Sefirot - Sefaria

The Sefirot – God emanates ten vessels through which the world is created, called sefirot, which are both part of God and created by God. These vessels are ... SefirotHCByHadarCohenAtTheWell1א2ב3גVersion1 Keter(Crown) Hokhmah(Wisdom) Binah(Understanding) Hesed(Mercy) Gevurah(Justice) Tiferet(Beauty) Nezah(Eternity) Hod(Glory) Yesod(Foundation) Shekhinah(thefeminineaspectofGod)orMalkhut(Royalty) Version2 Chochmah-wisdom, Binah-understanding, Daat-knowledge, Chessed-kindness, Gevurah-strength, Tiferet-beauty, Netzach-victory, Hod-splendor, Yesod-foundation, Malchut-kingship. 4דספריצירהא׳:ב׳עשרספירותבלימהועשריםושתיםאותיותיסודשלשאמותושבעכפולותושתיםעשרהפשוטות:SeferYetzirah1:2Tenarethenumbers,asaretheSefirot,andtwenty-twotheletters[oftheHebrewalphabet],thesearetheFoundationofallthings.Oftheseletters,threeare'mothers',sevenare'double',andtwelveare'simple'.5הספריצירה:נוסחהגר"אב׳:ג׳(ג)עשריםושתיםאותיותיסודחקקןבקולחצבןברוחקבעןבפהבחמשהמקומותאחה"עבגרוןגיכ"קבחיךדטלנ"תבלשוןזסשר"ץבשיניםבומ"ףבשפתים:SeferYetzirahGraVersion2:3(3)Twenty-twoFoundationLetters/Heengravedthemwithvoice/Hecarvedthemwithbreath/Hesettheminthemouth/Infiveplaces/AlefChetHehEyin(אחהע)inthethroat(Gutturals)/GimelYudKafKuf(גיכק)inthepalate(Palatals)/DaletTetLamedNunTav(דטלנת)/inthetongue(Linguals)/ZayinSamekhShinReshTzadi(זסשרצ)/intheteeth(Dentals)/BetVavMemPeh(בומפ)inthelips.(Labials)6וספרהבהירקכ״ה(קכה)ואמאיקריליהספירות,משוםדכתיב(תהליםי"טב)השמיםמספריםכבודאל:SeferHaBahir125...Andwhyaretheycalledsefirot?Becauseitiswritten:'Theheavensdeclare(m'saprim)theGlory(ka'vod)ofGod(Psalm19:2)--TheEarlyKabbalah,PaulistPress,1986p.607זספרהבהירקל״ח(קלח)ומאיניהותורתאמת,דברשמורהעלאמיתותהעולמיםופעולתובמחשבהוהואמעמידעשרהמאמרותשבהםעומדהעולםוהואאחדמהם,ובראבאדםכנגדאותםעשרהמאמרותעשראצבעותידים,וכשהיהמשהמריםידוומכויןבמיעוטכוונתהלבבאותההמדההנקראתישראלובתוכהתורתאמתורומזלועשראצבעותידיושהואמעמידאתהעשרה,ואםלאיעזוראתישראללאיתקיימוהעשרהמאמרותבכליוםויוםהלכךוגברישראל,וכאשריניחידווגברעמלק(שם)וכיהיהמשהעושהשיגברעמלקדכתיבוכאשריניחידווגברעמלק,אלאאסורלולאדםלשהותשלששעותכפיופרושותהשמים:SeferHaBahir138...AndwhatistheTorahoftruth?Thisisthatpowerwhichrepresentsthetruthoftheworlds,andHeoperatesbyThought.AndHegivesexistencetothetenUtterancesbywhichtheworldexists,andHeisoneofthem.AndHecreatedinmantenfingersonthehandstocorrespondtothetenUtterances,andwhenMosesraisedhishandswiththeminimumofhisheart'sintention...andpointsouttoHimhistenfingerstosignifythathemakesthetenexist8חWhataretheSefirot? TheSefirot–Godemanatestenvesselsthroughwhichtheworldiscreated,calledsefirot,whicharebothpartofGodandcreatedbyGod.Thesevesselsarechannelsoflightorwater,andtheyalsoarelight.TheyareGodandofGod,buttheycannotdefineGodorlimitGod–whatistrulyGodiswhollybeyondthesedescriptions,beyondthefirstsefirah,calledKeterorcrown,denotedbythetermEinSof–withoutlimit,withoutend. WhenKabbalistsreadstoriesintheTorah,everycharacterandplacerepresentsaconfigurationoftheSefirot.Forexample,thebindingofIsaacisChesed(Abraham)overcomingGevurah(Isaac).A(secular)technicaltermforhowtheSefirotfunctionisthattheyare"hypostases"(sing."hypostasis")–thatis,abstractconceptsimaginedasbeingsoraspartsofarealitythataremorerealthanthephysicalworldaroundus... TheStructureoftheSefirot–fortheZohar,anessentialaspectofthisworldisthattheSefirotareemanatedintheformofaMishkalorbalancescale,withacenter,rightandleft,whichcanbepicturedastheformofatriangleortriad.ThisallowedeachSefirahtosharetheforceofcreationwiththosearoundit,sothatnonewouldshatterbecauseoftheinfluxofGod'senergy.EachoftheSefirotalsocontainswithinitselfanelementofalltheothers.(SarahIditSchneider'stermforthisisthattheyare"interincluded"withineachother.)ThisfractalstructureisonewayinwhichtheSefirotareinfiniteordivineintheiressence. RabbiDavidSeidenberg,neohasid.org/kabbalah/sefirot/9טJosephDan(p.43-44) TwoviewsoftheSefirot: 1.Amapofahumanbeing-head,arms,legs... 2.Stagesofemanation-Keter,divinewillshinestocreatesomethingbeyonditself...plan(Hochmah/Wisdom)...binah...potentialwillandwisdomtransformedintorealemanation...binahopenstomodesofregulation...rightsidechesed/loveandmercyandtheleft...din/gevurah,strictlawandjustice...unitedintiferet...mixturethatsustainsb/cexistencecannotbepureloveorpurejustice...NetzachandHod=lowerformsofmercyandjustice...yesod/foundation-vehicleforpouringdivinepowerintothe'lowerrealms'...10th=femininepower-transfersdivineflowtocreation-opensrevelationtocreatures10יIsaacLuria'sCreationMyth InthecreationmythofancientJudaicmysticism,Godcreatestheuniversebyaprocessdubbedtzimtzum,whichinHebrewmeansasortofsteppingbacktoallowfortheretobeanOther,anElse,asinsomethingorsomeoneelse.TheJudaicnotionofaworldofFreeWill(TalmudBerachot33b)isdeeplyrootedinthisconcept,intheunderstandingthatincreatinglife,theEyn-Sof,ortheEndlessOne,subduedtheomnipotent,all-embracingDivinePresenceforthesakeoftherealizationoftheDivineWillthattherebeotherbeings(EtzChaim1:1:2.)Ourworld,thenisthesacredspacethattheGreatSpiritgaveasagifttous,aspaceinwhichtobeashumanasdivinelypossible,andasdivineashumanlypossible.Aspacetoerr,tofall,tobelieve,todoubt,tocry,tolaugh.Ourspace,createdbythesimplemotionofsteppingback,thehumbleactofhonoringtheseparaterealityofanOther. FromRabbiBenjaminAdler'sSourceSheet11יאLuria’snewmythisconcentratedinthreegreatsymbols,thetsimtsum,orself-limitation,ofGod,theshevirah,orbreakingofthevessels,andthetikkun,orharmoniouscorrectionandmendingoftheflawwhichcameintotheworldthroughtheshevirah. GershomScholem,OntheKabbalahanditsSymbolism,p.110 AllkabbalisticsystemshavetheirorigininafundamentaldistinctionregardingtheproblemoftheDivine.Intheabstract,itispossibletothinkofGodeitherasGodGodselfwithreferencetoGod'sownnaturealoneorasGodinrelationtoGod'screation.However,allkabbalistsagreethatnoreligiousknowledgeofGod,evenofthemostexaltedkind,canbegainedexceptthroughcontemplationoftherelationshipofGodtocreation.GodinGodself,theabsoluteEssence,liesbeyondanyspeculativeorevenecstaticcomprehension.TheattitudeoftheKabbalahtowardGodmaybedefinedasamysticalagnosticism,formulatedinamoreorlessextremewayandclosetothestandpointofNeoplatonism.InordertoexpressthisunknowableaspectoftheDivinetheearlykabbalistsofProvenceandSpaincoinedthetermEin-Sof("Infinite"). GershomScholem,Kabbalah,p.8812יב"Now,thepoorpersonthinksthatGodisanoldman,asitiswritten,“theancientofdayssits”;andhehaswhitehairbecauseheisold,asitiswritten,“thehairofhisheadlikecleanwool”;andhesitsonagreatwoodenthrone,glitteringwithsparks,asitiswritten,“histhronewasfire”;andthathisappearanceislikefire,asitiswritten,“ForYHVHyourGodisconsumingfire.”Andtheresultofalltheseimages,whichthefoolthinksaboutuntilhecorporealizesGod,isthathefallsintosometrap,andabandonshisfaith...Butthewise,enlightenedpersonknowsGod’sunity,andhisessencethatiscompletelydevoidofmaterialboundaries...Andfromthishewillaidstrengthtohisawe...andagreatloveinhissoul." "TheessenceofGodisineverything,andnothingexistsoutsideofGod.BecauseGodcauseseverythingtobe,itisimpossiblethatanycreatedthingexistsexceptthroughHim.Godistheexistence,thelife,andtherealityofeveryexistingthing.ThecentralpointisthatyoushouldnevermakeadivisionwithinGod...Ifyousaytoyourself,“TheEinSofexpandsuntilacertainpoint,andfromthereonisoutsideofIt,”Godforbid,youaremakingadivision.RatheryoumustsaythatGodisfoundineveryexistingthing.Onecannotsay,“ThisisarockandnotGod,”Godforbid.Rather,allexistenceisGod,andtherockisathingfilledwithGod...Godisfoundineverything,andthereisnothingbesidesGod." RabbiMosesbenJacobCordovero,TranslationbyJayMichaelson13יגמשנהאבותה׳:א׳(א)בַּעֲשָׂרָהמַאֲמָרוֹתנִבְרָאהָעוֹלָם.PirkeiAvot5:1(1)Withtenutterancestheworldwascreated.14יד15טו16טז17יז18יח19יטCreatedwithCreatedwith