Kabbalah Portions -II

  In this portion I ll observe the meaning of the Tree of Life and shortly the ten sefirot. What is the meaning of the Tree? What are sefirot, where do they come from?

    I. All the worlds are concealed from men by initial plan of God –Ein Sof the infinite Light. Since the beginning there was just Light filling the whole space. It was only God alone abiding. Then he had the first inner motion – the will to create. God created the first world – imagine it like a sphere inside another sphere, inside another…until time, space and physical reality are created.

     God created a constriction in the middle of His Ein Sof, in such way an empty space or void occurred. As there was no place for creation, the divine force made a space. This given space expanded, and created the Spiritual worlds  -in Kabbalah tradition they are four. Even so the spiritual worlds are encompassed by the Infinite Light – Ein Sof, as God essence is still in the center and on the edge (ends) of the last sphere. In such way the physical world is far away from the center, but also far and in the same time close to the edge of infinite Light – which is outside the World as we perceive as physical”. The worlds are: Atzuluth (emanation, concealed potential of God, masculine principle), Beriah – first creation, feminine principle, Imma –woman, 3.Yetzirah – formation of worlds of good and evil spirits, angels that are helping humans, human emotions, 4. Assiah – action, movement, expansion of worlds – manifestation of spiritual in physical reality and our world. Assiah has spiritual and physical sphere.

Each of this worlds is a huge sphere of Light, that fills the space, and all of them are in the spiritual plane, except the last sphere of Assiah. Each of the worlds encompasses principles, creates angelic presences and angelic hierarchies, and expands infinitely. These worlds are not static, but they continue to move and expand. They contain little spheres of Divine emanation of Light. This light is the plan of existence of Creator, send to all living beings – in form and in shape, in physical bodies or spiritual. In such way the worlds contain the allegorical image of Tree of Life and seforot – the main concept in Kabbalah.

II. Tree of Life ~ Etz ha Chayim

    The tree represents the divine emanations of God and his creation from nothing (ex nihilo). This is the nature of revealed divinity and human soul. The tree consists of ten Spheres called Seforot (numbers, counting), and 22 paths connecting them in well formed shape. Each of the sefirot is emanation of divine qualities, that should be recognized and reached by humans to highest possible degree. In order to do that, the human needs to ascend through spiritual paths – which are the 22 connections.

The Tree is symbol of map of Creation and explains in depths the full meaning of creation and God, with his concealed and revealed aspects.

Most things in the world are concealed from the five senses of humans, as humans are just advanced animal world. They have barrier of their human senses, that prevents them from seeing and observing and accepting the spiritual reality. That’s why there is a barrier between the Sefirot Malchut (Kingship) and all others above. The Tree of life is amazing mirrored view of the universe. Its roots are spiritual worlds and are up in the “higher realms”, its branches and leaves are in the physical reality and our Earth. But the ultimate goal of Kabbalah (and God) is to achieve the desire in each human to be closer to Creator and become creator himself. That means he starts to fill in with divine Light slowly, and his desire for giving (bestowing) love, kindness, strength, beauty (all divine qualities of sefirot) becomes higher. Humans desire to “receive” is also there as we are vessels of Divine light, but the desire decreases with increasing of will of giving.

III. Sefirot – emanation of divine Light Ein Sof ~

10 sefirot are symbols of the divine qualities, or spiritual principles, that should be observed and achieved by men. Tree is representation of process how universes and worlds begin to exist and expand. The space above the first Sefira –Keter is named in Jewish scripts “Ain Sof Aur” – Light without end. Keter is a thought – singularity of the Limitless light. This is the primordial Light. The next is Chochma – wisdom, in which Space and time started to spread. Before that they didn’t exist. This is pure dynamic energy that expands with speed faster than Light. Binah is primordial feminine energy, represented by primordial Waters. Binah receives the energy of Chochmah, nourishing it. Binah is beginning of Time. These three sefirot are the first primordial energies of the Universe – they are Supernal sefirot.

What is the role of the man?

Human beings are seen as the fruit of the Tree of Life, through which the eternal divine essence and energy can express and experience finite form in physical world. The process now is reversed – the human is obliged to trace his existence and aims to reunite again with all divine essences, until it reaches the Infinite Light –Crown, and become one with the Creator. This is the aim of existence.

All sefirot – divine emanations, qualities are:

I.                   Keter – Crown

II.                 Chochma – Wisdom

III.              Binah – understanding

IV.              Chesed – Kindness, love

V.                Gevurah – Severity, Judgment

VI.              Tiferet – Beauty

VII.           Netzah – Strength

VIII.         Hod – Glory, Splendor

IX.             Yessod – Foundation

X.                Malchut – Kingship

As I ll observe later, each sefira has corresponding aspects – angelic being, color, crystal, metals, number, planet, even part of the body. 

nina Lea-nour *

Kabbalah Portions -I

  Kabbalah Self-study I

   Worlds of Light, how Ohr Ein Sof (the infinite divine Light) expands and creates the worlds (Olam). In tradition of Kabbalah the concept of Spiritual worlds (worlds of divine Light) is quite important. The light is perceived as spread of divine qualities and divine essence from the creator to the Creation (worlds). First world was created as a vessel of Light, that expands with divinity.

I.               Willing to receive Ohr Ein Sof – (quality of fullness with Light) – Atziluth. This world means Emanation, the light is totally filled the vessel (kli). The divine light is united with the Source-Creator. Related Sephira here is Chochma (Wisdom). Everything looks as oneness in this Olam Atziluth. Light and creator are one, inseparable, but still the created Vessel exists.

II.                 Willing to bestow Ohr Ein Sof – quality of need for emptiness – The vessel returns the received Light, as an act of need to bestow. But as the vessel does not have this ability, it simply stops to receive and pushes away the divine Light. Here is the second Spiritual world – Beriah – world of Creation. The vessel now creates the empty space inside itself. This is called “creation from nothing”. Nothing was inside infinite light – or void, empty space. Briah is the divine Throne. This world is connected with the spiritual sphere (sefira) Binah (Understanding), also Divine intellect, “Higher garden of Eden”. Here is the first created space where Archangels live since the beginning of creation – they are made of direct divine Light from the source Ein Sof. They are eternal and unchanged. The letter correspondence in Briah is “hei” in Tetragrammaton. The element here is Water, soul level – Neshamah.

III.              Olam Yetzira – Formation – willing of the vessel (worlds like cups) to bestow and to receive in the same time. This is the stage where creation received shape and form. Basic elements are formed here. This world is connected to the divine Sefirot – Chesed, Geburah, Tiferet, Netzah, Hod, Yesod. All of them have desire to receive and to give in the same time. They are called “microposopus”. Its known as the seat of emotions. In Yetzira good and evil exist as concepts and active forces to deal with. They are also measurements on the achieving personal qualities and perfection. In this world souls and angels abide, we know the world by direct communion or prayer to God, or by studying Torah. Finite and non everlasting angels live here, unlike infinite archangels in Briah. Correspondences in this world are: letter “vav” in name of Tetragrammaton. The element Air, the soul level – ruach, emotions and speech, Seraphim, “Lower garden of Eden”.

IV.              Olam Assiah – world of Action – This is the level of completeness. The creation now does not receive direct light in its Vessel from Ein Sof. The Light source is comprehended not by given senses, but with thought and intimate communion. This is spiritual level, but the Light here is again “concealed”, as the function of creation itself is to “create”. In other words –creation wants to become similar or closer to the qualities of Creator, by process of creating “worlds”. Assiah is world of sefira Malchut (Kingship). It is divided into 2 parts – spiritual world of angels – helpers of physical created creatures; and 2. physical manifestation of creation (assiah Gashmi) (our world including humans). Correspondences are: the final letter is divine name “hei” in Tertagrammaton, sefira Malchut, element Earth, soul level –Nefesh (soul garment of action), The Shechinah. Here the spiritual Assiah is ruled by Ofanim, they help humans and fight evil. The main angel here is Sandalphon. In Assiah there are 10 heavens and all the physical creations. World of actions, making and Effects. Corresponding to Pentacles in Tarot.

V.                Adam Kadmon – this is the world of human primordial Soul (or human as potential), that is still united with the creator –Ein Sof. Adam Kadmon is different from Adam ha Rishon (the physical manifestation of human and humanity). As it is still transcendental, abiding in the full light of God, it is not part of the worlds of Light. It is before creation and still emanation of God, not creation process. This is world of infinite potential, associated with sefira Keter (Crown), that stands above all Tree of Life.

( from – study on Lurianic Kabbalah, and general concepts) 

nina Lea-nour *