CREATION
All text
from scriptures inserted by Daniel ben Ya'acov Ysrael
The following text is written by orthodox Jews who do not have any clue
of the Brit HaChadasha (New Testament) and do not accept the validity of the apostles'
writings. Their knowledge is drawn from the mystical aspect of the Tanak and
writings from other Jews. Before reading I will encourage you to put aside
any negative thoughts concerning mystical view and be patient in reading.
Pray YHWH for discernment and understanding, you will grow in spiritual
dimension. Some of you may have already grasp this mystical level, and will
enjoy this approach. Sha'ul/ Paul speaks of mystery concerning Messiah.
Elohim is not to be put in a box, we shouldn't forget that we cannot fully
understand his majesty and greatness.
The shattering of the vessels" (in Hebrew, "Shevirat
haKeilim") of the world of Tohu is the key concept
in explaining the basic problem of diverseness and multiplicity in Creation
as well as the origin of evil 1 and is a central component in
the Arizal's system of Kabbala (Kabbalah, also spelled Kabala or Cabala
(Hebrew: קַבָּלָה literally "receiving"),
is a variegated esoteric method, discipline and school of
thought.), where it receives a full
exposition2
The concept of Shevirat haKeilim is linked together with
the mystical account of the eight kings who "reigned in the land of Edom before
any king ruled over the Israelites" (Gen. 36:31) and the Midrashic account of the building and
destruction of the primordial worlds (Bereishit Rabba 3:7, 9:1), as will be explained below.
Although the idea of Shevirat haKeilim is also found in
several sections of Zohar (in Sifra d'Tzni'uta3, Idra Rabba4 and Idra Zuta5), the concept and its
ramifications are very difficult to understand there without the elucidation
of the entire subject in the writings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria. (For
this reason, even here, many readers will find the roll-over glossary feature
essential for comprehending this important piece.)
The Arizal explains that when it arose in the Divine Will to create the
finite world, the first step was to "withdraw" or conceal the
infinite Or Ein Sof in the process known as "the first
constriction" or "tzimtzum harishon". The
first "world" (plane of existence) that came into being after
the tzimtzum is called Adam Kadmon. But even
though Adam Kadmon is a post-tzimtzum world,
it is still a "meta-world", so-to-speak - undefined, unified, and
transcending time, comprising a single transcendent primordial thought.
1Ti 6:16 who alone has immortality, dwelling
in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or is able to see, to whom
be respect and everlasting might. Amĕn.
1Ti 1:17 Now to the Sovereign of the ages,
incorruptible, invisible, to Elohim who alone is wise, be respect and
esteem forever and ever. Amĕn.
Light emitted from the eyes of Adam Kadmon… signifies a descent
from an internal, essential level to an external 'sensory' level…
The existence of the finite world as we know it, and
as G-d intended it, is still not possible in Adam Kadmon due
to its extremely lofty state. In order for a finite world to exist, the light
in Adam Kadmon had to go through several more stages of
quantitative contraction and descent. In one of these stages of descent, one
of the several types of light emitted from Adam Kadmon is
manifested as ten individual qualities or attributes that act as separate,
independent points of light, or quanta of energy. Technically, this is called
"light emitted from the eyes" of Adam Kadmon or
"or ha-einayim". This metaphorical term signifies a descent
from an internal, essential level to an external "sensory" level
where the beam of light is refracted into discrete quanta. Each of these
points is an extremely powerful concentration of light (the level of keter of
each of the ensuing sefirot) as it descends from Adam
Kadmon. These sefirot compose the world of Tohu (chaos
or disorder).
1Jn 1:5 And this is the message which we
have heard from Him and announce to you, that Elohim is light and in
Him is no darkness at all.
The first "world" outside of Adam Kadmon is
called Akudim. In it is the first development of a vessel, such
that ten degrees of light are bound together (in Hebrew,
"akudim") in a single vessel (Writings of the Ari, Shaar HaHakdamot, Derush 1 b'Olam HaNikudim).
The existence of vessels [for the lights that issued forth from Adam
Kadmon] begins only in the world of Akudim - in
which there is but one general vessel for all the ten lights - and below.
Subsequently, the world of Nikudim [another name for Tohu] was
emanated, in which ten vessels were formed for the ten lights. All of them
were the aspect of keter of the ten sefirot, so
that there were ten lights of keter of the ten sefirot*.
Each of these ten keter-lights had an individual vessel. The remaining
nine parts of the lights [i.e., chochma, bina, chesed, etc.] in
each of the sefirot were incorporated within the keter-light
of each of the sefirot. For this reason they are referred to as
ten "nekudot", meaning individual "points" of
light, rather than as ten complete sefirot… Now these ten sefirot were
emanated in such a way that they were situated one above the other. (Ibid., Shaar
HaHakdamot, Derush 1 b'Olam HaNikudim)
* The ten sefirot are emanation of the divine nature of the invisible
Elohim, formed together in the Tree of life, which represent his nature (character).
The sefirot of Tohu were situated one above
the other in a single line … unlike the array of the sefirot in
the world of Tikun* (restauration), in which the sefirot are
arranged in harmonious triads…
*Act
3:19 “Repent therefore and turn back,
for the blotting out of your sins, in order that times of refreshing might
come from the presence of the Master,
The fact that the sefirot of Tohu were
situated one above the other in a single line indicates that they act as
independent entities, unlike the array of the sefirot in the
world of Tikun, in which the sefirot are
arranged in harmonious triads. Thus each sefira of Tohu existed
as an autonomous fiefdom, so to speak, independent of, and even in opposition
to, the others. Moreover, each sefira in Tohu is
the manifestation of an absolute and quintessential aspect of the light
of Adam Kadmon (the level of keter of each
type of light, as explained above).
Furthermore, the vessels themselves were in a state of immaturity and
were therefore unable to contain the intense light flooding them.
"…Only the malchut (kingdom) aspect of the
seven sefirot was emanated… and therefore they were
called nekudot, for nekuda and malchut 6 are synonymous. 7. In addition, not only were they [in a state of
immaturity], even in this state they were not clothed one within the
other, nor were they bound together as a unit. Nor were they divided into
arrays, [namely,] of kindness in the right array, severity
in the left array and the mitigation between them in the middle array [as
in Tikun]."
(Etz Chaim,shaar 9, ch. 8)
Due to the intensity and exclusivity of the lights and the inability of
their vessels to contain them, the vessels of the lower sefirot of Tohu shattered
and the lights they contained remained above. The fragments of these vessels
then fell to lower levels, becoming absorbed into the various worlds below
the world of Tohu.
Gen 1:2 the earth hath existed waste
(Tohu) and void, and darkness is on the face of the deep, and the
Spirit of God fluttering on the face of the waters,
The three uppermost vessels had the ability to contain the lights
designated for them and did not die…
"Since the lights of these ten nekudot were so intense
and powerful… the [vessels] did not have the power to contain them and the
vessels "died", meaning to say, they descended below to the level
that is now called [the world of] Beriya*. This
descent was their demise. But this was only as regards the seven lower nekudot,
whereas the three uppermost vessels had the ability to contain the lights
designated for them and did not die… The vessels of the seven lower [nekudot] descended
to the world of Beriya… but their lights remained above, exposed,
without vessels." (Ibid.)
* Beriya, the 3rd heaven, or the world of the throne of Elohim, counting
from the world of action (Assiya/earth).
Mat
26:64 יהושע said to him, “You have said it. Besides I say to
you, from now you shall see the Son of Aḏam sitting at the right
hand of the Power (throne in the world of Beriya), and coming on the clouds of the
heaven.”
Act
7:55 But he, being filled with the Set-apart
Spirit, looked steadily into the heaven and saw the esteem of Elohim, and יהושע standing at the right hand of Elohim (Beriyah the
3rd world),
Scripture hints at this process in describing the succeeding kings of
Edom: "These are the kings who ruled in the land of Edom before any king
ruled over the Israelites 8. Bela son of Be'or became king… He died and was
succeeded as king byYoav… Yoav died, and he was succeeded as king by Chusham…
Chusham died, and was succeeded by… etc." (Gen. 36:31-39). The Arizal explained that this refers to the sefirot of
Tohu, each of which rules exclusively, and then shatters and
"dies."
Thus Tohu was a primordial form of existence that "was created in
order to be destroyed, and destroyed in order to be rebuilt" in a
superior form (see Mevo L'Chachmat HaKabbala part 2, shaar 6,
ch. 7). The order of creation that
followed the disintegration of the world of Tohu is called the
world of Tikun (literally translated as "rectification"
or "restoration"). Regarding Tikun, the Torah states,
"And G-d looked over everything that He had made, and indeed it was very
good" (Gen. 1:31). In the words of the Midrash (Bereishit Rabba 3:7; 9:2), as explained by the Arizal,
"these please Me" refers to the sefirot of Tikun, whereas
the sefirot of Tohu "do not please
Me".
The sefirot of Tikun were emanated in
such a way that they work together interdependently and harmoniously,
as partzufim (literally, "visages" - sing. "partzuf")
- compound structures of the sefirot. A partzuf is
a metaphorical figure of human likeness, used to represent the expansion of
an individual sefira (or group of sefirot) into a
configuration with ten sefirot* of its own. Partzufim include Atik
Yomin, Arich Anpin, Abba (Father) , Imma (Mother), Zeir Anpin (ben/Son)),
Nukva (bat/daughther)]. As mentioned, the partzufim work
as symbiotic harmonious systems instead of the discrete, independent,
overpowering nekudot of Tohu.
* Ten sefirot in the Tree of Life
What could not be elevated into Atzilut remained in Beriya…
Although the sefirot of Tohu shattered
and "died," nevertheless, a residue of the lights that were
contained in the vessels remained clinging to the fragments of the vessels.
These are referred to by the Arizal as the 288 nitzotzin (literally
"sparks") - the initial number of fragments from the vessels that
broke. The entire process is alluded to in Scripture in the first couple
verses of Genesis: "In the beginning of G-d's creating the heavens and
the earth, when the earth was tohu and void, and darkness
was on the surface of the depths, and the sovereignty of G-d hovered (in
Hebrew "merachefet") above the surface of the waters…."
The Arizal explains that the word "merachefet" is
actually a compound of two words: "met" and "rapach"
- signifying that 288 (the numerical value of rapach) fragments
had died (in Hebrew, "met") - an allusion
to the shattering of the vessels of Tohu into 288 initial
sparks. (Mevo She'arim, shaar 2, ch. 8)
Although the fragments of the vessels initially fell into the world
of Beriya, when their rectification (tikun) began,
the most refined aspects of the vessels were able to ascend and became absorbed
in the world of Atzilut. What could not be elevated into Atzilut remained
in Beriya and became an integral part of it. What could not
be absorbed into Beriya then descended intoYetzira and Asiya.
The aspects of the vessels that could not be absorbed in even the lowest
realm of holiness became the vitality of the realms of impurity, known as
the kelipot. (Ibid.)
The shattering of the sefirot of Tohu is
not a coincidence, nor does it signify a flaw in the creative process. On the
contrary, it serves a very specific and important purpose, which is to bring
about a state of separation or partition of the light into distinct qualities
and attributes, and thereby introduce diversity and multiplicity into
creation, as explained above. In addition, the shattering of the vessels
of Tohu allows for the possibility of evil, and gives man
the opportunity to choose between good (for which he gains reward) and evil
(for which he is punished). Thus G-d's attributes of chesed (mercy, right side) and gevura (judgement or strength
left side)- the attributes from which reward and punishment derive - are revealed
in the world 9, which is one of the primary
purposes of creation. (See beginning of Otzrot Chaim)
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Creation and the Name of 72
It is important to know that all worlds [dimensions] and all creatures [that
inhabit those dimensions] were created through permutations of the
holy names.
The supernal root of all [these names] is the name Havayah.
It has 4 letters and 12 permutations, 3 for each letter. Thus, from 4, we
obtain 12.
The 12 permutations of the Havaya:
Each of the 12 has [another] 6 [permutations] yielding [a
total of] 72 Names. These are the 72 triads that emerge from the
three verses, "Va'yisa," "Va'yavo," and
"Va'yet." (Ex. 14:19-21)
The three verses are:
1) "Va'yisa…" : "G-d's Angel [that
manifested as a pillar of cloud] - which had been moving in front
of the Israelite camp, now traveled and went behind them. The pillar of
cloud thus moved from in front of them and stood at their rear." (Ex. 14:19)
2) " Va'yavo…" : " It came
between the Egyptian camp and the Israelite camp. There was now cloud and
darkness [for the Egyptians] while [the
pillar of fire]illuminated the night [for
the Israelites]. Neither one approached the other that entire
night." (Ex. 14:20)
3) " Va'yet …": "Moses extended
his hand over the sea. Throughout the entire night, G-d drove the sea back
with a powerful east wind, transforming the seabed into dry land. The waters
were divided." (Ex. 14:21)
These three verses are consecutive and, as written in the Torah Scroll,
each one contains exactly 72 letters. They are thus the basis for what is
called the Name of 72 (triads). The first triad is formed by taking the first
letter of the first verse, the last letter of the second verse, and the first
letter of the third verse. This same pattern - straight, backwards, and
straight - is followed for the remaining 71 letters in each verse, to form 72
triads.
Corresponding to these, there are four banners [i.e. angelic camps] in
the Supernal Merkava [Chariot]. They are:
Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel. Each of these 4 consists of 3, again
making a total of 12.
When we multiply each of these 12 by 6, this yields 72. These 72 are the
Heavenly Tribunal, which the 70 Angel-Princes of the Nations depend on [to receive their
sustenance]. Therefore, on Sukkot [when the Torah
commands us to offer 70 oxen, one for each of the 70 nations(Num. 29:12-34; Sukka 55b)], we take the lulav,
whose numerical value, together with its four letters [68 + 4] is
72.
There are 4 basic directions from which 12 sub-directions emerge…
Rabbi Reuven Margoliot (in his commentary to Bahir #94,
note gimel) suggests that the discrepancy between 70 and 72 can
be made up in one of two ways. The 70 nations (mentioned in Gen. 10) become
72 when Israel and G-d are counted. Alternatively, as mentioned in Bahir #167,
70 nations become 72 by adding Israel on one side, and the Satan on the
other. Paralleling this, the 70 languages become 72 when Hebrew (the language
of Israel) and Aramaic (the language of the forces of evil) are counted.
Similarly, there are two ways to add to the 70 Elders to make 72: either
Moses and the Shechina are added, or Moses and Aaron (as
indeed the Arizal does below in our text).
Corresponding to these [either to the 4 letters of lulav, or to the 4 species that
we join together: palm, myrtle, willow and etrog], were the three
Patriarchs [Abraham, Isaac andJacob],
plus David. [From them, came] the 12 tribes of Israel,
and the 70 souls that accompanied Jacob down into Egypt. Corresponding to
these were the 4 banners[camps] in the Desert. Each banner
represented 3 tribes. Again, 4 x 3 = 12 tribes.
The 70 Elders together with Moses and Aaron totaled 72. Similarly, the 70
members of the Sanhedrin, plus two scribes, totaled 72. One
scribe recorded everything in favor of the defendant, and one scribe recorded
everything against.
Corresponding to these, there are 4 basic directions [South, North, East,
West] from which 12 sub-directions emerge. Each basic direction has
two sub-directions.
For instance: All the different types of animals and birds…were brought into existence
through the 72 triads…
With due east, there is northerly-east and southerly-east.
With due west, there is northerly-west and southerly-west.
With due north, there is easterly-north and westerly-south.
With due south, there is easterly-south and westerly-south.
And if you should ask: What is the difference between southerly-east and
easterly-south? As southerly-east is a sub-direction of East, East dominates.
As easterly-south is a sub-direction of South, South dominates. The same is
true of all the other sub-directions. There are thus 12 sub-directions, each
of which bifurcates into 6, yielding a total of 72.
Corresponding to these, there are 72 types of creatures in the world, and
72 types of vegetation. All the different types of animals and birds also
total 72. Why? Because they were brought into existence through the 72
triads.
[Translation and commentary by Avraham Sutton from Likutei
Torah, parashat Bereishit (Chumash HaAri, Bereishit,
p. 7-9)]
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Two Systems of Ten Sefirot
The sefirot are
ten spheres or classes, as it is stated in Sefer Yetzira,
"Ten and not nine; ten and not eleven." This is their order:
Keter (crown or will) cannot be approached by any human*
Joh
5:30 `I (Yeshua) am not able of myself
to do anything; according as I hear I judge, and my judgment is righteous,
because I seek not my own will (ketter), but the will of the Father who sent
me.
chochma (wisdom) right side*
Rom
11:33 O depth of riches, and wisdom
(chochma) and knowledge of God! how unsearchable His judgments, and
untraceable His ways!
bina (understanding) left
side**
chesed (kindness,mercy) right
side**
gevura (judgment,strengt) left
side**
**Col 1:19 because in him it did please all
the fullness to tabernacle,
** Exo
31:1 And Jehovah speaketh unto
Moses, saying,
Exo 31:2 `See, I have called by name Bezaleel*, son
of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,
Exo 31:3
and I fill him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom (chochma),
and in understanding (bina), and in knowledge (da'at),
and in all work *
*Bezaleel: H1212 בְּצַלאֵל Btsal'el
(bets-al-ale') n/p.
1. in (the) shadow of El (God)
tiferet (beauty also
called the seat of Messiah, also the sefira of truth)
netzach(endurance) right
side
hod (splendor) left
side
yesod (foundation) membrum
Mal-chut (kingship or Kingdom).
In some schemes keter is
omitted from the order of the ten sefirot, as
will be explained further on. These schemes understand chochma to
be the first of the ten and insert daat (knowledge)
as a sefira after bina.
As a crown is on top of the
head…so keter is on top of all the sefirot…
Keter is the highest level or sphere of the sefirot. The
term itself denotes its significance: as a crown is on top of the head and
encompasses it, so keter is
on top of all the sefirot and
encompasses them all.
The analogy is carried further: just as the crown is
not a part of the head or the body but distinct from it, so keter is
essentially distinct from the other sefirot. It is
the first emanation, and as such the "lowest level" as it were, of
the Emanator Himself. That is why keter *is
called "the most hidden of all hidden" ("temira dechol temirin"), and is referred to as "naught" ("Ayin").
These terms signify the total concealment of the rank of keter due
to its supreme sublimity.
Keter represent the perfect will of the Father coming down directly from the
light and which cannot be reach on human level. It come as revelation through
wisdom (chochmah) and understanding (Binah), both flowing throuh knowledge
(da'at):
Pro 1:1 The proverbs of David's son
Solomon, king of Israel.
Pro 1:2 These
proverbs are for gaining wisdom (chochmah) and discipline; for understanding (binah) words of insight;
Pro 1:3 for
acquiring the discipline that produces wise behavior, righteousness, justice,
and upright living;
Pro 1:4 for
giving prudence to the naïve, and knowledge (da'at) and discretion to the young.
Pro 1:5 Let
the wise listen and increase their learning; let the person of understanding
receive guidance
Pro 1:6 in
understanding proverbs, clever sayings, words of the wise, and their riddles.
Pro 1:7 The fear of YHWH is the beginning of knowledge (da'at), but
fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Pro 1:8 My
son, listen to your father's instruction, and do not let go of your mother's
teaching.
Keter is so sublime and concealed that nothing can be said or postulated
of it. While the other sefirot are
sometimes represented by various letters of the alphabet, no letter can
describe or represent keter. (In
the paradigm where the four letters of G-d's name Havayah represent
the ten sefirot, i.e. yud-
chochma, hei - bina, vav - the unit of the six middot from
chesed to yesod, hei - malchut, keter is represented by the "thorn" of the yud, thus
not by any letter but by a mere dot.)
Ein Sof and the sefirot…
That is why keter is
sometimes excluded from the scheme of the sefirot. It is
too sublime to be included. It is a category and class all in itself. In fact
it is called the "intermediary" between the Ein Sof and
the sefirot, bridging the gap, as it were: it is the "lowest level" of the
Light of the Ein Sof
and from it, and through it, issue forth the
successive divine emanations (thus being the very root or soul of the sefirot).
Keter represents the
"lever" of divine manifestations and, as such, is called "the
Supreme Will" ("Ratzon Ha'elyon") of G-d: not a particular will focused on some specific goal but the original
Divine Willingness (Ratzon)
underlying the creative will. It is the "Will of all wills", which
precedes all powers or attributes (i.e., the sefirot).
In the metaphorical terminology of the Kabbala and Chasidut,
chochma is called Abba (Father) and bina is
called Imma (Mother)*.
* Gen 1:26 And God saith, `Let Us* make
man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them
rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over cattle, and
over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that is creeping on the
earth.'
Gen 1:27 And God (וַיִּבְרָא)* prepareth the
man in His image; in the image of God He prepared him, a male and a female He prepared them.
*Hebrew: וַיִּבְרָא (literal: and HE
(singular) created Elohim..........
Metaphorically speaking, the seed of Abba is implanted in the womb of Imma, and there the rudimentary plant of the seed is
developed, expanded, externalized and informed. Daat is called "Ben" ("son"), i.e. the offspring of this
union of chochma(Father) and bina(Mother).
Gen 1:26 And Elohim said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea,
and over the birds of the heavens, and over the livestock, and over all the
earth and over all the creeping creatures that creep on the earth.”
Gen 1:27 And Elohim created the man in His image, in
the image of Elohim He created him – male and female He created them.
Pro 6:20 My son, watch over your father’s command, And do not forsake the Torah of your mother.
Here in the "sod"
(mystery), behind the literal (p'shat) we see the Father (YHWH) and the
Mother (Ruach) having their specific purpose. In ancient times the Hebrew
were nomads for most of them, it was the Father who gave the instruction to
the family, but it was the responsibility of the mother to teach the Torah to
the children, she was alsothe comforter when the children had hurt
themselves, this part remain until today, where in many homes, the mother is
one who comfort the children. This bring us to an interesting verse in the
Brit HaChadasha, where Yeshua speaks of the comforter. Unfortunately, the
translators from Greek documents, have changed the "she" into
"he" masculine:
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which
is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, she shall teach you all things,
and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
In daat (knowledge) the
original idea and concept has matured into corresponding dispositions.
Therefore da'at is the all-inclusive essence of the middot, the
emotive powers or attributes of the lower sefirot. This
is because the lower sefirot from chesed (mercy) to
malchut (Kingdom) express and reveal these dispositions originating in the
"intellect".
Thus the middot are
called the children* of chochma (wisdom/Father) and bina (understanding/mother), or, alternatively, the
six middot from chesed to yesod as
a unit is called "son" and malchut is
called "daughter".
* These children are not physical but spiritual
offspring:
Pro
6:20 My son, keep thy father's
commandment, and forsake not the law/Torah of thy mother:
It is in this context as "soul (essence) of
the middot" that daat is
not counted as a separate sefira to
replace keter. For as a mere soul without its own independent vessel or body it cannot
be included as one of the ten principles of the sefirot (see Etz Chaim 23:5,
8, 40:6).
The Ari is a third opinion to the
effect that keter is
somewhere in between Or (light) Ein Sof and the sefirot…
R. Moses Cordovero always counts keter as
part of the ten sefirot and
excludes daat as a separate sefira (see
Pardes Rimonim 3:1 ff.n and Or Ne'erav 6:1,
par. 5). In the system of R. Isaac Luria, daat is
usually counted as one of the sefirot while keter is
excluded (see Etz Chaim 23:1,
2, 5, 8; 25:6; 42:1).
Their difference in perspective evolves around the
interpretation of Zohar I:
31b, where the plain meaning appears to support the opinion of
R. Isaac Luria, though R. Moses Cordovero (see
ibid., 2:3 ff.) interprets according to his opinion.
In fact this has long been a matter of dispute among
the earlier kabbalists. While all are agreed that keter exceedingly
excels the sefirot (chochma to malchut), some say that keter is
identical with the Ein Sof (rather
with the Or
(light) Ein Sof) and therefore to be
excluded from the scheme of sefirot, while
others have it that keter, too,
is an emanation and effect having a cause just like the other sefirot and,
hence, is to be counted among them (see the discussion of these issues
in Pardes
Rimonim 3:1 ff., and Etz Chaim 42:1.)
The view of the Ari is a third opinion to
the effect that keter is
somewhere in between Or Ein Sof* and
the sefirot, part of both, and bridging or linking them. In his view, keter is
the "lowest" level of the Ein Sof as
well as the very root or source of the sefirot. This
issue relates to the disputed issue whether the term Ein Sof itself
has reference to the actual Essence and Being of G-d as He is in Himself or
to G-d qua First Cause.
*1Ti 6:15 which in His own seasons He shall
reveal – the blessed and only Ruler, the Sovereign of sovereigns and Master
of masters,
1Ti 6:16 who alone has immortality,
dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or is able to see,
to whom be respect and everlasting might. Amĕn.
In the context of the aforesaid, R. Isaac Luria adds
that when speaking of the essential sefirot, keter is
included, but when speaking of their general aspects (the "external
aspects" of the sefirot) keter is
omitted and daat is inserted instead (see Etz Chaim 23:5,8;
and the Baal HaTanya's Likutei Torah III:
49c; cf.ibid. II: 46c and V:8a). [Ed. note: the perspective in which keteris
omitted and daat is included can be understood as being from the viewpoint
after Shevirat
haKelim.]
[Adapted from "Mystical Concepts
In Chassidism: An Introduction to Kabbalistic Concepts and
Doctrines", available as a separate book (Kehot) or together with Likutei Amarim -Tanya, Book IV.]
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Angels (malakim) 1: The True
Story
The living creatures of the world of Yetzira are, in a
general way, called "angels". They function on that plane as we
function in the world of Asiya. The world of Yetzira may
be said to be, in its essence, a world of feeling. It is a world whose main
substance, or type of experience, is emotion of one kind or another, and in
which such emotions are the elements that determine its patterns. The
living beings in it are conscious manifestations of particular impulses -
impulses to perform one or another act or respond in one or another way - or
of the power to carry through an incentive, to realize, to fulfill the
tendency of an inclination or an inspiration.
An angel* is a spiritual reality
with its own unique content, qualities and character…
*Rev 19:9 And he (the malak/messenger/angel)
said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who have
been called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me,
“These are the true words of Elohim.”
Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship
him, but he said to me, “See, do not do it! I am your fellow
servant, and of your brothers who possess the witness of יהושע. Worship
Elohim! For the witness of יהושע is the spirit of prophecy.”
An angel is a spiritual reality with its own unique content, qualities
and character. What distinguishes one angel from another is not the physical
quality of spatial distance but rather a disparity with respect to the
fundamental purpose of such an essence. The substantial quality of an
angel may be an impulse or a drive, i.e. an inclination to love, fear, or
pity.
To express a larger totality of being, we may refer to "a camp of
angels". In the general camp of "love", for example, there are
many subdivisions, virtually innumerable shades and gradations of tender
feeling. No two loves are alike in emotion, just as no two ideas are alike.
Thus, any general and inclusive drive or impulse is a whole camp and is not
consistently the same at every level. Whereas among human beings emotions
change and vary either as persons change or according to the circumstances of
time and place, an angel is totally the manifestation of a single emotional
essence.
The word for angel in Hebrew, "malach", means also
"messenger". As its name in Hebrew signifies, the nature of
the angel is to be an envoy to a degree, thereby constituting a permanent
contact between worlds. An angel's missions transpire in two
directions: it may serve as an emissary of G-d toward the earthly, to
other angels and to worlds and creatures below the world of Yetzira,
and/or it may also serve as the one who carries heavenwards from below, from
our world to the higher worlds.
The real difference between man and angel is not the fact that man has a body, because the
essential comparison is between the human soul and the angel.
The soul of man is most complex and includes a whole world of different
existential elements of all kinds, while the angel is a being of single
essence and therefore in a sense one dimensional. In addition,
man, because of his multi-faceted nature and capacity to contain
contradictions (including his gift of an inner power of soul) has the
capacity to distinguish between good and evil. It is this ability which makes
it possible for him to rise to great heights, and by the same token creates
the possibility for his failure and backsliding, neither of which is true for
the angel.
From the point of view of its essence, the angel is eternally the
same. It is static, an unchanging existence, whether temporary or eternal,
fixed within the rigid limits of quality given at its very creation.
Those that have existed from the very beginning of time…constitute the
channels of plenty through which the divine grace rises…
Among the many thousands of angels to be found in the various worlds are
those that have existed from the very beginning of time, for they are an
unfaltering part of the Eternal Being and the fixed order of the universe.
These angels in a sense constitute the channels of plenty through which the
divine grace rises and descends in the worlds.
But there are also angels that are continuously being created anew, in
all the worlds, and especially in the world of Asiya, where
thoughts, deeds, and experiences give rise to angels of different kinds.
Every mitzvah (command) that a person does is not only an act of
transformation in the material world, it is also a spiritual act, sacred in
itself. And this aspect of concentrated spirituality and holiness in the
mitzvah is the chief component of that which becomes an angel. In other
words, the emotion, the intention, and the essential holiness of the act
combine to become the essence of the mitzvah as an existence in itself, as
something that has objective reality.
It is this separate existence of the mitzvah, by being unique and holy,
that creates the angel, a new spiritual reality that belongs to the world
of Yetzira. So it is that the act of performing a mitzvah extends
beyond its effect in the material world. The power of the spiritual holiness
within it - holiness in direct communion with all the upper worlds - causes a
primary and significant transformation.
An angel cannot reveal its true form to man*, whose being, senses, and
instruments of perception belong only to the world of Asiya, in
which there are no means of grasping the angel. It continues to belong to a
different dimension even when apprehended in one form or another. However,
angels have been revealed to human beings in either of two ways: one is
through the vision of the prophet, the seer, or the holy man - that is, an
experience by a person on the highest level; the other is through an isolated
revelation by an ordinary person suddenly privileged to receive from higher
levels.
*Jdg 13:3 And a Messenger of יהוה appeared to the woman and said to her, “See now,
you are barren and have not borne, but you shall conceive, and you shall bear
a son.
Jdg
13:4 “And now, please guard, and do
not drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat any unclean food.
Jdg
13:5 “For look, you are conceiving and
bearing a son. And let no razor come upon his head, for the youth is a
Nazirite to Elohim from the womb on. And he shall begin to save Yisra’ĕl out
of the hand of the Philistines.”
Jdg 13:6 And the woman came and spoke to
her husband, saying, “A Man (Hebrew text:aish not malak) of Elohim
came to me, and His appearance was like the appearance of a Messenger of
Elohim, very awesome. But I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not
declare to me His name.........................
Jdg
13:11 And Manowaḥ arose and went after his wife, and came to the
Man (yish), and he said to Him, “Are You the Man (yish) who
spoke to this woman?” And He said, “I am.”
Jdg 13:12 And Manowaḥ said, “Now let Your words come true! What is to be
the rule for the youth’s life and his work?”
Jdg 13:13 And the
Messenger (malak) of יהוה
said to Manowaḥ, “Let the woman guard all that I said to her.
Jdg 13:14 “Let her not
eat any food that comes from the vine, neither let her drink wine or
strong drink, or eat any unclean food. Let her guard all that which I
have commanded her.”
Jdg 13:15 And Manowaḥ said to the Messenger (malak) of יהוה,
“Please let us detain You, and prepare a young goat for You.”
Jdg 13:16 And the
Messenger of יהוה said to Manowaḥ, “Though you detain Me,
I do not eat your food. But if you offer a burnt offering, offer it to יהוה.” For Manowaḥ did not know He was a
Messenger of יהוה.
Jdg 13:17 Then Manowaḥ said to the Messenger of יהוה,
“What is Your name? When Your words come true, then we shall esteem You.”
Jdg 13:18 And the
Messenger of יהוה said to him, “Why do you ask My name, since it is
wondrous?”
Jdg 13:19 And Manowaḥ took the young goat with the grain offering, and
offered it upon the rock to יהוה. And He did wondrously while Manowaḥ and his wife looked on.
Jdg 13:20 And it
came to be, as the flame went up toward the heavens from the altar, that the
Messenger (malak) of יהוה
went up in the flame of the altar. And Manowaḥ and his wife were
watching, and they fell on their faces to the ground.
Jdg 13:21 And the Messenger of יהוה did
not appear any more to Manowaḥ and his wife. Then (after that) Manowaḥ knew that He was a
Messenger (malak/angel) of יהוה
When such a person or prophet does in some way experience the reality of
an angel, his perception, limited by his senses, remains bound to material
structures, and his language inevitably tends to expressions of actual or
imagined physical forms. Thus, when the prophet tries to describe or to explain to others his
experience of seeing an angel, the description verges on the eerie and
fantastic. Terms like "winged creature of heaven" or "eyes of
the supreme chariot" can be only a pale and inadequate representation of
the incident because this experience belongs to another realm with another
system of imagery. The description will necessarily be anthropomorphic.
One who sees an angel…does not always know that it is an apparition…
Thus, all the articulated visions of prophecy are nothing more than ways
of representing an abstract formless spiritual reality in the vocabulary of
human language; although, to be sure, there may also be a revelation of an
angel inquire ordinary form, clothed in some familiar vessel and manifested
as a "normal" phenomenon in nature. The difficulty is that the one
who sees an angel in this way does not always know that it is an apparition,
that the pillar of fire or the image of a man does not belong entirely to the
realm of natural cause and effect. And at the same time, the angel - that is
to say, the force sent from a higher world - makes its appearance and to a
certain extent acts in the material world, being either entirely subject to
the laws of our world or operating in a sort of vacuum between the worlds in
which physical nature is no more than a kind of garment for some higher
substance. For example, in the Bible, Manoah, the father of Samson, sees
the angel in the image of a prophet, yet he senses in some inexplicable way
that it is not a man he sees, that he is witnessing a phenomenon of a
different order; only when the angel changes form completely and becomes a
pillar of fire does Manoah recognize that this being which he has seen and
with whom he has conversed was not a man nor a prophet, but a being from
another dimension of reality, an angel.
The creation of an angel in our world and the immediate relegation of
this angel to another world is, in itself, not at all a supernatural
phenomenon. It is an integral aspect of life. When we are in the act of
creating the angel, we have no perception of the angel being created; the act
seems to be a part of the whole structure of the practical material world in
which we live. Similarly, the angel who is sent to us from another world does
not always have a significance or impact beyond the normal laws of physical
nature.
Indeed, it often happens that the angel reveals itself in nature, in the
ordinary common-sense world of causality, and only a prophetic insight or
divination can show when, and to what extent, it is the work of higher
forces. This is because man, by his very nature, is bound to the system of
higher worlds, even though ordinarily this system is not revealed and known
to him. It may be said that the realities of the angel and of the world of Yetzira are
part of a system of "natural" being which is as bound by law as
that aspect of existence we are able to observe directly.
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Angels 2: Wings on Fire
Immediately above the world of Yetzira is the world
called Beriya (throne of Ellohim), which, like the others, includes many different realms, levels, and
chambers. And just as the world of Yetzira is comprised of a
multitude of spiritual beings whose essence is pure feeling and emotion,
the world of Beriya is a world of pure intellect. This
mind quality of the world of Beriya is not a merely
intellectual essence but rather expresses itself as the power and capacity to
grasp things with a genuine, inner understanding. It is, in other words, the
mind as creator as well as that which registers and absorbs knowledge.
The Divine Throne…is the means through which the divine plenty descends
to the creatures and things of our world…
One of the other names for the world of Beriya is "world
of the throne"*, taken from Ezekiel's
vision of the divine Throne of Glory. One the whole, however, that aspect of
the Divine that is revealed to the prophets is the world directly above the
world of Beriya known as the world of Atzilut.
This is the source from which G-d is made known to a few, while the
world of Beriya is His seat or His throne, from which, as it
is written, "the earth is His footstool". Moreover, the Divine
Throne or Chariot is the means through which the divine plenty descends to
the creatures and things of our world and makes contact with the many complex
systems of all the worlds.
*Rev 5:1 And I saw in the right hand of
Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back,
having been sealed with seven seals.
Rev
5:13 And every creature which is in
the heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea,
and all that are in them, I heard saying, “To Him sitting on the throne, and (Greek: kai/and, also) to the
Lamb, be the blessing and the respect and the esteem and the might, forever
and ever!”
Rev 8:3 And another messenger came and stood at the
altar, holding a golden censer, and much incense was given to him, that he
should offer it with the prayers of all the set-apart ones upon the golden
altar which was before the throne.
Rev 8:4 And the smoke of the incense, with the
prayers of the set-apart ones, went up before Elohim from the hand of the
messenger.
Heb
12:2 looking to the Princely Leader
and Perfecter of our belief, יהושע, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the stake,
having despised the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of
Elohim.
In the world of Beriya, there are chambers, so to speak, in
which there is a certain measured rhythm of time, on one form or another,
with a relation between past, present, and future, between cause and effect,
and in which there are souls and creatures who belong specifically to this
world. These creatures of the world of Beriya, are the higher
angels, called "serafim", from the Hebrew word for
"burn", "saraf". Like the angels of the world
of Yetzira, the seraphim are singular abstract
essences, not given to change, but whereas the angels of the world of Yetzira are
embodiments of pure emotion, those of the world of Beriya are
essences of pure intelligence. The seraphim are
angels who manifest the higher levels of mind and also reflect the
differences among various planes of consciousness and comprehension.
Even the seraf yearns mightily to approach the Divine…
Every creature of the world of Beriya also serves as an
angel-messenger, receiving the plenty from the angelic beings and the souls
of the world of Yetzira, and raising them up to a higher level in
the world of Beriya and further, to endless heights.
As the nature of consciousness ascends according to the supernal level of
each world, the creatures of the world of Beriya are more fully
cognizant of the manner in which their world is constantly being created. At
the same time, since the world of Beriya is still a separate
world, its creatures and souls have their own individual selves. They may
indeed perceive the divine light, and they may fully accept its dominance in
everything, but, in feeling themselves separate from this infinite light,
they recognize their independent existence. Even the seraf yearns
mightily to approach the Divine, despite his being so far above anything man
can grasp. And despite his being the embodiment of understanding and higher
intelligence, he is aware that his is a reality still disconnected from the
Divine.
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Angels 3: Bad Angels
Besides the physical world, the world of Asiya (action) also contains a spiritual
world - in fact, many spiritual worlds. These worlds and their various
chambers vary greatly - indeed, so greatly that it is extremely difficult to
see any unity in their spiritual significance. On the other hand, those
domains of the spirit that issue from wisdom and creativity - such as philosophy,
mathematics, art, poetry, and the like, which are morally or qualitatively
neutral in their ideas of truth or beauty - are readily recognizable.
When a man sinks into this neutral position entirely…he fails to realize
his specific human destiny…
However, there are domains of the spirit that have a certain gnostic
significance, with a different value system, and that thus lend themselves to
either a positive or a negative spirituality. For just as there is room for
both physical and spiritual functioning of all kinds that raise the world and
man to higher levels of holiness in the world of Asiya, so there
is also that which makes contact between the world of human beings and those
worlds lower than ours.
These worlds are called the "realms of evil", the worlds of the
kelipa, the outer shell*.
*Isa 45:7 forming light and creating
darkness, making (Heb.bara/creating) peace and creating evil (Heb.ra).
I, יהוה, do all these.’
The domains of the kelipa constitute
chambers in which there are hierarchical systems in which evil becomes more
emphatic and more obvious with each distinct fallen level. And, as may be
surmised, there is a strong interrelation with the world of Asiya.
For although in itself the world of Asiya is neutral, in
terms of its gnostic implication it belongs to the worlds of evil - and in
particular to one of the levels of the outer shell called Kelipat
Noga. This is a level of being containing all that is not in its essence
directed either toward or against holiness. In terms of holiness, then, it
holds a neutral position. When a man sinks into this neutral position
entirely, without disentangling himself at all from it, he fails to realize
his specific human destiny and is found wanting in the very core of his
being.
Beneath the domain of Kelipat Noga are the thoroughly
evil worlds. Each one of them has its own aspect of evil and as is the case
with the worlds of holiness, is dynamically connected to the others, by the
bonds of transformation between the worlds and planes, in a process that
continues down to the very lowest depth of evil. As in all the worlds,
manifestation takes three forms: worlds, year and soul.
In other worlds, there is a general background of existence, acting as place
in the spiritual sense (worlds), and there is an aspect connected with
the relation to time and causality (year). In addition, they have a soul aspect:
spiritual creatures inhabiting the worlds of evil.
These beings inhabiting the worlds of evil are also called
"angels", but they are rather subversive angels, angels of
destruction. Like the angels of the higher worlds, they are also
spiritual beings and are limited each to a well-defined essence and each to
its own purpose. Just as there is in the domain of holiness the quality
(or angel) of love-in-holiness, of awe-in-holiness, and the like, so there
are opposite emanations and impulses in the domain of evil - angels of
destruction expressing love-in-wickedness, fear-in-corruption, and the like.
Just as it is true for the higher worlds that it is man and only man who
is able to choose and perform good, so it is only man who can do evil. The
subversive angels are thus also tempters and the inciters to evil, because
they bring the knowledge of evil from their world to our world. And at the same time, the
more evil a human being does, the more life-force do these angels draw from
him for their world.
These same subversive angels may serve as an instrument for punishing the
sinner, for the sinner is punished by
the inevitable consequences of his deed, just as the tzaddik or
saint receives his reward in the consequences of his benevolent deeds. In
short, the sinner is punished by being brought into contact with the domain
of evil he creates. The subversive angels are revealed in a variety of forms,
in both material and spiritual ways, and in their revelation they punish man
for his sins in this world of ours, making him suffer torment and pain,
defeat and anguish, physically as well as spiritually.
The subversive angels…exist as permanent parasites living on man…
Like the worlds of evil in general, the subversive angels are not ideal
beings, they nevertheless have a role in the world, enabling it to function
as it does. To be sure, were the world to root out all evil completely, then
as a matter of course the subversive angels would disappear, since they exist
as permanent parasites living on man. But as long as man chooses evil, he
supports and nurtures whole worlds and mansions of evil, all of them drawing
upon the same human sickness of soul. In fact, these worlds and mansions
of evil even stir up these sicknesses and are integral to the pain and
sufferings they cause. In this sense, the very origin of the demons is
conditioned by the factors they influence - like a police force whose
existence is useful and necessary only because of the existence of crime. The
spiritual implication of the subversive angels constitutes, in addition to
their negative function, a framework intended to keep the world from sliding
into evil.
The fact remains, however, that these angels grow in strength and power,
constantly reinforced by the growing evil in the world. Their existence is
thus two-sided and ambiguous. On one hand, the main reason for their creation
is to serve as a deterrent and as a limit; in this sense they are a necessary
part of the overall system of worlds. On the other hand, as the evil
flourishes and spreads over the world because of the deeds of men, these
destructive angels become increasingly independent entities, making up a whole
realm that feeds on and fattens on evil, whereupon the very reason for this
realm is forgotten, and it appears to have become evil for its own sake.
Man can liberate himself from the accumulating temptation of evil…
It is at this point in the paradox that the vastness and magnificent
scope of the purpose and meaning of man become evident. We see that man
can liberate himself from the accumulating temptation of evil*, by which act he compels the worlds of evil to
shrink to their original mold. What is more, he is able to change these
worlds completely so that they can be included in the system of the worlds of
the holy.
Gal
5:16 And I say: Walk in the Spirit,
and you shall not accomplish the lust of the flesh.
Gal
5:17 For the flesh lusts against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are opposed to each
other, so that you do not do what you desire to do.
Gal
5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit,
you are not under the law.
Gal
5:19 And the works of the flesh are
well-known, which are these: adultery,1 whoring,
uncleanness, indecency, Footnote: 1Only Textus Receptus contains adultery.
Gal
5:20 idolatry, drug sorcery, hatred,
quarrels, jealousies, fits of rage, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions,
Gal 5:21 envy, murders, drunkenness, wild parties,
and the like – of which I forewarn you, even as I also said before, that
those who practise such as these shall not inherit the reign of Elohim.
Nevertheless, as long as the world remains as it is, the subversive
angels continue to exist within the very substance of the world of Asiya,
and even in domains above it, finding a place for themselves wherever there
is any inclination toward evil. This happens because they themselves
instigate and evoke the production of evil. They thus receive their life and
power as the result of something they have aroused; and then finally, by
their very existence, they constitute a punishment for the things they have
helped to bring about.
The soul now finds itself wholly within the world-domain of these
subversive angels whom it, as a sinner, created…
One of the most extreme aspects of evil in the world of Asiya (action) is called "Sheol"
(grave/hell/world of the
death). When the soul of man leaves
the body and can relate directly to spiritual essences, thus becoming
altogether spiritual (with no more than fragmented memories of having been
connected with the body), then all that this soul did in life casts it into
its right form on the appropriate level in the life after death. And thus the
soul of the sinner descends, as it is symbolically expressed, to
"Sheol"*.
*Gen 37:31 So they took Yosĕph’s robe, killed a male
goat, and dipped the robe in the blood,
Gen
37:32 and sent the long robe and
brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Please look, is it
the robe of your son or not?”
Gen
37:33 And he recognised it and said,
“It is my son’s robe. An evil beast has devoured him. Yosĕph is torn,
torn to pieces.”
Gen
37:34 And Yaʽaqoḇ tore his garments, and
put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
Gen
37:35 And all his sons and all his
daughters arose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, and he said,
“Now let me go down into the grave (sheol) to my son in mourning.” So
his father wept for him.
How can
Ya'acov says that he will go to sheol/grave knowing thatYoseph has been
devored by an evil beats, meaning nothing remain from his body to be buried,
but he says that he (Ya'acov) will go to him?
Another
exemple:
Deu
32:48 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh that same day, saying,
Deu
32:49 “Go up this mountain of the Aḇarim, Mount Neḇo, which is in the land
of Mo’aḇ, which is opposite Yeriḥo, and look at the land of Kenaʽan, which I give to the children of Yisra’ĕl as a
possession,
Deu 32:50 and
die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people,
as Aharon your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people.................
Deu
34:5 And Mosheh the servant of יהוה died there in the land of Mo’aḇ, according to the mouth of יהוה.
Deu 34:6 And
He buried him in a valley in the land of Mo’aḇ, opposite Bĕyth Peʽor, and no one knows his burial place to this
day.
How can Moshe be gathered to his people when nobody
knows his burial place?
In ancient times, people didn't know what happen to
somebody when he died, but had understanding concerning the world of the dead
(sheol). Here we have two examples which demonstrate that people of this time
believed of a kind of life after death!
In other words, the soul now finds itself wholly within the world-domain
of these subversive angels whom it, as a sinner, created. There is no refuge
from them, for these creatures encompass the soul completely and keep
punishing it with full, exacting punishment for having produced them, for
having caused the existence of those same angels. And as long as the just
measure of anguish is not exhausted, this soul remains in "Sheol" (Hell).
Which is to say, the soul is punished not by something extraneous but by that
manifestation of evil it itself created according to its level and according
to its essence. Only after the soul passes through the sickness, torment, and
pain of the spiritual existence of its own self-produced evil, only then can
it reach a higher level of being in accordance with its correct state,
appropriate for the essence of the good it created. (End
of series.)
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Table for Correspondances
THE TETRAGRAMMATON
The term Tetragrammaton refers to the great, ineffable four-letter Name
of G-d. Its primary meaning is Eternal Existence. A very important
secondary meaning (appearing in the Code of Jewish Law) is "He was,
He is, He will be." It is often translated as The Creator.
The letters that comprise the Name are the letters of the Hebrew root
word for "Being". These letters are:Yud-Hei-Vav-Hei.
When a scribe draws the letter Yud, he begins with a dot in
the place that will be the top of the letter. This dot is considered
comparable to the Crown of the letter, to the sefira of Keter.
In this way the four-letter Name can be represented with five aspects.
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DETAILS OF SIX SEFIROT
Chesed love
Gevura power, strength
Tiferet harmony, beauty
Netzach victory,
eternity
Hod glory, majesty
Yesod foundation
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Oneness and the Infinite
By Moshe Miller
There is one infinite creator, the cause of causes and the maker of all.
He is not one in a numerical sense -- since He is not subject to change,
definition or multiplicity. He is one in that the number one signifies
an independent unit and is the basis of all numbers; the number one is also
contained in all numbers. Similarly, the Creator is actually within
everything, and everything is within Him*. He is the beginning and cause
of everything. The Creator does not change, and therefore one cannot add or
subtract from Him.
*Act 17:27 to seek the Master, if at least
they would reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one
of us.
Act 17:28 “For in Him we live and move and are, as also some of your own
poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’
Moreover, His existence is necessary existence (i.e. it is not contingent
upon anything else), in the same way that the number one is a requisite for
the existence of any other (whole) number. If the number one would cease to
be, every other number would also cease to exist. However, if other numbers
disappeared, one would continue to exist. There are properties of the number
one; similar qualities apply to the Creator. Even if the act ceased to be,
the One who acted remains. Because His being is not contingent upon the
existence of anything else, were they to cease being, His existence would
continue.
The unbounded revelation
of G-d underwent a profound constriction
Prior to Creation, there was only the infinite revelation
of G-d which filled all existence. This is called the Or
Ein Sof-- the Infinite Light -- which is not G-d Himself, only His
infinite revelation of Himself. Within this infinite revelation, limited
beings could not possibly exist. Accordingly, there was a progressive
lessening and constricting of the Or Ein Sof, making room
for limited existence.
This progressive constriction, called tzimtzum, brought about
various planes of reality -- called, in Kabbala, the five worlds. Each
"world" is a certain level of concealment of G-dliness, of
the Or Ein Sof. From the highest to lowest (i.e. from greater to
lesser revelation) they are:
The entire physical universe is the lowest aspect of
the world of Asiya. In each of the worlds there is an increasingly dim
revelation of the Infinite light as it descends further and further and
becomes more and more concealed. It is important to note that these worlds do
not occupy different geographical places. They are not geographical at all,
but rather descending planes of reality.
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Chaos and the Primordial
By Moshe Miller
The highest, or most exalted, of the five worlds is called Adam
Kadmon. Adam means "in the likeness of" or
"in the image of," from the Hebrew word domeh. Kadmon means
"primordial", or "primary", from the Hebrew root kadam.
So, Adam Kadmon is the primordial world which is "in
the likeness of" the Infinite Light which preceded it and which was
concealed in the process of creation. This means that even though Adam
Kadmon is a world, meaning that it comes into being through the
concealment of the Infinite Light, it is such an elevated plane of reality
that it is "in the likeness of" the Infinite Light (which, by
nature, "precedes" the world of Adam Kadmon).
Adam Kadmon ... mirrors the
original Infinite Light*
* Heb 1:1 Elohim, having of old spoken in
many portions and many ways to the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 has in these last days spoken to us by the
Son, whom He has appointed heir of all, through whom also He made the ages,
Heb 1:3 who being the
brightness of the glory and the exact representation of His substance,
and sustaining all by the word
John 8:12 Therefore יהושע spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light
of the world. He who follows Me shall by no means walk in darkness,
but possess the light of life.”
1Jn 1:5 And this is the message which we have heard
from Him and announce to you, that Elohim is light and in Him
is no darkness at all.
Thus, although the world of Adam Kadmon is a world, it
is a level so sublime, pure and transcendent that that it is almost
imperceptible. It cleaves to and mirrors the original Infinite Light.
In Kabbala, the world of Adam Kadmon represents the
transcendent will of G-d. G-d's desire for the Creation and how it is
manifest are planned out in one broad, all-encompassing overview, without
separation into specific details. This is called the machshava
kedumah, or "primordial thought" of Adam Kadmon.
The primordial thought functions as the blueprint for all of Creation.*
*Col 1:19 Because in Him all the
completeness was well pleased to dwell,
Rom 1:20 For since the creation of the world His
invisible qualities have been clearly seen, being understood from
what has been made, both His everlasting power and Mightiness, for them to be
without excuse,
Rev 3:14 “And to the messenger of the assembly in
Laodikeia write, ‘The Amĕn, the Trustworthy and True Witness, the
Beginning of the creation of Elohim,
.In the world of Adam Kadmon everything
is seen in one broad overview, but the exact details are not yet separated
and ordered into the categories of reality. All the details of Creation, from
the beginning of space to the end of space and from the beginning of time to
the end of time, are all superimposed in this one thought, for, in Adam Kadmon, there
is no concept of space and time whatsoever. There is as yet no inside and no
outside, no up and no down, no before and no after. There is only a potential
for these limitations. Everything is undefined, unified, and simultaneous.
Here lies the root and source of all the other planes of reality, which
descend from Adam Kadmon.
As the light descends
from Adam Kadmon, it breaks up into ten individual qualities*
* Joh 12:46 “I have come
as a light into the world, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness.
It is clear that the succeeding levels of Creation, i.e. the series of
worlds which descend from Adam Kadmon, particularly the lowest
world, cannot possibly exist within the parameters of the existence of Adam
Kadmon. Everything in Adam Kadmon is undefined,
unified, and simultaneous, superimposed in a single primordial thought, which
contradicts the very idea of worlds in the sense that we understand them, as
limited being which presupposes separation and division. Subjectively, in
terms of our awareness of G-d, the world of Adam Kadmon parallels
the highest source of consciousness in man. It is the awareness of total
unity with the Infinite Light.
The first step in bringing about the separation and division necessary
for creating the lower worlds, is by "breaking" the unity of the
light as it is in Adam Kadmon. As the light descends from Adam
Kadmon, it breaks up into ten individual qualities or attributes (sefirot, sefira in
the singular), which act as separate independent points of light. Each of
these points is an extremely powerful concentration of light as it descends
fromAdam Kadmon. These are called the sefirot of Tohu,
which means "chaos" or "disorder". The world of Tohu is
not included in the scheme of the five worlds mentioned previously, by virtue
of the fact that it shattered and does not exist as a stable plane of
reality.
The Sefirot of Tohu
It will be explained later that sefirot generally
constitute the inner structure of each of the worlds, somewhat like the bones
give shape and form to the body; however, in Tohu ("chaos"
in Hebrew) this is precisely what is absent. The sefirot of Tohu are
absolutely independent of each other and form no inter-relationships with
each other. Thus there is no order and no structure. Moreover, each sefira in Tohu is
the manifestation of only one absolute and quintessential aspect of the light
of Adam Kadmon, and therefore it does not interact with the
other sefirot, since they have nothing in common.
A consequence of this lack of interaction is that none of thesefirot of Tohu are
able to limit the activity and expansion of any of the other sefirot to
a level in which all the sefirot can function together.
Therefore none of the sefirot can endure the activity of any
of the other sefirot. This results in the disintegration, or
"shattering" of the sefirot of Tohu.
The separateness brought
about by the shattering of Tohu is rectified in Tikun
Scripture hints at this process in describing the succeeding kings of Edom:
"These are the kings who ruled in the land of Edom before any king
ruled over the Israelites [representing the rectification of Tohu as will be
explained shortly]. Bela son of Beor became king…died and was succeeded
as king by Yoav…Yoav died, and he was succeeded as king by
Chusham….Chusham died, and he was succeeded…,etc." (Gen. 36:31-39).
Rabbi Yitzchak Luria explains that this refers to the sefirot of
Tohu, each of which rules exclusively, and then shatters and
"dies".
Nevertheless, the shattering of the sefirot of Tohu is
no coincidence, nor does it signify a flaw in the creative process. On the
contrary, it serves a very specific and important purpose: to bring about a
state of separation or partitioning of the light into distinct qualities and
attributes and thus introduce diversity in creation. However, because the
ultimate purpose of creation is not to remain in a state of separation and
diversity but rather to achieve unity and harmony, the separateness brought
about by the shattering of Tohu is rectified in Tikun,
meaning "rectification", "restitution", or
"reformation". Tikun signifies the syntheses and
re-unification of the diversity and fragmentation introduced by the
shattering of the vessels of Tohu. The nature and specifics of
the rectification that takes place in Tikun will be
discussed more fully below.
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Close to the Light
By Moshe Miller
The highest and most perfected level of Tikun is called
the world of Atzilut, the world of Emanation*. The word Atzilut in Hebrew derives
from the word etzel, meaning "close to" or
"near". The world of Atzilut is "close
to" the Infinite Light, even though it is not united and identified with
it to the same degree as the world of Adam Kadmon.
Joh 1:18 No one has ever
seen Elohim.1 The only
brought-forth Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has revealed.
The word Atzilut also means "to set aside",
"take from", or "draw down", for the light of the world
of Atzilut is, so to speak, "taken from" and
"drawn down" from the world above it, the world ofAdam Kadmon.
At every stage of devolution of the Infinite Light, an additional factor
of limitation is added. The dimension and limitation that is added in the world
of Atzilut is the aspect of inner structure. Adam Kadmon is
unstructured and so tightly bound together that it is impossible to
distinguish top and bottom, inside and outside, beginning and end; in Atzilut,
however, the dimension of internal structure is added. In fact, the entire
concept of internalization, of immanence - as opposed to transcendence - is
first evident in the world of Atzilut.
In the world of Atzilut
there is a distinction between lights and vessels
Atzilut is thus the first plane, or world of immanence, of structure. In
the world of Atzilut there is a distinction between
"lights" and "vessels" --called orot and
kelim, respectively. This is not a separation between
the lights and vessels, for the lights and vessels of Atzilut are
integrally bound up with each other. Nevertheless, there is a distinction
between them. One aspect is recognizable as light and another is recognizable
as the vessels which contain and limit the light.
A simple analogy: in an initial flash of insight, the "eureka"
of sudden inspiration, one has not yet had the time to analyze and interpret
the original insight and sort it into the appropriate categories of
understanding. The inspirational idea is felt. It is present. However, the
potential to analyze, interpret and understand the inspiration, hasn't been
conceptualized yet. In our analogy, the world of Atzilut corresponds to the
structuring of the idea and the process of understanding it. In more
technical language, this is the forming of vessels for containing the original
unformed light.
The amount of light
revealed depends on the capability of the vessels to receive
Obviously, the amount of light revealed depends on the capability of the
vessels to receive that light, just as the degree to which a person understands
an idea is dependent on his intellectual capabilities. The original idea (an analogy
for the light) and the understanding of it (an analogy for the vessels) are
integrally connected -- for the idea is grasped only according to the
level of understanding. They are, nevertheless, two distinct things. It
could be, in our analogy, that the person doesn't understand the original
idea; accordingly, what he doesn't understand remains in a transcendent
state, beyond his intellectual capabilities. Light is grasped (i.e.
internalized or made immanent) according to the ability of the vessels to
receive it, just as an idea is grasped (i.e., internalized or made immanent)
only according to the ability of the person to understand. In other words,
the quality of light drawn down corresponds to, and is dependent on, the
receptivity of the vessels. In the world of Atzilut the
correlation between lights and vessels is about as perfect as it can be
without the vessels actually disappearing, as they do in Adam Kadmon.
The vessels in Atzilut exist, but they are nullified to the
light.
This is how we would define the world of Atzilut --
there is internal structure, and the light becomes immanent; i.e. the light
drawn down from above becomes structured and ordered. In our analogy -- the
idea becomes understood perfectly.
The World of Tikun
This is why the world of Atzilut is called the world
of Tikun, which means "rectification" and order. This
is because in Atzilut the light becomes ordered and structured,
according to the capability of the vessels to receive it. The vessels
of Atzilut are as capable of receiving light as vessels can
be before disappearing into oblivion. Thus it follows that structure in the
world of Atzilut is neither a hindrance to, nor an obscuring
of, the light, as it is in the lower worlds. In this sense, the world ofAtzilut is
still a world of non-being, a world of thought, since the vessels are
nullified to the light.
Note: the concept of structure will be explained where we discuss
the sefirot, the emanated lights and vessels below. There it is
explained how actual existence comes about through the vessels, not through
the lights.
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The World of Creation
By Moshe Miller
The world of Beriya, the world of Creation, is a tremendous
step down from the world of Atzilut. Beriya, or
"creation", implies limited reality, or bringing into being a
restricted existence. The dimension, the limitation, which is added by the
descent of the light into the world of Beriya is the very
concept of "being", as opposed to the "nothingness"
of Atzilut.
In the world of Beriya
the vessels begin to obscure the light
Atzilut is a world of non-being, because the structuring of the light by
the vessels is not a hindrance or an obscuring of the light, as it is in the
world of Beriya. Unlike Atzilut, however, in the
world of Beriya the vessels begin to obscure the light and
thereby create limited beings. This can be understood by way of an analogy:
if one were to go out on a day so sunny and bright that he would not be able
to see anything if he kept his eyes wide open, he would have to almost close
his eyes in order to see. In such a scenario, squinting his eyes, he can only
make out vague shapes. With sunglasses, however, he can see better -- he can
see things clearly. This is like the world of Beriya in that
the clear form and existence of things only becomes apparent when the light
is sufficiently dimmed and obscured. Of course the analogy is imperfect since
the objects which one sees with sunglasses were always separate, individual
objects -- which is not entirely true in the world of Atzilut.
Between the way one understands something and his ability to explain it
to someone else, there is a tremendous gap. In the world of Beriya, we are not even
talking about actually explaining an idea to another person. We are still
talking about planning in one's mind how one would explain
it to another person before actually doing so. In the world of Atzilut,
the structuring of the original flash of inspiration, the original idea, was
only in one's own understanding; in addition, his grasp of the idea was
proportionate to his own ability to comprehend. In the world of Beriya,
however, there is an additional factor, namely the limitations of the
recipients or interpreters of that which is meant to be conveyed. A teacher
who wants to explain an idea to his student first has to measure the
capability of his student to understand, and the teacher has to tone down and
limit the idea accordingly. In fact, although for his own understanding it is
not necessary for him to break the idea down into various simpler components,
for his student he must do so. This is because the student is, as yet, unable
to grasp a vast complexity of ideas all at once as the teacher does.
Beriya is considered to be
outside of the realm of the Infinite Light
The word Beriya in Hebrew signifies "outside
of." This implies a new level of separation, for Beriya is
considered to be outside of the realm of the Infinite Light. That is to say
that in Beriya the Infinite Light is concealed to such an
extent that it is considered as separate from the Infinite Light, even
though, as we pointed out before, there is no place devoid of the Infinite
Light. An analogy is used in the Kabbala to explain the
relationship between Beriya and Atzilut: the
light of Atzilut is like the light of a candle in a room,
and the light of Beriya is like the light of the candle as
it is seen on the other side of a curtain which closes off the room.
In a subjective sense, the awareness of separation implies that one is
conscious of one's existence as a distinct (albeit dependent) entity.
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Forming Time and Space
By Moshe Miller
The limitation that is added by the descent into the world of Yetzira,
the world of Formation, is that of dimension itself. Formation is
essentially a spatial concept, and Kabbala also discusses the
nature of space. It is important to know that the Kabbala views time and
space as created conditions and not as intrinsic qualities, as will be
discussed shortly. That is to say that until the descent of the light to the
world of Yetzira, the light is not limited by dimension. And even
in the world of Yetzira dimension is still spiritual and has not
yet entered the physical limitations of space.
Each of the directions is
derived from a spiritual quality
Physical space has six dimensions which limit and define it. These are:
above and below, right (south) and left (north), in front (east) and behind
(west). In Kabbala each of the directions is derived from a spiritual
quality, namely, one of the six aspects of the world of Yetzira.(The
spiritual dimension of the world of Yetzira devolves in the
world of Asiya into actual physical space.) In the world of Yetzira,
these six dimensions are called the six middot, or the six sefirot, which
are revealed primarily in that world. The word midda in Hebrew
means "dimension", "limitation", or
"measurement". This is the primary characteristic of the world of Yetzira:
that light which descends there is limited and measured.
One of the characteristics of dimension or measurement is that it
requires at least two reference points - the place something starts and where
it ends. Accordingly Yetzira, the source of dimension, is the
first plane of existence where polarity and duality (the opposite of unity
and oneness) come into being. Thus, there is the beginning of relationship,
i.e. a situation in which each aspect is defined in reference to something
else, rather than in terms of its own intrinsic qualities. It is important to
note that, in Yetzira, this duality is still spiritual, and
therefore the characteristics of the world of Yetzira are
beyond the limitations of physical space.
The more light the
vessels receive, the more they expand and grow*
* Col 1:9 For this
reason, since the day we heard about this, we have not stopped praying for
you and asking that you may be filled with the full knowledge (da'at)
of God's will with respect to all spiritual wisdom (chochmah) and understanding
(bina),
Col 1:10 so that you might live in a
manner worthy of the Master and be fully pleasing to him as you bear fruit
while doing all kinds of good things and growing in the full knowledge
(da'at) of God.
Spatial dimension in the world of Yetzira can be understood
in the following way: "Above" is the active reaching out of light
and life force (analogous to sunlight streaming down from above), which
descend to the vessels, which are ready to receive them (to continue the
analogy - like plants or trees which absorb the sunlight). "Below"
is the receiving by the vessels; the more light the vessels receive, the more
they expand and grow (south, toward the path of the sun, toward the light),
and consequently, the more elevated they become (i.e. advance toward the
origin of the light). If the vessels, however, are too immature and
constricted, or because something prevents the light from reaching the
vessels, they contract and do not grow. They may even face away from the
source of light, and retreat, like a plant shriveling and dying. This is the
inner spiritual dimension of physical space.
In the analogy used previously to describe the worlds, if the original
idea and its expansion in understanding represents the world of Atzilut,
and considering how to describe the idea to another person represents the
world of Beriya, then the actual explanation of the idea to
another represents the world of Yetzira. In explaining an idea to
someone else, there is bound to be a limit as to how much of the original
understanding can be transmitted through speech. Some have more success at
this than others, but even the best teacher cannot communicate his own
exact understanding to his student. The student has to work on this
himself. Thus, speech is much more limited than thought. So too, the
descent of the light into the world of Yetzira defines and
limits the light so that it can be absorbed by the lowest level vessels of
the world of Asiya. In doing so, the light becomes much more
hidden and much more limited. In this way each vessel becomes separated from
the other, because each receives the light and expresses it according to its
own specific nature. Thus there is division and diversity.
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Action and the Physical
By Moshe
Miller
The most limiting feature of all is the limitation of time. The
limitation of time means that one object cannot be in two different places
simultaneously. Moreover, the concept of time is bound with that of
change. This means that when one thing ceases to be and another thing begins
to be, a change has occurred. Change can only take place where the unity and
infinity of G-d are hidden, namely, where the continuity of being
is not evident.
The most limiting feature
of all is the limitation of time
Time is created by way of the process of the extension and retraction of
the light and life force as it reaches out to the vessels below and returns
to its original place. The "gap" between the reaching out and the
returning of the light and life-force, as it pulsates continuously from
above, creates time. From moment to moment the light and life force extends
"downward", and then retracts, returning to its original place. That
which it activated or vitalized "dies", so to speak, as soon as the
life force is withdrawn, and then when it reaches down once again, it creates
a new being. This change is the origin of time, for time is a measure of
change. This process is analogous to a motion picture. Light shining through
the constantly changing frames of the strip of film appear to create a
continuous scene. In reality, however, each frame in the strip of film is
distinct from the previous one; it is only because the movement of the frames
is so fast that the human eye is unaware that there are separate images. Thus
the scene appears to the eye to be continuous. So too is it with the
pulsating of life-force into the physical world -- the "gap"
between one pulse and the next is so minute, that the scene appears to be
continuous.
This reaching out and returning of the life force from above is mirrored
in the advance and retreat of the life force below. The pulse which you can
feel in your wrist and in your heartbeat is the result of this process. Each
time you feel the thump of your pulse or your heartbeat, it indicates that a
different "permutation" of the light and life force is enlivening
you. Because of this constant renewal, you change from moment to moment.
The near perfect state of rectification …needs to be drawn down into this
world
In Kabbala, this continuous pulsation or fluctuation is manifested
in the world of Asiya, or the world of Action. The essence of the
world of Asiya is action. The story of Creation concludes
with the words "that G-d made to do (or to rectify)." The word
"to do", in Hebrew la'asot, is derived from the same
word as Asiya -- action. This world is created for
the sake of action, which means rectification. The near perfect state of
rectification of the world of Atzilut (see above) needs to
be drawn down into this world too. This world is created
"incomplete." What it is "lacking" is the revelation of
G-dliness that is found to greater or lesser extent in the supernal worlds.
The rectification of Asiya is the revelation of G-dliness in
this world through the actions of man.
The Jewish sages therefore recommend that every person say to himself
"for me the world was created." This does not mean one should
regard oneself as the center of the universe and everything was created to
serve one's ego. Quite the contrary. Rather understand the phrase to mean:
"For me the concealment of G-d was created in order that I should
reveal G-dliness in this world and thereby rectify it." This is the task
G-d created for us: to reveal the inner dimensions, the G-dliness, contained
and yet hidden in this world. Thus, the world of Asiya, the world
of Action, is really the ultimate purpose of Creation. For here, more than
anywhere else, G-dliness is hidden. And G-d can be revealed here even more
than in the worlds above, as will be explained.
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Jacob's Ladder
The dream
The foundational text of Kabbalah, the Zohar, teaches that Jacob's
ladder was a metaphor for the experience of prayer (incidentally, the Hebrew
words for "ladder" and "voice" - "sulam"
and "kol" - representing the voice of prayer, share an
identical numerological value of 136). Prayer constitutes the ladder through
which a human being climbs from his or her earth-bound existence into deeper
states of consciousness, until touching the heavenliness at the core of the
human soul.
The Midrash (quoted in Yalkut Reuvani and Megaleh
Amukot1) on the verse transmits an oral tradition that the ladder in
Jacob's dream consisted of four steps, which, according to the mystic
Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz, known as the "Shelah" (1560-1630),
embodied the Four Worlds of the Kabbalah.
While the philosophers spoke of three universes - planet earth, the
galactic empire and the realm of pure spirit represented by angels - the
Jewish mystics speak of four existential paradigms. They taught that our
earthly universe, described as "the world of Action" (Asiya)
evolved from three higher and more spiritual forms of existence, known as the
world of "Formation" (Yetzira) the world of
"Creation" (Beriya) and the world of "intimacy" (Atzilut).
Rabbi Horowitz explains that "a ladder etched on earth"
represents the world of Asiya; "Angels of G‑d descending
and ascending on it" symbolize the worlds of Yetzira and Beriya,
populated by two distinct forms of angels; and "G‑d standing over
him" is a metaphor for the fourth and highest universe - the world
of Atzilut.
Is there a way of linking the Zohar's interpretation that the ladder
represents prayer, and the interpretation of Rabbi Horowitz that the ladder
represents different worlds?
The daily climb
The answer is yes. The Morning Prayer, too, is divided into four
sections, which according to the great mystic Rabbi Isaac
Luria(1534-1572), or Arizal, correspond to the same above-mentioned four
worlds.
The worshipper climbs the
first step of the spiritual ladder, cultivating the microcosmic universe of Asiya….
In the opening chapters of the "portal of prayer" (in Pri
Etz Chaim) the Arizal explains that the division of the Morning Prayers
into four sections corresponds to an ascending progression through the four
worlds, beginning with Asiya and culminating in Atzilut.
During the beginning of the prayers, until a section known as "Baruch
Sh'amar", the worshipper climbs the first step of the spiritual
ladder, cultivating the microcosmic universe of Asiyawithin his
or her psyche. In the second section of the liturgy, known as "Pesukei
d'Zimra," the individual ascends to the second rung in the
ladder, encountering the microcosmic world of Yetzira.
Subsequently, during the recital of the Shema and its
preceding blessings, the worshipper enters into the universe of Beriya,
and, then, finally, during the silent Standing Prayer, he or she encounters
the cosmic intimacy with the world ofAtzilut.
What this means is that each morning we are summoned to climb Jacob's
ladder and cultivate our microcosmic four worlds that reside at various
strata of our identity. Only after this intense meditation and emotional
journey can we face the bustling street with the vision and the fortitude
required to illuminate the world around us with goodness and love.
These are abstract, metaphysical concepts. How can we apply the doctrine
of the "four worlds" to our personal lives? How do we access them
on a daily basis?
The answer is anything but simple. The Kabbalah sees it as the task
of a lifetime dedicated to study, meditation and intense personal ethical and
spiritual refinement. What follows is a tiny fragment of this vast and
splendid edifice of Jewish mystical thought.
The World of Action
The first step toward genuine growth requires you to take control of your
inner "world of action" (Asiya), becoming conscious of your
day-to-day and hour-to-hour behavioral patterns and conduct, and introducing
the critically needed changes you need to make in your schedule.
The changes may be in the area of social behavior (i.e. avoiding gossip,
slander and bickering), in your business relationships (i.e. eliminating
dishonesty and cheating) or in your personal life (ceasing immoral sexual
behavior, confronting addictions, controlling your inclination to gamble,
etc.). The initial step to take in climbing "Jacob's ladder" is a
commitment to change undesirable habits on a tangible, behavioral level.
This is the primary function of the first section of the Morning
Prayer, in which we read about various forms of animal sacrifices offered in
the Temple. This symbolizes our own labor of confronting the beast within us
and sacrificing its cravings, addictions and lusts to G‑d. Your inner beast
may still be very crude and brutish, yet you are empowered to control its
behavior and avenues of expression.
A key phrase in the first section of the prayers is "hodo
l'Hashem", which can be translated as: "surrender to G‑d".
This is the first stage of our personal work. Your heart may not be aglow
with spiritual passion, but before you can achieve significant growth
in your life you must first surrender your animal and tame it.
And yet, we are not robotic machines. Our behaviors are the result of
emotions, attitudes and perspectives. If you wish to maintain a healthy
and ethical lifestyle you can't merely do the right things by rote; you must
be inspired inwardly. Thus, the journey must continue into the second layer
of consciousness, the world of Yetzira.
The World of Formation
The second step in growth calls on you to explore the inner formations of
your psyche. In the world of Yetzira you need to examine
your inner attitudes, motives and temperaments that give birth to your daily
conduct and behavior. You must muster the strength to reformat your internal
emotional structure.
A relationship with G‑d
means a relationship with your own inner core….
If in the first stage of action you attempt to change your software,
in this second stage you strive to redesign your hard-drive. It is, of
course, far more challenging and difficult and could come about only through a
rigorous process of introspection, humility, honesty and courage.
This is the primary function of the second section of the morning
prayers, known as "Pesukei Dezimra", or
"verses of praise", also translated as "verses that weed
out", in which we read Psalms describing the
relationship between G‑d and nature.
In Kabbalah, the relationship between G‑d and the world is not seen
merely a relationship between the Creator and the created, but rather as a
link between the surface level of reality and the depth of reality. In
Kabbalah, "G‑d" is the term employed to describe the
underlying structure of all of existence, including of course human
existence. In Kabbalah, a relationship with G‑d means a relationship with
your own inner core, with the reality of your reality. Alienation from G‑d
means alienation from the depths of the self.
This second section of prayer, a review of heart-stirring chapters of
Psalms describing G‑d as the author of nature, is intended help
us realign ourselves and our world with their true reality,
with their authentic essence, with G‑d. The meditation on these truths
helps us weed out our selfish, beastly and egocentric inclinations, cravings
and attitudes and transcend our shame, fear and resentment. It helps us
rewire our inner emotional structure and reformat our feelings and
passions.
But how about the scars and wounds that have become entrenched
in our psyche? How about the abuse and inner turmoil that have seeped
into the very stuff of our chemistry? Can we ever heal from them?
For this you must process to the third layer of consciousness, to the
world of Beriya.
The World of Creation
In this state of consciousness you do not merely reform yourself (as in
the layer of formation), but you are empowered to recreate yourself. Here,
in the world of Beriya, you surrender all that you previously
claimed as yours to the divine vision of life, allowing for the higher power
to recreate your identity all over again, from nothing to something.( for God it is who is working in you both to will and to work for His
good pleasure. (Philip.2:13)
Here you are allowed
entry into that core space of self that recognizes its perpetual
metamorphosis….
In this third section of prayer we discuss the notion that G‑d creates
existence every day anew. Here you are allowed entry into that core space of
self that recognizes its perpetual metamorphosis from nothingness into
something-ness. In this part of the prayer we also declare "Here
O Israel, G‑d is one" (Sh'ma), which means that G‑d is the only one
recreating us every day and every moment as aspects of His being, as
expressions of His reality.
This is, admittedly, a frightening moment. You must possess the
readiness to erase your entire hard drive, surrendering all of it to the
invisible "microchip"*. It may feel like jumping off a cliff.
Yet, when you take that jump, you allow yourself to experience rebirth,
soaring far and beyond the limitations and parameters of your previously
finite and flawed emotional structure.
*Coloss.3:5 Put to death, then, your members
that are upon the earth--whoredom, uncleanness, passion,
evil desire, and the covetousness, which is idolatry
Yet even after your entry into the third world, you haven't become one
with reality. You have surrendered your notion of selfhood for the sake of ultimate
reality, but there is still an "I" attempting to experience
oneness. I am experiencing you; I am experiencing G‑d and the very
awareness of self indicates that I am still alienated from true
reality.
Take dancing as an example. How do you know that you are truly immersed
in the ecstasy of the dance? The answer: when you are unaware of the
fact that you are totally engrossed in the dance. The moment your
"I" is begins to observe that your body is moving around
uninhibitedly, you are not fully present in the dance. When you become truly
one with somebody or something, you don't experience the oneness. You're
just one.
How do you know when your body is healthy? When you don't feel it. When
you begin to feel any part of your body - even if you don't feel pain but
only a sense of heaviness - it is a sign that something in the body is
dysfunctional. The healthier the body is, the less you sense it.
Artists are keenly aware of this truth in their own careers. There is a
point in the work of writers, musicians, painters or speakers when they
cease to be conscious of their existence as an independent entity,
instead becoming conduits for a deeper energy coming through them. It is
at this point that the artist performs best, for his self has merged with his
work in a seamless whole.
Great communicators, for example, will tell you that their speeches
become truly meaningful and transformative at the moment they become
unaware that they are speaking. This may sound weird, but it is the
truth. When you're truly busy living, the "you" does not
occupy any space. When the "I" is totally in touch with life,
it does not inform you of its existence, for it is completely unified with
its mission.
The World of Intimacy
Thus we are invited, in prayer, into the fourth and deepest world,
that of Atzilut. Here you give up everything, even the feeling
that you have given up everything. You allow yourself to melt away in the
all-pervading reality of the one G‑d. You achieve intimacy with the divine;
your entire personality becomes a transparent conduit through which the
oneness of G‑d shines forth.
This is the fourth section of prayer, known as the silent Standing
Prayer. During this prayer, silence must reign supreme, for there is no
"I" present to become excited and inspired. We do not reach out to
attempt and experience lofty transcendence and sublime oneness. We simply
address G‑d firsthand, as "You", and unite with Him in profound
intimacy.
Yet surprisingly this part of the prayer is the most "physical"
and concrete of the entire morning service, focusing on each person's
material needs. Why?
Because, just as the most profound intimacy between a husband and a wife
is experienced via very physical means, so too the most profound intimacy
between man and G‑d finds expression in our sanctification of physical
existence.
Spiritual enlightenment is a refined form of self-expression; it is a
distraction of complete oneness with G‑d. On the other hand, taking your
physical self, your material resources and your brute body and connecting
them with G‑d, this is the hallmark of intimacy with the divine.
Paradoxically, the very brutish and crude nature of physical matter allows us
to escape the traps of the self-conscious ego.
Show me a man who mustered the strength to take control of the first
world, and I will show you a self-controlled and fulfilled human being. Show
me a man who humbled himself to enter the second universe, and I will show
you a courageous and profound soul. Show me a man who dared enter the third
universe, and I'll show you a happy man. But show me a man who climbed the
fourth step of the ladder, and I'll show you a man who needs not to be happy,
for he and happiness have become one.
This essay is based on a discourse by Rabbi Schnuer Zalman of
Liadi with footnotes and commentary by his grandson, Rabbi Menachem
Mendel of Lubavitch, the Tzemach Tzedek, and on a discourse
by the latter's grandson, Rabbi Sholom Ber of Lubavitch; Published in Derech Mitzvotecha pp.
83-85; OrHaTorah Shemot vol. 4 parashat Mishpatim pp.
1127-1150;Sefer Hamaamarim 5678 pp. 264-265v.
Copyright 2004 Rabbi Yosef Y. Jacobson
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