1. The terms that are used in most fields of knowledge and study are generally not translated into any other language. For example: In medicine, Latin terms are used; in Music, Italian terms are used. This is also the case in our texts. It is impossible to translate many Kabbalistic terms into English due to the actual meaning of the words, the numeric value of the letters, which comprise the words (Gematria), their form and elements as well as other factors that are extremely important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It would be most desirable to leave the terms in Hebrew, because even the form of their inscription contains deep meaning. Yet, for different reasons, we were unable to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Depending on the way terms are used in the text, we use prepositions that correspond to the English language. For instance: “in Sefira,<\/em>” and “from Masach,<\/em>“- Hebrew endings are used to define the plural tense. For example: In feminine gender the plural of Sefira<\/em> becomes Sefirot<\/em>, or in the masculine gender the plural of Partzuf<\/em> becomes \u2013Partzufim<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Spiritual Worlds are not limited by space, time, or position (place or movement). The visual form of an object does not exist in them. For this reason, all the graphical representations are just portrayal of the correlation between the spiritual objects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Kabbalah uses the language of branches. This means that the words defining the objects of our world refer to their spiritual counterparts. It\u2019s necessary to constantly <\/strong>remember this and to learn to sense what\u2019s being implied by the names of the spiritual actions and objects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Cognition in Kabbalah as in any other science is gradual and layered. At first one learns the easiest, the top layer, the initial data, simplified schemes, and the general picture. Then the second stage comes \u2013 the thorough analysis of every detail. This is followed by the third stage \u2013 the combination of all the details into a unified picture. Analysis and synthesis is the concluding stage<\/p>\n\n\n\n This way the material is comprehended more efficiently. Gradually, the general picture becomes clearer, the details are clarified, and all the processes are comprehended on a perceptive level, as opposed to a speculative level. It is said that a specialist in any field is the person who perceives the material without any devices or sketches, by using the sixth sense, so to speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kabbalah also requires repetitive comprehension of the text and work on oneself, until the feelings are equal to the material that\u2019s being studied, and, as a result, come to the surface. This could be compared with the fulfillment of the musician reading the score \u2013 the notes give him a complete picture about the work of music. The music sounds in his head without the aid of musical instruments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Therefore, during the first reading, it\u2019s enough to understand just the order of the creation of the Spiritual Worlds and our world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the second reading \u2013 the reasons for their creation. Only afterwards \u2013 the path of a man – from our world, from down \u2013 up, towards the Spiritual Worlds and through them – to the Source. Under no circumstances does this refer, as some might think, to the desire to \u201crelocate to the other world\u201d, to die. As it\u2019s been said previously, our goal is to live in both worlds simultaneously, attaining the Creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. If by advancing in your studies you find the material to be less comprehensible, don’t worry. This is normal and it indicates the correct relationship to the material as well as movement forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Continue your studies and understanding will come!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6. If some parts seem completely incomprehensible to you, please, skip them. They will become clearer down the road as you continue working with the text and, most importantly, on yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Advancing spiritually, the reader will be able to see a deeper meaning in the text that he read earlier. The indication of the spiritual progress is comprehension of the wordy text at a higher level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. We do not touch on the system of Spiritual Worlds in its final state \u2013 Gmar Tikkun<\/em>. This is a difficult topic that remains separate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8. The text below follows the \u201cchronological\u201d order of the creation of the worlds: The Creator – Kli <\/em>– Olam Ein Sof<\/em> – Tzimzum Alef<\/em> \u2013 Olam <\/em>\u0410\u041a<\/em> \u2013 Olam HaNikudim<\/em> \u2013 Shefirat Kelim<\/em> \u2013 Olam Atzilut<\/em> \u2013 Olamot BY<\/em>\u0410<\/em> \u2013 creation of a man \u2013 the Fall \u2013 Olam Haze<\/em>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Before the Creation appeared there was only the Creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 0. The Creator emanated Light. The Light constitutes His desire to create beings and bestow delight upon them. This phase of the Creation is called Phase 0 or Keter<\/em> (lit.: a crown).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. The spreading Light creates a desire to receive pleasure from it. This desire is called a vessel. The vessel is completely filled with the Light and enjoys it. This is Phase 1 or Hochma<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Enjoying the Light, the vessel begins to feel the Light\u2019s property \u2013 \u201cto bestow\u201d. As a result of this, the vessel transforms its desire to receive pleasure into a desire to bestow (to give). The vessel wishes to be similar to the Light, refuses to receive, expels the Light and wants to bestow. This is Phase 2 or Bina<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Phase 2 (the will to bestow) generates an act of giving: the empty vessel starts feeling that it cannot give unless it receives. Hence it resumes receiving as in Phase 1, but of its own free will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result of this decision the next phase emerges: a will to receive as in Phase 1 combined with a will to bestow as in Phase 2. Such a mixed phase is called Phase 3 or Zeir Anpin<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. This vessel consists of two opposite states. It discovers that it is a lot more natural for it to receive than to bestow. An independent desire to receive (unlike the one given from above as in Phase 1) is born in the vessel for the first time. The vessel becomes completely filled with the Light of Hochma<\/em>. This is Phase 4 or Malchut<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This infinitely filled vessel is considered the genuine, true Creation, because its desires come from within it as distinct from the vessel in Phase 1, which, having no aspirations of its own, was filled with the Light, because the Light, the Creator so wished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Only in Phase 4 the Creation freely chooses to receive the Light emanating from the Creator. This first desire to enjoy the Light emerges from within the Creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Phases Hochma<\/em>, Bina<\/em>, Zeir Anpin<\/em> and Malchut<\/em> are called the four phase of the Straight Light emanating from the Creator in order to create a desire to receive, Malchut<\/em>, the true Creation.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Stage 0 \u2013 Behina Shoresh<\/em> Nothing else exists in the world except these two: the Creator\u2019s desire to bestow delight and the Creation\u2019s will to receive it. Absolutely everything submits to this rule. Whatever we may say about the Creation at all stages of its evolution: inanimate, vegetative, animate and human \u2013 all the created beings wish to receive a spark of the Light, meaning they strive after pleasure. The Creator made the Creation in such a way that it would enjoy His Light in absolute perfection, in an endless and unlimited manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if the Light enters the vessel and completely fills it, the vessel does not want to receive anymore, the Light destroys desire and, for the lack of it, delight disappears. We all know from experience that even being very hungry we start eating, and after a while we feel satisfied and reluctant to continue, no matter what delicacies may be placed before us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How can we make pleasure perfect and unlimited? A special scheme was devised by the Creator for that purpose. It consists in the fact that if pleasure is felt not because you receive it for yourself, but because by this you bestow delight upon another, it becomes infinite, because it depends on how much you can give. The more people you can bestow upon, the more pleasure you receive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such a state creates eternal existence and perfection and refers to the Creator\u2019s properties. This is the state the Creator wants all the created beings to achieve. If the Creation wishes only to receive, it naturally finds itself in a closed state and can feel only what is inside it. If it could only sense how delighted the Creator is by the Creation\u2019s reception, it would enjoy endlessly, like a mother, who is delighted to give to her child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One can enjoy infinitely only if the reception is not for one\u2019s own sake, i.e. one receives delight for the Giver\u2019s sake. Then the Light, which enters the vessel, does not eliminate a desire to enjoy it. This is the most optimal model of existence, sheer perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Light does not simply bring pleasure. This is the delight from unlimited attainment, infinite existence, self-knowledge and self-analysis. This is the sensation of eternity, perfection and bliss on all coordinates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ideal model is as follows: the Creator bestows the Light upon the Creation. The Creation lays down one condition: it agrees to receive the Creator\u2019s Light provided this reception gives pleasure to Him. Such a model is called the reflected Light , <\/em>in contrast to the Creator\u2019s Straight Light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First of all, for realizing this model there should be a desire attracting the Straight Light to the Creation. Then the Creation places a screen in the Light\u2019s way, preventing the egoistic reception of pleasure, as if saying that it can accept delight if it is equivalent to bestowal, i.e. receive for the Creator\u2019s sake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then the Creation becomes like the Creator. It turns out be an exchange of a sort: the Creator bestows delight upon the Creation, which agrees to accept it only if it brings Him pleasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Baal HaSulam gives a very simple and comprehensible example of a guest calling on a host. The host puts various dishes on the table and invites his guest to have a meal. The guest takes a seat, but is too embarrassed to eat. First, he does not want to be a receiver; secondly, he is not quite sure the host is sincere in his attempts to give him a treat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The guest feels shame, because he receives, while his host is a giver. So the guest refuses to eat altogether in order to find out what the host\u2019s true desire is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the host starts asking his guest to taste the food and thus please him, demonstrating his sincere desire, then after a few declines, the guest (now 100% sure he will please the host) commences to eat. At this point he sees himself not as a receiver, but as a giver of pleasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus they trade places. In spite of the fact that the host prepared the meal, arranged the table and wants to give the guest a treat, he understands that now everything depends on the guest, who controls the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Creator purposefully made the Creation in such a way that under the influence of the Light it feels ashamed of reception. Using its free will, it independently reaches a state, when it wants to receive not for itself, but for pleasing the Creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this case the Creation reaches the Creator\u2019s level; Malchut<\/em> rises to the level of Keter<\/em> and acquires the Creator\u2019s properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These qualities, properties and sensations are impossible to describe, and cannot be grasped. Climbing the first step of equivalence with the Creator already means eternity, absolute delight and attainment, whereas the highest spiritual level cannot be expressed in the language of our world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The wisdom of Kabbalah studies the gradual development of the Creation. It shows the process of correction, which all the worlds (including ours) are to go through in order to reach the Creator\u2019s level, the eternal and perfect state. This entire way must be covered while we are in this world and in this body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Kabbalists reached this perfect state and described it for us. Absolutely all the souls have to follow their example, each in its own time. Until the last soul completes its corrections, all the others will have to continue incarnating in this world. Only here it is possible to make corrections, enter the spiritual world and ultimately reach Phase 0 (<\/em>Keter<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can it all be achieved within one lifetime? No, it cannot. At birth man receives a soul, which already descended to this world, made some corrections and possesses a certain experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hence the people born today are much more intelligent and experienced. They are more prepared for today\u2019s conditions of technical and cultural progress and diverse social change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this generation the desire to study Kabbalah is steadily growing. The souls have accumulated so much experience during their previous lives that already a person of twenty or twenty-five cannot live without attaining the spiritual knowledge, whereas previously only a few out of millions felt some vague inclination to the spiritual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few more years will pass and already within one lifetime (maybe less) it will be possible to reach the spiritual state. This is the initially predetermined purpose of the Creation. All of us are parts of Malchut <\/em>having a precisely defined property and a goal in this world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Transforming its properties under the influence of different factors of our world and according to the special system of Kabbalah studies, each such part achieves its correction thus reaching the ultimate state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The way of each part is predetermined from above. All of us are born with a certain soul, with unique properties. None of us chose his soul. Naturally, everyone\u2019s way is predetermined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So what is left for us? Where is our free will? Why are we considered intelligent beings and not just controlled mechanical objects? Where is this opportunity to show our worth, which the Creator gave us? Only in one, but the most important aspect: man himself should wish to choose the way of correction and ascent, moving forward with the speed corresponding to the power of his desire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone is obliged to start at the initial point and reach the final destination. We have no free will in that. We have to cover the entire way, going through all its stages and sensations, gradually absorbing all of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Freedom consists in our readiness to agree with all that happens on our way, justify each stage and choose the maximum speed in this process of correction and merging with the Creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This and only this depends on man and this is the manifestation of the essence of Creation \u2013 to independently wish to get out of the state it was in at the moment of Creation, be corrected and merge with the Creator in the final point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wishing to bestow His delight upon the created beings in an absolute way, the Creator obliged man to complement and correct his own nature\u2019s shortcomings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A human being can be called \u201cman\u201d only to the extent of the manifestation of this desire in him; otherwise he is just a faceless creature. Kabbalah is the only science, which develops man by turning him into an independent, free personality.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The four phases of formation of Kli<\/em> are distinguished by the intensity of their desire to receive pleasure (by its coarseness and hardness). Phase 0 and Phase 1 have no such desire. The more remote the Creation becomes from the Creator, the bigger the desire to enjoy it feels, the more egoistic, coarse its will to receive becomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Phase 4, Malchut<\/em> is absolutely egoistic and this desire originates from its decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each of the four consecutive phases is one inside another: Keter<\/em> is inside Hochma<\/em>, both of them are inside Bina<\/em>, all the three are inside Zeir <\/em>Anpin,<\/em> and Malchut<\/em> includes all the four phases. Each preceding phase supports the next one and provides its existence. (Drawing Nr. 6 in the Album of Drawings)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Phase 4 received the Light, which completely filled it. It was stated above that when the Light fills the vessel with pleasure (especially because the vessel desires it and simply draws it in); it gradually assumes its property of bestowal (Drawing Nr. 7 in the Album of Drawings)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then Malchut<\/em> begins to feel that its property is totally opposite to that of the Light. It feels its own egoism in comparison with the giver, and this generates in it such powerful shame that it stops receiving the Light and remains empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The expulsion of the Light from Malchut<\/em> is called the First Restriction (Tzimtzum Alef<\/em>). Being empty, Malchut<\/em> reaches a sort of equilibrium with the giver: neither of them receives nor bestows anything, giving no pleasure to one another (Drawing Nr. 8 in the Album of Drawings). So how can Malchut<\/em> for all that be made equal to the Creator?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Exactly as it was in the example about the host and the guest, Malchut<\/em> pushes the coming Light away, because it does not wish to be a receiver and then lays down a condition that it will accept a portion of the Light not for its own enjoyment, but to please the Creator, knowing He wants Malchut<\/em> to receive delight. Hence this kind of reception is already equivalent to bestowal and Malchut<\/em> turns from a receiver into a giver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We see that a genuine desire appears after the Light passes through the four phases. Each of our desires goes through the same process. It passes through all four phases of the Light development before manifesting in us, when we finally may feel it. There cannot be a desire without the Light. The Light is primary, a desire is secondary.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us examine the structure of the Creation created during Phase 4. The Light emanating from the Creator is called Straight Light (Ohr Yashar<\/em>). The Light Malchut<\/em> repels is called Reflected Light (<\/em>Ohr Hozer<\/em>). The Light entering partially into the vessel is called Inner Light (Ohr Pnimi<\/em>). Most of the Light left outside is called Surrounding Light (Ohr Makif<\/em>) (Drawing Nr. 31 in the Album of Drawings).<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the guest faces the host and the table full of delicacies at first he refuses everything, then decides to eat a bit in order to please the host even though he would like to gulp everything down in one go. This means that we must use our selfish desires, but in an altruistic way. As the guest starts to consider things, he understands that he cannot accept the whole dinner for the sake of the host; he only may accept a small portion of it.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is why the created being, after having performed a restriction, can accept with altruism a small portion of the Light, let us say 20%, but it pushes away the remaining 80%. The part of the created being that makes a decision on how much Light it may accept inside for the sake of the Creator is called Rosh<\/em> (Head). The part of the Screen located above Malchut<\/em> which lets the Light enter inside is called Mouth (Peh<\/em>) (Drawing Nr. 31 in the Album of Drawings).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The part accepting the Light is called Toch<\/em> (Inner part) and the last part, which remains empty, is called Sof<\/em> (End). This is the place where the created being performs a restriction and no longer accepts the Light. Toch<\/em> and Sof<\/em> together form Body (Guf<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The line exerting a restriction, inside the G<\/em>uf<\/em>, is called Navel (<\/em>Tabur<\/em>). The lowest part, which is devoid of Light, is called Conclusion (<\/em>Sium<\/em>). This object as a whole constitutes the Creation, the soul, Partzuf<\/em>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n As we see, different terms are attributed to the various parts of creation using analogies with the human body. There are no terms, labels and numbers in the spiritual worlds. It is nevertheless easier and more convenient to use words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kabbalists have chosen to express themselves in a very simple language: given the fact that everything in our world results from the spiritual worlds, in accordance with the direct connections descending from Above downward, from every spiritual object to every object in our world. Then for everything that has a name in our world, we may take the name of an object of our world and use it to designate the spiritual object that begets it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us take the example of a stone in our world. There is a force Above which generates this stone: it will therefore be named \u201cstone.\u201d The only difference is that the \u201cspiritual stone\u201d is a spiritual root endowed with specific attributes, which in turn matches a branch in our world, labeled \u201cstone,\u201d a material object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is how the language of branches was created. By means of names, denominations and actions of our world we can refer back to elements and actions in the spiritual worlds. Naturally, such a language can be worked out only by someone, who is able to see the root and the branch, the cause and the effect at the same time, i.e. a person simultaneously living in both worlds.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n How does the spreading of the Light (twenty percent in this case) inside the G<\/em>uf<\/em> take place? The Screen, which was initially positioned on the level of Peh de Rosh<\/em> (the Mouth of the Head), is brought down by the Light\u2019s pressure by twenty percent below the Peh<\/em> into the G<\/em>uf<\/em>, until it reaches the line of the Tabur<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having received twenty percent of the Light in Toch<\/em>, the Partzuf<\/em> begins to feel the pressure exerted by the Surrounding Light, Ohr Makif<\/em>, which essentially promotes how pleasant it is to receive a part of the light, and tempts us to accept the delight left outside. We all know that it is preferable not to receive pleasure at all, than receive only a little. That is why it begins pressing both from inside and outside, making it very hard to resist (Drawings Nr. 31, 31 in the Album of Drawings).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pressure exerted simultaneously by the Ohr Pnimi <\/em>and the Ohr Makif <\/em>on the Tabur<\/em> is termed \u201cBitush Pnim uMakif<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While it was not accepting any Light at all, the Partzuf<\/em> could remain in that state for a long time, but now the Light exerts pressure both from inside and outside. If the Partzuf<\/em> accepts some more Light, this means acting for its own delight, because the strength of its resistance to selfishness equals only twenty percent. The Partzuf<\/em> declines to do so. It did perform the First Restriction, not to act later on in such a way. This would be totally inappropriate. There is only a single solution, which consists in rejecting the Light in order to revert to the initial state, the way it was before accepting the Light. And this is exactly what the Partzuf<\/em> does.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n When the Light is expelled from the G<\/em>uf<\/em>, the Screen rises progressively from the Tabur<\/em> to the Peh de Rosh<\/em>, pushing the Light away. Before the spreading of the Light inside the G<\/em>uf<\/em>, the Partzuf<\/em> had all information available in the Rosh<\/em>. It knew what kind of Light it is, what kind of delight it brings, it knew what its own desire is, and how strong its force is opposed to the delight for its own sake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to all this information, as well as the information remaining from the state when the Partzuf<\/em> was filled with Light, and from the state following the restriction of the Light, the Partzuf<\/em> keeps a memory of the past – an imprint, which is called Reshimo<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What exists in the spiritual? Nothing but the desire to delight and the delights satisfying this desire. The information about the desire per se in the Partzuf<\/em> is called Aviut<\/em>, <\/em>and the information corresponding to the Light, which would clothe itself with a Kli<\/em> (Vessel), is called Hitlabshut<\/em>. One can justly say that there is only the Creator and Creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the previous state there always remain a Reshimo<\/em> of Hitlabshut<\/em> and a Reshimo<\/em> of Aviut<\/em>. These two parameters are sufficient to define the previous state of the Partzuf<\/em>. After having rejected the Light, a Partzuf<\/em> knows precisely what it felt when the Light resided in its G<\/em>uf<\/em>. With this experience it knows how to act and what sort of calculations it has to carry out.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Partzuf <\/em>now understands that it is no longer possible to retain twenty percent of the Light. The decision is made to taste fifteen percent of it for the sake of the Creator. For this to happen, the Partzuf<\/em> needs to move down a bit so that its Rosh<\/em> and Peh<\/em> will be positioned below the level of the previous Partzuf<\/em>. The Light hitting the Screen is pushed away, and only perhaps fifteen percent gets in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How are the Hitlabshut<\/em> and the Aviut<\/em> determined? The calculation begins in the World of Ein Sof<\/em> (the World of Infinity), where Malchut <\/em>(Aviut Dalet<\/em>, Desire of Level 4) is totally filled with the corresponding Light (Hitlabshut Dalet<\/em>, Light of Level 4). This state of Malchut<\/em> is shortly characterized by \u201c<\/em>Dalet-Dalet,<\/em>\u201d and is denoted by (4,4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next Partzuf<\/em> retains the data that now it is capable to fill itself up with Light, which corresponds only to Aviut <\/em>G<\/em>imel<\/em>, Desire of Level 3, and so on. Each of the following Partzufim<\/em> lowers its capacity to fill its G<\/em>uf<\/em> with Light for the sake of the Creator more and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Altogether there are 5 Partzufim,<\/em> which emerge from above to below. Together they form a set of Partzufim<\/em> called the World of Adam Kadmon, AK <\/em>(Drawings Nr. 28, 29, 30 in the Album of Drawings).<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Four Phases of the Straight Light<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Correspondence of the Designations in the Texts and Pictures<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Stage 1 \u2013 Behina Alef<\/em>
Stage 2 \u2013 Behina Bet<\/em>
Stage 3 \u2013 Behina Gimel<\/em>
Stage 4 \u2013 Behina Dalet<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe World of Infinity and the First Restriction<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Screen and the Reflected Light<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Rosh \u2013 Toch \u2013 Sof \u2013 Partzuf<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Language of Branches and Roots<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Bitush<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Reshimo<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
A Set of Partzufim \u2013 the World<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Five Worlds<\/h4>\n\n\n\n