Rabbi
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto ("RaMChaL"):
138 Openings
of Wisdom
Opening 124
Daat expands through the whole of Zeir Anpin, while Chochmah and Binah do not.
The essence of the entire governmental order of Zeir Anpin lies in Daat, which is the offspring that emerges through the power of all the repairs instituted through Chochmah and Binah. Accordingly Daat can spread further than all the other Mental Powers. For the other Mental Powers remain within their vessels since it is enough that they exist in Zeir Anpin and stand in their respective columns, whereas Daat can spread even in the other columns on all of the different levels.
Following our general explanation of the repair of Zeir Anpin and how his lights expand, we will now go into further detail about one light that has to expand more than the others.
The proposition consists of two parts. Part 1: The essence. This presents the concept of Daat. Part 2: Accordingly Daat can spread. This explains why Daat spreads further than the others.
Part 1: The essence of the entire governmental order of Zeir Anpin lies in Daat. As discussed already, the way the government of the world is ordered is that Zeir Anpin - the Six Directions - is the root of all the creations (see Opening 115). Zeir Anpin includes all the proper attributes with which to govern all the different creations. Nevertheless, this is not sufficient in order for the governmental order to be complete. For Zeir Anpin to fulfill his purpose, Abba and Imma must be engrafted in him. This is accomplished through the two Mental Powers of Chochmah and Binah, each of which makes preparations for the repairs required in Zeir Anpin in order to bring the governmental order to perfection. Chochmah and Binah make the preparations, while Daat carries them through. Indeed the true gain accruing to Zeir Anpin from this engrafting in him of Abba and Imma is his Daat.
.which is the offspring that emerges through the power of all the repairs instituted through Chochmah and Binah. For this engrafting is surely carried out in order to produce some result. First it must be carried out, and afterwards comes the fruit - the gain it brings. The purpose of Abba and Imma becoming engrafted in Zeir Anpin is to give him his Chochmah and Binah. Thus the very presence of Chochmah and Binah in Zeir Anpin signifies that Abba and Imma are engrafted in Zeir Anpin and are part of the intrinsic law of that Chochmah and Binah.
The functions they later perform are subject to Zeir Anpin's intrinsic nature, which is determined by Daat - his inner soul or pnimiyut. For the functions of Zeir Anpin himself are not the direct outcome of his Chochmah and Binah, which contain what Abba and Imma give him closed up in their vessels. It is only through Daat, which is the offspring of Chochmah and Binah, that Zeir Anpin carries out his own intrinsic functions. Zeir Anpin's Chochmah signifies and includes everything that Abba does, his Binah signifies and includes everything that Imma does, while the offspring that comes forth from all that Abba and Imma do is Daat.
Thus all the Mental Powers conferred by Abba in all their aspects are seen only in Zeir Anpin's Chochmah and all those conferred by Imma in all aspects are seen only in Binah, while Zeir Anpin's own aspects as acquired through the repairs received from Abba and Imma are seen in his Daat. For this reason it states in the Idra Zuta (291a) that Zeir Anpin is Daat, because Daat is the inner soul - pnimiyut - of Zeir Anpin.
Indeed these three Sefirot of Chochmah, Binah and Daat that we see in Zeir Anpin himself are the foundation of the entire governmental order, which depends upon the repair carried out by Abba, the repair carried out by Imma and upon Zeir Anpin as repaired through the two of them, this being Daat. When one of these three Sefirot prevails and shines with particular strength, the way it rules is that if it is Chochmah, Abba's repairs hold sway and Zeir Anpin is drawn after Abba. If Binah rules, Imma's repairs hold sway and Zeir Anpin is drawn after Imma, whereas if Daat rules, it is Zeir Anpin in his own intrinsic aspects that holds sway. Likewise the arrangements whereby these three Sefirot spread follow the same principle: Abba repairs Zeir Anpin's right column and Imma the left, while the overall functioning of Zeir Anpin is through Daat.
Nevertheless Zeir Anpin's Chochmah, Binah and Daat are found to be double in the sense that he has Chochmah-Binah-Daat from both Abba and Imma. The reason is because these three Sefirot are found in Zeir Anpin in virtue of the fact that Abba rectifies Zeir Anpin and Imma rectifies Zeir Anpin - and thus Abba repairs all three and Imma repairs all three. Thus we say that the repair of Chochmah is complete and likewise the repair of Binah is complete, and thus Zeir Anpin is fully repaired, being in possession of all three, which automatically completes the repair of his own Daat.
Part 2: Accordingly Daat can spread further than all the other Mental Powers. The spread of Daat comes about through the spread of the Five Kindnesses to all the Sefirot of Zeir Anpin and of the Five Strengths to those of Nukva, as will be discussed in due course (see Opening 126).
For the other Mental Powers. When we consider the way things are ordered in the light of our discussion above, we can see that once Abba and Imma are engrafted in Zeir Anpin's Chochmah and Binah there is no need for them to spread. It is enough that they are present and .remain within their vessels since it is enough that they exist in Zeir Anpin. - for this is the way of the Mental Powers when they are present - .and stand in their respective columns... Certainly all aspects of Abba incline to the right and all aspects of Imma to the left, and these two therefore remain in their vessels according to the law of the Mental Powers. Since they are higher lights that come to direct Zeir Anpin, they are too exalted to function without being clothed in a vessel, and must therefore remain hidden and concealed. This is why they are present in a garb - each in its own column - in the vessels of Netzach and Hod of Abba and Imma respectively.
By saying "it is enough that they exist in Zeir Anpin", what is meant is that it is not necessary for them to spread but simply to be present as they are in their own intrinsic nature. Accordingly they do not radiate to the outside at all except what they can radiate through their vessels, because the function generated through them does not take place in them but in Daat, which is the overall function that emerges as a result. Accordingly, they are merely present. Daat, however, which is the offspring that emerges out of all of this, must necessarily spread - for the result of this engrafting of Abba and Imma does indeed spread through the whole of Zeir Anpin, all of which is greatly affected as a result.
.whereas Daat can spread even in the other columns. The expansion that might seem to have been required in Chochmah and Binah all takes place in Daat, because Daat is the offspring of Chochmah and Binah that spreads through everything, and indeed Daat truly extends through all the levels of Zeir Anpin .on all of the different levels. Thus the Five Kindnesses of Daat extend even to Keter, as explained in the Kabbalistic writings.