The left line, which is established from Bina, Tiferet, and Malkhut after their return to their level, and which hold on to the light of Ḥokhma (as stated there), is therefore alluded to by the shuruk vowel, which is a vav with a dot inside it. This indicates that the vowel, which is Ḥokhma, is enclothed within the vessels, which are called letters.
The middle line is manifest from the level below and rises to the higher level and balances and completes the two lines of the higher level (as stated in sections 32 and 35 above). If not for the middle line, Ḥokhma would be unable to illuminate (as explained there). Since this rectification comes from the level below, it is alluded to by the ḥirik vowel, which is positioned under the letters, which are the vessels, since the middle line comes from the level below. For this reason, we always refer to the partition of the middle line as the “partition of the ḥirik” (for more on all this, see the Sulam, Bereshit I, 9).59Here the author of the Sulam refers to three different vowel symbols as analogies for the three lines. In the Hebrew language, vowel symbols tell a reader how to pronounce a particular letter. Thus, vowels are viewed in Kabbalistic thought as the animation of the letter, conveying how a vowelized letter is pronounced. This animation dynamic is associated with the light of Ḥokhma, which is the main life force of all things, in contrast to the light of giving. It is this parallelism between the vowels and the animating power of light of Ḥokhma that leads to the connection between the light of Ḥokhma and the vowels. In the second constriction, the sefira of Malkhut ascends to the level of Bina, as mentioned previously. The partition that rests on Malkhut serves to stop the flow of the light of Ḥokhma and causes the upper sefirot of Bina, Tiferet and Malkhut to descend to the level below. Only Keter and Ḥokhma remain in the level, and they form the right column of light. In this phase, the light of Ḥokhma is blocked (as the right line is wholly the light of giving) and thus is said to be floating above them. This position is symbolically indicated with the vowel of the ḥolam which is a dot that rests above a letter. In the next phase, when Malkhut descends from Bina, Bina, Tiferet and Malkhut are able to return to their original level. These sefirot now form the left column of light, and then the left side (the lower, returned sefirot) has the appropriate vessels for receiving the light of Ḥokhma. This state of the light is reflected in the vowel called shuruk, which is a dot that is in the middle of the letter, symbolizing the capacity of the vessels for the light of Ḥokhma. However, in this state, the left side has an abundance of the attribute of judgment, stemming from the vessel of Malkhut stopping the light of Ḥokhma from illuminating. This brings the left side (filled with the limiting force of judgment) into conflict with the right side (filled with the unbounded force of giving). This is solved through the middle line, which mediates the left and right lines, making the light of Ḥokhma illuminate inside the vessel. The middle line is a new level produced through the fusion through collision of the partition after it returned to its original place, at the lower end of the level. Because this light of Ḥokhma originates from an action that took place below the level, it is symbolized by the ḥirik vowel which rests below the letter.