Introduction to Sulam Commentary

The Ten Sefirot1. First, one must know the names of the ten sefirot. They are KḤB, ḤGT, NHYM, which are acronyms for Keter, Ḥokhma, Bina; Ḥesed, Gevura, Tiferet; Netzaḥ, Hod, Yesod, and Malkhut. These constitute the ten coverings of God’s light, which were established so that the lower beings could receive His light. This can be compared to the light of the sun, which can be viewed only through tinted lenses, which reduce its light and render it suitable for the eyes’ faculty of sight. Likewise, though on a vastly different plane, the lower beings would be unable to apprehend God’s light were it not covered by these ten coverings called the ten sefirot, for the lower the sefira, the more it obscures God’s light.1In this last point, the author of the Sulam is explaining why there are ten sefirot as opposed to only one. One sefira would not be sufficient to obscure God’s light, so each additional covering provides greater cover, reducing God’s light to a level that is comprehensible to the lower, created beings. Each subsequent sefira in the list is considered “lower” than the preceding sefirot, reflecting a greater distance from the supernal light and an increased obscuring of the light.