The Tree of Life, or Etz haChayim (עץ החיים) in Hebrew, is a classic descriptive term for the central mystical symbol used in the Kabbalah of esoteric Judaism, also known as the 10 Sephirot, and the 22 Paths.The tree, visually or conceptually, represents as a series of divine emanations God's creation itself ex nihilo, the nature of revealed divinity, the human soul, and the spiritual path of ascent by man. In this way, Kabbalists developed the symbol into a full model of reality, using the tree to depict a map of Creation.
Spirit Science 35 1 ~ The Qabalah (Tree of Life Pt. 1)
Spirit Science 35 2 ~ The 10 Sephiroth (Tree of Life Pt. 2)
The Tree of Life is the geometrical representation of Adam Kadmon or 'Heavenly Man.' It is the universal paradigm or blueprint for all holistic systems, whether terrestrial or extra-terrestrial. As a tree grows in stages from a seed, so the Tree of Life develops as a series of 10 emanations, or Sephiroth — the 'Divine Qualities.' The first Sephirah is Kether (Crown), God in His primordial subjectivity, the eternal state of divine unity transcending duality. Chokmah (Wisdom) is God's creative energy, not yet governed and therefore restricted by laws or principles. Binah (Intelligence) is the reaction to the divine, creative impulse, where the possibility of limitation arises, giving rise to the idea of an ontological distinction between subject and object and a rational relationship, or 'logos', between them. The Supernal Triad of Kether, Chokmah and Binah, which express the subjective, transcendental aspect of God (the triple Godhead, Trinity, or 'trimurti' of Shiva, Brahma & Vishnu in Hinduism,) is separated by the 'Abyss' of Daath (Knowledge) from the seven objective, Divine Qualities. Called the seven 'Sephiroth of Construction,' they express God's immanence in His Creation. The last Sephirah, Malkuth (Kingdom), is the outer, sensory form that the Tree of Life takes in the manifestation in the physical universe of a holistic system incorporating the Divine archetypes.
Spirit Science 35 3 ~ Mysteries of Qabalah (Tree of Life Pt. 3)
Spirit Science 35 4 ~ The 22 Creative Forces (Tree of Life Pt. 4)
The two sets of seven regular polygons generated by joining pairs of red points by straight lines have 70 corners. They constitute the "inner form" of the (outer) Tree of Life.
the tree of life encodes multidimensional polygons
12 tree grid
Universal 12 Tree Grid
The Core Manifestation Body Foundation: The structure of the macrocosmic Universal Tree of Life is replicated within the microcosmic personal tree of Life, the 12 Tree Grid. Individual Human anatomy manifests upon and within the multidimensional layers instructed by the core manifestation template – The Tree of Life which is the Lightbody architecture. Every aspect of the Universal Creation and life spiral are designed and instructed through these Blueprint structures. Learning to travel consciously through the Universal Tree of Life is the pathway to personal sovereignty and freedom GSF. Intelligence bodies create the blueprint Morphogenetic Field of all creation. It is a Base-12 Template and culminates in the Krystal Star Body with Cosmic Christ Intelligence. (13, 14 and 15 are the Threefold Founder Flame Rays (Mother/Father/Sun).See the cosmology of dimensions in our Universal Time Matrix here.
12 Spheres, 12 Rays, 12 Dimensions, 12 Timelines (24 Potential), 12 DNA Strands, 12 Base Tone Harmonic Structure (144 Sub-harmonics) of the Cosmic Christ Frequency in the 12D. Beyond these 12 Dimensions is the Threefold Founder Flame, which is the Founder consciousness of our Universe.
12 Spherical/5 Horizontal Triad Bodies that hold the morphogenetic fields for the mental bodies/identities. Each triad body builds the horizontal structure of the Tree and the Mental Body/Male Principle.
Magnetize Spiritual Bodies
The 12 Tree Grid is much more important than the Chakras because we can collapse the chakras into a working unified field (membranes between collapse) where they are not broken off into dimensions feeding energies back into these siphoning entities. The CCKM Module in HGS manual is about restructuring the white hole and black hole spin point that reconfigure the Chakra cones and its matrix to be aligned to become compatible with the Krystal Star Host.
The 12D Ray and the 12 Tree Grid is like a homing pigeon that we can attract or magnetise the parts of our spiritual body energies/identities that need to be returned back to the rightful owner RRO, back into Original Eternal God embodiment throughout this Universe. The 12 Tree Grid is a process of a spiritual body integration sequence that will at some point be overridden by the Krystal Host, as the Double Diamond Sun Body exists in a different configuration pattern. However this 12D Shield and 12D Ray Hub Handshake configuration is what allows us to “phone home” to our family of Christ here in 3D matter Timelines, and this is why it’s so important.
Numbers are very important to kabbalists, and the Hebrew letters of the alphabet also have a numerical value for the kabbalists. Each stage of the emanation of the Universe on the Tree of Life is numbered meaningfully from one (Keter) to ten (Malkuth). Each number is thought to express the nature of its sephirah.
Supernal Sephirot to the physical universe
The first three sephirot, called the Supernal Sephirot, are considered to be the primordial energies of the Universe. The next stages of evolution on the Tree of Life are considered to exist beyond a space on the tree, called the Abyss, between the Supernals and the other Sephirot, because their levels of being are so distinct from each other that they appear to exist in two totally different realities. The Supernal Sephirot exist on a plane of divine energy. After Binah, the Universe gets down to the business of building the materials it will need to fulfill its evolution and be creating new combinations of those materials until it is so dense that, by the stage of Malkuth, the initial pure limitless energy has 'solidified' into the physical Universe. Since its energies are the basis of all Creation, the Tree of Life can potentially be applied to any area of life, especially the inner world of Man, from the subconscious all the way to what Kabbalists call the higher self.
consciousness and the universe
consciousness in the Kabbalah is thought of as the fruit of the physical world, through whom the original infinite energy can experience and express itself as a finite entity. After the energy of Creation has condensed into matter, it is thought to reverse its course back up the Tree until it is once again united with its true nature: Keter. Thus, the kabbalist seeks to know himself and the Universe as an expression of God and to make the journey of "return" by means of the stages charted by the Sephirot, until he has come to the realization he sought.
godname's
a Godname is assigned to each Sephirah. It encapsulates the essence of the meaning of the corresponding Sephirah. Assigned to Chokmah are YAH and YAHWEH, the former being the older version of this Godname. Each Godname has a gematria number value. It quantifies the sacred geometry of the outer and inner forms of the Tree of Life (indeed, all forms of sacred geometry) in a way that conforms to the metaphysical meaning of the corresponding Sephirah. This is now illustrated for each Godname.
The Tree of Life and the tetractys are representations of the 10-fold nature of holistic systems designed in the biblical 'image of God'.
The Supernal Triad corresponds to the yods at the corners of the tetractys, the two triads of Sephiroth of Construction:
Chesed-Geburah-Tiphareth
Netzach-Hod-Yesod
tetractys,tree of life and superstring theory
correspond to the two triangles of white or black hexagonal yods forming a Star of David and Malkuth at the base of the Tree of Life corresponds to the ⊕ yod at the centre of the tetractys. As the counterpart of the seven Sephiroth of Construction, the seven hexagonal yods symbolize degrees of freedom in holistic systems. They manifest as the seven intervals between the eight notes in one octave of the Pythagorean musical scale, the seven higher dimensions of space predicted by what physicists call 'M-theory'.
This fundamental equivalence is a major key to unlocking scientific information about the nature of the physical universe that is encoded in sacred geometries. In fact, it is the "Rosetta Stone" that enables correlation between the Tree of Life and other sacred geometries. Information that they encode in analogous ways can then be recognised as such and scientifically interpreted. The presence of common parameters in sacred geometries that are predicted by a theory is evidence that it is true when they occur too frequently to be due to chance and are related in exactly the way that the theory requires.
The 70 corners of the 14 polygons consist of 35 corners (denoted by black yods) associated with one set of seven polygons and 35 corners (denoted by red yods) associated with the other set. Constructed from tetractyses, the outer Tree of Life, likewise, is made up of 70 yods, 35 of which (red yods) belong to its trunk, the remaining 35 black yods belonging to its branches. This differentiation and its counterpart in the inner form of the Tree of life has a profound, fundamental significance. Loosely speaking, it signifies the metaphysical distinction between 'physical' and 'superphysical' aspects of any holistic system designed according to the universal blueprint of the Tree of Life (a human being, for example). In superstring theory, where the holistic system in question is what is known as the 'E8×E8' heterotic superstring,' the two mirror-image halves of the inner Tree of Life appear as the distinction the theory makes between ordinary matter and so-called 'shadow matter'. This is because, as will be seen in the tree of life superstring theory section, one half encodes the physics of superstrings making up ordinary matter, whilst the other half encodes the physics of shadow matter superstrings, their mirror symmetry explaining why the unified force of each type of superstring is described by the same symmetry group E8.
There are four primary stages of transformation of the Divine archetypes. They are called 'Worlds' in Kabbalah, but should not be confused with astronomical objects like planets. They are:
1. Atziluth (the Archetypal World). The initial stage of conception of the Divine Ideas. God contemplates His own nature in the archetypes embodied in His Godnames;
2. Beriah (World of Creation). The stage at which God's intentions become formulated broadly by the Archangel assigned to each Sephirah;
3. Yetzirah (World of Formation). In the angelic realms, the abstract, Divine intention is diversified and given form, although still subtle in nature;
4. Assiyah (World of Action). The physical universe where Spirit finally conjoins with Matter and the Divine Ideas become realized in space and time.
The Four Worlds (Hebrew: עולמות Olamot/Olamos, singular: Olam עולם), sometimes counted with a prior stage to make Five Worlds, are the comprehensive categories of spiritual realms in Kabbalah in the descending chain of Existence.
The concept of "Worlds" denotes the emanation of creative lifeforce from the Ein Sof Divine Infinite, through progressive, innumerable tzimtzumim(concealments/veilings/condensations). As such, God is described as the "Most Hidden of All Hidden",and Olam is etymologically related to, and sometimes spelled as,עלם (Noun: העלם Helem meaning "concealment"). While these dimmings form innumerable differentiated spiritual levels, each a particular World/Realm, nonetheless, through the mediation of the sephirot (Divine attributes), five Comprehensive Worlds emerge. "Higher" realms metaphorically denote greater revelation of the Divine Ohr light, in more open proximity to their source, "Lower" realms are capable of receiving only lesser creative flow. The Worlds are garments of the Ein Sof, and Hasidic thought interprets their reality as only apparent to Creation, while "from above" the Divine Infinite fills all equally.
As particular sephirot dominate in each realm, so the primordial fifth World, Adam Kadmon, is often excluded for its transcendence, and the four subsequent Worlds are usually referred to. Their names are read out from Isaiah 43:7, "Every one that is called by My name and for My glory (Atzilut "Emanation/Close"), I have created(Beriah "Creation"), I have formed (Yetzirah "Formation"), even I have made (Asiyah "Action"). Below Asiyah, the lowest spiritual World, is Asiyah-Gashmi ("Physical Asiyah"), our Physical Universe, which enclothes its last two sephirot emanations (Yesod and Malchut).Collectively, the Four Worlds are also referred to as ABiYA, after their initial letters. As well as the functional role each World has in the process of Creation, they also embody dimensions of consciousness within human experience.
Enumeration
The Worlds are formed by the Ohr Mimalei Kol Olmin, the Divine creative light that "Fills all Worlds" immanently, according to their particular spiritual capacity to receive. The 10 sephirot attributes and 12 basic partzufim personas shine in each world (though not yet manifestly in Adam Kadmon), as well as more specific Divine manifestations. In Lurianic Kabbalah, the partzufim dynamically interact with each other, and sublime levels are enclothed within lower existences, as their concealed soul. Nonetheless, in each World, particular sephirot and partzufim predominate. The Five Worlds in descending order:
Adam Kadmon (A"K, אָדָם קַדְמוֹן) meaning Primordial Man. The anthropomorphic metaphor "Adam" denotes the Yosher (Upright) configuration of the sephirot in the form of Man, though not yet manifest. "Kadmon" signifies "primary of all primaries", the first pristine emanation, still united with the Ein Sof. Adam Kadmon is the realm of Keter Elyon (Supernal Crown of Will), "the lucid and luminous light" (Tzachtzachot), "the pure lucid sephirot which are concealed and hidden" in potential. Containing the future emergence of Creation, it is Divine light with no vessels, the manifestation of the specific Divine plan for Existence, within Creation (after the Tzimtzum in Lurianic Kabbalah). In Lurianism, the lights from A"K precipitate Tohu and Tikun. As Keter is elevated above the sephirot, so Adam Kadmon is supreme above the Worlds, and generally only Four Worlds are referred to.
Atziluth (אֲצִילוּת), meaning World of Emanation, also "Close." On this level the light of the Ein Sof (Infinite Divine "without end") radiates and is still united with its source. This supernal revelation therefore precludes the souls and Divine emanations in Atzilus from sensing their own existence. In Atzilus the 10 sephirot emerge in revelation, with Chochma (Wisdom) dominating, all is nullification of essence (Bittul HaEtzem) to Divinity, not considered created and separate. The last sephirah Malchut (Kingdom) is the "Divine speech" of Genesis 1, through which lower Worlds are sustained.
Beri'ah (בְּרִיאָה or alternatively בְּרִיָּה), meaning World of Creation. On this level is the first concept of creatio ex nihilo (Yesh miAyin), however without yet shape or form, as the creations of Beriah sense their own existence, though in nullification of being (Bittul HaMetzius) to Divinity. Beriah is the realm of the "Divine Throne", denoting the sephirot configuration of Atzilus descending into Beriah like a King on a Throne. The sephirah Binah(Understanding) predominates, Divine intellect. Also called the "Higher Garden of Eden". The Highest Ranking Angels are in Beriah.
Yetzirah (יְצִירָה), meaning World of Formation. On this level the created being assumes shape and form. The emotional sephirot Chesed to Yesod predominate, the souls and angels of Yetzirah worship through Divine emotion and striving, as they sense their distance from the Understanding of Beriah. This ascent and descent channels the Divine vitality down through the Worlds, furthering the Divine purpose. Therefore, in Yetzirah are the main angels, such as Seraphim, denoting their burning consummation in Divine emotion. Also called the "Lower Garden of Eden".
Assiah (עֲשִׂיָּה), meaning World of Action. On this level the creation is complete, differentiated and particular, due to the concealment and diminution of the Divine vitality. However, it is still on a spiritual level. The angels of Asiyah function on the active level, as the sephirah Malchut (fulfilment in Kingship) predominates. Below spiritual Asiyah is Asiyah Gashmi ("Physical Asiyah"), the final, lowest realm of existence, our material Universe with all its creations. The last two sephirot of Asiyah channel the lifeforce into Physical Asiyah.
Meaning
These four worlds are spiritual, Heavenly realms in a descending chain, although the lowest world of Assiah has both a spiritual and a physical aspect. The physical level of Assiah is our physical finite realm, including the cosmological Universe studied by Science. Consequently, as Kabbalah is a metaphysical study, its reference to Ohr ("light") is a metaphor for Divine emanation, and the terms "higher" and "lower" are metaphors for closer and further from Divine consciousness and revelation.
The 16th-century systemisation of Kabbalah by Moshe Cordovero brought the preceding interpretations and schools into their first complete rational synthesis. Subsequent doctrines of Kabbalah from Isaac Luria, describe an initial Tzimtzum (withdrawal of the universal Divine consciousness that preceded Creation) to "allow room" for created beings on lower levels of consciousness. Lower levels of consciousness require the self-perception of independent existence, by the created beings on each level, to prevent their loss of identity before the magnificence of God. This illusion increases with more force in each subsequent descending realm. The number of graduations between the Infinite and the finite, is likewise infinite, and arises from innumerable, progressively strong concealments of the Divine light. Nonetheless, the four worlds represent fundamental categories of Divine consciousness from each other, which delineates their four descriptions. Consequently, each world also psychologically represents a spiritual rung of ascent in human consciousness, as it approaches the Divine.
Kabbalah distinguishes between two types of Divine light that emanate through the 10 Sephirot (Divine emanations) from the Infinite (Ein Sof), to create or affect reality. The continual flow of an immanent lower light ("Mimalei Kol Olmin"), the light that "fills all worlds" is the creating force in each descending world that itself continually brings into being from nothing, everything in that level of existence. It is this light that undergoes the concealments and contractions as it descends downward to create the next level, and adapts itself to the capacity of each created being on each level. A transcendenthigher light ("Sovev Kol Olmin"), the light that "surrounds all worlds" would be the manifestation on a particular level of a higher light above the capacity of that realm to contain. This is ultimately rooted in the infinite light ("Ohr Ein Sof") that preceded Creation, the Tzimtzum and the Sephirot, rather than the source of the immanent light in the "Kav" (first emanation of creation after the Tzimtzum), in the teachings of Isaac Luria. Consequently, all the worlds are dependent for their continual existence on the flow of Divinity they constantly receive from the Divine Will to create them. Creation is continuous. The faculty of Divine Will is represented in the Sephirot (10 Divine emanations) by the first, supra-conscious Sephirah of "Keter"-Crown, that transcends the lower 9 Sephirot of conscious intellect and emotion. Once the Divine Will is manifest, then it actualises Creation through Divine Intellect, and "subsequently" Divine Emotion, until it results in action. The reference to temporal cause and effect is itself a metaphor. The psychology of man also reflects the "Divine psychology" of the Sephirot, as "Man is created in the image of God" (Genesis 1:27). In man the activation of willpower through intellect and emotion until deed, requires time and subsequent cause and effect. In the Divine Sephirot and their activation of Creation, this does not apply, as limitations only apply to Creation.
The Book of Job states that "from my flesh I see God". In Kabbalah and Hasidism this is understood to refer to the correspondence between the "Divine psychology" of the Four Worlds and the Sephirot, with human psychology and the Sephirot in the soul of man. From understanding the Kabbalistic description of the human soul, we can grasp the meaning of the Divine scheme. Ultimately, this is seen as the reason that God chose to emanate His Divinity through the 10 Sephirot, and chose to create the corresponding chain of four Worlds (called the "Seder hishtalshelus"-"order of development"). He could have chosen to bridge the infinite gap between the Ein Sof and our World by a leap of Divine decree. Instead the Sephirot and Four Worlds allow man to understand Divinity through Divine manifestation, by understanding himself. The verse in Genesis of this correspondence also describes the feminine half of Creation: (Genesis 1:27) "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him, male and female created He them". Consequently, some of the Sephirot are feminine, and the Shechina (immanent Divine presence) is seen as feminine. It is the intimate relationship between the Divine sceme of four World and man, that allows man's ascent more easily to Divine consciousness (see Dveikus).
Correspondences
World:
Descriptions:
Dominant
Sephirah:
Letter of
Tetragrammaton:
Level of soul:
Adam Kadmon
"Primordial Man"
Primary form of Kav
Above consciousness
Sephirot concealed
Latent potential
Tetragrammatons
United with Ein Sof
Divine intent
Pure light, no vessels
Keter-Crown
In relation to 4 Worlds
Inherent Will to Create
Revealed in Keter-Will of Atzilut
Apex atop י Yud
Above representation
Alluded to by thorn
Yechidah-Singular
Essence of soul
Unity with God
Atziluth
"Emanation/Nearness"
From Tohu to Tikun
Sephirot revealed
First perception
Unrestricted illumination
Divine insight
No self-awareness
Nullification of Essence
Divine All
Chochmah-Wisdom
Source of intellect
Partzuf of Abba-Father
י Yud
Dimensionless point
First illumination-Male
Dot in the Palace
Chayah-Living
Encompassing soul
Spiritual awareness
Beri'ah
"Creation"
Formless existence
First self-awareness Parsah-Veil from Atzilut to Beriah
Divine Intellect
Nullification of Being
First sensed Creation
Divine Throne
Higher Garden of Eden
Binah-Understanding
Grasp of intellect
Partzuf of Imma-Mother
Higher ה Hei
Dimensional expansion
Vessel for intellect-Female
Palace
Neshamah-Breath
Divine intellect in soul
Highest internalised potential
Breath is internalised
Yetzirah
"Formation"
General existence
Divine Emotions
Striving for ascent
Awareness of distance
Active self-nullification
Archetypal forms
Lower Garden of Eden
Midot-6 Emotions
Chesed to Yesod
Centred round Tiferet
Partzuf of Zeir Anpin-Son
Divine emotions in soul
Potential internalised spirit
Emotional movement
Assiah
"Action"
Particular existence
Divine action
Concealment of God
1 Asiyah Ruchni-Spiritual
Below it:
2 Asiyah Gashmi-Physical
Purpose of Creation
Malchut-Kingship
Fulfilment in action
Partzuf of Nukvah-Daughter
Shechinah-Divine Presence
Lower ה Hei
Dimensional expansion
Vessel for emotions-Female
Nurtures action
Nefesh-Lifeforce
Vitality of actions
Invested in body
Adam Kadmon
Adam Kadmon (Primordial Man; also Adam Ila'a, אדם עילאה "supreme man"; abbreviated as א"ק, A"K) , in Kabbalah, is the first spiritual World that came into being after the contraction of God's infinite light. Adam Kadmon is not the same as the physical, Adam Ha-Rishon (Adam, the first man), whom God created from the dust. The spiritual realm of Adam Kadmon corresponds to the sefirah (divine attribute) of Keter ("crown"). It is the divine will and program for subsequent creation.
In Lurianic Kabbalah, the description of Adam Kadmon is anthropomorphic. Nonetheless, Adam Kadmon is divine lightwithout vessels, i.e., pure potential. In the human psyche, Adam Kadmon corresponds to the yechidah, the collective essence of the soul.
In Kabbalah, before creation began, all that existed was God's Infinite Light. The first stage of creation began when God contracted His Infinite Light to create the vacuum. Then a ray of divine light penetrated the vacuum and the persona of Adam Kadmon was projected into the vacuum. The first stage of Adam Kadmon was in the form of ten concentric circles (igulim), which emanated from the ray. The ray of light was then enclothed by the anthropomorphic form of Adam Kadmon (yosher), which is a realm of infinite divine light without vessels, constrained by its potential to create future Existence. Adam Kadmon is sometimes referred to as Adam Ila'a (Aramaic: "upper man") or Adam Elyon (Hebrew: "upper man").
The soul of Adam HaRishon ("the first man") was the supreme essence of mankind. It contained within it all subsequent souls. In the midrash, he is sometimes referred to as Adam HaKadmoni ("the ancient man"),Adam Tata'a (Aramaic: "lower man") or Adam Tachton (Hebrew: "lower man").
The anthropomorphic name of Adam Kadmon denotes that it contains both the ultimate divine purpose for creation, i.e., mankind, as well as an embodiment of the Sefirot (divine attributes). Adam Kadmon is paradoxically both "Adam" and divine ("Kadmon-Primary").
Adam Kadmon preceded the manifestation of the Four Worlds, Atzilut ("emanation"), Beriah ("creation"), Yetzirah ("formation") and Asiyah ("action"). Whereas each of the Four Worlds is represented by one letter of the divine four-lettered name of God, Adam Kadmon is represented by the transcendental cusp of the first letter Yud.
In the system of the sefirot, Adam Kadmon corresponds to Keter ("crown"), the divine will that motivated creation.
The two versions of Kabbalistic theosophy, the "medieval/classic/Zoharic" (systemised by Moshe Cordovero) and the more comprehensive Lurianic, describe the process of descending worlds differently. For Cordovero, the sefirot, Adam Kadmon and the Four Worlds evolve sequentially from the Ein Sof (divine infinity). For Luria, creation is a dynamic process of divine exile-rectification enclothement, where Adam Kadmon is preceded by the Tzimtzum (Divine "contraction") and followed by Shevira (the "shattering" of the sefirot).
Zohar: Closely related to the Philonic doctrine of the heavenly Adam is the Adam Ḳadmon (called also Adam 'Ilaya, the "high man," the "heavenly man") of the Zohar, whose conception of the original man can be deduced from the following passages: "The form of man is the image of everything that is above [in heaven] and below [upon earth]; therefore did the Holy Ancient [God] select it for His own form."As with Philo the Logos is the original image of man, or the original man, so in the Zohar the heavenly man is the embodiment of all divine manifestations: the ten Sefirot, the original image of man. The heavenly Adam, stepping forth out of the highest original darkness, created the earthly Adam.In other words, the activity of the original essence manifested itself in the creation of man, who at the same time is the image of the heavenly man and of the universe,just as with Plato and Philo the idea of man, as microcosm, embraces the idea of the universe or macrocosm.
Luria:The conception of Adam Ḳadmon becomes an important factor in the later Kabbalah of Isaac Luria. Adam Ḳadmon is with him no longer the concentrated manifestation of the Sefirot, but a mediator between the En-Sof ("infinite") and the Sefirot. The En-Sof, according to Luria, is so utterly incomprehensible that the older Kabbalistic doctrine of the manifestation of the En-Sof in the Sefirot must be abandoned. Hence he teaches that only the Adam Ḳadmon, who arose in the way of self-limitation by the En-Sof, can be said to manifest himself in the Sefirot. This theory of Luria is treated by Ḥayyim Vital in "'Eẓ Ḥayyim; Derush 'Agulim we-Yosher" (Treatise on Circles and the Straight Line).
Philo:The first to use the expression "original man," or "heavenly man," was Philo, in whose view the γενικός, or οὐράνιος ἄνθρωπος, "as being born in the image of God, has no participation in any corruptible or earthlike essence; whereas the earthly man is made of loose material, called a lump of clay."The heavenly man, as the perfect image of the Logos, is neither man nor woman, but an incorporeal intelligence purely an idea; while the earthly man, who was created by God later, is perceptible to the senses and partakes of earthly qualities.[6] Philo is evidently combining philosophy and Midrash, Plato and the rabbis.Setting out from the duplicate Biblical account of Adam, who was formed in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and of the first man, whose body God formed from the earth (Genesis 2:7), he combines with it the Platonic doctrine of ideas; taking the primordial Adam as the idea, and the created man of flesh and blood as the "image." That Philo's philosophic views are grounded on the Midrash, and not vice versa, is evident from his seemingly senseless statement that the "heavenly man," the οὐράνιος ἄνθρωπος (who is merely an idea), is "neither man nor woman." This doctrine, however, becomes quite intelligible in view of the following ancient Midrash.
Midrash:The remarkable contradiction between the two above-quoted passages of Genesis could not escape the attention of the Pharisees, for whom the Bible was a subject of close study. In explaining the various views concerning Eve's creation, they taught that Adam was created as a man-woman (androgynous), explaining זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה (Genesis 1:27) as "male and female" instead of "man and woman," and that the separation of the sexes arose from the subsequent operation upon Adam's body, as related in the Scripture. This explains Philo's statement that the original man was neither man nor woman.
This doctrine concerning the Logos, as also that of man made "in the likeness,"though tinged with true Philonic coloring, is also based on the theology of the Pharisees. For in an old Midrash it is remarked:'Thou hast formed me behind and before' (Psalms 139:5) is to be explained 'before the first and after the last day of Creation.' For it is said, 'And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters,' meaning the spirit of the Messiah ["the spirit of Adam" in the parallel passage, Midr. Teh. to cxxxix. 5; both readings are essentially the same], of whom it is said (Isaiah 11:2), 'And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.'
This contains the kernel of Philo's philosophical doctrine of the creation of the original man. He calls him the idea of the earthly Adam, while with the rabbis the spirit (רוח) of Adam not only existed before the creation of the earthly Adam, but was preexistent to the whole of creation. From the preexisting Adam, or Messiah, to the Logos is merely a step.
Talmud:There is a fundamental theosophical statement by Rabbi Akiva in the Talmud relative to this topic. He says, in Abot, iii. 14, "How favored is man, seeing that he was created in the image! as it is said, 'For in the image, אֱלֹהִ֔ים made man'" (Genesis 9:6). That "in the image" does not mean "in the image of God" needs no proof; for in no language can "image" be substituted for "image of God." The verse quoted is not that of Genesis 1:27, wherein the creation of man in the image of God is primarily stated. Genesis 9:6 treats only secondarily of man's creation. In fact Akiba does not speak only of the image (צֶ֣לֶם) according to which man was created, but also of the likeness.בְּצֶ֣לֶם really has no other signification than "after the image." Akiba, who denies any resemblance between God and other beings, teaches that man was created after an image, an archetype or an ideal, and interprets Genesis 9:6, "after an image God created man," an interpretation impossible in Genesis 1:27. In the benediction in Ket. 8a, בצלמו בצלם דמות תבניתו, wherein God is blessed because "He made man in His image [בצלמו], in the image of a form created by Him," the concluding explanatory words state, in Akiba's style, that Adam was created after the image of a God-created type (תבנית).
Atziluth
Atziluth or Atzilut (also Olam Atzilut, עולם אצילות, literally "the World of Emanation"), is the highest of four worlds in which exists the KabbalisticTree of Life. Beri'ah follows it. It is known as the World of Emanations, or the World of Causes. In the Kabbalah, each of the Sephiroth in this world is associated with a Name of God, and it is associated with the Suit of Wands in the Tarot.
Significance: Atziluth is the realm of pure divinity. The four worlds of Kabbalah relate to the Tree of Life in two primary ways:
Firstly, it is taught that the whole tree is contained in each of the four worlds, and in this manner they are described one on top of another, and in symbolic form, by a diagram called Jacob's Ladder.
Secondly, is taught that the Tree of Life can be subdivided into four horizontal sections, each representing one of the four worlds.
It should be remembered that in Kabbalah each of the ten Sephirot of the Tree of Life also contains a whole tree inside itself. In this philosophy of the "whole in the part," Kabbalastic theories are in harmony with David Bohm's model of implicate order. The realm of Atziluth is thus related to the top three Sephirot of the Tree of Life; these three spheres of Kether, Chokmah and Binah are considered to be wholly spiritual in nature and are separated from the rest of the tree by a region of reality called the Abyss.
origins:The word is derived from "atzal" in reference to Ezekiel 42:6; and in this sense it was taken over into the Kabbalah from Solomon ibn Gabirol's Meḳor Ḥayyim (The Fountain of Life), which was much used by Kabbalists. The theory of emanation, which is conceived as a free act of the will of God, endeavors to surmount the difficulties that attach to the idea of creation in its relation to God. These difficulties are threefold:
the act of creation involves a change in the unchangeable being of God;
it is incomprehensible how the absolutely infinite and perfect being could have produced such imperfect and finite beings;
a creatio ex nihilo is difficult to imagine.
The simile used for the emanation is either the soaked sponge that emits spontaneously the water it has absorbed, or the gushing spring that overflows, or the sunlight that sends forth its rays—parts of its own essence—everywhere, without losing any portion, however infinitesimal, of its being. Since it was the last-named simile that chiefly occupied and influenced the Kabbalistic writers, Atziluth must properly be taken to mean "eradiation" (compare Zohar, Exodus Yitro, 86b).
Later on the expression "Atziluth" assumed a more specific meaning, influenced no doubt by the little work, Maseket Atzilut. Herein for the first time (following Isaiah 43:7: "I have created"; "I have formed"; "I have made"), the four worlds are distinguished: Atziluth, Beri'ah, Yetzirah, and Assiah. But here too they are transferred to the region of spirits and angels:
In the Atzilah-world the Shekinah alone rules;
in the Beri'ah-world are the throne of God and the souls of the just under the dominion of Akatriel ("Crown of God");
in the Yetzirah-world are the "holy creatures" (ḥayyot) of Ezekiel's vision, and the ten classes of angels ruled over by Metatron;
and in the Assiah-world are the Ofanim, and the angels that combat evil, governed by Sandalphon.
In the Zohar, Atziluth is taken to be simply the direct emanation of God, in contradistinction to the other emanations derived from the Sephirot. No fourfold world is mentioned.
Moses Cordovero and Isaac Luria (sixteenth century) were the first to introduce the fourfold world as an essential principle into Kabbalistic speculation. According to this doctrine,
the Atzilah-world represents the ten Sephirot;
the Beriah-world (world of creation) the throne of God, emanating from the light of the Sephirot;
the Yezirah-world (world of becoming) the ten classes of angels, forming the halls for the Sephirot;
and the Assiah-world (world of making, that is, of form) the different heavens and the material world.
In contradistinction to the Atzilah-world, which constitutes the domain of the Sephirot, the three other worlds are called by the general name "Pirud". Later Kabbalists explain "Atziluth" (according to Exodus 24:11, and Isaiah 41:9) as meaning "excellence," so that according to them the Atzilah-world would mean the most excellent or highest world.
The letter yud י in the Tetragrammaton
The sefirah of Chochmah and hence the partzuf of Abba
The element of Fire
The soul-level of Chayah
The brain (Patach Eliyahu)
The Shemoneh Esrei in the Shacharit prayer service
In the allegory of the teacher and the student, the first stage where the teacher has a flash of inspiration, or an unexpanded concept that he wishes to give to the student
The fixed, fire, sign of Leo (astrology).
Beri'ah
Beri'ah (Hebrew: בריאה or[1] בריה), Briyah, or Briah (also known as Olam Briah, עולם בריאה in Hebrew, literally "the World of Creation"), is the second of the four celestial worlds in the Tree of Life of the Kabbalah, intermediate between the World of Emanation (Atziluth) and the World of Formation (Yetzirah), the third world, that of the angels. It is known as the World of Creation, or Korsia (from Heb. כּוּרסָה - "seat, chair", the Throne).
Beri'ah is the first of the four worlds to be created ex nihilo, since Atzilut was emanated rather than created. Thus, although there exist beings that dwell in Atzilut, those beings are overwhelmed by the Divine Light and are unaware of their own existence; in Beri'ah however, the angels are dimly aware of their own existence as distinct from God's.
Beri'ah is the abode of the permanent archangels, as opposed to the non-permanent angels which dwell in Yetzirah.
The first of the two letter hei's ה in the Tetragrammaton
The sefirah of Binah and hence the partzuf of Ima
The element of Water.
The soul-level of neshamah
The soul-garment of thought
The heart (Patach Eliyahu)
In the allegory of the teacher and the student, the second stage where the teacher prepares the concept in his mind, splitting it into manageable parts and linking them together; the first conceptual expansion
The recital of the Shema in Shacharit
In western occultism, each of the Sephirot in this world is associated with a Holy Archangel, and it is associated with the Suit of Cups in the Tarot. The Biblical Archangels dwell in the realm of Beri'ah.
The fixed zodiac sign of water: Scorpio (astrology).
Yetzirah
Yetzirah (also known as Olam Yetsirah, עולם יצירה in Hebrew) is the third of four worlds in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, following Atziluth and Briahand preceding Assiah. It is known as the "World of Formation".
"Yetzirah" as in "formation" is as opposed to "Beriah" as in "creation": actually taking whatever matter that was created in "Beriah" and shaping it into the basic elements.
On the Tree of Life diagram Yetzirah is associated with the sefirot Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod and Yesod. Together, these six sefirot are known as the Microprosopus (Zeir Anpin) also known as the 'Lesser Countenance' or the 'Small Face.' In this sense, it stands in contrast with the Macroprosopus (Arich Anpin).
The moment of formation, when the fetus' form becomes apparent, is called "the formation of the child" and corresponds to the world of Yetzirah. The external state of consciousness in the World of Formation is called ״half good and half evil.״ The "half evil" refers to the self-consciousness of the beings of this world. The "half good" refers to the emotional sensitivity of one to the other as expressed in the genuine desire to make the other happy. This external dimension of Yetzirah is the seat of heated emotion, of “hotheadedness.”
A more internal dimension of Yetzirah—based on the awareness that the true battleground between good and evil is within us—is the emotional imperative to pit the good inclination against the evil inclination. But in order for our good inclination to be victorious over our evil inclination, it must first be empowered by an input of Divine light and energy. God gives us this input in the merit of our first devoting ourselves to do good for our fellows.
The consciousness of the world of Yetzirah is that of communing with God, speaking to Him directly in prayer or indirectly through the study of His Torah and taking counsel with a true Torah sage. The perspective of the world of Yetzirah as a state of consciousness is based on general notions. At this level, particular definitions are not apparent. The sense of selfhood that is apparent at this level of consciousness can only be grasped in impersonal language.
Non-permanent angels dwell in the world of Yetzirah, unlike archangels which reside in Briah.
In addition, Yetzirah corresponds to:
The letter vav (ו) in the Tetragrammaton.
The sefirot of Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod and Yesod and hence the partzuf of Zeir Anpin.
The element of Air.
The soul-level of ruach.
The soul-garment of speech.
The emotions.
The arms, torso, legs, and circumcision (Patach Eliyahu).
In the allegory of the teacher and the student, the penultimate stage where the teacher gives a lesson, a compressed outline of the full concept to the student. Through this, the student gains an initial, external understanding of the concept.
The Pesukei Dezimra in the Shacharit prayer service.
Within the Western mystery tradition, the suit of swords in the occult tarot.
The fixed, air, sign of Aquarius (astrology).
Assiah
Assiah (or 'Asiyah, also known as Olam Asiyah, עולם עשיה in Hebrew, literally "the World of Action") is the last of the four spiritual worlds of the Kabbalah —Atziluth, Briah, Yetzirah, 'Asiyah— based on the passage in Isaiah 43:7.
According to the Maseket Aẓilut, it is the region where the Ofanim rule and where they promote the hearing of prayers, support human endeavor, and combat evil. Their ruler is Sandalphon. According to the system of the later Land of Israel Kabbalah, 'Asiyah is the lowest of the spiritual worlds containing the Ten Heavens and the whole system of mundane Creation. The light of the Sefirot emanates from these Ten Heavens, which are called the "Ten Sefirot of 'Asiyah"; and through them spirituality and piety are imparted to the realm of matter—the seat of the dark and impure powers.
Representing purely material existence, it is known as the World of Action, the World of Effects or the World of Making. In western occultism it is associated with the Suit of Pentacles (or Coins or Disks, the terminology varies according to the deck) in the Tarot. The world of Yetzirah precedes it.
The final letter hei ה in the Tetragrammaton
The sefirah of Malchut and hence the partzuf of Nukvah
The element of Earth
The soul-level of nefesh
The soul-garment of action
The mouth (Patach Eliyahu)
The Oral Torah tradition (Patach Eliyahu)
The Shechinah
The Birkat HaShachar and the order of the Korbanot in the Shacharit prayer service
In the allegory of the teacher and the student, the final stage where the student comprehends the teacher's lesson, expanding the compressed information to its full breadth
Sefirot meaning emanations, are the 10 attributes/emanations in Kabbalah, through which Ein Sof (The Infinite) reveals Itself and continuously creates both the physical realm and the chain of higher metaphysical realms(Seder hishtalshelus).The term is alternatively transliterated into English as sephirot/sephiroth, singular sefirah/sephirah etc.
The sefirot are described as channels of Divine creative life force or consciousness through which the unknowable Divine essence is revealed to mankind.
3 levels of the tree of life
The first sefirah (Keter) describes the Divine superconscious Will that is beyond conscious intellect. The next three sefirot (Chochmah, Binah and Da'at) describe three levels of conscious Divine Intellect. The seven subsequent sefirot (Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod and Malchut) describe the primary and secondary conscious Divine Emotions. Two sefirot (Binah and Malchut) are feminine, as the female principle in Kabbalah describes a vessel that receives the outward male light, then inwardly nurtures and gives birth to lower sefirot. Corresponding to this is the Female Divine Presence (Hebrew: שְׁכִינָה, Shekhinah). Kabbalah sees the human soul as mirroring the Divine (after Genesis 1:27, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them"), and more widely, all creations as reflections of their life source in the sefirot. Therefore, the sefirot also describe the spiritual life of man, and constitute the conceptual paradigm in Kabbalah for understanding everything. This relationship between the soul of man and the Divine, gives Kabbalah one of its two central metaphors in describing Divinity, alongside the other Ohr (light) metaphor. However, Kabbalah repeatedly stresses the need to avoid all corporeal interpretation. Through this, the sefirot are related to the structure of the body and are reformed into partzufim (personas). Underlying the structural purpose of each sefirah is a hidden motivational force which is understood best by comparison with a corresponding psychological state in human spiritual experience.
In Hasidic philosophy, which has sought to internalise the experience of Jewish mysticism into daily inspiration (dveikus), this inner life of the sefirot is explored, and the role they play in man's service of God in this world.
ten sefirot
The original reference to the sefirot is found in the ancient Kabbalistic text of Sefer Yetzirah, the Book of Formation, attributed to the first Jewish Patriarch, Abraham. Further references to the sefirot are apparent in the medieval Kabbalistic text of the Zohar, which is one of the core texts of Kabbalah.
The sefirot are ten emanations, or illuminations of God's Infinite Light as it manifests in Creation. As revelations of the Creator's Will ("ratzon" - רצון), the sefirot should not be understood as ten different "gods" but as ten different channels through which the one God reveals his will.
In later Jewish literature, the ten sefirot refer either to the ten manifestations of God; the ten powers or faculties of the soul; or the ten structural forces of nature.
In Cordoveran Kabbalah, the forces of creation are considered as autonomous forces that evolve linearly from one another. By contrast, in Lurean Kabbalah (the Kabbalah of the Arizal), the sefirot are perceived as a constellation of forces in active dialogue with one another at every stage of that evolution. The Arizal described the sefirot as complex and dynamically interacting entities known as partzufim, each with its own symbolically human-like persona.
Keter (the Superconscious Crown) is the first sefirah. It is the superconscious intermediary between God and the other, conscious sefirot. Three different levels, or "heads" are identified within Keter. In some contexts, the highest level of Keter is called "The unknowable head",The second level is "the head of nothingness" (reisha d'ayin) and the third level is "the long head" (reisha d'arich). These three heads correspond to the superconscious levels of faith, pleasure and will in the soul.
Names of the sefirot
In Kabbalah, there is a direct correspondence between the Hebrew name of any spiritual or physical phenomenon and its manifestations in the mundane world. The Hebrew name represents the unique essence of the object. This reflects the belief that the universe is created through the metaphorical speech of God, as stated in the first chapter of Genesis. Kabbalah expounds on the names of the sefirot and their nuances, including their gematria (numerical values), in order to reach an understanding of these emanations of God's essence.
In the 16th-century rational synthesis of Moshe Cordovero (Cordoveran Kabbalah), the first complete systemisation of Kabbalah, the sefirot are listed from highest to lowest:
In the subsequent 16th-century transcendent Kabbalistic scheme of the Arizal (Lurianic Kabbalah), the sefirot are usually listed by omitting keter and including daat (the conscious manifestation of the super-conscious keter). This difference of opinion reflects an earlier Medieval debate regarding whether keter is the first sefirah, or the Ohr Ein Sof (Infinite light) itself. The Arizal includes keter in the list only in relation to the inner light of the sefirot. In his usual list of the sefirot as formed attributes (vessels), keter is considered too lofty to include:In this scheme, the sefirot are depicted as lying across three parallel vertical axes.
Category:
Left Axis
Middle Axis
Right Axis
Conscious intellect
2 Binah - "Understanding"
3 Daat - "Knowledge"
1 Chochmah- "Wisdom"
Conscious emotions(Primary emotions)
5 Gevurah - "Severity"
6 Tiferet - "Beauty"
4 Chesed - "Kindness"
(Secondary emotions)
8 Hod- "Glory"
9 Yesod - "Foundation"
10 Malchut - "Kingship"
7 Netzach - "Eternity"
Description from the Sefer Yetzirah
Keter - "Crown": Divine Will to create/Infinite Light of the Creator/the Hebrew name of God "Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh-I Am that I Am"
Chochmah - "Wisdom": First unbounded flash of an idea before it takes on limitations/male light/Divine Reality/first revelation/creation from nothingness
Binah - "Understanding": the infinite flash of Chochmah brought into the vessel of understanding to give it grasp of breadth and depth/feminine vessel that gives birth to the emotions/reason/understanding brings teshuva return to God
Daat - "Knowledge": Central state of unity of the 10 sefirot, also called the Tree of Life.
Chesed - "Kindness": Loving grace of free giving/love of God/inspiring vision
Gevurah - "Severity": Strength/judgment/intention/withholding/awe of God
Tiferet - "Beauty": Symmetry/balance between Chesed and Gevurah in compassion
Netzach - "Eternity": 'perpetuity', 'victory', or 'endurance'
Hod - "Splendor": Withdrawal/Surrender/sincerity
Yesod - "Foundation": Connecting to the task to accomplish/wholly remembering/coherent knowledge
Malchut - "Kingship": Female vessel for the pregnant nurturing of the male lights of the emotional sefirot into action/becomes the Keter Will source for any subsequent lower level in Creation/accomplishment/realization of the Divine Plan.
Interinclusion of the sefirot
The first development that enabled the sefirot to unite in cooperation was the interinclusion within each of them of a further subset of the 10 sefirot, bringing them to a total of 100 inter-included sefirot. In Kabbalistic interpretation, the 7 emotive sefirot similarly inter-include to form 49 (7 times 7) emotional states. So, for example, Chesed contains chesed within chesed (loving-kindness within loving-kindness), gevurah within chesed (might within loving-kindness) etc. until malchut within chesed (kingdom within loving-kindness). Likewise, there is chesed within gevurah (loving-kindness within might, typified by a restriction performed out of love, like a father punishing a child)), gevurah within gevurah (might within might), etc. until malchut within gevurah (kingdom within might) and so on, until the 49th level, malchut within malchut (kingdom within kingdom). This is the Kabbalistic interpretation of the mitzvah (Jewish observance) of Counting of the Omer between the festivals of Passoverand Shavuot. Passover commemorates the exodus from Egypt (in Hebrew "Mitzrayim," מצרים, meaning "limitations"), which represents the unrectified level of the psyche, which we must escape through our daily spiritual development. Shavuot commemorates the receiving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. During this 49 day period Kabbalah teaches the benefit of focusing on the aspect of the 49 inter-included sefirot that is related to each particular day of the Omer. On each day of the Omer, a person would examine each of their spiritual qualities, as a rectification process of Teshuva (Return to God), as preparation for reliving the acceptance of the Torah on Shavuot.
Day of Counting the Omer:
Sub-divided sefirah:
First day of Passover
Exodus from Egypt
1
Chesed within Chesed
2
Gevurah within Chesed
3
Tiferet within Chesed
etc
47
Hod within Malchut
48
Yesod within Malchut
49
Malchut within Malchut
Festival of Shavuot
Receiving of Torah at Sinai
Three configurations of the sefirot: Iggulim-Circles, Yosher-Upright, and Eesh-Man
Two alternative spiritual arrangements for describing the sefirot are given, metaphorically described as "Circles" and "Upright". Their origins come from Medieval Kabbalah and the Zohar. In later, 16th-century Lurianic kabbalah, they become systemised as two successive stages in the evolution of the sefirot, during the primordial cosmic evolution of Creation. This evolution is central to the metaphysical process of tikkun (fixing) in the doctrines of Isaac Luria.
Iggulim-Circles:
Metaphorical representation of the Five Worlds, with the 10 sefirot radiating in each, as successively smaller Iggulim-concentric circles
One diagrammatic representation depicts the sefirot metaphorically as successively smaller concentric circles, radiating inwards from the surrounding Divine Omnipresence. The Four Worlds of the Seder hishtalshelus ("Chain of Progression"), or with the addition of the highest Fifth World (Adam Kadmon), can be depicted in this diagram, starting with the highest and proceeding towards the centre of the circle to our lowest, physical realm. In each World the 10 sefirot radiate, as 10 successive steps in the downward chain of flow towards the next, lower realm. This depiction shows the successive nature of each of the 10 sefirot, as a downward chain, each more removed from Divine consciousness.
The surrounding space in the diagram is the Infinite Divine reality (Ein Sof). The outermost circle in the teachings of Lurianic kabbalah is the "space" made by the Tzimtzum in which Creation unfolds. Each successive World is progressively further removed from Divine revelation, a metaphorically smaller, more constricted circle. Emanation in each World proceeds down the 10 sefirot, with the last sefirah (Malchut-Actualisation of the Divine plan) of one World becoming, and being shared as, the first sefirah (Keter-The Divine Will) of the next, lower realm. The vertical line into the centre of the circle represents the path of downward emanation and constriction, from the initial first Ohr (light) of the "Kav" (Ray) in Lurianic doctrine.
Yosher-Upright:
The Yosher-Upright configuration of the 10 sefirot, arranged into 3 columns
The most important and well known scheme of depicting the sefirot arranges them as a tree with 3 columns. The Right column represents the spiritual force of expansion. The Left represents its opposite, restriction. The Middle column is the balance and synthesis between these opposing tendencies. The connecting lines in the diagram show the specific connections of spiritual flow between the sefirot, the "22 Connecting Paths", and correspond to the spiritual channels of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Kabbalah sees the Hebrew letters as channels of spiritual life force. This derives from the account in Genesis of the Creation of the World, where Creation takes place through 10 Hebrew "Sayings" of God ("Let there be.."). In Kabbalistic theology, these letters remain the immanent spiritual forces that constantly recreate all existence. The paths divide into 3 Categories, shown in this diagram by their different colours, corresponding to the 3 types of letter.
Eesh-Man: An alternate depiction of the Sefirot is in the form of a man. The first Sefira represents the head, the next three represent the cavities of the brain, the fourth and fifth Sefirot represent the arms, the sixth sefira is the torso, the seventh and eighth are the arms, the ninth is the sexual organ, and the tenth is the all-embracing totality of this image. This man is also divided into two, with the right column being made up of the male Sefirot and the left, the female Sefirot.
The four Hebrew letters of God's essential Divine name (known as the Tetragrammaton) correspond to the ten sefirot.
The letter yud (י) is depicted by a point with a cusp at its head. The point-like nature of the yud corresponds to the sefirah of chochmah, which is likened to the initial spark, or point of potential through which a new insight enters reality. The cusp, or tip of the yud reaches upwards and alludes to the super-conscious root of chochmah, which resides in Keter. The first letter hei (ה) of the Tetragrammaton represents the expansion of the point of the 'yud' into all three spatial dimensions. This corresponds to the sefirah of Binah, which expands and develops the seminal point of wisdom (chochmah) into a detailed idea. The letter vav (ו) resembles a vertical line that connects the higher intellectual faculties with the emotive powers of the psyche. The gematria of the letter vav is 6, corresponding to the six emotive sefirot from loving-kindness to foundation. The final letter hei (ה) of the Tetragrammaton represents the sefirah of malchut.
The cusp of the yud (קוצו של י)
Keter
yud (י)
Chochmah
hei (ה)
Binah
vav (ו)
six sefirot:
Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod
hei (ה)
Malchut
Inner dimensions of the sefirot and the powers of the soul
As all levels of Creation are constructed around the 10 sefirot, their names in Kabbalah describe the particular role each plays in forming reality. These are the external dimensions of the sefirot, describing their functional roles in channelling the Divine, creative Ohr (Light) to all levels. As the sefirot are viewed to comprise both metaphorical "lights" and "vessels", their structural role describes the particular identity each sefirah possesses from its characteristic vessel. Underlying this functional structure of the sefirot, each one possesses a hidden, inner spiritual motivation that inspires its activity. This forms the particular characteristic of inner light within each sefirah.
Understanding the sefirot throughout Jewish mysticism is achieved by their correspondence to the human soul. This applies to the outer, Kabbalistic structure of the sefirot. It applies even more to their inner dimensions, which correspond to inner psychological qualities in human perceptio. Identifying the essential spiritual properties of the soul gives the best insight into their Divine source, and in the process reveals the spiritual beauty of the soul. In Hasidic thought these inner dimensions of the sefirot are called the Powers of the Soul (Hebrew: Kochos HaNefesh). Hasidism sought the internalisation of the abstract ideas of Kabbalah, both outwardly in joyful sincerity of dveikus in daily life, acts of loving-kindness and prayer; and inwardly in its profound new articulation of Jewish mystical thought, by relating it to the inner life of man.[15] Articulation of the sefirot in Hasidic philosophy is primarily concerned with their inner dimensions, and exploring the direct, enlivening contribution of each in man's spiritual worship of God.[16] Kabbalah focuses on the esoteric manifestations of God in Creation, the vessels of Divinity. Hasidut looks at the lights that fill these vessels, how the structures reveal the Divine essence, and how this inwardness can be perceived. This difference can be seen in the names of these two stages of Jewish mysticism. "Kabbalah" in Hebrew is derived from "kabal" (to "receive" as a vessel). "Hasidut" is from "chesed" ("loving-kindness"), considered the first and greatest sefirah, also called "Greatness", the wish to reveal and share. The names of the sefirot come from Kabbalah, and describe the Divine effect that each has upon Creation, but not their inner qualities. Hasidic thought uses new descriptive terms for the inner dimensions of the sefirot:
Sefirah:
Outer function in Divinity and soul
Inner experience:
Inner Divine motivation and human soul response
Above conscious:
Keter-Crown
Essence of Keter:
Emunah – "Faith"
(expresses essence of soul in Infinite)
Inner Keter:
Taanug-unconscious source of "Delight"
(soul rooted in delight)
Outer Keter:
Ratzon-unconscious transcendent "Will"
(soul expresses through will)
First revelation of intellect:
Chochmah-Insight of Wisdom
Bittul – "Selflessness"
(Revelation inspires self nullification)
Grasped Intellect:
Binah-Understanding
Simchah – "Joy"
(Understanding awakens joy)
Assimilated Intellect:
Daat-Knowledge
Yichud – "Union"
(Union with idea awakens emotions)
Primary emotion of giving:
Chesed-Loving-kindness
Ahavah – "Love" of God and Divine in all things
(Response of Divine giving)
Primary emotion of restriction:
Gevurah-Might/Severity
Yirah – "Fear" of God
(Mystical awe of Divinity)
Primary emotion of balance:
Tiferet-Beautiful harmony
Rachamim – "Mercy/Compassion"
(Balances kindness with restriction)
Secondary emotion of giving:
Netzach-Victory/Eternity
Bitachon – "Confidence"
(Confidence inspires determination)
Secondary emotion of restriction:
Hod-Splendour/Thanksgiving
Temimut – "Sincerity/Earnestness"
(Sincere response to Divine Glory)
Secondary emotion of balance:
Yesod-Foundation
Emet – "Truth"
(Drive to verify connection in task)
Emotional vessel for action:
Malchut-Kingship
Shiflut – "Lowliness"
(Action through receiving higher sefirot lights)
The four Worlds
These ten levels are associated with Kabbalah's (Zohar) four different "Worlds" or planes of existence, the main part from the perspective of the descending "chain of progression" (Seder hishtalshelus), that links the Infinite Divine Ein Sof with the finite, physical realm. In all Worlds, the 10 sefirot radiate, and are the Divine channels through which every level is continuously created from nothing. Since they are the attributes through which the unknowable, infinite Divine essence becomes revealed to the creations, all ten emanate in each World. Nonetheless, the structure of the Four Worlds arises because in each one, certain sefirot predominate. Each World is spiritual, apart from the lower aspect of the final World, which is the "Asiyah Gashmi" ("Physical Asiyah"), the physical Universe. Each World is progressively grosser and further removed from consciousness of the Divine, until in this World it is possible to deny God. In descending order:
World of Emanation (Hebrew: אֲצִילוּת, Atzilut): In this level the light of the Ein Sof radiates and is united with its source. Divine Chochmah, the limitless flash of wisdom beyond grasp, predominates.
World of Creation (Hebrew: בְּרִיאָה or alternatively בְּרִיָּה, Beri'ah): In this level, is the first creation ex nihilo, where the souls and angels have self-awareness, but without form. Divine Binah, the intellectual understanding, predominates.
World of Formation (Hebrew: יְצִירָה, Yetzirah): On this level, creation is related to form. The Divine emotional sefirot of Chesed to Yesod predominate.
World of Action (Hebrew: עֲשִׂיָּה, Assiah): On this level creation is relegated to its physical aspect, the only physical realm and the lowest World, this realm with all its creatures. The Divine Kingship of Malchut predominates, the purpose of Creation.
In the Zohar and elsewhere, there are these four Worlds or planes of existence. In the Lurianic system of Kabbalah, five Worlds are counted, comprising these and a higher, fifth plane, Adam Kadmon-manifest Godhead level, that mediates between the Ein Sof and the four lower Worlds.
As the four Worlds link the Infinite with this realm, they also enable the soul to ascend in devotion or mystical states, towards the Divine. Each World can be understood as descriptive of dimensional levels of intentionality related to the natural human "desire to receive", and a method for the soul's progress upward toward unity with or return to the Creator. (The terminology of this formulation is based on the exposition of Lurianic Kabbalah by the 20th century Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag).
Scriptural, numerological and spiritual associations of the sefirotic tree
Associations of the 3 columns: The sefiroth are organized into three discrete columns or gimel kavim ("three lines" in Hebrew). They are often referred to as the three "Fathers," are derived from the three "Mothers," and are attributed to the vowels (Vav, Yud, and Heh.) They are as follows:
Central column:
Kether heads the central column of the tree, which is known metaphorically speaking as the "Pillar of Mildness" and is associated with Hebrew letter Aleph, "the breath", and the air element. It is a neutral one, a balance between the two opposing forces of male and female tendencies. Some teachings describe the sefirot on the centre pillar as gender-neutral, while others say that the sefirot vary in their sexual attributions.
Right column, in Hebrew kav yamin:
Chokhmah heads the right column of the tree, metaphorically speaking the "Pillar of Mercy", associated with the Hebrew letter Shin, the fire element, and the male aspect;
Left column, in Hebrew kav smol:
The left column is headed by Binah and is called the "Pillar of Severity." It is associated with Hebrew letter Mem, the water element and the female aspect.
While the pillars are each given a sexual attribution, this does not mean that every sefirah on a given pillar has the same sexual attribution as the pillar on which they sit. In Jewish Kabbalah, of all the sefirot only Binah and Malkuth are considered female, while all the other sefirot are male.Additionally (and this applies to both Jewish and Hermetic Kabbalah), each sefirah is seen as male in relation to the following sefirah in succession on the tree, and female in relation to the foregoing sefirah.
Alternative traditions consider the grammatical genders of the words involved. Thus, Gevurah is feminine because it has an atonal finial Heh. Thus, Severity or Justice becomes a feminine attribute while Chesed (Mercy or Loving-kindness) becomes a masculine one, despite the modern Western tendency to genderize these terms in reverse manner.
Numerological meanings: In a numerological sense, the tree of sefirot also has significance. Between the 10 sefirot run 22 channels or paths which connect them, a number which can be associated with the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Together the spiritual forces of the 10 sefirot and the 22 connecting channels are called the "32 Paths of Wisdom".
Rabbinic significance:
As to the actual significance of the numbers 10 and 22 in context of Judaism goes into Kabbalistic interpretation of Genesis. God is said to have created the world through Ten Utterances, marked by the number of times Genesis states, “And God said.”
Gen 1:3 - "And Elohim said, 'Let there be Light.' and there was Light." (Kether)
Gen 1:6 - "And Elohim said, 'Let there be a firmament in the midst of the Waters, and let it divide the Waters from the Waters." (Chockmah)
Gen 1:9 - "And Elohim said, 'Let the Waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear.' And it was so." (Binah)
Gen 1:11 - "And Elohim said, 'Let the Earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth.' And it was so." (Chesed)
Gen 1:14-15 - "And Elohim said, 'Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth.' And it was so." (Gevurah)
Gen 1:20 - "And Elohim said, 'Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.'" (Tiferet)
Gen 1:22 - "And Elohim Blessed them, saying, 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.'" (Netzach)
Gen 1:26 - "And Elohim said, 'Let us make People in our image, after our likeness: and let them have stewardship over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air,and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.'" (Hod)
Gen 1:28 - "And Elohim blessed them and Elohim said to them, 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and keep it: and have stewardship over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.'" (Yesod)
Gen 1:29-30 - "And Elohim said, 'Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat.' And it was so." (Malchut)
As for the 22 letter-paths, there must first be an explanation of the three different types of letters in Hebrew.
There are three “Mothers” (Aleph, Mem, and Shin) that represent the horizontal lines.
Their difference from the other letters is a matter for another article.
There are seven “Doubles” (Bet, Gimel, Dalet, Kaf, Peh, Resh, and Tav) that represent the vertical lines.
Each double is attributed to a soft and hard sound, positive and negative meaning, direction, planet, gate of the soul, color, angels, and vowel.
Gimel, Dalet, Resh, and Tav’s second pronunciations are lost or disputed, with different dialects using different sounds. Tav has no second pronunciation in Sephardi, but Ashkenazi use a 's' sound when the dagesh is absent.
The twelve “Elementals” (Heh, Vav, Zayin, Chet, Tet, Yud, Lamed, Nun, Samech, Ayin, Tzaddi, and Qof) have one pronunciation, and represent the diagonal lines. Other sources say that they correspond to the twelve zodiacal constellations.
Each letter grouping has significance in Genesis 1:
The Mothers represent the three times Genesis states “God made."
The Doubles represent the seven times Genesis states “God saw."
The elementals (or singles) represent the rest of the times “God” (Elohim in every instance of Genesis Chapter 1) is mentioned.
seder hishtalshelus
In Kabbalistic and Hasidic philosophy, seder hishtalshelus or hishtalshelut (Hebrew: סדר השתלשלות) refers to the chain-like descent of spiritual worlds (Olam/Olamot) between God and Creation. Each spiritual world denotes a complete realm of existence, resulting from its general proximity or distance to Divine revelation. Each realm is also a form of consciousness reflected in this world through the psychology of the soul.
The theosophical tradition in Kabbalah is concerned with defining in great detail the esoteric nature, particular divine manifestations, and functional role of each level between the infinite and the finite. Each spiritual realm embodies a creative stage God continually uses to go from his self to the creation of the physical world, the material Universe being the end of the chain, and the only physical realm.
The term Seder Hishtalshelus is sometimes used restrictively to refer to the actually emergent Created Order (the comprehensive Four Worlds). More broadly, all preceding levels are included, as their function underlies resulting Existence.
The supra-rational doctrines of Luria described Chokhmah-Wisdom levels of Divinity (Tzimtzum, Shevira) that preceded the "rationally" perceived Binah-Understanding levels of Medieval Kabbalah and Moshe Cordovero.In turn, the Habad Hasidic exploration described Keter-Will levels of Divine intention that preceded Creation.
Ohr Ein Sof :
Preparatory stages in the Ohr Ein Sof ("God's Infinite Light") before the beginning of the creative process. The Ohr Ein Sof is a paradoxical form of divine self-revelation. These are above any world/limitation. Kabbalah considered the functional question whether the Ein Sof represents God's divine essence or God as First Cause. Habad intellectual Hasidic thought explores Atzmut (divine essence) in the purpose of Creation:
Atzmut ("God's Absolute Essence")
Yachid ("The Single One")
Echad ("The One")
Sha'ashuim Atzmi'im ("The Delights of Self")
Aliyat Haratzon ("Rose in His Will")
Ana Emloch ("I will reign")
Ein Sof ("No End" - classic term for the Unknowable God in Kabbalah)
Kadmon ("Primordial One")
Avir Kadmon ("Primordial Atmosphere")
Adam Kadma'ah Stima'ah ("Concealed Primordial Man") God's will for Creation before the Tzimtzum
Tzimtzum: Three stages of the Sod HaTzimtzum ("Secret of Contraction") taught in the new doctrines of Lurianic Kabbalah.
the first act in Creation was Divine Self-Withdrawal, the opposite of Creative revelation. Tzimtum is a paradox as Creation depends on God also being present in the vacuum and resulting existence:
Tzimtzum ("Contraction") "Self-Withdrawal/removal" of God's Infinite Light to create the Khalal ("Vacuum")
Reshimu ("Impression") Light left behind in the vacuum, the Residue
Kav ("Ray") New Divine light radiated into the primordial darkness/vacuum
Adam Kadmon ("Primordial Man"), an anthropomorphic term, is the revelation of the specific Divine Will for Creation after the Tzimtzum. Its paradoxical nature is expressed as both Adam (creation) and Kadmon ("primary" divinity). As the level of Keter ("Crown") divine will, it is pure light, with no vessels, bounded by its future potential to create vessels. It is sometimes counted as the first of the Five Worlds, but its supreme transcendence is prior to the emergence of the sephirot and Shevirat Hakeilim ("Shattering of their Vessels"):
Ratzon Kadum ("Original Desire")
Adam Kadmon ("Primordial Man")
Orot Ozen-Chotem-Peh (Five "lights from the eyes, ears, nose, mouth and forehead" of Adam Kadmon)
Akudim, Nekudim, Berudim:
Three Worlds of "lights" and "vessels" resulting from the interacting lights that emanated from Adam Kadmon, in the Lurianic Kabbalah. Each embodies different stages in the emergence of the 10 sephirot ("Divine Attributes"). Their progression corresponds to the archetypal realms of Tohu and Tikun ("Chaos and Rectification") described in the new doctrines of Luria. Tohu causes Shevirat HaKeilim ("Shattering of the sephirot Vessels"), the catastrophic exile in Creation:
Akudim ("Binding") 10 lights in one vessel - Stable Tohu ("Chaos")
Berudim ("Connection") 10 inter-relating lights in 10 vessels - beginning of Tikun ("Rectification")
The Lower Unity:
Keter of Atzilut:
The World of Atzilut ("Emanation") is the first of the comprehensive Four Worlds (ABiY"A) of our Created Order, which are collectively the realm of Tikun ("Rectification") of the Shattered Vessels from Tohu. Atzilut completes the Upper rectification, which began in Berudim, through the sephirottransforming into Partzufim ("Divine Countenances"). Partzufim harmonise the sephirot in the scheme of Yosher ("Upright") full interacting configurations in the form of Man. Rectification of Atzilut begins with rectification of its Keter ("Crown") Will. Eight rectification stages in Keter D'Atzilut ("The Crown of Emanation"):
Atik Yomin ("Ancient of Days") Upper partzuf of Keter (Inner Will-Delight)
Mocha Stima'ah ("Concealed Brain") Origin of Chochmah-Wisdom in Arich Anpin
Dikna ("Beard") Contracts the light of Arich Anpin through 13 channels
Atzilut: Rectification of Olam Ha'Atzilut (the "World of Emanation"), first of the Four Worlds, is completed with ten stages of Partzufim (Divine "Countenances") after Keter. Each of the 6 Primary and 12 Secondary Partzufim correspond to the 10 Sephirot arranging around one of their number. Interaction of the Partzufim rectifies Atzilut eternally, completing Upper rectification. Redemption of the fallen sparks by Man rectifies the time-related three lower Worlds Below. Atzilut is separated from the three independent lower Worlds by its exclusive consciousness of Divine Unity, without self-awareness, the level of Chokhmah ("Wisdom"). Creation from Nothing is seen from the view of Ayin ("Nothing"):
Abba ("Father") General partzuf of Chokhmah (Wisdom)
Imma ("Mother") General partzuf of Binah (Understanding)
Abba Ila'ah ("Higher Father") Upper secondary partzuf of Chokhmah
Imma Ila'ah ("Higher Mother") Upper secondary partzuf of Binah
Yisrael Sabba ("Israel the Elder") Lower secondary partzuf of Chokhmah
Tevunah ("Comprehension") Lower secondary partzuf of Binah
Zeir Anpin ("Short Countenance"-"Ben" Son) General partzuf of Emotions
Nukvah D'Ze'ir Anpin ("Female of Zeir Anpin"-"Bat" Daughter) General parzuf of Malkhut (Kingdom)
Leah (First wife of Jacob) Upper secondary partzuf of Malkhut
Rachel (Second wife of Jacob) Lower secondary partzuf of Malkhut
The 10 sephirot shine in each of the Four Worlds, the last sephirahMalkuth ("Kingship") of a World becoming the first sephirahKeter ("Crown") of the next Realm. Malkuth of Atzilut, called "God's speech", is the general source of independent Creation.
Beriah:Olam Ha'Beriah (the "World of Creation")
Yetzirah:Olam Ha'Yetzirah (the "World of Formation")
Asiyah:Olam Ha'Assiah (the "World of Action")
Asiyah Gashmit:Asiyah Gashmit ("Physical Action")
Analogies for Seder Hishtalshelut: The basic stations of this process from above to below are:
Atzmus Ohr Ein Sof before the Tzimtzum ("The Essence of the Infinite Light before the Contraction")
The Tzimtzum ("The Contraction")
The Reshimu ("The Impression")
The Kav ("Line of Light")
Ratzon Kadum ("Original Desire")
Adam Kadmon ("Original Man")
Atzilut ("World of Emanation")
The Masach ("The Curtain")
Beriah ("World of Creation")
Yetzirah ("World of Formation")
Assiah ("World of Action")
Although these are the basic stations, each level contains innumerable details. To understand Seder Hishtalshelus properly, one must first understand how all of the analogies exist in a person. Once one has understood this, one can begin to see how all of these levels exist in the world. Then, one will be able to take any event or aspect of creation and trace it up the chain to God Himself, then back down to the original view and see how God is literally here with us, relating to us directly through his creations.
The purpose of learning about Seder Hishtalshelus in Hasidic thought is not merely to know about many distinct levels, rather, the purpose is to see how all the levels in between us and God are transparent and irrelevant, and in truth God is relating to us directly, and there is "none besides for Him". (Deuteronomy 4:35) Because of this, the Tanya states that learning about the Seder Hishtalshelus will bring a person to a "complete heart".
One can understand these levels through the analogy of a man who wants a house. The hishtalshelus is generally broken down into two general stages, called the "Upper Unity" and the "Lower Unity". Below are the relevant analogies for all the basic stations of the hishtalshelus in the analogy of a man who wants a house starting from the top (primordial desires) and going down (until the desire is actualized).
Atzmut Ohr Ein Sof Lifnei Hatzimtzum ("Essence of the Infinite Light before the Contraction"): The analogy for this stage is the essence of the person's soul. At this stage we are dealing with only the person himself, who at this point has no revealed desire for a house or any other physical object. However, since he is human, we must say that at some point he will desire a house because this is part of human nature. At this stage, however, this desire doesn't have any independent existence at all, but is simply a part of his soul.
Tzimtzum and Reshimu ("Contraction and Impression"): At this stage there is still no revealed desire for a house. However, the person realizes that his ultimate desire will be to express his true self through things that are separate from himself, such as through music, art, a house, etc. Those decisions have not yet been made, however. There is only the realization that one will want to express his true self by making something that appears separate from him, express him. This is similar to the way one might want the challenge of playing an instrument, which is something separate from a person, and allow himself to be expressed through it. Reshimu means impression, because at this stage the person realizes that he will not be able to express himself directly, but his self will somehow leave its own impression on the things he does so he can be seen through them.
Kav ("Measuring Line"): This is the part of the person that connects the Tzimtzum and Reshimu to the Infinite Light before the Tzimtzum. The analogy for The Kav is the person's judgement. In life, whatever choices a person makes, will be free choices made by the person, without influence from those around him. Even small and seemingly insignificant choices, such as what one decides to order at a restaurant, still express his essence, because they are 'his' choices, and are his way of expressing himself. If one looks carefully at a person's choices one can see how they bring across his unique taste and personality. At this point there is still no revealed desire for a house, but only the subconscious framework that will eventually be used when he begins to desire one.
Ratzon Kadum ("Original Desire"): Now that person is most likely older, he begins to feel a desire for independence and belonging. This is one particular expression of his original desire to express himself. But now it is specific to wanting a sense of contentment and a feeling of being at "home". At this point, he still does not desire a home, but wishes for the happiness gained when one gains a house. Technically he could still express this desire in other ways than having a house, such as interacting friends or participating in activities which he enjoys and achieve that same sense of belonging and contentment. There are still no details yet of how the desire for belonging will be fulfilled.
Adam Kadmon (A"K-"Primordial Man"): The person now looks at the outside world for the first time. Up until this point, he was only thinking about himself, and his desires. Now, in order to bring out this desire to practicality, he must decide what in the physical world will fit these desires. He creates a world image, i.e., a picture of what is going on in the world. He then decides where in this mental picture he belongs. He eventually realizes that the best way to integrate into society is to possess a house, and will choose a house that fits his particular character in order to best express himself. The kind of house he will want has been limited at this point due to his still ignorant outlook on the world and the very basic ideas of his own personality. However, he still does not truly desire a physical house. Rather, it is that he has realized his own desires and needs and now knows the best type of "house" that would suit him.
Keter of Atzilut ("Crown of the World of Emanation"): This stage is what results from the associations created in A"K, namely, a particular desire for a particular house. This stage mainly compromises two concepts: Arich Anpin-Outer/Chitzoneyus of Keter: Desire for this particular house; and Atik Yomin-Inner/Pnimiyus of Keter: The pleasure he receives in knowing that this will express who he is.
Atzilut ("World of Emanation"): A"K already included all the details of the levels below it. However, the actual details only come out as needed. Now he knows the way he will express himself will be specifically through a house. At this stage he may sit down with his wife, or real estate agent, and clarifies exactly how he wants his house to be. This stage includes Chochma (Wisdom) of Aztilus which is when he creates the general picture of what he wants in the abstract, "a warm home". Binah (Understanding) of Atzilus involves figuring out what are the components of such a home; everything he wants the house to be with all their details. In A"K he only knew what types of homes are appropriate with what kind of person. Here he actually decides where he will fit into the picture. Here he also decides what is practical based on how much money he has and what is available etc. Based on all of these things he comes up with the Zeir Anpin (Z"A-"the Small Face"-Emotions) of Atzilus: This stage is the picture of what things are good and what are bad. Here he sets up what things will bring him closer to his goal (his dream house) and what things will bring him further. He will have Chesed (a love) for things he will like. He will have Gevurah (a fear or hate) for things he will not like. He will have Tiferet (Beauty) for the compromises he makes (or the beauty that results) and Netzach (feeling of victory in spite of challenges) to want to go and get what he wants, and the Hod to not settle for something less than he wants. He will have a Yesod, which forms the compromise of how he will actually interact with everyone resulting from the interplay between his Netzach and Hod. This results in Malchut ("Kingdom" or actualization), which is the stage at which he will talk to himself about what he likes and doesn't like. And he will talk about what he is actually going to do. Finally, all of the above will lead to his creation of his Malchus of Atzilus i.e. he will actually tell the real estate agent what he wants, what he will settle for and what he will not, what he likes hates etc. The desires are all set up now, but still the real building process of the house has not occurred.
Beri'ah ("World of Creation"): At this stage the real-estate agent will take everything the man told him about what kind of house he wants. He will take these words of the original guy and translate them into things that can exist in a home. For instance, if the person said he wants a home where he can swim, the real-estate agent might translate that into him having a pool, or having a beach-home. This translations process is called the masach (screen) which carries across all the upper desires and connects them to things in the real world. Real estate agent must pull out from those words what this guy really wants and how to find a house that will accomplish his goal. To translate what this guy wants to get out of a house and make it into a picture of an actual house. What he creates is the world of Beriyah. He must figure out all the different scenarios that would have all the elements with the best combination=Beriya. The real-estate broker need not do this, this technically could also be done within the person's self.
Yetzirah ("World of Formation"): Now someone must figure out exact dimensions for each of these things, its shape, what it will be constructed out of. Will it be made of brick, limestone, wood or something else. Someone must look at the person's style, needs and desires. For instance if they intend to have parties, they should probably have a hardwood floor instead of carpet. Someone at this stage figures out the exact shape, size of the house and its location and then creates a floorplan.
Asiyah Ruchnit ("Spiritual World of Action"):
Now this plan must go to the builders. The builders must look at the blueprint and figure out how to actually build a house like this. Sometimes a certain type of house can be drawn up in Yetzira but in real life wouldn't hold up or would be impracticable. These builder must figure out how to pour the cement, how to make it strong, and figure out where they will we get the furniture to actually make something like that. They must study the blueprint and figure out how to make something that will work.
Asiyah Gashmit ("Physical World of Action"): The builders actually pour the cement or whatever and build the physical structure and everything in the house. Now the man can go live in the house and enjoy and express himself in fulfillment of his original desire which started this entire process in the Infinite Light before the Contraction.
The 10 sephirot
Keter
Keter also known as Kether, is the topmost of the Sephirot of the Tree of Life in Kabbalah. Since its meaning is "crown", it is interpreted as both the "topmost" of the Sephirot and the "regal crown" of the Sephirot. It is between Chokmah and Binah (with Chokmah on the right and Binah in the left) and it sits above Tiphereth. It is usually given three paths, to Chokmah, Tiphereth and Binah.
Keter is so sublime, it is called in the Zohar "the most hidden of all hidden things", and is completely incomprehensible to man. It is also described as absolute compassion, and Rabbi Moshe Cordovero describes it as the source of the 13 Supernal Attributes of Mercy.
Keter is invisible, colorless.
Description
According to the Bahir: "What are the ten utterances? The first is supreme crown, blessed be His name and His people."
The first Sephirah is called the Crown, since a crown is worn above the head. The Crown therefore refers to things that are above the mind's abilities of comprehension. All of the other Sephirot are likened to the body which starts with the head and wends its way down into action. But the crown of a king lies above the head and connects the concept of "monarchy", which is abstract and intangible, with the tangible and concrete head of the king.
This first Sefirah represents the primal stirrings of intent in the Ein Soph, or the arousal of desire to come forth into the varied life of being. But in this sense, although it contains all the potential for content, it contains no content itself, and is therefore called 'Nothing', 'The Hidden Light', 'The air that cannot be grasped'. Being desire to bring the world into being, Keter is absolute compassion.
The name of God associated with Keter is Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh (Hebrew: אהיה אשר אהיה), the name through which he revealed himself to Moses from the burning bush. "It is from the name Ehyeh that all kinds of sustenance emanate, coming from the source, which is the infinite".
Keter, although being the highest Sephirah of its world, receives from the Sephirah of Malkuth of the domain above it (see Sephirot). The uppermost Keter sits below no other Sephirah, although it is below Or Ein Soph which is the source of all Sephirot.
Non-Jewish practices
In The Mystical Qabalah Dion Fortune describes Keter as pure consciousness, beyond all categories, timeless, a point that crystallises out of the Ein Soph, and commences the process of emanation that ends in Malkuth.
The name of God given to it is Eheieh, the archangel that presides over it is Metatron, the order of angels that resides in it are the Holy Living Creatures (the Chaioth ha Qadesh, Hebrew: חיות הקדש), and its mundane chakra is said to be the First Swirlings of the cosmos (Primum Mobile, Rashith ha Gilgalin).
A.E. Waite made mention that Rabbi Azariel ben Menachem, a student of Isaac the Blind, in his Commentary on the Sephiroth granted a particular colour to each Sephira, yet these do not agree with the colours given in the Zohar, where Kether (which, according to him, is also correlated to Yechidah) is called colourless, Tiphareth purple, and Malkuth sapphire-blue.
As pure formless consciousness, it is often compared with the Sahasrara chakra, which resides above the crown of the head, in Indian Shakta Tantra.
In Aleister Crowley's Liber 777, Keter is associated with the Four Aces of the Tarot deck, White Brilliance, Poseidon, Brahma, Wodan, Zeus, The Trinity, Almond in flower, Diamond, Elixir Vitae, Dao, and Death (not a complete list of the 777 associations).
Chokhmah
Chokhmah is the Biblical Hebrew word rendered as "wisdom"
The Talmud describes knowledge of the Talmudic order of Kodshim as a high level of wisdom, chokhmah.
In the Kabbalah, Chokhmah is the uppermost of the sephirot of the right line (kav yamin, the "Pillar of Mercy") in the Tree of Life. It is to the bottom right of Keter, with Binah across from it. Under it are the sephirot of Chesed and Netzach. It commonly has four paths going to Keter, Binah, Tifereth, and Chesed. (Some kabbalists attribute a path between Chokhmah and Gevurah.)
Kabbalah
According to the Bahir: "The second (utterance) is wisdom, as is written: 'Y-H-W-H acquired me at the beginning of His way, before His deeds of old' (Prov 8:22). And there is no 'beginning' but wisdom."
Chokhmah, the second of the ten sefirot, is the first power of conscious intellect within Creation, and the first point of 'real' existence, since Keter represents emptiness. According to the book of Job, "Wisdom comes from nothingness". This point is both infinitely small, and yet encompasses the whole of being, but it remains incomprehensible until it is given shape and form in Binah.
The name of God associated with Chokhmah is Yah.
Chokhmah appears in the configuration of the sefirot at the top of the right axis, and corresponds in the tzelem Elokim ("the Divine image") to the right eye, or right hemisphere of the brain.
In its fully articulated form, Chokhmah possesses two partzufim ("faces" or "features"): the higher of these is referred to as Abba Ila'ah ("the higher father"), whereas the lower is referred to as Yisrael Saba ("Israel, the Elder"). These two partzufim are referred to jointly as Abba ("father").
Chokhmah is associated in the soul with the power of intuitive insight, flashing lightning-like across consciousness. The partzuf of Abba Ila'ah is associated with the power to spontaneously extract such insight from the superconscious realm, whereas the partzuf of Yisrael Saba is associated with the power to subsequently direct it into consciousness.
The "wisdom" of Chokhmah also implies the ability to look deeply at some aspect of reality and abstract its conceptual essence till one succeeds in uncovering its underlying axiomatic truth. These seeds of truth can then be conveyed to the companion power of Binah for the sake of intellectual analysis and development.
Chokhmah is the primary ("beginning") force in the creative process, Creativity, as it is said: "You have made them all with Chokhmah." (Psalms 104:24) The first word of the Torah in Genesis, Breishit means "In the beginning (God created the heavens and the earth)", is translated (Targum Yonatan) as "With Chokhmah (God created…)."
Chokhmah is also called Fear, 'because it has no measure of boundary, and therefore the mind does not have the power to grasp it'. The book of Job states 'Behold the fear of God is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding' (Job 28:28).
In the array of sefirot in three columns (gimel kavim), Chokmah is situated at the top of the right column, and corresponds to the right hemisphere of the brain. There are several aspects of Chokhmah:
The word Chokhmah itself may be broken into two words -- koach ("potential") and ma ("what is"). Thus, Chokhmah means "the potential of what is", or, "the potential to be." This aspect of Chokhmah describes the state of Chokhmah in relation to the sefira of Keter. As Chokhmah emanates from Keter, the first dawning of the "Infinite Light", it "appears" in an obscure and undefined state that is a virtual non-being. Thus the verse states, "and Chokhmah emerges from nothingness" (Job 28:12, see Zohar II, 121a, Zohar III, 290a, commentaries). The light of the Ein Sof becomes unified in the world of Atziluth through clothing itself first in the sefira of Chokhmah. In the soul, Chokhmah is associated with the power of intuitive insight.
In the Zohar Chokhmah is the primordial point which shines forth from the will of God and thus, is the starting point of Creation. All things are still undifferentiated at this point and only become intelligible at Binah.
Modern occultism
According to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the name of God associated with Chokmah is Jehovah, the archangel that presides over it is Raziel, the order of angels that reside in it are the Ophanim (the wheels), the Heaven of Assiah associated with it is called Mazloth, implying the fulfillment of destiny, and the mundane chakra associated with it is the Zodiac.
In Aleister Crowley's Liber 777, Chokhma is represented as The Four twos of the Tarot, Illuminating, Thoth, Vishnu, Joy, Odin, Uranus, Athena, God the Father, Man, Amaranth, Lingam, Hashish, Phosphorus, Musk, and Yang (not a complete list).
Binah
Binah is the second sephira on the kabbalistic Tree of Life. It sits on the level below Keter (in the formulations that include that sephirah), across from Chokhmah and directly above Gevurah. It is usually given four paths: to Keter, Chokhmah, Gevurah, and Tiphereth (some Kabbalists place a path from Binah to Chesed as well.)
Binah is associated with the color black.
Description
According to the Bahir: "The third (utterance): quarry of the Torah, treasury of wisdom, quarry of God's spirit, hewn out by the spirit of God. This teaches that God hewed out all the letters of the Torah, engraving them with the Spirit, casting His forms within it".
Binah is 'intuitive understanding', or 'contemplation'. It is likened to a 'palace of mirrors' that reflects the pure point of light of Chokhmah, wisdom, increasing and multiplying it in an infinite variety of ways. In this sense, it is the 'quarry', which is carved out by the light of wisdom. It is the womb, which gives shape to the Spirit of God. On a psychological level, Binah is "processed wisdom," also known as deductive reasoning. It is davar mitoch davar—understanding one idea from another idea. While Chokhmah is intellect that does not emanate from the rational process (it is either inspired or taught), Binah is the rational process that is innate in the person which works to develop an idea fully.
Binah is associated with the feminine. The Bahir states: "For you shall call Understanding a Mother."Classical Jewish texts state Binah yeterah natun l'nashim ("an extra measure of Binah was given to women").
In its fully articulated form, Binah possesses two partzufim. The higher of these is referred to as Imma Ila'ah ("the higher mother"), whereas the lower is referred to as tevunah ("comprehension"). These two partzufim are referred to jointly as Imma ("the mother").
Non-Jewish associations
In Western occultism, Binah is seen to take the raw force of Chokhmah, and to channel it into the various forms of creation. For example, in a car, you have the fuel and an engine. While Chokhmah is the fuel, pure energy, Binah is the engine, pure receptivity. Either one without the other is useless.
In its role as the ultimate Object, as opposed to Chokhmah as the Subject, its role is similar to the role of Shakti in Indian mysticism. It is feminine, because it literally gives birth to the whole of creation, providing the supernal womb, with Chokhmah providing the raw energy.
The name of God associated with Binah is Jehovah Elohim, the archangel that presides over it is Tzaphkiel, the order of angels that resides in it are the Aralim (the Thrones) and the planet associated with it is Saturn.
Binah is related to the Yoni, the womb, the Priestess card in the occult tarot (according to A. E. Waite's Pictorial Key to the Tarot). Aleister Crowley's "Liber 777" associates it with Isis, Cybele, Demeter, Rhea, Woman, The Virgin Mary, Juno, Hecate, The "threes" of the Tarot, etc.
Occultists have compared the Sephira with the chakras of Indian mysticism, and one such comparison is in comparing both Binah and Chokhmah with the Ajna chakra, which is where both Shiva and Shakti are united.
Chesed
Chesed is one of the ten Sephirot on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. It is given the association of kindness and love, and is the first of the emotive attributes of the sephirot.
Kabbalah
The first three of the ten sephirot, are the attributes of the intellect, while Chesed is the first sephira of the attribute of action. In the kabbalistic Tree of life, its position is below Chokhmah, across from Gevurah and above Netzach. It is usually given four paths. To Chokhmah, Gevurah, Tiphereth, and Netzach (some Kabbalists place a path from Chesed to Binah as well.)
The Bahir states, "What is the fourth (utterance): The fourth is the righteousness of God, His mercies and kindness with the entire world. This is the right hand of God." Chesed manifests God's absolute, unlimited benevolence and kindness.
The angelic order of this sphere is the Hashmallim, ruled by the Archangel Zadkiel.
Gevurah
Gevurah is the fifth sephirah in the kabbalistic tree of life, and it is the second of the emotive attributes of the sephirot. It sits below Binah, across from Chesed, and above Hod.
Gevurah is 'the essence of judgment (DIN) and limitation, and corresponds to awe and the element of fire,'
In the Bahir it is written "And who are the Officers? We learned that there are three. Strength (Gevurah) Is the Officer of all the Holy Forms to the left of the Blessed Holy One. He is Gabriel."
Gevurah is associated with the color red.
Description
Gevurah is the fifth of the ten Sefirot, and second of the emotive attributes in Creation, and which corresponds to the second day of creation(Zohar 2:127b). In the Bahir it says "What is the fifth (utterance)? Fifth is the great fire of God, of which it says 'let me see no more of this great fire, lest I die (Deut 18:16). This is the left hand of God".
Gevurah is understood as God's mode of punishing the wicked and judging humanity in general. It is the foundation of stringency, absolute adherence to the letter of the law, and strict meting out of justice. This stands in contrast to Chesed.
We thus speak of God's primary modes of action as being the kindness and unaccountability of Chesed, versus the stringency and strict accountability of Gevurah. It is called "might" because of the power of God's absolute judgment.
Gevurah is associated in the soul with the power to restrain one's innate urge to bestow goodness upon others, when the recipient of that good is judged to be unworthy and liable to misuse it. As the force which measures and assesses the worthiness of Creation, Gevurah is also referred to in Kabbalah as 'Midat Hadin' ("the attribute of judgment"). It is the restraining might of Gevurah which allows one to overcome his enemies, be they from without or from within (his evil inclination).
The angelic order of this sphere is the Seraphim, ruled by the Archangel kamael. The opposing Qliphah is represented by the demonic order Golachab, ruled by the Archdemon Asmodeus.
Chesed and Gevurah act together to create an inner balance in the soul's approach to the outside world. While the "right arm" of Chesed operates to draw others near, the "left arm" of Gevurah reserves the option of repelling those deemed undeserving. (Even towards those to whom one's initial relation is that of "the left arm repels," one must subsequently apply the complementary principle of "the right arm draws near").
Ultimately, the might of Gevurah becomes the power and forcefulness to implement one's innate desire of Chesed. Only by the power of Gevurah is Chesed able to penetrate the coarse, opposing surface of reality. The Baal Shem Tov discusses the ability of Gevurah to effect Divine withdrawal (Tzimtzum), which in turn creates the potential for Chesed to occur in creation. (commentary to Parshat Toldot).
Gevurah appears in the configuration of the Sefirot along the left axis, directly beneath Binah, and corresponds in the tzelem Elokim to the "left arm."
The numerical value of Gevurah, 216, is 6 times 6 times 6. The tablets of the covenant that Moses received at Sinai were 6 by 6 by 6 handbreadths. The Torah was given to Moses and Israel from "the Mouth of the Gevurah." It is most significant that the name of no other Sefirah is used by our sages to connote God Himself, other than Gevurah (In the Bible, God is referred to as "the Netzach [eternity] of Israel" (Samuel 1 15:29), but not as Netzach alone). Here, Gevurah implies God's essential power to contract and concentrate His infinite light and strength into the finite letters of Torah (especially those engraved on the tablets of the covenant, the Ten Commandments).
Gevurah = 216 = 3 times 72 (chesed). Each of God's 72 hidden names possesses three letters, in all—216 letters. Meaning inheres to words and names. The ultimate "meaning" of every one of God's Names is His expression of love (Chesed) for His Creation. Each Name expresses His love in a unique way. The components of each word and name, the "building blocks" of Creation are the letters which combine to form the words. The letters, "hewn" from the "raw material" of "pro-creation" (the secret of the reshimu, the "impression" of God's infinite light which remains after the initial act of tzimtzum, "contraction") reflect God's Gevurah.
The two hands which act together to form all reality, Chesed (72) plus Gevurah (216) = 288 = 2 times 12 squared. 288 is the number of 'Nitzotzot' "fallen sparks" (from the primordial cataclysm of "the breaking of the vessels") which permeate all of created reality. Through the "dual effort" of Chesed and Gevurah, not only to form reality, but to rectify reality (through the means of "the left arm repels while the right draws near"), these fallen sparks are redeemed and elevated to return and unite with their ultimate source. In a universal sense, this is the secret of the coming of Mashiach and the resurrection of the dead.
"And in Caedmon's time, it became known widely that Gevurah is synonymous with Love, and wise men strove to know Gevurah to build solutions that would keep their fellow men from death."
Tiferet
Tiferet alternatively Tifaret, Tifereth, Tyfereth or Tiphereth, is the sixth sefira in the kabbalistic Tree of Life. It has the common association of "Spirituality", "Balance", "Integration", "Beauty", "Miracles", and "Compassion".
Description
In the Bahir it states: "Sixth is the adorned, glorious, delightful throne of glory, the house of the world to come. Its place is engraved in wisdom as it says 'God said: Let there be light, and there was light.'"
Tiferet is the force that integrates the Sefira of Chesed ("compassion") and Gevurah ("Strength, or Judgment (din)"). These two forces are, respectively, expansive (giving) and restrictive (receiving). Either of them without the other could not manifest the flow of Divine energy; they must be balanced in perfect proportion by balancing compassion with discipline. This balance can be seen in the role of Tiferet, wherein the conflicting forces are harmonized, and creation flowers forth. Tiferet also balances Netzach and Hod in a similar manner. In that case Hod can be seen as the intellect where Netzach is seen as emotion.
The Names of God associated with Tiferet is Tetragrammaton Eloah Va Daath. The Archangel of this sphere is Raphael. Melachim(kings) is the Angelic order associated with Tiferet, and the planetary/astrological correspondence of Tiferet is the sun. The Qliphah of Tiferet is represented by the demonic order Thagirion, ruled by the Archdemon Belphegor. The symbol associated with this sphere is a majestic King.
Tiferet also occupies a place on the middle pillar, and can be seen as a lower reflection of Kether, as well as a higher reflection of Yesod and Malkuth. Tiferet relates to the sun, and as such, it takes a central place in the lower face of the Tree of Life, much in the same manner that the sun is at the center of the solar system. It is not the center of the universe, as one could perhaps argue Kether to be, but rather it is the center of our local astronomical system. Nonetheless, it is the sun that gives light and life, even though it did not create itself. Tiferet can be seen as a metaphor for these same attributes.
Tiferet is unique amongst the Sephirot as it is connected to all the other Sephirot (except Malkuth) via the subjective paths of the unconscious. Its position down the center between Keter and Yesod indicates to many Kabbalists that it is somewhat of a "converting" Sephirot between form (Yesod) and force (Keter). In other words, all crossing over the middle path via Tiferet results in a reversed polarity. The law of conservation of energy and mass tends to corroborate this – in all cases of energy transmutation, a sacrifice is necessary so a new form may be born.
Tiferet is the middle of the tree. Five Sefirot surround it: above are Chesed at the right (south) and Gevurah at the left (north), and below are Netzach at the right, Hodat the left, and Yesod directly below. Together these six are a single entity, Zer Anpin, which is the masculine counterpart of the feminine sefira Malkuth. In certain contexts, Tiferet alone represents all the sefirot of Zer Anpin, so that the entire tree appears with only five sefirot: Keter, Chochmah, Binah, Tiferet, and Malkhut.
In the standard tree, Tiferet has eight paths, leading (counterclockwise) to Keter (through Daat), Binah, Gevurah, Hod, Yesod, Netsach, Chesed, and Chokmah.
Tiferet can be also a variation of the word "Tifarah" and in Modern Hebrew used in Israel is translated as "Glory" (from God – "Elohim, Adonay)
Netzach
Netzach (Hebrew: נצח, "eternity") is the seventh of the ten Sefirot in the Jewish mystical system of Kabbalah. It is located beneath Chesed ('loving-kindness'), at the base of the "Pillar of Mercy" which also consists of Chochmah ('wisdom'). Netzach generally translates to 'eternity', and in the context of Kabbalah refers to 'perpetuity', 'victory', or 'endurance'.
Kabbalah
Within the Sefiroth, Netzach sits geometrically across from Hod. This pairing makes up the third such group, the "tactical" sefirot, meaning that their purpose is not inherent in themselves, but rather as a means for something else.
These sefirot mark a turning point. Whereas the first two groups of sefirot deal with God's intrinsic will, and what it is that He desires to bestow upon man, these sefirot are focused on man: What is the most appropriate way for man to receive God's message? How can God's will be implemented most effectively?
Netzach refers to actions of God that are chesed, "kindness," in essence, but are presented through a prelude of harshness. Hod refers specifically to those events where the "wicked prosper." It is retribution —Gevurah, "strength/restraint," in essence, but presented by a prelude of pleasantness.
Netzach is "endurance," the fortitude, and patience to follow through on your passions. It is paired with Hod as the righteous attributes related to group interactivity, with Netzach being leadership, the ability to rally others to a cause and motivate them to act; while Hod is community, the ability to do the footwork needed to follow through on ideas and make them happen. Netzach is identified with the right leg or foot when the Tree of Life is portrayed on the human form, while Hod is the left leg or foot.
The angelic order of Netzach is the Elohim, the ruling Archangel of which is Haniel.
Hod
Hod (Hebrew הוד howd "majesty, splendour, glory") is the eighth sephira of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.
Hod sits below Gevurah and across from Netzach in the tree of life; Yesod is to the south-east of Hod. It has four paths, which lead to Gevurah, Tiphereth, Netzach, and Yesod.
All the sephirot are likened to different parts of the body, and Netzach and Hod are likened to the two feet of a person i.e. the right and left foot. The feet are usually only the means for a person's activity. While the hands are the main instrument of action, the feet help bring a person to the place where he wishes to execute that action.
Hasidic Judaism's view of Hod is that it is connected with Jewish prayer. Prayer is seen as form of "submission"; Hod is explained as an analogy - that instead of "conquering" an obstacle in one's way, (which is the idea of Netzach), subduing oneself to that "obstacle" is related to the quality of Hod.
Hod is where form is given by language in its widest sense, being the key to the "mystery of form" (this may be an adoption of a point of view of Jacques Lacan). Our unconscious desires come from Netzach, and are given form in the symbolic realm by Hod, manifesting unconsciously through Yesod to Malkuth.
"Hod is like doing your dirty laundry" -Reb Zalman Shachter-Shalomi
Non-Jewish occult associations
Hod is described as being a force that breaks down energy into different, distinguishable forms, and it is associated with intellectuality, learning and ritual, as opposed to Netzach, Victory, which is the power of energy to overcome all barriers and limitations, and is associated with emotion and passion, music and dancing.
Both these forces find balance in Yesod, foundation, the world of the unconscious, where the different energies created await expression in the lowest world of Malkuth, the Kingdom.
The archangel of this sphere is Michael, and the Bene Elohim is the Angelic order.
Hod is said to be the sphere in which the magician mostly works. An example is given by Dion Fortune in The Mystical Qabalah: Imagine primitive man is meditating in the wilderness, and comes in contact with, and begins to understand, some energy that surrounds him. So that he can grasp it better, he creates some form, perhaps the form of a god or a symbol, so he has something he can relate to. He then uses that statue or that symbol in future ceremonies to contact that intangible energy once again. This is the role that Hod plays in magic, while the music and dance that may be present in such a ceremony is the role that Netzach might play, providing the raw energy to reach the higher levels of consciousness.
In comparison with Eastern systems, both Hod and Netzach are sometimes associated with the Manipura chakra, which is associated with the breaking down and releasing of energy, anabolism and catabolism.
In 777, Aleister Crowley associates Hod to the Four Eights of occult tarot, Anubis, Thoth, Hanuman, Loki, Hermes, Mercury, Jackal. Hermaphrodite, Opal, Storax, and quicksilver (Not a complete list).
Yesod
Yesod (Hebrew: יסוד "foundation") is a sephirah or node in the kabbalistic Tree of Life, a system of Jewish philosophy. Yesod, located near the base of the Tree, is the sephirah below Hod and Netzach, and above Malkuth (the kingdom). It is seen as a vehicle allowing movement from one thing or condition to another (the power of connection). Yesod, Kabbalah, & the Tree of Life are Jewish concepts adopted by various philosophical systems including Christianity, New Age Eastern-based mysticism, & Western esoteric practices.
Kabbalah
According to Jewish Kabbalah, Yesod is the foundation upon which God has built the world. It also serves as a transmitter between the sephirot above, and the reality below. The light of the upper sephirot gather in Yesod and are channelled to Malkuth below. In this manner, Yesod is associated with the sexual organs. The masculine Yesod collects the vital forces of the sephirot above, and transmits these creative and vital energies into the feminine Malkuth below. Yesod channels, Malkuth receives. In turn, it is through Malkuth that the earth is able to interact with the divinity.
Yesod plays the role of collecting and balancing the different and opposing energies of Hod and Netzach, and also from Tiferet above it, storing and distributing it throughout the world. It is likened to the 'engine-room' of creation. The Cherubim is the angelic choir connected to Yesod, headed by the Archangel Gabriel. In contrast, the demonic order in the Qliphothic sphere opposite of Yesod is Gamaliel, ruled by the Archdemon Lilith.
Eastern mysticism
In comparison with forms of Eastern mysticism, Yesod is most commonly associated with the Swadhisthana chakra, which is associated with the moon, with sexuality, and with the unconscious.
Esoteric philosophy
In esoteric Western philosophy, according to the writer Dion Fortune, Yesod is considered to be "of supreme importance to the practical occultist...the Treasure House of Images, the sphere of Maya, Illusion."
Malkuth
Malkuth, Malchut or Malchus, or Shekhinah, is the tenth of the sephirotin the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. It sits at the bottom of the Tree, below Yesod. This sephirah has as a symbol the Bride which relates to the sphere of Tipheret, symbolized by the Bridegroom.
Unlike the other nine sephirot, it is an attribute of God which does not emanate from God directly. Rather it emanates from God's creation—when that creation reflects and evinces God's glory from within itself.[1] The word can be translated or identified as positive communication, royalty/kingly dynasty, or humility.
Hermetic and Christian Kabbalah
Malkuth means Kingdom. It is associated with the realm of matter/earth and relates to the physical world, the planets and the solar system. It is important not to think of this Sephirah as "unspiritual". Even though Malkuth is the emanation "furthest" from the Divine Source, it is still on the Tree of Life and therefore has its own unique spiritual qualities. It is often said, Kether (the "highest" Sephira) is in Malkuth and Malkuth is in Kether. As the receiving sphere of all the other Sephiroth, Malkuth gives tangible form to the other emanations. The Divine energy comes down and finds its expression in this plane, and our purpose as human beings is to bring that energy back around the circuit again and back up the Tree.
Some occultists have also likened Malkuth to a cosmic filter, as it lies above the world of the Qliphoth, or the Tree of Death. The Qliphoth, being the world of chaos, is constructed from the imbalance of the original Sephirot in the Tree of Life. For this reason Malkuth is associated with the feet and anus of the human body, the feet connecting the body to Earth, and the anus being the body's "filter" through which waste is excreted, just as Malkuth excretes unbalanced energy into the Qliphoth. Another way to understand this is that when one is sitting, as in a meditative state, it is the anus that makes physical contact with the Earth, whereas when one is standing or walking, it is the feet that come in contact with the Earth.
Malkuth is also associated with the World of Assiah, the material plane, and the "densest" of the Four Worlds of the Kabbalah. Because of this relation to Assiah, it is also related to the suit of Pentacles or Coins of the Tarot. Through Assiah, Malkuth is also related to the four Page cards in the Tarot as well. There is also a connection between Malkuth and the tenth card of each suit in Tarot as Malkuth is the tenth sephiroth. In the modern set of playing cards, Malkuth is related to the Suit of Diamonds' symbolizing material wealth, or the treasures found in the physical world. Malkuths association with the Page cards of the Tarot is reflected in the modern playing card deck as the Jacks of the deck. As Malkuth is directly associated with Assiah, Malkuth also represents the second He (ה) in the Tetragrammaton (יהוה), and is associated with the classical element of Earth.
The Names of God associated with Malkuth are Adonai Melekh and Adonai ha-Arets. The Archangel of this sphere is Sandalphon. The Ishim (Souls of Fire) is the Angelic order associated with Malkuth, and the planetary/astrological correspondence of Malkuth is the Earth. The Qliphah of Malkuth is represented by the demonicorder Nehemoth, ruled by the Archdemon Naamah. Symbols associated with this sphere are a Bride (a young woman on a throne with a veil over her face) and a double cubed altar. Where Binah is known as the Superior Mother, Malkuth is referred to as the Inferior Mother. It is also referred to as the Bride of Microprosopos, where the Macroprosopos is Kether.
From a Christian viewpoint this sphere is important since Jesus preached that people should "seek first the Kingdom of God". In some systems, it is equated with Da'at, knowledge in the sense of Gnosis, the invisible sephirah. In comparison with Eastern systems, Malkuth is a very similar archetypal idea to that of the Muladhara chakra. In this manner, Malkuth is again associated with the anus, although technically the Muladhara is located in the sacram bone. In Shakta Tantra, which is also associated with the Earth, this is the plane in which karma is expressed.
Although Malkuth is seen as the "lowest" Sephiroth on the tree of life, it also contains within it the potential to reach the highest. This is exemplified in the Hermetic maxim 'As above so below', and "Kether is in Malkuth, and Malkuth is in Kether".
Ein Sof
Ein Sof, or Ayn Sof in Kabbalah, is understood as God prior to his self-manifestation in the production of any spiritual realm."the Endless One" (she-en lo tiklah). Ein Sofmay be translated as "unending", "(there is) no end", or infinity. Of the Ein Sof, nothing ("Ein") can be grasped ("Sof"-limitation). It is the origin of the Ohr Ein Sof, the "Infinite Light" of paradoxical divine self-knowledge, nullified within the Ein Sof prior to creation. In Lurianic Kabbalah, the first act of creation, the Tzimtzum self "withdrawal" of God to create an "empty space", takes place from there. In Hasidism, the Tzimtzum is only the illusionary concealment of the Ohr Ein Sof, giving rise to monistic panentheism. Consequently, Hasidism focuses on the Atzmus divine essence, rooted higher within the Godhead than the Ein Sof, which is limited to infinitude, and reflected in the essence (Etzem) of the Torah and the soul.
Explanation of Ein Sof
The Zohar explains the term "Ein Sof" as follows:
Before He gave any shape to the world, before He produced any form, He was alone, without form and without resemblance to anything else. Who then can comprehend how He was before the Creation? Hence it is forbidden to lend Him any form or similitude, or even to call Him by His sacred name, or to indicate Him by a single letter or a single point... But after He created the form of the Heavenly Man, He used him as a chariot wherein to descend, and He wishes to be called after His form, which is the sacred name "YHWH".
In other words, "Ein Sof" signifies "the nameless being". In another passage the Zohar reduces the term to "Ein" (non-existent), because God so transcends human understanding as to be practically non-existent.
In addition to the Sefer Yetzirah and the Zohar, other well-known explications of the relation between Ein Sof and all other realities and levels of reality have been formulated by the Jewish mystical thinkers of the Middle Ages, such as Isaac the Blind and Azriel.Judah Ḥayyaṭ, in his commentary Minḥat Yehudah on the Ma'areket Elahut, gives the following explanation of the term "Ein Sof":
Any name of God which is found in the Bible can not be applied to the Deity prior to His self-manifestation in the Creation, because the letters of those names were produced only after the emanation. . . . Moreover, a name implies a limitation in its bearer; and this is impossible in connection with the "Ein Sof".
The Ten Sefirot
According to Gershom Scholem, the Ein Sof is the emanator of the ten sefirot. Sefirot are energy emanations found on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.Ein Sof, the Atik Yomin ("Ancient of Days"), emanates the sefirot into the cosmic womb of the Ayin in a manner that results in the created universe. The three letters composing the word "Ayin" (אי״ן), indicate the first three purely intellectual sefirot, which precede any emotion or action.The order of devolution can be described as:
000. Ayin (Nothing; אין)
00. Ein Sof (Limitlessness; אין סוף)
0. Ohr Ein Sof (Endless Light; אור אין סוף)
-.Tzimtzum (Contraction; צמצום)
1. Keter (Crown; כתר)
2. Chokhmah (Wisdom; חכמה)
3. Binah (Understanding; בינה)
4. Chesed or Gedulah (Loving Kindness or Mercy; חסד)
5. Gevurah or Din (Power or Judgement; גבורה)
6. Tiferet (Beauty or Compassion; תפארת)
7. Netzach (Triumph or Endurance; נצח)
8. Hod (Majesty or Splendor; הוד)
9. Yesod (Foundation; יסוד)
10. Malchut (Realm; מלכות)
The ten sefirot were preceded by a stage of concealment called tzimtzum, which "allows space" for creations to perceive themselves as separate existences from their creator. The sefirot exhibit reflection in sets of triads between more exalted states of being (or "non-being," when "otherness" does not yet exist) and the lower, more mundane levels of existence:
Ayin, Ein Sof, Ohr Ein Sof
Keter, Chokhmah, Binah
Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet
Netzach, Hod, Yesod
Concerned that misinterpretation could lead to the idolatrous belief of duality or multiplicity in God, the Kabbalists frequently stress that the sefirot are bound up in the Ein Sof, and that without the Ein Sof the sefirot have no existence. However, there is an apparent contradiction, since in Kabbalah, the sefirot are sometimes called divine in themselves, despite the assertion that they are only vehicles to manifest God. Moshe Cordovero, who gave the first full systemization of Kabbalah in the 16th century, resolved the contradiction, explaining that the sefirot consist of lights invested in vessels. In detail, whereas the vessels are differentiated vehicles for creation, the light is the undifferentiated light of the Ein Sof. This is similar to how water poured into differently-shaped vessels will take on the vessels' forms, or how light streaming through different colors of glass appears in different colors. Despite the change in appearance, the water and the light emanate from a single source and are essentially unchanged; the vessels merely serve to filter and veil the light to reveal different aspects of the creator, and to permit creations to benefit from his light. This explanation was accepted and expanded upon in later works of Kabbalah and Chassidut.
