינה עצמה, אלא מהתכללות ז"א בבינה. כי כל עשר הספירות נכללות זו מזו, ויש בכל ספירה עשר ספירות, למשל ספירת הבינה נכללת מכל עשר ספירות כח"ב תו"מ, ובינה שבה היא בחינתה עצמה, וכתר וחכמה שבה היא מכתר וחכמה שנכללו בה. ותפארת ומלכות, שהם חג"ת נהי"מ שלה, הם מהתכללות זו"ן שבה.

    36. The reason that Ḥokhma is unable to illuminate without the light of giving is that we are dealing with Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, which comprises the seven lower sefirot of Bina, which are Ḥesed, Gevura, Tiferet, Netzaḥ, Hod, Yesod, and Malkhut of Bina. The Ḥesed, Gevura, Tiferet, Netzaḥ, Hod, Yesod, and Malkhut of Bina are not considered Bina itself, but rather they are formed from the incorporation of Ze’er Anpin in Bina, for all ten sefirot are incorporated in one another, and each sefira contains ten sefirot. For example, the sefira of Bina is comprised of all ten sefirot:53The author of Sulam consistently refers to the ten sefirot as the five main sefirot, though within this structure of five, the full ten are present. Keter, Ḥokhma, Bina, Tiferet, and Malkhut. The Bina sefira within it is considered itself, and the Keter and Ḥokhma within it are from the Keter and Ḥokhma that were incorporated inside it, while the Tiferet and Malkhut, which are its Ḥesed, Gevura, Tiferet, Netzaḥ, Hod, Yesod, and Malkhut, are from the incorporation of Ze’er Anpin and Nukba.54Recall that each of the sefirot contains all the sefirot within it, as the author of Sulam reviews here. The level of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna is the lower seven sefirot of the total Bina of Atzilut (with Abba and Imma Ila'in as the upper three sefirot of Bina of Atzilut). The lower seven sefirot of any given level are meant to hold the light of giving with an illumination from the light of Ḥokhma, as this section explains.

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    ונודע שספירת ז"א ממקורה בעשר ספירות דאור ישר, הוא אור החסדים בעיקר, אלא שאור החכמה מאיר בחסדים שלו (כמו שנתבאר בתלמוד עשר הספירות חלק א' פרק א' אות נ', עיין שם). ולפיכך, אי אפשר בכל שבע ספירות תחתונות, שתאיר החכמה בלי חסדים, כי חסר בהם עיקר העצם והנושא של הארת החכמה, דהיינו החסדים, שהם עיקר עצמותו של ז"א דעשר ספירות דאור ישר, שהוא שורש כל שבע ספירות תחתונות הכלולות בכל המדרגות. ומכאן הכלל, שרק באור שלש ספירות ראשונות יכולה החכמה להאיר בלי חסדים. אבל בשבע ספירות תחתונות שבכל מקום, שהם הם בחינת ז"א, אי אפשר שתאיר החכמה בלי חסדים, כי החסדים הם עיקר מהותם. ועל כן אם החכמה חסרה מחסדים, היא חושך ולא אור.

    It is known that the sefira of Ze’er Anpin, from its source in the ten sefirot of the direct light, is primarily the light of giving, only that the light of Ḥokhma illuminates its light of giving (as explained in Talmud Eser HaSefirot vol. 1, 1:50). Therefore, it is impossible, in all the seven lower sefirot, for Ḥokhma to illuminate without the light of giving, as the seven lower sefirot would then lack their main core and the necessary element for bearing the illumination of Ḥokhma, that is, the light of giving. The light of giving is the main core of Ze’er Anpin of the ten sefirot of the direct light, which is the root of all seven lower sefirot that are incorporated in all the levels.55The structures of partzufim under discussion involve the dynamics of returning light interacting with direct supernal light. All forms of light are contained in sets of sefirot, the five sefirot (also referred to as “ten”) mentioned here. The structures of the sefirot containing the direct light serve as templates for all structures of sefirot at every level of existence. Hence, the level of Ze'er Anpin, synonymous with the sefira of Tiferet, always must have the light of giving as its core, with an illumination of the light of Ḥokhma. From here the rule that Ḥokhma can illuminate only the light of the first three sefirot without the light of giving can be derived. By contrast, in the seven lower sefirot, which are considered Ze’er Anpin in any of their contexts, Ḥokhma cannot illuminate without the light of giving, since the light of giving is the core of their essence. Consequently, if Ḥokhma lacks the light of giving in the seven lower sefirot, it is darkness and not light.

Hebrew: Zohar with Sulam commentary, Jerusalem 1945

English: The Sefaria Sulam, 2023 · CC-BY

Texts from Sefaria.