The Matter of the Sefirot

עִנְיַן הַסְּפִירוֹת

Now that you have already heard the intention of creation and its order (הֲרֵי כְּבָר שָׁמַעְתָּ כַּוָּנַת הַבְּרִיאָה וְסִדְרָהּ), I will now explain to you the matter of the Sefirot (עַכְשָׁיו אֲפָרֵשׁ לְךָ עִנְיַן הַסְּפִירוֹת). And you will see that they are not “tens,” as others have imagined (וְתִרְאֶה כִּי אֵינָם הָעֲשִׂירִיּוֹת כַּאֲשֶׁר חָשְׁבוּ אֲחֵרִים), nor are they a multiplicity of existences within the One God (וְלֹא רִבּוּי מְצִיאוּת בְּאֵל הָאֶחָד).

Rather, know that the Emanator, blessed be He (אֶלָּא דַּע כִּי הַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא), we cannot attain Him (לֹא נַשִּׂיגֵהוּ), nor can we designate Him by any name (וְלֹא נוּכַל לְכַנּוֹתוֹ בְּשֵׁם), except that we call Him Ohr Pashut [Simple Light] (כִּי אִם נִקְרָאֵהוּ אוֹר פָּשׁוּט), and we call His actions he’arot [illuminations], or hitnotzetzut [radiances] (וְנִקְרָא לִפְעוּלוֹתָיו - הָאֵרוֹת, אוֹ הִתְנוֹצְצוּיוֹת).

This is like the sun that shines upon the earth (וְהוּא כַּשֶּׁמֶשׁ הַזּוֹרֵחַ עַל הָאָרֶץ), which extends its own light and reaches the body illuminated by it (שֶׁהוּא פּוֹשֵׁט אוֹר עַצְמוֹ וּמַגִּיעַ אֶל הַגּוּף הַמֻּזְהָר מִמֶּנּוּ). So too, concerning the Emanator, blessed be He, in His action (כָּךְ הַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּפְעֻלָּתוֹ), it is said that He extends His own light to that which is acted upon by Him (נֶאֱמַר שֶׁהוּא פּוֹשֵׁט אוֹר עַצְמוֹ אֶל הַנִּפְעָל מִמֶּנּוּ), and this is the manner of His action (וְזֶהוּ דֶּרֶךְ פְּעֻלָּתוֹ).

Therefore, we call the totality of His actions—those which He performed in creating His world and those which He performs in sustaining it—Sefirot (וְעַל כֵּן לִכְלַל פְּעֻלוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר פָּעַל בִּבְרוֹא עוֹלָמוֹ וַאֲשֶׁר הוּא פּוֹעֵל כֵּן בְּקַיְּמוֹ אוֹתוֹ - אֲנַחְנוּ קוֹרְאִים סְפִירוֹת), meaning: the extension of His own light to those acted upon by Him, so that they may be brought into existence or sustained (וְרוֹצֶה לוֹמַר: הִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת אוֹר עַצְמוֹ אֶל הַנִּפְעָלִים מִמֶּנּוּ, לִהְיוֹת נִפְעָלִים אוֹ מִתְקַיְּמִים).

Since we discern distinct qualities in His actions (וְיַעַן כִּי מַבְחִינִים אָנוּ בִּפְעוּלוֹתָיו אֵיכוּיּוֹת שׁוֹנוֹת), we therefore distinguish among these Sefirot various gradations (עַל כֵּן נַבְחִין בַּסְּפִירוֹת הָאֵלֶּה מַדְרֵגוֹת שׁוֹנוֹת), which are interconnected and joined one with another (מִתְקַשְּׁרוֹת וּמִתְחַבְּרוֹת זֶה בָּזֶה). This is the connection and correspondence that His actions have—action with action—as stated above (הוּא הַקֶּשֶׁר וְהַשַּׁיָּכוּת אֲשֶׁר לִפְעוּלוֹתָיו, פְּעוּלָה עִם פְּעוּלָה כְּנַ״ל).

This is only a distinction among the actions of the Emanator (וְאֵין זֶה אֶלָּא הַבְחָנַת פְּעוּלוֹת הַמַּאֲצִיל). For if His action were like the action of human beings, whose action is only a power and not an actual existence (שֶׁאִלּוּ הָיְתָה פְּעֻלָּתוֹ אֶלָּא כְּפְעֻלַּת בְּנֵי אָדָם, אֲשֶׁר אֵין הַפְּעֻלָּה אֶלָּא כֹּחַ וְלֹא מְצִיאוּת מַמָּשִׁי), we could define the Sefirot only as the actions of the Emanator, without actual existence (לֹא הָיִינוּ יְכוֹלִים לִגְדֹּר הַסְּפִירוֹת אֶלָּא פְּעוּלוֹת הַמַּאֲצִיל בְּלֹא מְצִיאוּת מַמָּשִׁי).

But because His action is like the action of the sun or of any luminous body (רַק מִפְּנֵי שֶׁפְּעֻלָּתוֹ כְּפְעֻלַּת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ אוֹ כָּל גּוּף מַזְהִיר), which, as though it prolongs itself through its illumination, reaches that which is acted upon by it (שֶׁהוּא כְּמוֹ מַאֲרִיךְ עַצְמוֹ בְּהַאִירוֹ לְהַגִּיעַ אֶל הַנִּפְעָל מִמֶּנּוּ), they are therefore called he’arot [illuminations] (עַל כֵּן נִקְרָאִים הָאֵרוֹת): namely, the reaching of the light of the Emanator, blessed be He Himself, unto the created being from Him (וְהוּא הַגַּעַת אוֹר הַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַצְמוֹ אֶל הַנִּבְרָא מִמֶּנּוּ).

Therefore, they are found to be a real existence, like a spark (וְעַל כֵּן נִמְצָאִים הֵם מְצִיאוּת מַמָּשִׁי כְּנִיצוֹץ); they are the Emanator Himself, spreading forth His goodness and acting (הֵם הַמַּאֲצִיל עַצְמוֹ הַמַּפְשִׁיט טוּבוֹ וּפוֹעֵל). And there is no place at all to say that they are separate (וְאֵין אֲפִלּוּ מָקוֹם כְּלָל לוֹמַר שֶׁיְּהֵיוּ נִבְדָּלִים), for they are not another thing, but only the Emanator, blessed be He, acting (כִּי אֵינָם דָּבָר אַחֵר רַק הַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא הַפּוֹעֵל).

Just as an action is not separate from the agent, though it is possible for the very agent to exist without it (שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא נִבְדֶּלֶת הַפְּעֻלָּה מִן הַפּוֹעֵל, רַק שֶׁיְּהֵא אֶפְשָׁר לְגוּף הַפּוֹעֵל לִהְיוֹת בִּלְעָדֶיהָ), since he is not compelled to act (כִּי אֵינוֹ מֻחְרָךְ לִפְעֹל), so too the Sefirot are not separate at all from the Emanator, blessed be He (כַּךְ הַסְּפִירוֹת אֵינָם נִבְדָּלִים כְּלָל מִן הַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא). Except that the Emanator, blessed be He, can exist without the Sefirot (רַק שֶׁיָּכוֹל לִהְיוֹת הַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּלֹא סְפִירוֹת), for He is not compelled to illuminate those acted upon by Him (כִּי אֵינוֹ מֻחְרָךְ לְהָאִיר אֶל הַנִּפְעָלִים).

Know that it is altogether impossible to apprehend the Emanator, blessed be He, in the aspect of His essence (וְתֵדַע שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַשִּׂיג הַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּבְחִינַת עַצְמוֹ כְּלָל), but only in the aspect of His actions (רַק בִּבְחִינַת פְּעוּלוֹתָיו). Therefore, all that we speak concerning the Sefirot (וְלָכֵן נְדַבֵּר כָּל מַה שֶּׁנְּדַבֵּר בַּסְּפִירוֹת) means: concerning His actions (רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר: בִּפְעוּלוֹתָיו), for through them we understand the orders of His actions (כִּי נָבִין בָּהֶם סִדְרֵי פְּעוּלוֹתָיו), what is drawn forth and born from them (וּמַה נִּמְשָׁךְ וְהַנּוֹלָד מֵהֶם), and how He conducts Himself with His creatures according to their deeds and circumstances (וְאֵיךְ הוּא מִתְנַהֵג עִם בְּרוּאָיו לְפִי מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם וְעִנְיְנֵיהֶם).