Section: The World of Nekudim (Openings 36–50)
The chapter that closes the World of Nekudim unit by returning to a question hanging since Op. 41: why did the light initially enter, only to turn back and depart? After all, the gradation could have been brought about from the outset without this. The chapter's answer rests on a principle of sufficient reason: nothing is in vain. Two parts: (Part 1) Nothing is in vain — established from two sides: (a) something purposeless is quite inconceivable in the Supreme Mind; something unfitting cannot exist in HaMachshavah HaElyonah; (b) Sefirot are the measures of all creations; they contain nothing that does not exist in the creations — accordingly nothing is in vain. So: even where we cannot identify the result, the consequence is real. Applied: lights' entry-and-exit must have happened for a reason; but the reason cannot have been simply to produce gradation (which could have been brought about without it). The light did not act — did not join the incomplete vessel; waited. Yet entry-and-exit has an essential function and consequence — everything done above has consequence in the governmental order of the worlds. (Part 2) The function: entry-and-exit constitutes the individual root for the governmental order of this world in its states of damage-and-repair / reward-and-punishment. Mechanism: lights revealed above → greater power in creations; lights closed up / occluded → weakness. The number of lights above corresponds to all aspects required in what exists. The combination of revealed and occluded determines the particular design and character of what exists below. So entry-and-exit produced just so many revelations and just so many occlusions — exactly the combination this world needed. The Supreme Mind knew how to calculate — neither less nor more — how many roots of damage, how many of repair, in what order/manner.
This is the unit's closer. It rounds back to a question Op. 41 raised but did not fully resolve, and supplies the principle that organizes the entire unit's apparent redundancies: nothing is in vain.
Part 1 — Nothing is in vain. Two grounds: (a) Supreme Mind cannot contain anything purposeless; (b) Sefirot = measures of creations, contain nothing not in creations. From this: lights' entry-and-exit must have a function. Could not be merely to produce gradation (achievable without it). Light waited; did not act. Yet every above-event has consequence in the governmental order.
Part 2 — What the entry-and-exit accomplishes. Entry-and-exit = individual root for governmental order — damage-and-repair, reward-and-punishment — in this world. Mechanism: revealed lights → strong creations; occluded lights → weak. The combination of revealed + occluded is what determines this world's particular design. Supreme Mind calculated exactly — neither less nor more.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
כניסת האור לכלים ויציאתו נותנים תכונה פרטית לענין ההדרגה:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> The entry of the light into the vessels and its exit are the root of the governmental order of this world in a state of damage and repair. Plain English: Theme: entry of light into vessels and its exit = root of governmental order of this world in damage and repair.
Concepts: light_initially_hidden, vessel_kli, root_of_damage_and_repair, hanhagah_governmental_order.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
אין שום דבר לבטלה, ועל כן מה שנכנס האור בתחלה, ואחר כך חזר ויצא, והלא היה יכול לעשות כל ההדרגה הזאת בתחלה בלא זה - גם לזה יש פעולה ותולדה עיקרית. וזהו שורש פרטי מה שצריך לתת מציאות להנהגת העולם הזה בקלקוליו ותיקוניו. בשכר ועונש, לפי השיעור השלם מה שצריך לזה, לא פחות ולא יותר:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> Nothing is in vain. Therefore the initial entry of the light and its subsequent turnabout and departure – when all this gradation could have been brought about from the outset without this – also has an essential function and consequence. And this is the individual root needed to give existence to the governmental order of this world in its various states of damage and repair, reward and punishment, according to the complete measure of what is required for this, neither less nor more. Plain English: Five-claim proposition: (1) nothing is in vain; (2) initial entry + turnabout + departure (despite gradation being achievable without it) has essential function and consequence; (3) this = the individual root for the governmental order of this world; (4) in states of damage-and-repair, reward-and-punishment; (5) according to complete measure required — neither less nor more.
Concepts: nothing_is_in_vain, light_initially_hidden, root_of_damage_and_repair, root_of_reward_and_punishment, exact_measure_of_roots.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
אחר שנתבאר ההילוך הכללי של המ"ק, עתה צריך לחזור ולפרש הדברים הראשונים לפי ההילוך הזה:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> Having provided an overall conspectus of the subject of the Primordial Kings, it is now necessary to go back and explain the initial stages accordingly. Plain English: Op. 36-49 = overall conspectus of the Primordial Kings. Now: go back and explain the initial stages accordingly.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
חלקי המאמר הזה ב'. ח"א, אין שום דבר לבטלה וכו', והוא ביאור הענין שנכנסו האורות בכלים, ואחר כך חזרו ויצאו. ח"ב, וזהו שורש פרטי, והיינו טעם הענין הזה:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> The proposition consists of two parts. Part 1: Nothing is in vain. This explains how the lights entered into the vessels and afterwards turned back and went out. Part 2: And this is the individual root... This explains the reason for this phenomenon. Plain English: Two parts: (1) that the lights entered and went out (and this is not in vain); (2) the reason — why this happened.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
חלק א: אין שום דבר לבטלה, וזה דבר פשוט משני צדדים, א' - שאין נחשוב דבר זה במחשבה העליונה, כי הלא מה שהוא לבטלה הוא דבר שאינו הגון כלל, אך דבר שאינו הגון אי אפשר להיות במחשבה העליונה. אם כן דבר לבטלה אי אפשר להיות במחשבה העליונה. ב' - כי הרי כבר אמרנו שהספירות הם הם מה ששיערה המחשבה העליונה את הנמצאים בכל חלקיהם, ואין הספירות דבר חוץ מזה. אם כן אין בספירות דבר שאין בנמצאים, ואם כן אין דבר לבטלה:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> Part 1: Nothing is in vain. This is obvious from two sides. Firstly, that anything could be for no purpose is quite inconceivable in the Supreme Mind, for something that is without a purpose is quite unfitting and it is impossible that anything unfitting could exist in the Supreme Mind. Secondly, as we have already said, the Sefirot are the measures of all the creations in all their different parts and aspects as laid down in the Supreme Mind, and the Sefirot are nothing except this. If so, the Sefirot contain nothing that does not exist in the creations, and accordingly nothing is in vain. Plain English: Two grounds. (1) Negative: anything for no purpose quite inconceivable in Supreme Mind — unfitting cannot exist in HaMachshavah HaElyonah. (2) Positive: Sefirot = measures of all creations; nothing else. Therefore Sefirot contain nothing that does not exist in the creations — nothing is in vain.
Concepts: nothing_is_in_vain, sefirot_class, supreme_mind_machshavah_elyonah.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
ועל כן מה שנכנס האור בתחלה, ואחר כך חזר ויצא, אפילו שלא היינו יודעים מה היא התולדה היוצאת מדבר אחד, בכח ההקדמה הזאת שאין בה ספק, ודאי נדע שהדבר ההוא יש לו תולדה, אלא שלא השגנוהו. ואדרבא, נקבע מזה ידיעה שגם זה צריך להעמיד הנושא - שהדבר ההוא נפעל בעדו בתכונה הצריך לנושא ההוא.
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> Therefore the initial entry of the light and its subsequent turnabout and departure... Even when we do not know what results from a given phenomenon, on the strength of the above unshakeable premise we certainly know that it has some consequence, except that we have not understood it. Moreover, on the basis of that premise we can legitimately infer that the phenomenon in question is also necessary in order to produce a result of precisely the required nature. Plain English: Even when we don't know what results, we certainly know it has some consequence — just not understood. We can also legitimately infer: the phenomenon is necessary to produce a result of precisely the required nature.
Concepts: nothing_is_in_vain, light_initially_hidden, exact_measure_of_roots.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
ובנידן דידן, כיון שראינו שהיה כך, פירש שנכנסו האורות בכלים, וחזרו ויצאו, ודאי צריך שיהיה לו טעם. אך טעם ההדרגה איננו, כי הרי היה אפשר להעשות בלא זה. אם כן צריך לומר שהוא בשביל טעם אחר מלבד זה. אך בשביל שאנו רואים שזה הדבר בא לעשות ההדרגה, שהרי על ידו נעשית, אם כן נבין מיד, שאף על פי שהדרגה היתה נעשית זולת זה, הנה צריך בה איזה תנאי שלא היה אם לא היתה נעשית על ידו, וכדלקמן:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> To apply this to the subject under discussion: Since we see that the lights entered into the vessels and then turned back and went out, we infer that this must have happened for a reason. However, the reason cannot have been simply to produce the gradation (of the Partzufim) since that could have been brought about without this. We must therefore say that it was for some other reason. But since we see that this phenomenon comes to produce the gradation – for it is through this that it came about – we can therefore immediately infer that although the gradation could have been produced without this phenomenon, it must have required some condition that would not have been fulfilled had it not been produced in this way, as it goes on to say. Plain English: Lights entered → went out: must have happened for a reason. Reason cannot be simply to produce gradation (achievable without it). Must be some other reason. Since this phenomenon did produce the gradation, we infer: although gradation could have been produced without it, some condition would not have been fulfilled otherwise.
Concepts: nothing_is_in_vain, partzuf, light_initially_hidden.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
והלא היה יכול לעשות כל ההדרגה הזאת בתחלה בלא זה, שהרי האור לא עשה כלום, אלא שלא נתחבר בכלי, מפני שלא היה נשלם, והמתין עד שתעשה ההדרגה שנעשית, שבה תלוי תיקון הכלי. אם כן אין האור עושה כלום בהדרגה, אלא שהוא ממתין שתעשה ההדרגה. אם כן למה נכנס מתחלה?:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> ...when all this gradation could have been brought about from the outset without this... For the light did not do anything – it did not act. It simply did not join with the vessel, because the vessel was not complete, and the light waited until the gradation on which the repair of the vessel depended was brought about. If so, the light itself did not do anything in producing the gradation, it just waited until the gradation was brought about. If so, why did it enter initially? Plain English: Light did not do anything — did not act. Simply did not join the incomplete vessel; waited until gradation came about. Light itself did nothing in producing the gradation. So why did it enter initially? (the chapter's central question)
Concepts: light_initially_hidden, vessel_must_complete_mission, vessel_kli.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
גם לזה יש פעולה, שודאי הכנס האור בכלים פועל איזה דבר בכלים ההם: ותולדה עיקרית, כל הפעולות הנעשות למעלה יש להם תולדה בהנהגה:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> …also has an essential function... For certainly the entry of the light into the vessels produces some effect in those vessels. ...and consequence. Everything that was done above has a conseqence in the governmental order of the worlds. Plain English: Entry has essential function: produces some effect in those vessels. And consequence: everything done above has consequence in the governmental order of the worlds.
Concepts: nothing_is_in_vain, vessel_kli, hanhagah_governmental_order.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
חלק ב: וזהו שורש פרטי, ר"ל שורש תכונת הנמצאים בפרט הוא הרכבת האורות למעלה, פירוש - כל מה שהוא גילוי למעלה - גורם תוספת כח בנמצאים, ומה שהוא בהעלם - גורם חולשה. והנה כל כך ענינים שצריך בנמצא - כל כך אורות יש למעלה, והענין שצריך להיות חלש בנמצא - האור שהוא שורש לו צריך שיהיה סתום. ומה שצריך להיות חזק, צריך שהאור שלו יהיה פתוח. נמצא שהרכבת כל כך גילוים וכל כך העלמים נמצא במקומות שהם, פירוש - באותם האורות הפרטים שהם הם עושים עניני התכונה הפרטית בנמצא למטה בכל עניניו:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> Part 2: And this is the individual root... i.e. the root of the specific nature of the creations lies in the combination of the lights above. Where the lights above shine in a revealed way, this puts greater power into the creations. Lights shining above in a revealed way put greater power into the creations. Concealment causes weakness. The number of lights above correspond to all the different aspects required in what exists. Where some aspect of existence needs to be weak, the light that is its root has to be closed up or occluded. What has to be strong requires that its light should be open. There is thus a combination of just so many revelations and just so many occlusions in those places, i.e. those individual lights which are responsible for producing the particular design and character of what exists below in all its aspects. Plain English: Individual root = root of specific nature of creations lies in the combination of lights above. Revealed lights → greater power in creations. Concealment → weakness. Number of lights above corresponds to all aspects required in what exists. Aspect needs to be weak → its root-light must be closed up / occluded. Aspect needs to be strong → light must be open. Combination of just so many revelations and just so many occlusions → produces particular design and character of all that exists below.
Concepts: revealed_vs_occluded_lights, light_initially_hidden, vessel_kli, dmut_adam.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
מה שצריך לתת מציאות להנהגת העולם הזה, שזאת היא התולדה היוצאת מזה השורש בהרכבה הפרטית הזאת:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> ...needed to give existence to the governmental order of this world... For this is the result that derives from this root through this particular combination. Plain English: This is the result — derives from this root through this particular combination.
Concepts: hanhagah_governmental_order, root_of_damage_and_repair.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
בקלקוליו ותיקוניו, מה שאנו רואים בכאן שרשים של קלקול ותיקון, פעם הדברים הולכים לפי צד אחד, ופעם לפי צד אחר, זהו לפי שבעולם הזה הורכבו הקלקול והתיקון להמצא בו בכמה מיני אופנים. שלכן נבחין כל השרשים האלה: בשכר ועונש, לפי שזהו העיקר היוצא מענין הזה:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> ...in its various states of damage and repair... What we see here are the roots of damage and repair, with things sometimes going in one direction, sometimes in another. This is because in our world damage and repair have been combined to exist in various different ways, and all these corresponding roots can therefore be discerned above. ...reward and punishment... For this is the main thing that comes out of this. Plain English: Damage and repair — sometimes one direction, sometimes another. In our world combined in various ways; all corresponding roots discerned above. Reward and punishment = main thing that comes out of this.
Concepts: cycle_creation_destruction, root_of_damage_and_repair, root_of_reward_and_punishment.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
לפי השיעור השלם מה שצריך לזה, לא פחות ולא יותר, המחשבה העליונה שידעה לשער מציאות מה שצריך לשלמות הדבר הזה, היא גזרה כמה שרשי קלקולים ימצאו, וכמה שרשי תיקונים, ובאיזה סדר ודרך יהיו נמשכין זה אחר זה:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> ...according to the complete measure of what is required for this, neither less nor more. The Supreme Mind knew how to calculate what had to exist in order to bring all this about to perfection, and decreed accordingly how many roots of damage should exist and how many roots of repair and in which order and manner they should be subject to one another. Plain English: Neither less nor more. Supreme Mind knew how to calculate — what had to exist to bring all this about to perfection. Decreed exactly: how many roots of damage, how many of repair, in which order and manner subject to one another.
Concepts: exact_measure_of_roots, supreme_mind_machshavah_elyonah, laws_of_perfection.
Op. 50 closes the World of Nekudim unit by returning to a question that has been hanging since Op. 41: why did the light initially enter, only to turn back and depart? After all — the gradation of the Partzufim could have been brought about from the outset without this. The chapter's answer rests on a principle of sufficient reason: nothing is in vain. Ramchal grounds this from two complementary sides — negatively, anything purposeless is quite inconceivable in the Supreme Mind (something unfitting cannot exist there); positively, the Sefirot are the measures of all the creations and contain nothing that does not exist in the creations. From this premise: even when we do not know what results from a given phenomenon, we certainly know that it has some consequence, just that we have not understood it. Applied to the lights' entry-and-exit: it must have happened for a reason; the reason cannot be merely to produce the gradation (which could have been achieved without it); therefore it must be some other reason. The chapter's most surprising observation: the light did not act — it did not join the incomplete vessel; it waited. Yet its entry has essential function and consequence — everything done above has consequence in the governmental order of the worlds. Part 2 supplies the function: the entry-and-exit constitutes the individual root for the specific nature of the creations. The mechanism: revealed lights above produce greater power in creations; occluded lights produce weakness. The number of lights above corresponds to all aspects required in what exists; the combination of revealed and occluded determines the particular design and character of what exists below — including damage and repair, reward and punishment. So the entry-and-exit produced just so many revelations and just so many occlusions — exactly the right combination for this world's particular structure. The Supreme Mind knew how to calculate — neither less nor more — how many roots of damage, how many of repair, in which order and manner they should be subject to one another. With this, the World-of-Nekudim unit closes: every apparently-redundant move (light entering and withdrawing, vessels breaking, sparks descending, partial repair, Malchut robbed) has now been validated as exactly required — not in vain.
nothing_is_in_vain, revealed_vs_occluded_lights, root_of_damage_and_repair, root_of_reward_and_punishment, exact_measure_of_roots.Op. 50 closes the World of Nekudim unit by stating the foundational principle: nothing is in vain — entry-and-exit of light is itself the root of damage-and-repair, reward-and-punishment. Revealed vs. occluded lights; exact measure — neither less nor more.