That’s kind of what we're doing today, diving into some pretty deep Kabbalistic concepts about the nature of the Divine.
We’re talking about the Sefirot (the divine emanations), those ten emanations of God in Kabbalah, and how they relate to the Ein Sof, the Infinite. It's a complex topic, and there are…let’s just say opinions on how to understand it all.
One thing that’s really important to understand is that the body of the Sefirot, as Kabbalah describes it, extends from the very essence of the Ein Sof – that Infinite, unknowable source. And that's not just the Sefirot themselves, but also their inner light (their soul) and their encompassing light (their garment). They all emanate from the same source. The book "Shushan Sodot" goes into detail about this, both in the order of prayer and in the context of the seven days of Passover.
Now, here’s a crucial point: the ten Sefirot aren't created beings. They're more like a concept, an unfolding, that extends from the essence of the Creator. They aren't separate from Him; He continuously exists within them, like a spark within its garment. Rabbi Moshe Zacuto, known as the RAMAZ, made this point, stating that the vessels of Atzilut (the world of emanation) have a divine aspect. Rabbi Menachem HaMeiri echoed this, saying that even all of Atzilut – lights, vessels, even their garments – are all complete divinity. Even the "Beit Kodesh HaKodashim" says that the body and soul are unified.
However, when you get to the lower realms of Beriah (creation), Yetzirah (formation), and Assiyah (action), things change. In those worlds, even the spirit isn't considered complete divinity.
This distinction is key. And it brings us to a debate, a point of contention. Some might argue, "Wait a minute! Are you saying the Kabbalists believe the Sefirot are part of the Ein Sof?" The answer is nuanced. The Sefirot emerged and unfolded from a higher elevation to a lower one. They are not the Ein Sof itself, but are an expression of it.
The Zohar, that foundational text of Kabbalah, refers to each of the faces as the "uppermost of the upper," because each is an elevation above the lower levels. Adam Kadmon (Primordial Man), however, is called the "uppermost of all the upper," as it's the initial elevation for all the faces.
So where does this leave us with prayer? Well, according to tradition, all our service and prayers are directed specifically to Ze’eir Anpin, who is considered the son of Abba (Father) and Imma (Mother). As we find in works like "Mikdash Melech," "HaRashba," "Yosher Levav," "Sefer HaBrit," "Maharsha," "Etz Chaim," "Ha'ari" in "Likutei Amarim," "Kisei Eliyahu," "Matzref HaEmunah (faith)," and "Nachalat Yosef," all praises and blessings are specifically for Ze’eir Anpin. They aren’t directed towards the Ein Sof or any other higher faces in the world of Atzilut, nor towards the faces below Ze’eir Anpin in the worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah (the World of Action). Even though those worlds contain aspects of Atzilut that originate from the Ein Sof, they aren’t considered "complete divinity" in the same way. You don’t pray to them or invoke them in times of distress, unless the source of the matter reveals itself through their words.
Our sages, in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 91b), offer a way to understand this. They say, "From the gods of the nations that are near you or far from you." Why both "near" and "far"? Rashi explains that we should look at the idols close to us and see that they have no substance, and from that, understand the nature of those that are far. So, if the entities in Assiyah, Yetzirah, and Beriah have no substance, then even Ze’eir Anpin of Atzilut, who is more distant, ultimately derives from the one true God.
This whole discussion circles back to a really important point: focus your worship, praises, and blessings on Ze’eir Anpin of Atzilut. It's a perspective the "new Kabbalists" all seem to agree on.
It’s like the Tanna said in Pirkei Avot: “Ten things were created on the eve of the Sabbath… with a golem, with the appearance and characteristics of a golem." The golem, in this context, represents something incomplete, something that doesn’t quite grasp the full picture.
Ultimately, grappling with these concepts is about striving to understand the relationship between the finite and the infinite, between the revealed and the hidden. It’s a lifelong journey, and one that invites us to continually refine our understanding of the Divine. So what do you think? How do you understand the relationship between the Sefirot and the Ein Sof? It's a question that's been pondered for centuries, and one that continues to challenge and inspire us today.
39) Now, from all of this, it is thoroughly explained that the body of the Sefirot extends and unfolds through the subtle line from the essence of the Ein Sof (the Infinite), both the circles and the straightness. Thus, it is understood that the body of the Sefirot, along with their inner light, which is their soul, and their encompassing light, which is their garment, all emanate and extend from the very same essence of the Ein Sof. This matter is explicitly stated in detail in the book "Shushan Sodot" in the order of prayer, as well as in the order of the seven days of Passover. And know that the ten Sefirot are not created entities but rather a concept that extends from the essence of the Creator, and they are not separate from Him. He continuously exists within them, just as a spark is always found in its garment, and so on. This is stated in this folio by Rabbi Moshe Zacuto in the name of the RAMAZ (Rabbi Moshe Zacuto), in the portion of Behar, page 109, that the vessels of Atzilut have a divine aspect. Similarly, Rabbi Menachem HaMeiri wrote at the end of Tractate Asiyah that even the entire Atzilut, whether in the aspect of lights or in the aspect of vessels, and even their garments, are all complete divinity. (Likewise, Rabbi Uzziel Elohim wrote in Beit Kodesh HaKodashim that the body and the soul are unified, and so it is written in the book "Heichal HaBerachah" in the section of Vayikra in the treasury of life, page 4.) However, in the levels of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Assiyah, from their spirit and below, even the spirit, as a whole, is not complete divinity. This is stated in the teachings of the Chassidim. Furthermore, it is also evident from the language of the Zohar that I mentioned earlier in section 21, where it refers to each of the faces as the "uppermost of the upper." This is because it is an elevation above the lower levels. However, Adam Kadmon (Primordial Man) is called the "uppermost of all the upper," as it is the initial elevation for all the faces, as mentioned above. And from this, there is a response to your statement where you denied and said, God forbid, that the Kabbalists said so. On the contrary, they said that one should not believe or entertain the thought that the Sefirot are part of the Ein Sof (the Infinite). Rather, it emerged and unfolded from an upper elevation to a lower one, and so on. Your words contradict the teachings of the Zohar, the Maharal of Prague, Shushan Sodot, and the RAMAZ (Rabbi Moshe Zacuto). They also contradict the teachings of the Chassidim who explained the quality of their unfolding from the essence of the Ein Sof and that they are complete divinity. Thus, you admit that their statements, which you claimed to be erroneous, are in fact a grave error. And I have already mentioned earlier the words of the Zohar, which refer to the Abba and Imma as "the Lord of Hosts" and to Ze'eir Anpin as the son of Abba and Imma. And in this regard, it is said that all our service and prayers are directed specifically to Ze'eir Anpin, who is the son of Abba and Imma. And all the Kabbalists agree with this. As I mentioned earlier, quoting the works "Mikdash Melech," "HaRashba," "Yosher Levav," "Sefer HaBrit," "Maharsha," "Etz Chaim," "Ha'ari" in "Likutei Amarim," "Kisei Eliyahu," "Matzref HaEmunah," and "Nachalat Yosef," all of them unanimously affirm that all praises and blessings are specifically for Ze'eir Anpin. They are not directed towards the Ein Sof or any other higher faces in the world of Atzilut, nor towards the faces below Ze'eir Anpin in the worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, even though it is acknowledged and stated that within each of the three aforementioned worlds, there exist all the faces of the world of Atzilut, and they originate from the same essence of the Ein Sof, extending and unfolding through the line that emerges from it and descends downward, as explained earlier. However, they are not considered complete divinity to pray to them or to invoke them in times of distress unless the source of the matter reveals itself through their words. And regarding these matters and the aforementioned beliefs, our sages said in Sanhedrin, page 91b: "From the gods of the nations that are near you or far from you." Why do I need both "near" and "far"? Rather, it means to say that just as you learn the goodness of those who are near, learn from them the goodness of those who are far. And Rashi explained: "Therefore, I say to you, look at the idols that are close to you and see that they have no substance. And from them, learn the nature of those that are far." Thus, our sages showed us a way to understand the nature of the idols: by examining the goodness of the idols that are close, we can discern the goodness of the distant idols. Based on this, we can analyze and discuss all the faces of the New Kabbalistic Tradition, which states that within each world of the four worlds, the mentioned faces can be found. Accordingly, the worship is directed only to Ze'eir Anpin of Atzilut. Just as the entities near us in the worlds of Assiyah, Yetzirah, and Beriah are not to be worshipped as they have no substance and are not gods, so too Ze'eir Anpin of Atzilut, who is distant, has no substance, and there is no deity besides our God. And since we have clarified that the consensus of all the new Kabbalists is that all worship, praises, and blessings are directed to Ze'eir Anpin of Atzilut, all your claims against us and all your denials are mere empty words and ill intentions, akin to saying that a man is a woman or that a pillar of marble is made of gold, and so on. And in your response, you acted as a golem, as the Tanna said in Pirkei Avot, Chapter 5: "Ten things were created on the eve of the Sabbath... with a golem, with the appearance and characteristics of a golem." And from this principle, the wise one asks according to halacha and answers accordingly, with a golem in this exchange. And you have done the same, for the question posed to you regarding who we should worship according to the New Kabbalah, whether it is Atik, Arich Anpin, Abba and Ima, etc. And your response is not relevant, as if you were asked about your acceptance, etc., as if you were asked about your acceptance. And you have also multiplied words and extended by bringing hints and gematria from the words of Chavat Ya'ir that did not understand the words of his father. And you mentioned hints that any person can do like them without any acceptance, as Rabbi Shmuel did when he composed the book "Koach Hashem," which is filled with combinations, gematria, and hints in one night from his own knowledge without any acceptance, only to demonstrate his power and ability to create combinations, gematria, and hints effortlessly, as written in the book "Alef Bet of Nachmanides." Now, hints and combinations that do not touch upon the honor of the Holy Blessed One, or worshiping other gods, or belittling the importance of Mishnah, Talmud, and the Midrashim that describe the praises of our holy Torah, there is nothing wrong with them not being hinted at in the Torah. But in particular, you have extended to mention the hints mentioned in the "Ba'al Menorat HaMa'or" regarding their locations, and you did not answer what was requested from you, and your lips have not reached the measure of a golem, as the Tanna mentioned that he does not know how to respond as requested from him.
