Introduction to Sulam Commentary

Twelve Partzufim in Atzilut 57. Every level that contains three sets of ten sefirot, that is, ten sefirot of the head, ten sefirot of the interior, and ten sefirot of the end (as stated in sections 5 – 6 above) is called a partzuf. It is categorized in accordance with its head, its upper aspect: If the upper aspect is Keter, all thirty sefirot within the partzuf are called Keter; if the upper aspect is Ḥokhma, the thirty sefirot are all called Ḥokhma, and so on, along these lines. There are five partzufim whose structure is measured based on the fusion through collision upon the five levels of the partition. A fusion through collision on a partition of the fourth level yields a partzuf of the height of Keter. A partition of the third level yields a partzuf of the height of Ḥokhma. A partition of the second level yields a partzuf of the height of Bina. A partition of the first level yields a partzuf of the height of Ze’er Anpin. A partition at the root level137The root level is the level of Keter in the partition, yielding a height of Malkhut in the partzuf structure. See the adjacent footnote for the inverse relationship between the level of a partition and the partzuf height it yields. yields a partzuf at the level of Malkhut (as explained in Petiḥa LeḤokhmat HaKabbala,” section 21).138From section 22 of Petiḥa LeḤokhmat HaKabbala: Consequently, five types of fusion through collision can be discerned in the partition, corresponding to its five measures of opacity:Fusion through collision against a complete partition, which is formed with all five levels of opacity, gives rise to returning light that is sufficient to enclothe all ten sefirot – that is, until the level of Keter. When there is fusion through collision against a partition that lacks the opacity of the fourth level, and has only the opacity of the third level, the returning light that it raises is sufficient to enclothe the ten sefirot only up to the level of Ḥokhma and does not include Keter.If it contains only the opacity of the second level, its returning light is smaller and is only enough to enclothe the ten sefirot of the supernal light up to the level of Bina; it lacks Keter and Ḥokhma.If it contains only the opacity of the first level, its returning light is diminished even further and is sufficient to enclothe only to the level of Tiferet; it lacks Keter, Ḥokhma, and Bina.If it lacks even the opacity of the first level, so that only the opacity of the root level remains in it, its impact is very weak and is sufficient only to enclothe up to the level of Malkhut alone. It lacks the first nine sefirot, which are Keter, Ḥokhma, Bina, and the six sefirot encompassed in Tiferet.