Now, the two levels of the world of Tohu, plus the level of the world of Tikkun correspond to the three world of Akudim, Nekudim and Brudim. These terms, which mean “bound”, “speckled” and “splotched”, have their source in the Torah account of how Lavan (Leah and Rachel’s father) tried to swindle Yaakov out of the wages due him for tending Lavan’s flock. After working without pay for fourteen years in return for marrying his daughters, Lavan agreed that Yaakov would receive his payment with those sheep that were born with “bands” around their ankles (Akudim), small speckles (Nekudim) or large splotches (Brudim).
These Torah terms hint at the three above mentioned levels of Nekudah, Sefirah and Partzuf.
1) The term Akudim (bands) represents the level of Nekudah, in which the sefirot are all “bound” up in a single vessel and are thus indistinguishable from each other. They are all expressed in the essential desire, such as the essential desire for kindness, for example, similar to a band which is circular, representing that it is bound up within itself.
2) The small speckles (Nekudim) represent the level of sefirah, in which the particular divisions of each sefirah are recognizable, but nonetheless, remain disjointed and do not interconnect to work in conjunction as a unified system.
3) The large splotches (Brudim) represent the level of Partzuf, in which the sefirot are recognizable as distinct qualities, but nonetheless, unite and connect to work in conjunction as a unified system. This is comparable to the merging of many specks into one large splotch.
Now, though these three levels refer to the particular worlds of Akudim, Nekudim and Brudim, generally speaking only two worlds are mentioned, the world of Tohu and the world of Tikkun. These correspond to the worlds of Akudim and Brudim which correspond to the aspects of Nekudah and Partzuf, as mention above. When the worlds of Tohu and Tikkun are referred to in such a way, Nekudim is regarded to be a level within Tohu.
