פתיחה לפירוש הסולם 46

שלש אותיות מ' ל' צ' שבצלם
מו. המוחין דגדלות, דהיינו אחר שהמלכות חזרה וירדה ממקום בינה למקומה עצמה, ובינה ותפארת ומלכות חזרו למדרגתם, ונשלמה המדרגה בחמשה כלים כח"ב תו"מ, ובחמשה אורות נרנח"י (כנזכר לעיל אות י"ח), שזה נבחן שהמלכות שהוא סוד י' שנכנסה ל'אור' ועשתו ל'אויר', חזרה ויצאה מן ה'אויר', וחזר ה'אויר' להיות 'אור' (כמו שנתבאר שם) – יש להבחין במוחין אלו שלש מדרגות, המרומזות בשלש אותיות מ' ל' צ', שהוא סוד 'צלם'.

The Three Letters of Tzelem: Mem, Lamed, Tzaddi
46. The brains of maturity⁸⁶This section discusses the structure resulting from the rectification of lines of the previous sections. As discussed above, in order for the rectification of lines to take place, the yearning from below (the ascent of “feminine waters“) triggers a flow from above the level of Arikh Anpin, a process which ultimately causes the descent of Malkhut from Bina, the place Malkhut occupied as a result of the second constriction. That constricted state split apart every level from Nekudim downward, pushing Bina, Tiferet and Malkhut of the level to the level below. This constricted state is called “the state of immaturity,” while the reverted state, in which Malkhut descends and the rectification of lines is completed, is the “state of maturity.” The resulting structure of the flow of the light of Ḥokhma into lower levels is referred to as the “brains of maturity.” is the state after the Malkhut reverted and descended from the place of Bina to its own place, and Bina, Tiferet, and Malkhut returned to their level, and the level was completed with all the five vessels, Keter, Ḥokhma, Bina, Tiferet, and Malkhut, and with all the five lights, nefesh, ruaḥ, neshama, ḥaya, and yeḥida (as stated in section 18 above). This state is that in which the Malkhut, which constitutes the mystical meaning of the yod that entered the or (light) and turned it into avir (air), reverted and left the avir so that the avir once again became or (as explained there).⁸⁷See section 17 above for a full description of the meaning of the yod entering the or (light) and turning it into avir (air). Three levels can be discerned in these brains, which are alluded to by the three letters of mem, lamed, and tzaddi, which is the mystical meaning of tzelem (image).⁸⁸The concept of tzelem will be elaborated upon in the next sections.

מדרגה א': היא שלש ראשונות דבינה שנתקנו באו"א עלאין, שהם בסוד הכתוב “כי חפץ חסד הוא", ואינם מקבלים חכמה לעולם. ולפיכך נבחן בהם שאין הי' יוצאת מ'אויר' שלהם. כי 'אויר' הוא סוד קומת רוח, שהם חסדים, אשר באו"א נבחנים החסדים האלו לשלש ראשונות ממש, ואין להם ענין להוציא הי' מאויר שלהם. והם הנקראים ם' דצלם, שאות זו רומזת שיש בהם ארבעה מוחין: חכמה, בינה, ימין דדעת, ושמאל דדעת, שכל מוח כלול מעשר ספירות, והם ם' ספירות. ועוד רומזת, שהמוחין סגורים, כמו בטבעת שהיא צורת ם', שלא לקבל חכמה.

The first level of the brains of maturity is the first three of Bina that were established as Abba and Imma Ila’in,⁸⁹Abba and Imma Ila’in (literally “supernal father and mother”) is the name for the partzuf formed out of the first three of the level of Bina that was ejected from the head of Arikh Anpin as a result of the second constriction and the ascent of Malkhut. since they constitute the mystical meaning of the verse “For He delights in mercy,” and they never receive Ḥokhma.⁹⁰See the footnotes in the previous sections that extensively explain this point. The first three of Bina of Arikh Anpin, like all Bina levels, do not receive the light of Ḥokhma but only the light of giving (the “mercy” referred to in the verse). Therefore, in their case the yod never leaves their avir, for avir is the mystical meaning of the height of ruaḥ, which is the light of giving.⁹¹In other words, the state of avir is retained for the first three of Bina, as they remain unchanged in terms of their relationship with the light of Ḥokhma even after Malkhut descends from Bina. This is a height of ruaḥ because this light is associated with Ze'er Anpin, a level that is primarily the light of giving, with an illumination of the light of Ḥokhma within it. Thus, the light of ruaḥ can be thought of as the “air” (avir) environment within which the light of Ḥokhma is enclothed. In the partzuf of Abba and Imma, this light of giving is considered the actual first three, and they therefore have no reason to remove the yod from their avir.⁹²As explained in the previous sections, the “first three” (meaning, the first three sefirot) of a level of Bina are the light of giving, not the light of Ḥokhma. This means that the removal of Malkhut from the sefira of Bina during the reversion of Malkhut has no impact on the kind of light within the first three of a level of Bina, since Malkhut only affects the light of Ḥokhma. Since these first three sefirot are not affected by this reversion, they are called “air” (avir) which symbolizes the light of giving, while “light” (or) symbolizes the light of Ḥokhma. They are called the mem⁹³The letter mem has the numerical equivalent of 40, and, in the word-ending form of the letter, is shaped like a closed ring. of tzelem, since this letter alludes to the fact that they contain four brains: Ḥokhma, Bina, the right of Da’at, and the left of Da’at.⁹⁴There are a number of ways to count and categorize the sefirot. The most well-known count is that of ten, comprising Keter, Ḥokhma, Bina, Ḥesed, Gevura, Tiferet, Netzaḥ, Hod, Yesod and Malkhut. This count can be thought of as the “core” sefirot, the root ingredients of everything in existence. However, an alternative count of ten sefirot removes Keter and adds the sefira of Da’at after Bina. Da’at is not a true substitute for Keter, as it is not one of the core sefirot. Instead, it is a pseudo-sefira formed during the process of rectification of lines. During this process, and as a result of the second constriction, two columns of light are formed, one associated with the right (the light of giving), and one associated with the left (the dynamic of receiving the light of Ḥokhma). These two columns are described as in conflict, unable to “work together” and therefore unable to serve their function of merging and transmitting supernal light to lower levels. The rectification of this conflicted state comes through a middle line or column of light that ascends from below and mediates between the two sides. The root of this middle column is Da’at, the pseudo-sefira constructed to unite the opposing sides. Because this line is a mediator between the right and left sides of giving and Ḥokhma, it is said to have a left and right aspect. Each of the brains is comprised of ten sefirot, and thus they are forty sefirot, the numerical value of the letter mem. The letter mem also alludes to the closed form of the brains, like the ring that is the shape of the mem, preventing them from receiving Ḥokhma.⁹⁵As was explained in the previous sections, the first three of a level of Bina do not receive the light of Ḥokhma (only the light of giving), but serve as a conduit for the light of Ḥokhma to travel to the levels below.