Netzach

Jay Michaelson on learnkabbalah.com

Netzach means “eternity;” it is the aspect of revelation which stretches horizontally for all time, and the attribute of endurance within the Divine — in the sense both of “God’s mercy endures forever” and the more common usage of endurance through difficult times. Hod, its complement, means “splendor.” It is the aspect of revelation which exists vertically, as a peak experience, or contact with that which is transcendence. It is the source of what Heschel called the experience of radical amazement: the shattering encounter with the numinous that engenders the birth of wonder.

On the more mundane planes, we can (borrowing from Thomas Edison) understand hod as inspiration, and netzach as perspiration. Hod are those moments of insight at which we sing and shout “awwww!” Netzach are the rest of the times. Hod are, in relationship, those perfect evenings on tropical islands, where the sun sets over the water and the night is filled with love. Netzach are the times you pick your lover up at the airport. To paraphrase Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, hod is like a Ferrari; netzach like a Hummer. To paraphrase Jack Kornfield, hod is the ecstasy; netzach is the laundry.

[W]hen you are experiencing an expansive moment of hod, know that you’re experiencing hod; don’t imagine it will last forever, but don’t blow it off as merely a “high” either. Hod moments give us the juice to keep going on; netzach is the going on itself.

תָּנָא דְּבֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב: כׇּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״נֶצַח״ ״סֶלָה״ ״וָעֶד״ — אֵין לוֹ הֶפְסֵק עוֹלָמִית. נֶצַח, דִּכְתִיב: ״כִּי לֹא לְעוֹלָם אָרִיב וְלֹא לָנֶצַח אֶקְּצוֹף״.
With regard to the end of this verse, a Sage of the school of Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov taught the following baraita: Wherever it states netzaḥ, Selah, or va’ed, the matter will never cease. Netzaḥ, as it is written: “For I will not contend forever; neither will I be eternally [lanetzaḥ] angry” (Isaiah 57:16), which demonstrates that netzaḥ bears a similar meaning to forever.

[קפח] היכל השלישי היכל נוגה, נגד הנהגת הנצח. ... ולשלם שכר טוב למשכימים לבית הכנסת ולמתפללים כראוי, ולהולכים לדבר מצוה, ומבקרים חולים ומחזירין אותם בתשובה, ויתר מצוות בהליכה ברגלים, ולמביאים בניהם לבית הספר. וממונים על עוד דברים, ונתבאר בזוהר פקודי (רמ"ח, רמ"ט, ר"נ). ושני ההיכלות הנ"ל המה היכלי הנביאים.

188. The third palace is called Brilliance - Nogah. It corresponds to the sefirah of Netzach. ... they implement good reward to those who rise early to attend the morning services and who pray with a proper intent, as well as all matters pertaining to walking, such as running to perform a mitzvah, visiting the sick and drawing them toward G-d and Bringing ones children to Cheder, etc. The second & third palaces [Hod and Netzach] are called the palaces of the prophets.

(י) וְהִ֖יא מָ֣רַת נָ֑פֶשׁ וַתִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל עַל־יְהוָ֖ה וּבָכֹ֥ה תִבְכֶּֽה׃ (יא) וַתִּדֹּ֨ר נֶ֜דֶר וַתֹּאמַ֗ר יְהוָ֨ה צְבָא֜וֹת אִם־רָאֹ֥ה תִרְאֶ֣ה ׀ בָּעֳנִ֣י אֲמָתֶ֗ךָ וּזְכַרְתַּ֙נִי֙ וְלֹֽא־תִשְׁכַּ֣ח אֶת־אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ וְנָתַתָּ֥ה לַאֲמָתְךָ֖ זֶ֣רַע אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וּנְתַתִּ֤יו לַֽיהוָה֙ כָּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיָּ֔יו וּמוֹרָ֖ה לֹא־יַעֲלֶ֥ה עַל־רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ (יב) וְהָיָה֙ כִּ֣י הִרְבְּתָ֔ה לְהִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְעֵלִ֖י שֹׁמֵ֥ר אֶת־פִּֽיהָ׃ (יג) וְחַנָּ֗ה הִ֚יא מְדַבֶּ֣רֶת עַל־לִבָּ֔הּ רַ֚ק שְׂפָתֶ֣יהָ נָּע֔וֹת וְקוֹלָ֖הּ לֹ֣א יִשָּׁמֵ֑עַ וַיַּחְשְׁבֶ֥הָ עֵלִ֖י לְשִׁכֹּרָֽה׃ (יד) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ עֵלִ֔י עַד־מָתַ֖י תִּשְׁתַּכָּרִ֑ין הָסִ֥ירִי אֶת־יֵינֵ֖ךְ מֵעָלָֽיִךְ׃ (טו) וַתַּ֨עַן חַנָּ֤ה וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֲדֹנִ֔י אִשָּׁ֤ה קְשַׁת־ר֙וּחַ֙ אָנֹ֔כִי וְיַ֥יִן וְשֵׁכָ֖ר לֹ֣א שָׁתִ֑יתִי וָאֶשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ אֶת־נַפְשִׁ֖י לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ (טז) אַל־תִּתֵּן֙ אֶת־אֲמָ֣תְךָ֔ לִפְנֵ֖י בַּת־בְּלִיָּ֑עַל כִּֽי־מֵרֹ֥ב שִׂיחִ֛י וְכַעְסִ֖י דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי עַד־הֵֽנָּה׃ (יז) וַיַּ֧עַן עֵלִ֛י וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לְכִ֣י לְשָׁל֑וֹם וֵאלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל יִתֵּן֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣לָתֵ֔ךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁאַ֖לְתְּ מֵעִמּֽוֹ.

(10) In her wretchedness, she prayed to YHVH, weeping all the while. (11) And she made this vow: “O YHVH of Hosts, if You will look upon the suffering of Your maidservant and will remember me and not forget Your maidservant, and if You will grant Your maidservant a male child, I will dedicate him to YHVH for all the days of his life; and no razor shall ever touch his head.” (12) As she kept on praying before YHVH, Eli watched her mouth. (13) Now Hannah was praying in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. (14) Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Sober up!” (15) And Hannah replied, “Oh no, my lord! I am a very unhappy woman. I have drunk no wine or other strong drink, but I have been pouring out my heart to YHVH. (16) Do not take your maidservant for a worthless woman; I have only been speaking all this time out of my great anguish and distress.” (17) “Then go in peace,” said Eli, “and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.”

״וְחַנָּה הִיא מְדַבֶּרֶת עַל לִבָּהּ״. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן זִמְרָא: עַל עִסְקֵי לִבָּהּ. אָמְרָה לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, כׇּל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָאתָ בָּאִשָּׁה, לֹא בָּרָאתָ דָּבָר אֶחָד לְבַטָּלָה: עֵינַיִם לִרְאוֹת, וְאׇזְנַיִם לִשְׁמוֹעַ, חוֹטֶם לְהָרִיחַ, פֶּה לְדַבֵּר, יָדַיִם לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּהֶם מְלָאכָה, רַגְלַיִם לְהַלֵּךְ בָּהֶן, דַּדִּים לְהָנִיק בָּהֶן. דַּדִּים הַלָּלוּ שֶׁנָּתַתָּ עַל לִבִּי לָמָּה? לֹא לְהָנִיק בָּהֶן?! תֵּן לִי בֵּן, וְאָנִיק בָּהֶן.

“And Hannah spoke on her heart.” Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra: Hannah spoke to God concerning matters of her heart. She said before Him: Master of the Universe, of all the organs You created in a woman, You have not created one in vain. Every organ fulfills its purpose; eyes to see, ears to hear, a nose to smell, a mouth to speak, hands with which to perform labor, feet with which to walk, breasts with which to nurse. If so, these breasts that You placed upon my heart, to what purpose did You place them? Was it not in order to nurse with them? Grant me a son and I will nurse with them.

Netzach (Victory, Eternity) - According to Kabbalistic Teachings of the Female Prophets, Netzach is associated with Hannah

Netzach is our ability to endure, to apply ourselves tirelessly to some task, to put a plan into action and follow through with it. It is the way the willpower (ratzon) of a person is applied to life and leads to victory. Netzach shows us the Creator's tireless participation in the world and how our devotion to God in any undertaking is what makes God's participation manifest in the world of action.

וְגַם֙ נֵ֣צַח יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹ֥א יְשַׁקֵּ֖ר וְלֹ֣א יִנָּחֵ֑ם

Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not deceive or is moved...

לְשֵׁם יִחוּד קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ לְיַחֵד שֵׁם י"ה בְּו"ה בְּיִחוּדָא שְׁלִים בְּשֵׁם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל.

הִנְ֒נִי מוּכָן וּמְזֻמָּן לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל סְפִירַת הָעֹֽמֶר כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה. וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת מִיּוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם אֶת עֹֽמֶר הַתְּ֒נוּפָה שֶֽׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת תְּמִימוֹת תִּהְיֶֽינָה: עַד מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת הַשְּׁ֒בִיעִית תִּסְפְּ֒רוּ חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה לַיהֹוָה:

וִיהִי נֹֽעַם אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ עָלֵֽינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵֽינוּ כּוֹנְנָה עָלֵֽינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵֽינוּ כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל סְפִירַת הָעֹֽמֶר:

26. הַיּוֹם שִׁשָּׁה וְעֶשְׂרִים יוֹם שֶׁהֵם שְׁלשָׁה שָׁבוּעוֹת וַחֲמִשָּׁה יָמִים בָּעֹֽמֶר:

הוד שבנצח

I am prepared and ready to perform the affirmative command to count the Omer, as is written in the Torah: “And you shall count for yourselves, from the day after the day of rest, from the day you bring the omer as the wave-offering, seven complete weeks shall there be; until the day following the seventh week shall you count fifty days; and you shall bring a new meal-offering unto YHVH.”

May the pleasantness of my Master our God be upon us, and the work of our hands established for us, and the work of our hands—establish it.

Blessed are You, YHVH, our God, Ruler of the universe, Who sanctified us with Her commandments and commanded us to count the Omer.

Today is twenty-six days, which are three weeks and five days of the Omer.

Hod she'b'netzach