Ginzay Ramchal — Section 14: Asarah Oros — Ten Lights

The Asarah Oros (Ten Lights) — ten brief paragraphs by the Ramchal that distil the essentials of the Arizal's emanation-theology: the fullness of Ein Sof, the purpose of tzimtzum, the roles of the kav and the reshimu, the definition of the Sefiros as revealed conditions of the supernal will. (Also preserved at the end of the Daas Tevunos manuscript, British Museum 860, and in the Montevideo MS 112.)

Ten Elucidations [Asarah Oros]

Ten Brief Principles of the True Wisdom [Editor's note: These elucidations are called in two manuscripts "Fifteen Elucidations" — however in both of them only ten are brought — and the remaining five are missing. Therefore this small yet great composition is called "Ten Elucidations." In these ten elucidations the Ramchal includes the foundations of the wisdom of truth in intense brevity — and some of them are explained at length in his work 138 Openings of Wisdom and in his other works. These elucidations are found at the end of the manuscript of Da'as Tevunos in the British Museum — no. 860 — and likewise in the Mantua manuscript no. 112.]

א. The pleasure of the souls is in attaining lights — and according to the preciousness of the lights — so is the greatness of the pleasure. The most precious of all lights is the Unity [ha-Yichud] — and this is what Ein Sof, blessed be He, wished to reveal in actuality — to give complete pleasure to the souls — and their pleasure in it for all eternity.

ב. Ein Sof, blessed be He, is the perfection that gives no place for deficiencies. In order to reveal this matter clearly — He gave place for deficiencies by concealing His perfection. And in their all being rectified — then it is truly known what the power of perfection is and what its matter is — for light is discerned only from within darkness.

ג. What stands in the secret of perfection in Ein Sof, blessed be He, stands in the secret of concealment in the line [kav] and the residual impression [reshimu] — namely: the deficiency alone is in the reshimu — and its rectification in the kav. And in the kav completing the rectification of the reshimu — it has done nothing but return the matter to the perfection that already existed at first.

ד. The reshimu — root of the body — and the operations are rooted in its parts in particular. The kav — root of the soul — encompasses all the powers as one — and governs over all the operation of the reshimu — to return all to the Unity. ה. Ein Sof, blessed be He, acts in the way of "all-powerful" [kol yachol] according to His perfection. And it is not in this way that the world was created — but in the way of gradation — and this is: creating with the letters as partners [boru b'shutfei d'isvan] — for many powers combine to bring forth one operation — and the powers are in gradation one after another. Therefore we can speak — for it is a way approaching our way. But the all-powerful — we have no knowledge of it at all.

ו. The Sefirot — are what the supernal will measured in itself: to create so many creatures — and to govern them with this governance. And namely: what it measured — to conceal its perfection — and to return to reveal it little by little — until it is revealed completely. And no creature was created — and no event occurred — that was not measured by it — according to this purpose. And these thoughts are the Sefirot — seen by the prophets — like one who can see the soul of a person and sees the thoughts within it — which are the blazing of one within it — so these Sefirot are seen.

ז. The reshimu — from it all the vessels — its matter is the governance of reward and punishment: good for the good and evil for the evil. The kav — its matter is the Unity — rectifying all — and returning all evil to good.

ח. The Sefirot are called emanated light [or ne'etzal] — for at first there was no light given to be seen — and now there is light given to be seen — which are the Sefirot. But it is not a thing that cascades [manuscript correction: newly] — rather it is one of the ways of His deep thought that was revealed — and given to be seen in the way of light. And this is what is written: "In Your light we see light." [Tehillim 36:10] ט. The reshimu is the bounded path with all its parts. And at first there is a place for existing beings — and it is the statute of the existence of lower beings — and it is the secret of Malchus. And in this place there is the reshimu — which is light — the primordial matter for all the bounded path — but which has not yet entered into all its levels and structures. And this place is a void [chalal] — meaning: there is in it a receptacle [beis-kibul] — which is the level that gives that others be included in it. And until they are included — it is called that the receptacle is void — and this remains upon the withdrawal of the light of Ein Sof, blessed be He, from there. For the aspect of the infinite — there was no relevance of division of levels — rather all was rectified from the beginning.

י. There is: Ein Sof — the Encompassing — and the reshimu — the Encompassed — and a channel between this and that — and light between this and that.