מג. ובינה זו נחלקה לשתי בחינות, שלש ראשונות ושבע תחתונות. והוא מטעם, כי הפגם של חסרון חכמה שנעשה בה עם יציאתה מראש א"א, אינו נוגע כלום בשלש ראשונות דבינה, להיותן תמיד בסוד הכתוב “כי חפץ חסד הוא" [מיכה ז, יח], שהבינה חפצה רק באור החסדים ולא באור החכמה. ואפילו בהיותה בראש א"א לא היו שלש ראשונות שלה מקבלות חכמה, אלא חסדים בלבד. וזה נמשך לה מבינה דאור ישר, שכל עצמותה הוא חסדים בלי חכמה (כמו שנתבאר בפתיחה לחכמת הקבלה אות ה').
43. ThisBina of Arikh Anpinis divided into twolevels, the first three and the lower seven. The reason for this division is because the impairment resulting from the lack ofḤokhma, which occurred within this Binawhen it emerged from theheadofArikh Anpin, does not touch the first three ofBinaat all, since they are always in the state alluded to by the mystical meaning of the verse “For He delights in mercy.”71Micah 7:18. As mentioned in the previous footnotes above, and as this section goes on to explain, the first three of Bina do not need the light of Ḥokhma, and only contain the light of giving (the “mercy” referred to in the verse). Therefore, the first three are not lacking anything when they are ejected from the head of Arikh Anpin, despite now being cut off from the light of Ḥokhma of that head.This is becauseBinadesires only thelight of giving, not the light ofḤokhma. Even whenBinawas in theheadofArikh Anpin, its first three72See the footnotes in the previous two sections above.would not receiveḤokhma, but only the light of giving. This light of giving was drawn to this BinafromBinaof thedirect light,73The direct light is the first illumination from the Creator and is composed of ten sefirot that are the root of all creation. As a result, the characteristics of direct light and its vessels are paralleled by the characteristics of returning light and its vessels. Thus, the vessel of Bina in the flow of direct light is characterized by the light of giving within it, as this vessel or level within the direct light represents the power of created beings to give back to the Creator. This light of giving is drawn from the direct light to the Bina in our discussion here, a vessel that “yearns” for this light of giving. whose whole essence is the light of givingwithout the light of Ḥokhma(as explained in Petiḥa LeḤokhmat HaKabbala, section 5).
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ועל כן אין שלש ראשונות דבינה נפגמות במשהו מחמת יציאתן מראש, והן נחשבות ממש בכל השלמות כעודן בראש דא"א. ולפיכך נבדלו שלש ראשונות דבינה למדרגה בפני עצמן, ומהן נתתקנו או"א עלאין, המלבישים מפה ולמטה דא"א, הנחשבים תמיד לשלש ראשונות, אף על פי שנמצאים מתחת הראש דא"א.
Therefore, the first three74See the footnotes in section 41 above.ofBinaare not impaired at all on account of their emergence from thehead, and they are considered to have retained their actual perfection, as when they were in theheadofArikh Anpin. Consequently, the first three ofBinaseparate into alevelof their own, and from them theAbba and Imma Ila'inwere established, whichenclothe the partzuffrom themouthofArikh Anpindownward, and which are always considered the first three,75The point here is that although this aspect of Bina was ejected from the head, the area of the “first three” of Arikh Anpin, it does not lose its status as a set of “first three” overall, because it was undamaged by the loss of the light of Ḥokhma resulting from its change in position. This is because the first three of Bina only crave the light of giving, which these first three can still receive while situated in the body of Arikh Anpin.even though they are situated beneath theheadofArikh Anpin.
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אבל שבע ספירות תחתונות דבינה, שאינם עצמותה של הבינה, אלא מהתכללות זו"ן בבינה (כנזכר לעיל אות כ"ו), שעיקר מהותו של ז"א הוא הארת חכמה בחסדים (כמו שנתבאר בפתיחה לחכמת הקבלה אות ה'), על כן הן צריכות להארת חכמה, כדי להשפיע לזו"ן. וכיון שבעת יציאתן מראש דא"א אינן ראויות לקבל חכמה בשביל זו"ן, הן נבחנות כפגומות, ומשום זה נבדלו משלש ראשונות דבינה השלמות, ונעשו למדרגה נבדלת בפני עצמה. ומהן נתקנו פרצוף ישסו"ת דאצילות, המלבישים מחזה ולמטה דא"א, שהם בחינת ו"ק בלי ראש, עד שתחזור הבינה לראש דא"א, ואז משיגים שלש ראשונות.
However, regarding the seven lowersefirotofBina, which are not the essence ofBinabut rather come from the incorporation ofZe’er AnpinandNukbainBina76Ze'er Anpin and Nukba together represent the seven lower sefirot in a partzuf structure. Recall that every individual sefira (such as Bina here) is comprised of all ten (or five) sefirot. Thus, this Bina of Arikh Anpin has a lower set of seven sefirot that are (like all sets of lower seven) in need of the illumination of Ḥokhma. This lower set of seven is, itself, also described as a full set of sefirot and forms the partzuf of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, the lower part of Bina of Arikh Anpin. (as stated in section 26 above), since the main essence ofZe’er Anpinis the illumination of the light of Ḥokhmain the light of giving (as explained in Petiḥa LeḤokhmat HaKabbala, section 5), the seven lower sefirot of Bina of Arikh Anpintherefore require the illumination ofḤokhmain order to give to the lower level of Ze’er AnpinandNukba. Since the lower seven of Binaare unfit to receiveḤokhmaforZe’er Anpinand Nukbawhen the lower seven of Binaemerge from theheadofArikh Anpin, the lower seven are considered impaired.77The lower seven of Bina, the partzuf of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, require the light of Ḥokhma. This is in contrast to the first three of Bina, which only crave the light of giving. As a result, Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna are considered impaired as long as they are outside the head of Arikh Anpin.For this reason, the lower seven were separated from the complete first three ofBinaand became a separatelevelof their own. From them thepartzufofYisrael Sabba and Tevunawas established, whichenclothefrom the chest78This is a lower aspect of the partzuf structure.ofArikh Anpindownward. These seven lower sefirotare consideredsix extremitieswithout ahead, until theBinareturns to theheadofArikh Anpin, at which point they obtain the first three.79The point here is that when these different aspects of Bina return to the head of Arikh Anpin, the partzuf of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna is illuminated by the light of Ḥokhma, an illumination for which this partzuf “yearns,” given its position as the lower seven sefirot of Bina.
מג. ובינה זו נחלקה לשתי בחינות, שלש ראשונות ושבע תחתונות. והוא מטעם, כי הפגם של חסרון חכמה שנעשה בה עם יציאתה מראש א"א, אינו נוגע כלום בשלש ראשונות דבינה, להיותן תמיד בסוד הכתוב “כי חפץ חסד הוא" [מיכה ז, יח], שהבינה חפצה רק באור החסדים ולא באור החכמה. ואפילו בהיותה בראש א"א לא היו שלש ראשונות שלה מקבלות חכמה, אלא חסדים בלבד. וזה נמשך לה מבינה דאור ישר, שכל עצמותה הוא חסדים בלי חכמה (כמו שנתבאר בפתיחה לחכמת הקבלה אות ה').
43. This Bina of Arikh Anpin is divided into two levels, the first three and the lower seven. The reason for this division is because the impairment resulting from the lack of Ḥokhma, which occurred within this Bina when it emerged from the head of Arikh Anpin, does not touch the first three of Bina at all, since they are always in the state alluded to by the mystical meaning of the verse “For He delights in mercy.”71Micah 7:18. As mentioned in the previous footnotes above, and as this section goes on to explain, the first three of Bina do not need the light of Ḥokhma, and only contain the light of giving (the “mercy” referred to in the verse). Therefore, the first three are not lacking anything when they are ejected from the head of Arikh Anpin, despite now being cut off from the light of Ḥokhma of that head. This is because Bina desires only the light of giving, not the light of Ḥokhma. Even when Bina was in the head of Arikh Anpin, its first three72See the footnotes in the previous two sections above. would not receive Ḥokhma, but only the light of giving. This light of giving was drawn to this Bina from Bina of the direct light,73The direct light is the first illumination from the Creator and is composed of ten sefirot that are the root of all creation. As a result, the characteristics of direct light and its vessels are paralleled by the characteristics of returning light and its vessels. Thus, the vessel of Bina in the flow of direct light is characterized by the light of giving within it, as this vessel or level within the direct light represents the power of created beings to give back to the Creator. This light of giving is drawn from the direct light to the Bina in our discussion here, a vessel that “yearns” for this light of giving. whose whole essence is the light of giving without the light of Ḥokhma (as explained in Petiḥa LeḤokhmat HaKabbala, section 5).
ועל כן אין שלש ראשונות דבינה נפגמות במשהו מחמת יציאתן מראש, והן נחשבות ממש בכל השלמות כעודן בראש דא"א. ולפיכך נבדלו שלש ראשונות דבינה למדרגה בפני עצמן, ומהן נתתקנו או"א עלאין, המלבישים מפה ולמטה דא"א, הנחשבים תמיד לשלש ראשונות, אף על פי שנמצאים מתחת הראש דא"א.
Therefore, the first three74See the footnotes in section 41 above. of Bina are not impaired at all on account of their emergence from the head, and they are considered to have retained their actual perfection, as when they were in the head of Arikh Anpin. Consequently, the first three of Bina separate into a level of their own, and from them the Abba and Imma Ila'in were established, which enclothe the partzuf from the mouth of Arikh Anpin downward, and which are always considered the first three,75The point here is that although this aspect of Bina was ejected from the head, the area of the “first three” of Arikh Anpin, it does not lose its status as a set of “first three” overall, because it was undamaged by the loss of the light of Ḥokhma resulting from its change in position. This is because the first three of Bina only crave the light of giving, which these first three can still receive while situated in the body of Arikh Anpin. even though they are situated beneath the head of Arikh Anpin.
אבל שבע ספירות תחתונות דבינה, שאינם עצמותה של הבינה, אלא מהתכללות זו"ן בבינה (כנזכר לעיל אות כ"ו), שעיקר מהותו של ז"א הוא הארת חכמה בחסדים (כמו שנתבאר בפתיחה לחכמת הקבלה אות ה'), על כן הן צריכות להארת חכמה, כדי להשפיע לזו"ן. וכיון שבעת יציאתן מראש דא"א אינן ראויות לקבל חכמה בשביל זו"ן, הן נבחנות כפגומות, ומשום זה נבדלו משלש ראשונות דבינה השלמות, ונעשו למדרגה נבדלת בפני עצמה. ומהן נתקנו פרצוף ישסו"ת דאצילות, המלבישים מחזה ולמטה דא"א, שהם בחינת ו"ק בלי ראש, עד שתחזור הבינה לראש דא"א, ואז משיגים שלש ראשונות.
However, regarding the seven lower sefirot of Bina, which are not the essence of Bina but rather come from the incorporation of Ze’er Anpin and Nukba in Bina76Ze'er Anpin and Nukba together represent the seven lower sefirot in a partzuf structure. Recall that every individual sefira (such as Bina here) is comprised of all ten (or five) sefirot. Thus, this Bina of Arikh Anpin has a lower set of seven sefirot that are (like all sets of lower seven) in need of the illumination of Ḥokhma. This lower set of seven is, itself, also described as a full set of sefirot and forms the partzuf of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, the lower part of Bina of Arikh Anpin. (as stated in section 26 above), since the main essence of Ze’er Anpin is the illumination of the light of Ḥokhma in the light of giving (as explained in Petiḥa LeḤokhmat HaKabbala, section 5), the seven lower sefirot of Bina of Arikh Anpin therefore require the illumination of Ḥokhma in order to give to the lower level of Ze’er Anpin and Nukba. Since the lower seven of Bina are unfit to receive Ḥokhma for Ze’er Anpin and Nukba when the lower seven of Bina emerge from the head of Arikh Anpin, the lower seven are considered impaired.77The lower seven of Bina, the partzuf of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, require the light of Ḥokhma. This is in contrast to the first three of Bina, which only crave the light of giving. As a result, Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna are considered impaired as long as they are outside the head of Arikh Anpin. For this reason, the lower seven were separated from the complete first three of Bina and became a separate level of their own. From them the partzuf of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna was established, which enclothe from the chest78This is a lower aspect of the partzuf structure. of Arikh Anpin downward. These seven lower sefirot are considered six extremities without a head, until the Bina returns to the head of Arikh Anpin, at which point they obtain the first three.79The point here is that when these different aspects of Bina return to the head of Arikh Anpin, the partzuf of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna is illuminated by the light of Ḥokhma, an illumination for which this partzuf “yearns,” given its position as the lower seven sefirot of Bina.