The Sefirot: Ten Emanations of Divine PowerThe Jewish mystical tradition teaches that in order to create the many planes of being that culminated in our world, God brought into being ten sefirot, or vessels. These sefirot consecutively filtered (and continue to filter) God's spiritual light, so that universes separate from Him were able to emerge. It is the belief of Kabbalists that every person, object, and process in the world works through the energies of the sefirot, and every Jewish practice and holiday is a conductor that allows these energies to flow. Furthermore, because people contain analogues of the sefirot within themselves, they can intuit the spiritual truth of the upper worlds. Consequently, man's actions - acts of goodness and of religious meaning, such as keeping the Sabbath - can influence the heavenly sefirot and draw down their positive energy. This analogy, between the sefirot and one's personal manner of relating to God in a profound and deeply-felt way, is a theme discussed at length in the Breslov chasidic literature; particularly so in Likkutei Halachot, an eight volume collection of essays by Rabbi Nosson of Nemirov, an esteemed student of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav. This work parallels the sixteenth-century collection of Jewish law known as the Shulchan Aruch. But whereas that work, the foundation of modern halachic practice, is a practical manual, Likkutei Halachot uses the halachah as a takeoff point for brilliant expositions of Breslov chasidism. It is Likkutei Halachot that forms the basis of Y. David Shulman's The Sefirot: Ten Emanations of Divine Power. |
Contents
The Experience of God | 11 |
The Place of the World | 12 |
CHOCHMAH | 19 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
ability Abraham attain awaken beauty Beit Hamikdash Binah Binah cf Birkat blessing Chesed Chesed and Gevurah Chochmah Choshen Mishpat compassion consciousness constriction created the world Creation Da'at darkness Divine draw emulates energy evil exile faith filled Gevurah gives God's love God's presence God's wisdom Godliness Ha'ezer heaven hidden holy advice human Ibid illumined Jacob Jewish Jews judgment Keter King knowledge Land of Israel learning Torah lift light Likkutei Halachot Malchut mikveh moon Moses ness Netilat Yadayim Netzach and Hod night one's Da'at one's heart Orach Chaim oral Torah person physical prayer Rav Kook reality realm rebuke receive rectify represents revealed rise Rosh Hashanah Sabbath sages teach sefirah sefirot sexual Shacharit shine sins song soul spiritual master strength succah Talmud Talmud teaches teacher Tefillin teshuvah this-worldly Tiferet Tomer Devorah transcends transformed truth tzaddik Tzitzit vessel wealth word world cf written Torah Yesod Yom Kippur Yoreh Deah