## Introduction to Sulam Commentary Chapter 4

###### Introduction to Sulam Commentary 4:1
[Introduction to Sulam Commentary 4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Introduction%20to%20Sulam%20Commentary/r/4:1)

**למה תפארת כולל חג"ת נה"י**
ד. כשיצאו חמש הבחינות, כח"ב תו"מ, נכללו זה מזה, שכל אחת מהן היתה כלולה מכח"ב תו"מ. אמנם בספירת התפארת, ירדו קומות הספירות מבחינת שלש ראשונות, לפיכך נשתנו שמותיהן דכח"ב תו"מ הכלולים בה, לחג"ת נ"ה, והיסוד הכוללם. לפיכך, מה שאנו אומרים שתפארת כוללת שש ספירות, אין זה מחמת מעלתה על שלש הספירות הראשונות, אלא להיפך, שמחמת הגרעון שבה מאור השלש ראשונות, קבלו חמש בחינות כח"ב תו"מ שבה, שמות אחרים, שהם חג"ת נ"ה.

**The Sefaria Sulam, 2023:**
**Why** ***Tiferet*** **Encompasses** ***Ḥesed*****,** ***Gevura*****,** ***Tiferet*****,** ***Netzaḥ*****,** ***Hod***, **and** ***Yesod***
4. **When the five** **levels** **–** ***Keter*****,** ***Ḥokhma*****,** ***Bina*****,** ***Tiferet***, **and** ***Malkhut*** **– emerged** into existence**, they incorporated one another, such that each of them, individually, was comprised of** ***Keter*****,** ***Ḥokhma*****,** ***Bina*****,** ***Tiferet***, **and** ***Malkhut*****. However, within the** ***sefira*** **of** ***Tiferet*****, the structures of the** ***sefirot*** **descended from the** **level** **of the first three.**⁴ are individually composed of all (the same) five *sefirot*. The point here is that the five *sefirot* that make up the *sefira* of *Tiferet* are lower than the *sefirot* making up the previous *sefirot* of *Keter*, *Ḥokhma*, and *Bina* (called “the first three”). The reason for this lower state is that the *sefira* of *Tiferet* primarily shines the light of giving (*ḥassadim*), while the previous, higher three levels shine the light of *Ḥokhma* (wisdom). As a result, the five *sefirot* that make up *Tiferet* are given different names, indicating their lower position. The author expands this point in the following lines. **Consequently, within the** ***sefira*** **of** ***Tiferet*****, the names** ***Keter*****,** ***Ḥokhma*****,** ***Bina*****,** ***Tiferet***, **and** ***Malkhut*****, which are incorporated in each of the five** **levels****, have been changed to** ***Ḥesed*****,** ***Gevura*****,** ***Tiferet*****,** ***Netzaḥ***, **and** ***Hod*****, and** the *sefira* of *Tiferet* contains an additional *sefira* called ***Yesod*****, which incorporates them all. Therefore, when we say that** ***Tiferet*** **encompasses six** ***sefirot*****, this is not due to the elevated status of** ***Tiferet*** **over the first three** ***sefirot*** **of** ***Keter*****,** ***Ḥokhma*****, and** ***Bina*****. Rather, it is due to the deficiency** of *Tiferet* **with respect to the light of the first three that the five** **levels** **within** *Tiferet* **–** ***Keter*****,** ***Ḥokhma*****,** ***Bina*****,** ***Tiferet***, **and** ***Malkhut*** **– received other names, which are** ***Ḥesed*****,** ***Gevura*****,** ***Tiferet*****,** ***Netzaḥ***, **and** ***Hod*****.**

footnotes:
⁴ Each of the five sefirot


###### Introduction to Sulam Commentary 4:2
[Introduction to Sulam Commentary 4:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Introduction%20to%20Sulam%20Commentary/r/4:2)

בא[ו]פן, שחסד הוא כתר, וגבורה היא חכמה, ותפארת היא בינה, ונצח הוא תפארת, והוד הוא מלכות. ונוספה עליהן ספירת היסוד, שאינו בחינה נוספת על חמש בחינות, אלא הוא בחינת כולל בלבד, שכולל בתוכו כל חמש ספירות חג"ת נ"ה. והן נקראות תמיד 'ו"ק', שהוא ראשי תיבות 'ו' קצוות', שהן שש הספירות חג"ת נה"י אלו. וכיון שירידה זו דחמש בחינות לחג"ת נה"י, לא נעשית אלא בזעיר אנפין, על כן אנו מיחסים רק לז"א את חמש הבחינות שנשתנו.

**The Sefaria Sulam, 2023:**
**Thus,** in the *sefira* of *Tiferet*, ***Ḥesed*** **is** ***Keter*****,** ***Gevura*** **is** ***Ḥokhma*****,** ***Tiferet*** **is** ***Bina*****,** ***Netzaḥ*** **is** ***Tiferet*****, and** ***Hod*** **is** ***Malkhut*****. They are joined by the** ***sefira*** **of** ***Yesod*****, which is not another** **level** **in addition to the five** **levels****, but rather it is simply an encompassing** **level****, since it incorporates within it all five** ***sefirot*** **of** ***Ḥesed*****,** ***Gevura*****,** ***Tiferet*****,** ***Netzaḥ*****, and** ***Hod*****. These** six *sefirot* **are invariably identified** by the acronym ***VAK*, which is an acronym for *vav ketzavot*,** or six extremities, **which are these six** ***sefirot*** **of** ***Ḥesed*****,** ***Gevura*****,** ***Tiferet*****,** ***Netzaḥ*****,** ***Hod*****, and** ***Yesod*****.**⁵ that represent the body of a *partzuf*: *Ḥesed*, *Gevura*, *Tiferet*, *Netzaḥ*, *Hod*, and *Yesod*. **Since this descent of the five** **levels** **to** ***Ḥesed*****,** ***Gevura*****,** ***Tiferet*****,** ***Netzaḥ*** **and** ***Hod*** **occurs only in the** ***partzuf*** **of** ***Ze’er Anpin*****, we attribute these five changed** **levels** **only to** ***Ze’er Anpin*****.**⁶ will explain in the following sections, the *sefirot* are the foundation for spiritual structures called *partzufim*. There are five *partzufim* types, and each corresponds to one of the five levels discussed here. The level of *Tiferet* corresponds to the *partzuf* called *Ze’er Anpin*, which is the reason the author of the *Sulam* writes here that the lower forms of the five *sefirot* making up *Tiferet* are associated with this *partzuf*.

footnotes:
⁵ The six extremities refer to the six directional edges or limits of every physical being: above, below, right, left, front, and back. These six extremities correspond to the six sefirot
⁶ As the author of the Sulam