A Meditation on Life-force

The main subject matter of hitbonenut (meditation) is how God continually renews creation, day by day, from nothing. If God would withdraw the power He invests in the creation, the creation would return to nothingness.

This is not like the product of a craftsmans hands that no longer requires the craftsman, but continues to exist independently of him, for the vessel was fashioned from material that already existed, whereas the creation is ex nihilo and must be recreated from moment to moment. If the flow of life-force would be withdrawn for even a moment it would be as if it never existed.

"It is written: Forever, O God, Your word stands firm in the heavens." The letters of the ten utterances with which the world was created, stand firmly forever within in the creation to give it life. If the letters would withdraw into their source, the entire creation would return to absolute nothingness, as if they had never existed at all.

So too with all created things in all of the worlds if the letters of the Ten Utterances would withdraw they would return to a state of naught and absolute nothingness.

Rosh HaShanah [the Jewish New Year] is called "the beginning of Your deeds" for it is when the life force creating souls and angels and all the worlds and their contents ex nihilo is revealed in a general way for the entire year. Subsequently, the life force is subdivided into particularized streams of energy for each week of the year. It is then subdivided even more into days of the week, hours, and into moments. Each twenty-four hour period is divided into the twelve hours of the day, corresponding to the twelve permutations of the Tetragrammaton, Yud-Hai-Vav-Hai, and twelve hours of the night, corresponding to twelve permutations of the Name Aleph-Dalet-Nun-Yud.

Each hour is further subdivided into 1080 moments, each moment being a different permutation of the Tetragrammaton (combined with the 9 vowel points, for each of the 10 sefirot: 12x9x10=1080). Thus the permutation that creates and gives live to each moment in time returns to its source and a new permutation is produced.

This is the meaning of the verse, vehachayot ratzo vashov -- literally, "the animals run and return" (Ezekiel 1:14) [In his vision of the Divine Chariot - the manifestation of Divine life-force in the world of Yetzirah - the Prophet Ezekiel describes the actions of the animals pulling the chariot: They eagerly raise themselves up to catch a glimpse of the world of Beriah above the rakia (firmament) separating Yetzirah and Beriah. Then they hastily retreat in fear back to the world of Yetzirah. He renders this as vehachayot ratzoh vashov and the animals run and return.

Now the word chayot (literally "wild animals") can also be read as chiyut - "life force." The force enlivening all of the worlds is in a state of constant flux, of running and returning. Life force is not static it pulsates; indeed it is evidenced in the beating of the heart and the pulse, and in the inhalation and exhalation of the breath, as mentioned earlier].

This is also called in Kabbalah mati vlo mati, literally, reaching out and withdrawing. This phrase describes the pulsing forth of the creative life force from above into the created worlds. Each "packet" of energy pulsates through the system and then returns to its source above.

In general, mati vlo mati describes the emanation of the packet of energy from the Creator to the created, whereas ratzo vashov describes the response of the created recipient to the influx of energy it rises up in a state of ratzo to receive the energy from above, and returns in a state of shov to use the energy until the next packet of energy descends.

"And from my flesh I see" how a person's heart beats continuously, since it is the main seat of energy of the person, and the life fore runs and returns. At every moment God creates ex nihilo (from absolute nothingness) and enlivens all of the worlds and the creations in them, and the higher and lower levels of the Garden of Eden. If His outpouring of life would be withdrawn for a moment, it would be as if nothing ever existed. But in His goodness He renews daily the works of creation, as the verse states, "Forever, O God, Your word stands firm in the heavens."

Meditation 2

A more in-depth analysis for advanced students

The Hebrew word for meditation, "hitbonenut" is a derivative of the word binah, which is usually translated as "understanding". It means much more than that. The Mitteler Rebbe (Dovber, son of the Alter Rebbe, Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi), explains that hitbonenus is the "powerful and concentrated examination of the depths of a concept", which is called "iyyun" in the Gemara. This is obviously only a very basic definition, as will become clear. It is generally translated as "meditation."

There are basically three stages of hitbonenut/meditation:

1. Study-meditation: having understood the concept clearly, one contemplates on the concept in depth, until the "essentiality" of the idea itself becomes clear to him.

2. Before prayer: here the main purpose is to feel the chiyut i.e. the vitality of the concept which he has learned.

3. During prayer: the purpose of which is to experience the G-dliness of the concept which he has learned. (Hayom Yom Tammuz 20, and at length in Igrot of the Rebbe Rayatz, vol. 3 pp. 525-529).

Understanding is also divisible into three parts: 1. The source and essential point from which the understanding develops. 2. The understanding itself with all its related concepts, explanations, and ramifications. 3. The effect of this understanding on the emotions, character traits, actions etc. (Ma'amarim Kuntreisim part 2 p. 672)

It seems to me that these three aspects of understanding parallel the three stages of hisbonenus, that is to say: Stage 1: Study-meditation is the search for the essential idea which underlies the concept one is contemplating. Stage 2: The vitality of the concept (how he lives with it, or it with(in) him) is directly related to the breadth of his understanding. Stage 3: The G-dliness of the concept affects his emotions bringing them to full maturity (gadlut hamidot) and his actions, ultimately even changing his nature, "changing the nature of his emotional traits" (see Likutei Dibburim part 1, p. 56a). Naturally all of this requires lengthy explanation, which is beyond the scope of this introduction.


Each of these three stages of contemplation may be divided into the following subcategories: 1. The aim of contemplation. 2. The psychology of contemplation, i.e. how it works. 3. The methods, i.e. how you do it. 4. The results.


STUDY-MEDITATION

1. The aim:
I will explain this idea of "abstraction" (mentioned above) at greater length, since this is the essence of contemplation on the subject that one learns, as expressed in Chabad Chassidus. What follows is more or less a free translation of original Chabad texts, with some commentary and interpretation:

In truth, you are not used to this way of (abstract) thinking, only to intellectualization based on sense perception, and even in this we find it necessary to use "signs" i.e. letters by which we define and limit the concept in order to make it accessible to thought. But in fact the essence of thought is that which is prior to its enclothement and limitations in letters (or images). It is therefore self understood that "pure thought" is
the "ayin" (nothingness), without being clothed in letters, and that the process of enclothement in fact hinders the process of pure thought... for in truth everything is as nothing and void...It is only out of habit that we see the coarse physicality of this
world... (compare the statement of the Ba'al Shem Tov - One should cleave so much that what one sees is the Blessed Creator, and not the creation! Keser Shem Tov #200). This is the ultimate purpose of pure thought, to nullify the heart and mind from sense perception in order to perceive the pure thought. The essence of pure thought is "Chochma comes from Ayin (nothingness)."

(From Igrot Kodesh of the Alter Rebbe, Milu'im, #2)

At the time of hitbonenut one must understand and grasp clearly the concept on which he is meditating. Nevertheless, while actually learning, the awareness of intellect is predominant, whereas during contemplation on one's learning, the awareness of Godliness should predominate.

The study of Chassidus is then a deep knowledge of Godliness, from the lowest levels to the very highest. This knowledge is, specifically, understood clearly and grasped firmly in intellect. In this way one can (ultimately) "grasp" Godliness. But it should be clear that the (Godly) concept (i.e. the concept being explained in the Chassidic discourse which you are learning), and the Godliness are two different things. For example, let's say the topic being discussed in the discourse are the sefirot Chochma and Binah. The concept of Chochma or Binah is the clear understanding and firm grasp of "how Chochma is, how Binah is above", i.e. what is Chochma, what is Binah? Having understood this clearly (understanding the ma'amer), one now attempts to examine, or search for the source of these concepts, i.e. the essential point from which these concepts derive, i.e. E-lokut (Godliness) as manifested in Chochma, E-lokut as manifested in Binah. The same process applies to any concept being contemplated such as the Immanent and Transcendent aspects of the Or Ein Sof etc. Through clear knowledge and understanding of the concept being discussed, you grasp the E-lokut.

This leads ultimately to Hitamtut (from the word emet = truth), the clear vision of the ultimate truth (=emet). The "jump" between the understanding of the concept, and the grasping of E-lokus is achieved by hisbonenus i.e. the process of abstraction mentioned above.

(From a letter of the Rebbe Rashab to his son, the Fre'erdike Rebbe printed in Migdal Oz. See also Kuntres haT'fillah, ch 5-6).

...There are two opposite processes here, one - hafla'ah, which is the ascent from level to level of refinement of thought and from hidden level to hidden level, until absolute separation from all thought and ideas; and the second - the opposite of this, i.e. the power of descent and drawing down from hiddenness to revelation on even the lowest levels... The power of hafla'ah is the power of abstraction (hafshata) mentioned above, i.e. stripping every concept of the garments of thought, until one reaches the greatest depths and the innermost aspects, which are so refined that they cannot be grasped in the vessels of thought. This is because (at these levels) there is no limitation or form defining the concept because of its tremendous refinement. (However, this is not to say that it is not grasped at all, only that it is not grasped in thought). Then there is the descent and drawing down into the garments of thought (This will be explained, God willing, in stage 3 of contemplation -- contemplation during prayer).

Avodah with the inner aspects of the mind i.e. hisbonenus in the essence of a G-dly concept is the aspect of Neshama (as opposed to the avodah on the levels of Nefesh and Ruach explained earlier in the ma'amer.

There are five levels of soul, from lowest to highest, nefesh, ruach, neshama, chaya, yechida. Each has its particular type of avodah. The main avodah of neshama is hisbonenus. See Kuntres Ha'avodah; Inyana shel Torat Hachasidut from the Lubavitcher Rebbe ch. 5 ff. and references there).

There are however different levels: the grasping of the essential aspect of the Godly concept comes only after understanding through the garments of thought i.e when it is not possible for him to grasp the Godly concept as it is prior to "enclothement", but rather the concept comes clothed in understandable ideas and explanations through which he understands and grasps the Godly concept in all its details. Initially he must understand clearly the concept at hand, in all its details, through explanations and figurative analogies etc.

Then he negates and strips down and reduces the ideas of the "garment" which he initially used to understand the essential concept, until he arrives at the essential concept itself, absolutely abstracted from any material connotations, i.e. from any forms of thought, or conceptualization, or imagery whatsoever. (Nevertheless, since he used thought forms to arrive at the essence, the "absolute essence" is not revealed, only that level of Godly "light" which descends into the worlds in a state of Tzimtzum, contraction, and can be perceived by created beings). (Kuntres Ha'avodah p.7-8)

Avodah on the level of Neshama (i.e. the level of hisbonenus described above), is an intermediary stage whereby one arrives at the avodah of the essence of the soul, Chaya, which is higher than reason and understanding - ta'am v'da'at (the fourth level of the soul as mentioned previously, but called here the essence of the soul relative to the three lower levels). By means of the contemplation and understanding on the level of Neshama i.e. the aspects of Or Ein Sof as revealed in (limited) immanence, one comes to the level of transcendence i.e. knowledge and understanding in the hafla'ah (absolute abstraction from the worlds) and rommemus (sublimity) of Ein Sof Blessed be He. One also comes to know the essence of the Or Ein Sof. This is what is known as yedi'as hashelilah (what Or Ein Sof is not, i.e. grasping the unknowable to human intellect) and recognition of hafla'ah and hitamtut (clear vision of the truth). (Kuntres Ha'avodah p.9)

To be continued (God willing).

Bringing light into the word. Another meditation from the Baal Shem Tov

The following meditation explains God's command to Noah regarding the construction of the Ark. The Hebrew word for Ark "teivah" also means "word." The Baal Shem Tov explains that this refers to the words of Torah study and of prayer. Thus God commands Noah to bring light into his words...

God said to Noah, "Make a skylight (tzohar) for the Ark (teivah), and finish it to a cubit above" (Genesis 6:16). The Baal Shem Tov explained the verse as follows: Make the word (teivah) of Torah or prayer radiant, for in every letter there are worlds, souls and Godliness. They rise up and are bound and united with one to the other with Godliness. Then the letters unite and are bound together, forming a word.

Then they make true yichudim (unifications) with Godliness. A person must include his soul with every one of these aspects, and then all of the worlds are united as one, and arise to make great joy and delight ad infinitum. This is the meaning of [the continuation of the verse] "make first, second and third levels" i.e., worlds, souls and Godliness.

Breath Meditation from the Baal Shem Tov

The word for breath in Hebrew is "neshimah," closely related to the word signifying the soul, "neshamah." Thus the breath can become a vehicle for a person to reveal the root of his soul:

As one breathes he should cleave to the Supernal Breath that clings to him too and enters him constantly. As our Sages said on the verse "Every soul (neshamah) utters G-d's praises" (Psalms 150). Thus: "With every breath (neshimah) which a person breathes."

As one exhales and the breath goes out, it returns to its source Above, and then another breath is breathed into one from Above. If a person contemplates the fact that he or she is not breathing at all; rather the Holy Blessed One is breathing in and out of him or her, it will surely be easy for one to attach the part of G-d within them to its root...

(Baal Shem Tov al HaTorah, Noach, Amud HaTefilah 27.)

Meditation 1

Meditation is making your thoughts cleave Above


STRUCTURED AND UNSTRUCTURED MEDITATION

There are two general types of meditation - structured and unstructured. Unstructured meditation allows the mind to roam freely, while you detach yourself from your thoughts, observing them objectively. Structured meditation uses a fixed meditational structure, usually a kabbalistic or chassidic discourse, but sometimes also the image of a holy object, such as one of the Divine Names.


THE AIM OF MEDITATION

Rabbi Chaim Vital, the greatest of the students of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (who is commonly known as the Ariz'l) discusses several states of heightened awareness in his book Sha'arei Kedusha (part 3 shaaar 7). Having made the distinction between Divine Prophecy (Nevu'a) and Divine Inspiration (Ruach Hakodesh), he goes on to explain that in our times, i.e. ever since the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, Prophecy is no longer available to us. However "Divine Inspiration is available to all, Jew or Gentile, man or woman, etc., depending on his or her deeds." (quoted from Tanna D'vei Eliyahu chap. 9, 1).

Divine Inspiration can be manifested in five different ways, he explains:

Through dreams: This is considered to be the lowest form of Ruach Hakodesh.

Through a revelation of Eliyahu HaNavi (Elijah the Prophet). Depending on the level of spirituality of the individual, this revelation can be with his knowledge (i.e. revealed), or without his knowledge (concealed). Eliyahu might reveal himself to the person on even a single occasion, in order to save him from a certain situation, or to reveal a secret, or to direct him on his path of Divine service etc. Alternatively, Eliyahu might become the person's teacher, revealing to him (mystical) teachings of the Torah, as was the case with the Rashbi (Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, author of the Zohar), and with the Arizal himself.

Through a Maggid: A Maggid is a spiritual teacher who appears to the person who is worthy in order to teach him a path in Torah. The most well known Maggid was the one who taught Rabbi Yosef Caro, author of the Shulchan Aruch. He recounts his experiences and the instructions of his spiritual guide in the work entitled "Maggid Meisharim."

Through the revelation of the root of the soul. Through Divine Service, contemplation, purification and prayer, (as well as other, less accessible, means) a person's soul-root reveals itself to him. He then becomes " who he really is", so to speak. (See Yonati in Likkutei Torah Shir HaShirim; VeAtah Tetzave 5752).

Through Ibbur Nishmat haTzaddik: The soul of a Tzaddik, living in this world, or in the world of Truth, which is related to his soul either intrinsically or due to his performance of certain mitzvot, or through certain types of contemplation, or through certain aspects of Divine Service such as Hitkashrut (cleaving to the Tzaddik or to his ways according to the teaching of "cleave to the Divine Presence by cleaving to Talmidei Chachamim", see e.g. Tanya ch.2), and Mesirat Nefesh.(self-sacrifice or self-transcendence. See Tanya end ch.14, ch.18, 25).

Sefirot and Colors

The sefirot are associated with different colors, and sometimes with more than one color:

Keter - transparent pure white or colorless (like glass)
Chochmah - transparent saphire blue
Binah - yellow or gold
Daat - transparent
Chesed - silver with a bluish tinge
Gevurah - red
Tiferes - light green, like a ripening etrog (citron)
Netzach - light pink
Hod - dark pink
Yesod - rainbow of hues including blue, red, yellow
Malchut - dark blue with purple tinge. Almost black



The above schema follows the system of the Ramak, Rabbi Moshe Cordovero.

Sefirot

Sefirot are the Divine emanations by which God reveals Himself to man and by which He conducts the worlds are called sefirot (singular - sefirah)

The sefirot are not entities that are distinct from their Emanator, which would imply duality or plurality in God. Rather they are the various phases and levels of Gods revealing Himself to man. Thus they constitute the inner structure of each of the worlds, and also account for the dynamic interactions that take place in each of the worlds.

Even though the sefirot in all of the worlds bear the same names, it is nevertheless self-understood that the quality and power of the sefirot in the world of Atzilut, for example, are incomparably greater than the quality and power of the sefirot in the world of Asiyah, for in the world of Atzilut the Infinite Light is revealed through the sefirot to a much greater extent and in a much more elevated way than in any of the worlds below it.

The ten sefirot are called keter, chochmah, binah, chesed, gevurah, tiferet, netzach, hod, yesod, and malchut. The sefirah of daat is also sometimes identified. In reality, there are only ten sefirot, not eleven. However, keter is counted in the ten when we are looking at the sefirot from the point of view of the Creator; and daat is counted when we are looking at the sefirot from the point of view of the created.

KETER
The first and highest sefirah is called keter or crown, in which there are two main aspects the inner aspect of keter, which is called atik or atik yomin, and the outer aspect, called arich anpin. Due to its loftiness atik yomin is sometimes referred to as temira dchol temirin (the most concealed of all)[1] and as ayin (nothingness).[2] The infinite light of Or Ein Sof illuminates atik without any separation.[3] This aspect is the source of the Torah, which is referred to as Gods delight,[4] and is revealed primarily in the esoteric teachings of the Torah, i.e. in kabbalah.[5] Arich Anpin is essentially the expression of Gods will. It is also the expression of Gods purpose in emanating that plane of reality. In other words, the outer aspect of the keter of Atzilut is the expression of Gods will and purpose in emanating Atzilut, and the outer aspect of the keter of Beriah is the expression of Gods will and purpose in the creation of Beriah, and so on.


CHOCHMAH
In brief, we could define chochmah as the germinal, highly condensed revelation of Godly Light on its highest level of immanence that is the life force of all of creation. The sefirah of chochmah may be explained in several ways, because it has several aspects, each corresponding to a different relationship of the sefirah of chochmah to the other sefirot:

1) The Zohar breaks up the word chochmah itself into two words: koach and mah. Koach means potential, and mah means what is. Thus chochmah means the potential of what is, or, the potential to be. This aspect of chochmah describes the state of chochmah in relation to the sefirah of keter. As chochmah emanates from keter, the first dawning of the Or Ein Sof, it appears in an obscure and undefined state. It is only potential being. Thus the verse states, and chochmah emerges from nothingness (Job 28:12). As such, it is in a state of constant flux between being and non-being, between revelation, and non-revelation as it returns to its state of potential and merges in its source in keter. Chochmah flashes in and out of existence. The light of Ein Sof becomes unified in the world of Atzilut through clothing itself first in the sefirah of chochmah.

2) The second aspect of chochmah is that it is the first of the immanent or in-dwelling sefirot. This is why it is called the beginning, reishit chochmah (Psalms 111:10). This is the primary quality of the sefirah of chochmah.

3) The third aspect of chochmah is that it is the life force of all creation, as the verse states, You made everything with chochmah (Psalms 104:24). Similarly,and chochmah enlivens (or vitalizes) all that possess it (Ecclesiastes 7:12). This is the aspect of chochmah in its relation to all the other sefirot.


BINAH
The word binah is related to the word livnot, to build. For this is the essential quality of binah. The abstract, non-dimensional, incomprehensible point that represents chochmah is expanded and built into a three-dimensional structure, sometimes compared to the physical dimensions of length, breadth, and depth. In the context of sefirot they signify three aspects of binah, each aspect corresponding to a different relationship of the sefirah of binah to the other sefirot.

1) The depth of binah is the aspect of binah that expresses its relationship to it source in chochmah. The depth of binah derives from chochmah. Thus chochmah and binah together are called the two beloved friends that never part, for where there is chochmah, binah invariably follows. The Zohar therefore symbolizes chochmah and binah and their relationship as the supernal point (chochmah) within its palace (binah).

2) The breadth of binah signifies the aspect of expansion that is the definitive characteristic of binah. In this connection the sages of the Talmud (Chagiga 14a) describe binah as understanding one thing from another. In other words, what is contained within chochmah, is expanded into an entire conceptual framework of inter-related ideas in binah.

3) The length of binah describes its relationship to the sefirot below it. The extent to which binah reaches down in affecting the other sefirot is called its length. Obviously, the further down binah has to reach in order to affect even the lowest sefirah, the more powerful it must be in its original state. Thus, binah could be defined as the expansion of the initial point of chochmah into a full-blown and comprehensible revelation of the Divine Light.


DAAT
The word daat is usually translated as knowledge. However, when the word is first used in Torah it signifies attachment or union (and Adam knew yada Eve. Genesis 4:1). This is the function of daat to unify chochmah and binah, which it does in two ways.

Daat Elyon (upper daat, which is an aspect of keter) transcends chochmah and binah; it is the expression of the ultimate purpose for which all the other sefirot are emanated. Thus daat unifies chochmah and binah in terms of the purpose for which they were emananted.

Daat Tachton (lower daat) unifies chochmah and binah in producing and the lower sefirot and channeling the outflow from the higher sefirot into the lower ones. In order to be able to do this, daat must be able to sense the needs and status of the lower sefirot. This is another quality of daat, called hargashah. Each one of these following seven sefirot also corresponds to one of the seven days of creation. The sefirah of chesed corresponds to the first day of creation, the sefirah of gevurah to the second day, and so on, until the seventh sefirah, malchut, which corresponds to the Sabbath. The nature of each of these sefirot can be understood by examining the seven days of creation as a paradigm of the activity and interaction of these sefirot.


CHESED
The word chesed means kindness or benevolence. It denotes the unbounded loving-kindness with which God created the worlds, and with which all of creation is permeated, as the verse states, The world is built with chesed (Psalms 89:3). Kabbalah explains that kindness was in fact the reason for the creation. Since the nature of God, so to speak is absolute benevolence and loving-kindness, He created the worlds so that He would have on whom to bestow His kindness It is the nature of He who is good, to do good.

Chesed corresponds to the first day of Creation, and therefore the first day of the week. Light was created on the first day, an infinite light that shone from one end of creation to the other, filling all of creation with infinite Divine revelation.


GEVURAH
Gevurah means restrictive power, the power to limit and conceal the Infinite Light so that each creature can receive according to its capacity. Since the chesed of God is infinite and unlimited, while the creatures on whom it is intended to be bestowed are finite and therefore unable to absorb infinite kindness and yet remain in physical existence, the attribute of chesed is controlled and restrained, or concealed and limited, by the aspect of gevurah.

Thus, gevurah is also an aspect of Gods kindness, for if the outpouring of infinite kindness were to remain unrestricted, finite creatures would become instantly nullified in the infinite revelation of Divine Love. The sefirah of gevurah is thus the manifestation of Gods power to restrict and conceal the Light which He emanates, in order that His creatures will be able to receive His loving-kindness according to their capacity.

Gevurah corresponds to the second day of creation when the higher waters were separated from the lower waters. In Kabbalah water signifies kindness, chesed. The separating of the waters means that the infinite chesed of God, referred to as the higher waters, is separated from the lower waters, signifying finite chesed which can permeate creation.


TIFERET
Tiferet (from pe'er - beauty) represents the harmonious blending of colors and forms, producing a work of great beauty. The harmonizing and blending of chesed and gevurah, so that a proper mixture of the two will result in a bearable revelation of chesed to finite created beings is brought about by the attribute of tiferet. In other words, tiferet is the attribute that blends the benevolent outflow of chesed and the restrictive severity of gevurah so that each creature will receive its proper measure of Divine Light and life-force. This is why tiferet is also called compassion or mercy, for it enables chesed and gevurah to balance each other so that Gods benevolence can be absorbed by the limited world without ceasing to exist.

Tiferet corresponds to the third day of creation, when water and land were separated, and the plant kingdom was created. The third day sets a balance between water and land, so that the vegetable kingdom (and thus the animal and human kingdoms also) can be sustained.


NETZACH and HOD
Whereas chesed and gevurah signify unbounded loving-kindness, and the limitation and concealment thereof, respectively, so that finite creatures can receive according to their ability; netzach and hod are the two sefirot which define the ability of the recipient to receive. In addition they act together in distributing that which each recipient will be given, in accordance with their status readiness to receive.

Netzach and Hod correspond to the fourth and fifth days of creation, when the sun and the moon and the stars were created. Even though light was created on the first day, this light was infinite and too sublime to be of use to the finite worlds. Thus on the fourth day, a finite, usable form of light was apportioned. On the fifth day birds and sea-creatures were created, the first recipients of Gods benevolence and the first created beings able to fulfill the commandment pru urvu, be fruitful and multiply.

According to Kabbalah the powers of prophecy and Divine inspiration derive from the sefirot of netzach and hod for they actually receive the efflux of Godly light.


YESOD
Just as the sefirah of tiferet harmonizes and balances chesed and gevurah, so too, yesod harmonizes and balances netzach and hod. However, there is an additional unique aspect of yesod it acts as the channel through which malchut, the recipient, receives its proper measure of light and life force. Thus yesod functions as the connector between all of the sefirot which precede it, and the recipient, malchut, below it.

In order for the distribution to reach its intended destination, there must be a proper channel of communication between the giver, yesod, and the receiver, malchut. The distributor (yesod) must be able to identify the recipient (malchut) in order to match the outflow with its intended recipient. This is why yesod is also called emet truth in Kabbalah.

Yesod makes sure that the light and life force reaches the proper destination. But the identification process does not only mean that the recipient fulfills the necessary conditions that must be met in order for it to be able to receive. Much more than this, there must be an internal bond between yesod and malchut, between giver and receiver a bond of love and understanding. Yesod arouses the desire to receive in malchut, and malchut in turn arouses in yesod the desire to give. In this way, yesod unites itself with malchut in complete empathy, so that the giving is direct, face to face, and not indirect, back to back, as it were. Thus, yesod could be defined as the divine attribute that joins God to His creation in a bond of empathy and love.

This is why the sefirah of Yesod is also called tzaddik, as in the verse tzaddik yesod olam a saint is the foundation of the world (Proverbs 10:25). A tzaddik, or saint, arouses mankind to seek God. At the same time he draws down God's compassion and goodness into the world. Thus he is the foundation of the world.

Yesod corresponds to the sixth day of creation, when the animal kingdom was created, and also the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, who were created in the Divine Image. Both animals and man are also instructed to be fruitful and multiply; which also means to use Gods benevolent kindness to grow and expand in consciousness of Him. But an additional duty is given to man. Be fruitful and multiply, and rule over the animals and the birds and the fish. In other words, be over and above them, and not among them. Transcend your limited nature, transcend that part of yourself which is simply natural, like the animal world, and become the Divine Image in which you were created. The drive to do this is initiated by the power of yesod, the tzaddik.


MALCHUT
The tenth and final sefirah is called malchut. Malchut contains two completely opposite qualities, called hitnasut meaning exaltedness, and its opposite shiflut humility. The Sefer Yetzirah states that Keter, the beginning, is wedged in malchut the end. The reverse is also true malchut is wedged in keter. This means that the final product, malchut, is the original intention of the entire process of emanation.

When malchut is still contained in the original intention (that is, in keter), it is in a state of exaltedness. And when it descends to its place as the last of the sefirot, it is in a state of humility. However, it is not that malchut is in one state or the other; it is in both states simultaneously. On one hand, malchut receives all that it has from the other sefirot, and is described in Kabbalah as having nothing of her own. Thus the Zohar compares malchut to the moon which has no light of her own; while on the other hand malchut is the final revelation of the Divine Light for which the entire process was begun. It was for the purpose of malchut that all the sefirot were emanated. Thus malchut is both the receiver and the consummation of giving.

Whereas chochmah is the potential to be, malchut is the actual being, the final manifestation, which was the original intention. It is for this reason that malchut is also called Shechinah the Divine Indwelling Presence, the immanent revelation of God.

Malchut corresponds to the seventh day of creation, the Sabbath day, when creation reached its completion. It is for this reason that work may not be done on the Sabbath. The Sages say, one who works prior to the Sabbath, will eat on the Sabbath. That is to say, all the six days of creation that precede the Sabbath must do their work if the culmination of creation is to be revealed on the Sabbath day. The Zohar (III, 92b) states, Each day does its work. By fulfilling its function each days purpose is consummated. Again the Zohar expresses this perfectly from the Sabbath day all other days become blessed. This applies both retroactively and proactively. As the Torah states at the completion of creation: And the work was complete. . . . and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. Thus the Zohar states: the supernal crown [keter elyon] is the crown of kingdom (keter malchut). The first, highest of the Divine emanations, keter, is thus linked to the last, malchut.

------------------------------
[1] Zohar I, 49a, 147a; vol. II, 234b.
[2] Zohar III, 256b.
[3] See Eitz Chaim, sha'ar 16, chap. 1.
[4] Proverbs 8:30; Zohar I, 5a, 47a; vol. II, 93b; vol. III, 35b, 67b.
[5] Zohar III, 166b.

Worlds

Prior to creation, there was only the infinite revelation of God, called the Or Ein Sof, filling all of existence. In order to allow finite existence the Or Ein Sof was constricted in the process called tzimtzum. The tzimtzum brought about five planes of reality or "worlds," called Adam Kadmon, Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah.

ADAM KADMON
The highest of the five worlds is called Adam Kadmon. Adam means in the likeness of, or in the image of, from the word domeh in Hebrew. And Kadmon means primordial, or primary. So, Adam Kadmon is the primordial world which is in the likeness of the Infinite Light which preceded it and which was concealed in the process of creation. This means that even though Adam Kadmon is a world, that is to say it comes into being through the concealment of the Infinite Light; nevertheless, it is such an elevated plane of reality that it is in the likeness of the Infinite Light, the Or Ein Sof, which precedes (kadam) the world of Adam Kadmon. Thus, although the world of Adam Kadmon is a world, it is a level so sublime, pure, and transcendent that it is almost imperceptible. It cleaves to and mirrors the original Or Ein Sof. In Kabbalah the world of Adam Kadmon represents the transcendent will of God. The desire that God has that there should be a creation, and what kind of creation it will be are planned out in one broad, all-encompassing overview, without separation into specific details. This is called the machshava kedumah, or primordial thought of Adam Kadmon. The primordial thought functions as the blueprint for all of creation.

ATZILUT
The next plane of reality is called the world of Atzilut, the world of emanation. The word Atzilut in Hebrew derives from the word etzel meaning close to or near, for the world of Atzilut is also close to the Infinite Light, even though it is not united and identified with it to it to the same degree as the world of Adam Kadmon. The word Atzilut also means to set aside, or take from and to draw down, for the light of the world of Atzilut is, so to speak, taken from and drawn down from the world above it, the world of Adam Kadmon. But is it already a step lower. Atzilut is thus the first plane or world of immanence, of structure. In the world of Atzilut there is a distinction between lights and vessels called orot and kelim. This is not a separation between the lights and vessels, for the lights and vessels of Atzilut are integrally bound up with each other. But nevertheless there is a distinction between them. One aspect is recognizable as light and another is recognizable as the vessels that contain and limit the light.

BERIAH
The next plane of reality, the next level down, is called the world of Beriah, the world of creation. It is a tremendous step down from the world of Atzilut. Beriah, or creation, implies limited reality, or bringing into being a limited existence. The dimension, the limitation, which is added by the descent of the light into the world of Beriah is the very concept of being, as opposed to the nothingness of Atzilut. The world of Atzilut is a world of non-being, because the structuring of the light by the vessels is not a hindrance or an obscuring of the light, as it is in the world of Beriah. In the world of Beriah, however, the vessels begin to obscure the light and thereby create finite being. Another definition of the word beriah in Hebrew signifies outside of. This implies a new level of separation it is regarded as being outside of the realm of the Infinite Light. That is to say that the Infinite Light, the Or Ein Sof, is concealed to such an extent that this plane of reality is considered as separated from the Or Ein Sof, even though in actuality there is no place devoid of the Or Ein Sof.

YETZIRAH
The next plane of reality, the next world down, is called the world of Yetzirah, the world of formation. The limitation that is added by the descent into the world of Yetzirah is that of dimension itself. Formation is essentially a spatial concept, and Kabbalah also discusses the nature of space. It is important to know that the Kabbalah views time and space as created conditions, and not as intrinsic qualities, as will be discussed shortly. That is to say, until the descent of the light to the world of Yetzirah, the light is not limited by dimension. And even in the world of Yetzirah dimension is still spiritual and has not yet become the physical limitations of space. Physical space has six dimensions which limit and define it. These are: above and below, right (south) and left (north), in front (east) and behind (west). In Kabbalah each of the directions derives from a spiritual quality, one of the six dimensions of the world of Yetzirah, i.e. the spiritual dimension or quality of the world of Yetzirah devolves in the world of Asiyah into actual spatial dimension. These six dimensions as they are in the world of Yetzirah are called the six middot, or the six sefirot which are revealed primarily in that world. The word middah in Hebrew means dimension, limitation, measurement. This is the primary characteristic of the world of Yetzirah; that light which descends to that world is limited and measured.

ASIYAH AND THE PHYSICAL WORLD
The final plane of reality is called the world of Asiyah. It is finite not only in space but also in time. The limitation of time means that one object cannot be here and somewhere else simultaneously. Moreover, the concept of time is bound up with change. This means that when one thing ceases to be and another thing begins to be, a change has occurred. Change can only take place where the unity and infinity of God are hidden, where the continuity of being is not evident. Time is created from the process of the extension and retraction of the light and life force as it reaches out to the vessels below and returns to its original place. The gap between the reaching and returning of the light and life-force, as it pulsates continuously from above, creates time. From moment to moment the light and life force is extended downward, and then retracted, returning to its original place. That which it activated or vitalized dies, so to speak, as soon as the life force is withdrawn, and then when it reaches down once again, it creates a new being. This change is the origin of time, for time is a measure of change.

Introduction to Kabbalah

The Written Torah and the Oral Torah

The prophetic experiences of the ancestors and founders of Judaism – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – are recorded in several important Biblical passages. Their intimacy with God gave them wisdom and insight, which they passed on to their descendants, the twelve tribes of Israel. Some of this tradition was committed to writing;[1] the remainder was transmitted orally from generation to generation.

The legacy that was handed down from generation to generation, gained the status of Divine Law when Israel stood at the foot of Mount Sinai and witnessed the Revelation. This in essence laid bare the hidden core of Divine knowledge. Until that time only a select few had managed, by virtue of their sanctity, to pierce the barrier between heaven and earth and attain this enlightenment. At Mount Sinai God revealed to Moses the entire complex of Divine wisdom and law[2] that is called Torah.[3]

The Talmud[4] explains that just prior to the giving of the Torah an argument ensued between Moses and the angels about whether it was appropriate that the Torah – God’s “hidden treasure” – should be revealed at all to mere mortals.[5] The angels argued that the heavens were a worthier place for the lofty Torah, “since Torah in essence speaks about the higher worlds, and only hints to matters in the lower world.”[6] It appears, however, that Moses presented a convincing case, for the Torah was given to him and the Jewish People on Mount Sinai in the year 2448 in the Hebrew calendar – 1,313 years before the Common Era.[7] According to the account given in the Talmud, it is clear that until this point in time, the Torah was concealed on high.[8]

When the Torah was given to Moses as the Written Law, it was accompanied by the Oral Law – the interpretation and rules of application of the Written Law. However, it was strictly prohibited for anyone to commit the Oral Law to writing for publication – “You have no permission to transcribe that which is transmitted orally.”[9] Although it is evident that many of the sages committed sections of the Oral Law to writing, this was generally only for their own private use, as a reminder of the contents of the laws.[10] These written documents were therefore referred to as “megillot s’tarim” – “concealed documents.”[11] In several passages, for example, the Babylonian Talmud reports that the famous sage Rav, nephew[12] and secretary[13]of Rabbi Chiyya (one of the most important sages of the Zohar), found such megillot s’tarim in his uncle’s house.[14]

It was only due to extraordinary circumstances, i.e. fearing that the entire oral tradition would be lost in the military conquests and attendant travails that beset that era, that Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi (the thirty-fourth generation recipient of the Torah from Moses) and other sages of his generation decided to commit the germinal form of the Oral Law to writing.[15] Rabbi Yehudah occupied himself with this task and brought it to completion in the year 189 of the Common Era, the year in which he passed away. He arranged the vast body of Oral Law into the six orders of the Mishnah:

From the days of Moses until the Holy Rabbi [Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi] no written work had been compiled from which to teach the Oral Torah publicly. Rather, in every generation the head of the Rabbinical Court, or the Prophet who lived in that generation, wrote for himself, as a reminder, all that he had heard from his teachers. He then taught the public orally. Similarly, each according to his ability, wrote for himself the explanation of the Torah and its laws as he heard them. In addition, [they also wrote down] those laws which each generation had derived by way of deduction. . . . rather than by way of direct tradition. And so it was until the days of the Holy Rabbi.[16]

The style and language of the Mishnah is incredibly compact, and it had to be accompanied, again, by oral explanation, called Gemara.

As the generations continued, and the adversities and calamities facing the Jewish people increased, Rabbi Yochanan, one of the great Talmudic sages living in Israel, resolved to commit the rudiments of the oral explanation and commentary on the Mishnah to writing. The resulting series of works was called the Jerusalem Talmud, or Talmud Yerushalmi, which was completed approximately one hundred years after the redaction of the Mishnah, or about three hundred years after the destruction of the Second Temple. Over one hundred years later, Rav Ashi and Ravina, two Talmudic sages living in Babylon, produced another version of the Talmud, a more comprehensive and complete one, known as the Babylonian Talmud, or Talmud Bavli. The latter was completed in the thirty-ninth and fortieth generations after Moses had first received the Torah, around the year 427, which coincides with Rav Ashi’s passing. Many other sages also wrote halachic (Jewish legal) and Midrashic works prior to the completion of the Talmud Bavli.[17]

Jewish mystical teachings were always an integral part of the Oral Law – transmitted together with the rest of the Oral Law by Moses to Joshua, and so on, through the era of the Prophets, and the Men of the Great Assembly, until the time of the redactors of the Talmud. The Five Books of Moses and the other Prophetic Books describe numerous mystical prophetic visions and experiences, but do not explain them or the methods used to achieve them. There is no doubt that explanation and the methods of achieving prophecy were expounded in an oral tradition, just like the rest of Torah. However, because of their esoteric nature, these mystical teachings were not published together with the remainder of the Oral Law.[18] Moreover, it was forbidden even to transmit these teachings on a broad scale: “One may not expound. . . . Ma’aseh Bereishit [the Work of Creation] to more than one student [at a time]; the Ma’aseh Merkavah [literally, Work of the Chariot, see below] not even to one student – unless he is wise and can understand these matters by himself” (Mishnah Chagiga 2:1). The Gemara explains: Rabbi Chiyya taught, “[One may not expound the Ma’aseh Merkavah to any student] but one may give him the ‘chapter headings,’” [i.e., the fundamentals, without lengthy explanation]. Rabbi Zeira added, “And then only to the Head of a Rabbinical Court, or to those who are properly wary.” Some maintain that Rabbi Zeira said, “And then only to the Head of a Rabbinical Court, and only if he is properly wary.” The Gemara then goes on to list various other conditions and limitations relating to the transmission of this esoteric wisdom (Chagiga 13a).

Several different definitions have been given of Ma’aseh Bereishit and Ma’aseh Merkava:
Rambam (Maimonides) explains[19] that Ma’aseh Bereishit is knowledge of the natural realm (as distinct from the supernatural), and Ma’aseh Merkavah is divine knowledge, that is, knowledge concerning the existence of God and the Divine Names and descriptions used for Him; the categories of angels, the nature of the soul, and so on. Rabbi Menachem ben Shlomo Meiri (c. 1249-1315) describes Ma’aseh Merkavah as the knowledge of the angelic realm and the existence and unity of God.[20]

Rabbeinu Nissim[21] (Ran, c. 1290-1380) explains further that although Ma’aseh Bereishit refers to knowledge of the natural realm this does not mean “science” in the regular sense of the word, for it is not gleaned by scientific inquiry and observation, which merely studies matter; but rather by examination of the true form of things, which can only be known through Torah. Ma’aseh Merkava, however, is the knowledge of how these forms derive from Divine Names.

Rabbi Ovadiah Bartenura (c. 1445-1524) explains that Ma’aseh Merkavah is the practical use of Divine Names to enable the Kabbalist to view the angels in their various levels.
The Tosafot Yom Tov[22] (R. Yomtov Lipman Heller, 1579-1654) explains that both Ma’aseh Bereishit and Ma’aseh Merkavah refer to the practical use and methods of application of each of these branches of knowledge.

Several facts can be gleaned from the above: 1) That there was a secret mystical tradition in the time of the Mishnah, handed down from Moses via the Prophets, until it was recorded by Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi; 2) that there were two aspects of the mystical tradition as mentioned in the Mishnah – Ma’aseh Bereishit and Ma’aseh Merkava; 3) that the contents of this mystical tradition was a tightly guarded secret and was transmitted to only extremely select individuals in each generation.[23]
Kabbalah

These secret mystical traditions came to be known as “Kabbalah,” from the Hebrew word kabeil – “receive,” signifying the transmission of the esoteric tradition which was received by the leaders of the generation from the leaders of the previous generation. This tradition was interpreted and expounded in both its theoretical and practical aspects.

We have spoken above of Ma’aseh Bereishit and Ma’aseh Merkavah. A more modern classification of Kabbalistic wisdom distinguishes between its theoretical and practical aspects, or Kabbalah Iyunit (“contemplative Kabbalah”) and Kabbalah Ma’asit (“practical Kabbalah”).[24]


The Contemplative Tradition[25]

Kabbalah Iyunit, the category to which the majority of Kabbalistic texts in circulation today belong, sets out to explain the process whereby the created realm came into being as a finite, tangible existence through the will of the infinite Creator. Kabbalah Iyunit also analyzes the nature of the relationship between the Creation as it proceeds toward the fulfillment of the purpose for which it was created, and the Divine source from which it emerges. On a deeper level, Kabbalah Iyunit explores the complex nature of Divine reality itself – in particular, the paradox of God’s simultaneous transcendence and the consequent inability of human thought to grasp Him at all, together with His immanence and active and reactive relationship with Creation and humanity.

An additional aspect of the contemplative tradition is the use of various meditative techniques to ponder the Divine, the manifestations of Divinity and the esoteric underpinnings of the material world. These include the contemplation of Divine Names, of Hebrew letter permutations and of the ways in which the sefirot (supernal Divine forces, see below) harmonize and interact. Some ancient forms of Kabbalistic meditation produced a visionary experience of the supernal “chambers” and the angelic beings who occupy them. This is known as the Heichalot tradition.

These techniques are also sometimes used as a means of rectifying imperfections in the soul, rather than producing spiritual knowledge or elevation.


The Practical Tradition

The practical tradition of Kabbalah involves techniques aimed specifically at altering natural states or events – techniques such as the incantation of Divine names or the inscription of such names, or those of the angels, upon amulets. On occasion, these methods have been used to fashion a golem (humanoid) or some other creature.[26] However, Kabbalah ma’asit is meant to be employed by only the most saintly and responsible individuals and for no other purpose than the benefit of man or the implementation of God’s plan in creation.

The great kabbalist, Rabbi Isaac Luria, known as the holy Ari (1534-1572), admonished his disciples to avoid the practical arts of Kabbalah, as he deemed such practice unsafe so long as the state of ritual purity necessary for service in the Holy Temple remains unattainable.
In essence, however, there is no clear demarcation separating the contemplative elements of Kabbalah from those aimed at influencing or altering existence. Just as kabbalah iyunit, through its system of kavanot (guided meditations), can influence the configuration of Divine forces impinging upon our reality, so too is the efficacy of “practical Kabbalah” predicated upon the knowledge of Kabbalistic theory and doctrine.


Historical Development

The primary source book of the contemplative tradition was the Zohar and related works, written by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (2nd C) and his circle and their disciples through several generations. Within the broader context of the contemplative tradition, three stages of conceptual development can be discerned, spanning three historical eras. Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (Ramak c. 1522-1570), author of Pardes Rimonim, systematized and expounded upon the entire body of kabbalistic thought up until his time. He resolved many apparent contradictions and hundreds of long-unanswered questions.

His primary focus was to systematically describe the evolution of the various planes of reality (the Worlds) and their structural hierarchy – the sefirot – which he understood as an array of Divinely emanated forces which serve to mediate between the infinite Creator and His finite Creation. The sefirot emerge in a given sequence and act as the underlying formula for all creative process within the universe. By identifying the characteristics of the sefirot and the causal sequence in which they operate one is able to understand the inner spiritual structure of the physical universe, but not necessarily how the spiritual dimensions and the physical world interact. This became clearer in the second stage of the development of kabbalistic thought.

The second era of development began immediately after the passing of the Ramak, with his successor Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the holy Ari. The Ari presented a radically new description of the evolution of the spiritual universe, focusing on the dynamic interplay of forces within Creation made possible through the clustering of individual sefirot into complex and interactive partzufim, (sing. partzuf) “profiles.”[27] Unlike the Ramak's system, wherein the sefirot appear as discrete and autonomous forces advancing the evolution of the Creation, the Ari's system posits a universe constantly interacting with itself, engaged in the perennial conflict between good and evil which will only be resolved through the advent of universal redemption--a redemption that man can either hinder or expedite through his own actions.[28]

According to this perspective, the chief dynamic of Creation is not evolutionary, but rather interactive. What this means is that higher strata of reality are constantly interacting with lower strata, like the soul within a body, thereby infusing every element of Creation with an inner force that that connects it to more transcendent levels.

However, affecting change in a person’s daily life (and all the more so in the world in general) requires a complex system of meditations, called kavanot, were appropriate for those possessing lofty souls, and who had worked strenuously on refining and purifying themselves. Such requirements were clearly difficult for the average individual to achieve.
The system of Hasidism (Chassidism), the third stage of development granted the average individual, even one who had not purified and refined himself, the ability to transform his/her natural faculties into Godly faculties, and for his/her human intellect to comprehend Godliness.[29]

This third stage of development began with Rabbi Israel Ba’al Shem Tov, (1698-1762) the founder of Hasidism, and his disciples. The philosophical system of Chasidism was firmly based upon the teachings of classical Kabbalah; nevertheless it outwardly emphasized the simple and joyful service of G-d, particularly through prayer and acts of kindness.

The philosophical aspect of Chassidism in particular was greatly enhanced and expanded upon by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812 CE), a disciple of Rabbi Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mezritch, the successor to the Ba’al Shem Tov.

In Rabbi Shneur Zalman’s works the abstract and often impenetrable formulae of classical Kabbalah are recast in terms of ordinary human experience, based on the verse, "from within my own being (literally 'from my flesh') I see God" (Job 19:26). His teachings describe the correlation between man’s inner experience and the supernal forces discussed in classical Kabbalah. Hence, he relocated Kabbalistic contemplation from the realm of philosophical abstraction into the sphere of immediate psychological insight.

Employing the structure of the soul as an allegorical model for understanding the deepest mysteries of the universe, Chassidism was able to both elevate the consciousness of the ordinary Jew as well as expand the conceptual territory of Kabbalistic reflection, allowing for a fuller appreciation of G-d’s omnipresence within Creation, and man’s position in the Divine Creative plan.

References:
[1]. Maimonides, Yad, Avodah Zara 1:3: “Abraham... wrote books on the subject [of theology.]”
[2]. Maimonides, Yad, Introduction. See also Yerushalmi, Pe’ah 2:4; Megillah 4:1; Sifri, Ha’azinu (32:2).
[3]. This term sometimes used to signify the Written Law found in the Pentateuch, and at others, as a generic term including the entire body of Jewish religious literature and oral law.
[4]. Shabbat 88b-89a. Gemara is one of the sections of the Oral Law, as will be explained below.
[5]. Elsewhere the Talmud (Pesachim 54a; Midrash Tanchuma 90:12) explains that the Torah actually preceded the world by 2,000 years. Some comment that this cannot be meant in a chronological sense, since time was created together with the rest of creation, but rather in the sense of spiritual gradations. Hence, the Torah is 2,000 spiritual levels above the world and is therefore too spiritual to be revealed here, other than to select individuals of superior spiritual stature..
[6]. Asarah Ma’amarot, Rabbi Menachem Azarya of Pano, Ma’amar chikur HaDin, section 3, chap. 22; Shnei Luchot HaBrit 13b ff.
[7]. Seder Olam Rabbah; Seder HaDorot.
[8]. The fact that Abraham Isaac and Jacob also observed the entire Torah even before it was given (Yoma 28b) was due to their unique spiritual prowess; not to the intrinsic nature of Torah as revealed law.
[9]. Gittin 60b.
[10]. Rambam (Maimonides) Yad, Introduction.
[11]. Shabbat 6b, 96b; Bava Metzia 92a.
[12]. Pesachim 4a.
[13]. Bava Kamma 99b.
[14]. Shabbat; Bava Metzia ibid.
[15]. Gittin ibid.; Rambam ibid.
[16]. Rambam idid.
[17]. Rambam ibid.
[18]. Although they may have been part of the 600 orders of Mishnaic teachings prior to their redaction by Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi. (Shem HaGedolim מערכת ספרים s.v. זהר.)
[19]. Moreh Nevuchim part 1, Introduction; Yad, Yesodei HaTorah chaps. 1-4.
[20]. Commentary to Chagiga 11b.
[21]. Drashot HaRan Derash 2.
[22]. Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipman Heller in his commentary on the Mishnah Chagiga 2:1.
[23]. It is interesting to note that the very same Rabbi Chiyya who was reported to have possessed various megillat s’tarim teaches us in Gemara Chagiga about the transmission of the mystical tradition. Although we cannot automatically conclude that he had written documents pertaining to the secret tradition, it is nevertheless a reasonable assumption, and might well be worth further examination, especially since his name appears in literally hundreds of places in the Zohar.
[24]. See Tiferet Yisrael’s commentary to the mishnah in Chagiga op. cit.
[25]. For a more detailed analysis of the following, see Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh’s teachings, published by Gal Einai – www.inner.org.
[26]. Cf. Sanhedrin 65b; R. Yaakov Emden's Megilat Sefer, p. 4 and Mitpachat Sefarim, p. 45a.
[27] The ten sefirot exist not only as individual manifestations of divine attributes, but are also arranged in various distinct configurations, each called a partzuf -- "visage" or "profile"-- each with ten sefirot of its own. All the partzufim are described by names that characterize the way they function as partzufim. The partzuf of the inner aspect of keter is called Atik or Atik Yomin, the partzuf of the outer aspect of keter is called Arich Anpin. The partzuf of chochma is called Abba, the partzuf of bina is called Imma, the partzuf of the six sefirot from chesed to yesod is called Zeir Anpin, the partzuf of malchut is called Nukva. Furthermore, each of the partzufim from Abba downwards has a higher element (the mochin [intellect] of the partzuf) and a lower element (the middot [emotions] of the partzuf) -- in Abba these are chochma and Yisrael Sabba, in Imma they are Bina and Tevuna, in Zeir Anpin they are Yisrael and Yaakov, in Nukva they are called Leah and Rachel.
[28] See “Three Stages” at www.inner.org
[29] On the Essence of Chassidus, chap. 1.