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This series is a continuation and should be read in order. If you are not familiar with previous posts you may have trouble understanding later ones.
And now Chapter 15 Part 8
(this part s from ch 15 pt 7 it is brought in for continuity - So that, it turns out that as a result of the essence of the Infinite Light that is within the kav/line it is referred to as a heyuli to include and unite everything as one etc. and as a result of the power of the restraining reshimu that is within the kav/line it can limit the extent and measure of everything, so that everything will be limited according to the original measurement in the that was included within this reshimu.)
Such as a craftsman who makes a blueprint (Roshem in hebrew Reshimu in Aramaic), which defines the manner of construction in order that everything should be precisely according to the plan that he decided upon within himself, veering neither right or left etc. So too, the measurements of the kav/line are specifically according to the limitations that were included in the reshimu, which in turn came from the limitations decided upon in the essence of the Infinite Light before the tzimtzum (Lesenning) - represented by the letters of the glyph glyphu (engraving of letters - see ch 10) as mentioned previously.
Even though it can sometimes occur that there will be an addition of light within the emanated sfiros, which is greater than that which is dictated by the strict line of measurement [kav ha’midah] etc. - this ability to break the rules comes specifically from the power of the Light of the Essence, the source of the limitations of the reshimu and kav/line and He is, therefore, not bound by these limits, sometimes shining like this and sometimes like that at volition. It is likewise for this reason that any sort of renewal of the light of ABY"A [Atzilus, Briyah, Yitzirah, Asiyah; Emanation, Creation, Formation, Actualization] all comes specifically from the essential Self of the Infinite Light that precedes the tzimtzum. This being because "From His Light there is seen light," meaning that from His Essential Light there is seen light in this kav/line, sometimes with an addition and sometimes with a diminishing relative to that which the kav/line prescribes. The same is true with the changes in the partzufim from A"K [Adom Kadmoan; Primordial Man - the highest world of the hishtalshellus - chaining down] until the "heel of A"K" in the end of the world of Asiyah [Actualization, lowest world in the hishtalshellus].
A"K is both the highest world, which precedes all other worlds and a general world, which encompasses within itself all of the other worlds. The world of Asiyah (action) being the lowest world, is therefore termed A"K’s "heel." The world of A"K and its special dual relationship will be discussed in later chapters.
An example of these changes in the partzufim is such as the change from the time when the Holy Temple was still standing to the time of exile, and so on.
In the time of the Temple G-d showed a "face" of kindness, both physically and spiritually. For at that time the Jews were prosperous and enjoyed a peaceful existence. This was especially the case during the rule of King Solomon, when the Jewish people where at their height and even the world at large was at peace. Also, even more notably at that time there was a tremendous revelation of G-dliness in the world. There were great schools of millions of prophets, anyone who delved into the Torah would be so affected by the G-dliness therein that he would be guaranteed to become a complete tzaddik [righteous and G-dly man] and one had only to step outside and look around at the wonder of G-d’s creations and one would immediately be filled with an intense love and fear for G-d!
On the other hand, in the time of exile the Jews experienced terrible persecution; suffering heavy taxation, expulsion and merciless massacrers at the hands of their enemies. In addition, the world was spiritually dark. Prophesy was nearly non-existent, even the light of Torah an Tefillah [Prayer] may not reach a person, and a look at the world around him shows only a dark world seemingly abandoned by G-d. In this fallen spiritual state he is likened to one who has fallen into a pit so deep that no light reaches him, no one will be able to hear his cries for help, nor will he hear the call of a search party and no rope is long enough to reach him --seemingly a truly hopeless situation.
Now when G-d created the world He originally made it with a certain natural order, both physically and spiritually. So that, one is intended to have to work to achieve a perception of G-dliness and to cultivate a love and fear of Him, this constituting one’s divine service. This is supposed to serve as Ma"N [Mayim Nukvin; feminine waters], an arousal from bellow to elicit a corresponding issuance of blessings from above, whether physical such as rain for one’s crops or spiritual such as a superior perception of G-dliness giving rise to a great blissful delight in this perception. However, we see that this was changed, for at the time of the Temple there was an disproportionately greater issuance of blessings, much more than what was pre-measured by the Line while conversely, in the time of exile the amount of blessings bestowed was often disproportionately less. These changes were not according to the kav/line itself and the normal order of the hishtalshellus, but rather from the essence of the Infinite Light. For, G-d made the rules of the hishtalshellus and He can break them as He deems fit.
This is like a teacher that made a plan for each class period but then he decides to take the kids out on an outing or to punish them by sitting and doing nothing for a class period - it’s not part of the original plan but the teacher made that original plan and therefore he can break it.
Likewise, in general, we say in various prayers may it be Your will, i.e. the will of Your actual Essential Self, higher than even the ten essential heyuli sfiros in the essential Self of the Infinite Light. Requesting of G-d to change the simple will that was already drawn within the Essence of the Light of the Infinite and engraved upon it in the Glyph Glyphu (Ch 10), so that it will come into revelation with the measure that was pre-estimated within Himself for the entire hishtalshellus all the way until the end of the kav/line in another manner from the original intent - that is, the prayer is asking G-d Himself to CHANGE the original intent and therefore the entire hishtalshelus. Such as a change from harsh judgment to kindness and the like, as was similarly discussed previously (at the end of chapter nine (The Hebrew text says ch 5 but it’s a typo)) about the concept of "I am G-d I have not changed" from having a desire of kindness to one of harsh judgement within the first Light before the tzimtzum. So that any changes that take place within the lights of the hishtalshellus do not affect G-d for the reason discussed previously (in chapter ten) about the heyuli desire for kindness that is included within the essence etc., that there are three stages, ( Yachid Echad and Kadmon) which the essence of the Infinite Light undergoes until it comes to be a desire for a particular thing etc. that is Yachid - the Essential Undifferentiated Light, Echad - the Light which can in general be spread out and Kadmon - the Light which pertains to the particular act (as was explained at length in chapter eleven).
In chapter ten and eleven it was explained that the heyuli power of kindness within the essence of a person’s soul, though it includes within itself all of the particulars of the kind deed, with the unique arrangement of the ten sfiros involved in this desire, yet these details are not something separate from the essence that contains them; but rather they are part and parcel with the heyuli desire for kindness, part of its very essence. So too, all of the details of the soul’s ten sfiros are one with its very essence and not something separate from it at all. So that all of the particulars of how one expresses his kindness relates to his unique character and nature, a self-expression styled to one’s unique taste. The true inner nature of one’s soul does not change and any change is only in the revelation of the soul. For, being that any revelation is always via a tzimtzum, therefore, all apparent changes or differences between "higher" and "lower" levels, or from kindness to severity are not in the soul itself and likewise in the analog of the Essential Self of the Infinite Light (as explained in chapter nine). In addition, being that the Essential Self of the Infinite Light is completely simple and beyond any defining limits, It therefore must undergo three stages before it is able to be revealed in a particular manner, each stage being brought about via a tzimtzum. - These 3 levels however are all BEFORE what is called the 1st Tzimtzum
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The material in this series is copyrighted by Rabbi Yossi Markel