פתיחה לחכמת הקבלה 37

לז) והנה נתבאר יציאת הפרצופין זה למטה מזה, הנעשה מכח הביטוש דאור מקיף באור פנימי, המזכך המסך דגוף עד שמחזירו לבחינת מסך דפה דראש, ואז נכלל בזווג דהכאה הנוהג בפה דראש, ומוציא על ידי זווגו קומה חדשה של עשר ספירות, שקומה חדשה זו נבחן לבן אל פרצוף הקודם.

We have thus clarified the emergence of the partzufim, one below the other, which are formed through the force of the beating of the surrounding light against the inner light, which purifies the partition of the body until it restores it to the state of the partition of the mouth of the head. At this stage, the partition of the body is included in the fusion through collision that occurs in the mouth of the head, and it emits, by means of its fusion, a new structure of ten sefirot. This new structure is categorized as a son of the previous partzuf.

ובדרך הזה יצא הע"ב מפרצוף הכתר, והס"ג מפרצוף ע"ב והמ"ה מפרצוף ס"ג, וכן יתר המדרגות בנקודים ואצילות בריאה יצירה עשיה. אלא עוד צריכים להבין, למה יצאו העשר ספירות דע"ב רק על בחינה ג' ולא על בחינה ד'. וכן הס"ג רק על בחינה ב' וכו', דהיינו שכל תחתון נמוך במדרגה אחת כלפי עליונו, ולמה לא יצאו כולם זה מזה בקומה שוה.

In this manner, Ab emerges from the partzuf of Keter, Sag from the partzuf of Ab, Mah from the partzuf of Sag, and likewise the other levels in the worlds of Nekudim and Atzilut (Emanation), Beria (Creation), Yetzira (Formation), and Asiya (Actualization). However, it still remains to be understood why the ten sefirot of Ab emerge only from the third level of opacity (ovyut) within the partition rather than from the fourth level, and likewise Sag emerges only from the second level. In other words, each subsequently emerging lower partzuf is one level lower, in terms of the levels of lights it contains, than the one higher than it and preceding it. Why don’t they all emerge one from another at the same height, with the same number of vessels and lights?⁵³The question that the author of the Sulam is asking here is in reference to the incremental decrease in the heights of the structures of the partzufim after each purification and subsequent collision. Why is the emerging partzuf considered a “son” to the preceding one given that it emerges from the partition of the mouth of the head just like the preceding one? In other words, if the body of the first partzuf emerged from the mouth of the head of the first partzuf, and so did the second partzuf (the Ab), why are these viewed as two separate entities in which Ab is an “offspring” of the first partzuf, instead of being viewed as all part of one partzuf, like the head and body of the first partzuf? Additionally, why is the emerging partzuf smaller in height, lacking some vessels below and some lights above, than the preceding one, given that they were both formed using the partition of Malkhut of the head?