It’s a question that’s plagued theologians and spiritual seekers for centuries. Are we addressing the Infinite, the unknowable source of all creation? Or is there… something more?
Today, we’re diving deep into a fascinating, and sometimes controversial, corner of Kabbalistic thought, exploring the idea that our prayers and blessings don't necessarily ascend to the highest, most abstract levels of divinity. Instead, they're directed toward something… closer.
The Zohar, that foundational text of Jewish mysticism, along with its commentaries, speaks of different “countenances” or aspects of the divine emanations of Atzilut, the world of emanation. These countenances have names we recognize – Havayah, Adonut, Elohim, and, of course, the Holy One, Blessed be He. But according to some interpretations within the Kabbalah, it’s the final countenance, Ze’eir Anpin (the "Small Face"), that receives our worship.
Why Ze’eir Anpin? The idea is that the Infinite One, with all its emanations, is beyond our direct reach. As it says in the Zohar, praying directly to these higher aspects might not even elicit a response. The higher worlds, above Atzilut, are even further removed.
Ze’eir Anpin, however, is different. He is the intermediary, the connecting force between the upper and lower realms. Elevated by Abba (Father) and Ima (Mother), he’s entrusted with dominion over all creatures. We are, in essence, commanded to serve and bless him, because, as they understood it, He is the Lord our God.
The Zohar, in Parshat Balak (191b), with the commentary of "Mikdash Melech," touches on this in relation to the verse "He does not withhold blessing from His nation" (Numbers 23:20). Here's where it gets interesting: the secret of the word "Bereiza" is linked to the Name of God and the Name of His son. "Ki Teda" – "that you may know" – refers to knowing the Lord of Hosts (Abba), and the Name of His son is Israel (Ze’eir Anpin). As (Exodus 4:22) states, "Israel is My firstborn," and this Israel is the key to all the gates of faith. Hidden, yet revealed, as (Psalm 2:7) says, "The Lord said to me, 'You are My son.'"
Abba and Ima, crowned and blessed Ze’eir Anpin, even appointed guards with swords, "lest he become angry." It's as if they're saying, "We rule and give him authority over every chamber, so that he may merit compassion and mercy." All blessings, from above and below, rise up and adorn this son.
So, why might they withhold blessings from this son? The explanation is that we first spread out our sins before the Holy King (or, according to some, the Holy Mother) to be cleansed.
The Zohar is quite explicit: Abba is "the Lord of Hosts," and Ze’ir Anpin is the "Son of Abba and Imma." Even the name YHVH is sometimes used in the Zohar to refer to Ze’ir Anpin. According to this line of thought, our blessings and prayers specifically ascend to him, becoming a crown for him, and not for Abba and Imma, not for Arich Anpin, not for Atik, not for Adam Kadmon (the "Sacrifice of all sacrifices"), and certainly not for the Infinite One, who is beyond our reach.
According to this view, only Ze’ir Anpin is relevant to, and dependent on, the providence of the lower realms and our actions. He alone rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked. The higher faces, along with the Infinite, don’t oversee or assign tasks in the affairs of the lower realms. They lack the power to rescue those who call upon them in times of distress.
It's a radical idea, isn't it? That the heavens and the earth are, in a sense, entrusted to the hands of Ze’ir Anpin, who is, crucially, a creation and not the creator himself.
Our sages, may their memory be blessed, offer a beautiful interpretation of the verse "Who has ascended to heaven and come down?" (Proverbs 30:4). As we find in Yalkut Mishlei (remaz 522) and Midrash Hagadol, it refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, ascending with a shout, and then descending on Mount Sinai. "Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name?" His name is the Rock, His name is the Almighty, His name is the Lord of Hosts. And what else is His name? "Bnei Bechori Yisrael" – "My firstborn son is Israel."
This, they say, refers to Israel, who are called children of the Most High, because through Israel, the divinity of the Almighty is revealed in the world. It's not meant to imply that there's a name for Ze’ir Anpin referred to as "son," as some philosophers might understand it.
So, what does all this mean for us? Does it change how we pray? Does it shift our understanding of the divine? Perhaps. It certainly offers a provocative alternative to the traditional image of an all-powerful, distant God. It suggests a God who is mediated, who is relational, and who is intimately involved in the affairs of this world through Ze’ir Anpin. It's a reminder that the divine is complex, multifaceted, and perhaps, ultimately, beyond our full comprehension. But also that God has made God's self accessible to us.
From all the statements in the Zohar and its commentaries mentioned above, it is evident that they ascribe these titles to each of the countenances in the divine emanations of Atzilut, such as Havayah, Adonut, Elohim, and the Holy One, Blessed be He. However, they chose to worship the last countenance, which is Ze'eir Anpin. And they said that the Infinite One, with all the emanated countenances deriving from Him, is not involved in any service or invocation, and that one who prays to them is not generally answered in their exaltedness. Even more so, the countenances in the higher worlds, which are above the world of Atzilut, have no connection to any service in most cases, and only with Ze'eir Anpin alone is there a connection to service, prayer, and calling upon Him in times of distress. For He is with them as the intermediary that connects all the forces above and below, as He was elevated by Abba and Ima and entrusted with dominion over all creatures. They were commanded to serve and bless Him, and according to their understanding, He is the Lord our God. And it is explained in the Zohar, Parshat Balak, page 191b, with the commentary of "Mikdash Melech" on the verse "He does not withhold blessing from His nation" (Numbers 23:20). And the secret of the word "Bereiza" is written in the secret of the supernal word, His Name and the Name of His son, "Ki Teda" (meaning "that you may know"). That Name is the knowledge of the Lord of Hosts (meaning "Abba"), and the Name of His son is Israel (meaning "Ze'eir Anpin"), as it is written, "Israel is My firstborn" (Exodus 4:22), and this Israel is the key to all the gates of faith. And it is concealed, and He said, "The Lord said to me, 'You are My son'" (Psalm 2:7), which means that Abba, who is called the Lord of Hosts, entrusted it to me, my son. And this is certainly the case. Indeed, Abba and Imma crowned him and blessed him with many blessings. And it is said, "And they appointed for him guards with swords, lest he become angry." They appointed guards for this son, as if to say, "We rule and give him authority over every chamber, so that he may merit compassion and mercy." All the blessings from above and below rise and adorn that son. And why do they withhold blessings from this son? It is because they first spread out their sins before the Holy King (some say, before the Holy Mother) in order to be cleansed. That is the understanding. Indeed, it is clear that the Zohar refers to Abba as "the Lord of Hosts," and it refers to Zeir Anpin as the "Son of Abba and Imma." The name YHVH is also used in several places in the Zohar to refer to Zeir Anpin. Abba and Imma have bestowed upon him power and dominion over all creation and commanded to serve him. Our blessings and prayers specifically ascend to him to become a crown for Zeir Anpin, not for Abba and Imma, not for Arich Anpin, not for Atik, not for Adam Kadmon, who is called the "Sacrifice of all sacrifices" (as mentioned above), and not even for Adam Kadmon, for all the higher worlds beyond the world of Atzilut are encompassed within him (Mikdash Melech Genesis 115). And certainly, they do not reach the Infinite, who is distant and transcendent above all. Regarding him (Zeir Anpin), it is said that no worship, prayer, or blessing is directed towards him. Rather, only Zeir Anpin is relevant and dependent on the providence over the lower realms and their actions, not on the higher divinities. He alone, as Zeir Anpin, rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked. However, all the higher faces, together with the Infinite, who is above all, do not oversee or assign tasks in the affairs of the lower realms, whether for good or for evil. Their hands are short and unable to redeem, and they lack the power to rescue those who call upon them in times of distress. God forbid, the heavens and the earth are abandoned by the Infinite, and they are entrusted to the hands of a short-tempered being, namely Zeir Anpin. He (Zeir Anpin) is a creation and not a creator, as will be further explained later from the words of the Zohar and the Kabbalists. Our sages, may their memory be blessed, interpreted the verse "Who has ascended to heaven and come down?" in a beautiful manner. It is brought in Yalkut Mishlei (remaz 522) and in Midrash Hagadol (beginning of Parshat Shemot) that "Who has ascended to heaven?" refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, who ascended with a shout, and "and come down" - the Lord descended on Mount Sinai. "Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name?" (Proverbs 30:4). His name is the Rock, His name is the Almighty, His name is the Lord of Hosts. And what is His name? "Bnei Bechori Yisrael" (My firstborn son is Israel). The matter is straightforward, as it refers to Israel who are called children of the Most High, because through Israel, the divinity of the Almighty is revealed in the world. It does not mean that there is a name for Zeir Anpin referred to as "son" in the Zohar, as understood by the philosophers. And now we have completed the matter that we began.
