Now starts the World of the Nekudim – the World of Chaos (תוהו, Tohu). This is the first thing that must be explained after the preceding discussion because this is the light that emerged after the lights we have discussed above.
The proposition consists of two parts. Part 1: The World of Nekudim was when... This provides the definition of the World of Nekudim. Part 2:...like the way in which a craftsman... This provides us with a metaphorical way of understanding this world.
Part 1: The World of Nekudim was when Atzilut with all its branches... “Atzilut” refers to everything in the world of Atzilut, while the “branches” are Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah with all their offspring. All of them are woven in a single web and fall under one category, for they are one whole bound together in a single bond, starting with Atzilut and ending with Asiyah. This is the true root of everything in the lower realms, and it did not exist until we reached this level. Man himself is a combination of Atzilut, Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, corresponding to his Nefesh (Asiyah), Ruach (Yetzirah), Neshamah (Beriyah) and Neshamah-of-the-Neshamah (Atzilut). All the different creatures come under the same order in the categories of Inanimate (corresponding to Asiyah), Vegetable (Yetzirah), Animal (Beriyah) and Man (Atzilut).