Arich (אריך) — The Long Face / Arich Anpin

Core definition

Arich Anpin ("the Long Face," Aramaic for "long-suffering/patient countenance") is one of the two partzufim into which the supernal Kesser divides: Atik Yomin and Arich Anpin — "the aspect of the supernal keser in general, except that it is divided into two partzufim — Atik Yomin and Arich Anpin" [60800/maamar_039 :: עמוד רמה]. Arich Anpin is the aspect of will (ratzon): "Arich Anpin is the aspect of will; the 613 paths are the aspect of drawings" [58842/maamar_015 :: עמוד קמה]. It is the second half of the Kesser that descends "to be a root and head for the emanated ones, in the aspect of literal suckling" [60800/maamar_039 :: עמוד רמו] — the root and head of all the emanated ones [60800/maamar_039 :: עמוד רמה].

How the Rebbeim develop it

The root of Atzilus begins specifically from the illuminations and influxes of Arich Anpin [60800/maamar_039 :: עמוד רמו]. The light of Abba — the first light of Atzilus — "suckles" from the eighth mazal (conduit) of Arich Anpin, and the light of Ima from the thirteenth mazal; these illuminations that Abba and Ima receive from the mazalos of Arich Anpin are the roots of all of Atzilus [60800/maamar_039 :: עמוד רמו]. It is therefore specifically from the aspect of Arich Anpin that Atzilus is emanated [60800/maamar_039 :: עמוד רמו]. The avos' root — "b'eiver hanahar yashvu avoteichem" — is chesed, gevurah, tiferes of Arich Anpin [31654/maamar_011 :: עמוד שצט].

The 613 mitzvos are the 613 "paths of the skull" (gulgalta) — the drawings of Arich Anpin's hairs as they divide in Ze'ir Anpin [58842/maamar_015 :: עמוד קמה]. Hence "the mitzvos are called by the name 'the hairs of Arich Anpin'": they are drawings that descended and contracted from the will's source, like hairs drawn from the brain's chambers [58842/maamar_015 :: עמוד קמו]. There is no comparison between the will's source and these 613 divided hair-drawings — the drawing is contracted, "without value relative to the will's essence" [58842/maamar_015 :: עמוד קמח]; yet the hairs' drawing is still from a high level, and the 613 paths drawn from Arich Anpin are still above the aspect of division [58842/maamar_015 :: עמוד קמט].

Arich Anpin is above hishtalshelus: the nazir and the Kohen Gadol's root is in Arich Anpin, "which is above hishtalshelus" [58842/maamar_015 :: עמוד קמח]. Its anatomy expresses this loftiness: in Arich Anpin there is a beard, while in Abba there is no beard; sometimes it is said that Abba and Ima enclothe the arms of Arich Anpin [58842/maamar_015 :: עמוד קמח]. The thirteen tikkunei dikna (rectifications of the beard) of Arich Anpin are the channels of its merciful drawing [58842/maamar_015 :: עמוד קמח]. Within Arich Anpin itself there is a distinction: the zayin tachtonos (lower seven) of Arich Anpin are Chochmah-Gevurah — the emanated's root, where influence can come in actual enclothing "in the way of hishtalshelus"; but from the mochin stima'ah (hidden brains) of Arich Anpin, in which Atik is enclothed, the drawing is not in the hishtalshelus manner [58842/maamar_015 :: עמוד קמח].

Key distinctions

• Atik Yomin vs. Arich Anpin. Both are the supernal Kesser; Atik is the first half that remains hidden and "is not counted," while Arich is the second half that descends to head the emanated order — the general ohr makif of Atzilus is the aspect of Atik and also of Arich Anpin [60800/maamar_039 :: עמוד רמה–רמו].
• Will vs. drawing. Arich Anpin is the supernal will "simple in the utmost simplicity," in the aspect of the Infinite literally; the hairs/mitzvos are its contracted, divided drawings — no comparison between the source and the drawing [58842/maamar_015 :: עמוד קמה–קמו].
• Mochin stima'ah vs. zayin tachtonos. From Arich's lower seven, influence flows in hishtalshelus fashion; from its hidden brains, where Atik is enclothed, the drawing transcends hishtalshelus [58842/maamar_015 :: עמוד קמח].
• Arich and Ze'ir Anpin. Arich is the "long face" — the long, patient, transcendent countenance — while Ze'ir Anpin ("the small face") is the contracted, immanent order of Atzilus's middos; the hairs of Arich divide in Ze'ir Anpin [58842/maamar_015 :: עמוד קמה].

Related concepts

Atik Yomin, Kesser, partzufim, ratzon (will), the thirteen tikkunei dikna, the 613 mitzvos, mochin stima'ah, hishtalshelus.

Sources

• [60800/maamar_039 :: עמוד רמה] — The supernal keser divided into Atik Yomin and Arich Anpin; Arich as root and head of the emanated ones.
• [60800/maamar_039 :: עמוד רמו] — The general ohr makif of Atzilus as Atik and Arich; Abba/Ima suckling from Arich's mazalos; Atzilus's root in Arich's illuminations.
• [58842/maamar_015 :: עמוד קמה] — Arich Anpin as the aspect of will; the 613 mitzvos as the hairs of Arich Anpin dividing in Ze'ir Anpin.
• [58842/maamar_015 :: עמוד קמו] — The mitzvos as contracted drawings from the will's source; no value of the source with the drawings.
• [58842/maamar_015 :: עמוד קמח] — Arich above hishtalshelus (nazir, Kohen Gadol); the beard; thirteen tikkunei dikna; mochin stima'ah vs. zayin tachtonos.
• [58842/maamar_015 :: עמוד קמט] — The hairs' drawing from a high level, still above division.
• [31654/maamar_011 :: עמוד שצט] — The avos rooted in chesed, gevurah, tiferes of Arich Anpin.