פתיחה לפירוש הסולם 71

עא. השלב השני הוא עולם הנקודים, שיצא על מסך דבחינה א' המחובר עם המלכות, שבו יצאו עשר ספירות בשני זמנים.

71. The second stage is the world of Nekudim, which emerged from upon the partition of the first level¹⁹⁴The first three partzufim of Adam Kadmon emerged as a result of the direct light impacting the partition in a fusion through collision and creating returning light. The partition initially contained opacity of the fourth level, then was purified to the third level, then the second. Each level of opacity created a different height of returning light, with the fourth level creating a height of Keter, the third level creating one of Ḥokhma, and the second level creating one of Bina. At this point in the process, the second constriction occurred, leading to the ascent of Malkhut to Bina in every sefira from that level onward. The partition in this context has opacity of the first level, since the previous levels were purified from the partition in the previous fusions through collision. that is attached to Malkhut, in which ten sefirot emerged at two distinct times.¹⁹⁵As this section explains, as a result of the new situation created by the second constriction, the creation of the partzufim of Nekudim requires two stages.

כי תחילה עלתה המלכות לבינה דס"ג דא"ק. ואחר כך כשנזדכך המסך דס"ג לבחינה א' הנקראת 'ניקבי עינים', עלתה המלכות ונתחברה עם בחינה א', וסיימה את המדרגה תחת החכמה הנקראת 'עינים'. ונמצא שנשארו במדרגה רק שני כלים – כתר וחכמה, עם שני אורות – רוח נפש. ושלשה כלים – בינה ותפארת ומלכות – נפלו מהמדרגה. וזהו שנקרא 'קטנות הנקודים'. ובזמן הגדלות הוחזרו שלשה הכלים בינה ותפארת ומלכות אל המדרגה, ונשלמו חמשה כלים כח"ב תו"מ במדרגה, עם חמשה אורות נרנח"י (על דרך שנתבאר לעיל אות י"ט).

Initially the sefira of Malkhut ascended to the partzuf of Bina of Sag of Adam Kadmon.¹⁹⁶This is the ascent of the second constriction, beginning only at this point and downward in the structured “stack” of existence. Then, when the partition of Sag was purified to the first level,¹⁹⁷This refers to the purification that takes place as a result of the surrounding light beating against the vessel of the returning light after a fusion through collision has taken place. which is called the “apertures of the eyes,”¹⁹⁸The aperture of the eyes refers to the level of Ḥokhma of the head of the partzuf. the Malkhut ascended and attached itself to the first level, terminating the level¹⁹⁹This termination is the result of the ascent of Malkhut and its partition to the higher position of Bina. This new placement prevents the supernal light from continuing onward and leads to a fusion through collision at that point. This is the same concept as that discussed in many previous sections regarding the rectification of lines and the descent of lower aspects of a level (Bina, Tiferet and Malkhut) to the level below. under Ḥokhma, which is called “eyes.”²⁰⁰The five aspects of the human head correspond to five “features” of the head of a partzuf and, as always, to the five main sefirot. Those five features are the skull (gulgalta), eyes (corresponding to Ḥokhma), ears (Bina), nose (Tiferet) and mouth (Malkhut). Thus, only two vessels were left in the level, Keter and Ḥokhma, with two lights, ruaḥ and nefesh,²⁰¹Recall that higher vessels always come in first, while lower lights always come in first. Hence, when the lower vessels are ejected, the higher lights also leave. while three remaining vessels – Bina, Tiferet and Malkhut – fell from the level. This state is called “the immaturity of the Nekudim.”²⁰²As was discussed previously, the phase of immaturity is when Malkhut remains in Bina, constricting the supernal light. The phase of maturity is when Malkhut descends back to its proper place, allowing the level to have a full set of vessels and lights once again. At the phase of maturity, the three vessels, Bina, Tiferet, and Malkhut, were returned to the level, and the five vessels, Keter, Ḥokhma, Bina, Tiferet, and Malkhut, were completed in the level, together with the five lights, nefesh, ruaḥ, neshama, ḥaya, and yeḥida (in the manner explained in section 19 above).

והנה נתבאר שבעולם הנקודים לא יצאו עשר הספירות בבת אחת כמו בשלשה הפרצופין הראשונים דא"ק. אלא שיצאו בשני זמנים, בזמן קטנות ובזמן גדלות, שבזמן הקטנות יצאו רק שתי ספירות, ובזמן הגדלות יצאו שאר שלש הספירות.

It has thus been explained that in the world of Nekudim the ten sefirot did not emerge all at once, as in the first three partzufim of Adam Kadmon. Rather, they emerged at two distinct times, during the phase of immaturity and during the phase of maturity, with only two sefirot emerging at the phase of immaturity and the other three sefirot emerging at the phase of maturity.