It involves faces, lights, and… gestation. Stay with me.
We're diving into the Sulam Commentary, specifically section 80, which explains how one partzuf (divine "face" or configuration) interacts with another. Think of it as a cosmic dance of influence and transformation.
So, imagine a lower partzuf, which, after a period of incubation, emerges from the "head" of a higher partzuf. It then "enclothes" the body of the higher one. Sounds strange. But this "enclothing" is key. It's how the lower partzuf draws down light, or divine energy, from the higher one. It's like plugging into a cosmic power source.
This drawing down of light isn't a one-time thing. It’s a process, mirroring an earlier cycle of gestation, infancy, and the development of what Kabbalists call "brains." And according to the Sulam Commentary, this new influx of light has a specific effect: it reduces the "opacity" of the root.
What does that mean? Well, Kabbalah often speaks of different levels of "opacity," which relate to how clearly divine light can shine through. This drawing of light brings down the opacity of the root to the opacity of the first level.
Now, get this: As in the previous round of gestation, infancy, and brains, the drawing of the lights of the upper partzuf leads to the descent of the partition from the “forehead” of the head of the upper partzuf down to the “aperture of the eyes” of the head of the upper partzuf. According to the Sulam, this means the partition transitions from having a level of opacity of the root (associated with the forehead, the Keter) to opacity of the first level (associated with the aperture of the eyes, the Ḥokhma).
Let's unpack some of these terms. Keter and Ḥokhma are two of the ten sefirot, the emanations of God, representing different aspects of the divine. Keter is often associated with will and crown, while Ḥokhma is connected to wisdom.
And Malkhut? Malkhut has a partition resting on it. Thus, a “descent of the partition“ means that the level of Malkhut and its partition have descended.
So, in essence, what's happening here is a shift in consciousness, a lowering of the barrier that separates the divine from the created.
And there's more! Once the partition possesses opacity of the first level, it engages in a fusion through collision that generates a height of ruaḥ, just like in the first round of gestation and infancy. This height of ruaḥ is the vessels and light of the gestated level of Ḥesed, Gevura and Tiferet that have now emerged in the phase of infancy. Phew!
Ruaḥ, in this context, refers to a level of spirit or wind. Ḥesed, Gevura, and Tiferet are, again, sefirot: loving-kindness, strength/judgment, and beauty/harmony.
The lower partzuf thus attains a new aspect of infancy, which is the mystical meaning of the height of ruaḥ.
So, what does it all mean?
This whole process, as described in the Sulam Commentary, paints a picture of continual refinement. Each cycle builds upon the last, drawing us closer to a clearer understanding of the divine. It suggests that spiritual growth isn't linear but cyclical, a constant returning and renewing. We are continually gestated, born, and matured in the spiritual sense, with each cycle bringing us closer to enlightenment. It’s a beautiful and complex vision of how we, and all of creation, are constantly evolving in relationship with the divine.