The Ari is a unique phenomenon in Kabbalah. There were many great Kabbalists, but the Ari entered the history of Kabbalah as a pivotal point that changed the whole direction of development.

That is to say, with him the descent from above downward from the world of infinity of all lights and Kelim (vessels) in the spiritual worlds, and then in the material world, came to an end, the process of development that had moved even further downward through the revelation of evil. Even the receiving of the Torah and the creation of The Book of Zohar were only preparations and not yet the implementation of the method of correction.

Although Kabbalists had been active for many generations prior to the Ari, they corrected their souls in the common system of the soul of Adam. They drew light through themselves to weaker souls, but nevertheless, there was still no method of correction that would connect the light, desires, screens, Partzufim, Sefirot.

All this was revealed by the Ari: Tzimtzum Alef, Tzimtzum Bet, the world of Nekudim, the pure and impure worlds of ABYA, Adam HaRishon. He put this whole system in order and encompassed within one common sphere the whole spiritual reality, all forms of relations between creation and the Creator, creating a general picture of the universe: the Creator, the creation, and everything that happens between them.

In addition, he made it so that we could enter into all these forms of relations between the Creator and the creation and build them ourselves. That is, all the spreading from above downward continued until the Ari, and from him onward correction began. In his time, in his soul, the lowest point of descent was realized, and the direction changed: the ascent from him upward, meaning he turned the whole world, all souls, toward correction.

All the souls that acted before the Ari worked “from above downward” and served as preparation for our time. And all those who came out after the Ari are already souls passing through correction from below upward by means of his teaching, the method he revealed.

It is impossible even to evaluate and grasp such a special soul that changed the entire opposition between creation and the Creator and gave creation the method of correction. Thanks to the corrections that the Ari carried out in his soul, reconstructing in it the whole system of Adam HaRishon, now, after him, souls can come out that will use his method and advance the process of the general correction.
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From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 2/28/11, Baal HaSulam, Preface “Introduction to the Book Panim Meirot uMasbirot”

Related Material:
“Steps of the Mashiach”
Before the Ari, the Gates of Wisdom were Closed to Us
The ARI (Rav Isaac Luria), Man of God

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