Introduction

The Story of Creation and Kabbalah

Although the Torah begins with the story of Creation, the great rabbis of the Jewish tradition have always maintained that the Torah is primarily concerned with the destiny of humanity as bearers of a divine soul - and the moral, ethical, and spiritual responsibility this entails. Thus the Hebrew calendar begins with the birth of the first human being we encounter in the Torah – Adam – who was created on the sixth day according to Genesis. The calendar does not begin with the first day of Creation because it is not so important to Judaism what occurred before human beings became aware of their soul. In the Jewish tradition, Adam, on a metaphorical level represents all of humanity. On an even deeper level, as explained by the Kabbalists, Adam represents all of Creation, as we will later see.

The first Adam was given free will to choose good or bad. Likewise we all make choices and then deal with the consequences of our choices. Choosing good has a positive impact on ourselves and our world. Choosing bad is the opposite. It has a negative impact on ourselves and our world. This emphasis that Judaism places on human responsibility and freewill can be clearly seen in the following teaching from Pirkei Avot Ethics of the Fathers (5:1). 

“The world was created with ten utterances.  Could it not have been created with one utterance?  (It was created with ten utterances) to punish the wicked who destroy the world that was created with ten utterances, and to bestow good reward to the righteous who sustain the world that was created with ten utterances.” 

The ten utterances of Creation are the ten times God said, “Let there be...” in the first chapter of Genesis. These ten utterances are associated with the Ten Sefirot by the Kabbalists. The Ten Sefirot has been the main topic of Kabbalah for centuries. The number ten appears in the Bible in many places.  God smote Egypt with ten plagues, freeing the Israelites from slavery.  God then gave Moshe and the Israelites Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, ten important universal principles of human moral and ethical responsibility. Pirkei Avot Ethics of the Fathers (5:2-7) continues the theme of significant tens with the following teaching: 

“There were ten generations from Adam to Noah - to show the extent of God’s patience, for all those generations continued to anger Him, until He brought the waters of the Flood upon them.  There were ten generations from Noah to Abraham - to show the extent of God’s patience, for all those generations continued to anger Him, until Abraham came and received the reward for all of them.  Abraham was tested with ten trials; ten miracles were performed for our ancestors in Egypt; ten plagues were brought upon the Egyptians; the children of Israel were tested with ten trials in the Sinai desert; and ten miracles were performed for our ancestors in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem.”

The above passage tells of several major Biblical events and characters as they unfold in time.  The Talmud (Sanhedrin 97a) teaches that this world of time, choice and responsibility is meant to last for six thousand years from the creation of Adam – two thousand years of Chaos; two thousand years of Torah; and then two thousand years of Messiah.  These six millennia parallel the six days of Creation.  The first two millennia of Chaos are hinted at in the first two days of the Creation story  in Genesis; the two millennia of Torah are hinted at in day three and day four of Creation; and the two millennia of Messiah are hinted at in day five and day six of Creation. 

These six millennia of human choice and effort are to be followed by a thousand years of Shabbat – the first stage of the realm of ‘reward’ - the seventh millennium. This ‘day’ of rest prepares us for even greater spiritual delights in the world-to-come.  We will see later that the great kabbalist Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto refers to these eternal levels of reward as the eighth, ninth and tenth millennia. 

The two thousand years of Chaos

The Hebrew calendar begins when God breathed into Adam a living soul – the ‘breath of life’.  God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden and told him to eat from all the trees of the Garden except for the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad. According to Genesis, Adam lived for 930 years – almost all of the first millennium. On the first day of Creation God said, “let there be light” and separated between the light and the darkness. Obeying God’s commandment would have brought more light into the world. Disobeying God’s commandment brought more darkness into the world, angering God. 

Adam’s descendants continued to anger God for the first two thousand years of the Hebrew calendar – called by the rabbis of the Talmud, ‘two millennia of Chaos’ as it says in the above passage from Pirkei Avot. The second millennium is when Noah lived. He lived for 800 years. In the Great Flood, the waters fell from the sky and rose up from the wellsprings of the deep. This parallels the second day of Creation when God separated between the upper and lower waters. The story of the Tower of Babel took place at the end of this second millennium. Abraham was 52 years old then, because according to tradition, he was born in the Hebrew year 1948 – 52 years before the end of the second millennium.

The two thousand years of Torah

The Exodus from Egypt and the receiving of the Torah on Mount Sinai (in the Hebrew year 2248) took place during the first few hundred years of the third millennium. The third millennium parallels the third day of Creation when dry land and plants and trees were created. Without Torah our lives are dry, lacking spiritual and moral sustenance. The Torah is called the Tree of Life, and its teachings give us Knowledge that help us choose between Good and Bad. The Written Torah includes the Five Books of Moses and the Books of the Prophets and Writings.  

Many of the early Prophets and Kings of Israel and Judea lived during the first Temple period. The last Prophets of the Bible describe the building and dedication of the Second Temple by the Jews who returned from the Babylonian Exile with Ezra the Scribe around the Hebrew year 3500 – five hundred years into the fourth millennium.  

The Oral Torah - the Mishnah, the first part of the Talmud - was compiled during this era. The Mishnah was begun during the Second Temple period and then completed after the Temple was destroyed by Rome at nearly the end of the fourth millennium. The Gemara, the second part of the Talmud, was compiled and completed a few hundred years later. The sages compared the  First Temple to the light of sun, and the Second Temple to the light of the moon. This parallels the fourth day of Creation when the sun and the moon were formed.

The two thousand years of Messiah

The Jewish people were then scattered throughout the Diaspora. We were like birds banished from their nest, and the nations of the world treated us in our exile as if we were a lower form of life. This parallels the fifth day of Creation when lower forms of animal life - fish, crawling things and birds - were created.  In the isolation and oppression of the dark night of exile scholars continued to develop the laws and customs of Judaism that sustained the Jewish people wherever they were as they longed and hoped to return to Zion and the Land of Israel, the land of the ancient Prophets.

The Talmud in Sanhedrin (97a) says that the Messianic era could have begun at the beginning of the fifth millennium if we had been worthy, but since we were not worthy, the Messiah has been delayed. Nevertheless, no matter whether we are worthy or not, the Messianic era will take place at the end of the sixth millennium, which parallels the sixth day of Creation when animals and humans were created. We can choose to remain solely connected to our coarse animal natures or we can embrace our Godly soul and experience Messianic consciousness. 

The kabbalists speak of the Messianic era as ‘welcoming the seventh millennium early’. The Talmud teaches that it is important to welcome the Shabbat well before sundown on Friday, the sixth day of the week. In fact, the Kabbalat Shabbat service and the song Lecha Dodi, which is sung during this service on Friday afternoon, were created by the kabbalists of Zefat in the 16th Century, and are based on welcoming Messianic consciousness to prepare us for the seventh millennium.

The word Messiah, משיח in Hebrew, means, ‘one who is anointed’. Ramchal describes the Messianic era in his book The Way of God as a time when it will be easy for people to attain experiences of divine inspiration and prophecy. These are experiences where the Presence of God in our soul ‘anoints’ our minds and bodies with the ‘fragrant oil’ of higher consciousness.  The Kabbalah teaches the contemplative techniques and expansive world-view that the ancient Prophets used to attain their prophetic visions and experiences. These practices were hidden for millennia but began to reappear in the books of the Kabbalah composed in this sixth millennium.

Ramchal explained that although prophecy existed from the time of Adam most of humanity remained unaware of their souls’ connection to God during the first two millennia. divinely inspired individuals such as Noah, Enoch, and Abraham were exceptions rather than the rule during these two thousand years of Chaos. 

Divine inspiration and prophecy were more common during the next two thousand years, the two thousand years of Torah. Moses attained the highest levels of prophecy that inspired the first five Books of the Torah, the five Books of Moses. The books of the Prophets and Writings that complete the Written Torah were all composed during the third millennium by prophets and divinely inspired individuals, but their enlightened world-views and mystical practices were still beyond the reach of most people of this era.  

According to the Jewish Tradition, it was divinely inspired sages who composed the Talmud - the Oral Torah - during the fourth millennium. Many of these sages were also mystics who had access to secret teachings that were kept hidden from the masses. There were also a few mystics during the dark exile of the fifth millennium who were privy to these mysteries and ‘tasted’ the Messianic inner light in a secretive underground way. These masters trained disciples who passed these teachings on to their disciples orally.   

Early Masters of the Kabbalah

After the Jewish people had been in exile for the entire fifth millennium of the Hebrew calendar, mystical writings started to appear in the Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula at the beginning of the sixth millennium – the Hebrew year 5000 or 1240 CE. Since night comes before day in the Hebrew calendar this is the evening of the sixth millennium. The most famous of these works is the Zohar, an esoteric treatise based on the five Books of Moses, published by Rabbi Moshe DeLeon at the end of the 13th Century, and presenting the teachings of the great Talmudic mystic Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his disciples. Another great kabbalist of this time was Rabbi Abraham Abulafia - who was born in 1240 CE and wrote many books about how to attain prophecy. 

The mystical masters who wrote these early books of Kabbalah longed, waited, and hoped for redemption, consoling their souls in exile with visions of the Messianic era. They practiced contemplative techniques using Hebrew Names of God, based on traditions that had been passed down from master to disciple from the ancient prophets. In this manner these inspired individuals ‘tasted’ the Messianic Redemption while still in exile. They enlightened their minds with the spiritual light associated with divine inspiration and prophecy, and then shared this light with other thirsty souls by writing down the insights they attained and experienced. This light is like the stars coming out on Thursday evening, the beginning of the sixth day of the week – the beginning of the sixth millennium of the Hebrew calendar - the year 5000 or 1240 CE.

The Kabbalists of 16th Century Tzfat

More messianic hope and mystical visions appeared in the Jewish world roughly two and a half centuries later, after the midnight of the sixth millennium – the Hebrew year 5250 or 1490 CE.  This Light appeared in the Holy Land, in Tzfat. The kabbalist of that era who had the most impact on the world was known as the Holy Ari - Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-1572 CE).  Rabbi Luria’s main disciple, Rabbi Chayim Vital, wrote down many volumes based on his teachings, which are known collectively as the Lurianic Kabbalah.  These works are a clearer vision of Kabbalah, in that they present an entire system of metaphysical philosophy and associated contemplative techniques laid out in a highly detailed, almost scientific way.  Rabbi Vital’s writings and the availability of the Zohar made possible by the invention of the printing press allowed the Kabbalah to be known by more people than ever before.  A repeated theme in the Zohar is the righteous waking up at midnight to engage in mystical contemplations and study.  It is said there that ‘the rooster crows at midnight announcing the dawn’.  This was the practice of the kabbalists of 16th Century Tzfat, preparing the world for the dawning of the Messianic era.

The teachings of the Zohar and Lurianic Kabbalah became quite popular in Europe in the next century, and with strong messianic desires, led to the catastrophic debacle of the false messiah Shabbtai Tzvi (17th Century CE). Thousands followed this charismatic mystic and his strange ways that were based on a warped interpretation of kabbalistic teachings. Many Jewish communities were disappointed and devastated when he chose to convert to Islam rather than be put to death if he would remain loyal to his Jewish faith. This disaster caused a powerful backlash against Kabbalah in the Jewish world, and deep suspicions of anything mystical, for more than a century. 

Nevertheless, a new Kabbalistic renaissance arose around the sunrise of the sixth millennium – the Hebrew year 5500 or 1740 CE. There were many great kabbalists who were alive at this time. There is a Talmudic tradition that the Redemption is like the dawn – Messianic light enters the world gradually. This teaching was also understood to refer to the time of Redemption.  The Messianic era is meant to gradually unfold during the second half of the sixth millennium which begins at sunrise – the Hebrew year 5500.  

The practices, stories, and teachings of the Hasidic movement started by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov who was alive at this time in Eastern Europe had a big impact on the Jewish world. Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna was a great Talmudist and also a great kabbalist who was alive at this time and had a big impact on the Jewish world and the Mussar movement that arose around this time. But we will focus on the writings of a controversial young Italian genius - Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzatto, also known as Ramchal, who was alive and teaching during the ‘sunrise’ of the sixth millennium.

Ramchal

Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzatto, Ramchal, was born in Padua, Italy in the Hebrew year 5467 (1707 CE) - thirty-three years before the sunrise of the sixth millennium of the Hebrew calendar – the Hebrew year 5500. Moshe Chayim was a child prodigy. He knew the Written and Oral Torah by heart, as well as the works of all the major Kabbalists by the age of fourteen. By the time Luzzatto was twenty years old, he had established a secret Kabbalistic academy where he was teaching Kabbalah and writing profound and highly esoteric works in an Aramaic style very similar to the Zohar. 

Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzatto was a prolific writer, and his books systematize both the philosophical foundations of Torah and the profound teachings of the Kabbalah in a wondrous way. Luzzatto’s work is important in that it clarifies and simplifies the complex system of Lurianic Kabbalah, making it more accessible and understandable. Ramchal was attuned to the winds of modernity and Enlightenment that were sweeping Europe during the 18th Century, and he grounded his mystical teachings in the new science of his day. 

He provides clear definitions for often-misunderstood concepts like the nature of divine inspiration and Prophecy, the Messianic era, the Resurrection of the dead and the ‘world-to-come’. Luzzatto’s writings place these mystical ideas (whether they come from the Bible, the Talmud, or Kabbalah) in an historical context that is in alignment both with the philosophical foundations of Judaism, and with modern evolutionary perspectives. 

I believe that the teachings of Ramchal are especially important now in our time, which corresponds to the afternoon of the sixth millennium. Noon of the sixth millennium corresponds to the Hebrew year 5750 or 1990 CE. Even though the ‘light’ of the unfolding of the Messianic era has been shining and available to us through the teachings of this great kabbalist since the sunrise of the sixth millennium, 5500 or 1740 CE, it has not been fully appreciated. It is already ‘Friday afternoon’ of the Hebrew calendar and we are getting close to the sundown of the sixth millennium. It is important to welcome the Shabbat, the seventh millennium, early and embrace Ramchal’s insights that help us attain divine inspiration, prophecy and eternal bliss.

Early Works

One of Ramchal’s early works is Shivim Tikkunim (Seventy Rectifications). Metatron the archangel, as well as the departed souls of Adam, Abraham, Moshe, Elijah, and others, came to young Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzatto to share with him seventy metaphoric and mystical interpretations of the last verse of the Five Books of Moses: “And with the mighty hand and with all the great sights that Moshe displayed before the eyes of all Israel'' (Deuteronomy 34:12). Part of the Zoharic Literature is a book called Tikunei Zohar. It contains seventy different kabbalistic interpretations of the first verse of the Torah: "In the Beginning Elohim created the Heavens and the Earth'' (Genesis 1:1). Luzzatto wrote that the Zohar of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was light for the people of Israel in the Diaspora to prepare for the Messianic era, light for the beginning of the Messianic process. Ramchal said that he is revealing light for the Messianic era itself, light for the end of the Messianic process. Thus Tikunei Zohar is based on the beginning of the Five Books of Moses, whereas Shivim Tikkunim is based on the end of the Five Books of Moses. In the following letter Ramchal described how the visitations that inspired Shivim Tikkunim began (Otzrot Ramchal page 315):

“Now this is briefly what happened. On the New Moon, the first day of Sivan 5487 (May, 1727) when I was meditating, I fell asleep and when I awoke I heard a voice that said, “I have come down to reveal to you the hidden mysteries of the Holy King”. I trembled for a while but then found strength. The voice did not stop, and it continued to teach me a hidden mystery. The next day I tried to be alone in my room at the same time, and the voice returned and said another secret teaching. Then one day the voice revealed to me that it was a Maggid (an angelic teacher) sent from Heaven, and it gave me instructions for Unifications that I was to perform every day for him to come. I do not see him, but I hear his voice speaking through my mouth.  He would then give me permission to ask questions. 

After about three months, he gave me specific Unifications to do each day in order that I would merit the revelation of Elijah the prophet. Then he commanded me to write a book on Kohelet (Ecclesiastes). He would explain the secret of each verse to me. And then Elijah came and taught me mystical secrets. And he said that now the Archangel Metatron would come. When he came, I knew that it was he, because of what Elijah had told me. From then on, I recognized each one of them. Also souls were revealed to me whose names I do not know. When I would write the new teachings that they said, I would write: ‘Today this one (this angel or soul) is with me’. And all of these things I do as I fall on my face, and see as in a dream these holy souls in human form.”  

Opposition and Controversy

In the backlash against Kabbalah that prevailed in early 18th Century Europe caused by the false messiah Shabtai Tzvi, Luzzatto’s Kabbalistic academy had to remain secret to survive. His disciples were not allowed to reveal anything to anyone about his activities. Luzzatto’s parents didn't even know that he led a secret Kabbalistic society. However, a student unwisely showed a visiting rabbi some of the amazing teachings that flowed effortlessly from his young master’s pen. The visiting rabbi was so impressed that when he returned home to Poland, he told others about Ramchal. The word got out that a young Italian genius was prophetically ‘channeling’ Kabbalistic teachings from angels and departed souls. 

This unleashed a huge wave of controversy, which is documented in various historical and biographical accounts of Luzzatto and his times. A group of Italian rabbis led by Rabbi Moshe Hagiz, a famous hunter of renegade Shabateans (followers of the false messiah Shabtai Tzvi) heard of Luzzatto and his secret school. These rabbis suspected Ramchal of being a Shabatean himself, or that he might be setting himself up as another false messiah. Rabbi Hagiz and his group of Venetian rabbis began to hound the young mystical genius, Moshe Chayim Luzzatto, around the year 1730.

Ramchal’s teacher, Rabbi Yeshaya Bassan, rose to young Rabbi Moshe Chayim’s defense. He wrote scores of letters testifying to Luzzatto’s wisdom and integrity. His efforts could not overturn the strict judgment that the rabbinical tribunal of Venice delivered - Moshe Chaim Luzzatto must be censored. At first he was not permitted to write any ‘original’ Kabbalah (like Shivim Tikkunim) - teachings ‘channeled’ from angels and souls. Furthermore, Luzzatto was forced to hand over his early manuscripts, and they were locked in a strongbox (we will see what happened to this strongbox later). Ramchal was not completely censored, however, as he was still allowed to write Kabbalistic books, as long as they were commentaries on classical works such as the Zohar and Lurianic Kabbalah.

A Different Style

Young Rabbi Moshe Chayim changed his style of writing. He continued to create beautiful works whose message is primarily the same as in his earlier books, but in a style less radical and threatening. Ramchal was an extremely creative and prolific writer.  He produced works in many styles and forms: essays, dialogues, plays, poetry, prayers, books on logic, grammar and rhetoric, foundations of Judaism, and especially Kabbalistic works. From 1730 to 1735, Luzzatto wrote more than forty short works. Among these are books and essays which provide introductions and foundations that clarify and simplify the complex systems of Kabbalistic thought. These books were written in Hebrew, and are thus more accessible than his earlier Aramaic works.

The Venetian rabbis who opposed Luzzatto were not satisfied with the first set of restrictions they had placed on him. So, in 1735, they set a trap for the young kabbalist.  When Ramchal visited Frankfort on his way to Amsterdam, the chief Rabbi of Frankfort, Rabbi Yaakov Hakohen, and two tribunals of rabbis were waiting for him. They forced Luzzatto to sign a new ‘agreement’ with the following rules (Rechev Yisrael page 37): 

“That he will never learn the wisdom of Kabbalah with anybody in the world - not from any book in the world, or by heart - even from the Zohar or the Lurianic Kabbalah, and especially not from what he received through his own heart from angels or souls. 

That he will not show anybody any writings or books concerning anything that he has learned in the above wisdom (Kabbalah) in the past, or anything that he might ever learn in the future.   

That he will not write for himself or for others, and especially not publish anything concerning Kabbalah.”  

Ramchal in Amsterdam

Luzzatto signed this harsh ‘agreement’ for the sake of peace, and kept it, even though he did not feel it was binding. Ramchal settled in Amsterdam, where he lived in relative peace until 1743 when he moved to the Holy Land. 

The following anecdote from Luzzatto’s years in Amsterdam is recorded in Yarim Moshe (a biography of Ramchal which also contains a collection of his letters, poems, and prayers). The Italian rabbis who opposed Ramchal could no longer impose their will upon him in Amsterdam as they did while he was in Italy. But they knew that the strongbox of Ramchal’s early manuscripts was deposited in the care of Luzzatto’s teacher, Rabbi Yashaya Bassan, and these Venetian rabbis forced Rabbi Bassan to hand over the strongbox to them. 

Luzzatto warned Rabbi Bassan in a letter that if the manuscripts were destroyed “something bad would befall anyone taking part in this travesty of justice, if their hearts did not have pure intentions”, but unfortunately, Rabbi Bassan gave the strongbox to the Venetian rabbis’ messenger in 1736. It was brought to the chief Rabbi of Frankfort, Rabbi Yaakov Hakohen, who had the strongbox full of Ramchal’s manuscripts buried. In the same month that the strongbox was buried, so, too, were buried Rabbi Yeshaya Bassan, Rabbi Yaakov Hakohen and the messenger who delivered it from one to the other. Great fear came over Luzzatto’s prosecutors, and the Jewish community in Amsterdam and its leaders treated him with more respect.

In Amsterdam, Luzzatto kept to the letter of the ‘agreement’ he had signed and refused to teach Kabbalah. But he, himself, was always immersed in Kabbalistic practices, meditations, and teachings. As he wrote in a letter, “to separate myself from Kabbalah would be like a fish removing itself from water”. In Amsterdam, Luzzatto avoided public life, and supported himself as a gem cutter. He continued to write wise, beautiful and spiritual books. It was during this period that he wrote and published his most famous classics, Mesilat Yesharim (the Path of the Just), and Derech Hashem (the Way of God). Mesilat Yesharim was first published in the Hebrew year 5500 (1740 CE) – the sunrise of the sixth millennium. 

These books are cherished in the Torah world as beautiful works of philosophy; clear and rational expressions of the fundamental principles of Judaism; practical guides to true faith, morality and piety. When these works are seen in the context of Luzzatto’s other writings, however, it is clear that they, too, teach Kabbalah - but without Kabbalistic terminology. These later works allow more people to become familiar with the fundamental and profound ideas of Kabbalah without getting tangled up in the complex terminology that are present in his earlier books. Thus Ramchal was able to transform the harsh judgment leveled against him into a great blessing for us by creating these beautiful works of true genius.

Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzatto fulfilled his dream of immigrating to the Holy Land in 1743. He believed it was time for the Jewish people to return to build the Land of Israel, and fulfill the biblical prophecies of Redemption. It is known that Luzzatto settled in Acco, but not much else is known about his activities in the Holy Land. Ramchal died in a plague that killed his family in 1746 at the age of thirty-nine. He was either buried next to the tomb of Rabbi Akiva in Tiberius on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee, or in a cemetery near Acco.  

The Spirit of Prophecy

Rabbi David Kohen, a 20th Century Kabbalist, wrote at the conclusion of his Kol Hanevuah (The Voice of Prophecy) an encyclopedic work on Jewish philosophy and Kabbalah, that Luzzatto was a major influence on three 18th Century Jewish movements: Hasidism, the Mussar movement and the Jewish Enlightenment. 

Hasidism, started by the Baal Shem Tov, placed primary importance on mystical union with God. This movement esteemed Ramchal's Klach Pitchei Chochmah (138 Doors of Wisdom). In fact, the students of the Baal Shem Tov were the first people to publish this great work. They published it in a way that suggested that the book was actually written by a member of their movement. The Mussar movement, which emphasized the moral-ethical dimension of human conduct, revered Ramchal's Mesilat Yesharim (Path of the Just). The Jewish Enlightenment (Haskalah), which was beginning to use Hebrew as a language for creative expression, considered Luzzatto’s allegorical plays, Layesharim Tehilah (Praise for the Just) and Tomet Yesharim (The Perfection of the Just) to be exquisite early examples of Modern Hebrew literature.

Rabbi David Kohen claimed that although each one of these movements embraced one facet of the Ramchal’s message – Hasidism embraced the mystical facet, Mussar embraced the moral-ethical facet, and Haskalah the aesthetic facet - all of Luzzatto’s writings are expressions of all three facets together. Rabbi Kohen points out that this can be seen in the similarity of the titles of many of Ramchal's works mentioned above.  He calls this unification of mystical Truth, moral-ethical Goodness, and poetic Beauty, ‘the spirit of prophecy’. The Written Torah, the books of the Prophets and the Writings of King David and King Solomon were certainly produced in this spirit and thus contains all three qualities. For Rabbi David Kohen, all of Ramchal's writings, in whatever style, represent the reawakening of this prophetic spirit. 

Luzzatto’s classic of mystical Truth, Klach Pitchei Chochmah (138 Doors of Wisdom) clarifies Lurianic Kabbalah and was thus valued by Hasidism. This profound book presents a philosophy in which God and man are partners in a creative process of Tikkun Olam, repairing this world that is damaged by man’s ignorance and immorality. The more we grow in wisdom and understanding, the more we become aware of God’s Oneness. We repair the world by choosing good, and realizing the truth of our God-like nature. 138 Doors of Wisdom is written in a beautiful and unique style. It has two parts that reflect the nature of wisdom and understanding.  The first part consists of 138 exquisitely crafted, super-concise ‘Doors of Wisdom’ - where the foundations of Lurianic Kabbalah are presented. These ‘Doors’ are unlocked by Ramchal in the second part, examined and interpreted in great detail, making sure we have a clear understanding of each carefully chosen word.

The practical moral-ethical Path that Luzzatto outlines in Mesilat Yesharim (Path of the Just) is a truly amazing and beautiful expression of how good a person who follows the Torah can be. This masterpiece is poetic and inspiring, brimming with wisdom and teachings from all areas of the Torah. Mesilat Yesharim is considered to be the most profound, beautiful and readable book of the morality and ethics of the Torah. But it is also a Ladder of Awareness which leads step by step to divine inspiration. This book, so valued by the Mussar movement for its moral-ethical content, is also highly mystical, and in a very practical way. While most of Kabbalah gives us a peek into the prophetic visions of the kabbalists, Mesilat Yesharim teaches us how to attain the state of awareness and readiness in which such mystical visions are granted. 

Ramchal’s allegorical plays, Layesharim Tehilah (Praise for the Just) and Tomet Yesharim (The Perfection of the Just), which inspired the Jewish Enlightenment movement with their artistic Beauty, are written in grammatically correct Hebrew, woven through and through with Biblical phrases and allusions. Rabbi David Kohen points out how the names of these plays Layesharim Tehilah and Tomet Yesharim are similar to the name of his book Mesilat Yesharim and that their content is similar as well. They are both morality plays. Both of these plays are also kabbalistic and mystical in that their plot is based on teachings from the Zohar. Rabbi Kohen concludes that all of Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzatto’s works represent the reawakening of the spirit of prophecy - the unification of mystical Truth, moral Goodness and aesthetic Beauty. We will see in the next chapter how the nature of prophecy is delighting in the Glory of God and experiencing His Oneness.  And this is the ultimate Purpose of Creation.

Enlightenment

Ramchal taught that the attainment of enlightenment - the Spirit of Prophecy - should be our main goal in life. This is because God created us entirely for this Purpose, as can be seen from this passage from the first chapter of Luzzatto’s Mesilat Yesharim (The Path of the Just): 

"Our sages taught that Adam (humanity) was only created to delight in God and enjoy the radiance of His Presence, because this is the true bliss and the greatest delight of all possible delights."

Ramchal wrote that there are two general ways to come to know about God. One way uses what he calls ‘natural enlightenment’ to come to the belief that God exists. The other way is what he calls ‘bestowed enlightenment’. This is a more direct way that is incomparably higher, as can be seen in the following passages from Derech Hashem (The Way of God) and his Essays on Fundamentals (Note: everything that is in the parentheses is added by me):

"God engraved in the nature of Adam (humanity) that he should be able to learn and understand. A person achieves enlightenment by first observing things that exist and their properties (this is Chochmah Wisdom).

One then contemplates what is revealed, and searches for what is not revealed, until one perceives this, too, and understands it (this is Binah Understanding). These are the two parts of the way of ‘natural enlightenment’.

The pictures and images our minds grasp are only of things limited by the nature God created.  These are the only things our senses can detect and present to our mind... The existence of God is known to us from our tradition but it can also be verified by investigating nature itself and its rules and laws (using Chochmah).

We can come to understand in this manner that One Being must exist who is beyond the laws and limitations of nature, beyond any lack or deficiency, beyond multiplicity or structure, beyond any comparison or value, beyond anything that exists in the created realm. This One Being must be the true cause of all that exists and all that transpires among created things. If this One Being did not exist, the existence and continuance of the things we see would be utterly impossible (and we come to these deeper truths using Binah).

God decreed that there should be a much higher way for Adam (humanity) to become enlightened, and that is ‘bestowed enlightenment’ - an Influence emanated to him from God through various intermediaries prepared for this purpose. When this Influence reaches a person's mind, it becomes transfixed with the knowledge the Influence imparts. One knows it clearly, without any doubt or error, and one knows it completely - its causes and its effects, each thing in its proper place. This is called divine inspiration רוח הקודש (Ruach Hakodesh associated with Daat Knowledge).

In this way a person can know things accessible by natural enlightenment, but without effort and with greater clarity. However, it is also possible to know things via divine inspiration that are outside the realm of human reason, such as future events and mystical secrets. There are many different levels of divine inspiration. These levels depend on the strength of the Influence, the time it is granted, the way in which it reaches a person, and what things are revealed and known by it.

Sometimes, an emanation is granted to one's mind, which allows one to perceive the full meaning of a concept, but one is not aware an Influence is being bestowed. In such a case, it seems as if this insight just spontaneously arose in one’s mind (as an intuition). In a broader, inaccurate sense, this is also called divine inspiration. However, true divine inspiration is when one feels the Influence granted to him clearly.

There is a higher level than divine inspiration, and that is prophecy נבואה (Nevuah). This is when a person is so connected to God and so attached to Him, that one actually feels this attachment and knows that he or she is consciously connected to God’s Glory. This is so clear and felt without any doubt whatsoever, just as one would not be in doubt about something material perceived by the physical senses.

The main aspect of Prophecy is that one achieves this attachment and connection while still alive in this world - and this itself is a great level of perfection. However, this experience of attachment דבקןת (d’veikut) is accompanied by knowledge and enlightenment, because through Prophecy a person perceives true and glorious matters concerning God’s hidden mysteries. One perceives these clearly in the way of bestowed enlightenment but with greater force than divine inspiration, because Prophecy brings about the highest enlightenment possible - enlightenment that is a consequence of the fact of being consciously attached to God’s Presence.

Those who learn to become prophets do so through a number of techniques that allow them to draw down to themselves Influence from above. They remove blocks that come from the physicality of their bodies, and bring upon themselves a revelation of God’s Light, which they become profoundly aware of. These disciplines can include meditations, chanting of Holy Names, and singing praises to God using prayers containing divine Names permuted in various ways."

The Purpose of Creation in the Kabbalah

In the following passage from Pitchei Chochmah v’Daat (Openings of Wisdom and Knowledge) Luzzatto tells us that there are three levels of how the Purpose of Creation is expressed in the teachings of the Kabbalah, and these three levels correspond to three levels of how deeply and profoundly one knows these teachings:

"The superficial level is that God created the Universe to provide a place for Names. God wanted to be called merciful, generous, long-suffering, etc. Knowing how many Names there are, how many attributes or Sefirot there are, in what order they are arranged, and how they descend and unfold from one another is associated with this Purpose of Creation.

The second level is that God created the Universe to bestow the best possible good to His creations. That is, a person should earn what he receives and not be given it as charity. That is why He arranged this gradual process, so that in the end, after the bad, the (ultimate) good comes. Knowing how all of God’s attributes (Sefirot) lead to this end is associated with this Purpose of Creation. One who has not reached this knowledge does not understand anything yet.

The third level is wondrous indeed. God created the Universe because He wanted to reveal His Oneness - to show that “I am first and I am last” (Isaiah 44:6). That no matter what, every curse will be transformed into blessing and all bad will return to good.  The knowledge of how all the Sefirot return completely to the Oneness of the unlimited God (Ein Sof) is associated with this Purpose of Creation. This is something that is not perceived very well in our time, but is truly the main tenet of Israel’s faith - to know the Oneness of God. It takes much effort to attain this knowledge, but one who does, understands all aspects of Kabbalah in great depth."

This profound third level of knowing is explained more by Ramchal in his 138 Openings of Wisdom (Opening 4):

"God wanted to bestow the best possible good, one that is without shame for those who receive it. That is why He decided to actively reveal His perfect Oneness - (and show) how no obstacles exist before Him, and no lack. Thus, God guides everything with this process of actively transforming bad into good. That is, at first He allowed a place for bad to exist, but in the end (we will realize that) all damages are even now being repaired, and all bad is even now being transformed into good. And the Oneness - the delight of the souls - is revealed."

The First Level

One attains the first level by observing the ten Sefirot - God’s attributes or garments that He wrapped Himself in to create the Universe. These attributes are expressed as the various Names of God. The Sefirot are seen by Kabbalists in prophetic visions of the מרכבה ‘Merkava’ (divine Chariot or Vehicle), as Luzzatto wrote in the explanation of Openings of Wisdom (Number 7):

“God’s intention in Creation has already delineated everything necessary to guide all creations to the desired end. Everything is derived from a blending of three divine Forces: Chesed, Din and Rachamim (Kindness, Judgment, and Mercy). These are expressed in a great many manners and ways that are sufficient to bring about all that has to happen in the Universe. Prophets and souls see this weaving and blending (of divine Forces) that is called the Merkava.”

In the above passage, Luzzatto uses the Hebrew word Merkava, which is usually translated as chariot or vehicle. However, here it is used in its other meaning - a combination or blend. Both translations can help us know what the Sefirot are. In the above passage we are told that all ten Sefirot are various combinations or ‘blends’ of three primary attributes - Kindness, Judgment and Mercy.  

These divine Forces or Attributes form a Vehicle or Chariot upon which God ‘rides’. Through this God’s Oneness can be known by us because this Vehicle is in our image – the image of Adam. That is why diagrams and drawings of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life that represent the Ten Sefirot have three vertical columns that reflect the symmetry our bodies have. The right represents Kindness Chesed; the left represents Judgment Din; and the middle represents Mercy Rachamim.

God’s Kindness is the source of all the good that exists in the world; God’s Judgment is the source of all the bad; and God’s Mercy is understood to be the middle path - a combination of both - Judgment tempered by Kindness. Thus, the first level of entering into the teachings of the Kabbalah is becoming familiar with the structure of the Merkava and its terminology – using Chochmah Wisdom. This includes knowing the Names of God that are associated with each attribute, as Ramchal explained in The Way of God (Part 3 Chapter 5):

"God wanted to be called by Name, so that people would be able to awaken themselves to Him and call Him, to come close to Him by saying His Name. For His Glory, God specified One Name (YHVH). Regarding which He said, “This is My Name forever” (Exodus 3:15). This Name refers to God’s Glory itself, in that He wanted to be called by Name. However, God wanted to be called by various Names, which refer to all of His particular Emanations. God decreed and engraved (in the nature of the world) that when people say His Name they draw to themselves Light and Influence. That is why He said, “In every place where my Name will be mentioned, I will come to you and bless you” (Exodus 20:21). The particular Influence drawn to them is according to the Name they use."

The Second Level

Even when we have attained this first-level Wisdom concerning God’s Names and Attributes, we still lack the Understanding of why God wanted to be called by many Names and why He wanted His Universe to contain both good and bad – expressed by God’s Kindness and His  Judgment. The second level of entering into the teachings of the Kabbalah and the Purpose of Creation provides us with the following answer: “God created the Universe to bestow the best possible good – that is, that people should earn what they receive and not be given it as charity”.

This world was created with both Kindness and Judgment, both good and bad, so that we can earn our reward. God created this world with Judgment at first so that the good we receive in the end will be earned and not given as charity. Understanding this second-level Purpose of Creation can help make our work and choices in this world easier. Even though we toil and contend with bad now, it is worth the effort because this earns us the ultimate good in the end.

The Third Level - A Non-Dual Knowing

The third level of knowing the teachings of the Kabbalah and its corresponding Purpose of Creation is that “God created the Universe because He wanted to reveal His Oneness... that no matter what, every curse will be transformed into blessing and all bad will return to good”. This brings a deeper and more satisfying knowing that can bring us delight in the Presence and Glory of God right here and now in this world.

Ramchal taught that everything in Creation reveals God’s Oneness, with no exceptions whatsoever. The revelation of God’s Oneness is from both the Judgment that causes the concealment - the bad in the beginning; and from the Kindness that brings about the revelation of the ultimate good in the end. The work we do in this world is part of how God reveals His Oneness to us, and as such, not only earns us reward but also is our reward itself!  As Ramchal wrote, “even now all damages are being repaired, and even now all bad is being transformed into good.  And the Oneness - the delight of the souls – is revealed” - even now God’s Oneness is in the process of being revealed!

Knowing God’s Oneness is not only the highest Purpose of Creation - it is according to Ramchal “the main tenet of Judaism”. We proclaim our belief in God’s Oneness by chanting the Shema every evening and morning. We close our eyes to the dualism and multiplicity we see when we look at existence superficially. We express our belief in God’s Oneness when we look deeply at existence and connect to the presence of God inside our soul and declare: “Hear O Israel, God (YHVH) is our Lord (Elohim), God (YHVH) is One!” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

In the Kabbalah, God’s Kindness is associated with the Name YHVH. His Judgment is associated with the Name Elohim. We believe that YHVH is Elohim, they are One, because God’s Kindness is ‘hidden’ in His Judgment - as our soul is ‘hidden’ in our body.  Similarly, the world of reward (the world-to-come) is ‘hidden’ in the world of work (this world). Both worlds are really just one world. Ramchal wrote in many places that we all have an obligation to learn Kabbalah and thereby come to know God’s Oneness. Luzzatto often quoted the following verse from the Torah (Deuteronomy 4:39) as a source of this obligation: “You should know today and contemplate this in your heart, that YHVH is Elohim, in the Heavens above and on the Earth below - there is no other”.

A Time Limit for This World

Knowing God’s Oneness deeply and profoundly in this world is associated with bestowed enlightenment. Above we saw that divine inspiration is related to Daat Knowledge. Ramchal wrote that this was not very well perceived in his time, in the very beginning of the Messianic era (the sunrise of the sixth millennium).  As we get closer to the end of the sixth millennium, and the beginning of seventh millennium – Shabbat - when God’s Oneness will be fully revealed, divine inspiration is more easily attained, as we can see from the following passage from Ramchal’s Essay on Fundamentals (On the Redemption):

"God set a time limit of six thousand years for the effort of Adam (humanity) and his striving for perfection (in this world). After that time, the world will be renewed in a different form appropriate for its Ultimate Purpose, namely, Eternal delight for those who merit it (the world-to-come). Before this six thousand year period comes to an end it is necessary that the people of Israel attain a perfected state (in the Messianic era). Only after this happens can the world be transformed into its Eternal state. It has been promised that this will take place no matter what... 

Good will increase in every way, and bad will be (transformed into good, and in this matter) eliminated completely. This will affect Adam (humanity) both physically and spiritually. His ‘heart of stone’ will be transformed into a ‘heart of flesh’. People will be naturally drawn to the good and will be inclined to spiritual pursuits rather than to only material ones. As a result, prosperity and tranquility will increase, and injury and destruction will cease to exist. This is what the Prophet promised when he said in the name of God (Isaiah 11:9):  “They will not do bad nor cause harm on all of My holy mountain”.

When this time comes, ignorance will cease to exist in the world, as all hearts will be filled with wisdom. divine inspiration will be poured out over all flesh in such a manner that all mankind will attain it without any difficulty whatsoever, as the prophet said in God’s name (Joel 3:1-2): “I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.  And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit”."

Wise, Strong, and Wealthy

The availability of divine inspiration and prophecy described above might seem very far away.  This seems particularly so according to the Talmudic teaching that in order to receive prophecy a person must be ‘wise, strong and wealthy’ (Nedarim 38a). This Talmudic teaching can be understood to mean that Prophecy is virtually unattainable, because only a Superhero can be a genius, a muscleman, and a millionaire at the same time! Prophecy seems all the more difficult because the same Talmudic passage says that humility is also a prerequisite. However, according to Ben Zoma’s explanation in the following passage from Pirkei Avot (4:1) we see the kind of wisdom, strength and wealth that leads to Prophecy is not as unattainable as we might think:      

"Ben Zoma taught: Who is wise? One who learns from everyone, as it says: ‘From all I have learned from, I grew wise’ (Psalms 119:99). Who is strong? One who controls his urges, as it says: ‘It is better to be patient than strong, and mastering one’s anger is better than conquering a city’ (Proverbs 16:32). Who is wealthy? One who is happy with his portion, as it says: ‘As you eat the work of your hands, happy are you and how good it is for you’ (Psalms 128:2) - ‘Happy are you’ in this world, ‘how good it is for you’ in the world-to-come."

This kind of wisdom, strength and wealth is available to anyone. To be open to learn from everyone, you do not need a massive brain. To be patient and have moral-ethical strength, you do not need big muscles. And to be happy with what you have, you do not need a huge bank account. The greatest wealth and happiness is available to us right here and now through accepting and knowing that God’s Oneness is always in the process of being revealed. 

A non-dual interpretation of the above verse from Psalms is that the happiness and appreciation of how good it is to ‘eat’ the rewards of the ‘work of our hands’ happens simultaneously. We can ‘taste’ the world-to-come in any present moment of this world because the work and the reward are the same thing – the process of coming to know God’s Oneness – the ultimate Purpose of Creation. As the Prophet Jeremiah said in the following verse that all three attributes associated with Prophecy – wisdom, strength and wealth - are really three facets of one thing - being Enlightened and knowing God’s Oneness: “Thus says God, Let not the wise man exult in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man exult in his might, let not the rich man exult in his riches; but let him that exults exult in this - being enlightened and knowing Me” (Jeremiah 9:22-23).

The ‘Spirit of Prophecy’ is available to all of us. Gathering information about the Universe from everyone and everything in an open-minded way is how one attains wisdom and mystical Truth, and this is also the nature of the first level of the teachings of the Kabbalah. A deeper and clearer understanding of why bad exists in the world can empower us with moral strength and help us accept, control and transform our own bad urges. This is also what the second level of the teachings of the Kabbalah can bring us. Delighting in the work of our hands and our portion in this world - ‘tasting’ the world-to-come right here and now - is the spiritual wealth and enlightenment that comes from the third level of the teachings of the Kabbalah and the Purpose of Creation - knowing God’s Oneness.

A Ladder of Awareness

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto’s most famous and popular book is Mesilat Yesharim. Although this is usually translated as The Path of the Just, it can also be translated as the Path of the Straight or the Path of the True. Mesilat Yesharim is studied daily as a moral-ethical guide in many yeshivot (institutions of Torah learning). Recall that this was the text venerated by the Mussar movement, which emphasized the importance of living according to very high moral and ethical standards. Mesilat Yesharim begins with the following passage:

“The foundation of Chasidut (Piety) and the root of wholehearted service of God are for us to truly and clearly know our obligation in the world. It is to be aware of the goal and purpose in the work that we do all the days of our life. Our sages taught that Adam (humanity) was only created to delight in God and enjoy the radiance of His Presence, because this is the true bliss and the greatest delight of all possible delights. The real place of this delight is the world-to-come because it is created and prepared with everything necessary for this purpose. 

However, the way to reach our desired destination is this world, as our sages said: This world is the entrance to the palace of the world-to-come. The means that bring a person to this end are the mitzvot God commanded us to do. The only place where mitzvot can be done is this world. That is why we are placed in this world first. Through the means available to us here, we can reach the place prepared for us in the world-to-come. There, we will enjoy the good we earned ourselves through these means, as our sages said: Today is for doing the mitzvot; and tomorrow is for receiving their rewards.”

Three Levels

The Path of the Just is the path of mitzvot. There are both negative and positive mitzvot in the Torah – things we are commanded to do and things we are commanded not to do. In the words of the Psalmist: “Depart from bad and do good” (Psalms 34:15). Besides meaning commandment, the Hebrew word מצוה mitzvah also means that which joins - that which joins us to God. Similarly, the Hebrew word for sin חטא chet means that which misses - that which separates us from God. 

The Torah is God’s plan for the world, and thus our sages taught that God looked into the Torah and created the world. We saw in the previous chapter how Ramchal called God’s plan for the world, the Merkava. The Merkava is associated with the ten Sefirot - the divine Forces or Attributes that God ‘rides upon’ and ‘hides Himself in’ to create and guide the world to its desired end, namely, the bestowal of the ultimate good to us. The Merkava is composed of various different combinations of God’s Kindness, Judgment and Mercy.  Being aware of God’s Kindness can awaken in us a love אהבה Ahava of God that can motivate us to do good deeds.  Thus performing mitzvot brings good into the world. Being aware of God’s Judgment can awaken in us a fear (or reverence) יראה Yir’ah of God that can motivate us not to do bad deeds.  Thus avoiding sins helps to keep bad out of the world.  

Ramchal wrote in The Path of the Just that there are different levels of love and fear of God.  The lowest level is the love of reward and fear of punishment in this physical world. Although this is not the motivation that we should aspire to, nevertheless, contemplating and becoming aware of how good actions, words and thoughts can bring us physical rewards; and how bad actions, words and thoughts can bring physical punishment upon ourselves is an effective beginning strategy to motivate us to do mitzvot and avoid sins. 

A higher level is the love of rewards and fear of punishment in the world-to-come. Contemplating and becoming aware of how good actions, words and thoughts can bring us spiritual rewards; and how bad actions, words and thoughts can prevent us from attaining and entering into the world-to-come. This is an effective strategy when we are less focused on the physical and more aware of the spiritual. When we are willing to think about what happens after we die, and we come to believe in a future world that is beyond the limitations of physical time and space – this level of love and fear of God can motivate us to do mitzvot and avoid sins.

The highest level is a love and reverence of God that motivates us to do mitzvot for their own sake - for the sake of a connection to God (d’veikut) that is earned right here and now - any time we perform a mitzvah or avoid a sin, as our sages taught: “The reward of a mitzvah is the mitzvah itself.” This connection and awareness of the divine Presence is better than any material or spiritual reward imaginable. And this level of awareness can bring us to know that we are the Chariots and the Vehicles God uses to reveal His Oneness in the world. Ramchal wrote in the last chapter of Mesilat Yesharim that a person with this kind of awareness “is God’s Merkava, His Sanctuary and His Altar, because God’s Presence rests upon such a person as it did in the Tabernacle and the Holy Temple.”

This World of Time and Space

Although the Path of doing mitzvot and avoiding sins is what brings us to the world-to-come, walking this Path and attaining our goal is only possible in this world of time and space. The physical world we inhabit is a dangerous place, filled with many temptations and trials, as Ramchal wrote in the following passage from the first chapter of Mesilat Yesharim:

“God put Adam (humanity) in a place where there are many things that distance him from God. These are material desires, because if we are drawn after them, we will be distanced from the true good. The truth of the matter is that we are placed in the midst of a mighty battle, because all the matters of this world - whether they are good or bad - are trials for us. If we are valiant warriors and win the battle from all sides, we become impeccable people who earn our connection with God, and we will leave the ‘Entranceway’ (that is, this world) to enter into the ‘Palace’ (that is, the world-to-come) to be illuminated by the Light of Eternal Life. According to the amount that we control our bad urges by distancing ourselves from the things that take us away from the good, and by striving to connect with God, that is the measure of what we will achieve and enjoy.”

According to Ramchal in Mesilat Yesharim, we should first strive to become impeccable צדיקים Tzadikim – people who are constantly fighting, but winning the battle described above. Then we can strive to become pious חסידים Chasidim, and ultimately holy people קדושים Kedoshim. Luzzatto explains that people who have attained the level of Chasidut no longer have to struggle because their spiritual efforts and practice of mitzvot have brought them to be naturally drawn to good actions, words and thoughts. He also explains that it is important to understand that the material pleasures of this world are not intrinsically bad - they do not have to take us away from God. If we keep our priorities straight, and do not get too attached to the material pleasures of this world, they, too, can help us on our Path by providing us with satisfaction and tranquility, as Ramchal wrote in the following passage from the first chapter of Mesilat Yesharim:

“The main existence of Adam (humanity) in this world is only to keep the mitzvot - to work and to withstand temptation. And the pleasures of the world should be used only as aids and supports in order to have satisfaction and tranquility, to be able to concentrate on the work that we have to do.”

The Ladder  

In Mesilat Yesharim, Ramchal describes a Ladder of Awareness that leads to the highest levels of enlightenment possible in this world. Luzzatto takes the structure of this ‘Ladder’ from the following Talmudic teaching by Rabbi Pinchas Ben Yair:

“Torah leads to carefulness, carefulness leads to enthusiasm, enthusiasm leads to impeccability, impeccability leads to asceticism, asceticism leads to purity, purity leads to piety (Chasidut), piety leads to humility, humility leads to reverence, reverence leads to holiness (Kedusha), holiness leads to divine inspiration, divine inspiration leads to the resurrection of the dead.”

Mesilat Yesharim teaches how to increase and deepen our awareness of God’s Oneness, Presence and Glory. The lower rungs of this Ladder of Awareness are the beginning steps of this process. Torah, carefulness and enthusiasm are about the importance of being wise in Torah so as to know how to carefully avoid bad and to enthusiastically perform good deeds. 

Torah is the first step because we must learn what our obligations are in this world so that we will have enough Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge to choose and differentiate wrong from right. Such Torah lessons can be learned anywhere and from anyone if we are open and truly wise, as we saw in the previous chapter - ‘Who is wise? One who learns from everyone’.

Ramchal taught that without Torah and the awareness it brings, we are like blind men walking dangerously close to the banks of a river, or like people lost in a maze. Wise enlightened people who have successfully navigated the ‘maze’ of this temporary, physical world, advise us to take time every day to carefully observe our deeds, emotions and intentions and see how well we are avoiding bad and doing that which is good. Then we should strive to find strategies that work for us to help us increase the fear (or reverence) of God that motivates us to be more careful in avoiding sin; and the love of God that motivates us to be more enthusiastic in doing mitzvot.

The Middle Rungs

The middle rungs of this Ladder are the next steps in our Path to enlightenment. These three, impeccability, asceticism and purity, teach us how to be righteous and impeccable Tzadikim who act with moral goodness and ethical strength, controlling and limiting our urges through ascetic practices, and purifying our intentions and deeds. As we saw in the previous chapter: ‘Who is strong? One who controls his bad urges’. 

Tzadikim are understood to be those who successfully fulfill all of their obligations according to the Torah. The term Tzadik derives from the Hebrew word צדק tzedek which means righteous. Tzadikim serve God primarily with fear of Judgment and perform their Torah obligations impeccably according to the letter of the law. Not only are Tzadikim careful concerning deeds, emotions and thoughts that are clearly immoral, harmful and sinful, they impeccably avoid the little things that we tell ourselves are okay and are not sins when in truth they are really not okay and are considered sins. The chapter that explains the details of this level - impeccability - is by far the longest and most difficult chapter of Mesilat Yesharim. At the end of this chapter Luzzatto wrote that although it may seem that attaining this level is almost impossible for mortal beings, thinking about it is actually harder than accomplishing it. If we are truthful in examining our actions and have our eyes on the goal we can be successful and win this battle.   

Ramchal wrote that everyone has an obligation to navigate the lower rungs of this Ladder of Awareness, this Path of Mitzvot.  However, from asceticism and up, nobody is obliged to climb.  One embarks on this journey only when one feels called to ascend higher up the Ladder to more spiritual and profound levels of awareness. An example of asceticism is when a person vows not to drink any alcohol even though it is permitted according to the Torah because of fear of an addiction that could drag him down to debased, immoral behavior. Another example is taking a vow of silence and shunning society for a period of time when one feels that social interactions are leading him or her away from a spiritual life. 

Purity is a gradual continuation of this ascetic process with an increase in solitude and contemplation. These practices help us to further refine our awareness and purify our body, heart and mind. Purity also involves examining closely our intentions concerning our actions and making sure that they are pure and free of ulterior motives.

The Higher Rungs

The higher rungs of this Ladder - Chasidut, humility, reverence and holiness (Kedusha) - instruct us how to be Chasidim who embody kindness and compassion. Chasidim are understood to be people who do mitzvot and good deeds above and beyond the obligations defined by the Torah. The term Chasid derives from the Hebrew word חסד chesed which means loving-kindness. Chasidim emulate God’s Kindness, they serve God primarily with love - and thus go above and beyond the letter of the law. Chasidim always look for ways of behavior that will be good and pleasing to both God and His creatures. Pious Chasidim serve God not merely for their own reward and benefit, but for the good of the community and their people, indeed for the good of all. 

In the section on Chasidut in Mesilat Yesharim, Ramchal stresses that flexibility is extremely important on this level, because excessive piety is not always pleasing to God or His creatures. Since pious behavior is not an obligation, it must be carefully weighed in the clear light of awareness to know when and where it is proper, and when and where it is not. Chasidim attain more humility when they are able to let go of their piety and extra religious or spiritual practices in situations when they are not appropriate. For example where their excessive piety will be laughed at or cause someone else embarrassment or hurt. Thus, piety (Chasidut) leads to humility. People who attain these higher rungs of awareness are spiritually wealthy, because they humbly accept and appreciate their portion in this world, and are able to have awareness of what is happening and what actions are appropriate in each present moment. As Ben Zoma taught, “Who is wealthy? One who is happy with his portion as it says: ‘As you eat the work of your hands, happy are you and how good it is for you’ (Psalms 128:2). ‘Happy are you - in this world; ‘how good it is for you’ - in the world-to-come.” Such a person can ‘taste’ the reward of the world-to-come while still ‘working’ in this world.

People who attain chasidut can come to a profound reverence of God to the degree that they dread causing harm to the world through even the slightest sin. This reverence comes from their great love and respect for God and all of His Creation. This type of Yir’ah is a reverence in which Ahava and Yir’ah are not two different things but one and the same. Such people can then easily rise to the level of holiness (Kedusha), the tenth rung of this Ladder of Awareness. They then become enlightened, angel-like beings that sanctify all they touch.  Holiness leads to experiences of divine inspiration that lead to the goal of this Path, the summit of this Ladder of Awareness, the resurrection of the dead.  We will later see how this is associated with Prophecy. One who attains this level of awareness ‘eats’ from the world-to-come right here and now in this physical world of time and space - delighting in God’s Oneness and fulfilling His highest Purpose in Creation, as can be seen in the following passage from the last chapter of Mesilat Yesharim: 

“Those who are holy are constantly attached to God. Their soul strolls through the teachings of the Wisdom of Truth (referring to the teachings of the Kabbalah) with love and reverence for God. Such people are considered to be strolling before God in the realms of Eternal Life while they are still here in ‘this world’. This happens when their awareness and their minds are always firmly incorporated in the greatness of God, His majesty and His holiness - so much so that it is as if they were actually attached to the supernal angels while still in this world.     

People cannot do this all by themselves. They can only arouse themselves to want this and strive to achieve it. After they have prepared themselves with all the necessary preparations - the good attributes we have discussed from the level of carefulness to the level of reverence - then a Spirit will be poured upon them from Heaven. God will cause His Name YHVH to dwell upon them, as God does with all His holy ones (angels). Then they will actually be like angels of God and all of their actions - even the most lowly and material - will be like offerings and worship. This is because holy people are themselves considered to be like a sanctuary, a tabernacle and an altar… as our sages said, “The righteous themselves are the Merkava”, because the divine Presence rests upon them always as it did in the Holy Temple. Thus, the food that they eat is like burnt offerings that go up upon God’s altar. 

From there, they can ascend to an even higher level - divine inspiration - and will be able to learn in this superhuman way. Their attachment  to God (d’veikut) can reach such a high level that they will be given the ‘key’ to the Resurrection of the dead, as was given to (the Prophets) Elijah and Elisha.  This is an expression of an awesome attachment to the divine, because God is the Source of Life who gives life to all. That is the goal of this Path, as the sages said, holiness leads to divine inspiration, which leads to the Resurrection of the dead.”

The Tzimtzum and the Kav

According to Ramchal, the highest level of knowing the Kabbalah teaches us the highest level of the Purpose of Creation, as we saw in previous chapters. This is about knowing God’s Oneness and delighting in the awareness of His Presence and Glory. However, this does not mean that we are ever able to actually perceive and know what God is. Luzzatto wrote in the following passage from his Essay on Fundamentals that God is always absolutely unknowable: 

“What you have to know before anything is that there is One Existence who is the master of all that exists, because He brought everything into existence at the moment He wanted, sustains everything as long as He desires, and rules over everything with complete authority.  This Existence is God.

God is perfect in all ways of perfection, and is not lacking in any way. He is not dependent on anything else and not affected by anything whatsoever. There is no beginning to His Existence and there is no end to it at all. In other words, God did not come into being from a state of nonexistence, and He will never cease to be in existence. God is (an Eternal Existence), He always was, is, and always will be - and it would be absolutely impossible for Him not to exist.  He is the cause of all that is, but nothing caused Him. In other words, God’s Existence is, in itself, absolutely necessary.

You should also know that this Existence has no structure or parts at all. In other words, God is ultimately and absolutely simple. Nothing that applies to anything finite applies to God. He is free of any boundary or limit, any association or natural law.

Above all, you should know that the reality of God’s true Existence cannot be perceived at all. It is not similar to anything that exists in Creation, or any picture the imagination can imagine, or the mind can conceive. There are no names or descriptions truly fitting and proper to use regarding God. When we speak about Him, we use words in a borrowed and metaphorical way so that we will understand what we need to understand about God’s true Existence. The only words we have pertain to creations which are limited by nature. Since it is impossible to say anything at all without words (we use words in speaking about God), but I am stating here emphatically that with anything we teach or say about God, the words and descriptions we use do not truly pertain to His Existence itself. These words are used only in a borrowed or metaphorical sense. Understand this well.”

Ramchal is telling us here that God is the one imperative Existence who always remains absolutely infinite, eternal, perfect and thus unknowable. All the words and Names the Prophets of the Bible, the rabbis of the Talmud and the kabbalists used to describe God do not refer to the Existence of God Himself. They all refer to our limited perceptions and subjective experience of what God does, namely, how he is creating and guiding the Universe – riding upon His Merkava.  And we can only perceive this because God wanted to create the Universe on our level – in our image. The kabbalists teach that God wanted to hide His eternally unknowable, Infinite Light in ‘garments’ or attributes that can be seen and known by us, and these are the Ten Sefirot.

The Tzimtzum 

The first teaching of the Lurianic Kabbalah is that the Infinite Ein Sof ‘contracted’ His endless and unknowable Light and revealed the Ten Sefirot in order to provide a ‘place’ for the Universe.  We will later see that the Ten Sefirot are represented by the four letters of the Name YHVH; as well as  the four ‘faces’ of the Merkava – Kindness, Judgment and Mercy; and that which Receives them. The Hebrew word used to describe this process of Creation is צמצום tzimtzum which means contraction. Luzzatto’s extremely concise summary of the Lurianic Kabbalah, Klalut Ha’eelan, begins like this:

“Before the Universe was created, the Ein Sof and His Name were One. When He wanted to create all the creations He contracted His Light in order to give them a ‘place’. As our sages said in Pirkei Avot (3:3) ‘There is nothing that does not have a place’.  This (contracted) place is the same for all of them in that the Ein Sof surrounds it on all sides.”

The ‘place’, the Tzimtzum, is described as a circular ‘space’ where the Universe can now begin to unfold - surrounded by the endless Light of the Ein Sof. Ramchal explained that the ‘place’ that is formed by the Tzimtzum is not a physical place but rather the light of God’s Glory or Radiance - the Ten Sefirot.  These are His ‘garments’ or the attributes God uses in order to reveal His Oneness, and which can be seen by prophets and enlightened souls.  As can be seen in this passage from Ramchal’s 138 Openings of Wisdom (openings 24 and 25):  

“The Ein Sof wanted to let go of His limitlessness and took for Himself a limited way of acting. This is called the Tzimtzum of the Ein Sof. This Tzimtzum made God’s light and radiance able to be seen. Before the Tzimtzum - and even now (outside the place of the Tzimtzum) - nothing can be seen or perceived at all by us. The light that we can see is called ‘created light’ because it appears to be light that is new, but actually it is only an aspect of the original Light whose strength has been lessened by the mystery of the Tzimtzum.”

Luzzatto is telling us here that the ‘limited’ light of the Sefirot is actually in essence the same as the Infinite Light itself!  It is only us who see the light that is in this ‘place’ as something limited and different from the Light of the Ein Sof.  The Sefirot are God’s Attributes and Emanations of His Light and as such their objective nature is Infinite, formless, and not able to be seen even by the greatest prophets. However, because God wanted us to be able to perceive how He is guiding His Creation towards its ultimate end, namely, the revelation of His Oneness, the Sefirot are seen subjectively by us as emanations of limited light and radiance.

The Kav

The Tzimtzum can be likened to an egg in a woman’s womb. At first it is tiny and round - but it is one cell that contains the full potential to create a complete human being. That potential is actualized when a sperm fertilizes the egg and initiates the developmental process that eventually produces a human being. Luzzatto describes the ‘fertilization’ of the Tzimtzum by one strand of Infinite Light – the Kav – the Hebrew word for ‘line’ or ‘strand’ in the continuation of the passage that we brought above from Klalut Ha’eelan:

“One (straight line or strand of Light - the) Kav comes out from the Ein Sof. Penetrating and entering (into the circular place of the Tzimtzum) it makes all the levels (of the Sefirot and of the Universe).”

This description of the Kav penetrating and entering the Tzimtzum is reminiscent of microscopic photographs I’ve seen of a spermatozoa penetrating and entering an egg at the moment of conception. This is one reason why the light and radiance of God that can be seen – the Tzimtzum - is called ‘Feminine’ by the kabbalists, and is associated with the tenth Sefirah - Malchut - also called שכינה Shechinah. The Kav of Infinite Light from the Ein Sof that cannot be seen – the ‘spermatozoa’ that separates and actualizes the potential contained in the Tzimtzum is called ‘Masculine’ by the kabbalists, and is associated with the first nine Sefirot.  

God contracting His limitlessness in order to relate to us on our level is what reveals to us the Ten Sefirot, but in potential, like an egg, not yet separated into ten emanations or attributes.  The Kav of Infinite Light is what separates and actualizes the Sefirot guiding them from within and always bringing them to gradually fulfill their Purpose and Ultimate end. The way the Kav is described as a straight line or strand of Light is similar in shape to the numeral one - 1. The circular place of the Tzimtzum is similar in shape to a zero - 0. When these come together they form the number 10 – the Ten Sefirot. Everything in the Universe is the result of the ‘union’ of the Infinite Light of the Kav and the ‘finite’ light of the Tzimtzum that ‘gives birth’ to the Ten Sefirot. 

Ramchal called the Ten Sefirot the Merkava because they are the various ‘weaves or blends’ of God’s Kindness, Judgment, and Mercy that are ‘received’ or seen by us in this world of time and space. The Ten Sefirot are also spoken of as the ‘garments’ that the Ein Sof wears in order to create and guide all of Creation in a way that we can perceive and know. The Sefirot are often called ‘vessels’ or ‘containers’ because they hold and contain a measure of God’s Infinite Light. Just as the limbs and organs of our body hold and contain a measure of our soul, the limited light of the Tzimtzum holds and contains the Infinite Light of the Kav. 

In the following passage from 138 Openings of Wisdom (opening 11), Luzzatto explains that the Feminine light of the Shechinah is the source of all forms of the Sefirot that are seen by prophets in their visions of the Merkava, as well as all the forms we see in of all of God’s creations:

“The pictures and the forms of the Sefirot come from the Shechinah, because she is the root of all creations, she makes all of their forms. Therefore the kabbalists say that it is impossible to ascend or receive except through her.”

The ‘Conception’ of Adam

One of the most central teachings of the Kabbalah is the idea that Adam (humanity) is created in God’s image or likeness, as the Torah states, “God said, Let us make Adam with our image and our likeness.” And, “God created Adam with His image, in the image of God He created him, Male and Female He created them” (Genesis 1:26 and 27). However, it is a major principle of our faith that God has no likeness, no form and no image. So when the Bible says that God created us in His likeness, the kabbalists interpret this to mean that God interacts with and guides His Creation in our likeness, on our level.  He is the Soul who guides the world with the Ten Sefirot seen by prophets in the likeness of our bodies, as the following passage from the Talmud (Brachot 10a) teaches:

“Just as God fills the entire world, the soul fills the entire body. Just as God sees but is not seen, the soul sees but is not seen. Just as God nourishes the entire world, the soul nourishes the entire body. Just as God is pure, the soul is pure. Just as God dwells in the innermost chambers, the soul dwells in the innermost chambers.”

The Sefirot are the Merkava, blends of His Attributes - Kindness, Judgment and Mercy, which are received and seen by us. The Ein Sof (via the ‘Masculine’ Kav) wraps Himself in these garments of light and radiance (via the ‘Feminine’ Tzimtzum). The Sefirot can also be understood to be an expression of God’s Judgment. They contract and limit and allow His Oneness to be concealed at first so that we can work in this world and earn our reward by choosing good and avoiding bad. However, the Sefirot are always guided by the Kav. God on His unlimited level, in a hidden way, is constantly bringing the world to its Ultimate End - the revelation of God’s Oneness – and this is an expression of God’s Kindness. 

Ramchal taught that even the limited things of this world that come from the constriction and the hiding of God’ Light, which seem to be acting against God’s will and seem to be making things worse rather than better, are actually being used by God in a deep, hidden way to make things better. Ramchal summarized the idea of how God created the world in our likeness – the likeness of Adam – in the following passage from Klalut Shorshei Hachochmah:

“The Root of the ‘likeness of Adam’ is the Order of the internal and the external. It is the Order of the soul and the body, and concerning this it says: ‘Let us make Adam in our image, after our likeness’ (Genesis 1:26). Therefore, this Order was arranged from the beginning. The keys to this likeness are the two attributes Kindness and Judgment, which are necessary for reward and punishment. Judgment makes the external and the Feminine; and Kindness makes the internal and the Masculine. And they are the Tzimtzum in which the Ein Sof contracted His Light; and the Kav of Light which penetrates and activates it.”

The ‘Feminine’ mystery of the Tzimtzum, the limited, constricted light, is an expression of God’s Judgment associated with the Name Elohim. This was presented in Chapter two in reference to the Shema. Our sages therefore taught that God wanted to create the world with Judgment (with the Tzimtzum), as it says:  “In the beginning, Elohim created the Heavens and the Earth” (Genesis 1:1). The ‘Masculine’ mystery of the Kav is an expression of God’s Infinite Kindness and is thus associated with the Name YHVH. Accordingly, our sages taught that God saw that the world couldn’t exist with Judgment alone. He tempered His Judgment with Kindness and created the world with both – with Mercy - Judgment tempered with Kindness (by drawing the Kav into the place of the Tzimtzum). The sages derived this from the following verse (Genesis 2:1) where both the Name YHVH and the Name Elohim are used: “These are the chronicles of the Heavens and the Earth when they were created, on the day that YHVH Elohim completed Earth and Heaven.”

Hatikvah – the Hope

The Hebrew word קו kav means a straight line. But it is also associated with hope, as is expressed in the name of the Israeli National Anthem Hatikvah ‘The Hope’. Luzzatto wrote an entire book 515 Prayers based on this association. The gematria (number value) of the word תקוה tikvah hope is 515.  Interestingly, Mesilat Yesharim, discussed in the previous chapter, literally means, ‘The Path of the Straight’. The similarity to the straight line of the Kav is intentional. In fact, ‘a straight path’ in Hebrew is דרך ישרה (derech yeshara). The word ישרה (yeshara) is also gematria 515. As are the words תפלה (t'filah) prayer, and שירה (shira) song, mentioned in the passage below.

In the book 515 Prayers, Ramchal beautifully wove together verses from the Torah, teachings from the Talmud, the Midrash, and the Kabbalah into 515 prayers - all focused on the revelation of God’s Oneness.  Knowing that the Ein Sof is always with us, within us - ‘hidden’ inside this world as our soul is ‘hidden’ inside our body – can bring us hope and light even in the darkest and most constricted places and times of this world. In the following passage from Otzrot Ramchal (page 246) Luzzatto taught about the relationship between the Kav and hope (tikvah):

“It is written: ‘In the beginning, Elohim created the Heavens and the Earth’ (Genesis 1:1).  The beginning is hope. The Tzimtzum was only made in order to wait for the Kav to enter into it. Kav means hoping and longing. Come and see, all the creations were created incomplete, as it says, (Genesis 2:3) ‘...Elohim created in order to become completed’ when they align themselves with the Influence (of the Kav) that completes them - either by good deeds, or by prayer, or by song.

The Shechinah emerged incomplete in the beginning. Thus, ‘In the beginning Elohim created the Heavens and the Earth’, Elohim indeed.  However, YHVH is Elohim - they are actually one and the same, but God wanted to create Elohim first, so that she would be able to receive from YHVH.

The prayer of one who waits and hopes ascends without intermediaries... because it is a straight line that penetrates, pierces, and ascends straight to the Ein Sof. One who waits and hopes is always happy and not sad. Because one who is sad is always sighing and despairing, and thinks that he has no cure.  But one who waits and hopes is not sad, because… his hope brings him life.”

Adam Kadmon

The Torah states that God created Adam in His own image, in His own likeness. However, since we believe that God cannot be seen and has no image or likeness, kabbalists say that God makes Himself known to us in our likeness through the Tzimtzum - the Feminine Shechina who gives birth to all forms, likenesses and images. The first of which is the body of Adam Kadmon composed of ten ‘garments’ or attributes – Ten Sefirot. These were brought from potential into actuality when the Masculine Kav of Ein Sof was drawn into the ‘place’ of the Tzimtzum, at the moment of the ‘conception’ of everything. 

The soul of Adam Kadmon is the Kav that guides the Sefirot, leading everything always in a hidden way to the ultimate Purpose of Creation, the revelation of God’s Oneness. In the following passage from 138 Openings of Wisdom (Opening 31 and 12), Ramchal taught that Adam Kadmon and the Ten Sefirot are associated with the four letters of the Name יהוה YHVH: 

“The first embodiment of the created Light as ten Sefirot is the order of the likeness of Adam called Adam Kadmon.   This is the order of the Name YHVH - the order of the world for all eternity.  The totality of all orders and all Sefirot are included in the order of these four letters - thus everything can always be expressed by the order and the mystery contained in the four letters of this Name. 

All the Sefirot that God uses to guide Creation and all of His creations, all together, comprise just one order whose Purpose is to bestow the ultimate Good in the best possible way. Adam Kadmon is everything – this likeness of Adam is the entire order of Creation. Everything is created in this ‘likeness’, which has the same number of parts as human beings, connected in exactly the same manner. Thus, God created only one being, namely, Adam Kadmon.  Everything in existence - whether they are created beings or the Sefirot that guide them - are just parts of this one likeness.”

Adam Kadmon includes everything, and since every human being is a reflection of this ‘first Adam’, every human being is a reflection of everything – the entire Creation!  Adam Kadmon contains in itself all the levels of existence from the highest levels of the eternal world-to-come all the way down to this material temporary world.  Because we are also in the likeness of Adam we can ascend this hierarchical ‘Great Ladder of Being’ through our own choice and effort ultimately delighting in the revelation of God’s Oneness, and basking in the radiance of the Shechinah for eternity.  Each one of us is like Jacob’s ladder - standing upon the earth and reaching to the heavens and an awareness of the presence of YHVH.  

After describing the conception of everyone as the Kav and the Tzimtzum, the Lurianic Kabbalah describes in detail the gradual process in which the ‘Great Ladder of Being’ that is Adam Kadmon is unrolled downward. With each level of descent the vessels of this one body become increasingly coarse until they are able to dominate and hide the light of its soul. This process of coarsening and darkening makes the ‘rung of Being' that enables this temporary material world to be an arena of choice and work, and includes the existence of bad.  However, the first levels, the highest of rungs of Being, prepared are the levels humans will experience last - in the eternal world-to-come. These are levels of eternal delight in the perception of God’s Oneness that we will experience in a body so refined and soul-like that it will not detract from our experience of divine attachment whatsoever. 

The Light of the World-to-come

All these levels of existence – eternal and temporal - are brought into being through the light of the soul of Adam Kadmon emerging through the vessels of his body.  The highest level Adam (humanity) can attain in the world-to-come is formed from light coming out of the highest part of Adam Kadmon’s body, through the hair on his head.  This represents God’s first thought for Creation, His desire to bestow the best possible reward to us in the end – the eternal delight in the revelation of God’s Oneness. On this highest rung of the ladder, the vessels are completely fused with, and virtually indistinguishable from the light.  Although the levels associated with the world-to-come are eternal, Ramchal spoke of this highest level as the ‘tenth millennium’.

The ‘Ladder of Being’ continues to unfold and descend with light coming out from the openings of Adam Kadmon’s senses - his eyes, ears, nostrils and mouth. These are associated with the four letters of the Name YHVH. The kabbalists teach that the senses of the body do not just passively receive input from the external environment. They are two-way windows that our souls shine out through, and through which sensations are brought into our body’s awareness from the external environment. 

Our mouths and nostrils are obviously two-way orifices. Food enters our body through our mouths when we eat, and words exit our mouths when we speak.  Air moves in and out of our nostrils when we breathe. The kabbalists also describe seeing and hearing as two-way affairs.  They describe vision as the soul sending light out of the body through the eyes to ‘grasp’ the object of observation and bring its likeness back into the mind to be observed. How we look at something affects how we see it. The image we see in our mind’s eye is composed of preconceived notions and memories, maybe even more than sensory input. Hearing is similarly described as the soul sending out light through the ears to ‘grasp’ sounds and bring them inside the body to be heard. How we hear things is influenced and affected by how we listen to them.     

In the Lurianic Kabbalah, the light that comes out through the ears of Adam Kadmon covers his face to his chin like a beard. On this level, a faint, general trace of a vessel/body can be distinguished, although it is dominated by the light/soul to a large degree. The vessel is beginning the process of emerging as a separate entity. It is no longer completely fused with the light as it was on the highest rung, the light flowing out of Adam Kadom’s hair. Ramchal called this eternal level of the world-to-come, the ‘ninth millennium’. 

The light that flows out through the nostrils of Adam Kadmon descends and covers his body to his chest. On this level, the light/soul still dominates, and this rung of the Ladder is still eternal but the vessel/body is getting more pronounced. Some aspects of the vessel can be distinguished from the light here, but only its most refined aspects. Luzzatto called this level of the world-to-come, the ‘eighth millennium’.

The light that flows out through the mouth of Adam Kadmon descends further and covers his body to his navel. The vessel/body here is strong enough here for all of its parts to be distinguished. This is the first level in which the vessel is coarse enough to be called a separate vessel. Although the vessel/body is complete with all of its parts, it is uplifted by the light/soul, refined, and illuminated. Ramchal called this level the ‘seventh millennium’, it is associated with Shabbat, and seen as intermediate between the six thousand years of this world and the ‘three thousand years’ of the eternal world-to-come.

These ‘garments of light’ that cover the upper half of Adam Kadmon are the light/soul and vessel/body combinations that prepare the different levels of the realms of reward we will experience beginning from the seventh millennium. Since we can’t experience these realms until we get there, these higher levels are not described in great detail in the Lurianic Kabbalah.  The light and vessels that are the source of the six millennia of time, on the other hand, are described at great length, and these are the levels that we will primarily deal with for the rest of this book. 

The Light of This World

The light that forms the lower rungs of this Great Ladder of Being flow out through the eyes of Adam Kadmon, and become ‘garments’ that cover his lower body from his navel to his feet.  On these lower levels of existence the external vessels/bodies are strong enough to be able to dominate the internal light/soul. These vessels are the Ten Sefirot that create and guide the six millennia of this world of time and space. 

Recall from the introduction how the Talmud taught that this world will last for six thousand years – two thousand years of Chaos, two thousand years of Torah, and two thousand years of Messiah – followed by a thousand years of Shabbat rest and then the world-to-come.  According to Ramchal, the six millennia of time include the resurrection of the dead. He taught that this will happen at the very end of the sixth millennium - when the spiritual light of our souls will infuse our mind-bodies so much that our physical processes and material activities will all become holy.  This was described at the end of the third chapter in the quote from the end of Mesilat Yesharim. 

We will see in the next chapter that the ten vessels that emerged from the eyes of Adam Kadmon had the potential to create this world on the holy and completely enlightened level associated with the resurrection of the dead. However, God wanted these Sefirot/vessels to ‘fall’ and ‘shatter’.  In order to prepare the potential for all possible states of Being in this world. From the higher angel-like states associated with the ‘two millennia’ of Messiah, to the average human states associated with the two millennia of Torah, and even the debased animal-like states associated with the two millennia of Chaos. 

The descent and fall of the primordial vessels that are the source of this temporal world prepared the potential for all the bad that is necessary for freedom of choice. God was now ready to create the physical Universe of time and space, the lower rungs of the Great Ladder of Being. He brought out a new light from the forehead of Adam Kadmon that gradually resurrects and repairs the shattered vessels that came through his eyes. These repaired Sefirot/vessels can hold and contain this new light, and create this world. Thus begins the evolutionary process of Tikkun Olam - repairing the world and revealing God’s Oneness – in which we are partners with God. The Lurianic Kabbalah calls this gradual ascent back up the Great Ladder of Being ‘the world of Tikkun’. This will be the subject of the next several chapters. In the following passage from Klallim Rishonim (number 9) Ramchal briefly described this gradual ascent up the rungs of the Ladder (the parentheses are added by me):

“In this world (the six millennia of this world formed from the light of the eyes of Adam Kadmon) the body dominates, like a man who is the master of his house, and the soul is like a stranger in the land. The power of the soul is diminished and weakened so that people will be susceptible to bad urges and be able to choose between good and bad, and do the work of repairing the world. Furthermore, the bodily aspect of people - which could be in a state of tikkun and not be impure - is often debased and animal-like.

The bodily aspect of people when they achieve (the final) tikkun is a state of purity and holiness like the eating of holy offerings and other holy activities. This is the tikkun attained with the resurrection of the dead, a great purification for the bodily aspect, but it is still bodily - because we are still in this world (the six millennia of time). When the time of choosing between good and bad will be completed, the body will stop dominating. The soul then has more power to enlighten and rectify the material of the body. 

The seventh ‘millennium’ (formed from the light of the mouth of Adam Kadmon) is when the world will experience Shabbat rest and will live in timelessness. This is when God will flood the physical world with the ‘spiritual water’ that transforms and prepares this world for the world-to-come. On this level, the body does not lose its bodily nature; it is just uplifted by the spiritual power of the soul. 

On the level of the six millennia of choice and work, the soul is a stranger in the land and the body is ‘the master of the house’. In the seventh ‘millennium’ the soul at rest will dominate and the body will be the stranger. This is similar to Moshe ascending to Heaven to receive the Torah.  He did not lose his bodily nature and its faculties, he just acted according to the customs of the level he went up to, and he did not have to eat or drink for forty days. So, too, in the seventh ‘millennium’, the body will not have to change its nature. God will make us wings like angels, and we will fly over the face of the waters. This means that the holiness of the soul will support the heaviness of the body in such a manner that we will not need physical things, even though existence is not yet renewed to a soul-like, spiritual form until the eighth ‘millennium’.

The soul will continue to enlighten and refine the body, level after level (in the eighth and ninth ‘millennia’) until the body will fuse completely with the soul.  This connection is eventually so great that the imperfections of the body will not be considered at all (in the tenth ‘millennium’) the body will be completely bound to the soul, enlightened by its Light, and one with its highest Source.”

Filling-out the Name of God

The four letters of the Name YHVH represent Adam Kadmon. These four letters are holographic and fractal in that each one contains all of them. In this manner, four Names are derived from the four letters of the divine Name יהוה YHVH that are used extensively in Lurianic Kabbalah.  These four Names are all from the same four letters יהוה YHVH, but are differentiated by how their letters are ‘filled out’, as well as by their ‘gematria’ (number value).

The shattering and fall of the primordial vessels is the source of all the bad that exists in this world. This bad is transformed into the best possible good as we gradually ascend back up the Great Ladder of Being as partners with God in the evolutionary process of tikkun olam. We repair our world and ourselves by revealing God’s Oneness and earning our reward rather than receiving it as charity.

The gematria (number value) of the Hebrew word for animal בהמה (behaimah) is 52, the same number we get when we fill out the Name in the following way - יוד הה וו הה. Thus, the Name 52 represents the fallen and shattered light of the eyes of Adam Kadmon that allows lower, animal-like states of being in this world. These are states of being where people are primarily concerned with the needs and the desires of their physical bodies. These lowest rungs of the Great Ladder of Being are associated with the two thousand years of Chaos. 

The gradual process of tikkun olam - repairing the world - moves from these low states to higher ways of being in this world. During the two thousand years of Torah people attained a more beautiful likeness of Adam as they came to know God through the ‘natural enlightenment’ of their minds. The gematria of the Hebrew word אדם (adam) is 45, the same number we get when we fill out the Name in the following way - יוד הא ואו הא. Thus, the Name 45 represents the partial tikkun of the vessels/bodies that is brought about by receiving and containing more of the new light/soul that emerges from the forehead of Adam Kadmon. 

Humanity is meant to attain enlightened states of being ultimately at the end of the two thousand years of Messiah. The gematria of the Hebrew word for prophet נביא (navee) is 63, the same number we get when we fill out the Name in the following way - יוד הי ואו הי. Thus, the Name 63 represents the prophetic inspiration that is experienced when the tikkun of the six thousand years of this world reaches its completion. This happens at the end of time - the resurrection of the dead - when the vessels that ‘died’ are completely resurrected. We will then be able to ‘taste’ God’s Infinite Kindness – the revelation of His Oneness. 

The gematria of the Hebrew word for kindness (chesed) חסד is 72, the same number we get when we fill out the Name in the following way - יוד הי ויו הי.  Thus, the Name 72 represents the levels of eternal reward - the lights of the mouth, nostrils, ears, and hair of Adam Kadmon, associated with the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth millennia.

The World of Chaos

The Lurianic Kabbalah calls the primordial realm that is the source of all the bad in this world, the world of chaos. The 10 vessels/Sefirot that emerged from the eyes of Adam Kadmon shattered and fell because they could not contain and hold their light, which subsequently came out of Adam Kadmon’s eyes. Ramchal taught that the shattering of the vessels in the primordial world of chaos was neither an accident nor a catastrophe. This was an integral part of God’s Plan for Creation, which reveals His Oneness. The plan is to first allow bad to exist, enabling us to be able to choose good or bad. We thus get the best possible good, namely, good that is earned, as we have seen in previous chapters.  

Luzzatto wrote that prophets and kabbalists see this divine Plan, called the Merkava, in their visions. This is the nature of the descriptions of Adam Kadmon and the realms of being that are formed by the combinations of the light of his soul coming out through his body. The higher realms or rungs of this Great Ladder of Being are the realms of reward in the ultimate future where the body/vessel becomes fused with the soul/light. These realms ‘clothe’ Adam Kadmon’s upper half, as we saw in the previous chapter. The world of chaos is the primordial source of the realm of work in the six millennia of time where bodies/vessels dominate their soul/light, enabling freedom of choice that ‘clothes’ Adam Kadmon’s lower half. 

The primordial world of chaos is the continuation of a gradual process of ‘descent’, which began with the Tzimtzum, and allows this physical world to have its desired nature. Namely, one that contains both good and bad. The world of time and space which we inhabit, this world, called by the Lurianic kabbalists, the world of tikkun, is then created with this nature. It is completed and perfected through a gradual process of ‘ascent’ in which all bad is transformed to good, revealing Gods’ Oneness. We have seen that God’s Plan for this world is limited in time to six thousand years from Adam. Ramchal describes the worlds of chaos and tikkun as the work of a craftsman in the following passages from 138 Openings of Wisdom (Openings 36 and 37):

“The worlds of chaos and tikkun are how this world and all its creations were gradually made.  This is like a craftsman forming a vessel from a chunk of wood.  At first it is shapeless, but later when its form is completed, its beauty is seen.

The root of the existence of damage and repair is the concept of the shattering of the vessels and their tikkun.  For if they had not been shattered, there would be no damage in the world; and if their tikkun had been totally complete, that would have been the end of everything.  However, since they were broken and then only partially repaired, they provide a root for the existence of both damage and repair in this world.  And in the end, the tikkun will be complete, and there will be no more damage at all.”

Eternity and Time

We see from the above that the bad, the damage that exists in this world is from the ‘shattering of the vessels’ that happens in the ‘world of chaos’; and the process of repairing what is damaged – returning bad to good - is the ‘world of tikkun’. But, what is the connection between shattering something and the nature of limited time? Ramchal explains this in the following passage from Adir BaMarom (page 107) in which he wrote about the difference between the nature of time – this world - and the nature of eternity – the world-to-come:

“This world exists in time, but in the ultimate future there will no longer be time, because everything will be eternal.  Each day is a channel that remains open to shine ‘lights of good’ upon that soul and upon all of creation.  The amount of days which are given to a person to live are the levels that he has to repair, the channels that he has to open, so that when they are all open he has completed his tikkun.  Then all those levels will be open for him forever.  Each moment of time will influence him for all eternity.  This is the nature of eternity:  The lights that shone one after another in this world shine in eternity all together in each moment.”

Eternity is time unbroken into separate parts, separate moments. It includes all the moments of time that unfold one after another in the six thousand years of this world but not as separate, limited fragments. We can understand from this how Ramchal called eternity ‘millennia’ because the six millennia of time still exist on these higher eternal rungs of the Great Ladder of Being but in a unified and integrated way - all moments of time experienced all together in each moment of time. 

We can also understand from this how prophets and kabbalists can get a ‘glimpse of eternity’ while still in this world, because they see God’s Plan, the Merkava – all the separate moments of time that reveal His Oneness.  And when the 10 primordial Sefirot/vessels of the world of chaos first came out of the eyes of Adam Kadmon followed by their light, all these potential moments of time were all together and still unbroken. Before God deliberately ‘shattered’ the primordial vessels (represented by the Name 63) into separate ‘fragments’ of time, causing their (unbroken) light to leave them. That is why the shattering of these vessels is also called their ‘death’, their soul/light left their body/vessel. God did this because He did not want to make this world complete at first. He wanted to create an imperfect, temporary world so that we will be able to be partners with Him in repairing this world – the process of tikkun olam – that reveals His Oneness.

These ‘fragments of the shattered vessels’ (represented by the Name 52) are partially repaired by being brought together with the new light of tikkun (represented by the Name 45) that emerges from the forehead of Adam Kadmon. These smaller vessels succeed in holding a smaller amount of light, separated into parts, moments, and they create and guide this world – the world of tikkun – throughout the six millennia of time.  We are meant to continue this gradual process of tikkun and ascent. It comes to its conclusion at the end of the sixth millennium with the messianic era, ‘when divine inspiration will be easily attained by anyone’, and the resurrection of the dead, when ‘the tikkun will be complete, and there will be no more damage at all’ (represented by the Name 63). Like it was before the primordial vessels broke and their unbroken light departed them. Finally, all existence will ascend to the timeless realms of reward (represented by the Name 72). As was presented at the end of the previous chapter.

Falling Down and Getting Back Up

Ramchal wrote about the the primordial world of chaos and the world of tikkun in the following passage from 138 Openings of Wisdom Openings 39-42: 

“The primordial vessels were like one substance from which all of its parts are later manifest. This is because everything that exists, both above and below, is only one thing made from many parts. This one thing is not all-inclusive unless it contains all of its parts equally, because everything was created to give God Glory, as it says “God made everything for His Purpose” (Proverbs 16:4). All creations, both good and bad, were included here because everything is only one process - one order - one Creation that completes the revelation of God’s Oneness and Glory.

This all-inclusive substance had to receive its light, which is the mystery of the Kav joining with the Tzimtzum. However, it had to complete itself first - because that is the reason for the Tzimtzum in the first place, to provide a ‘place’ for bad, to be repaired and become good in the end. Therefore, the light has to wait for the vessels to become complete. Then the light will illuminate them and everything will be perfected. That is why the light did not join with the vessels at first. Rather, it departed and ascended until the vessels would complete their task, namely, providing a ‘place’ for bad to dominate, and then ending its domination with the tikkun that returns everything to the good. Then, the light will illuminate the vessels. 

The tikkun of the vessels is a gradual process.  As the vessels are repaired, light enters into them.  The end of their tikkun will be in the Ultimate Future when the light will have entered and joined with the vessels completely.”

The Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life

The secrets of the ‘worlds of chaos and tikkun’ are seen by Ramchal in the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Recall from the end of the previous chapter that the gematria of Adam אדם is 45 – the same as the Name 45. The gematria of Chava חוה (Eve) is 19. The gematria of YHVH יהוה is 26. So the number 19 added to 26 ‘fills out the Name of God’ to 45. The sages of the Talmud taught that Adam and Eve were first created together and then Eve was ‘severed’ from Adam’s side and built as a separate individual.

Luzzatto taught that the level of existence Adam and Eve were on in the Garden of Eden before they ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad is considered ‘fallen’ and incomplete compared to the level of existence they would have attained had they eaten from the Tree of Life. This is because the Tree of Life is associated with the timeless level of existence we will ultimately attain with the final tikkun and the resurrection of the dead - associated with prophecy and the Name 63 the gematria of navee נביא (prophet). 

After God breathed a living soul into Adam’s nostrils He “planted a Garden in Eden to the east and placed there the man He had created. And God brought out of the ground every tree that is pleasant to look at and good to eat - the Tree of Life in the center of the Garden - and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad” (Genesis 2:8-9). God commanded Adam saying, “You should eat from every Tree in the Garden”; but from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad, do not eat, for on the day you eat from it, you will definitely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). If Adam and Eve would have eaten from the Tree of Life they would have lived forever, as Luzzatto explained in Daat Tevunot (Section 126):

“If Adam had eaten from the Tree of Life and not from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad, he would have become progressively more attached to the holiness of God and would have immediately delighted in the Glory of His holiness forever in eternity.”

Just as the Torah was later given with two kinds of commandments - things we should do; and things we should not do, Adam was also given two commandments. One was to eat from the Tree of Life – and this is expressed as ‘eat from every tree in the Garden’. The other was not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of God and Bad. When Adam and Eve did not follow God’s commandments they were punished and then banished from the Garden of Eden.

The ‘Fall’

Adam and Eve could have attained the ‘complete tikkun’ of the shattered vessels and returned to the timeless level of being represented by the Name 63 immediately had they had eaten from the Tree of Life. They would have become enlightened then and there and would have lived forever without dying. However, when they ate from the Tree of Knowledge they were ‘banished’ from the level of existence associated with the Garden of Eden, which is still only a partial tikkun represented by the Name 45. They ‘fell’ and became more damaged, coarser, and more animal-like. This is the level of being associated with the Name 52 which, as we have seen, is the gematria of the Hebrew word behaimah בהמה (animal). 

Ramchal described in the following passage from Daat Tevunot how different Adam’s body was in the Garden of Eden from what our body is now, and how much he lost by eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad rather than eating from the Tree of Life:

“Our sages taught that even Adam’s heel shone brighter than the sun. This is because the physicality of his body was as refined as a heavenly angel. That is how he was able to live in the Garden of Eden, which is now a dwelling place for angels and souls. The sages hinted at this when they said that Adam’s body in the Garden of Eden was a ‘garment of light’. The physicality of his body was much more refined than the ‘garments of skin’ we now have after his sin. There have been other examples of this in the world - Enoch and Elijah whose bodies became so refined they ascended to Heaven like supernal angels.

Adam’s body before the sin was as refined as our soul is now. Contemplate this and understand what his soul was like before the sin, and how profoundly his actions influenced the world. The sages taught in the Midrash that the heavenly angels called him ‘holy’. From this you should realize the level Adam could have reached had he not sinned. He would have become elevated to the highest level possible in this world. Just as Adam’s body (in the Garden of Eden) was what man’s soul is now, if Adam would have eaten from the Tree of Life, his body would have become what his soul was then.”

Adam and Eve bodily lived in the Garden of Eden, which is now the place where our soul goes after our body dies, as Ramchal wrote, ‘a dwelling place for angels and souls.’ In order to make sure this idea is understood, I will bring another talmudic teaching and use it to make an analogy. Our sages taught that even Adam’s heel in the Garden of Eden shone as bright as the sun. Luzzatto wrote that now our soul is what Adam’s body was then. So if our soul is as bright as the sun, we can say that our body now is only as bright as the moon. 

If the sun is one thousand times brighter than the moon our soul now is one thousand times more luminous than our body. Keeping the same ratio, if Adam’s body in the Garden of Eden was as bright as the sun, his soul was as bright as one thousand suns! If he would have eaten from the Tree of Life, his body would have radiated as much light as one thousand suns, and his soul would be as luminous as one million suns!!

Sparks of Light

The above example helps us understand the difference between ‘light’ and ‘sparks of light’. The Lurianic Kabbalah teaches that 288 ‘sparks of light’ went down with the shattered vessels to keep them in existence even in their state of ‘death’ which is the source of the bad in this world. 

The second verse of Genesis is, “And the earth was chaos and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep; and a spirit of Elohim was hovering on the surface of the water”. The kabbalists associate this hovering spirit with the 288 ‘sparks’ described in the primordial world of chaos. The Hebrew word for hovering is mirachefet מ רחפ ת. If you take the two outer letters of this word they spell meit מת, the Hebrew word for ‘dead’.  The gematria of the three ‘inside’ letters  רחפ is 288.  These 288 sparks of light represent the spirit of God that is found even in the darkest, lowest states of being - even in death. God wants this temporal world to contain bad as well as good. There is a little bit of good even in the bad. And from that tiny ‘spark of light’ bad can begin to be resurrected and transformed into good. Because that is its ultimate purpose.   

Chaos, Torah, Messiah

When the new light of tikkun came out of the forehead of Adam Kadmon it gathered together these sparks and partially repaired the shattered vessels.  This is hinted at in the third verse of Genesis, “And Elohim said, ‘let there be light’, and there was light”. These partially repaired Sefirot/vessels were able to hold their light and create this world on the level of Adam in the Garden of Eden. Because Adam and Eve sinned, almost all of us – except for the likes of Enoch and Elijah - can only permanently return to the level of existence associated with the Garden of Eden as souls after we die. Our souls go there to ‘wait’ until they can be reunited with our bodies at the time of the resurrection of the dead, which takes place at the end of time. When we will become refined and holy, attaining the level of existence associated with the Tree of Life, as Luzzatto described in in Klallim Rishonim (Chapter 9): 

“The bodily aspect of Adam when he achieves the final tikkun is a state of purity and holiness like the eating of holy offerings and other holy activities.  This is the tikkun attained with the resurrection of the dead.”

We only fully reach this level of existence at the end of the six millennia of time. Until then it is a gradual process of tikkun, with steps that take us forward and upwards, but also sometimes we fall back down. After Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, mankind continued to exist primarily on the lower, animal-like, egocentric rungs of the Great Ladder of Being throughout the two thousand years of chaos. These ‘fallen’ and ‘broken’ levels of existence are associated with the Name 52. Most people then were concerned with survival, and obtaining the needs and desires of their physical bodies. There were some inspired and spiritual individuals during this period (Noah, Shem, Enoch, etc.) but these were few in number. This continued until Abraham was born at the end of these first two millennia and fathered a nation – Israel - the name given by God to Abraham’s grandson Jacob.

When the Torah was given to Moses and the Children of Israel on Mount Sinai, they could have attained the final tikkun, according to our talmudic sages, if they had not committed the sin of worshipping the golden calf. The sages taught that with each word of God they heard - the first two commandments – they were overwhelmed and their souls left their bodies. Their souls returned to them with ‘the dew that God uses to resurrect the dead’. With each word they heard they died, went to heaven (the Garden of Eden), but were immediately resurrected and returned to this higher (prophetic) level of existence associated with the Name 63. When they sinned, they reactivated the shattering of the vessels. This is hinted at where Moses came down from the mountain and saw the golden calf. The tablets of stone - written by the ‘hand of God’ – fell from Moshe’s grasp and shattered, and the holy letters went back up to heaven. The second tablets were given on a lower level than the first – this is seen in that the second tablets were written by Moses’ hand rather than God’s.

With the Torah of the second tablets, which the children of Israel were able to receive, more people are able to ascend to mid-level, ethnocentric, rungs of the Great Ladder of Being. These are levels of the partial tikkun associated with the Name 45. Many brilliant sages engaged their minds in the process of ‘natural enlightenment’ that defines the two thousand years of Torah.  There were also those who attained ‘bestowed enlightenment’ - divine inspiration - during this time. According to tradition, the Written and Oral Torahs were both produced by prophets and divinely inspired individuals who lived during the third and fourth millennia of this world. The Hebrew Bible and the Talmud continue to provide invaluable moral and ethical lessons and practices that raise the consciousness of the Jewish people and impact the world positively. 

We have seen however, that God’s plan is for humanity to ultimately attain higher, world-centric levels of existence. On the rungs of the Great Ladder of Being associated with the Name 63, all of mankind will easily be able to attain holiness and experiences of divine inspiration and prophecy. These are timeless experiences where body, mind and soul are united and integrated, and which define the two thousand years of Messiah. According to Ramchal, however long it is delayed, this final tikkun will happen - no matter what - at the very end of the sixth millennium, the end of time, the resurrection of the dead. When God’s great Kindness will be seen by all with the revelation of His Oneness. When we welcome the seventh millennium, Shabbat, the first of the highest, timeless, levels of existence associated with the Name 72, and which nothing can damage or diminish.

The World of Tikkun

The Lurianic Kabbalah taught that only the seven lower Sefirot/vessels of the primordial world of chaos were unable to hold their light, and thus shattered and fell. The three higher Sefirot/vessels (Keter, Chochmah and Binah) were allowed to hold their light and did not shatter. This is because the seven lower Sefirot were arrayed ‘one beneath the other’ whereas the three higher Sefirot were ‘one equal to the other’, as Luzzatto explained in the following passage from Daat Tevunot (section 128):

“One who observes the various parts of Creation sees them at first as separate and scattered things that are not all connected to one purpose. Each thing appears to be something by itself, for a particular purpose complete in itself, without needing another for its completion. ...There is indeed an orderly hierarchy seen throughout the natural world. Anyone who carefully observes nature will find that everything is hierarchical. Starting from the heavens above all the way down to the earth below, we find that all the different life forms are all ‘one beneath the other’ in an orderly hierarchy.

However, one who is wise will also find that all the different creations are all completely interconnected with each other. They are all necessary to complete the Purpose God intended for Creation. They all join together for one Purpose that has many different parts.  This great process includes all the multitudinous parts of Creation.  All things are related to each other in this process that fulfills God’s will, and everything together brings Creation to the best possible end. 

You should see that in truth, bad does not exist in this world except in fragments of things, before they are joined together and completed. There is nothing complete and whole that is bad. Since we know that what God does is only for the ultimate good, what appears to be lacking in some way or in some part, is completed by another part. And everything God created in this world is only for His glory. This glory is for God to rejoice with all His works, and that God has a place where all His works enjoy His good. God guides this world always to bring everything to the final tikkun - when bad will exist no more.  However, this outcome emerges only by gathering together everything that happens in this world, with no exceptions at all.”

The above passage teaches that tikkun is about being connected to the whole of Creation, because everything reveals God’s glory. Ramchal compared the interconnectedness of this world to a huge clock composed of many small wheels or gears that interlock with one another, a metaphor that was used often by the scientists and theorists of his time. The main point of this comparison is to show that each tiny wheel is essential for the entire clock to run properly. 

Tikkun is that which unites, brings together, integrates and completes. Chaos is the opposite. If things only existed as separate parts that are not interconnected, as the seven lower vessels were in the world of chaos, our world would utterly break down and fall to pieces. The legacy of the shattering of the vessels in the primordial world of chaos and its reenactment with Adam’s sin of eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad is that our world does contain chaos, bad and darkness (associated with the Name 52).  However, there is also order, good and light as a result of the new light of the forehead (associated with the Name 45) that brings tikkun. Repairing what is broken – through interconnectedness and interrelationships. 

Equality and integration is always the nature of the three ‘mature’ higher Sefirot. They bring down some of this nature into the seven ‘immature’ lower Sefirot to bring tikkun to them as well. According to Ramchal, humanity is an equal partner with God in the gradual process that repairs and brings maturity to the seven lower Sefirot of the world tikkun – to come to the final tikkun - the revelation of God’s Oneness.

Ego-centric, Ethno-centric, World-centric   

Ego-centric consciousness has a large amount of chaos in its nature. It is the most fragmented state of being in this world possible, because on these lowest rungs of the Great Ladder of Being, people are mostly concerned with the physical needs and animal desires of their own separate bodies. Everyone else is considered to be ‘other’ - separate from him or her and not as important. 

Ethno-centric consciousness has more tikkun in its nature. It is less fragmented, because on these rungs of the Ladder people share a common culture and religion with a known system of moral-ethical laws and rules. The Torah is embraced on this level as a divinely inspired body of wisdom that is understood together with others. It is thus known in a larger whole, the context of the entire Jewish nation, the people of Israel. However, on this level, Jews are still separate in their minds from other peoples, nations, and religions. These ethno-centric rungs of the Great Ladder of Being still contain elements of fragmentation. 

World-centric consciousness is associated with the outpouring of divine inspiration and prophecy to the entire world in the messianic era. It is the most integrated level of being possible in this temporal world. These world-centric rungs of the Ladder are timeless realms we enter when we identify ourselves with the totality of Creation, the entire Great Ladder of Being, and we finally eat from the Tree of Life. In the following passage from 138 Openings of Wisdom (opening 30) Luzzatto is clear that the final tikkun is not for Israel alone. It is for all peoples, all creatures, and all things:

“True perfection is when everything is repaired, and there will be no more damage whatsoever. In the ultimate future all the nations of the world will achieve tikkun, as it says, ‘For then, I will transform all nations to a clear language, that they may all call upon the Name YHVH, to serve God with one consent’ (Zefanya 3:9). The animals will achieve tikkun as it says, ‘The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fat sheep together; and a little child shall lead them’ (Isaiah 11:6). Death will be no more as it says, ‘He will destroy Death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces’ (Isaiah 25:8). God will remove the unclean spirit from the earth and the inclination to do bad, as it says, ‘A new heart will I give, and a new Spirit will I put within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to naturally follow my laws and judgments and do them’ (Ezekiel 36:26-27).  This is the expression of true perfection that transforms bad itself into good.”   

We are all partners with God in the great process of repairing our world and revealing God’s Oneness. God began this process of tikkun by partially repairing the shattered vessels and forming a ‘family’ of Partzufim in the world of tikkun, which the Kabbalists call the world of Atzilut.  The Partzufim (faces or personifications) formed from these ten Sefirot are seen in the visions of prophets and described by the kabbalists. This is the Merkava (the vehicle) God uses to create and guide this world - moment by moment - throughout the six thousand years of time.

Family Dynamics 

In the following passage from 138 Openings of Wisdom (opening 59) Ramchal wrote that the nature of chaos is an inability to interact and relate to each other properly.  The nature of tikkun is the opposite:

“Tikkun is the joining together of two Lights - the ‘Masculine’ light from the forehead of Adam Kadmon and the ‘Feminine’ light from his eyes.  Love is awakened in these lights, and they are no longer angry as they were at first.  They face each other now and relate to each other as Father and Mother, Son and Daughter - everyone being close to each other as is proper for each relationship.”

In the Lurianic Kabbalah, the Parents in the world of tikkun (Atzilut) are called Abba and Imma; (mother and father). The Son is called Zeir Anpin (young face or small face); and the Daughter is called Nukva (female). There are also higher Partzufim - the Grandparents Arich Anpin (old face or large face) and Atik Yomin (ancient of days). 

It is important to stress here again that the kabbalists are not attempting to describe God. That is impossible, because as we discussed in chapter four, God is unknowable. God has no face, no form, no image or likeness whatsoever. These Partzufim are seen in visions of the Merkava. They are how kabbalists subjectively see God relating to us in our own image on our own level.  In this manner, the Partzufim are also metaphors for our own human relationships. 

When the Father, Mother, Son and Daughter are “close to each other as is proper for each relationship” these Partzufim are metaphors for human relationships that are in a state of tikkun.  When we are in loving and proper relationships with each other we are a more beautiful reflection of God than when we are in ‘broken’ relationships – angry, judgmental and distant. Since the Partzufim are formed from the Ten Sefirot, they are associated with the four letters of the divine Name YHVH in the following manner:

Arich and Atik associated with the entire Name YHVH and are formed from Keter

Father (Abba) associated with Y and is formed from Chochmah              

Mother (Imma) associated with H and is formed from Binah                           

Son (Zeir Anpin) associated with V and is formed from the next six Sefirot

Daughter (Nukva) associated with H and is formed from Malchut

The Partzufim of Atzilut – the world of tikkun – comprise the Merkava that the souls of prophets see and describe. The highest Partzufim (the Grandparents) are expressions of God’s unconditional Chesed/Kindness. The lowest Partzufim (the Children) are expressions of God’s Din/Judgment.  The mid-level Partzufim (the Parents) are expressions of God’s Rachamim/Mercy – how His Kindness tempers His Judgment. 

Since the mature Partzufim are formed from the three higher Sefirot (Keter, Chochmah and Binah), their nature is to always relate to each other ‘face to face’ with love as equals. And since the immature Partzufim – Zeir Anpin and Nukva – are formed from the seven lower Sefirot that lack the tikkun of equality by their nature, their relationship is conditional and they sometimes turn away from each other in anger. Until they grow up and become patient and merciful like their elders, as Ramchal wrote in 138 Openings of Wisdom (opening 123):

“When judgment is strong, it flares up and rises like fire. When Judgment is not so strong, it settles. This can be seen in people. In young people, their fiery anger flares up often, and they do not have much mercy. As they grow and mature, their fiery Judgment settles and they become filled with mercy. That is why elders are filled with mercy, because their anger has already settled.”    

Our Father, Our King

The quintessential elder Partzuf is the Grandfather, Arich Anpin. He is the unconditionally kind and loving ‘face of God’. The quintessential young Partzuf is the Son, Zeir Anpin. He is the conditional, judgmental, and sometimes angry ‘face of God’. Luzzatto explains the nature of these two Partzufim in the following passages. The first is from 138 Openings of Wisdom (opening 92), the second is from The Way of God (part 2, chapter 8, section 1): 

“The ultimate purpose that guides this world is the bestowal of the best possible good in the end. To arrive at this purpose, this world is first guided with justice and the wicked are punished. Through this process, God bestows the best possible good in the end. Therefore, the Justice that is necessary before we arrive at the end comes from the ultimate purpose itself - even though they seem to be opposites. This is the secret of Arich Anpin and Zeir Anpin.  Arich Anpin represents the bestowal of the best possible good in the end. The system of justice represented by Zeir Anpin is born from this very same good.

All the orders of God’s Providence are the ways of fair justice and the rule of judgment. As it says, ‘The scepter of your Kingdom is a scepter of fairness’ (Psalms 45:7). And it says, ‘The King establishes the earth with justice’ (Proverbs 29:4). However, we know that God only wants to bestow good, and He loves His creations like a father who loves his son. It is because of this love itself that it is necessary for a father to discipline his son sometimes for his ultimate good, as the Torah says, ‘As a man disciplines his son, so YHVH Elohim disciplines you’ (Deuteronomy 8:5). God’s justice and judgment, however, flow from the source of loving-kindness. God’s rebuke is thus not like the revenge of an enemy. It is the discipline of a father, who wants what is best for his son. This results in two things. The first is that the discipline is sweetened, not harsh and cruel, because love tempers the judgment with mercy. The second is that sometimes, when necessary, God will suspend the rule of judgment completely and guide the world with mercy, as God said, ‘I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy’ (Exodus 33:19).”

Notice how Ramchal first brought biblical quotations that speak about God as a king, and then he started to speak about God as a father. It is very common for people to imagine God in one of these two ways. Either people imagine God as a king sitting in judgment or as a merciful and loving father. The former is the image of conditional Zeir Anpin, while the latter is the image of unconditional Arich Anpin. Accordingly, in the famous High Holiday prayer Avinu Malcheinu we call out to God as ‘our father our king’. 

God always guides this world with both. He hides His unconditional love and kindness (Arich Anpin) in His revealed conditional justice (Zeir Anpin). The face of God that is primarily revealed in the Torah is conditional Zeir Anpin. His nature was determined by God’s Plan when the lower seven Sefirot/vessels were arrayed ‘one beneath the others’ in the primordial world of chaos. Zeir Anpin’s judgmental anger is tempered and matured by embracing more of the three higher Partzufim whose unconditionally loving natures were determined by God’s Plan arraying the three higher Sefirot/vessels ‘one equal to the other’ in the primordial world of chaos. The higher Partzufim do not have to be repaired because they were never shattered. They are always in a state of tikkun and it is their influence and mature guidance that brings the immature Partzufim to tikkun. This unfolds in a gradually process described in great detail in the Lurianic Kabbalah, and is described very briefly by Ramchal in following passage from Klallut Ha’Illan (beginning of chapter 3):

“The tikkun is the union of the Masculine and the Feminine. The tikkun of the Masculine and the Feminine is via sexual union, pregnancy, birth and maturity.” 

From Conception to Maturity

The Masculine light of tikkun (the Name 45 that emerges from the forehead of Adam Kadmon) unites with the Feminine shattered vessels (the Name 52 that emerged from the eyes of Adam Kadmon) to form the Partzufim, the ‘faces of God’, seen by the Lurianic kabbalists in their visions of the Merkava. These create and guide this partially repaired, temporary, world of tikkun throughout the six millennia of work and choice. The joining of the Masculine Name 45 with the Feminine Name 52, the conception of a Partzuf, is called ‘sexual union’ by the Lurianic kabbalists. Pregnancy is associated with the first two millennia of our collective process of tikkun olam. It is embryonic in that much of the world was still in chaos and unaware of God. Birth and immaturity are associated with the two millennia of Torah when we learned with natural enlightenment how to serve God and be more moral and ethical. Maturity is associated with the holiness and bestowed enlightenment that becomes easily attained by all of humanity at the end of the ‘two millennia’ of the Messianic era. 

Zeir Anpin, the ‘conditional face of God’ and Nukva, the ‘face of God that dwells in us’, are partners in the process of repairing this world. Ramchal described in the following passage from Klallim Rishonim (section 23) how the ‘consciousness’ of Zeir Anpin matures as humanity’s consciousness grows and evolves into holiness:

“The consciousness in the head of Zeir Anpin, whether it is immature or mature, depends on the amount of light imbued into the physical. Here lies the measure of the brilliance and the spiritual level achieved by Adam, because the root of their physicality is in the six Sefirot of the body of Zeir Anpin; but the root of their enlightenment and elevation is the three Sefirot of the head of Zeir Anpin. However, this is a gradual process. The nature of Zeir Anpin at first is not like the natures of Abba and Imma. That is why there are several steps to the process of him becoming mature. The first is where Abba and Imma bring down their Light to Zeir Anpin without raising him up to be equal to them. In this case physicality still dominates, but it contains some spirituality and enlightenment. The second step is when the light is dominant in Zeir Anpin, and the physical is drawn after it. These two steps are called the ‘first maturity’ and the ‘second maturity’. The first maturity is when there is light in the world, but not in such abundance that it makes everyone holy. However, in the second maturity there is such an abundance of light that all creation becomes holy.”

Luzzatto described this same process in the following passage from The Way of God (part 2, chapter 8, section 4) but without using kabbalistic terminology. It is important to keep in mind when reading this that the evolutionary process of tikkun olam does not always progress in a direct, unbroken line up the Great Ladder of Being. There are many ups and downs along our collective way. Also, the consciousness of individuals can be in any of these states of being at any time. The four levels described below show us how Ramchal saw the Merkava as ‘God’s intention in Creation, which has already delineated everything necessary to guide all creations to the desired end’ (as we brought in chapter two from 138 Openings of Wisdom opening 7. The parentheses below, and in all quoted passages are added by me):

“When we look at the world in general from the time of (the) Creation (of Adam) - according to everything that has already happened in this world, as well as the predictions of the prophets - we can see four main states. We can consider all of mankind to be like the life-process of one person who is born and grows until he reaches full maturity.

(Pregnancy) - The first state is one where ignorance and darkness prevailed among man, and true knowledge of God and His perfection were greatly lacking. Our sages called this period, ‘the two thousand years of Chaos’.

(Immaturity) - The second state is better than this, and it is the one in which we now live. We know of God’s existence and His perfection, we have His Torah, and we can thus serve Him. However, there is neither sign nor prophet, and the true enlightenment of divine inspiration is lacking. The amount of enlightenment gained by human endeavors cannot be compared to the spirit of bestowed enlightenment that is granted by God. The two are as different as body and soul.

(First maturity) - The third state is still better, and this is the state that existed during the time of the Holy Temple. There were signs, wonders and prophets, but prophetic inspiration did not spread to all of humanity, only to a few select individuals, and even for them it was difficult to attain because there were things preventing people from achieving it. 

(Second maturity) - The fourth state is the very best, and this is the state the prophets predicted for the ultimate future. Ignorance will cease to exist completely and divine inspiration will be poured out on all of humanity, and attained without difficulty whatsoever. At this time humanity will be considered to have attained full maturity. From then on, humanity will experience constant elevation and will delight with God forever in eternity.”

From the beginning of the two millennia of Chaos, even though people were then primarily focused on their bodies, they were beginning the process of developing their minds. This development came to fruition with the ‘birth’ of consciousness associated with the Torah. And even though people were primarily focused on developing their mind-bodies during the two millennia of Torah - learning via ‘natural enlightenment’ - they were then beginning the process of developing their souls as well. This development comes to fruition with world-centric consciousness at the end of the final two millennia of this world. Attaining Messianic consciousness, soul-mind-body experiences of ‘bestowed enlightenment’ is also a process. It gradually brings us more and more identification with the inclusive, timeless states of being that are the highest ‘rungs’ of the Great Ladder of Being - Shabbat, and the world-to-come. 

Equal Partners

The lowest Partzuf of the world of tikkun, Nukva, is often called Shechinah (divine presence) by the kabbalists because she is the feminine ‘face of God’ that dwells in us. She is the Partzuf that allows us to be partners with God in the great evolutionary process of tikkun olam. Nukva ascends to the supernal realms with our deeds and descends back down to the lower realms, blessing them with supernal light and radiance, as Ramchal wrote in the following passage from Adir Bamarom (page 3):

“God willed that a connection should exist between the Sefirot and human beings so that their deeds will be able to reach the supernal realms. For this connection He prepared Shechinah.  She ascends and descends according to their deeds, and elevates these deeds to arouse all the supernal lights.”

Shechinah is the ‘mystery of the Tzimtzum’. She darkens and constricts the Infinite Light allowing us to see God is our likeness and form. She is the secret of the body, vessels that filter the light of the soul. Her nature is like the Moon who reflects the light of the Sun. On the fourth day of the Creation story, God made ‘two great lights - the greater one to rule the day and the smaller one to rule the night’ (Genesis 1:16). The Talmudic sages tell us that the Sun and the Moon were originally equally great, but when the Moon asked, ‘How can two Kings share one crown’? God told the Moon that she should make herself small. 

This teaching is understood metaphorically in the Kabbalah as referring to the Masculine Son Zeir Anpin (associated with the Sun), and the Feminine Daughter Nukva (associated with the Moon).  Nukva is the smallest Partzuf formed from the tenth and lowest Sefirah Malchut/Kingship. Her kingdom is the lower world of separate created beings. Her great power is the ability to both wax and wane like the Moon. She can be equally great as the Sun, but she can also make herself small. 

The Lurianic Kabbalah teaches that by lowering the Great Ladder of Being from above to below, God hid his Oneness in the many levels of existence and manifestations. Ein Sof hid his Infinite Light in what appears to us as finite vessels. And this concealment itself, this darkening, this lowering or making small gives us the opportunity to earn the best possible good - the revelation of God’s Oneness. Through the process of tikkun, namely, choosing to ascend back up the Great Ladder of Being from below to above. And infusing the vessels of our bodies with the light of our souls, as Ramchal explained in the following passage from The Way of God (part 1 chapter 4 section 3):

“It was the deeper plan of God’s wisdom to arrange things so that even though we are immersed in the physical, we can attain perfection through our worldly activities and the material world itself. It is precisely through these that we attain a pure and high state, and it is therefore our very lowliness that elevates us. For when we transform darkness into light and deathly shadow into sparkling brilliance, we attain unparalleled excellence and glory.” 

We Are Stardust

In the Torah, God told Abraham that his descendants would be “like the dust of the earth” (Genesis 13:16), and “like the stars of the heavens” (Genesis 15:5). These verses are usually understood to mean that Abraham will have many children, as many as the stars of the heavens or the dust of the earth. These verses can also be understood metaphorically as saying that Abraham’s children can either be coarse and ignorant - as material and lowly as the ‘dust of the earth’; or holy and enlightened - as spiritual and high as the ‘stars of the heavens’. 

And we can also interpret and understand Abraham’s blessings in another non-dual way. When we are truly humble, lowly and simple as ‘the dust of the earth’ we become - at the same time - inspired and enlightened as ‘the stars of the heavens’. This fits together well with the passage from Ethics of the Fathers we brought at the end of chapter two, which says that one who humbles himself enough to be able to learn from everyone is truly wise. 

This is especially true concerning higher states of consciousness like divine inspiration and prophecy. The classic example of this is Moses. He is said to be the greatest prophet that ever lived because he was the most humble man on the face of the earth. Moses was able to ascend to the heavens and speak with God ‘face to face’ because he was also able to be lowly and simple as the dust of the earth, as the Torah testifies: 

“Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than any man on the face of the earth. (God said to Aaron and Miriam) ‘Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I make myself known to him in a vision, and speak to him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, for he is the trusted one in my entire house. With him, I speak face to face, in a clear vision without riddles, and he sees a picture of God’ (Numbers 12:3 and 12:6-8.)”

Back to Back and Face to Face

The Talmud teaches that Adam and Eve were originally joined together as one, attached ‘back to back’. God then severed Eve from Adam, and gave her independence, so that she could choose to unite with him intentionally, ‘face to face’.  This Talmudic teaching is an interpretation of the following passages:

“And YHVH Elohim said, ‘it is not good that Adam should be alone; I will make him a helpmate equal to him’.  ...And YHVH Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place, and of the rib, which YHVH Elohim had taken from Adam, he made a woman and brought her to Adam. And Adam said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman (isha), because she was taken out of man (ish)’. That is why a man leaves his father and his mother, and cleaves to his wife; and they become one flesh. And they were both naked, Adam and his wife and they felt no shame (Genesis 2:18 and 2:21-25).” 

Lurianic Kabbalah describes how Nukva was built at first behind the lower half of Zeir Anpin attached to each other ‘back to back’. They were later separated when his ‘mentalities’ (his Chochmah, Binah and Daat) departed from him as he ‘slept’.  After being ‘severed’ from him, she was brought in front of him and built again ‘face to face’ with him and eventually as ‘tall’ as him.  Zeir Anpin ‘awakes’ when his ‘mentalities’ return to him on a higher level. Zeir Anpin and Nukva are then able to choose to come together intentionally as equal partners as man and wife without shame. 

This is the kabbalistic interpretation of the above verses from Genesis. Before our souls descended to hide in our physical bodies, our souls’ enjoyment and awareness of God’s Oneness was incomplete. This is because our soul’s attachment to God was yet unearned, and thus contained an element of shame. This is expressed in the Lurianic teachings as Zeir Anpin and Nukva (the conditional face of God and the face of God that dwells in us) ‘back to back’. It is a state of being where we only receive from God but do not give to Him by consciously and intentionally partnering in the process of tikkun olam, repairing this world. 

In order to be able to earn our reward with our own free will, our soul has to be severed from this unearned connection with God. Thus, our soul is told to diminish itself. It descends from the Garden of Eden to be contained and limited by our physical bodies down here on earth. It is precisely this descent itself that gives us the opportunity to choose to consciously ascend the Great Ladder of Being, as equal partners with God. Earning the best possible good, namely, that which is without shame. Ramchal explained this in the following passage from Klallim Rishonim (chapter 28):

“Even before the souls descended into the world, they were carried by God from the womb, and enjoyed his light. However, their only power was what they received from God, and this was with embarrassment and shame, like one who eats what does not belong to him. This is a state when Nukva and Zeir Anpin are ‘back to back’, because then all of her power is only from him. But God wanted people to work and not be given charity. Therefore, God gave them something that makes them independent of him, and allows them to act according to their own choice, and not be dependent on him as they are in all other ways. This is accomplished by severing Nukva from Zeir Anpin, and building her again not from him. 

This gives Nukva, the root of all created beings, power that provides our souls with the ability to act according to our own free will, and not in a predetermined or coerced way. These souls are thus given praise and excellence, because from then on they are able to come before God without shame, and be considered by him as a wife who faces her husband, and he turns his face to her with love. This power of free choice makes human beings unique in that they are partners with God in maintaining and completing His world.”

Luzzatto described our ‘back to back’ connection with God as being ‘carried by God in the womb’. This hints at the first stage of tikkun discussed in the previous chapter, when Zeir Anpin and Nukva were embryonic, and our awareness of God was not yet born. Ramchal associates this state with the two thousand years of Chaos that began with Adam in the Garden of Eden. When we received the Torah on Mount Sinai, this embryonic relationship with God was severed, and we were born into a new relationship with him, a more equal relationship, where we use our free wills to choose to move up the Ladder of awareness and come face to face with God. The birth of this new relationship ushered in the second stage of tikkun, the two thousand years of Torah. 

Feminine and Masculine Waters

When we choose truth, goodness and beauty in our lives, we choose integration that resurrects the shattered vessels (from the Name 52). We thus select and raise sparks of light that were trapped in the shattered darkness of chaos and the deathly shadows of falsehood and ugliness. The kabbalists call these selections or choices, ‘Feminine waters’. They call the new lights of tikkun (from the Name 45) that God sends down to unite with the ascending sparks and resurrected vessels, ‘Masculine waters’. This meeting and joining of Feminine and Masculine waters happens constantly, moment by moment, day by day, throughout the six thousand years of this world, as is explained by Ramchal in the following passage from Klallim Rishonim (chapter 29):

“The Midrash taught that God calls Shechinah ‘my twin’ and says, ‘I am not greater than she, and she is not greater than me,’ because they are actually two equal partners. Even though there is such a huge difference between God and human beings, He gave us this equality, this partnership that exists between God and our soul. God brought the darkness, the nature of created beings, into existence. This allows bad to exist and be eventually transformed into good. We are given much of the task of repairing this darkness. And according to the aspects of darkness we bring to tikkun, God correspondingly bestows new emanations of light according to our readiness to receive them.

Feminine waters are aspects of the shattered vessels that were once the source of darkness and bad, but are now extracted from chaos. They ascend to be repaired and transformed into good. Masculine waters are the new emanations of holiness, the lights of tikkun that unite with the sparks of light that ascend with the resurrected vessels.”

Zeir Anpin and Nukva share these Masculine and Feminine ‘waters’ when they relate to each other with love, face to face, and become ‘one flesh’.  The ‘fruit’ of their union is the tikkun that unfolds gradually throughout the six millennia of time.  However, before Zeir Anpin and Nukva can become ‘one flesh’ in sexual union, they first must ‘kiss’, and bind their spirits together in a double knot of love, as Ramchal explained in the following passage from Klallim Rishonim (chapter 31):

“Kissing is for complete attachment, whereas ‘sexual union’ produces ‘fruit’. Kissing represents how God binds our souls to himself, as is hinted at in this verse, ‘May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth’ (Song of Songs 1:2). This profound connection empowers our souls to do our tikkunim and repair the world. At first our souls must become bound with the supernal lights completely, in a ‘double knot’ and then we will be able to do our tikkunim, which is to increase holiness in the world and achieve the highest levels of enlightenment via the great love that God arouses in our souls, and thereby he desires our work and service.”

The Hebrew word for work עבודה (avodah) also means service and prayer.  Ramchal wrote in the following passage about the importance of preparing our bodies, hearts and minds before prayer and mitzvot. This empowers our souls, as we saw above, because when we are filled with love and pure intentions, God desires our service. Meditation and conscious breathing, directing one’s awareness inward towards our souls, clears away ulterior motives and distracting external thoughts. It is thus a powerful prelude to prayer. Focusing attention on the movement of our breath as it flows in and out of our bodies is like ‘kissing’ God and connecting to him with a ‘double knot’ of love and reverence. God’s out-breath is our in-breath, and our out-breath is His in-breath. From Mesilat Yesharim chapter 17:

“Among the things that lead a person to acquire the attribute of purity is the preparation that comes before worship and the performance of mitzvot. That is, one should not enter into the fulfillment of a mitzvah suddenly when one’s mind is not yet settled enough to contemplate what one is doing. ...You should see that the pious would wait one hour before praying, so that they could direct their hearts to God. Certainly, they did not waste that hour doing nothing. They meditated and prepared their hearts for the prayer they were to pray. They banished foreign thoughts from their minds and filled themselves with the necessary reverence and love.”

Loving God

The Lurianic kabbalah describes Zeir Anpin and Nukva ‘kissing’, ‘hugging’ and engaging in ‘sexual union', namely, the sharing of Masculine and Feminine waters. Associations with physical love and human sexuality are unavoidable. This is one of the reasons that the sages said that one should study the Kabbalah only when one is mature. However, this kind of direct connection to God is precisely what spiritual people find so profound and meaningful. Physical intercourse that takes place between a man and wife is more beautiful when preceded by intimate talking, kissing and hugging. So, too, is the spiritual ‘intercourse’ that takes place between God and us. The study of Torah, prayer and the performance of mitzvot are more beautiful and meaningful if conscious breathing, contemplation or meditation precede them.

When we choose to be conscious partners with God, we relate to him ‘face to face’. This is true whether this relationship is achieved through meditation and contemplation, the study of Torah, prayer, or the performance of mitzvot. Ramchal summarized the union of the two lower Partzufim in the following passage from 138 Openings of Wisdom (openings 136 and 137):

“The secret of ‘union’ is the sovereignty of Oneness, when the vessels of Masculine Zeir Anpin and Feminine Nukva unite and become one. This begins with ‘kissing’, which joins their spirits, their internal aspects together, strengthening the mystery of Oneness until their external aspects are brought together and become one as well. This is hinted at in the verse: ‘And they shall become one flesh’ (Genesis 2:24). However, this only happens when both Zeir Anpin and Nukva are complete. Zeir Anpin is complete when his consciousness is fully mature, that is, when all the higher Partzufim adorn his head. 

All the lower realms of created beings, namely, the realms of the souls, the angels, and physical beings are extensions of Shechinah. The angels bring the commands of Shechinah into manifestation, and the souls serve God with their free choice. That is why Shechinah is not considered complete and able to have sexual union except when she gathers to herself all of these extensions. Then, with this power all the worlds unite, are repaired, and become one.”

A Woman of Valor

Besides the five main Partzufim (Arich Anpin, Abba, Imma, Zeir Anpin and Nukva) of the world of tikkun, also called the world of Atzilut by the Lurianic kabbalists, there is a sixth Partzuf that is higher than them all, Atik Yomin (ancient of days). Although Arich Anpin has both a Masculine (right) side and Feminine (left) side, he is often called the Grandfather of Atzilut. The Feminine and Masculine of Atik Yomin is even more integrated than in Arich Anpin, but I like to see her as the hidden Grandmother of Atzilut. This is because she is associated with the Malchut of Adam Kadmon, as Ramchal explained in the following passage from Klallim Me’Milchement Moshe (chapter 8):

“This world is the entranceway to the palace of the world-to-come. The world-to-come is above Atzilut, beyond work. Atzilut is our entrance to Adam Kadmon. The lowest part of Adam Kadmon, called Atik Yomin, is hidden in Atzilut. Atik Yomin is thus the connection, the interface, between the world of work and the world of reward.”

In the visions of the Merkava described in the Lurianic Kabbalah, the three Sefirot that comprise the head of Atik Yomin (her Keter, Chochmah and Binah) are above the head of Arich Anpin. The seven Sefirot that comprise the body of Atik Yomin are hidden inside the ten Sefirot of Arich Anpin in the world of Atzilut. Her head is thus above Atzilut in the timeless realm of Adam Kadmon, and as such it can be seen as a ‘crown’ upon Grandfather Arich Anpin’s head. Luzzatto described in the following passage from Adir BaMarom (pages 94-95) how Shabbat – the seventh millennium - is a ‘crown’ upon the head of the six millennia of time:

“This is the nature of the world - the six millennia are the secret of the Masculine, and they are the time of work and preparation. Then, in the end comes the Shabbat rest - the ultimate purpose of the world. Thus, it says, ‘A woman of valor is a crown to her husband’ (Proverbs 12:4). Our sages said concerning this, ‘she is a crown to her husband, but he is not a crown to her.’ This is because the six days of the week are the reign of the Masculine, the secret of the six Sefirot. Concerning ‘time’ it says, ‘six days shall you labor’, but on the day of Shabbat, when the reign of the Feminine arrives, ‘you shall rest’ (Exodus 20:8). The Masculine ascends with her also and receives great abundance and blessings. However, during the time the Masculine reigns, the Feminine does not ascend. On the contrary, the days of work are the time of choosing, because we have not yet arrived at the end, our final destination. This is the secret of the verse, ‘The end of something is better than its beginning, and the day of death is better than the day of one’s birth’ (Ecclesiastes 7:1 and 8). The end refers to the Feminine day of rest, the ‘eternal Shabbat’. Thus, the mystery of the Feminine is higher than the mystery of the Masculine. Then ‘the righteous will sit with their crowns upon their heads and bask in the radiance of the Shechinah’.”

As presented in the last chapter, everything that unfolds moment by moment in the six millennia of time and space is always created from the union of Masculine and Feminine ‘waters’. However, even though the Masculine conditional face of God (Zeir Anpin) reigns in the six millennia of time, it is the Feminine face of God that dwells in us that descends to actually do the difficult work of repairing our world. Shechinah’s presence in our souls gives us the power to be equal partners with God in the work of tikkun olam. She is present in every situation that unfolds in time. In times of inspiration, abundance and bliss, and also in times of suffering caused by the many bad things that are part of this world. 

It is thus fitting that the highest Partzuf (Grandmother) Atik Yomin and the lowest Partzuf (Daughter) Nukva - are associated with the Feminine Shechinah. This is because the great power of the Feminine is the ability to wax and wane like the Moon. Shechinah is able to ascend to the highest timeless rungs of the Great Ladder of Being, and she can also descend to the lowest, most fleeting and lacking rungs of this Ladder as well, as we saw in the beginning of the previous chapter. 

The Parts and the Whole

Recall from chapter six that the six thousand years of time unfold gradually, moment after moment, because Eternity was ‘shattered’ in the primordial world of chaos into all the separate moments of time that we experience one by one in this world. However, at the end of time we will enter the seventh millennium, the timeless reign of the Feminine Shabbat. We will rest from the work of tikkun olam because God’s Oneness has already been revealed by all of what unfolded during the six millennia of time. We will then see that all darkness has already been transformed into light, and all bad has already been transformed into good. We will then be able to see everything that transpired in this world from a much larger context - the context of the whole.  With the revelation of God’s Oneness, we will begin to see all moments of time in each moment of time. This is a vision that transcends and yet includes the entirety of time. Ramchal wrote in the following passages from Daat Tevunot (section 128) and 138 Openings of Wisdom (opening 39) that there is nothing complete and whole that is bad, because everything was created for God’s Glory and reveals his Oneness:

“Bad does not exist in this world except in fragments of things, before they are joined together and completed. There is nothing complete and whole that is bad. Since we know that what God does is only for the ultimate good, what appears to be lacking in some way or in some part, is completed by another part. And everything God created in this world is only for his Glory. This Glory is for God to rejoice with all his works, and that God has a place where all his works enjoy his good. God guides this world always to bring everything to the final tikkun - when no bad will exist any longer.  However, this outcome emerges only by gathering together everything that happens in this world, with no exceptions at all.

Everything that exists, both above and below, is only one thing made from many parts. This one thing is not all-inclusive unless it contains all of its parts equally, because everything was created to give God Glory, as it says, “God made everything for his Purpose” (Proverbs 16:4). All creations, both good and bad, are included because everything is only one process - one order - one Creation that completes the revelation of God’s Oneness and Glory.”

On the level of the seventh millennium, the eternal Shabbat, all the separate moments of time come together to be experienced by us ‘all-at-once’. Only then, at the end of time, will we be able to see the complete picture of what transpired and unfolded here in the six millennia of this world, as Ramchal wrote in this passage from Adir BaMarom (which was brought earlier):

“This world exists in time, but in the ultimate future there will no longer be time, because everything will be eternal. Each day is a channel that remains open to shine lights of good upon that soul and upon all of Creation. The amount of days given to each one of us to live are the levels we have to repair, the channels we have to open, so that when they are all open we have completed our tikkun. Then, all of those levels will be open for us forever. Each moment of time will influence us for all of eternity. This is the nature of eternity - the lights that shone one after another in this world shine in eternity all together in each moment.”

The Head of Atik Yomin

If you have difficulty in grasping the nature of eternity described above, you are not alone. In fact, it cannot be grasped and fully known by any of us as long as we are still in time. That is why the Zohar and the Lurianic Kabbalah called the three higher Sefirot of Atik Yomin, which are above Atzilut, ‘the head that cannot be known’. Only at the end of time, the resurrection of the dead, also known as ‘the great day of judgment’, and the final tikkun, will we know what is in the head of this hidden ‘Grandmother'. In this temporary realm of time and space, even in the visions of the greatest prophets and kabbalists, if they try to look inside this head, they are unable to make sense of what they see, as Ramchal explained in the following passages from 138 Openings of Wisdom (openings 88, 79 and 80):

“The ‘head that cannot be known’ cannot be perceived and grasped at all. If we take something that exists below in Atzilut and try to follow it back to find its source in this head, we will not succeed, because we will not be able to make out anything in it at all. It will appear to be like this, and it will appear to be like that, in a way that is impossible to grasp. That is why this head is called the ‘head that cannot be known.’

All that was and all that will be has its root in the head of Atik Yomin. This is the secret of how everything is already known. However, it is impossible for this to be revealed now. Indeed, the whole point of Atzilut is for this root to remain hidden, because then people are able to act according to their own free will. 

When the wheel of time stops turning, the final tikkun will be according to all that was done, the good and the bad. In the ‘great day of judgment’ everything will be arranged in the order in which it occurred, from the beginning of this world until its end. This world will then be complete, and everything will have let us know God’s Oneness. The perfection that we will then achieve is one that will be permanently established timelessly and endlessly in eternity.”

The ‘head that cannot be known’ is the kabbalistic counterpart of the philosophical paradox of predetermination versus freewill. It goes something like this: If God knows everything from the beginning then everything is predetermined. If everything is predetermined, how can we have free will?  Kabbalists are not daunted at all by paradoxes of this sort as the Talmudic sage and mystic Rabbi Akiva said in Ethics of the Fathers (3:19), “Everything is foreseen, yet freedom of choice is given”.

Everything (the whole picture of what unfolds in the six thousand years of time) is foreseen in the ‘head that cannot be known’. There, all moments of time exist simultaneously in each and every moment of time, because the head of Atik Yomin is in the timeless realms of Adam Kadmon that are above Atzilut. It is precisely this fact - that nobody, not even the greatest prophets and kabbalists can know what will be in the ultimate future while they are still in time - that gives us our freedom of choice. Although ‘everything is foreseen’ in Atik Yomin’s head, each and every person’s part in the great process of tikkun olam is not predetermined. ‘Before’ and ‘after’ only exist in the realms of time. But the ‘head that cannot be known’ exists in the timeless realms. Even though God always knows what we will do, and the result of our choices, as long as this information is not available to us we are free to choose how to act and determine with God that which unfolds moment by moment in this world.

A Unique Challenge 

Ramchal taught that every human being is given a unique role in tikkun olam. Each individual soul has a unique part in the whole picture of this world. Everyone is given a particular challenge that only he or she has, and only he or she can overcome. These challenges in life, many of which can be quite difficult, are a result of the shattering of the vessels in the primordial world of chaos. When we choose well in the unique and particular contexts of our lives, we not only better ourselves and earn a good reward, but we are also playing a unique and important part in bringing the entire world to the final tikkun. As Ramchal wrote in the following passage from Klallim Rishonim (chapter 34):  

“God created the darkness by the concealment of His light. God knows all these limitations and knows what is needed to repair them. He knows that there are matters whose tikkun is via abundance, and there are other matters whose tikkun is via poverty and difficulties. These tikkunim are divided among all the souls. The reasons for this division are mysterious and intrinsically unknowable. 

Yet, this we know. The tikkun of the world is divided among the souls in such a way that each soul is given a portion according to how God saw fit for each individual, according to the hidden reasons known only to him. This is why there can be a righteous person who has many difficulties in this world and an equally righteous person who has abundance. To know which righteous person must have abundance, and which righteous person must have difficulties, even Moses did not know, because he would have had to know all the reasons why the tikkunim were divided among the souls in the way they are, and this cannot be known.”

Ramchal is referring to the following Talmudic teaching (Brachot 7a):  When Moses asked God, ‘Please show me Your Glory’ (Exodus 33:18), the sages say that he was actually asking, Why are there tzadikim (righteous people) in this world who are given so much suffering, and other tzadikim who are given comfortable lives and abundance? God’s answer to him was, ‘I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will be merciful to whom I will be merciful’ (Exodus 33:19). 

God knows the reasons why some people are given abundance and comfort, and why other people are given poverty and suffering as their unique challenge in life, but as long as we exist in time, not even the greatest prophet Moses can know these reasons clearly. Not being able to know without uncertainty all the reasons why things happen to us is challenging, but it also gives us amazing opportunities to show faith, strength, optimism and courage – in short, our valor. This uncertainty allows us to make tikkunim that transform darkness into light, and bad into the best possible good. 

In the following passage from The Way of God (part 2 chapter 3 section 7) we see that these unknowable reasons have to do with each person’s unique place and challenge in the context of the whole - the entirety of all the separate moments of time in the six millennia of this world:

“God sees how each particular moment is connected to all that came before it and all that will come after it. He sees how every individual situation affects the whole. God sees how every part is interconnected and interrelated with every other one in the structure of the whole. Thus, when He judges each and every one of us, God takes account of our level and situation in regard to what came before us, namely our ancestors; what will come after us, namely our descendants; and what is contemporary with us, namely the people of our generation, city and community. After seeing all this, God decrees our portion of work, and gives us our unique challenge.”

Mazal – Chance, Fate and Luck

Ramchal wrote that much of what befalls us in this world is a result of reward or punishment for particular good or bad deeds we may have done in this lifetime or previous ones. But some of the challenges we face in our lives are given to us as a result of our unique place in the context of the whole. This unique place is associated with our Yechidah (unique essence) which is the highest level of our soul, and which inhabits the timeless realms of Adam Kadmon – above Atzilut. All the reasons why each one of us is given our unique challenge in life is contained in the head of Atik Yomin, the ‘head that cannot be known’.

The unique challenge each one of us is given in this world is called Mazal, the Hebrew word for luck, chance, fate, and destiny. The righteous people who are given difficult challenges of poverty and suffering are ‘lucky’, according to Ramchal in the following passage from Klallim Rishonim (chapter 34), because by transforming the bad situation they were placed in to good, they transform ‘deathly shadow into sparkling brilliance’. When these people choose well in their difficult trials, they earn the right to ascend to the highest heights of the eternal world-to-come. The entire world benefits from their faithful work and service, and takes a large step forward to the final tikkun:

“God influences this world with reward and punishment most of the time. But sometimes he uses the unknowable and mysterious influence called ‘Mazal’ because its challenges are not the result of one’s deeds. God uses Mazal when he knows that people are strong and can handle these challenges. This is the meaning of the verse, ‘God tries the righteous’ (Psalms 11:5).

Those people whose tikkun is through poverty and suffering repair the world in a more powerful way than those who repair the world through abundance. Since their hardships and challenges are not the result of their deeds, but rather from the all-inclusive Influence, their reward is not only that they alone are given the good. They help bring the entire world to the final tikkun. Thus, the reward these righteous people receive is multiplied many times over, and the whole world benefits from the power of their deeds.

At the end of the exile, God mostly uses the mysterious influence - Mazal - because His intention then is to bring the entire world to the final tikkun. Therefore, in that time, God reveals His Oneness in such a way that tremendous revelation is born from tremendous concealment, and this world is perfected. The revelation of Oneness is thus earned and not given as charity. The revelation of Oneness at the end of the exile may be free for sinners, as God said, ‘I will pardon those whom I will leave as a remnant’ (Jeremiah 50:20). However, even for sinners, the Oneness revealed is earned by the righteous people who suffered greatly and who were given difficult challenges in their lives for the sake of the whole world. And because of this, the righteous people themselves earn abundant rewards. The attribute of justice itself agrees to give the good to all, even to the wicked, because the righteous ultimately gain from this.”

There are reasons for the parts of our lives that we do not deserve, did not ask for, and do not want. There are deep reasons for all the things that seem to be merely the result of luck, chance, or fate – Mazal. Even though we can know many reasons for things that happen in the world we cannot know all the reasons. Because some of the trials and tribulations of this world come from the ‘head that cannot be known’ of Feminine Partzuf Atik Yomin. 

We are always left with an element of uncertainty concerning any particular thing that happens in this world, in any moment of time. We cannot point our finger at any particular event that befalls us in this world and know with certainty if it is a result of reward and punishment, or if it is part of our unique challenge in life, our unique essence, our Mazal. The hardships and suffering of the world do not come with labels that say, ‘This is because you sinned and God is giving you what you deserve’; or ‘This is part of your unique predicament, your fate, your destiny - your Mazal’. The hardships look the same whether we are being punished or whether we are being challenged by Mazal.

Knowing that God is guiding this world with the Partzufim of Atzilut in ways that can be known, and that God is also repairing this world with Partzuf Atik Yomin in higher, hidden ways we cannot know, can help us surrender to our Mazal and be more patient, accepting and happy with our portion in life. In fact, the Hebrew word Kabbalah means ‘acceptance’. The ‘spirit of prophecy’ presented in the Kabbalah of Ramchal is the integration of wisdom, strength, and wealth. And as we have seen in chapter two, the secret to spiritual wealth and happiness was taught by Ben Zoma in Ethics of the Fathers (4:1):

“Who is wealthy? The one who is happy with one’s portion, as it says, ‘As you eat the work of your hands, happy are you and how good it is for you’ (Psalms 128:2). ‘Happy are you’ in this world, and ‘how good it is for you’ in the world-to-come.”

Four Worlds

The Partzufim we have been discussing are in the world of Atzilut (Emanation), also called the world of tikkun in the Lurianic Kabbalah. That world is entirely composed of these divine garments or attributes that channel the light of the Ein Sof. The kabbalists describe three other worlds that also contain Partzufim in the same order as in Atzilut, but they also contain created forms. The presence of the God exists in all the worlds, but as the worlds descend that Godliness in them becomes more hidden. They are thus able to bring out created beings that are on lower and lower levels of existence.

The highest of the three lower worlds is called the world of the Throne or Beriyah (Creation) in the Lurianic Kabbalah. It contains spiritual forms or souls. There is a world of angelic forms called the world of Angels or Yetzirah (Formation). And finally, the lowest world is the world of physical forms called Asiyah (Completion). 

In the chart below you can see how all four worlds are hinted at in the following verse from Isaiah. ‘All that are called by My Name and for My glory, I have created, I have formed, I have even completed’ (Isaiah 43:7). You can also see how these worlds are also associated with the four Letters of the Name YHVH: 

Atzilut/Emanation -  ‘My Name and my Glory’ - Partzufim Godly forms - Y         

Beriyah/Creation  - ‘I have created’ - (Partzufim) - and spiritual forms - H

Yetzirah/Formation  - ‘I have formed’ - (Partzufim) - and angelic forms - V      

Asiyah/Completion - ‘I have completed - (Partzufim) and physical forms - H     

It is important to understand that these worlds are not completely separate realms. They are all expressions of the same thing but on different levels and in different forms. Each world is a garment or veil for the world above it. Thus, the state of the relationship that exists between the Partzufim of Atzilut at any particular time (a combination of God’s Kindness, Judgment, and Mercy) is what is transmitted down to the three lower worlds. 

These emanations of Godliness are first translated into the spiritual soul-forms of the world of Beriyah. The angelic messenger-forms of the world of Yetzirah translate these spiritual forms into the coarser physical forms that we see with our physical eyes here in the world of Asiyah.  Thus, what is expressed in Atzilut in any moment of time is manifest into all three worlds of created beings. How that divine Influence is ‘seen’ and ‘experienced’ in each one of these worlds is according to the nature of that level of existence.

 Manifesting Mozart 

The physical forms we see in the world of Asiyah are only shadows of forms from a deeper, truer, more spiritual reality. Here is a modern analogy. An opera by Mozart is being presented in a theater in London and is being televised live all over the world. The conductor, musicians, singers and dancers are manifesting an inspiring work by the great composer. Mozart’s influence in this analogy is like the influence of the world of Atzilut. 

What is happening in the theater -- the sounds of the instruments, the voices of the singers, the colors of the costumes and the painted sets, the movement of the dancers – all that is experienced by the people in the theater is like the world of Beriyah. These forms are the truest and most real forms of how Mozart’s influence is being expressed in the present moment. 

The vibrations of air from the sounds in the theater are picked up by microphones there. Vibrations of light, color and movement are similarly picked up by the lens of cameras. These vibrations of air and light are translated into electromagnetic wave-forms that are broadcast through the air or via underground cables to our homes, and then translated again back into sounds and sights of Mozart’s opera by our television sets or computer screens. All of these intermediate, translating forms are like the world of Yetzirah. Angels are ‘messengers’ that translate spiritual forms into physical forms. 

The sounds and pictures we hear and see watching our television and computer screens in our living rooms from this live broadcast are like the world of Asiyah.  We experience the same performance of the same opera by Mozart with the same sounds and sights. But it is also not the same as the experience in the theater in London. In a way, our experience is less true and real than the experience of the people in the theater during the performance.

Prayer as a Ladder

Ramchal described these four worlds (from below to above) in the following passage from The Way of God (part 4 chapter 6 section 13) without using their kabbalistic names:

“In general, there are four worlds: ‘The physical world’ has an upper part and a lower part. The upper part is the realm of stars and planets... and the lower part is the earthly realm. These two together comprise one world. On a higher level is ‘the world of angels’. On an even higher level is ‘the world of potentials’ which contains the root-souls of physical creations. This world is called ‘the world of the Throne’. On a still higher level we speak about God’s emanations, the revelations of His Light from which all existence is manifested and upon which all creations depend. We call these Influences ‘the world of Godliness’.”

In the following passage from The Way of God (part 4 chapter 6 section 14) Ramchal taught how the ascension of these worlds happens in the context of the traditional Shacharit (Morning Prayer) service:

“The four sections of the prayer service follow the order of the four worlds. The first three sections repair the lower three worlds. The first section contains readings about sacrifices and offerings in the Holy Temple, and thus pertains to this physical world.   The second section of the prayer service contains songs of praise, and pertains to the world of angels. The third part is the Shema and its blessings. It pertains to the world of the Throne. This is followed by the silent meditation - the Amidah - that pertains to the world of Godliness where Influence is drawn according to its various aspects.

The Amidah is followed by three other prayers that transmit God’s Influence to the three lower worlds, one after the other. First comes the prayer in which (we and the holy angels say) ‘Holy, holy, holy...’, pertaining to the world of the Throne. Then, the ‘song of the day’, which pertains to the world of the angels. Then, a reading about the incense offering in the Temple is repeated, pertaining to this physical world. The Aleinu concludes the service by establishing God’s sovereignty over all Creation after every part of it is blessed by God’s Influence.”       

We are a Ladder of Being

Ramchal presents the order of the various parts of the prayer service as a process in which a person (adam) ascends from Asiyah to Yetzirah to Beriyah. After rising through these lower worlds, one ascends to Atzilut and stands before God’s presence in silent meditation drawing life force and spiritual sustenance from Adam Kadmon/Ein Sof. And then one descends back down the worlds bringing lights of tikkun that enliven, bless and sustain all realms of existence.

The sacrifices in the Holy Temple were physical offerings of salt, water, incense, grain, oil, birds and animals. Music and singing songs of praise affect our emotions. Contemplating God’s Oneness which is what the Shema is about is something we do in our minds. Meditation is about transcending the limitations of our minds and connecting to the divine in our souls. Using these four aspects of our being -- our bodily animal nature, our emotional human nature, the intelligence and imagination of our minds, the Godly presence that dwells in our soul -- we raise up ‘Feminine waters’ with our prayer that brings down ‘Masculine waters’ of tikkun. 

This is possible because we humans are created in the likeness of Adam. Recall from chapter five how Adam Kadmon is seen as the Great Ladder of Being. We are like him. Several levels of soul link our bodies to the highest Godly realms. These soul-levels are the rungs of a personal Ladder of Being that spans all worlds and connects us to the Infinite/Ein Sof. A kabbalistic interpretation of Jacob’s dream is that he was seeing his own spiritual nature, as the Torah relates: “In his dream Jacob saw a ladder, standing on the earth, with its top reaching up into the heavens. And he saw messengers of Elohim ascending and descending on it. And he saw YHVH standing over him...” (Genesis 28:12).  Luzzatto describes this Personal Ladder of Being in the following passage from The Way of God (part 3 chapter 1 sections 1-2):

“We are unique among all of God’s creatures in that we are a combination of two different and diverse elements - the body and the soul. Here you must be careful, however, not to mistake the true soul, the higher soul, with the lower soul, because we have a type of soul that is similar to the souls of all living creatures. This lower animal soul is responsible for a person’s sensations, feelings, intelligence, imagination, memory, and will. Besides this, however, there exists in us a spiritual entity that is very different and much higher than the lower soul. This higher soul becomes part of us for the sole purpose of connecting us to the highest roots...It is through this spiritual entity that the Influence bestowed upon us from the highest sources is transmitted. From this higher soul this Influence descends through the lower soul to the body. The higher soul directs and guides the lower soul, and through it performs its necessary functions. The higher soul is connected to the lower soul, which in turn is linked to the body. In this manner, the body and its souls are all bound together.

Even though we often speak of the soul as one soul, it is actually composed of many parts that exist on various levels. We can therefore say that we have many souls, tied together like links in a chain that is made up of all these souls together. It is possible for some of these soul-parts to leave us from time to time and return later. It is likewise possible for additional soul levels to be attained for a while and then lost, without seeing any impression of this upon the body whatsoever. 

This is because the activities of these souls are not something felt by the body, and they do not add to, or subtract from its vitality or sensation. Their function is to connect us to our higher roots, as it is fitting to connect to them. Included in this is the additional soul that comes on the holy Shabbat, and goes when Shabbat leaves. The body does not feel the soul’s coming and going at all. In general, the soul is spoken of as five parts and called: Nefesh (lower soul); Ruach (spirit); Neshamah (higher soul); Chayah (life essence); and Yechidah (unique essence).”

The body and the lower soul, Nefesh, which Ramchal identified with our sensations, feelings, intelligence, imagination, memory, and will, live in the physical world, Asiyah. 

Our Ruach lives in the world of angels – Yetzirah. The Hebrew word רוח (ruach) besides meaning spirit, also means wind, and breath. This rung of the ladder is associated with experiences of divine Inspiration, which in Hebrew is called רוח הקודש Ruach Hakodesh. 

Our Ruach connects our lower soul, Nefesh, to our upper soul, Neshamah, which lives in the world of the Throne – Beriyah. Prophecy נבואה nevuah takes place on the level of the higher soul, Neshamah, and as such, prophecy is the most real and true experience possible in this world.

Our Chayah lives in the Godly world of the Partzufim, Atzilut. And our Yechidah lives in the timeless realms of Adam Kadmon. These two highest soul-levels are the deepest parts of our being and our potential,  and they always influence us subtly like ‘aura’s’ or surrounding light. 

Nefesh - Dreams

Although we do not sense most of the activities of our souls, many soul level experiences are available to us. The most common of these experiences are dreams, as Ramchal explained in the following passages from The Way of God (part 3 chapter 1 section 6):

“When we sleep our body relaxes, our feelings and emotions are quieted, and our mind rests and is hushed. Only our imagination continues to function, and it forms images and depicts various matters. Some of these are from what remains in the imagination from the images it processed while we were awake, some are from substances that rise to the brain, whether from hormonal processes or from food we ate. This is the nature of most of our dreams.

However, God also decreed that the bonds that connect our higher soul to the body can be partially severed during the time that we sleep, and parts of it -- namely, from Ruach and up -- can ascend and divest from the body. The freed parts of the soul can move about where they are allowed, and interact and relate with spiritual beings, such as angels that oversee natural phenomena, angels associated with prophecy, or demonic beings. This depends on a great many reasons and circumstances.  

Sometimes, the higher soul can transmit the experiences that it perceives down the ladder of our being to our lower soul, where the imagination is aroused and depicts images – for this is what our imagination does. It is possible for these images to be true or false, according to the nature of the intermediary through which these images were perceived. The information contained in dreams is often confusing as it is usually intermingled with the many distorted images that arise from bodily substances. Sometimes, however, the information perceived through dreams is clearer.” 

Bestowed Enlightenment

Clearer spiritual experiences and insights are available to us as well. These are the various levels of ‘bestowed enlightenment’ -- divine inspiration and prophecy -- which we have been discussing throughout this book.  Ramchal described the experience of prophecy in the following passages from The Way of God (part 3 at the beginning of chapter 3):

“When God reveals himself and bestows his Influence on a prophet, the prophet is greatly overwhelmed. The limbs of his body immediately begin to tremble, and seem to become transformed. This is because the nature of physicality cannot tolerate a spiritual revelation, all the more so a revelation of God’s Glory. Thus, the prophet’s senses shut down, and all the faculties of his mind do not function by themselves at all. They all remain dependent on God and the Influence that is being bestowed.

It is the revelation of God’s Glory כבוד (kavod) that initiates everything transmitted to a prophet in his prophecy. This is then transmitted to the imagination, which is part of the prophet’s lower soul, and it depicts images forced upon it by the power of the highest revelation. The imagination itself, however, does not initiate any images of its own. These images then convey thoughts and information that is engraved upon the prophet’s mind by the power of the Glory that is revealed to him. These ideas remain fixed in his mind so that when the prophet returns to his normal human state of consciousness, this knowledge is retained very clearly.”

The great 16th Century Tzfat kabbalist, Rabbi Chayim Vital, the main disciple of Rabbi Isaac Luria known as the Holy Ari, taught a contemplative technique for attaining spiritual experiences like divine inspiration and prophecy in the following passage from his final work, Shaarei Kedushah Gates of Holiness (part 3 gate 5):

“First, divest from the physical world by removing all thoughts completely. Then, use your imagination to form images and visualize as if you are rising through the supernal worlds to the roots of your soul. Move from one to another until your imagination arrives at its highest root. ...There you should intend to receive light from the Ten Sefirot, from the point where the root of our Neshamah is attached. 

Your intention there is to elevate the Ten Sefirot one by one to the Ein Sof...and then to bring down this light and Influence from level to level, until it reaches your lower soul and ...its five senses....Then, you will see, hear, smell and speak with your physical senses, as it is written, ‘The spirit of God spoke through me and his word is on my tongue’ (Samuel II 23:2) because the light and Influence is filtered enough that it can now be perceived by our physical senses.”  

In the following passage from Shulkhan Arukh (The Code of Jewish Law) the author describes the prayers of the first Chasidim, mentioned in the Talmud in the context of the laws of prayer. Their practice is strikingly similar to the technique described above by Rabbi Chaim Vital:

“This was the practice of the first Chasidim. They would meditate and concentrate in their prayers until they reached a level where they divested themselves from the physical. Their spirituality would be strengthened in them so much that they would reach a level close to that of prophecy.”

Ramchal wrote that divine inspiration and prophecy will be easily attained at the end of the sixth millennium of this world. The worldview and techniques of the ancient Prophets have been passed on to us by the kabbalists since the beginning of the sixth millennium. Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzatto blessed us with his insights about the spirit of prophecy, many of which were inspired by the teachings of the Holy Ari through his main disciple Rabbi Chayim Vital.  In the following passage from Vital’s Gates of Holiness (end of part 3) we see that although it might seem that divine inspiration and prophecy are no longer available to us, and are beyond our reach. But in fact, the world could not exist without them and are actually easier to attain than most people think:

“Human beings draw life force to the heavens and the earth. We are partners with God, as our sages said ‘God creates the Universe, and we sustain it through our deeds’. A prophet attaches himself to God’s Name by drawing down prophetic Influence into the lower realms. ...Thus, prophecy and divine inspiration must exist in the world, and are easy to achieve as long as people exist who are worthy of it.”

The way to become worthy of it is taught by Ramchal in his classic work Mesilat Yesharim, as we saw in chapter three. And according to Rabbi David Kohen, as we saw in chapter two, all of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto’s books are infused with the Spirit of Prophecy, an integration of mystical truth, moral-ethical goodness, and poetic beauty.