Rabbi
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto ("RaMChaL"):
138 Openings
of Wisdom
Opening 67
The legs of Arich Anpin sustained the broken vessels; the folding of the legs repaired and elevated them.
The folding of the legs of Arich Anpin was what first gave the broken vessels the power to ascend, making possible all their subsequent ascents. The truth is that the vessels were dependent upon these legs. At first they were sustained through them down below. Then, when the legs were folded up, this gave the vessels the power to return and go back up. It is in this sense that Arich Anpin (of the first Atzilut) is the root of everything. The legs were the part of Arich Anpin in which the vessels were rooted during the time of their descent. Then afterwards (as a result of the folding of the legs) they also became rooted in Chessed-Gevurah-Tiferet as the extent of their repair increased.
Note 1: The concept of the folding of the legs takes its meaning from the way the legs of the embryo in the womb are folded up to its chest. Kabbalistically, the legs of a Partzuf are Netzach-Hod-Yesod, while the arms and chest are Chessed-Gevurah-Tiferet. The proximity of the folded legs to the arms and chest signifies how the lower levels are elevated in order to receive power from the higher levels.
Note 2: There is an apparent difficulty in this Opening since the folding of the legs of the Partzuf of Arich Anpin took place after the emergence of the Partzufim of Atik, Arich Anpin, Abba and Imma, as a preparation for the repair of the Partzuf of Zeir Anpin (see Etz Chaim, Shaar Zeir Anpin ch. 2). Here, however, the folding of the legs of Arich Anpin is explained as a general preparation for the repair of the vessels, out of which all the Partzufim were subsequently built, including that of Arich Anpin. The intent may be that there was already a similar folding of the legs in the overall Arich Anpin or Adam Kadmon in relation to the broken vessels, which were seven Nekudot or "points" in the relative category of Zeir Anpin. Thus in the present Opening, Arich Anpin may refer to Arich Anpin of the ten Nekudim - i.e. to their Keter, which was not broken. This is the source of the upper three Sefirot of the first Atzilut, which were not broken, and which rectify Atzilut-Beriyah-Yetzirah-Asiyah - including Arich Anpin, which is the Keter - of the second Atzilut.
Part 1: The folding of the legs of Arich Anpin was what first gave the broken vessels the power to ascend... We see that this raising of the legs was necessary in order to lift up the vessels for the first time, and nothing further was required from Arich Anpin with respect to the vessels. It was to give the vessels the ability to ascend that this folding of the legs was necessary, and from then on, through the power gained thereby, they can rise to all the heights befitting them. ...making possible all their subsequent ascents. It was this action of the folding the legs that initiated the ability of the vessels to ascend.
Part 2: The truth is... Even without taking into account that, as it goes on to say, it is the legs of Arich Anpin that sustain the vessels, we could still understand this folding of the legs as an arousal of returning light that reached these vessels. Nevertheless, the actual truth is ...that the vessels were dependent on these legs. For you have already heard that even when they were in their fallen state down below, a certain radiation (הארה, he'arah) still reached them, and that is what sustained them. The radiation came to them from there (i.e. from the legs of Arich Anpin), for that is the level on which they were dependent, as explained further in Part 3. Accordingly, during the time when they required a radiation (when they were down below) it came to them from there. And likewise, when they needed to ascend, the power came from there. Accordingly, the proposition continues:
At first they were sustained through them down below. This is evident from the fact that with the ascent of the legs, the vessels also ascend. We thus infer that they had some dependency on those legs. We see that as long as the vessels needed to be kept below, the legs were down below and radiated to them, and when the vessels had to rise up, the legs of Arich Anpin were folded up. From this we can understand that the vessels are dependent on these legs, as stated above. When the vessels had to stay below, the legs were below and shined in them. And when the vessels had to ascend, the legs were folded and the vessels ascended after them.
Then, when the legs were folded up, this gave the vessels the power to return and go back up. The folding of the legs came about through the power of the arousal of the return (החזרה, hachazarah), and this arousal also reached the vessels that were dependent upon them, and they too ascended.
Part 3: It is in this sense that Arich Anpin (of the first Atzilut) is the root of everything. What relation does Arich Anpin have to the vessels? Arich Anpin is the root of everything, and these vessels must also be rooted Arich Anpin.
The legs were the part of Arich Anpin in which the vessels were rooted during the time of their descent.
There is nothing lower than the legs, and during the time of their descent, the vessels were rooted only in such a lowly part because of their own lowly status. Then afterwards (as a result of the folding of the legs) they also became rooted in Chessed-Gevurah-Tiferet as the extent of their repair increased. This was what was gained from the folding of the legs - that the vessels also became rooted in Chessed-Gevurah-Tiferet of Arich Anpin, as explained in the writings of the ARI (Etz Chayim, Shaar Zeir Anpin ch. 2).