שער ב - סדר אצילות

1. The Second Gate - The progression of the Sefirot within the circles, with three branches

2. The progression of the Sefirot through circles: It is known that the lower part of the five levels of the soul, which is the Nefesh (soul), as known from it, the decimal system of circles was initially emanated through the line and the conduit due to the Aleph-Samekh (Ego) likeness. Similar to a person in the lower material aspect, initially possessing the level of Nefesh (soul), and later attaining and acquiring the level of Ruach (spirit), and subsequently the level of Neshamah (higher soul), and so on. This order was also present above, as initially the Sefirot of circles was emanated in the aspect of vessels and the essence, incorporating the levels of the soul alone within them, in the aspect of Nefesh, and later they returned and emanated in the aspect of the Sefirot through the straight line, similar to the appearance of a person, as mentioned above. They also encompass two aspects of vessels and the essence, including spiritual bones within them, in the aspect of a higher-level stage called the level of Ruach, which is above the level of Nefesh. It is found that the Sefirot of circles is in the level of the soul with the attributed vessels, and the aspect of the Sefirot through the straight line, similar to the appearance of a person, emanated later, is in the level of the spirit with the attributed vessels. Now, the nature of these vessels touches upon the fact that the liver is the dwelling place of the soul, the heart is the dwelling place of the spirit, and the brain is the dwelling place of the Neshamah. There is no place here for the explanation of these details

3. One must also understand other principles, which are the following: Know that the aspect of essence and spirituality that becomes enclothed within the aforementioned vessels is what we constantly refer to in our writings as the aspect of “concealed lights.” These lights consist of two aspects: one is called *Inner Light* (Or Pnimi), which becomes enclothed within the vessels, and the other is called *Surrounding Light* (Or Makif), which encompasses the vessel from the outside, for due to its vast and extended nature, the vessel cannot contain and internalize its power, and thus the light remains external, encompassing it from without. There is no light in the world that does not contain these two aspects — Inner and Surrounding Light. Similarly, regarding the vessels, there is no vessel in the world that does not have these two aspects in the same manner: namely, the *inner aspect of the vessel*, in which the Inner Light is clothed and united, and the *outer aspect of the vessel*, upon which the Surrounding Light hovers and encompasses from without. In summary, the light — which is the essence of spirituality — divides into two levels: Inner Light and Surrounding Light; and likewise, the vessels also divide into two levels: the inner part of the vessels and the outer part of the vessels. These principles have already been explained. The general principle is that at the beginning of everything, the ten sefirot were necessarily arranged in the form of circles (iggulim), which include the ten sefirot of circular vessels arranged in the form of concentric circles, and in each of these vessels there exists an inner and an outer aspect. Within these vessels are clothed ten spiritual lights, called the lights of the aspect of *nefesh* (soul), and furthermore, ten surrounding lights encompass them. Thus, every light includes both an Inner Light and a Surrounding Light, and all of this is in a circular configuration: for the Inner Light is circular, like a sphere, and it is enclosed within a single vessel which is itself circular, and upon this vessel is the Surrounding Light, which is also circular — like a sphere surrounding a sphere. And so it is with all ten sefirot of the circular form, resembling the spheres and firmaments, as is known. Afterward, the ten sefirot of *Yosher* (linear configuration) were emanated, in the likeness of an upright human form, and these are of a higher order than the circular form. These too include ten sefirot of vessels, and in each vessel there is both an inner and outer aspect. Within these vessels are clothed ten spiritual lights, called the lights of the aspect of *ruach* (spirit), and each light contains both a Surrounding Light that encompasses the vessel from the outside and an Inner Light that is clothed within the vessel — all in a linear fashion, in the form of an upright human figure. This introduction I have given you in this section applies universally to all the emanated, created, formed, and made entities in all the worlds.