The Transmission of Kabbalah
Beginner
By Aryeh Kaplan
Chabad.org
The word "Kabbalah" stems from the Hebrew root "kabal", meaning "to receive". The term implies that it is a certain kind of wisdom that is received.
The Mishna says: "Moses received [kibel] Torah on Sinai and [subsequently] transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua transmitted it to the Elders. The Elders transmitted it to the Prophets. The Prophets transmitted it to the "Men of the Great Assembly."
Moses was the master of all prophets. He understood the Torah completely. In this sense his prophetic vision was on the level of an open vessel that could always receive more. Perhaps the secret of Moses receiving was, the more he transmitted, the more he was able to receive. The Mishna thus says, "Moses 'kibel' Torah" because he was the paradigm of complete and total kabbala - receptivity to the prophetic experience.The only way to grasp every single nuance of Torah, however, is through the prophetic wisdom that is contained in Kabbala…
The idea of Kabbala, then, is to become completely infused with Torah and to connect with it on every possible level. Without Kabbala, a person could understand Torah on a number of levels. The only way to grasp every single nuance of Torah, however, is through the prophetic wisdom that is contained in Kabbala.
We can now understand what Moses "transmitted to Joshua and Joshua transmitted to the Elders, etc." According to the Torah, G‑d told Moses to place his spirit upon Joshua (Num. 27:20). In other words, Moses was to invest Joshua with his own spirit of prophecy. According to an ancient Midrash, this included the necessary methods and disciplines for acquiring prophecy. Moses thus transmitted the keys for entering the prophetic state to Joshua. These keys constituted the Kabbala tradition.
Throughout the period of the Prophets, the Kabbala was guarded by the master prophets and transmitted to select disciples. During this time, the Sanctuary, and later the First Temple, served as the focal point for all prophetic experience. When the Temple was about to be destroyed the prophet Ezekiel was shown a vision which was to signal the end of a thousand year period of prophecy. This vision is known as Maaseh Merkava, the Discipline (or Workings) of the Chariot. While referring specifically to the opening chapter of the book of Ezekiel, the term Maaseh Merkava is also a general appellation for the entire Kabbala tradition.By the time...of the Second Temple, the keys to the Kabbala tradition had been entrusted to the last prophets of the Jewish people…
By the time of the building of the Second Temple, the keys to the Kabbala tradition had been entrusted to the last prophets of the Jewish people as well as to its greatest sages. Together, they constituted the 120 Men of the Great Assembly. It was this body of sages that formulated the Mishna in Tractate Chagigah, stating: "The Maaseh Merkava may be taught only to individual students [one at a time], and they must be wise, understanding with their own knowledge." They thus insured the continued transmission of the Kabbala tradition by restricting its practices to the smallest possible circle of masters. Outside of this circle these practices would remain almost totally unknown. This policy continued until after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. It was only then that things began to change.
After the Bar Kochba revolt in 132-135 C.E., things took a drastic turn for the worse. At this time the Romans became intent on uprooting the last traces of Torah from the Jewish people. The Hadrianic persecutions reached such a crescendo that all teachers of Torah were condemned to death. This was the time of the Ten Martyrs, among who were the final transmitters of the Kabbala tradition.
As a result of these persecutions, the oral tradition from Sinai, in particular the Kabbala tradition, was in danger of being forgotten. At this time, Rabbi Akiva (50-135 C.E.) received his tradition. He was considered the greatest sage of his generation, a master of the revealed Torah, as well as the concealed. Rabbi Akiva possessed the Merkava (Chariot) tradition. Many sources attribute to Rabbi Akiva the authorship of the Sefer Yetzira (Book of Formation), one of the oldest and most obscure Kabbalistic texts. Just as the great bulk of the Talmud bears Rabbi Akiva's stamp, so does the Sefer Yetzira. It was Rabbi Akiva who transmitted these teachings in a well-defined form.
At this time, Rabbi Nehunia ben Hakanah and his disciple, the High Priest Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha, put into writing the Sefer Bahir (Book of Illumination) and the Pirkey Hekhalot Rabatai (The Greater Book of the Divine Chambers). These two sages redacted the traditions they had received in order to prserve them from oblivion during the violent times in which they lived. Commenting on the Mishnah quoted above, Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki-Yarchi 1040-1105) asserts that one of the main texts for the study of Maaseh Merkava was the Pirkei Hekhalot Rabatai. This text contains actual meditative exercises, disciplines, and directions for entering the prophetic state.The Romans were actually killing all the great teachers, the sole transmitters of the revealed and concealed traditions…
The Zohar (Book of Splendor), one of the main pillars of Kabbala, was taught by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai around 135 C.E. Rabbi Shimon also lived during these tumultuous times when the Romans were actually killing all the great teachers, the sole transmitters of the revealed and concealed traditions. During the thirteen years that Rabbi Shimon spent hiding in a cave with his disciples, he taught what he had received from his teachers. During this time as well, he received Divine Inspiration (RuachHaKodesh) and merited the revelation of Elijah the prophet. There was a tradition that if the Oral Torah was endangered to the point of being forgotten, it was permitted to put it into writing. Therefore, all the masters, Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Nehunia, Rabbi Yishmael, and Rabbi Shimon, set a precedent. They began committing parts of the oral tradition to writing. Despite this, however, all of these texts were not given final form for several generations after these teachers. This would be the task of their disciples.
All of these major texts, the Yitzira, the Bahir, the Hekhalot Rabatai, the Zohar, and the various parts of the revealed Torah, contained the basic teachings which had been passed down through the prophets and sages from Moses. The time had come to commit these teachings to writing. Interestingly enough, all of these works are obscure to the point of begging the question: what was gained? What had been written down remained, as the Torah had been in its time, a closed book. The keys were to remain oral. Just enough had been written down to insure that only someone familiar with the tradition would understand. This whole corpus of writings, ranging from the practical understanding of the commandments to the most sublime experience of prophecy, remained a closed book. Yet, the Kabbala tradition had been saved.
We mentioned that one of the main pillars of Kabbala was the Zohar, from the school of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. It was upon the teachings of the Zohar that the two greatest Kabbalists of modern times built their entire systems: Rabbi Moses Cordovero(d. 1570), known as the Ramak, and Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-1572), universally referred to as the Ari, an acronym for "Elo-hi Rabbi Yitzchak", "The G‑dly Rabbi Isaac".
The Zohar is opaque. The main relationship between the writings of the Ari (Kitvei Ari) and the Zohar is that without the Ari's teachings the Zohar does not make any sense at all. You could study the Zohar, which is a very poetic text, but you cannot detect any system or structure. Once you know the Kitvei Ari, the entire Zohar becomes an open book.
The main work of the Kitvei Ari is the Etz Chaim ("Tree of Life"). This work expounds the theoretical foundation of the Kabbala. For one who has mastered the contents of this work, the rest is essentially revealed. Then, the Pri Etz Chaim (Fruit of the Tree of Life) and Sha'ar HaKavanot show you how to apply the various teachings of the Etz Chaim to all kinds of daily situations; meditations when you put on tzitzit or tefillin, when you pray or when you eat matzah. They also show how to develop meditative techniques based on the Ari's teachings.
Then come the works known as the Shemona Shearim (Eight Gates). The first gate, Shaar HaHakdamot, (Gate of Introductions), covers the same theoretical ground as the Etz Chaim. The second is Shaar Maamarei Rashbi, the Gate of Zoharic Teachings; the third is Shaar Maamarei Chazal, the Gate of Talmudic Teachings, the fourth is Shaar HaPesukim, the Gate of Biblical Verses; the fifth is Shaar HaMitzvot, the Gate of the Commandments; the sixth is Shaar HaKavanot, the Gate of Meditations; the seventh is Shaar Ruach HaKodesh, the Gate of Divine Inspiration, which is a general recapitulation and describes how to use the Ari's system as a meditative discipline. In many ways, the Shaar Ruach HaKodesh is the key to the entire Kitvei Ari, because all the previous gates deal with theory, while the Shaar Ruach HaKodeshteaches how to put this into practice. The eighth gate is Shaar HaGilgulim, the Gate of Reincarnations.
Beginner
By Aryeh Kaplan
Chabad.org
|
The study of Kabbala today is a tradition dating back to the most ancient of Jewish sages. |
The Mishna says: "Moses received [kibel] Torah on Sinai and [subsequently] transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua transmitted it to the Elders. The Elders transmitted it to the Prophets. The Prophets transmitted it to the "Men of the Great Assembly."
Moses was the master of all prophets. He understood the Torah completely. In this sense his prophetic vision was on the level of an open vessel that could always receive more. Perhaps the secret of Moses receiving was, the more he transmitted, the more he was able to receive. The Mishna thus says, "Moses 'kibel' Torah" because he was the paradigm of complete and total kabbala - receptivity to the prophetic experience.The only way to grasp every single nuance of Torah, however, is through the prophetic wisdom that is contained in Kabbala…
The idea of Kabbala, then, is to become completely infused with Torah and to connect with it on every possible level. Without Kabbala, a person could understand Torah on a number of levels. The only way to grasp every single nuance of Torah, however, is through the prophetic wisdom that is contained in Kabbala.
We can now understand what Moses "transmitted to Joshua and Joshua transmitted to the Elders, etc." According to the Torah, G‑d told Moses to place his spirit upon Joshua (Num. 27:20). In other words, Moses was to invest Joshua with his own spirit of prophecy. According to an ancient Midrash, this included the necessary methods and disciplines for acquiring prophecy. Moses thus transmitted the keys for entering the prophetic state to Joshua. These keys constituted the Kabbala tradition.
Throughout the period of the Prophets, the Kabbala was guarded by the master prophets and transmitted to select disciples. During this time, the Sanctuary, and later the First Temple, served as the focal point for all prophetic experience. When the Temple was about to be destroyed the prophet Ezekiel was shown a vision which was to signal the end of a thousand year period of prophecy. This vision is known as Maaseh Merkava, the Discipline (or Workings) of the Chariot. While referring specifically to the opening chapter of the book of Ezekiel, the term Maaseh Merkava is also a general appellation for the entire Kabbala tradition.By the time...of the Second Temple, the keys to the Kabbala tradition had been entrusted to the last prophets of the Jewish people…
By the time of the building of the Second Temple, the keys to the Kabbala tradition had been entrusted to the last prophets of the Jewish people as well as to its greatest sages. Together, they constituted the 120 Men of the Great Assembly. It was this body of sages that formulated the Mishna in Tractate Chagigah, stating: "The Maaseh Merkava may be taught only to individual students [one at a time], and they must be wise, understanding with their own knowledge." They thus insured the continued transmission of the Kabbala tradition by restricting its practices to the smallest possible circle of masters. Outside of this circle these practices would remain almost totally unknown. This policy continued until after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. It was only then that things began to change.
After the Bar Kochba revolt in 132-135 C.E., things took a drastic turn for the worse. At this time the Romans became intent on uprooting the last traces of Torah from the Jewish people. The Hadrianic persecutions reached such a crescendo that all teachers of Torah were condemned to death. This was the time of the Ten Martyrs, among who were the final transmitters of the Kabbala tradition.
As a result of these persecutions, the oral tradition from Sinai, in particular the Kabbala tradition, was in danger of being forgotten. At this time, Rabbi Akiva (50-135 C.E.) received his tradition. He was considered the greatest sage of his generation, a master of the revealed Torah, as well as the concealed. Rabbi Akiva possessed the Merkava (Chariot) tradition. Many sources attribute to Rabbi Akiva the authorship of the Sefer Yetzira (Book of Formation), one of the oldest and most obscure Kabbalistic texts. Just as the great bulk of the Talmud bears Rabbi Akiva's stamp, so does the Sefer Yetzira. It was Rabbi Akiva who transmitted these teachings in a well-defined form.
At this time, Rabbi Nehunia ben Hakanah and his disciple, the High Priest Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha, put into writing the Sefer Bahir (Book of Illumination) and the Pirkey Hekhalot Rabatai (The Greater Book of the Divine Chambers). These two sages redacted the traditions they had received in order to prserve them from oblivion during the violent times in which they lived. Commenting on the Mishnah quoted above, Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki-Yarchi 1040-1105) asserts that one of the main texts for the study of Maaseh Merkava was the Pirkei Hekhalot Rabatai. This text contains actual meditative exercises, disciplines, and directions for entering the prophetic state.The Romans were actually killing all the great teachers, the sole transmitters of the revealed and concealed traditions…
The Zohar (Book of Splendor), one of the main pillars of Kabbala, was taught by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai around 135 C.E. Rabbi Shimon also lived during these tumultuous times when the Romans were actually killing all the great teachers, the sole transmitters of the revealed and concealed traditions. During the thirteen years that Rabbi Shimon spent hiding in a cave with his disciples, he taught what he had received from his teachers. During this time as well, he received Divine Inspiration (RuachHaKodesh) and merited the revelation of Elijah the prophet. There was a tradition that if the Oral Torah was endangered to the point of being forgotten, it was permitted to put it into writing. Therefore, all the masters, Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Nehunia, Rabbi Yishmael, and Rabbi Shimon, set a precedent. They began committing parts of the oral tradition to writing. Despite this, however, all of these texts were not given final form for several generations after these teachers. This would be the task of their disciples.
All of these major texts, the Yitzira, the Bahir, the Hekhalot Rabatai, the Zohar, and the various parts of the revealed Torah, contained the basic teachings which had been passed down through the prophets and sages from Moses. The time had come to commit these teachings to writing. Interestingly enough, all of these works are obscure to the point of begging the question: what was gained? What had been written down remained, as the Torah had been in its time, a closed book. The keys were to remain oral. Just enough had been written down to insure that only someone familiar with the tradition would understand. This whole corpus of writings, ranging from the practical understanding of the commandments to the most sublime experience of prophecy, remained a closed book. Yet, the Kabbala tradition had been saved.
We mentioned that one of the main pillars of Kabbala was the Zohar, from the school of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. It was upon the teachings of the Zohar that the two greatest Kabbalists of modern times built their entire systems: Rabbi Moses Cordovero(d. 1570), known as the Ramak, and Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-1572), universally referred to as the Ari, an acronym for "Elo-hi Rabbi Yitzchak", "The G‑dly Rabbi Isaac".
The Zohar is opaque. The main relationship between the writings of the Ari (Kitvei Ari) and the Zohar is that without the Ari's teachings the Zohar does not make any sense at all. You could study the Zohar, which is a very poetic text, but you cannot detect any system or structure. Once you know the Kitvei Ari, the entire Zohar becomes an open book.
The main work of the Kitvei Ari is the Etz Chaim ("Tree of Life"). This work expounds the theoretical foundation of the Kabbala. For one who has mastered the contents of this work, the rest is essentially revealed. Then, the Pri Etz Chaim (Fruit of the Tree of Life) and Sha'ar HaKavanot show you how to apply the various teachings of the Etz Chaim to all kinds of daily situations; meditations when you put on tzitzit or tefillin, when you pray or when you eat matzah. They also show how to develop meditative techniques based on the Ari's teachings.
Then come the works known as the Shemona Shearim (Eight Gates). The first gate, Shaar HaHakdamot, (Gate of Introductions), covers the same theoretical ground as the Etz Chaim. The second is Shaar Maamarei Rashbi, the Gate of Zoharic Teachings; the third is Shaar Maamarei Chazal, the Gate of Talmudic Teachings, the fourth is Shaar HaPesukim, the Gate of Biblical Verses; the fifth is Shaar HaMitzvot, the Gate of the Commandments; the sixth is Shaar HaKavanot, the Gate of Meditations; the seventh is Shaar Ruach HaKodesh, the Gate of Divine Inspiration, which is a general recapitulation and describes how to use the Ari's system as a meditative discipline. In many ways, the Shaar Ruach HaKodesh is the key to the entire Kitvei Ari, because all the previous gates deal with theory, while the Shaar Ruach HaKodeshteaches how to put this into practice. The eighth gate is Shaar HaGilgulim, the Gate of Reincarnations.
(כח) הַ֨נִּסְתָּרֹ֔ת לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וְהַנִּגְלֹ֞ת לָ֤ׄנׄוּׄ וּׄלְׄבָׄנֵׄ֙יׄנׄוּׄ֙ עַד־עוֹלָ֔ם לַעֲשׂ֕וֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֖י הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃ (ס)
(28) Concealed acts concern the LORD our God; but with overt acts, it is for us and our children ever to apply all the provisions of this Teaching.
(ג) וְהָאִ֥ישׁ מֹשֶׁ֖ה ענו [עָנָ֣יו] מְאֹ֑ד מִכֹּל֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ (ס) (ד) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה פִּתְאֹ֗ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶל־מִרְיָ֔ם צְא֥וּ שְׁלָשְׁתְּכֶ֖ם אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וַיֵּצְא֖וּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּֽם׃ (ה) וַיֵּ֤רֶד יְהוָה֙ בְּעַמּ֣וּד עָנָ֔ן וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד פֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֑הֶל וַיִּקְרָא֙ אַהֲרֹ֣ן וּמִרְיָ֔ם וַיֵּצְא֖וּ שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃ (ו) וַיֹּ֖אמֶר שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֣א דְבָרָ֑י אִם־יִֽהְיֶה֙ נְבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם יְהוָ֗ה בַּמַּרְאָה֙ אֵלָ֣יו אֶתְוַדָּ֔ע בַּחֲל֖וֹם אֲדַבֶּר־בּֽוֹ׃ (ז) לֹא־כֵ֖ן עַבְדִּ֣י מֹשֶׁ֑ה בְּכָל־בֵּיתִ֖י נֶאֱמָ֥ן הֽוּא׃ (ח) פֶּ֣ה אֶל־פֶּ֞ה אֲדַבֶּר־בּ֗וֹ וּמַרְאֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א בְחִידֹ֔ת וּתְמֻנַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה יַבִּ֑יט וּמַדּ֙וּעַ֙ לֹ֣א יְרֵאתֶ֔ם לְדַבֵּ֖ר בְּעַבְדִּ֥י בְמֹשֶֽׁה׃
(3) Now Moses was a very humble man, more so than any other man on earth. (4) Suddenly the LORD called to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the Tent of Meeting.” So the three of them went out. (5) The LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, stopped at the entrance of the Tent, and called out, “Aaron and Miriam!” The two of them came forward; (6) and He said, “Hear these My words: When a prophet of the LORD arises among you, I make Myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream. (7) Not so with My servant Moses; he is trusted throughout My household. (8) With him I speak mouth to mouth, plainly and not in riddles, and he beholds the likeness of the LORD. How then did you not shrink from speaking against My servant Moses!”
The Time Has Come
Intermediate
From the teachings of Rabbi Yehudah Leib Ashlag
Chabad.org
It is necessary for a person to involve himself or herself in Torah and mitzvot with intention, in order to receive the light of Ruach, according to their capacity. Likewise it is necessary for the person to deal with the innermost aspect of Torah according to his or her capacity so that they may receive the light of Neshama at their level. The same applies to one's understanding the reasons of the mitzvot; even the smallest light in the reality of holiness cannot be completed without their involvement.If the spiritual leaders of our generation have removed themselves from this wisdom, then it is little wonder that the whole generation stumbles on account of them…
From here you will understand the nature of the dryness and the darkness which is to be found in the Judaism of our generation. There was nothing like it at all in previous generations. This is because even those people who take their religious life seriously have abandoned the study of the secrets of the Torah, that is to say, the Kabbala. Maimonides gives a true example of this: He asks us to imagine a line of a thousand blind people going on a journey who are led at the head of the line by at least one person who can see. They can still be sure that they are going in the right direction. They will not fall into any snares or traps in their path since they are following the one who can see. But if the one person who can see is missing, they will undoubtedly stumble over every obstacle laid in their path and they will all fall into a dark pit.
This is exactly our situation. If at least the people who are the spiritual leaders of our generation would occupy themselves with the innermost aspect of Torah, the Kabbala, they would draw to themselves a complete light from the Ein Sof, Blessed be He. As a consequence, the whole generation would be able to follow after them. Everyone would be sure of their way and would not stumble. But if the spiritual leaders of our generation have removed themselves from this wisdom, then it is little wonder that the whole generation stumbles on account of them. From the great sorrow that I feel, I cannot write any more on this.
I know that the reason that this has arisen is mainly due to a lessening of faith in general and, in particular, a weakening of faith in the great tzadikim and masters of previous generations. The books of Kabbala and the Zohar are full of images drawn from the physical world, and so people became afraid that they might not understand this imagery in the correct way and fall into a form of idolatry…The explanation of the words of the Ari and of the Zohar have only been openly revealed in this generation…
We both can and should ask at this point why the Zohar was not revealed to earlier generations. They were, undoubtedly, higher souls than the later generations and more suited to it. We can also ask why the explanation of the Zohar was only revealed at the time of the Ari and not to the Kabbalists who preceded him. The most astonishing puzzle of all, however, is why the explanation of the words of the Ari and of the Zohar have only been openly revealed in this generation and not prior to it?
The answer to these questions is that the world is one spiritual entity, which divides up into three parts within the time period of its existence. There is a head part, a body part and a tail part, which divides in accordance with the sefirot as follows: chochma, bina and daat being the head; chesed, gevura and tiferet being the body; netzach, hod and yesodbeing the tail part. According to the sages, the head part of the spiritual entity corresponds to the stage of chaos; the body part corresponds to the stage of Torah, and the tail part corresponds to the days of the Mashiach.
In the first time period of the world's existence, namely the head part, the lights were few and considered only as potential lights; they were of the quality of Nefesh.
In any spiritual entity, the growth of the vessels of that entity always occurs in the opposite order when compared with the incarnation of the lights, the general rule being that the highest vessels grow first, whereas, for the lights, the opposite applies. The lowest lights enter the spiritual entity initially. Thus, so long as only the highest vessels are present - that is those related to the sefirot of chochma, bina and daat, only the lights of Nefesh - the lowest lights - can come down to be enclothed within these vessels. Thus the first time period of the world is designated by the sages as the stage of Chaos.
Then came the second time period of the world. The vessels that evolved at that time relate to the sefirot of chesed, gevuraand tiferet. The vessels enclothed the light of Ruach in the world which is the Torah. Thus, the sages designated this time period as the stage of Torah.During the time of the Ari, in which the lower vessels were forming, the higher light became revealed…
In the final period of the world's existence, the last vessels of netzach, hod, yesodand malchut enter, and then the light of Neshama is enclothed in the world. Neshama is a greater light, and thus this period is called the days of the Mashiach.
This process applies for any spiritual entity. When the highest vessels, chochma, bina, daat, together with chesed, gevuraand tiferet are in the entity, that is from the head until the level of the chest, then the lights are still covered and they do not begin to shine with the revealed illumination of the light of G‑duntil the lower vessels are ready. These are netzach, hod, yesod and malchut, which belong in the spiritual entity from the level of the chest and downwards.
So, therefore, concerning the spiritual entity that constitutes the world, before its vessels of netzach, hod, yesod and malchut began to emerge - which is to say in the last period of its existence - the wisdom of the Kabbala in general and of the Zohar in particular was hidden from the world. However during the time of the Ari, in which the lower vessels were forming, the higher light became revealed through the divine soul of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (the Ari), who was able to receive this great light. He was able to reveal the underlying principles of the book of the Zohar and of the wisdom of the Kabbala to the extent that he superseded all those who had preceded him.In our generation we are close to the completion of the last period of the world…
Since, however, the vessels were not yet completed in his time, the world was still not ready for his words, and, thus, his teachings remained available only to a few very special individuals of great accomplishment who did not have permission [from Above] to reveal their understanding to the world.
However, in our generation we are close to the completion of the last period of the world. Therefore, we have been permitted to reveal the teachings of the Ari and those of the Zohar in a most significant measure to the world. From our generation onwards, the words of the Zohar will begin to be revealed more and more until their whole measure is revealed according to the will of G‑d.
[From "In the Shadow of the Ladder" by Mark and Yedidah Cohen, Introduction to the Zohar, paragraphs 56-61]
Intermediate
From the teachings of Rabbi Yehudah Leib Ashlag
Chabad.org
| We have entered the age of the innermost aspect of Torah |
From here you will understand the nature of the dryness and the darkness which is to be found in the Judaism of our generation. There was nothing like it at all in previous generations. This is because even those people who take their religious life seriously have abandoned the study of the secrets of the Torah, that is to say, the Kabbala. Maimonides gives a true example of this: He asks us to imagine a line of a thousand blind people going on a journey who are led at the head of the line by at least one person who can see. They can still be sure that they are going in the right direction. They will not fall into any snares or traps in their path since they are following the one who can see. But if the one person who can see is missing, they will undoubtedly stumble over every obstacle laid in their path and they will all fall into a dark pit.
This is exactly our situation. If at least the people who are the spiritual leaders of our generation would occupy themselves with the innermost aspect of Torah, the Kabbala, they would draw to themselves a complete light from the Ein Sof, Blessed be He. As a consequence, the whole generation would be able to follow after them. Everyone would be sure of their way and would not stumble. But if the spiritual leaders of our generation have removed themselves from this wisdom, then it is little wonder that the whole generation stumbles on account of them. From the great sorrow that I feel, I cannot write any more on this.
I know that the reason that this has arisen is mainly due to a lessening of faith in general and, in particular, a weakening of faith in the great tzadikim and masters of previous generations. The books of Kabbala and the Zohar are full of images drawn from the physical world, and so people became afraid that they might not understand this imagery in the correct way and fall into a form of idolatry…The explanation of the words of the Ari and of the Zohar have only been openly revealed in this generation…
We both can and should ask at this point why the Zohar was not revealed to earlier generations. They were, undoubtedly, higher souls than the later generations and more suited to it. We can also ask why the explanation of the Zohar was only revealed at the time of the Ari and not to the Kabbalists who preceded him. The most astonishing puzzle of all, however, is why the explanation of the words of the Ari and of the Zohar have only been openly revealed in this generation and not prior to it?
The answer to these questions is that the world is one spiritual entity, which divides up into three parts within the time period of its existence. There is a head part, a body part and a tail part, which divides in accordance with the sefirot as follows: chochma, bina and daat being the head; chesed, gevura and tiferet being the body; netzach, hod and yesodbeing the tail part. According to the sages, the head part of the spiritual entity corresponds to the stage of chaos; the body part corresponds to the stage of Torah, and the tail part corresponds to the days of the Mashiach.
In the first time period of the world's existence, namely the head part, the lights were few and considered only as potential lights; they were of the quality of Nefesh.
In any spiritual entity, the growth of the vessels of that entity always occurs in the opposite order when compared with the incarnation of the lights, the general rule being that the highest vessels grow first, whereas, for the lights, the opposite applies. The lowest lights enter the spiritual entity initially. Thus, so long as only the highest vessels are present - that is those related to the sefirot of chochma, bina and daat, only the lights of Nefesh - the lowest lights - can come down to be enclothed within these vessels. Thus the first time period of the world is designated by the sages as the stage of Chaos.
Then came the second time period of the world. The vessels that evolved at that time relate to the sefirot of chesed, gevuraand tiferet. The vessels enclothed the light of Ruach in the world which is the Torah. Thus, the sages designated this time period as the stage of Torah.During the time of the Ari, in which the lower vessels were forming, the higher light became revealed…
In the final period of the world's existence, the last vessels of netzach, hod, yesodand malchut enter, and then the light of Neshama is enclothed in the world. Neshama is a greater light, and thus this period is called the days of the Mashiach.
This process applies for any spiritual entity. When the highest vessels, chochma, bina, daat, together with chesed, gevuraand tiferet are in the entity, that is from the head until the level of the chest, then the lights are still covered and they do not begin to shine with the revealed illumination of the light of G‑duntil the lower vessels are ready. These are netzach, hod, yesod and malchut, which belong in the spiritual entity from the level of the chest and downwards.
So, therefore, concerning the spiritual entity that constitutes the world, before its vessels of netzach, hod, yesod and malchut began to emerge - which is to say in the last period of its existence - the wisdom of the Kabbala in general and of the Zohar in particular was hidden from the world. However during the time of the Ari, in which the lower vessels were forming, the higher light became revealed through the divine soul of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (the Ari), who was able to receive this great light. He was able to reveal the underlying principles of the book of the Zohar and of the wisdom of the Kabbala to the extent that he superseded all those who had preceded him.In our generation we are close to the completion of the last period of the world…
Since, however, the vessels were not yet completed in his time, the world was still not ready for his words, and, thus, his teachings remained available only to a few very special individuals of great accomplishment who did not have permission [from Above] to reveal their understanding to the world.
However, in our generation we are close to the completion of the last period of the world. Therefore, we have been permitted to reveal the teachings of the Ari and those of the Zohar in a most significant measure to the world. From our generation onwards, the words of the Zohar will begin to be revealed more and more until their whole measure is revealed according to the will of G‑d.
[From "In the Shadow of the Ladder" by Mark and Yedidah Cohen, Introduction to the Zohar, paragraphs 56-61]
Ten Powers of the Soul
Intermediate
By Moshe Miller
Chabad.org
From the ten sefirot the soul derives its corresponding ten soul-powers, all of which have names identical to the sefirot. The soul is expressed and manifested through its powers, of which there are two general categories -- the transcendent or encompassing powers, and the particular, or immanent powers (corresponding to the transcendent keter and the remaining immanent sefirot, respectively). The transcendent or super-conscious powers of the soul are called delight (oneg) and will (ratzon), corresponding to the inner and outer dimensions of keter mentioned above.
The particular or immanent powers are subdivided into intellect and emotions. The three intellectual powers are Chochma, wisdom or creative intellect; Bina, understanding or developmental intellect; and Da'at, which is knowledge or conclusive, synthesizing intellect.
…immanent powers are subdivided into intellect and emotions
Chochma
Chochma is the creative and generally unpredictable power of the soul which is manifested in spontaneous insights or inspiration -- an intuitive flash of intellectual illumination which has not yet been processed or developed by the understanding power of bina.
The creative power which illuminates chochma derives from the concealed level of keter -- "and chochma emerges from nothingness" (Job 28:12) that is, from the hidden keter. The reason that chochma is able to act as a receptacle for the flash of divine revelation is that in its inner essence is also "nothingness". That is, the inner essence of chochma is self-nullification (bitul).
This is why the Zohar characterizes the nature of chochma by one of the permutations of the word chochma itself -- koach ma -- the "potential to be 'what' (i.e. undefined and therefore boundless)". In this state of bitul, a person will not experience his own being as an independent creation. Rather, his consciousness is focused on G‑d's omnipresence.
Bina
Bina, usually translated as "understanding", is the cognitive faculty that develops and articulates the seminal energy of chochma so that the latter becomes known, in a detailed conceptual way, through bina. Bina is also the inductive and deductive faculty of understanding (or deducing) one thing from another, thus expanding the point of chochma into a multi-dimensional conceptual system. The Zohar therefore symbolizes chochma and bina and their relationship as "the supernal point (chochma) within its palace (bina)" (Zohar 1, 6A). However, bina is not merely an adjunct to chochma, it involves as well the ability to intuit a more inclusive reality that than encoded within chochma itself.
Bina is also the ability to explain the concept to another person, thus "reproducing" it. In this sense bina is referred to as "the mother of children" (Psalms 113:9).
Da'at is the ability to integrate and harmonize diametrically opposed views...
Da'at
Da'at (knowledge) is the third faculty of the intellect. It is the ability to integrate and harmonize diametrically opposed views or states of being. As mentioned above, when keter is counted, da'at is not, and vice versa. In terms of the soul powers, da'at in fact plays a dual role: On the one hand, da'at is the power which binds together the powers of chochmaand bina. In this capacity it is called da'at elyon (higher da'at), which generally remains in a state of concealment. As such it is identified with keter. On the other hand, da'at serves as the bridge between the opposing domains of the intellect and the emotional attributes of the soul. In this capacity it is called da'at tachton(lower da'at). Da'at is not merely another stage of intellect; it enables one to convert understanding into the vitality and inspiration of the emotions and actions. In this sense, the Zohar, refers to da'at as "the key to the six [emotions]" (Zohar 3, 22a).
A person who possesses da'at will therefore exhibit rational, mature behavior, whereas one who lacks da'at is emotionally immature and will probably be plagued by inner emotional conflict.
Chesed
Chesed (love, kindness) is the first emotional attribute of the soul. Its motivating force is love and benevolence. Chesed is also sometimes called gedula (largesse), for it nurtures the other attributes of the soul into full development and maturity. The Zohartherefore refers to it as "the first day [i.e. the first attribute] which accompanies all the other days [of Creation]" (Zohar 1, 46a).
Of the three Patriarchs, Abraham embodied the quality of chesed, as the verse states, "Give….chesed to Abraham." (Micah 7:20) He is also referred to as "Abraham, My loving one." (Isaiah 41:8)
Gevura
Gevura (fortitude, restrictive power), associated with the force of din (severe divine judgment) restricts the benevolent expansiveness of chesed. As a soul-power it represents the emotional attribute of awe or fear. Whereas chesed dictates that one give generously and unconditionally, without concern for the intended recipient's worthiness to receive, gevura argues against doing so, for fear that the recipient is not worthy, or will misuse what he has been given. Accordingly, every opportunity to shower goodness upon someone is assessed in terms of the recipient's merit.
On the other hand, gevura is just as influential in motivating one courageously to uphold another's rights to the rewards which are legitimately his, even in the face of stiff opposition. Should divine justice dictate that someone be extended a particular benefit, the fear of Heaven impels one to do everything within one's power to facilitate it. Since gevura is concerned with maintaining proper measure and proportion within Creation, it works to defend the boundaries of the law, be they to one's advantage or disadvantage, requiring courage or trepidation.
As complimentary forces, chesed and gevura actually work together, establishing the rigorous standard of merit that endows subsequent overtures of chesed with genuine value and meaning for the recipient.
Gevura corresponds to the Patriarch Isaac, as in the verse "The One whom Isaac fears…." (Gen. 31:42, 53)Tiferet corresponds to the Patriarch Jacob
Tiferet
Tiferet (compassion) is the attribute of the soul which blends and harmonizes the two polar opposites of chesed and gevura. Tiferet is also referred to as the attribute of truth, for it depends to some extent on the merit of the recipient. Nevertheless, ideally, tiferet tends towards chesed, and is therefore known as rachamim (mercy).
Tiferet corresponds to the Patriarch Jacob.
Netzach
Netzach has many meanings, referring to different aspects in the soul. It implies "victory" (nitzachon), "eternity" (nitzchiyut) and "orchestration" (nitzuach). Common to all these ideas is a sense of the initiative and persistence necessary in order to overcome the resistance to bringing thought and feeling into positive action. "Victory" assumes initiative; "eternity" implies persistence; and "orchestration" indicates a creative plan that deploys the other qualities in an intelligent way.
The quality of netzach in the soul is dependent upon the degree of confidence one has that he is doing what G‑d wants of him.
Hod
Hod (surrender, acknowledgment) is the complementary soul-power to netzach. Whereas netzach thrusts forward, overcoming the barriers between the outflow of benevolence (from chesed) and the intended recipient; hod (a quality derived from gevura) ensures that the person's success is predicated on his acknowledging the divine source of his power and might. Hod therefore represents sincerity and innocence. The Zohar refers to this complementary relationship as "two halves of one body, like twins". (Zohar 3, 236a)
Yesod combines all into a single creative act binding the giver and the recipient
Yesod
Yesod is the quality which combines all the qualities which precede it into a single creative act binding the giver and the recipient into a single unit. In technical terms, yesod binds the higher sefirot to malchut, or heaven to earth. In the soul this represents a person's ability to bind himself to G‑d's will and thus bring about the implementation of G‑d's plan for Creation. Yesod also represents the tzadik (saintly person), regarding whom it is said: "The tzadik is the foundation (yesod) of the world" (Proverbs 10:25), for it is he who dedicates himself to fulfilling G‑d's will and actualizing His plan for Creation.
Malchut... receiving upon oneself the yoke of G‑d's sovereignty
Malchut
In terms of the powers of the soul, malchut represents receiving upon oneself the yoke of G‑d's sovereignty, and acting in accordance with it, as a slave towards his master. Malchut thus experiences itself as a state of lowliness, for it possesses nothing of its own; it is aware that it receives all of its qualities from the other powers of the soul. At the same time, malchut also represents royalty and sovereignty. Only when a king humbly takes upon himself the yoke of Heaven, is he able to find the strength and wisdom to rule properly.
When man does good, his soul disseminates G‑d's abundant goodness and reveals His greatness. Through man's good deeds, certain sefirot prevail. For instance, if a person displays compassion towards others, he causes tiferet to prevail. Thus, for example, Abraham represents kindness and love, which derive from the sefira of chesed, as explained above, for his deeds were concentrated in this direction.
[From the "Fiftieth Gate" edition of the Zohar, Introduction]
Intermediate
By Moshe Miller
Chabad.org
| Meet the sefirot in their relation to the soul. |
The particular or immanent powers are subdivided into intellect and emotions. The three intellectual powers are Chochma, wisdom or creative intellect; Bina, understanding or developmental intellect; and Da'at, which is knowledge or conclusive, synthesizing intellect.
…immanent powers are subdivided into intellect and emotions
Chochma
Chochma is the creative and generally unpredictable power of the soul which is manifested in spontaneous insights or inspiration -- an intuitive flash of intellectual illumination which has not yet been processed or developed by the understanding power of bina.
The creative power which illuminates chochma derives from the concealed level of keter -- "and chochma emerges from nothingness" (Job 28:12) that is, from the hidden keter. The reason that chochma is able to act as a receptacle for the flash of divine revelation is that in its inner essence is also "nothingness". That is, the inner essence of chochma is self-nullification (bitul).
This is why the Zohar characterizes the nature of chochma by one of the permutations of the word chochma itself -- koach ma -- the "potential to be 'what' (i.e. undefined and therefore boundless)". In this state of bitul, a person will not experience his own being as an independent creation. Rather, his consciousness is focused on G‑d's omnipresence.
Bina
Bina, usually translated as "understanding", is the cognitive faculty that develops and articulates the seminal energy of chochma so that the latter becomes known, in a detailed conceptual way, through bina. Bina is also the inductive and deductive faculty of understanding (or deducing) one thing from another, thus expanding the point of chochma into a multi-dimensional conceptual system. The Zohar therefore symbolizes chochma and bina and their relationship as "the supernal point (chochma) within its palace (bina)" (Zohar 1, 6A). However, bina is not merely an adjunct to chochma, it involves as well the ability to intuit a more inclusive reality that than encoded within chochma itself.
Bina is also the ability to explain the concept to another person, thus "reproducing" it. In this sense bina is referred to as "the mother of children" (Psalms 113:9).
Da'at is the ability to integrate and harmonize diametrically opposed views...
Da'at
Da'at (knowledge) is the third faculty of the intellect. It is the ability to integrate and harmonize diametrically opposed views or states of being. As mentioned above, when keter is counted, da'at is not, and vice versa. In terms of the soul powers, da'at in fact plays a dual role: On the one hand, da'at is the power which binds together the powers of chochmaand bina. In this capacity it is called da'at elyon (higher da'at), which generally remains in a state of concealment. As such it is identified with keter. On the other hand, da'at serves as the bridge between the opposing domains of the intellect and the emotional attributes of the soul. In this capacity it is called da'at tachton(lower da'at). Da'at is not merely another stage of intellect; it enables one to convert understanding into the vitality and inspiration of the emotions and actions. In this sense, the Zohar, refers to da'at as "the key to the six [emotions]" (Zohar 3, 22a).
A person who possesses da'at will therefore exhibit rational, mature behavior, whereas one who lacks da'at is emotionally immature and will probably be plagued by inner emotional conflict.
Chesed
Chesed (love, kindness) is the first emotional attribute of the soul. Its motivating force is love and benevolence. Chesed is also sometimes called gedula (largesse), for it nurtures the other attributes of the soul into full development and maturity. The Zohartherefore refers to it as "the first day [i.e. the first attribute] which accompanies all the other days [of Creation]" (Zohar 1, 46a).
Of the three Patriarchs, Abraham embodied the quality of chesed, as the verse states, "Give….chesed to Abraham." (Micah 7:20) He is also referred to as "Abraham, My loving one." (Isaiah 41:8)
Gevura
Gevura (fortitude, restrictive power), associated with the force of din (severe divine judgment) restricts the benevolent expansiveness of chesed. As a soul-power it represents the emotional attribute of awe or fear. Whereas chesed dictates that one give generously and unconditionally, without concern for the intended recipient's worthiness to receive, gevura argues against doing so, for fear that the recipient is not worthy, or will misuse what he has been given. Accordingly, every opportunity to shower goodness upon someone is assessed in terms of the recipient's merit.
On the other hand, gevura is just as influential in motivating one courageously to uphold another's rights to the rewards which are legitimately his, even in the face of stiff opposition. Should divine justice dictate that someone be extended a particular benefit, the fear of Heaven impels one to do everything within one's power to facilitate it. Since gevura is concerned with maintaining proper measure and proportion within Creation, it works to defend the boundaries of the law, be they to one's advantage or disadvantage, requiring courage or trepidation.
As complimentary forces, chesed and gevura actually work together, establishing the rigorous standard of merit that endows subsequent overtures of chesed with genuine value and meaning for the recipient.
Gevura corresponds to the Patriarch Isaac, as in the verse "The One whom Isaac fears…." (Gen. 31:42, 53)Tiferet corresponds to the Patriarch Jacob
Tiferet
Tiferet (compassion) is the attribute of the soul which blends and harmonizes the two polar opposites of chesed and gevura. Tiferet is also referred to as the attribute of truth, for it depends to some extent on the merit of the recipient. Nevertheless, ideally, tiferet tends towards chesed, and is therefore known as rachamim (mercy).
Tiferet corresponds to the Patriarch Jacob.
Netzach
Netzach has many meanings, referring to different aspects in the soul. It implies "victory" (nitzachon), "eternity" (nitzchiyut) and "orchestration" (nitzuach). Common to all these ideas is a sense of the initiative and persistence necessary in order to overcome the resistance to bringing thought and feeling into positive action. "Victory" assumes initiative; "eternity" implies persistence; and "orchestration" indicates a creative plan that deploys the other qualities in an intelligent way.
The quality of netzach in the soul is dependent upon the degree of confidence one has that he is doing what G‑d wants of him.
Hod
Hod (surrender, acknowledgment) is the complementary soul-power to netzach. Whereas netzach thrusts forward, overcoming the barriers between the outflow of benevolence (from chesed) and the intended recipient; hod (a quality derived from gevura) ensures that the person's success is predicated on his acknowledging the divine source of his power and might. Hod therefore represents sincerity and innocence. The Zohar refers to this complementary relationship as "two halves of one body, like twins". (Zohar 3, 236a)
Yesod combines all into a single creative act binding the giver and the recipient
Yesod
Yesod is the quality which combines all the qualities which precede it into a single creative act binding the giver and the recipient into a single unit. In technical terms, yesod binds the higher sefirot to malchut, or heaven to earth. In the soul this represents a person's ability to bind himself to G‑d's will and thus bring about the implementation of G‑d's plan for Creation. Yesod also represents the tzadik (saintly person), regarding whom it is said: "The tzadik is the foundation (yesod) of the world" (Proverbs 10:25), for it is he who dedicates himself to fulfilling G‑d's will and actualizing His plan for Creation.
Malchut... receiving upon oneself the yoke of G‑d's sovereignty
Malchut
In terms of the powers of the soul, malchut represents receiving upon oneself the yoke of G‑d's sovereignty, and acting in accordance with it, as a slave towards his master. Malchut thus experiences itself as a state of lowliness, for it possesses nothing of its own; it is aware that it receives all of its qualities from the other powers of the soul. At the same time, malchut also represents royalty and sovereignty. Only when a king humbly takes upon himself the yoke of Heaven, is he able to find the strength and wisdom to rule properly.
When man does good, his soul disseminates G‑d's abundant goodness and reveals His greatness. Through man's good deeds, certain sefirot prevail. For instance, if a person displays compassion towards others, he causes tiferet to prevail. Thus, for example, Abraham represents kindness and love, which derive from the sefira of chesed, as explained above, for his deeds were concentrated in this direction.
[From the "Fiftieth Gate" edition of the Zohar, Introduction]