Although the Zohar is generally referred to as a single multi-volume work, it comprises several books which may be further sub-divided into approximately twenty main sections/⁸ These are:

1)    The main bulk of the Zohar, sometimes also called Midrash HaZohar, written as commentary on sections and passages of the Torah.

2)    Sifra d’Tzniuta, or ‘‘Book of Concealed Matters.״ This is a commentary on Bereishit – the first section (parsha) of the Book of Bereishit (Zohar //, 176b-179a).

3)    Idra Rabba, or Greater Assembly. In it Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai reveals the mysteries of the extremely recondite passages of the Sifra d’Tzniuta to his disciples (Zohar III, 127b-145a).

4)    Idra Zuta, or Lesser Assembly. Here the passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and the teachings which he revealed just prior to his death, are described. The methodology of the Zohar’s redaction is also described briefly (Zohar III, 287b296־b). We will discuss this point at length shortly.

5)    Idra de-bei Mishkana, the Assembly in which the section of the Torah dealing with the Tabernacle is discussed (Zohar //, 127ab-146b).

6)    Razin d’Razin, the “Secret of Secrets,” or “Mystery of Mysteries” discusses chochmat ha-partzuf (the “wisdom of the countenance” – i.e., how to “read” a person’s character etc. from his facial features) and chochmat ha-yad (palmistry) (Zohar II, 70a-78a; Zohar Chadash 35b-37c). ¹⁷

7)    Heichalot, a description of the seven chambers of light perceived by the mystic during prayer, or by a righteous person as his soul passes away from this world and ascends on high (Zohar /, 38a45־b and Zohar II, 244b268־b).

8)    Matnitin and Tosefta, are brief statement of Kabbalistic principles which are explained more fully in the sections which follow them. (These are spread throughout all three volumes of the Zohar and are also found in several places in the Zohar Chadash. See below).

9)    Raya Mehemna, ‘⁴the Faithful Shepherd,” a Kabbalistic exposition of the commandments and prohibitions of the Torah (scattered throughout vols. 2 and 3. The bulk of the Raya Mehemna can be found in Zohar II, 1 14a־l 121a, III 97-104, 108b-l 12a, 121b-126a, 215a259־b, 270b283־a).

10)    Sitrei Torah, ⁴⁴Secrets of the Torah,” a mystical interpretation of certain passages of the Torah (found in Zohar /, 74a75־b, 76b-80b, 88a90־a, 97a-102a, 108a-l I la, 146b-149b¹⁸).

11)    Midrash HaNe’elam, ⁴⁴Hidden Midrash,” on various sections of the Torah (Zohar Chadash 2b30־b; Zohar I 97a-140a; Zohar //, 4a-5b, 14a22־a) and on Shir HaShirim (Shir HaShirim)

12)    Sava d’Mishpatim, the wisdom of an old man who reveals the secrets of reincarnation and transmigration contained in the section of the Torah dealing with the laws governing the Hebrew slave (Zohar //, 94b-114a).

13)    Yenuka, “The Child.” The discourse of a young child who reveals mysteries of the Torah (Zohar III, 186a-192a).

14)    Rav Metivta, a description of a journey through the Garden of Eden, and a discourse on the destiny of souls {Zohar III 161b-174a)

15)    Zohar on Shir HaShirim, a Kabbalistic exposition of the Shir HaShirim (Zohar Chadash 61d75־a).

16)    Kav HciMiddcih_י “The Measuring Rod.” Mystical insights into the Shema Yisrael prayer (Zohcir Chadash 56d58־d)

17)    Sitrei Otiot, “Mysteries of the Letters.” An exposition of the secrets of the Hebrew alphabet (Zohar Chadash 1-9).

18) Tikkunei Zohar and addenda. Discussing seventy permutations of the first word of the Torah – Bereishit, and commentaries on various other sections of Scripture.

19)    Zohar Chadash, commentary on the Torah and on Shir HaShirim, Ruth, Eichah (Lamentations). The section on Shir HaShirim is actually part of the Midrash HaNe ^,elam.

 

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his circle

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was one of the great Tannaitic sages who lived during the era of Roman persecution (2^nd century). He was one of the foremost students of Rabbi Akiva, who had said to him, “Let it be sufficient that I and your Creator know of your powers.”⁸ He was also one of the teachers of Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi,⁹ as mentioned above.

Rabbi Shimon was well-versed in miracles, and was therefore sent by the leaders of the Jewish people to Rome to attempt have the ban on Jewish observance officially lifted by the emperor of the time (Antoninus Pius). The Talmud tells that the daughter of the emperor was possessed by a demon, which Rabbi Shimon exorcised. The ban was subsequently abrogated/¹⁰ However, around the year 149 C. E. Rabbi Shimon himself was forced to flee from the Roman authorities. An acquaintance of his had privately praised the Romans for their efforts in initiating and organizing aspects of commercial and social life in Israel. Rabbi Shimon countered that they had done so merely out of self-interest. Word of this discussion reached the Roman authorities, who declared that Rabbi Shimon be put to death. He fled and hid in a cave for thirteen years together with his son Rabbi Elazar, where they studied Torah day and night. They were miraculously sustained by the fruit of a carob tree and water from a spring until the emperor died and the sentence upon them was annulled.¹¹

During his stay in the cave, Rabbi Shimon apparently wrote the main body of the Zohar, which was described as “the First Mishnah.”¹² The remainder of his teachings was passed on orally to his disciples and to their disciples, and they committed many of his teachings to writing, probably over a period of several generations.

Kabbalah

These secret mystical traditions came to be known as “Kabbalah,” from the Hebrew word kabeil – “receive.” signifying the transmission of the esoteric tradition which was received by the leaders of the generation from the leaders of the previous generation. This tradition was interpreted and expounded in both its theoretical and practical aspects.

We have spoken above of Ma’aseh Bereishit and Ma’aseh Merkavah. Another useful (albeit more modern) classification of Kabbalistic wisdom distinguishes between its theoretical and practical aspects, or Kabbalah Iyunit (“contemplative Kabbalah”) and

Kabbalah Ma ‘asit (“practical Kabbalah”).^{13 14}

The Contemplative Tradition^j5

Kabbalah Iyunit, the category to which the majority of Kabbalistic texts in circulation today belong, sets out to explain the process whereby the created realm came into being as a finite, tangible existence through the will of the infinite Creator. Kabbalah Iyunit also analyzes the nature of the relationship between the creation as it proceeds toward the fulfillment of the purpose for which it was created, and the Divine source from which it emerges. On a deeper level. Kabbalah Iyunit explores the complex nature of Divine reality itself – in particular, the paradox of God, simultaneous transcendence and the consequent inability of human thought to grasp Him at all, together with His immanence and active and reactive relationship with Creation and humanity.

An additional aspect of the contemplative tradition is the use of various meditative techniques to ponder the Divine, the manifestations of Divinity and the esoteric underpinnings of the material world. These include the contemplation of Divine Names, of Hebrew letter permutations and of the ways in which the sefirot (supernal Divine forces, see below) harmonize and interact. Some ancient forms of Kabbalistic meditation produced a visionary experience of the supernal ‘⁴chambers״ and the angelic beings who occupy them. This is known as the Heichalot tradition.

These techniques are also sometimes used as a means of rectifying imperfections in the soul, rather than producing spiritual knowledge or elevation.

The Practical Tradition

The practical tradition of Kabbalah involves techniques aimed specifically at altering natural states or events – techniques such as the incantation of Divine names or the inscription of such names, or those of the angels, upon amulets. On occasion, these methods have been used to fashion a golem (humanoid) or some other creature.¹⁵ However, Kabbalah ma’asit is meant to be employed by only the most saintly and responsible of individuals and for no other purpose than the benefit of man or implementation of God^?s plan in creation.

Even in the era of the great kabbalist. Rabbi Isaac Luria, known as the holy Ari (mid 16th century), there are indications of these techniques being abused by unfit practitioners. The holy Ari himself admonished his disciples to avoid the practical arts of Kabbalah, as he deemed such practice unsafe so long as the state of ritual purity necessary for service in the Holy Temple remains unattainable.

In essence, however, there is no clear demarcation separating the contemplative elements of Kabbalah from those aimed at influencing or altering existence. Just as Kabbalah lyunit, through its system of kavanot (guided meditations), can influence the configuration of Divine forces impinging upon our reality, so too is the efficacy of ⁴‘practical Kabbalah” predicated upon the knowledge of Kabbalistic theory and doctrine.

Kabbalah and the Zohar

Kabbalah lyunit has thus been characterized as a descriptive “anatomy” of the Divine reality.¹⁷־ Kabbalah is concerned with the technical identities and “locations” of, and relationships between, the worlds (planes of reality), the sefirot (Divine emanations), and the order in which they evolve from one another and affect one another in the vast chain of being known in Kabbalah as the seder hishtalshelut – the process by which Divine energy (or “light,” in Kabbalistic terminology) devolves from higher spiritual planes to lower ones, eventually to become manifest in this physical plane of existence.

Of course, the ultimate intention of Kabbalah (including Kabbalah lyunit) is practical – to reveal the Divinity manifested in the sefirot on each of the planes of reality, rather than merely describe the emanations themselves. The ultimate intention of kabbalah is to bring the individual, and then the entire world – all the planes of reality – into harmony with the Divine purpose for which they were initially created.

Within this scheme, the Zohar is regarded as the primary Kabbalistic text on which much if not most of later kabbalah is based. ¹⁶

ZOHAR

– II –

The Structure of the Zohar

Although the Zohar is generally referred to as a single multi-volume work, it comprises several books which may be further sub-divided into approximately twenty main sections/⁸ These are:

1)    The main bulk of the Zohar, sometimes also called Midrash HaZohar, written as commentary on sections and passages of the Torah.

2)    Sifra d’Tzniuta, or ‘‘Book of Concealed Matters.״ This is a commentary on Bereishit – the first section (parsha) of the Book of Bereishit (Zohar //, 176b-179a).

3)    Idra Rabba, or Greater Assembly. In it Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai reveals the mysteries of the extremely recondite passages of the Sifra d’Tzniuta to his disciples (Zohar III, 127b-145a).

4)    Idra Zuta, or Lesser Assembly. Here the passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and the teachings which he revealed just prior to his death, are described. The methodology of the Zohar’s redaction is also described briefly (Zohar III, 287b296־b). We will discuss this point at length shortly.

5)    Idra de-bei Mishkana, the Assembly in which the section of the Torah dealing with the Tabernacle is discussed (Zohar //, 127ab-146b).

6)    Razin d’Razin, the “Secret of Secrets,” or “Mystery of Mysteries” discusses chochmat ha-partzuf (the “wisdom of the countenance” – i.e., how to “read” a person’s character etc. from his facial features) and chochmat ha-yad (palmistry) (Zohar II, 70a-78a; Zohar Chadash 35b-37c). ¹⁷

8)    Matnitin and Tosefta, are brief statement of Kabbalistic principles which are explained more fully in the sections which follow them. (These are spread throughout all three volumes of the Zohar and are also found in several places in the Zohar Chadash. See below).

9)    Raya Mehemna, ‘⁴the Faithful Shepherd,” a Kabbalistic exposition of the commandments and prohibitions of the Torah (scattered throughout vols. 2 and 3. The bulk of the Raya Mehemna can be found in Zohar II, 1 14a־l 121a, III 97-104, 108b-l 12a, 121b-126a, 215a259־b, 270b283־a).

10)    Sitrei Torah, ⁴⁴Secrets of the Torah,” a mystical interpretation of certain passages of the Torah (found in Zohar /, 74a75־b, 76b-80b, 88a90־a, 97a-102a, 108a-l I la, 146b-149b¹⁸).

11)    Midrash HaNe’elam, ⁴⁴Hidden Midrash,” on various sections of the Torah (Zohar Chadash 2b30־b; Zohar I 97a-140a; Zohar //, 4a-5b, 14a22־a) and on Shir HaShirim (Shir HaShirim)

12)    Sava d’Mishpatim, the wisdom of an old man who reveals the secrets of reincarnation and transmigration contained in the section of the Torah dealing with the laws governing the Hebrew slave (Zohar //, 94b-114a).

13)    Yenuka, “The Child.” The discourse of a young child who reveals mysteries of the Torah (Zohar III, 186a-192a).

14)    Rav Metivta, a description of a journey through the Garden of Eden, and a discourse on the destiny of souls {Zohar III 161b-174a).

15)    Zohcir on Shir HaShirim, a Kabbalistic exposition of the Shir HaShirim (Zohcir Chadash 61d75־a).

16)    Kav HciMiddcih_י “The Measuring Rod.” Mystical insights into the Shema Yisrael prayer (Zohcir Chadash 56d58־d)

17)    Sitrei Otiot, “Mysteries of the Letters.” An exposition of the secrets of the Hebrew alphabet (Zohar Chadash 1-9).

18) Tikkunei Zohar and addenda. Discussing seventy permutations of the first word of the Torah – Bereishit, and commentaries on various other sections of Scripture.

19)    Zohar Chadash, commentary on the Torah and on Shir HaShirim, Ruth, Eichah (Lamentations). The section on Shir HaShirim is actually part of the Midrash HaNe ^,elam.

-III-

Mystical concepts in the Zohar

The Oneness of God

There is One Infinite Creator, the Cause of causes and the Producer of effects. He is not one in a numerical sense – since He is not subject to change, definition or multiplicity – but rather in the following figurative sense:    The    number one signifies an independent unit and is the basis of all numbers, and in this sense contains all numbers in potential; it is also actually contained in all numbers. Similarly, the Creator is actually within everything, and everything is within Him, in a state of potential. And He is the Beginning and Cause of everything. We attribute these qualities to the Creator, since He does not change – one cannot add or subtract from Him.

Moreover, His existence is necessary existence (i.e. it is not contingent upon anything else), just like the number one is a necessary 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. These are properties of the number one. Similar qualities apply to the Creator. He brings into being, creates everything, and sustains the existence of everything. Even if the act ceases to be, the One who acted remains. Since His existence is not contingent upon the existence of anything else; were they to cease existing, His existence would continue, for He is completely independent of anything else.¹⁹

 

The Or Ein Sof

Prior to creation, there was only the infinite revelation of God which filled all existence. This is called the Or Ein Sof – the Infinite Light – which is not God 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 Kabbalah the five worlds. Each ⁴⁴world” is a certain level of concealment of Godliness, of the Or Ein SofFrom highest to lowest (i.e. from greater to lesser revelation of the Or Ein Sof they are: The world of Adam Kadmon which is the primordial world, or the first level of somewhat finite revelation; the world of Atzilut\ the world of Beriah; the world of Yetzirah; and the world of Asiyah. The entire physical universe is the lowest aspect of the world of Asiyah. 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 descending planes of reality. ²⁰

 

The Planes of Reality – the Worlds

Adam Kadmon

The highest of the five worlds is called Adam Kadmon. “Adam” means “in the likeness of,” or ‘*in the image of,” from the word דומה (domeh) in Hebrew. And “Kadmon” means primordial, or primary. 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, that is to say it comes into being through the concealment of the Infinite Light; nevertheless, it is such an elevated plane of reality that it is “in the likeness of’ the Infinite Light, the Or Ein Sof which precedes (kadam) the world of Adam Kadmon.

Thus, although the world of Adam Kadmon is a world, it is a level so sublime, pure, and transcendent that it is almost imperceptible. It cleaves to and mirrors the original Or Ein Sof

In Kabbalah the world of Adam Kadmon represents the transcendent will of God. The desire that God has that there should be a creation, and what kind of creation it will be 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.

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.

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 God, 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, sefirah 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 from Adam 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.

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 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 sefirah in Tohu is the manifestation of 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 the sefirot 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. 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.” (Bereishit 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, which is to bring about a state of separation or partition of the light into distinct qualities and attributes, and hence introduce diversity in creation. However, since the ultimate purpose of creation is not to remain in a state of separation and diversity, but to achieve unity and harmony, the separateness brought about by the shattering of Tohu is rectified in Tikkun (rectification, restitution, or reformation), which signifies the synthesis 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 Tikkun will be discussed more fully below.

The next plane of reality, the highest and most perfected level of Tikkun, is called the world of Atzilut, the world of emanation. The word “Atzilut” in Hebrew derives from the word אצל meaning “close to” or “near,” for the world of Atzilut is also “close to” the Infinite Light, even though it is not united and identified with it to it to the same degree as the world of Adam Kadmon.

The word “Atzilut” also means “to set aside,” or “take from” and to “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 of Adam Kadmon. But is it already a step lower.

At every stage of devolution of the Or Ein Sof 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. Whereas everything in Adam Kadmon is unstructured and is so tightly bound together that it is impossible to distinguish top and bottom, inside and outside, beginning and end; in Atzilut 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.

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. This is not a separation between the lights and vessels, for the lights and vessels of Atzilut are integrally bound up with each other. But 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 could be used: in an initial flash of insight, the “eureka” of sudden inspiration, one has not yet had the time to analyze and interpret the original flash of insight, and sort it into the appropriate categories of thought and understanding. The inspirational idea is felt, it is present, and the potential to analyze and interpret and understand the inspiration is in some way included in the inspiration, but it hasn’t been conceptualized yet. In our analogy, the world of Alzilut corresponds to the structuring of the idea, and the process of understanding it, or, in more technical language, this is the forming of vessels to contain the original unformed light. Obviously, how much light is revealed depends on the capability of the vessels to receive it, just as the degree to which a person understands an idea is dependent on his intellectual capabilities. And so, 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. The light fits the vessel perfectly. But they are, nevertheless, two distinct things. It could be that the person doesn’t understand the idea. Accordingly, what he doesn’t understand remains in a transcendent state, beyond his intellectual capabilities. The idea is grasped (i.e., internalized or made immanent) only according to the ability of the person to understand. The light is grasped (i.e., internalized or made immanent) only according to the ability of the vessels to receive it. In other words, the quality of light drawn down corresponds directly 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.

This is why the world of Atzilut is called the world of tikkun, which means rectification and order. This is because 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 of Atzilut is still a world of non-being, a world of thought, since the vessels are nullified to the light.

This concept of structure will be explained further when we discuss the sefirot, the emanated lights and vessels below. And we will explain later that actual existence comes about through the vessels, not through the lights.

Beriah

The next plane of reality, the next level down, is called the world of Beriah, the world of creation. It is a tremendous step down from the world of Atzilut.

Beriah, or creation, implies limited reality, or bringing into being a limited existence. The dimension, the limitation, which is added by the descent of the light into the world of Beriah is the very concept of “being,” as opposed to the “nothingness” of Atzilut. The world of 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 Beriah. In the world of Beriah, however, the vessels begin to obscure the light and thereby create limited being. This can be understood by way of an analogy: if you were to go out on a very bright day – so bright that you would not be able to see anything if you kept yours eyes wide open, so that in order to see you have to almost close your eyes. But you still can’t see properly, even with your eyes half closed – you can only make out vague shapes. So you put on a pair of sun-glasses. Now you can see better ־־ you can see things clearly. This is like the world of Beriah — 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

INTRODUCTION

 

which one sees with sunglasses were always separate, individual objects – which is not entirely true in the world of Atzilut.

The previous analogy we used, that of understanding a thought, can be used here, too. But here, in the world of Beriah, we move one step lower. Now we talk about explaining the thought to another person. And between the way you understand something and your ability to explain it to someone else, there is a tremendous gap. A story which is told about Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, better known as the Arizal,²¹ one of the greatest kabbalistic masters who ever lived, will help us understand this. One day – a Sabbath afternoon – the Arizal fell asleep. One of his students. Rabbi Chaim Vital, saw that his master’s lips were moving and when the master woke up he asked him, “what were you dreaming about?” The Arizal answered him, “I ascended to the supernal academy, and there 1 heard an explanation of the story of Balak and Bilaam. But what I saw in that moment would take me eighty years to explain.

Now, as yet, in the world of Beriah, 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. And your grasp of the idea is proportionate to your own ability to comprehend. In the world of Beriah, there is an additional factor. The teacher who wants to explain an idea to his student now has to measure out 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 the understanding of his student he must do so. For the student is, as yet, unable to grasp a vast complexity of ideas all at once. First he needs to understand all of it simpler components, one by one, until he is ready to piece together the entire idea. So in order for the teacher to communicate his ideas to his students, he must break down and simplify the original idea, as it is in his understanding, so that it can be grasped by someone with lesser capabilities.

Another definition of the word beriah in Hebrew signifies “outside of.” This implies a new level of separation – it is considered to be outside of the realm of the Infinite Light. That is to say that the Infinite Light, the Or Ein Sof is concealed to such an extent that this plane of reality is considered as separated from the Or Ein Sof even though, as we pointed out before, there is no place devoid of the Or Ein Sof. An analogy is used in Kabbalah to explain the relationship between Beriah and Atzilut. The light of Atzilut is like the light of a candle in a room. And the light of Beriah 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 aware of one’s existence as a separate (albeit dependent) entity.

Yetzirah

The next plane of reality, the next world down, is called the world of Yetzirah, the world of formation. The limitation that is added by the descent into the world of Yetzirah is that of dimension itself. Formation is essentially a spatial concept, and Kabbalah also discusses the nature of space. It is important to know that the Kabbalah views time and space as created conditions, and not as intrinsic qualities, as will be discussed shortly. That is to say, until the descent of the light to the world of Yetzirah, the light is not limited by dimension. And even in the world of Yetzirah dimension is still spiritual and has not yet become the physical limitations of space.

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 Kabbalah each of the directions derives from a spiritual quality, one of the six dimensions of the world of Yetzirah, i.e. the spiritual dimension or quality of the world of Yetzirah devolves in the world of Asiyah into actual spatial dimension. These six dimensions as they are in the world of Yetzirah are called the six middot, or the six sefirot which are revealed primarily in that world. The word middah in Hebrew means dimension, limitation, measurement. This is the primary characteristic of the world of Yetzirah; that light which descends to that world is limited and measured.

One of the characteristics of dimension or measurement is that it requires at least two reference points – where something starts and where it ends. This is because the world of Yetzirah is the first plane of existence where polarity and duality (the opposite of unity and oneness) come into being. Thus, here is the beginning of relationship, i.e. where each thing is defined in reference to something else, rather than in terms of its own intrinsic qualities. However, this duality is still spiritual, and therefore the dimensions of the world of Yetzirah are beyond the limitations of physical space. When the surface reality of the world is stripped away, the inner dimension is seen.

Spatial dimension in the world of Yetzirah 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 waiting and 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 (advance toward the origin of the light). Conversely, if the vessels do not receive light from above, being too immature and constricted, or because something obstructs the light and prevents it from reaching the vessels, they contract. They do not grow, and they may even face Godliness that is found to greater or lesser extent in all the other worlds or planes of reality, and the rectification of this world is the revelation of Godliness 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.”⁴ ‘ 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. “For me the concealment of God was created,” in order that it should reveal Godliness in this world and thereby rectify the world. This is the task God set us – to reveal the inner dimensions, the Godliness, of this world (and the other worlds). Thus, the world of Asiyah, the world of action, is really the ultimate purpose of creation. For here, more than anywhere else, Godliness is hidden. And God can be revealed here just as much as in the world of Atzilut and even more so, as will be explained later on. ²²

The Structure of Reality — the Sefirot

In the previous section we discussed the various planes of reality which are called the five worlds. We explained that the higher the world or plane of reality, the greater the unity and infinity of God that is revealed or manifested there. Nevertheless, since all worlds are the result of a constriction and lessening of the Infinite Light (the Or Ein Sof), they are all, in one sense or another, limited and defined. That is to say, the revelation of God is less or more limited, depending on which world is referred to. Therefore the word for “world” in Hebrew, “olamf is etymologically related to the word “/Ne ‘elem,” meaning hiddeness, or concealment – referring to the concealment of God’s Infinite Light, so that in the higher worlds the Infinite Light is more revealed, and in the lower worlds the Infinite Light is less revealed.

The light is revealed in each world by what Kabbalah calls the sefirot. These are Divine emanations by which God reveals Himself to man, and by which He conducts the worlds, as the introduction to the Zohar states, “You are He who brings forth ten. . . . sefirot.

The sefirot are not distinct entities, or intermediaries, which would imply duality or plurality in the Infinite Light or in God. Quite the contrary – they are nothing other than various phases and levels of God’s revealing Himself to man. Thus the sefirot are called bli-mah, without substance, in Sefer Yetzirah. The sefirot constitute the inner structure of each of the worlds, somewhat like the bones give shape and form to the human body. How, and to what degree, the sefirot reveal the Infinite Light in each world gives each particular world, each plane of reality, its individual character. Furthermore, the sefirot account for the dynamic interactions that take place in each of the worlds.

Now, even though the sefirot in all of the worlds bear the same names, it is nevertheless self-understood that the quality and powerreceiving 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 of Atzilut is still a world of non-being, a world of thought, since the vessels are nullified to the light.

This concept of structure will be explained further when we discuss the sefirou the emanated lights and vessels below. And we will explain later that actual existence comes about through the vessels, not through the lights.

Beriah

The next plane of reality, the next level down, is called the world of Beriah, the world of creation. It is a tremendous step down from the world of Atzilut.

Beriah, or creation, implies limited reality, or bringing into being a limited existence. The dimension, the limitation, which is added by the descent of the light into the world of Beriah is the very concept of “being,” as opposed to the “nothingness” of Atzilut. The world of 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 Beriah. In the world of Beriah, however, the vessels begin to obscure the light and thereby create limited being. This can be understood by way of an analogy: if you were to go out on a very bright day – so bright that you would not be able to see anything if you kept yours eyes wide open, so that in order to see you have to almost close your eyes. But you still can’t see properly, even with your eyes half closed – you can only make out vague shapes. So you put on a pair of sun-glasses. Now you can see better – you can see things clearly. This is like the world of Beriah – 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.

The previous analogy we used, that of understanding a thought, can be used here, too. But here, in the world of Beriah, we move one step lower. Now we talk about explaining the thought to another person. And between the way you understand something and your ability to explain it to someone else, there is a tremendous gap. A story which is told about Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, better known as the Arizal,²¹ one of the greatest kabbalistic masters who ever lived, will help us understand this. One day – a Sabbath afternoon – the Arizal fell asleep. One of his students. Rabbi Chaim Vital, saw that his master’s lips were moving and when the master woke up he asked him, “what were you dreaming about?” The Arizal answered him, “I ascended to the supernal academy, and there 1 heard an explanation of the story of Balak and Bilaam. But what I saw in that moment would take me eighty years to explain.

Now, as yet, in the world of Beriah, 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. And your grasp of the idea is proportionate to your own ability to comprehend. In the world of Beriah, there is an additional factor. The teacher who wants to explain an idea to his student now has to measure out 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 the understanding of his student he must do so. For the student is, as yet, unable to grasp a vast complexity of ideas all at once. First he needs to understand all of it simpler components, one by one, until he is ready to piece together the entire idea. So in order for the teacher to communicate his ideas to his students, he must break down and simplify the original idea, as it is in his understanding, so that it can be grasped by someone with lesser capabilities.

Another definition of the word beriah in Hebrew signifies “outside of.” This implies a new level of separation – it is considered to be outside of the realm of the Infinite Light. That is to say that the Infinite Light, the Or Ein Sof is concealed to such an extent that this plane of reality is considered as separated from the Or Ein Sof even though, as we pointed out before, there is no place devoid of the Or Ein Sof. An analogy is used in Kabbalah to explain the relationship between Beriah and Atzilut. The light of Atzilut is like the light of a candle in a room. And the light of Beriah 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 aware of one’s existence as a separate (albeit dependent) entity.

Yetzirah

The next plane of reality, the next world down, is called the world of Yetzirah, the world of formation. The limitation that is added by the descent into the world of Yetzirah is that of dimension itself. Formation is essentially a spatial concept, and Kabbalah also discusses the nature of space. It is important to know that the Kabbalah views time and space as created conditions, and not as intrinsic qualities, as will be discussed shortly. That is to say, until the descent of the light to the world of Yetzirah, the light is not limited by dimension. And even in the world of Yetzirah dimension is still spiritual and has not yet become the physical limitations of space.

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 Kabbalah each of the directions derives from a spiritual quality, one of the six dimensions of the world of Yetzirah, i.e. the spiritual dimension or quality of the world of Yetzirah devolves in the world of Asiyah into actual spatial dimension. These six dimensions as they are in the world of Yetzirah are called the six middot, or the six sefirot which are revealed primarily in that world. The word middah in Hebrew means dimension, limitation, measurement. This is the primary characteristic of the world of Yetzirah; that light which descends to that world is limited and measured.

One of the characteristics of dimension or measurement is that it requires at least two reference points – where something starts and where it ends. This is because the world of Yetzirah is the first plane of existence where polarity and duality (the opposite of unity and oneness) come into being. Thus, here is the beginning of relationship, i.e. where each thing is defined in reference to something else, rather than in terms of its own intrinsic qualities. However, this duality is still spiritual, and therefore the dimensions of the world of Yetzirah are beyond the limitations of physical space. When the surface reality of the world is stripped away, the inner dimension is seen.

Spatial dimension in the world of Yetzirah 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 waiting and 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 (advance toward the origin of the light). Conversely, if the vessels do not receive light from above, being too immature and constricted, or because something obstructs the light and prevents it from reaching the vessels, they contract. They do not grow, and they may even face . Godliness that is found to greater or lesser extent in all the other worlds or planes of reality, and the rectification of this world is the revelation of Godliness 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.”⁴ ‘ 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. “For me the concealment of God was created,” in order that it should reveal Godliness in this world and thereby rectify the world. This is the task God set us – to reveal the inner dimensions, the Godliness, of this world (and the other worlds). Thus, the world of Asiyah, the world of action, is really the ultimate purpose of creation. For here, more than anywhere else, Godliness is hidden. And God can be revealed here just as much as in the world of Atzilut and even more so, as will be explained later on. ²²

The Structure of Reality – the Sefirot

In the previous section we discussed the various planes of reality which are called the five worlds. We explained that the higher the world or plane of reality, the greater the unity and infinity of God that is revealed or manifested there. Nevertheless, since all worlds are the result of a constriction and lessening of the Infinite Light (the Or Ein Sof), they are all, in one sense or another, limited and defined. That is to say, the revelation of God is less or more limited, depending on which world is referred to. Therefore the word for “world” in Hebrew, “o/ara,” is etymologically related to the word “he ’elem,” meaning hiddeness, or concealment – referring to the concealment of God’s Infinite Light, so that in the higher worlds the Infinite Light is more revealed, and in the lower worlds the Infinite Light is less revealed.

The light is revealed in each world by what Kabbalah calls the sefirot. These are Divine emanations by which God reveals Himself to man, and by which He conducts the worlds, as the introduction to the Zohar states, “You are He who brings forth ten. . . . sefirot.

The sefirot are not distinct entities, or intermediaries, which would imply duality or plurality in the Infinite Light or in God. Quite the contrary – they are nothing other than various phases and levels of God’s revealing Himself to man. Thus the sefirot are called bli-mah, without substance, in Sefer Yetzirah. The sefirot constitute the inner structure of each of the worlds, somewhat like the bones give shape and form to the human body. How, and to what degree, the sefirot reveal the Infinite Light in each world gives each particular world, each plane of reality, its individual character. Furthermore, the sefirot account for the dynamic interactions that take place in each of the worlds.

Now, even though the sefirot in all of the worlds bear the same names, it is nevertheless self-understood that the quality and power of the sefirot in the world of Atzilut⁴⁴י for example, are incomparably greater than the quality and power of the sefirot in the world of Asiyah, for in the world of Atzilut the Infinite Light is revealed through the sefirot to a much greater extent and in a much more elevated way than in any of the worlds below it.

The origin of the word “sefirot” is explained in four ways in the classical texts, and one of these four explanations or derivations corresponds to the sefirot as they are in one of the four worlds of Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah :

1)    Regarding the sefirot of the world of Atzilut, the world of emanation, the word sefirah is explained as deriving from the word “ sapir” – a diamond or sapphire in Hebrew. Just as the beauty and value of a sapphire is determined by its clarity and purity, that is to say how perfectly and flawlessly it reflects light, so too, the sefirot of Atzilut are characterized by the flawlessness and purity with which they reveal and manifest the Infinite Light, the Or Ein Sof

2)    Regarding the sefirot of the world of Beriah, the world of creation, the word sefirah is explained as deriving from the word “sippurf meaning a story, as is mentioned in the verse in Psalms, “the heavens tell of (mesaprim) the glory of God.” A good story describes an event clearly and succinctly to someone who did not see the event himself, and the person listening to the story can then picture the event in all its details in his mind. Nevertheless, one who hears the story experiences the event only second hand. It is obviously not the same as experiencing the event oneself. This is therefore the proper explanation of the word sefirah as it applies to the world of Beriah, since the sefirot of Beriah do not reveal and manifest the Infinite Light, the Or Ein Sof to a degree comparable to that of Atzilut. They only “tell the story,” so to speak. ²⁵

3)    Regarding the sefirot of the world of Yetzirah, the world of formation, the word sefirah is explained as deriving from the word “sfor” meaning boundary or border. This is very much the characteristic of the world of Yetzirah, as explained in the previous lecture. The light that descends into the world of Yetzirah is given form and dimension. Borders (in a spiritual sense, of course) signify a qualitative limitation. This means that the light is now limited, in a qualitative sense, to a certain range, just as the natural limitations of the power of sight or of hearing in a human being are limited to a certain range of physical light or sound which the person can see or hear, whereas other creatures are able to focus on a much greater range of light or sound.

4)    Regarding the sefirot of the world of Asiyah, the world of action, the word sefirah is explained as deriving from the word “mispar׳,” meaning number. Numbers signify a quantitative limitation, stressing the idea of finitude. That is to say, the extent of effect or power the light will have is severely limited by its descent into the world of Asiyah.

Although we just now explained that the ten sefirot of the world of Atzilut are very different from those of Beriah, and the ten sefirot of Beriah from those of Yetzirah, etc., nevertheless, in a certain way the sefirot of all the worlds are similar to each other. The reason for this is quite simple. The ten sefirot of the world of Asiyah derive (or “devolve”) from the ten sefirot of Yetzirah, and those of Yetzirah derive from Beriah and those of Beriah from the sefirot of Atzilut. Or, in the language of Kabbalah, within the ten sefirot of Asiyah are the ten sefirot of Yetzirah, and within the sefirot of Yetzirah are the sefirot of Beriah and within them are the ten sefirot of Atzilut, in which abides the light of the Ein Sof. Therefore, keeping in mind that each individual sefirah that we are about to discuss can be placed in the context of any of the four worlds, only that in Yetzirah the sefirot are more abstract and refined than it in Asiyah, and in Beriah much more so than in Yetzirah and so on. So, by a process of increasing abstraction, delving deeper and deeper into the essence of these divine manifestations, one can come to some understanding of the inner structure of the increasingly elevated planes of reality, and to ever-increasing awareness of God’s revelation of Himself to man through the attributes which He emanates. The ten sefirot are called keter, chochmah, binah, chesed, gevurah, tiferet, netzach, hod, yesod, and malchut. In certain Kabbalistic texts an additional sefirah is mentioned. In reality, there are only ten sefirot, not eleven. However, sometimes keter is counted in the ten, and at other times da’at is counted instead of keter,²⁶ depending on whether we are looking at them from the point of view of the Creator, or from the point of view of the created. In the process of creation, in which the sefirot are emanated from above, i.e. from God to the physical world, keter is counted, and not da’at, since it is the first emanation, the manifestation of the Divine Will, whence all other emanations derive, as will be explained. But when the process is from below to above, man elevating himself from level to level in his desire to cleave to God, da’at is counted and not keter, since the latter is a level so sublime that it is in general beyond the scope of the average individual’s ability to internalize or comprehend.²⁷ In the discussion of the sefirot, keter will be discussed, and in the discussion of the soul powers, da’at will be discussed.

Keter

The first and highest sefirah then is called keter or “crown,” in which there are two main aspects – the inner aspect of keter, which is called atik or atikyomin, and the outer aspect, called arich anpin. Due to its loftiness atik yomin is sometimes referred to as temira d’chol (emir in (the most concealed of all)²⁸ and asay in(nothingness).²⁹ The infinite light of Or Ein Sof illuminates alike without any separation.³⁰ This aspect is the source of the Torah, which is referred to as “God’s delight,”³¹ and is revealed primarily in the esoteric teachings of the Torah, i.e. in kabbalah.³²

A rich Anpin is essentially the expression of God’s will. It is also the expression of God’s purpose in emanating that plane of reality. In other words, the outer aspect of the keter of Atzilut is the expression of God’s will and purpose in emanating Atzilut, and the outer aspect of the keter of Beriah is the expression of God’s will and purpose in the creation of Beriah, and so on.

This can be understood better by comparing this sefirah to certain aspects of a human being.³³ The will of a human being is the most all-encompassing power of his soul, since it gives rise to and motivates all of the other powers of the soul. If a person has a will for something he begins to invent ways in which to achieve his will, his goal. Once he has discovered a theoretical method of achieving his goal he starts to plan out how to achieve this in reality, etc. From there he initiates the action. As long as he has not yet achieved his desire his will drives him onwards until he does so.

Similarly, keter contains within it the ultimate goal which it seeks to attain. The goal or the aim of every plane of reality is to reveal the Or Ein Sof, the Infinite Light appropriate to that plane of reality. Thus keter contains within itself the end-point which it desires to achieve. And when it has achieved that desired end-point, it ceases to drive further. This is the meaning of the statement of the Sages in Sefer Yetzirah (1:7), “the end is wedged in the beginning, and the beginning is wedged in the end.” Keter is wedged in the lowest sefirah, malchut – for the purpose of the emanation of the sefirot which is expressed in Keter – is to unfold the level of Infinite Light appropriate for that plane of reality, all the way through the various stages of development (i.e. through the various sefirot) to the final revelation and manifestation of that light in the sefirah of malchut. The will of keter drives onward until it achieves its final aim. And malchut is wedged in the highest sefirah, keter, for it is the end-point which fulfills the purpose of the entire emanation.

Thus keter is the generator and activator of all the other sefirot. For in order to achieve the end-point – the fulfillment of the will of the Creator in bringing into being that plane of reality – the entire range of emanation from its highest point to its lowest is emanated and generated and unfolded from keter until the desired goal (the revelation of the Infinite Light) is achieved.

But, just as a person’s will is transcendent, it envelops all of him, and there is no organ or limb which is the seat of the will. Rather his will envelops all of his organs and limbs and transcends them. So too, the will and purpose of the Creator in producing that plane of reality is transcendent and envelops the entire inner structure of that world. There is no level of revelation, and no level of manifestation which is outside of the Will of God as manifested in the keter of that world. Thus keter is the all-encompassing and transcendent sefirah of every world and is generally beyond human comprehension. The process of immanent, or in-dwelling, and comprehensible revelation of the Infinite Light appropriate for that plane of reality only begins with the next sefirah, the sefirah of chochmah.

Chochmah

The sefirah of chochmah may be explained in several ways, because it has several aspects, each corresponding to a different relationship of the sefirah of chochmah to the other sefirot:

2)    The second aspect of the sefirah of chochmah is that it is the first of the immanent or in-dwelling sefirot. This is why it is called the beginning. One of the verses in Tehillim (111:10) states ראשית _יחכמה reishit chochmah – chochmah is the first, the head, that is to say the first of the immanent sefirot, the beginning and root of immanent being. Whereas keter is the all-encompassing sefirah, from which all other sefirot are generated, chochmah is the first sefirah to be generated.

3)    The third aspect of chochmah is that it is called the life-force of all creation. The account of the creation at the beginning of the book of Bereishit (Genesis) begins with the word “Bereishit” – “in the beginning.” One of the Aramaic translations of the Torah, Targum Yonatan renders the word Bereishit as b’chuchmata –“with chochmah׳;” for this sefirah is also the instrument of creation. ^{34 35 36} the life of hundreds, and even hundreds of thousands of people, is analogous to chochmah. And the womb which receives the drop of sperm is analogous to binah, which expands and develops and builds that single drop of potential life into a fully developed person with all the necessary limbs and faculties.

A further analogy: Imagine that you are walking in a unfamiliar place on a very dark night. Suddenly, a flash of lightning illuminates the whole area, and for an instant you can see everything with absolute clarity. But, a moment later, the night is just as dark. Now you have to reconstruct what you saw in that momentary flash of lightning, in order to find your way home. The lightning flash is akin to the activity of chochmah, which flashes in and out of existence. Reconstructing what it was that was revealed when the darkness was briefly illuminated is akin to the functioning of binah.

Again, binah is the expansion and extension of the initial point-like revelation of God into a comprehensive system.

The remaining seven sefirot are called the seven middot (singular: middah). The word “middah” in Hebrew means a measurement or an amount. This is precisely the function of these seven sefirot – to distribute the light and life force of a particular plane of reality, a particular world, according to its proper measure. They are also called in Kabbalah the seven days of Creation, for it is essentially through them that structure of each of the planes of reality is built. If binah is analogous to the builder, or to the process of building, as explained previously, then the seven middot are analogous to the edifice itself.

Each one of these seven sefirot also corresponds to one of the seven days of creation. The sefirah of chesed corresponds to the first day of creation, the sefirah of gevurah to the second day, and so on, until the seventh sefirah, malchut, which corresponds to the Sabbath. The nature of each of these sefirot can be understood by examining the seven days of creation as a paradigm of the activity and interaction of these sefirot.

Chesed

The word chesed means kindness or benevolence. It denotes the unbounded loving-kindness with which God created the worlds, and with which all of creation is permeated, as the verse explains: עולם חסד יבנה – “The world is built with chesed’ (Tehillim 89:3). Kabbalah explains that kindness was in fact the reason for the creation. Since the “nature” of God, so to speak is absolute benevolence and loving-kindness, He created the worlds so that He would have on whom to bestow His kindness – “It is the nature of He who is good, to do good.”³⁷

Light was created on the first day. Light is revelation, as explained previously. This light was infinite, as our Sages say, “The light that was created on the first day shone from one end of creation to the other.” Or, in the language of Kabbalah, “In the beginning, an infinite, uncompounded light filled all of creation.”³⁸ This is the light of chesed which permeates all of creation, and through which all of creation is built.

Gevurah

However, since the chesed of God is infinite and unlimited, while the creatures on whom it is intended to be bestowed are finite and therefore unable to absorb infinite kindness and yet remain in physical existence, the attribute of chesed is controlled and restrained, or concealed and limited, by the aspect of gevurah. Gevurah means restrictive power, the power to limit and conceal

ZOHAR

the Infinite Light so that each creature can receive according to its capacity. Thus, gevurah is also an aspect of God’s kindness, for if the outpouring of infinite kindness were to remain unrestricted, finite creatures would become instantly nullified in the infinite revelation of Divine Love. Therefore the sefirah of gevurah is the manifestation of God’s power to restrict and conceal the Light which He emanates, in order that His creatures will be able to receive His loving-kindness according to their capacity.

On the second day of creation, separation of the higher waters from the lower waters was introduced. This is called the firmament (rakia) in the Torah. In Kabbalah water signifies kindness, chesed. The separating of the waters means that the infinite chesed of God, referred to as the higher waters, is separated from the lower waters, signifying finite chesed which can permeate creation.

Tiferet

Tiferet (from pe ‘er – beauty) represents the harmonious blending of varying colors and forms, producing a work of great beauty.³⁹ The harmonizing and blending of chesed and gevurah, so that a proper mixture of the two will result in a bearable revelation of chesed to finite created beings is brought about by the attribute of tiferet. In other words, tiferet is the attribute which blends the benevolent outflow of chesed and the restrictive severity of gevurah so that each creature will receive its proper measure of Divine Light and life-force. This is why tiferet is also called compassion or mercy, for it enables chesed and gevurah to balance each other so that God’s benevolence can be absorbed by the limited world without its ceasing to exist

On the third day of creation, water and land were separated, and the vegetable kingdom was created. The third day sets a balance between water and land, so that the vegetable kingdom (and thus the animal and human kingdoms also) can be sustained by both of them, when there is a proper balance between them, each plant according to its needs.

Netzach and Hod

Whereas chesed and gevurah signify unbounded loving-kindness, and the limitation and concealment thereof, respectively, so that finite creatures can receive according to their ability; netzach and hodare the two sefirot which define the ability of the recipient to receive. In addition they perform together as the “joint distribution committee,’’ which decide how, and in what measure, each recipient will get its due.

Let us give an analogy. A professor wants to teach his student calculus, let us say. Of course, the professor wants to teach his students as much as possible in the shortest possible time, so that the students can go on to other subjects in math (this is the attribute of chesed, the desire to give more and more). But the professor is well aware that his students present level of understanding is insufficient to grasp the entire theory of calculus in a single lesson. So he divides up the subject into several lectures, explaining only one section of the theory at a time (this is the attribute of gevurah, limiting and dividing the outflow of benevolence). When the professor actually explains the subject, he takes into account the individual abilities and limitations of each of his students, and he explain the subject accordingly (this signifies the functioning of the attributes of netzach and hod).

On the fourth day of creation the sun and the moon and the stars were created. Even though light was created on the first day, this light was infinite and too sublime to be of use to the finite worlds. Thus on the fourth day, a finite, usable form of light was apportioned. On the fifth day birds and sea-creatures were created, the first recipients of God’s benevolence and the first created beings able to fulfill the commandment pru u’rvu, be fruitful and multiply. According to Kabbalah the powers of prophecy and Divine inspiration derive from the sefirot of netzach and hod – for they actually receive the efflux of Godly light.

Yesod

Just as the sefirah of tiferet harmonizes and balances chesed and gevurah, so too, yesod harmonizes and balances netzach and hod. However, there is an additional un ique aspect of yesod – it acts as the channel through which malchut, the recipient, receives its proper measure of light and life force. In the previous analogy: whereas netzach and hod distribute the Divine efflux and measure the amount the recipients will receive, and in what way, yesod is the actual distribution point. Thus yesod functions as the connector between all of the sefirot which precede it, and the recipient, malchut, below it.

In order for the distribution to reach its intended destination, there must be a proper channel of communication between the giver, yesod, and the receiver, malchut. To continue with the previous analogy: the distributor (yesod), must be able to identify the recipient (malchut) in order to match each portion with its intended recipient. This is why yesod is also called אמת – (emet) “truth” in Kabbalah. Yesodmakes sure that the light and life force reaches the proper destination.

But the “identification” process does not only mean that the recipient fulfills the necessary conditions that must be met in order for it to be able to receive. Much more than this, there must be an internal bond between yesod and malchut, between giver and receiver – a bond of love and understanding. Yesod arouses the desire to receive in malchut, and malchut in turn arouses in yesod the desire to give. In this way, yesod unites itself with malchut in complete empathy, so that the giving is direct, face to face, and not indirect, back to back, as it were. Thus, yesod could be defined as the divine attribute which joins God to His creation in a bond of empathy and love. This is why the sefirah of Yesod is also called “tzaddikas in the verse צדיק יסוד עולם (tzaddik yesod olam) ‘־a saint is the foundation of the world” (Mishlei 10:25). A tzaddik, or saint, arouses mankind to seek God. At the same time he draws down God’s compassion and goodness into the world. Thus he is the foundation of the world.

On the sixth day of creation the animal kingdom was created, and also the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, who were created in the Divine Image. Both animals and man are also told “be fruitful and multiply;” which also means to use God’s benevolent kindness to grow and expand in consciousness of Him. But an additional duty is given to man. Be fruitful and multiply, and rule over the animals and the birds and the fish. In other words, be over and above them, and not among them. Transcend your limited nature, transcend that part of yourself which is simply natural, like the animal world, and become the Divine Image in which you were created. The drive to do this is initiated by the power of yesod, the tzaddik.

Mal chut

The tenth and final sefirah is called malchut. Malchut contains two completely opposite qualities, called התנאשות (hitnasut) meaning “exaltedness,” and its opposite שפלות (shiflut) -“humility.” When we explained the sefirah of keter, it was pointed out that keter, the beginning, is wedged in malchut – the end. The reverse is also true – malchut is wedged in keter. We explained there that this means that the final product, malchut, is the original intention of the entire process of emanation. When malchut is still contained in the original intention (that is, in keter), it is in a state of exaltedness. And when it descends to its place as the last of the sefirot, it is in a state of humility. However, it is not the case that malchut is in one state or the other; it is in both states simultaneously.

ZOHAR

On one hand, malchut receives all that it has from the other sefirot, and is described in Kabbalah as “having nothing of her own.”⁴⁰ Thus the Zohar compares malchut to the moon which has no light of her own;^{41 42} while on the other hand malchut is the final revelation of the Divine Light for which the entire process was begun. It was for the purpose of malchut that all the .sefirot were emanated. Thus malchut is both the receiver and the consummation of giving.

In a previous analogy, we explained that keter was symbolized by the great depths of water hidden under the earth, the tehom rabbah. Chochmah was symbolized by the well-spring, from which flows a small quantity of pure water, and binah was symbolized by a broad and mighty river which begins from its source in the well-spring of chochmah. Malchut signifies the sea into which the river flows. It is the actualization of the entire revelation which began as a single tiny point of trickling water. Whereas chochmah is the potential to be, malchut is the actual being, the final manifestation, which was the original intention. It is for this reason that malchut is also called “ Shechinah” – the Divine Indwelling Presence, the immanent revelation of God. And so the sea returns to the tehom rabbah, as the final revelation fulfills the original purpose.

The seventh day of creation, the Sabbath day, is therefore a cessation of work. The Sages say, “he who works prior to the Sabbath, will eat on the Sabbath.” That is to say, all the six days of creation which precede the Sabbath must do their work if the culmination of creation is to be revealed on the Sabbath day. The Zohar {III, 92b) states, “Each day does its work.” By fulfilling its function each day’s purpose is consummated. Again the Zohar-expresses this perfectly – “from the Sabbath day all other days become blessed.” This applies both retroactively and proactively. As the Torah states at the completion of creation: “And the work was complete. . . . and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified