Introduction to Sulam Commentary 8

ח. והנה מצאנו במלכות של ראש שתי בחינות: 8. There are two aspects of the Malkhut of the head:

א) בחינת מלכות המסיימת, דהיינו מה שהמסך מעכב על האור העליון שלא יתלבש בכלי מלכות. 1. The first is the terminating Malkhut, which refers to the partition preventing the supernal light from being enclothed in the vessel of Malkhut.

ב) בחינת מלכות המזדווגת. כי לולא הזדווג האור העליון עם המסך בסוד הזווג דהכאה, המעלה אור חוזר להלביש האור העליון, לא היו כלי קבלה לאור העליון, ולא היה שום אור במציאות, כי אין אור בלי כלי כנזכר לעיל [אות ה']. 2. The second is the fusing Malkhut, for were it not for the fusion of the supernal light with the partition, in the mystical phenomenon of the fusion through collision, which gives rise to the returning light in order to enclothe the supernal light, the supernal light would not have receiving vessels and there would be no light within reality, for there is no light without vessels, as stated above.¹⁴See section 5.

ובמלכות של ראש נמצאות אלו שתי בחינות רק בבחינת שני שורשים; שמלכות המסיימת היא שורש למלכות המסיימת את המדרגה, ומלכות המזדווגת היא שורש להתלבשות אור בכלים. ושתי פעולות אלה נתגלו ונעשו בגוף הפרצוף. שמפה עד הטבור שהמלכות המזדווגת מראה שם כחה, שהאור העליון בא לידי התלבשות בכלים. ומטבור ולמטה המלכות המסיימת מראה כחה, ומוציאה עשר ספירות דסיום, שכל ספירה יוצאת רק בהארת אור חוזר בלי האור העליון. וכשמגיעה אל המלכות דעשר ספירות דסיום האלו, מסתיים כל הפרצוף, מפני שהמלכות הזו, היא המלכות המסיימת שאינה מקבלת כלום, ועל כן מסתיימת בה התפשטות הפרצוף. ומלכות זו, אנו מכנים 'מלכות דסיום רגלין' החותכת האור ומסיימת הפרצוף. ועשר ספירות אלו דסיום, המתפשטות מטבור ולמטה עד סיום רגלין, נקראות 'עשר ספירות דסוף', שהם כולם חלקי המלכות דסוף ודסיום. ומה שאנו אומרים שאין בהם אלא אור חוזר בלבד, אין הפירוש שאין בהם מאור ישר כלום, אלא הפירוש הוא, שיש להם גם הארה מועטת מאור ישר, אלא שנבחנת לו"ק בלי ראש. ועיין ב{פתיחה לחכמת הקבלה מ{אות נ'} עד אות נ"ג. In the Malkhut of the head these two aspects are present only in the form of two roots. The terminating Malkhut of the head is the root of the Malkhut of the body that ends the level, while the fusing Malkhut of the head is the root of the enclothing of the light in the vessels.¹⁵The partition that rests upon Malkhut has two functions. It prevents the supernal light from entering Malkhut, and also fuses with the supernal light to create the returning light. These two features are called the terminating Malkhut and the fusing Malkhut, respectively. They appear in the head of the partzuf in a “root” (theoretical) form, but then manifest fully in the body of the partzuf. The fusing Malkhut aspect is expressed in the body as the area from the mouth of the partzuf until the navel, as there, the supernal light is enclothed (an expression of “fusion”) in the partzuf. From the navel downward, the aspect of the terminating Malkhut is manifest. The terminating Malkhut, another set of ten sefirot, is the conclusion of the partzuf, marking the end of the level of existence represented by the particular partzuf. In this lower area, the supernal light is almost completely blocked out (an expression of “termination”). These two dynamics become manifest and occur in the body of the partzuf: From the mouth to the navel is where the force of the fusing Malkhut is apparent since the supernal light is enclothed in the vessels. From the navel and downward, the force of the terminating Malkhut is apparent and produces the ten sefirot of the end of the partzuf, in which each sefira emerges only with the illumination of the returning light without the illumination of the supernal light. At the point of the sefira of Malkhut of these ten sefirot of the end, each partzuf is terminated because this Malkhut is the terminating Malkhut that does not receive anything, and therefore the spreading supernal light that is within the partzuf is arrested there from continuing to lower levels.¹⁶The sefirot of the bottom part of the partzuf contain the aspect of the terminating Malkhut, and thus block the supernal light from entering the bottom area. The last sefira of the set of ten sefirot comprising this area is that of Malkhut. This Malkhut can be thought of as the embodiment of the terminating Malkhut (as explained in Petiḥa LeḤokhmat HaKabbala, section 50), and therefore, at that point in the structure, the partzuf is “terminated,” and ends. We call this “the Malkhut of the end of the legs,”¹⁷This refers to the end of the lower “extremities” of the partzuf, the bottom edge of its conceptual structure. which cuts the light and arrests the partzuf from continuing. These ten sefirot of the end, which spread from the navel and downward, to the end of the legs, are called “ten sefirot of the end” because they are all parts of the Malkhut of the end and the conclusion. However, when we say that these sefirot contain only returning light, this does not mean that they contain none of the direct light. Rather, it means that they also contain a small illumination from the direct light, but this is considered six extremities without a head.¹⁸The concept of the six extremities refers to a level characterized by the lower partzuf of Ze’er Anpin. As is explained here, this type of level is primarily illuminated with the light of giving (ḥassadim), and only slightly illuminated by the direct light, the light of Ḥokhma. It is thus described as being “six extremities without a head,” like a body that lacks a mind to animate it. The number six refers to the six lower sefirot of the level of Tiferet mentioned in section 4 above. In contrast, the levels characterized by higher partzufim are primarily illuminated by the direct light, the light of Ḥokhma. These levels are called the “first three,” referring to the first three sefirot of Keter, Ḥokhma and Bina, and the partzufim that are associated with them. See Petiḥa LeḤokhmat HaKabbala, sections 50–53.