Today, we're diving into a specific concept that deals with this very idea of incompleteness: the Nukba root of Ze’er Anpin, which is Malkhut.
Now, let's unpack that a bit. Ze’er Anpin, often translated as "Small Face," is a crucial configuration within the Tree of Life. Think of it as a bridge, connecting higher and lower realms. Malkhut, meaning "Kingdom," represents the culmination of divine energy in the physical world. And Nukba? That refers to the feminine aspect, the receiver. So, we're essentially talking about the receptive aspect of Malkhut as it relates to Ze’er Anpin.
Our journey starts in the "world of Nekudim." Imagine this as a primordial state, a world of points or vessels. During its "phase of immaturity," Ze’er Anpin of Nekudim – which embodies the sefirot (divine attributes) of Ḥesed (loving-kindness), Gevura (strength/judgment), Tiferet (beauty/harmony), Netzaḥ (endurance), Hod (splendor), and Yesod (foundation) – didn't quite have all its pieces in place. It possessed six vessels: Ḥokhma (wisdom), Bina (understanding), Da’at (knowledge – see section 46 for more on this), Ḥesed, Gevura, and Tiferet. But it lacked the vessels of Netzaḥ, Hod, and Yesod.
Why this incompleteness? Well, it's all about the dynamics between the lights and the vessels. As explained in Petiḥa LeḤokhmat HaKabbala (section 24), there’s an inverse relationship at play. The vessels develop from the top down (Keter first, then Ḥokhma, and so on to Malkhut), while the lights enter from the bottom up (Nefesh, then Ruaḥ, then Neshama, etc.). It's like building a house: the foundation is laid last, but the spirit enters first.
The text tells us this was “due to the ascent of Malkhut to the place of Bina of Ze’er Anpin, which is the sefira of Tiferet.” Now, that's a mouthful! But what does it mean? Remember those sefirot we mentioned earlier? In a level of Tiferet, the five main sefirot, Keter, Ḥokhma, Bina, Tiferet, and Malkhut, are called Ḥesed, Gevura, Tiferet, Netzaḥ and Hod. As explained in section 4, this ascent of Malkhut to Bina (which corresponds to Tiferet in this context) caused a split within Tiferet itself. It divided Tiferet into two "parts." One third remained above the new position of Malkhut (in the upper third of Tiferet, specifically, the chest area of the partzuf). The other two thirds, along with Netzaḥ, Hod, and Yesod, were "ejected" to a lower level.
Think of it like a river being dammed. The water level rises in one area, but downstream, things become… diminished. In this case, "The two-thirds of Bina, Tiferet and Malkhut, which are called in Ze’er Anpin the two-thirds of Tiferet, and Netzaḥ, Hod, and Yesod… fell from the level of Ze’er Anpin to the level below, that is, to the worlds of Beria, Yetzira, and Asiya, which are below Ze’er Anpin of Atzilut." These are the lower worlds, further removed from the divine source.
So, what's the takeaway? This concept of the Nukba of Ze’er Anpin and the missing vessels highlights the inherent tension and dynamism within creation. It speaks to a process of constant striving for completion, a yearning for wholeness that echoes throughout all levels of existence. And perhaps, it reflects our own personal journeys, our own experiences of feeling incomplete and our ongoing quest to find the missing pieces within ourselves.