Parsa (The Dividing Screen)

Parsa (or Masach Hamavdil in Hebrew) is a concept in Kabbalah describing a screen that reduces the light as it passes from a higher world to a lower one. The light that passes through the Parsa is a derivative light, not of the same essence as the original light preceding it. Specifically, this refers to the Parsa that separates between the world of Atzilut and the world of Beriah, a Parsa that conceals the light of Atzilut and creates the separate worlds, the worlds of BIY"A (Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah).

Its Nature

The Parsa is of the aspect of Chashmal, which comes from the externality of Binah that clothes and surrounds the ten Sefirot of Zeir Anpin and the ten Sefirot of Nukva in the manner of "garments of skin" and clothes them from their sides, and this is to prevent nourishment to the external forces.

The Parsa is also called a "shoe" as it creates a separation between Atzilut and Beriah, so that the full revelation of the light of Atzilut will not enter Beriah except through a screen, as Malchut of Atzilut penetrates the screen and becomes Atik for Beriah.

In Chassidut

The source of the concept of Parsa is in the Zohar: "There is a membrane in the middle of a person's intestines that separates between the upper and lower parts, drawing from above and giving below" - meaning the Parsa is like an intermediary that draws from above and gives below.

The Rebbe Rashab explains the concept of Parsa in Chassidut, that although the Parsa is a completely concealing garment, nevertheless it has holes through which something can emerge, similar to human skin which is full of holes through which sweat exits, and also like animal skin from which hair grows. Similarly, the analogy applies to the supernal Parsa that has holes, which is the concept of the "net" on the supernal altar mentioned in the Zohar. Generally, this is the Parsa between Atzilut and BIY"A, and it is called a "net" because it is perforated like the holes of a sieve (and it is in the aspect of Malchut, and so too are the Parsaot that are above the aspect of Malchut, as this aspect of the purifying net exists in every Partzuf).

Like the analogy of a sieve used to sift flour, its main purpose is to separate the waste from the flour. Before sifting the flour, everything is completely mixed together, and then the waste is not so coarse and the good is not so refined. By sifting the flour with the sieve, the sieve catches the coarse waste and through the holes the fine flour comes out. When placing the flour in the sieve again, more of the less coarse waste remains on top of the holes, while the finer material passes through, and this sifting process can be repeated multiple times.

This is with our sieve that catches the waste and releases the good, but the sieve mentioned in the Mishnah works oppositely—it catches the fine flour and releases the regular flour, meaning it catches the good and releases the waste. In the first sifting, the best fine flour is separated and all the rest comes out as waste containing much flour. Then it is further refined and coarser waste comes out, until in the final sifting the coarsest waste comes out. This is exactly like the pores of human skin that release sweat, which is the waste refined from the natural heat, for natural heat contains waste since it is the nature of heat to produce waste. Even though the waste in natural heat is subtle, it still needs to be refined from the heat, and it comes out little by little until it emerges as sweat. This is why sweating is healthy for the body because it removes waste. When natural heat intensifies, the sweat pores become blocked, and when one sweats, they become healthy. However, the natural heat itself does not exit, for if the natural heat were to leave, G-d forbid, it would be impossible to live; only the waste exits.

Similarly, we can understand the concept of the net on the supernal altar, the aspect of Malchut of Atzilut that provides sustenance to BIY"A. This occurs through the net full of holes in which the waste is separated from the good, as it is brought that the net is from the lower half of Malchut where kelipat nogah is located, meaning the net releases the actual waste. The concept is that the divine flow from the 288 sparks is a mixture of good and evil from the breaking of the vessels of the world of Tohu, for the lights of Tohu were in a state of excessive nullification and the vessels were in a state of excessive existence. It is explained in Chassidut that even the nullification of the lights was in a state of selfhood, and therefore the 288 sparks are mixed with good and evil. This is refined through the net, which is the Parsa, as the good remains above the Parsa and the waste passes below it. This is the cause of the existence of evil in the world, about which it is said "and creates evil," which is creation ex nihilo - this is what comes into being from the separated waste. And although no evil descends from above, this is specifically from above, meaning above the firmament and the dividing Parsa where everything is good that has been refined, but from what is separated below the Parsa, from this evil comes into being. This is like the pores of sweat that release the waste in natural heat; similarly, the pores of the Chashmal skin release the waste from the supernal Gevurot, which are holy Gevurot, creating this vitality in the form of actual harsh Gevurot.