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Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah

Kav

קו

The kav (line of light) · also: קו וחוט

The thread-like line of Or Ein Sof drawn into the vacated space after the tzimtzum: a small revelation, root of all hishtalshelus and the inner light, narrowing as it descends until it ends in Atzilus.

The word קו also names the three lines of the Sefiros (קו הימין, קו השמאל, קו האמצעי) and the measuring line (קו המדה, its own entry). The kav meant here comes with tzimtzum, the void (חלל, מקום פנוי) or Or Ein Sof, often as “קו וחוט.”

Where it’s explained

  1. Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5, ¶13For the worlds to come into being, a void and vacated space was made and then a kav drawn into it: the void is the concealment of the light, the kav its revelation. Because that revelation is small, only a line and thread, through the many stages of descent there is concealment below; the kav ends in Malchus of Atzilus and only afterwards breaks through the parsa. In the Time to Come Or Ein Sof itself will be revealed, no longer as a kav.וענין החלל הוא העלם האור והקו היא בחי׳ הגלוי
  2. Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5, ¶14Since the revelation is only a line, it diminishes as it goes down, like a rope thick at its head that narrows until it ends in Atzilus; where the light itself is revealed, not as a kav, above and below are equal. Or Ein Sof is clothed in the wisdom of the Torah only as a kav; Torah study in self-nullification draws the light above the kav.וכמשל החבל שבראשו עב והולך ומתקצר כו׳ עד שמסתיים באצי׳
  3. Likkutei Torah, Korach 1, ¶7The kav and thread is drawn so as to shine as inner light (or pnimi), beginning in Chochmah; it is called memalei, shining in each world by its level. Sovev surrounds all worlds equally and surrounds the kav too; the encompassing lights, though drawn through the kav, are rooted in the great circle above it.ענין הקו וחוט שנמשך מן אור א״ס ב״ה שהוא כדי להיות נמשך ומאיר בבחי׳ א״פ וראשית הגילוי בחכמה
  4. Likkutei Torah, Masei 8, ¶11The kav is a radiance of Ein Sof itself, called Atzilus, but since it is drawn after a tzimtzum and vacated space it is like Malchus of Atzilus breaking through the screen to become Atik of Beriah: the kav breaks through the tzimtzum and shines in Adam Kadmon, yet remains only a line and a mere glimmer. Citing Emek HaMelech, the thread of Ein Sof is an eleventh level not counted among the ten Sefiros; sovev, the light above the kav, is the higher Atzilus itself.והקו בוקע הצמצום ומאיר בא״ק כו׳ וזהו ענין אז יבקע כשחר אורך ומ״מ הוא קו וחוט והארה בעלמא
  5. Torah Ohr, Bereishis 10, ¶16The root of all the hishtalshelus of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah is the kav and thread, drawn after a tzimtzum and vacated space. So whatever comes from the kav is not truly “new light”; only light from the essence of Or Ein Sof, above the void and the kav, is called new.דשרש כל ההשתלשלות דאבי״ע הוא נמשך מבחי׳ הקו״ח והוא נמשך ע״י צמצום ומק״פ מתחלה ונמשך אח״כ רק קו

Stated differently

Whether the kav diminishes as it descends or is the same in all worlds

Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5, ¶14שכשהגילוי רק בבחי׳ קו ע״כ הולך ומתמעט וכמשל החבל שבראשו עב והולך ומתקצר

Because the revelation is only a kav, it diminishes as it goes, like a rope thick at its head, until it ends in Atzilus; only where the light itself is revealed, not as a kav, are above and below equal.

Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 4, ¶12והוא בחינת קו וחוט האור א״ס שבכל העולמות שוה

Moshe in Atzilus and in Beriah are alike, for he is the inwardness, the kav and thread of Or Ein Sof, which is the same in all worlds.

Main sources

Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5, ¶13Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5, ¶14Likkutei Torah, Korach 1, ¶7Likkutei Torah, Korach 1, ¶49Likkutei Torah, Masei 8, ¶11Torah Ohr, Bereishis 10, ¶16Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 3, ¶15

Where it appears

In 234 paragraphs of 122 maamarim.

Written with AI from the paragraphs of Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah, each entry checked by a second AI reader and every Hebrew quote checked by code; not yet reviewed by a person. Our English: CC BY-NC 4.0.

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