Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah Reader

The connection of Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah with Atzilut at their root in Nekudim

This general material had to divide up into its constituent details, and then, first of all, there was the general basic foundation, which is called Atzilut with its three garments. Afterwards, control passed successively to each garment by itself, and they were called the three worlds of Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah. For Atzilut, as arranged with its proper repairs and adornments, is the root of everything, while Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah serve to bring forth the offshoots of Atzilut. Each one individually brings forth the offshoot suited to it, and all of them are merely offshoots of what already exists in Atzilut.

Having explained how the world of Nekudim is one material that has to divide up into its details, we will now discuss how it divides up.

The proposition consists of two parts. Part 1: This general material... This is the general principle relating to the division of the material into its details. Part 2: For Atzilut... This explains the reason behind this.

Part 1: This general material had to divide up into its constituent details... For at the start of existence there was only the material. Afterwards (in the repair), it was necessary to give existence to each detail by itself (i.e. to each Partzuf in accordance with its unique aspect) in accordance with its function and its appropriate form.

...and then, first of all, there was the general basic foundation... This first material consists of all the lights of SaG emerging from the eyes of Adam Kadmon, for these are what we are discussing. (The lights of Nekudim are the lights of SaG of SaG, which came after the lights of the Ears, Nose and Mouth, these being AV of SaG. From SaG of SaG emerged the lowest aspect – BaN of SaG of SaG.)

In order to ensure the complete emergence of every detail from this material, it was necessary that all the entities that exist in the upper and lower realms be included, for it was from this material or substance that they were all made, as stated earlier. However, the first thing that had to emerge as the material began to divide into its particulars according to the unfolding sequence of the governmental order was a single, overall, general power that would include everything as one. Some of the details included in this would be there as the essence (i.e. Atzilut) while the others (i.e. Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah) would be secondary to it in order to enable it to fulfill its purpose.

This entire initial division within the overall material is called only a single detail, for the overall purpose is accomplished (i.e. after the repair) precisely through the institution of a single law as the foundation, with the others being secondary to it. (What was determined here was only which one is fundamental and which are secondary, not the individual details contained in each one.) See the difference between this basic foundation (the establishment of what is fundamental and what is secondary) and the general material.

The general material includes all the laws of government and all the creations complete with everything they require (just as the seed contains the tiniest details of the complete tree), whereas this basic foundation is not an undifferentiated generality. Rather, it consists of one aspect as the essential root while the other is secondary to it and comes to complete its purpose. (The general material contains all the individual details while at the stage of formless material – just as the seed contains all the details of the tree – whereas the first foundation includes only the category of essential/secondary.)

...which is called Atzilut with its three garments. Thus Atzilut is primary, while its three garments are secondary, and the separate creations follow them.

Afterwards, control passed successively to each garment by itself... This completes the function of the general material, which includes all the different parts in accordance with their intrinsic nature. This includes the provision that each garment should rule by itself and do what is in its power. (This is also part of the overall governmental order leading to the ultimate purpose, and is therefore included in the general material.) For everything the garment does is merely one necessary provision included with everything else that can be discerned in the totality of the governmental order constituted by Atzilut with all its branches.

...and they were called the three worlds of Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah. As already mentioned earlier (Openings 31 & 38), everything which is given power and control by itself acquires its own name and reveals its powers separately. However, when it is secondary to others, it is not called by a separate name but is considered as merely a small part of the others in which it is included.

Part 2: For Atzilut, as arranged with its proper repairs and adornments... In order to perform its functions, it requires everything that is in it, and also that it be clothed in its garments....is the root of everything... For the function of Atzilut is the initial preparation of everything that has to exist with all their different levels and all their various institutions and repairs.

...while Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah serve to bring forth the offshoots of Atzilut. This is the defining quality of Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah – that they execute the functions of Atzilut. Each one individually brings forth the offshoot suited to it... i.e. they execute and actualize the functions of Atzilut, each world according to its individual nature, institutions and level of existence. And things proceed stage by stage on a scale, for the power produced by Yetzirah is less than that produced by Beriyah.

But besides their different levels, each has its own individual aspects and produces offshoots in accordance with its intrinsic nature. (For example, besides the fact that Yetzirah in itself is a level lower than that of Beriyah, it has its own unique aspects, such as angels.) But their strength is considered on a relative scale.

...and all of them are merely offshoots of what already exists in Atzilut. For literally nothing new is added to them and anything they contain is only a derivative of something included as a facet of Atzilut.

The connection of the Line with the Residue – the soul and the body – becomes complete only after the emergence of evil and its return to good.

This general foundation had to receive its light initially through the mystery of the Line joining with the Residue. First, however, it had to be completed, because this was the whole reason why the Tzimtzum took place – in order to bring into existence a place for evil, so that it could be rectified and ultimately become good. Accordingly the light, which is from the Eyn Sof, blessed be He, must also wait until the vessel is completed, since this is where the root of evil lies.

Only afterwards will it shine in it, and then everything will be complete. Accordingly, at first the light was not joined with the vessels but became hidden above, until the vessels completed their purpose, which is to provide a place for evil to rule and also complete its rule. Its repair will then come, turning everything back to good, and then the light will shine in it.

First, however, it had to be completed... For you have already heard how the Line and the Residue are the root of the soul and the body. Accordingly, we will first explain the matter in relation to the body and the soul. This body is a coarse body, and all aspects of evil – every kind of sin and evil trait – are also rooted in it.

The soul, however, is pure, except that it is closed in this body, which separates it from the supreme light, and the soul itself is unable to shine its light properly. The soul’s function in the body is to cleanse it and purify it of its coarseness. The essence of the return of evil to good is that what was evil should be rectified and turned to good, so that the soul itself may shine out of it. The soul will then be primary and its radiance will spread as befits it, and the soul will be attached to the supreme light, delighting in it together with the body.

Now the root of all this above lies in the Line and the Residue, as stated earlier. The Residue (the root of the body) is a certain measure born out of the concealment of God’s perfection and unity, upon which all the different aspects of judgment, including all the different aspects of evil, as explained above, depend (see Opening 27). This is the way the worlds were created. This is not an aspect of perfection; on the contrary, it is the concealment of perfection. Clearly, the complete perfection of the Supreme Will is far away from this, and His perfect light does not reach it in a manifest way.

The Line, on the other hand, is the root of the soul, and it proceeds through the power of His unity to rule over all parts of the Residue, ultimately proving that everything that appears to be the opposite of truth through the power of the concealment actually turns around to show the real truth and reveal His supreme unity. This will come about in actuality when the world comes to complete perfection, when all evil will already have reverted to good, this being the function of the Line. The Residue will then no longer be something that repels the Supreme Perfection. On the contrary, what will show the power of His true perfection is precisely the repair of all the apparent defects seen in the world through the revelation of His unity.

You can see this entire matter in the soul and the body, for the connection which the soul has to make with the body is the perfect, enduring connection that will exist after the resurrection. The essential intent of the creation is literally this: if Adam had not sinned, his body would have been pure and it would have been rectified in a single moment. However, after his sin, the impurity was in man’s body, and the soul cannot join with it in a perfect connection.

On the contrary, the soul leaves the body: this is death. The body is then alone and brings out all the evil contained in it, and that evil rules and holds sway until the body finishes bringing out all the evil it has to bring out. The body can then be rebuilt in purity. This will take place with the resurrection of the dead, when the body is rebuilt.

The soul will then enter and remain in the body without a flaw for ever and to all eternity, radiating light after light to it, until it ascends to the highest level suited to it. Even at the outset, when the soul was in the body before death, it also gave it a certain light. Indeed, the light which the soul puts into the body after the resurrection is in accordance with the light which the soul puts into it before death, for each one is purified and radiates according to his deeds.

All this is found above in the Line and the Residue. Before the Line could be joined with the Residue in a genuine connection that would cause everything to go in one direction, the Residue had to be allowed to do everything in its power – i.e. to actually bring forth any evil that could develop out of it, so that afterwards it will be pure of this evil, as will be discussed below. The Line will then join with it in a complete bond, as when it first entered into it, and just as it shone before the breaking of the vessels, so it will shine afterwards with their rectification.

For it was on account of this that the contraction occurred at the beginning - so that a place would be found for evil that would be rectified, and the end of all would be good. Even according to the natural order, it is necessary that the line not join with the residue except after the clarification away from the evil, as stated above, since they are in gradation. For the contraction itself, from which the residue was born, we have already said was in this manner - that at first the evil would come out, and afterward that very evil would return to good. If so, the residue is not said to have completed its own matter unless it has brought out the evil, and afterward stands ready to return to good. If so, an actual joining must not be found except after it has brought out the evil, and afterward it is rectified in the secret of the return to good. For after the residue is completed, the line that comes after it begins.

The objection could be raised that if so, the light should only enter after the process of purification. The answer is that the entry of the light and its becoming joined with the Residue are two different things. On the contrary, as far as entering is concerned, the light can enter immediately. However, it must allow the Residue to hold sway until the Residue fulfills its mission so as not to undermine its functioning in the middle. This is why the Line joins with the Residue so as to actually purify it and raise it to its highest levels only after it has fulfilled its mission. Yet it must start to radiate from the outset, as discussed below (Opening 42).

Accordingly the light, which is from the Eyn Sof, blessed be He, must also wait until the vessel is completed, since this is where the root of evil lies. Only afterwards will it shine in it... This is for the reason I have explained, for this is the proper order. For it was the Tzimtzum that was an innovation, while Eyn Sof wanted to reveal His prior existence – to make it known that this innovation was only a concealment which He desired in order to demonstrate His very perfection, as already discussed in various places. It was therefore necessary to wait until the Tzimtzum carried out its function, and then go to return everything to His unity, and through all of this to show His perfection.

Indeed, the light’s becoming “hidden” – whether we are talking about the light above or about the soul after the death of the body – means that it is concealed in a pure place where the Other Side has no hold, like a person taking refuge somewhere while waiting for a certain matter to come to a conclusion, and in the meantime he has a place to stay. So too the soul in the Garden of Eden and the lights above are gathered into a resting place where no harm can befall them until what is necessary takes place in the vessels and in the body.

...until the vessels completed their mission... i.e. until they carry out everything rooted in their intrinsic law of existence....which is to provide a place for evil to rule and also complete its rule. For all these levels are fixed in the law of the vessels, as explained above. Its repair will then come, turning everything back to good, and then the light will shine in it. This is when the lights re-enter later in the time of the repair, as will be discussed below.

The light joins with the vessels according to the degree of their repair, which will be completed in the future.

The repair of the vessels proceeded little by little, and according to the degree to which they were repaired, so the light progressively entered into them. Their repair will be complete in the future, as will the entry of the light and its joining with them.

Having explained that the light entered only with the repair of the vessels, we must now explain how its entry actually came about.

The proposition consists of two parts. Part 1: The repair of the vessels... This explains the process of the repair of the vessels until now. Part 2: Their repair will be complete... This explains what is destined to happen in the future in order for the vessels to complete their purpose.

Part 1: The repair of the vessels proceeded little by little... For to say that the light enters into the vessel only when it is purified could be problematic; yet we know that so far the process of purification after the breaking of the vessels is still not complete (see Opening 37). If so, how could lights enter into the vessels even after the start of the repair if the process of purification is not complete?

The answer is that the repair did not come about all at once but gradually. It started when the phase of repair first began, and advances stage by stage with every passing day through the ever-renewed process of sorting and sifting that takes place each day. The greater the repair, the more the light is able to enter, as the proposition goes on to state:

...and according to the degree to which they were repaired, so the light progressively entered into them. For as soon as the body is rebuilt after the resurrection of the dead, the soul will immediately enter into it and start to join with it. Nevertheless, many ascents will still remain to be made before it reaches the end goal. Thus we see that the ability of the soul to enter and join with the body depends upon the degree to which the body is purified. First it must be purified from uncleanliness (through the “torment of the grave”) and afterwards from even the slightest residual trace of uncleanliness (after the resurrection of the dead), and this process involves many details. Each time the soul will shine with added luster.

So it is in the upper realms: first the light entered, but it had to leave again. Afterwards, parts of the vessels were repaired and the lights began to enter into them. As more and more parts of the vessel are repaired, so the light enters more and more. And when the process of purification is complete in all parts of the vessel, all the light will enter completely. However, the process of refinement of the vessels after their purification follows the order of the destined future ascents of the lights of the Ears, Nose and Mouth.

Part 2: The repair will be complete in the future... As already explained above (Opening 4), evil will only revert to good in time to come, at the end of the governmental cycle. By then all the sinners will have received heavy punishments and Israel will have been strengthened in their faith that even the lengthy exile and this great bitterness are a call for the unity of God to be revealed. Accordingly, it will be at the end of the rule of the Residue, when these things come about, that the purification of the vessels will come to an end, for this is what subdues evil and finally turns it back to good, and this is through Israel’s great faith despite the long exile.

...as will the entry of the light and its joining with them. Thus the light will complete its entry into the vessels and join with them to perfection, concluding the destined future ascents.

The root of actual evil lies in Beriyah-Yetzirah-Asiyah.

Evil was rooted only in the mystery of the garments of Atzilut, these being Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah. Therefore, in order to complete them, they had to be differentiated into all their detailed aspects in such a way that they would first provide a place for evil in accordance with what was prepared in them, and then eventually come back to repair all the damage.

The full explanation of the world of Nekudim must follow the order of what happened to these vessels. This is what we must now discuss in greater detail, with our main focus being on how evil was rooted in them.

...only in the mystery of the garments of Atzilut, these being Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah. This tells us two things:

(1) In the human form – the Likeness of Man – the thing that is most external is the clothing. The same applies up above. Morever, the clothing is not a part of the person’s intrinsic essence but merely what he wishes to dress himself in. Similarly up above, the essence of the lights lies in Atzilut, whereas Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah are the garments in which the light wants to clothe itself, and the garb is considered incidental to the actual lights, which are the essence. Evil exists only on account of the garments and does not derive from the essence of the lights themselves but only from the garments in which the lights want to be clothed. Aside from these garments, they contain no darkness or flaw at all.

(2) Even though evil derives only from Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, it is nonetheless considered to relate to Atzilut itself inasmuch as these worlds are the garments of Atzilut. If they were simply independent worlds in their own right lower down the scale, Atzilut would be exalted high above them and would not be considered to have any relation with them. However, inasmuch as they are the garments of Atzilut and subsidiary to it in order to complete it, the production of evil is also considered to have some relation to Atzilut.

Part 2: Therefore, in order to complete them... As explained above, in order for the vessels to carry out their purpose in full, all these things were required:...they had to be differentiated... It was not enough that they should remain in the category of garments to Atzilut, for as such they are merely subsidiary and their specific purpose would not be accomplished in the proper way. The production of evil comes about through their functioning individually when they are given control, since everything is only from their side, as stated above. If so, it is necessary for them to stop being mere garments and to take control, for this is when they carry out their functions and produce evil.

...into all their detailed aspects... It was necessary for them to bring forth all the different kinds of detailed particulars contained in them, and everything that now exists in the worlds depends on this, as it goes on to say.

...in such a way that they would first provide a place for evil... This was the whole purpose of their being broken....in accordance with what was prepared in them... In other words, everything that happened when the vessels broke came to reveal what those garments contained in order to fulfill their function of producing evil....and then eventually come back to repair all the damage. This refers to everything that is directed towards the repair, i.e. the entry of the light into the vessels, for this too relates to the vessels themselves.

Why the specific root of the Other Side lies in the world of Nekudim

The lights do not produce their effects until they stand on a level suited to them. For a great light cannot be called the cause of a single small creation since the latter will never emerge directly from the former, because the Emanator, blessed be His Name, instituted the law of gradation. Accordingly, the Judgment that was revealed in the Residue did not reach a level where it could in any way be called the cause of the Other Side until it came to produce the Vessel in Nekudim.

For higher than this we find nothing that relates to any aspect of the Other Side at all. However in Nekudim something is revealed that does bear some relation to the function of the Other Side. For here alone is the general foundation consisting of all these worlds of Atzilut, Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, which extend to the level of material physicality and to the end of all existence.

Having stated that these Sefirot contained the root of evil, we must now explain what this root is.

The proposition consists of two parts. Part 1: The lights do not produce... This explains when a given light can rightly be called the cause of a given phenomenon. Part 2: Accordingly, the Judgment... This explains how this applies in the subject under consideration.

Part 1: The lights do not produce their effects until they stand on a level suited to them. Here we have the fundamental idea underlying everything we discussed in the early Openings, that in choosing the law of gradation, the Supreme Will wanted every light to stand on a level corresponding to that of its offspring, because this is the way of what we call cause and effect. The cause operates only according to what it contains within it, and the effect emerges only according to the nature of the cause. This idea is of key importance here in Nekudim, for it is here that we must trace the root of evil in its various aspects, because only here is this root mentioned (see Etz Chayim, Shaar HaKelipot ch. 1 and Mevo Shearim 2:2:2). This is only because of the law of gradation, for all the earlier levels were proceeding towards this goal, but only here did they reach the necessary level.

The fundamental idea is that even though the purpose of the lights as a whole was to bring forth separate creations, this had to be done gradually and not directly from the supernal Sefirot. The Sefirot were what the Eyn Sof blessed be He wanted to bring forth in order to create the separate creations. However, each one had to be on a level suited to the offspring it was to bring forth. This was what necessitated all the different graded levels, repairs, concealments and revelations – all in order to bring the light to a level fitted to bring forth its offspring.

For a great light cannot be called the cause of a single small creation since the latter will never emerge directly from the former... Even though “two hundred include one hundred” and the higher level includes the lower level, the higher level is not called a cause since it is not from there that the effect develops....because the Emanator, blessed be His Name, instituted the law of gradation. As explained above (Opening 30) we cannot say that it was impossible for the Emanator to do otherwise. However, since He wanted gradation, this is what gradation involves.