Kabbalah spends centuries trying to describe a God who cannot be described, and sometimes even the greatest sages stumble on the attempt. Here we're looking at how some Kabbalists have tried to depict the Almighty, and the potential pitfalls of using shapes and forms to describe the indescribable. It's a fascinating, if challenging, journey.
Now, a word of caution. As the text before us points out, some Kabbalistic sages may have inadvertently made mistakes in their attempts to visualize the Divine. They used circular and straight shapes, different faces, and arranged them in ways that, according to tradition, are perhaps beyond our comprehension. We're told that our Sages forbade contemplating or speculating on such matters because they are beyond our grasp, whether related to what is above, below, in front, or behind.
One particular idea, popularized by Rabbi Chaim Vital in his book "Etz Chaim" (Tree of Life), speaks of tzimtzum, a concept where the Almighty initially filled the entire space of the world, then contracted Himself to create space for creation. Imagine that for a moment – the infinite, making room for the finite. This act of contraction, this withdrawal to the "surrounding sides," is quite the concept.
Following this contraction, a single straight line of light extended from the Infinite, the Ein Sof (the Infinite, God beyond all attributes). The Ein Sof, by the way, means "without end," referring to the unknowable, limitless aspect of God. This line, according to this teaching, acts like a conduit, a thin tube through which the light of the upper Infinite extends to all the worlds existing in the void.
But here’s where it gets even more interesting. The Kabbalists investigated how there could be a beginning and an end in the Sefirot, the emanations of God. The beginning of the line touches the Infinite Light above, but its end doesn't reach the Infinite Light below. The idea is that this separation, this distinction between higher and lower, is necessary. If the Infinite Light flowed equally from all sides, there would be no differentiation, no structure. As our source text asks, how can we justify front and back, east and west?
The light from the Infinite, extending in a straight line, doesn't immediately spread downward. Instead, it gradually expands, forming a circular wheel. This circle remains distinct from the surrounding Infinite, otherwise, it would be absorbed and lose its individual power. The connection between this emanation and the Infinite Emanator is maintained through that initial line.
Think of it like this: the Infinite surrounds and encompasses everything, but the light reaches the emanations specifically through that thin line, ensuring they retain their measure and dimension. This is why these emanations are called the ten attributes, or ten Sefirot; they are defined and numbered.
The first circle, closest to the Infinite, is called the Crown of Adam Kadmon. Adam Kadmon, in Kabbalistic thought, refers to the primordial man, a spiritual prototype. As the line spreads further, it forms subsequent circles within the first: Wisdom, Understanding, and so on, until the tenth circle, Kingdom.
Now, imagine thousands upon thousands of worlds, all existing within this empty space. And in each of these worlds, there are ten specific Sefirot, and within each Sefirah (a divine emanation), ten sub-Sefirot. It’s a complex, layered system.
There’s also the aspect of straightness, represented by the Supernal Adam. The same line that emanates the circles also extends straight down, connecting all the circles. This line embodies the image of the upright human form, consisting of 248 organs (according to tradition). This is seen as the Image of God, as referenced in (Genesis 1:27): "And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him." According to our text, much of the Zohar and the Tikkunim (spiritual repair) deal with this aspect of straightness.
The text goes on to mention further complexities, with multiple worlds of ABY"A (Atzilut, Beriah (the World of Creation), Yetzirah, Assiyah) preceding the ten Sefirot of the world of Atzilut, and detailed descriptions of how far the feet of different aspects of Adam Kadmon reach. It even delves into the relative statures of Abba (Father) and Ima (Mother) compared to Long Countenance. These details, while fascinating, are often alluded to rather than explicitly stated in the Zohar and Tikkunim, because of their sublime nature.
So, where does this leave us? Perhaps with more questions than answers. The Kabbalistic teachings we've explored offer a glimpse into a profound and intricate understanding of the Divine. But they also remind us of the limits of human comprehension. Trying to capture the infinite in finite terms, to define the undefinable, is a challenge that has occupied mystics for centuries. And perhaps, the very act of wrestling with these concepts, even if we can't fully grasp them, brings us closer to the mystery at the heart of it all.
38) Now, my friend, let me clarify to you that our contemporary Kabbalistic sages made many inadvertent mistakes when they attempted to depict and describe the Almighty using various different shapes and forms. They portrayed Him in circular and straight shapes, with different faces, one within another, and one above another, despite the received tradition of our Sages that it is forbidden to contemplate or speculate on such matters, as they are beyond our comprehension, whether they are related to what is above, below, in front, or behind. Furthermore, these contemporary Kabbalistic sages claim that initially, the Almighty filled the entire space of the world and then contracted Himself and withdrew to the surrounding sides, altering His essence in order to create space for the entire world. This is the language of the author Rabbi Chaim Vital in his book "Etz Chaim," Gate of Circles and Straight Lines, Branch 2. After the contraction, which left space empty and void, through the light of the Infinite Ein Sof, there was already a place where the emanated beings, creations, formations, and actions could exist. Then, a single straight line extended from the upper circular light, descending through that space, and it is the uppermost part of the line that extends from the Ein Sof itself and touches it. However, the end of that line below does not touch the Infinite Light below, and in that space, the Emanator created and formed all the worlds. This line is like a thin tube through which the light of the upper Infinite extends to all the worlds that exist in that space of air and emptiness. Now, the matter of the Kabbalists' investigation regarding how there can be a beginning and an end in the spheres is explained. While the beginning of that line touches the Infinite Light from the upper side, its end does not extend downward to the place of the surrounding Infinite below the worlds, and it is not attached to it. Therefore, it is justified to have a beginning and an end in it, because if there were two opposite receiving ends through which the Infinite Light would flow, the two ends would be equal to each other, and there would be no distinction between higher and lower. Similarly, if the Infinite were to extend from all sides of that space, there would be no higher or lower, no front or back. Not east, nor west, not north, nor south, but when the light of the Infinite extends through a single line and a thin tube alone, the distinction between higher and lower, front and back, east and west is justified (these words are not based on intellect, for the distinction between higher and lower is understandable, but how can we justify front and back, east and west?). And behold, when the light of the Infinite extends in the form of a straight line within the space, it does not immediately extend and spread downward, but rather it gradually extends. I mean to say that initially, the line of light began to spread there, and immediately at the beginning of its spread, in the secret of the line, it expanded, extended, and became like a circular wheel around it. And this circle was not attached to the Infinite that surrounds it from all sides, for if it were to adhere to it, the matter would return to its original state and be nullified in the light of the Infinite, and its power would not be seen at all, and everything would be solely the light of the Infinite as it was at first. (Regarding these words, there is room for questioning his statement, for he will mention later that through this line descends an inner light, which is the soul of the spheres, and a encompassing light, which is their garment. Why doesn't it mix and adhere to the substance of the spheres, and cause the essence of the spheres, along with their garments and souls, to become one entity, nullifying the vessel and mingling with the inner light and the outer light?) Therefore, this circle is close to the Infinite and does not adhere to it. And the entire essence of the connection and attachment of that emanation with the Infinite Emanator is through that line through which the light from the Infinite, which influences that circle, descends and extends. And the Infinite surrounds and encompasses it from all sides, distant from it in equal measure from all sides. For it, too, is in the form of a circle surrounding it, for it is necessary that the illumination of the Infinite Emanator reaches the emanations only through that line. For if that light were to extend to them from all their surroundings, the emanations would be in the state of the Emanator itself without limits and boundaries. Moreover, even that line is extremely thin and not thick, so that the light that extends to the emanations would have a measure and dimension, which is why these emanations are called the ten attributes and the ten spheres, for they have a measure, dimension, and fixed number. And behold, this first circle that is most closely attached to the Infinite is called the Crown of Adam Kadmon. And after that, this line spread out and extended a little, then returned to form a second circle within the first circle. This is called the Circle of Wisdom of Adam Kadmon. It further spread downward, returned to form a third circle within these two circles, and is called the Circle of Understanding of Adam Kadmon. In this manner, it continued to revolve and form circles until the tenth circle called the Circle of Kingdom of Adam Kadmon, and so on. However, it is clear and evident that many types of worlds emanated, were created, formed, and made, numbering thousands upon thousands and myriads upon myriads, and all of them, as one, exist within the aforementioned empty space, and there is nothing outside of it. And in each world, there are ten specific spheres. And each sphere within each world contains ten individual sub-spheres. Now, let us further explain the second aspect, which exists within the ten spheres. It is the aspect of straightness in the form of the Supernal Adam. The line mentioned earlier, which extends from above to below, from which the circles emanate, that very line also extends straightly from above to below, from the highest point of the upper circle to the lowest point at the conclusion of all the circles. It includes ten spheres in the secret of the image of the upright human form, consisting of 28 organs, and so on. This second aspect is called the Image of God, as alluded to in the verse, "And God created man in His image, in the image of God, He created him," etc. And since most of the teachings of the Zohar and the Tikkunim (corrections) deal with this second aspect, which is the aspect of straightness, etc. And in the branch of Chesed, there is another multiplication of things that are higher and superior to the ten spheres of the world of Atzilut. For several worlds of ABY"A (Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, Assiyah) preceded them. And due to their sublime nature, they were not explicitly mentioned in the Zohar and the Tikkunim, but rather alluded to in a wondrous manner. And it further explains there how far the feet of Adam Kadmon of straightness reach, and how far the feet of Ancient of Days reach, and the feet of Long Countenance, and the feet of Abba and Ima, and the feet of Nukva of Zeir Anpin. And Abba and Ima are of short stature, and their height is only from the throat of Long Countenance to the navel of Long Countenance. And these matters are also explained in the Gate of Introductions, in the book "Kisei Eliyahu," and in "Mikdash Melech" in the portion of Bereshit. See there for more details.
