Rabbi
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto ("RaMChaL"):
138 Openings
of Wisdom
Opening 128
Abba and Imma divide up into the First and Second Israel Sabba and Tevunah.
Abba and Imma must at times for Zeir Anpin's sake divide up their lowest part - which is Israel Sabba and Tevunah - to create a further subdivision. This is because of the need for gradation, so that Zeir Anpin should only receive the lights at a low strength, and all the other aspects of Zeir Anpin are governed accordingly. By the principle of gradation it is not proper that at that time he should receive any more than this. This division produces the Second Israel Sabba-Tevunah.
Following our discussion of the Mental Powers, we will now explain the way they are given to Zeir Anpin by Abba and Imma.
The proposition consists of two parts. Part 1: Abba and Imma must. The Second Israel Sabba-Tevunah are a subdivision of the First Israel Sabba-Tevunah. Part 2: This is because. This explains the reason for this subdivision.
Part 1: Abba and Imma must. divide up their lowest part - which is Israel Sabba and Tevunah. Altogether the main Partzufim make up a total of five, which embody the entire array of the Ten Sefirot of the world in question. (Arich Anpin is Keter, Abba is Chochmah and Imma is Binah, while Zeir Anpin is Chessed-Gevurah-Tiferet-Netzach-Hod-Yesod and Nukva is Malchut.) However, Abba and Imma subdivide their Sefirot into whatever levels are required. Thus Abba, the First Israel Sabba and the Second Israel Sabba are all Abba, except that when certain separate functions and powers are given to his Malchut, we find these two other Partzufim - although Abba is the one that is actually operating. The same applies to Imma in relation to the First and Second Tevunah.
.for Zeir Anpin's sake. This is done only to bring the Mental Powers to the right level, as the proposition states below.
.at times. For it is not so all the time. Only in the First Maturity do the Partzufim of the Second (or "Secondary") Israel Sabba and Tevunah operate, while in the Second Maturity it is the Partzufim of the First (or "Primary") Israel Sabba and Tevunah that operate.
.into a further subdivision. In other words, Malchut of Israel Sabba-Tevunah becomes a separate Partzuf - the Second Israel Sabba-Tevunah.
Part 2: This is because of the need for gradation, so that Zeir Anpin should only receive the lights at a low strength. In other words, Zeir Anpin receives only the offspring of the offspring - the lowest part of the lowest part. For Malchut of Abba and Imma is their lowest part, but even this Zeir Anpin cannot receive in its entirety but only the lowest part of it - Malchut of Malchut, which is the Second Israel Sabba-Tevunah. It is these that become the Tzelem of Zeir Anpin.
And even that Tzelem does not enter into Zeir Anpin's interior with the exception of its lowest part, the Tzadde - Malchut of Malchut of Abba and Imma. Yet the purpose of this gradation is obvious. For Zeir Anpin can only ever receive his interior soul - even in the Second Maturity - from Malchut of Abba and Imma, because only the lowest part of the upper Partzuf can become the interior soul of the lower Partzuf, and in this case Israel Sabba-Tevunah are the lowest part of the upper Partzuf. Even this Zeir Anpin can only receive at certain times, and thus there are times when he receives more and times when he receives less. Accordingly there had to be a gradation whereby at a time when he receives less he only takes the lowest part of this Malchut, whereas at a time when he receives more he takes the whole of this Malchut.
This too is through a gradual process and not by going from one extreme to the other so as to have either the whole of Malchut or only the lowest part of it. After receiving the lowest part, Zeir Anpin ascends gradually level by level until he receives it all. First he receives Chessed-Gevurah-Tiferet of this Malchut and afterwards Chochmah-Binah-Daat. We then say that Zeir Anpin has attained the Second Maturity. For with the entry of Chochmah-Binah-Daat, the entry of the whole of this Malchut is complete - the entire Tzadde of the Tzelem is within Zeir Anpin. All the upper levels of the First Israel Sabba-Tevunah then remain as his Lamed-Mem through the mystery of the Second Maturity.
These are the ascents that take place on Shabbat night and Shabbat day. On Shabbat night the encompassing levels of Lamed become internal in Zeir Anpin and he is then between the First and Second Maturity. Afterwards on Shabbat day the Mem of the Tzelem also enters into Zeir Anpin's interior. He thus has the whole of Malchut (i.e. the Second Israel Sabba-Tevunah) - the Tzadde of the Tzelem - and this is called the Second Maturity. Afterwards there are further ascents, and these are real ascents because Zeir Anpin then rises higher than his proper level. These are the other ascents of Shabbat day. Each one of these times has its effects on the governmental order, because as you know, there is nothing that does not have a purpose.
One could ask why no mention is made of any other stage of maturity between the First and Second Maturity. The answer is that in truth it would not be fitting for there to be more than two kinds of Mental Powers - either from Abba and Imma (i.e. as provided by the First Israel Sabba-Tevunah, which are Malchut of Abba and Imma) or from the Second Israel Sabba-Tevunah (which are Malchut of the First Israel Sabba-Tevunah), as will be discussed in the following Opening. Accordingly in the middle ascent there is not as yet any change in the actual Mental Powers but only an addition. The Mental Powers are still attributed to the First Maturity - as provided only by the Second Israel Sabba-Tevunah - except that there is now the addition of these encompassing levels.
The only purpose of the internalization of the encompassing level of the Lamed is that Zeir Anpin should attain the Mental Powers conferred by Abba and Imma. But as long as he has not actually attained them he cannot be said to have emerged from the First Maturity. This is similar to what we said in regard to the transition from Immaturity to Maturity - that even though the Mental Powers are in the process of coming, the term Maturity applies only after they complete their entry, while the period in between is still termed that of Suckling, except with an addition (see Opening 121).
.and all the other aspects of Zeir Anpin are governed accordingly. As discussed already, the strength of the rest of the body depends upon the strength of the Mental Powers.
By the principle of gradation it is not proper that at that time he should receive any more than this. (Malchut of Abba and Imma subdivides at that time because Zeir Anpin is unable to receive all of Malchut of Abba and Imma, i.e. the First Israel Sabba-Tevunah, but only Malchut of the latter, i.e. the Second Israel Sabba-Tevunah.) This is something that changes at different times: the First and Second Maturity come about because of the unique nature of the holy days as opposed to the weekdays.
There is thus a difference between the levels of Pregnancy, Suckling and having Mental Powers on the one hand and the First and Second Maturity on the other. The periods of Pregnancy, The periods of Suckling and Mental Immaturity come to complete the building of the lights so that they can function according to the needs of the world. However the First and Second Maturity come when the lights are already built and complete but can function with either more or less strength. We must call this a difference in the degree of their importance and functioning.
This is similar to man's additional Shabbat soul. The building is already complete without it and the additional soul adds nothing to man's body or physical functioning. What it adds is only an enhancement of status and splendor, as will be discussed in its proper place below (see Opening 132).
This division produces the Second Israel Sabba-Tevunah. This is as discussed above.
It could be asked why all the Partzufim change their names when they undergo a change of function, while these do not but are simply called the Second Israel Sabba-Tevunah. The reason is because the function of the latter is identical with that of the First Israel Sabba-Tevunah - except on a lower level. Both are what Abba and Imma give to Zeir Anpin, but when he can only receive from the very end he receives from the Second Israel Sabba-Tevunah. The latter are a part of Malchut that carries out the same function as the whole except on a lower level. And when they are not needed they simply become included in the higher level: in the Second Maturity, the Second Israel Sabba-Tevunah become absorbed in the First Israel Sabba-Tevunah. This is not so in the case of the other Partzufim, each of which has its own distinct function. The proof is that at no time do the other Partzufim cease to exist through being absorbed in others as happens in this case.