Jewish mystical tradition, particularly as explored in the teachings of the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto), offers a fascinating, albeit complex, explanation. It all boils down to a cosmic shattering.
We’ve talked about the sefirot before, those divine emanations that make up the structure of reality. But what happens when that structure is...broken? According to the Ramchal, that's exactly what occurred. This concept of "shattering" is central to understanding creation as we know it.
The passage you shared delves into the specifics of that shattering, focusing on the lower aspects of Hokhmah (Wisdom) and Binah (Understanding), two crucial sefirot on the Tree of Life. Specifically, we're talking about the "backsides" or "arrières" of these sefirot. Think of it this way: each sefirah has a front, a face it presents outwards, and a back, representing its more concealed, internal aspects.
The text explains that the fall of these "backsides" of Hokhmah and Binah followed the breaking of the seven lower sefirot, the Tahtonot. But how did this happen? Imagine Hokhmah and Binah initially facing each other in harmony. But then Da'at (Knowledge), another sefirah, shattered. This caused the Hassadim (loving-kindnesses) and Gevurot (severities) of Hokhmah and Binah to fall, descending to the level of the Guf, the "Body" of the sefirotic tree. They turned away from each other, no longer face to face.
Then Hessed (Loving-kindness) broke. The backsides of Abba (Father, often associated with Hokhmah) fell to the level of Yessod (Foundation), and these backsides positioned themselves in front of Immah (Mother, often associated with Binah). Next, Gevurah (Severity) shattered, causing the backsides of Immah to fall to the level of Yessod as well. The two backsides then turned their backs to each other – a picture of profound disconnection.
The shattering continues. A third of Tiferet (Beauty) broke, causing the backsides of the Yessod of Abba and Immah to fall. Then Tiferet broke entirely, and the Hassadim and Gevurot within Yisrael Sabba (the Ancient of Days, another name for Abba) and Tevunah (Understanding, associated with Immah) fell within their bodies, and they turned away from each other.
Netzach (Victory) and Hod (Splendor) then broke. The backsides of the Yessod of Yisrael Sabba and Tevunah fell to the level of Yessod. Yessod itself then shattered, causing the backsides of its own Yessod to fall. Finally, Malkhut (Kingdom) broke, and the backsides of its crowns fell.
The passage concludes by stating that this is how the damage to Netzach, Hod, and Yessod of Keter (Crown, the highest sefirah) was completed. It was through these broken aspects that the Hassadim and Gevurot of Hokhmah and Binah entered.
What does it all mean? This intricate description of shattering isn’t just a strange story. It's a symbolic representation of how the divine light became fragmented, how harmony turned into discord, and how the potential for both good and evil entered the world. The Kabbalists teach us that through our actions, through Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">tikkun olam (repairing the world), we can begin to piece these shattered fragments back together, restoring the original unity of the divine. A daunting task, perhaps, but also a profoundly hopeful one.