Rabbi
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto ("RaMChaL"):
138 Openings
of Wisdom
Opening 104
The entire governmental order depends on the Three Heads -root of Kindness-Judgment-Mercy - and the Head that is Unknown - root of the Receiver.
The entire governmental order of Justice is based on Kindness-Judgment-Mercy and the Receiver thereof, because this is the foundation of the whole concept of reward and punishment. As the root of all this we find the division into the Three Heads in Arich Anpin, while the Head that is Unknown, which is above them, is the root of the Receiver - the Shechinah, the Indwelling Presence.
Having discussed Arich Anpin's own intrinsic governmental mode as expressed in the Seven Repairs of the Head, we will now examine how Arich Anpin serves as the root of Zeir Anpin. (The Three Heads are the Skull and Brain, as discussed in Opening 102, and the Cavity, אוירא, avira, in between, which clothes Daat of Atik.)
This proposition consists of two parts. Part 1: The entire governmental order. This is an introductory premise about the governmental order. Part 2: As the root. This discusses the Three Heads in Arich Anpin accordingly.
Part 1: The entire governmental order of Justice is based on Kindness-Judgment-Mercy and the Receiver thereof. By Receiver we are referring to the Nukva, the Female aspect, which is the root of the receivers - the lower creations. For according to their level of preparedness, so the Nukva is ready to receive, as discussed earlier (see Opening 58). .because this is the foundation of the whole concept of reward and punishment. Justice does not only mean Judgment alone. Justice involves Kindness, Judgment and Mercy - to do what is fitting in the eyes of the Judge (i.e. to administer reward and punishment as necessary, and thus the government of justice is that of reward and punishment).
Part 2: As the root of all this we find the division into the Three Heads in Arich Anpin. As discussed earlier, the very governmental order based on Justice itself derives from Arich Anpin.
.while the Head that is Unknown, which is above them, is the root of the Receiver. This is the mystery of "A woman of valor is the crown of her husband" (Proverbs 12:4). .the Shechinah, the Indwelling Presence. This is the power of the Shechinah, which is called "a stone cast up to Eyn Sof" - for the Shechinah was first in thought, while the attributes - the other nine Sefirot - were drawn forth only for the sake of the Shechinah through the columns of Kindness-Judgment-Mercy. (Chessed-Gevurah-Tiferet are the root of the Sefirot of Justice while Chochmah-Binah-Daat come only to add to the flow of influence and Netzach-Hod-Yesod to transfer it).
Thus, the entire repair is in the hands of the receivers, who reveal the unity through their service. Accordingly this is what was fixed first, and afterwards the nine upper attributes were channeled in accordance with the nature of the Shechinah. (The nine Sefirot of Arich Anpin are above Malchut of Atzilut - the the Nukva - yet the latter is the root of the government of the lower creations - the very purpose of the creation. This Malchut is therefore rooted in the exalted level of the Head that is Unknown, which is above Arich Anpin).
Accordingly the entire arousal comes from the Shechinah - in order to benefit the receivers. And the entire repair is dependant upon the Shechinah - as evident in many places in the writings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. (The repair is when the Holy One, blessed be He, can send a flow of blessing to the receivers because they are ready to receive it.)