Association of Mercy with Judgment

The essence of the work is the choice, meaning “therefore choose life,” which is Dvekut (adhesion), Lishma (for Her Name). Thus, one is rewarded with Dvekut with the Life of Lives.

But when there is open Providence, there is no room for choice. For this reason, the Upper One raised Malchut, which is Midat ha Din (quality of judgment) to the Eynaim (eyes). This created a concealment, meaning it became apparent to the lower one that there is a deficiency in the Upper One, that there is no Gadlut (greatness) in the Upper One. In that state, the qualities of the Upper One are placed with the lower one; that is, they are deficient.

It follows that these Kelim (vessels) are equal to the lower one: as there is no sustenance to the lower one, there is no sustenance to the Higher qualities. This means that there is no flavor in the Torah and Mitzvot; they are lifeless.
In that state, there is room for choice, meaning the lower one must say that all this concealment that one feels is because the Upper One restricted Himself in favor of the lower one. This is called, “when Israel is in exile, Divinity is with them.” Thus, whatever flavor one tastes, one says that it is not his fault for not tasting liveliness, but that in his view there really is no life in the Upper One.

And if one becomes stronger and says that the bitter taste he finds in these nourishments is only because he does not have the proper vessels to receive the abundance, because his vessels are for reception and not for bestowal, and regrets the Upper One having to hide Himself, which allows the lower one to slander, this is considered MAN that the lower one raises. Through it, the Upper One raises its AHP, and ascent means that the Upper One can show the lower one the praise and delight in the vessels of AHP that the Upper One can disclose. Thus, with respect to the lower one, the Upper One raises the GE of the lower one, by the lower one’s seeing of the Upper One’s merit. It turns out that the lower one rises along with the AHP of the Upper One.

Thus, when the lower one sees the greatness of the Upper One, through it, the lower one itself grows. But in the beginning, the lower one is worthy of receiving only Katnut (smallness). And when the Gadlut (greatness) emerges in the Upper One, there is a division between the right and the left, between believing and knowing.

But the Upper One, too, is then diminished by the lower one, regarded as Masach de Hirik. In other words, for the lower one to receive the degrees of the Upper, to receive knowing only by the measure of faith, and not beyond, it is considered that the lower one restricts the Upper One’s left line. That is, the lower one is the cause. And then, the lower one can exist because it is comprised of both knowing and believing. This is called “three lines,” and it is specifically in this manner that the lower one receives perfection.