## Sulam on Zohar, Introduction

###### Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 16:1
[Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sulam%20on%20Zohar/s/Introduction/r/16:1)

טז) **א"ר שמעון** וכו': אר"ש, על כן השמים וצבאם נבראו ב**מ"ה** שהוא המלכות. כי כתוב, כי אראה שמיך מעשה אצבעותיך וגו'. ומקודם לכן כתוב, **מ"ה** אדיר שמך בכל הארץ אשר תנה הודך על השמים. הרי השמים נבראו בשם מ"ה, שהוא המלכות והכתוב, **על השמים**, המורה על הבינה הנקראת **מ"י**, שהוא מעל ז"א. הנקרא שמים, הפירוש הוא, שעולה בשם אלקים. פירוש. **מ"ה**, שהוא מלכות, עולה ונכלל בבינה הנקראת אלקים, אחר שברא אור לאורו, דהיינו אחר שברא אור חסדים ללבוש יקר אל אור החכמה שבשם **מ"י** (כנ"ל אות י"ד) שאז נתלבשו זה בזה, והמלכות עלתה בשם העליון אלקים. שהוא שם הבינה. שהמלכות נכללת בה. וע"כ, בראשית ברא אלקים. היינו אלקים העליון, שהוא בינה, ולא מלכות. כי **מ"ה**, שהוא מלכות, אינו כך ולא נבנה בסוד מ"י אל"ה, שאמרנו.

**The Sefaria Sulam, 2023:**
**16. “Rabbi Shimon said etc.”**
**Rabbi Shimon said: Therefore, the heavens and their hosts were created with *Ma*,** which is *Malkhut*, **as it is stated: “When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers etc.”** (Psalms 8:4)**, and it is** earlier **written: “How [*Ma*] glorious is Your name in all the earth, whose majesty is rehearsed above the heavens”** (Psalms 8:2)**.** Thus, the heavens were created with the name *Ma*, which is *Malkhut*, and the phrase **“above the heavens”** – referring to *Bina*, called *Mi*, which is above *Ze’er Anpin*, termed heavens – means that **it ascends through the name** *Elohim***.** That is, *Ma*, which is *Malkhut*, ascends and is incorporated in *Bina*, which is called *Elohim*, **after He created light for its light**, i.e., after He created the light of giving as a precious garment for the light of *Ḥokhma* in the name *Mi* (as stated in section 14, above)**.** Then **they were enclothed in one another and** the *Malkhut* **ascended through the supernal name** of *Elohim*, which is the name of *Bina*, in which *Malkhut* is incorporated. **Therefore** [it states]: **“In the beginning, *Elohim* created”** (Genesis 1:1)**, which is the supernal *Elohim*,** i.e., *Bina* rather than *Malkhut***. For *Ma*,** which is *Malkhut*, **is not so, and was not constructed** in the mystical meaning of *Mi eleh*, as we have said**.**


###### Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 16:2
[Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 16:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sulam%20on%20Zohar/s/Introduction/r/16:2)

פירוש, כיון דעלמא תתאה, **מ"ה** ממשיך המוחין בשמא אלהים בעלמא עילאה, ע"כ היתה היכולת שיבראו שמים וחיליהון ע"י מ"ה, כי אין תולדות בלי מוחין עילאין הנ"ל, שהם מוחין דחיה. וזה אמרו, **ועל דא** משום שגם עלמא תתאה **מ"ה**, אתקיים בשמא אלהים מעלמא עילאה, **שמיא וחיליהון במ"ה אתבריאו** היה כח ל**מ"ה** לאפיק תולדות אלו **שמיא וחיליהון**.

**The Sefaria Sulam, 2023:**
Explanation: Since the lower world, *Ma*, draws forth the brains of the name *Elohim* in the upper world, there was therefore the ability for the heavens and their hosts to be constructed by means of *Ma*, since there are no offspring without these higher brains, which are the brains of *ḥaya*. [The *Zohar*] thus says: **“Therefore,”** since also the lower world, *Ma*, is perpetuated through the name *Elohim* from the upper world, **“the heavens and their hosts were created with *Ma*”** – there was strength in ***Ma*** to produce these offspring, **“the heavens and their hosts.”¹ drew down the brains of the higher levels, *Ma* was able to generate this "offspring."**

footnotes:
¹ Meaning, since the level of Ma


###### Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 16:3
[Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 16:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sulam%20on%20Zohar/s/Introduction/r/16:3)

ולכן אומר הכתוב, אשר תנה הודך על השמים, להשמיענו, שהמוחין נמשכים משם אלהים דישסו"ת ע"י השיתוף ד**מ"י** ב**אל"ה** שהן ממעל השמים שהם ז"א. וז"ש **על השמים איהו לסלקא בשמא**, שההוד שהוא המוחין, הוא על השמים מעל לז"א, שהוא ישסו"ת, שבו סליק בשמא אלהים, שהוא **מ"י ברא אל"ה**. כנ"ל. אבל בשמים עצמו, שהם ז"א אין שם **מ"י** רק **מ"ה**. כנ"ל.

**The Sefaria Sulam, 2023:**
This is why the verse states: “Whose majesty [*hodekha*] is rehearsed above the heavens,” to teach us that the brains are drawn forth from the name *Elohim* of *Yisrael Sabba* and *Tevuna* by the combination of *Mi* with *eleh*, which are above the heavens, [which are] *Ze’er Anpin*.² This is the meaning of the statement: **“Above the heavens** – **it ascends through the name,”** that the *Hod*, which is the brains, is above the heavens, [meaning] above *Ze’er Anpin*, which is [the region of] *Yisrael Sabba* and *Tevuna*, through which the name *Elohim* ascends, and that is “Who [*Mi*] has created these [*eleh*],” as stated. However, in heaven itself, which is *Ze’er Anpin*, there is no *Mi* there, only *Ma*, as we have said.

footnotes:
² This section is predicated on the concepts developed in the previous section.


###### Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 16:4
[Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 16:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sulam%20on%20Zohar/s/Introduction/r/16:4)

והנה אחר שנמשכה קומת החכמה מחמת הנקודה דחזר ונפיק מגו מחשבה, חזר ועשה זווג דו"ק להמשכת אור חסדים, ואתלבש אור חכמה באור חסדים, ואז **מ"י** נהיר ב**אל"ה**. כנ"ל. וז"ש **בגין דברא נהורא לנהוריה** דהיינו אור חסדים אל אור החכמה **ואתלבש דא בדא וסליק בשמא עילאה** ונתלבש אור החכמה באור החסדים, וע"כ הגיעו המוחין מ**מ"י** ל**אל"ה**, ואתחברו אתוון אלו באלו וסליק בשמא אלהים. כנ"ל. והוא **בשמא עילאה**, דהיינו מעל השמים, מישסו"ת שבהם **מ"י**, אבל לא בשמים שהוא **מ"ה**.

**The Sefaria Sulam, 2023:**
Now, after the height of *Ḥokhma* was drawn forth, due to the dot that returned and emerged from the thought,³ a fusion of the level of six extremities was once again performed, to draw forth the light of giving and the light of *Ḥokhma* was enclothed in the light of giving, and then *Mi* illuminated in *eleh*, as stated. This is the meaning of the statement: **“After He created light for its light,”** i.e., the light of giving for the light of *Ḥokhma*, **“they were enclothed in one another and it ascended by means of the supernal name”** – the light of *Ḥokhma* was enclothed in the light of giving. Consequently, the brains transitioned from *Mi* to [the level of] *eleh.⁴ and eleh* form the full five-letter name of *Elohim*, representing all five lights, a full set of brains within the level. The letters combined with one another, and ascended as the name of *Elohim*, as stated. This [process] is **“through the supernal name,”** i.e., above the heavens, from *Yisrael Sabba* and *Tevuna*, in which there is *Mi*, but not in heaven, which is *Ma*.

footnotes:
³ As explained in the previous sections, this refers to the reversal of the second constriction.
⁴ As was explained at length in the previous sections, the combining of the letters of Mi


###### Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 16:5
[Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 16:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sulam%20on%20Zohar/s/Introduction/r/16:5)

וז"ש, **מ"ה לא הוי הכי ולא אתבני**, כי **מ"י** שהיא בינה, אשר מעת צמצום א' לא היה בה שום צמצום כלל, כי הצמצום לא היה שם אלא על הנקודה האמצעית לבדה, שהיא המלכות, שנצטמצמה שלא לקבל בה אור, ונתתקנה בסוד הזווג דהכאה להעלות או"ח, אבל ט"ס הראשונות היו נקיות מכל צמצום, והיו ראויות לקבל אור החכמה, אלא רק בצמצם הב', כדי להמתיק המלכות במדת הרחמים, סליק המלכות לאבא, ואבא אתתקן בה כעין דכר ונוקבא, וקבלה המלכות מקום בינה, והנקודה שהיא מלכות סליק למהוי מחשבה, בינה, ומאז נצטמצמה גם הבינה ונתתקנה במסך שלא לקבל אור החכמה בתוכה, כדי לקבל הזווג דהכאה ולהעלות או"ח, כנ"ל.

**The Sefaria Sulam, 2023:**
He then says: **“*Ma* is not so and was not constructed.”** *Mi*, which is *Bina*,⁵ referred in the previous sections to *Yisrael Sabba* and *Tevuna*, which is the seven lower *sefirot* of the level of *Bina* of *Atzilut*. did not contain any constriction at all from the time of the first constriction, since the constriction was not there, but only on the middle dot, which is *Malkhut*. [*Malkhut*] was restricted, so as to not receive light in itself, and [*Malkhut*] was established [with a partition] for the mystical meaning of a fusion through collision, in order to raise returning light.⁶ directly, causing the light of *Ḥokhma* to be unable to reach its appropriate vessel, the receiver vessel of *Malkhut*. *Bina*, and the other *sefirot* above *Malkhut* were not constricted. However, the first nine were clean of any constriction and were worthy of receiving the light of *Ḥokhma*. It is only in the second constriction, in order to temper the *Malkhut* with the attribute of mercy, [which is *Bina*], the *Malkhut* ascended to the *Abba* [which is *Ḥokhma*], and the *Abba* was established through [the presence of *Malkhut*] as male and female,⁷ in the second constriction essentially gives rise to a "female" counterpart to every level (*Malkhut* is described as conceptually "female" in Kabbalistic language, indicating its role as a receiving vessel). and *Malkhut* received the place of *Bina*. And the dot, which is *Malkhut*, ascended to become a thought, *Bina*. From that point, *Bina* was also restricted and was placed with a partition, to avoid receiving the light of *Ḥokhma* within her, in order to receive the fusion through collision and to raise returning light, as stated.⁸ in the second constriction means that the effects of *Malkhut* were now carried over to the level of *Bina*.

footnotes:
⁵ Mi
⁶ The first constriction only impacted Malkhut
⁷ The ascent of Malkhut
⁸ The repositioning of Malkhut


###### Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 16:6
[Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 16:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sulam%20on%20Zohar/s/Introduction/r/16:6)

הרי שהבינה ממקורה ראויה לקבל חכמה בלי שום צמצום, ומה שקבלה בתוכה הצמצום והמסך, לא היה אלא להמתיק המלכות. ולפיכך ע"י העלאת מ"ן מתחתונים, נמשך אור חדש מע"ב ס"ג דא"ק, המוריד בחזרה את הנקודה ממקום בינה למקומה, למלכות, כמו שהיה בצמצום א', ונפק הנקודה ממחשבה. שע"י זה נטהרת הבינה מכל צמצום וחוזרת ומקבלת אור חכמה כמ"ש לעיל. ואחר שקומת החכמה מתלבשת בחסדים מאירה **מ"י** ב**אל"ה** ומתגלה שם אלהים. והנה כל הבנין הזה דשמא אלהים לא יתכן כלל ב**מ"ה**, כי המ"ה היא קצה השמים לתתא, דהיינו המלכות עצמה, שעליה היה הצמצום ממקורה גם בצמצום א' ואינה ראויה לקבל בתוכה שום הארת חכמה, וז"ש **מ"ה לא הוי הכי ולא אתבני**, כי רק במ"י שייך כל הבנין של שם אלהים, ע"י דחזר ונפיק מגו מחשבה, ולא במ"ה.

**The Sefaria Sulam, 2023:**
Thus, in its original [form], *Bina* was fit to receive *Ḥokhma* without any constriction. [*Bina*] only received the constriction and partition within itself to temper the *Malkhut*. Therefore, by raising feminine waters from the lower realms, a new light was drawn forth from *Ab* and *Sag* of *Adam Kadmon*, which lowers the dot [of *Malkhut*] back from the place of *Bina* to its place, to *Malkhut*, as it was in the first constriction, and the dot emerges from the thought. The *Bina* is thereby purified from any constriction and once again receives the light of *Ḥokhma*, as stated above. Once the height [of the light] of *Ḥokhma* is enclothed in the [light of giving], *Mi* illuminates in *eleh*, and the name *Elohim* is revealed there. Now, this entire construction of the name *Elohim* is completely impossible in *Ma*, since the *Ma* is the edge of the heavens below, which is the *Malkhut* itself, in which there was constriction at her source, including the first constriction as well, and *Malkhut* is unfit to receive any illumination of *Ḥokhma* within her. This is the meaning of the statement: **“*Ma* is not so, and was not constructed,”** since the whole construction of the name *Elohim* is only relevant in *Mi*, as a result of the return and emergence of [*Malkhut*] from the thought, and not in *Ma*.