Yechiel Nashville, Tennessee. via kabbalaonline.orgSeptember 7, 2015
TOHUAs I understand it, there is no "evil" as such, but the absence of the positive. Not to have one or the other, but in a physical realm two items cannot share the same exact space. So the choice is more positive/higher, or less positive/lower power and behavior. There-in we are given the highest aspect of the physical part of creation; choice, or free will. Because of this, we share something with the Creator not even angels share - free will. Why have free will, if all is already laid out for you? Now, you say, we have the concept of evil! Where did this come from? There, you prove the point - you choose to call the higher and lower just that, and mandate (Made) the one good, and the other, well, shall i say it? Yes; evil. Have a good day and Shalom.
"As I understand it, there is no "evil" as such, but the absence of the positive. "
If the good and evil dichotomy is truly just that,then can evil be the mere absence of good ? What of the phenomenon of evil for its own sake? Evil acts committed with full aforeknowledge, I am thinking of the significance of the fall of Lucifer?
https://www.biblegematria.com/288-holy-sparks.html
Tzimtzum (also spelled tsimtsum) is the idea, according to kabbalah, in which God pulled back in order to make room for creation. The Ari (famous kabbalist Isaac Luria 1534 -1572) described an initial, pre-creation state of infinite light, within which there was no place for anything else to exist. Before creating any worlds, the Creator first had to withdraw His essence completely, resulting in a total void within the infinite light, so that the process of creation could begin.
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TsimTsum is the name of the Japanese freighter that an Indian family boards on their way to a new life in Canada in "Life of Pi."
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The Bible's second verse speaks of this, when the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was on the face of the waters. The Hebrew word for 'without form' is tohu, which literally means chaos. One more step was necessary, though, before the creation of the lower worlds could proceed. The prospect that these lower worlds would receive a continuous supply of divine light ran counter to another goal of Creation, which was that man should have free will. As the Ari explains "were God’s infinite light always manifest, man would not have free will". If a person were always aware of God’s presence, transgressing His will would be impossible. God therefore concealed His light, and in so doing allowed man to choose freely between doing good and doing evil.
To this end, God formed ten sefirot to act as channels or filters to convey light. The sefirot are ten attributes through which God manifests Himself. The sefirot are not God, but they are the medium through which specific qualities and attributes can be ascribed to Him. These ten sefirot were necessary tools in His plan, for without them, God’s infinite light would have overwhelmed and obliterated worlds and creatures that were placed at lower levels of holiness and spirituality.
The ten sefirot as separate entities
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God designed the original ten sefirot with a built-in flaw; the original sefirah-vessels were created as separate entities that were incapable of giving support to one another. Each of them manifested itself in its purest form - chesed was pure chesed without any admixture of gevurah, gevurah was pure gevurah without any admixture of chesed and so on. When He shone His light into these vessels, the vessels could not bear the intensity of that influx, and shattered.
After the shattering of the vessels, God “redesigned” the sefirot so that the vessels would not be overwhelmed by the light, but would be able to contain and filter the light down to our world.
The sparks of holiness from the shattered vessels were strewn throughout our world. Some of the shards were thrown far afield and formed kelipot (forces of evil), giving rise to an outside realm in which God’s presence is almost totally hidden.
Man has been placed into this realm in which darkness and evil prevail, enabling man to have free choice in his life. One of man’s spiritual missions is to gather up those holy sparks from wherever they may be and elevate them to their original level. We accomplish this mission by means of Torah study, prayer and the performance of good deeds. Tohu & Tikkun: (Kabbalistic terms; lit. "chaos" and "rectification"); Kabbalah explains that at the beginning of creation, the world was in a spiritual condition called Tohu (chaos), an elevated realm of spiritual existence which lacked the balance and order that characterizes our frame of reference and which therefore “collapsed.” in an event called shevirat hakeilim – the breaking of the vessels, when the light departed from them. This “break” was planned by G-d in the first place, for it was a “destruction for the purpose of building,” since only then could there exist the orderly world we are familiar with, the world of tikkun ("rectification" or "order"). This world possesses lesser lights, but the vessels are plentiful. The sparks of holiness that “fell” when the vessels were broken are hidden within various parts of our world, and awaiting their “correction” through man’s divine service. http://www.chabad.org http://www.chabad.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/aid/380568/jewish/Shattered-Vessels.htm
"The shattering of the vessels" (in Hebrew, "Shevirat haKeilim") of the world of Tohu is the key concept in explaining the basic problem of diverseness and multiplicity in Creation as well as the origin of evil1 and is a central component in the Arizal's system of Kabbala, where it receives a full exposition2
The Arizal explains that when it arose in the Divine Will to create the finite world, the first step was to "withdraw" or conceal the infinite Or Ein Sof in the process known as "the first constriction" or "tzimtzum harishon". The first "world" (plane of existence) that came into being after the tzimtzum is called Adam Kadmon. But even though Adam Kadmon is a post-tzimtzum world, it is still a "meta-world", so-to-speak - undefined, unified, and transcending time, comprising a single transcendent primordial thought. The existence of the finite world as we know it, and as G‑dintended it, is still not possible in Adam Kadmon due to its extremely lofty state. In order for a finite world to exist, the light in Adam Kadmon had to go through several more stages of quantitative contraction and descent. In one of these stages of descent, one of the several types of light emitted from Adam Kadmon is manifested as ten individual qualities or attributes that act as separate, independent points of light, or quanta of energy. Technically, this is called "light emitted from the eyes" of Adam Kadmon or "or ha-einayim".This metaphorical term signifies a descent from an internal, essential level to an external "sensory" level where the beam of light is refracted into discrete quanta. Each of these points is an extremely powerful concentration of light (the level of keter of each of the ensuing sefirot) as it descends from Adam Kadmon. These sefirotcompose the world of Tohu (chaos or disorder).
The first "world" outside of Adam Kadmon is called Akudim. In it is the first development of a vessel, such that ten degrees of light are bound together (in Hebrew, "akudim") in a single vessel (Writings of the Ari, Shaar HaHakdamot, Derush 1 b'Olam HaNikudim).
The existence of vessels [for the lights that issued forth from Adam Kadmon] begins only in the world of Akudim - in which there is but one general vessel for all the ten lights - and below. Subsequently, the world of Nikudim [another name for Tohu] was emanated, in which ten vessels were formed for the ten lights. All of them were the aspect of keter of the ten sefirot, so that there were ten lights of keter of the ten sefirot. Each of these ten keter-lights had an individual vessel. The remaining nine parts of the lights [i.e., chochma, bina, chesed,etc.] in each of the sefirot were incorporated within the keter-light of each of the sefirot. For this reason they are referred to as ten "nekudot", meaning individual "points" of light, rather than as ten complete sefirot… Now these ten sefirot were emanated in such a way that they were situated one above the other. (Ibid., Shaar HaHakdamot, Derush 1 b'Olam HaNikudim)
The fact that the sefirot of Tohuwere situated one above the other in a single line indicates that they act as independent entities, unlike the array of the sefirot in the world of Tikun, in which the sefirot are arranged in harmonious triads. Thus each sefira of Tohu existed as an autonomous fiefdom, so to speak, independent of, and even in opposition to, the others. Moreover, each sefira in Tohu is the manifestation of an absolute and quintessential aspect of the light of Adam Kadmon (the level of keter of each type of light, as explained above).
Furthermore, the vessels themselves were in a state of immaturity and were therefore unable to contain the intense light flooding them.
"…Only the malchut aspect of the seven sefirot was emanated… and therefore they were called nekudot, for nekuda and malchut6 are synonymous. 7. In addition, not only were they [in a state of immaturity], even in this state they were not clothed one within the other, nor were they bound together as a unit. Nor were they divided into arrays, [namely,] of kindness in the right array, severity in the left array and the mitigation between them in the middle array [as in Tikun]." (Etz Chaim, shaar 9, ch. 8)
Due to the intensity and exclusivity of the lights and the inability of their vessels to contain them, the vessels of the lower sefirot of Tohu shattered and the lights they contained remained above. The fragments of these vessels then fell to lower levels, becoming absorbed into the various worlds below the world of Tohu.The three uppermost vessels had the ability to contain the lights designated for them and did not die…
"Since the lights of these ten nekudot were so intense and powerful… the [vessels] did not have the power to contain them and the vessels "died", meaning to say, they descended below to the level that is now called [the world of] Beriya. This descent was their demise. But this was only as regards the seven lower nekudot, whereas the three uppermost vessels had the ability to contain the lights designated for them and did not die… The vessels of the seven lower [nekudot] descended to the world of Beriya… but their lights remained above, exposed, without vessels." (Ibid.)
Scripture hints at this process in describing the succeeding kings of Edom: "These are the kings who ruled in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites8. Bela son of Be'or became king… He died and was succeeded as king by Yoav… Yoav died, and he was succeeded as king by Chusham… Chusham died, and was succeeded by… etc." (Gen. 36:31-39). The Arizal explained that this refers to the sefirot of Tohu, each of which rules exclusively, and then shatters and "dies."
Thus Tohu was a primordial form of existence that "was created in order to be destroyed, and destroyed in order to be rebuilt" in a superior form (see Mevo L'Chachmat HaKabbala part 2, shaar 6, ch. 7). The order of creation that followed the disintegration of the world of Tohu is called the world of Tikun (literally translated as "rectification" or "restoration"). Regarding Tikun, the Torah states, "And G‑d looked over everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good" (Gen. 1:31). In the words of the Midrash (Bereishit Rabba 3:7; 9:2), as explained by the Arizal, "these please Me" refers to the sefirot of Tikun, whereas the sefirot of Tohu "do not please Me".
The sefirot of Tikun were emanated in such a way that they work together interdependently and harmoniously, as partzufim (literally, "visages" - sing. "partzuf") - compound structures of the sefirot. A partzuf is a metaphorical figure of human likeness, used to represent the expansion of an individual sefira (or group of sefirot) into a configuration with ten sefirot of its own. Partzufim include Atik Yomin, Arich Anpin, Abba, Imma, Zeir Anpin (ben), Nukva(bat)]. As mentioned, the partzufim work as symbiotic harmonious systems instead of the discrete, independent, overpowering nekudot of Tohu.
What could not be elevated into Atzilut remained in Beriya…
Although the sefirot of Tohu shattered and "died," nevertheless, a residue of the lights that were contained in the vessels remained clinging to the fragments of the vessels. These are referred to by the Arizal as the 288 nitzotzin (literally "sparks") - the initial number of fragments from the vessels that broke. The entire process is alluded to in Scripture in the first couple verses of Genesis: "In the beginning of G‑d's creating the heavens and the earth, when the earth was tohuand void, and darkness was on the surface of the depths, and the sovereignty of G‑d hovered (in Hebrew "merachefet") above the surface of the waters…." The Arizal explains that the word "merachefet" is actually a compound of two words: "met" and "rapach" - signifying that 288 (the numerical value of rapach) fragments had died (in Hebrew, "met") - an allusion to the shattering of the vessels of Tohu into 288 initial sparks. (Mevo She'arim, shaar 2, ch. 8)
Although the fragments of the vessels initially fell into the world of Beriya, when their rectification (tikun) began, the most refined aspects of the vessels were able to ascend and became absorbed in the world of Atzilut. What could not be elevated into Atzilutremained in Beriya and became an integral part of it. What could not be absorbed into Beriya then descended into Yetzira and Asiya. The aspects of the vessels that could not be absorbed in even the lowest realm of holiness became the vitality of the realms of impurity, known as the kelipot. (Ibid.)
The shattering of the sefirot of Tohu is not a coincidence, nor does it signify a flaw in the creative process. On the contrary, it serves a very specific and important purpose, which is to bring about a state of separation or partition of the light into distinct qualities and attributes, and thereby introduce diversity and multiplicity into creation, as explained above. In addition, the shattering of the vessels of Tohu allows for the possibility of evil, and gives man the opportunity to choose between good (for which he gains reward) and evil (for which he is punished). Thus G‑d's attributes of chesedand gevura - the attributes from which reward and punishment derive - are revealed in the world9 , which is one of the primary purposes of creation. (See beginning of Otzrot Chaim)
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"The shattering of the vessels" (in Hebrew, "Shevirat haKeilim") of the world of Tohu is the key concept in explaining the basic problem of diverseness and multiplicity in Creation as well as the origin of evil1 and is a central component in the Arizal's system of Kabbala, where it receives a full exposition2
The concept of Shevirat haKeilim is linked together with the mystical account of the eight kings who "reigned in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites" (Gen. 36:31) and the Midrashic account of the building and destruction of the primordial worlds (Bereishit Rabba 3:7, 9:1), as will be explained below. Although the idea of Shevirat haKeilim is also found in several sections of Zohar (in Sifra d'Tzni'uta3, Idra Rabba4 and Idra Zuta5), the concept and its ramifications are very difficult to understand there without the elucidation of the entire subject in the writings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria. (For this reason, even here, many readers will find the roll-over glossary feature essential for comprehending this important piece.)
The Arizal explains that when it arose in the Divine Will to create the finite world, the first step was to "withdraw" or conceal the infinite Or Ein Sof in the process known as "the first constriction" or "tzimtzum harishon". The first "world" (plane of existence) that came into being after the tzimtzum is called Adam Kadmon. But even though Adam Kadmon is a post-tzimtzum world, it is still a "meta-world", so-to-speak - undefined, unified, and transcending time, comprising a single transcendent primordial thought.Light emitted from the eyes of Adam Kadmon … signifies a descent from an internal, essential level to an external 'sensory' level…
The existence of the finite world as we know it, and as G‑dintended it, is still not possible in Adam Kadmon due to its extremely lofty state. In order for a finite world to exist, the light in Adam Kadmon had to go through several more stages of quantitative contraction and descent. In one of these stages of descent, one of the several types of light emitted from Adam Kadmon is manifested as ten individual qualities or attributes that act as separate, independent points of light, or quanta of energy. Technically, this is called "light emitted from the eyes" of Adam Kadmon or "or ha-einayim". This metaphorical term signifies a descent from an internal, essential level to an external "sensory" level where the beam of light is refracted into discrete quanta. Each of these points is an extremely powerful concentration of light (the level of keter of each of the ensuing sefirot) as it descends from Adam Kadmon. These sefirotcompose the world of Tohu (chaos or disorder).
The first "world" outside of Adam Kadmon is called Akudim. In it is the first development of a vessel, such that ten degrees of light are bound together (in Hebrew, "akudim") in a single vessel (Writings of the Ari, Shaar HaHakdamot, Derush 1 b'Olam HaNikudim).
The existence of vessels [for the lights that issued forth from Adam Kadmon] begins only in the world of Akudim - in which there is but one general vessel for all the ten lights - and below. Subsequently, the world of Nikudim [another name for Tohu] was emanated, in which ten vessels were formed for the ten lights. All of them were the aspect of keter of the ten sefirot, so that there were ten lights of keter of the ten sefirot. Each of these ten keter-lights had an individual vessel. The remaining nine parts of the lights [i.e., chochma, bina, chesed,etc.] in each of the sefirot were incorporated within the keter-light of each of the sefirot. For this reason they are referred to as ten "nekudot", meaning individual "points" of light, rather than as ten complete sefirot… Now these ten sefirot were emanated in such a way that they were situated one above the other. (Ibid., Shaar HaHakdamot, Derush 1 b'Olam HaNikudim)The sefirot of Tohu were situated one above the other in a single line … unlike the array of the sefirot in the world of Tikun, in which the sefirot are arranged in harmonious triads…
The fact that the sefirot of Tohuwere situated one above the other in a single line indicates that they act as independent entities, unlike the array of the sefirot in the world of Tikun, in which the sefirot are arranged in harmonious triads. Thus each sefira of Tohu existed as an autonomous fiefdom, so to speak, independent of, and even in opposition to, the others. Moreover, each sefira in Tohu is the manifestation of an absolute and quintessential aspect of the light of Adam Kadmon (the level of keter of each type of light, as explained above).
Furthermore, the vessels themselves were in a state of immaturity and were therefore unable to contain the intense light flooding them.
"…Only the malchut aspect of the seven sefirot was emanated… and therefore they were called nekudot, for nekuda and malchut6 are synonymous. 7. In addition, not only were they [in a state of immaturity], even in this state they were not clothed one within the other, nor were they bound together as a unit. Nor were they divided into arrays, [namely,] of kindness in the right array, severity in the left array and the mitigation between them in the middle array [as in Tikun]." (Etz Chaim, shaar 9, ch. 8)
Due to the intensity and exclusivity of the lights and the inability of their vessels to contain them, the vessels of the lower sefirot of Tohu shattered and the lights they contained remained above. The fragments of these vessels then fell to lower levels, becoming absorbed into the various worlds below the world of Tohu.The three uppermost vessels had the ability to contain the lights designated for them and did not die…
"Since the lights of these ten nekudot were so intense and powerful… the [vessels] did not have the power to contain them and the vessels "died", meaning to say, they descended below to the level that is now called [the world of] Beriya. This descent was their demise. But this was only as regards the seven lower nekudot, whereas the three uppermost vessels had the ability to contain the lights designated for them and did not die… The vessels of the seven lower [nekudot] descended to the world of Beriya… but their lights remained above, exposed, without vessels." (Ibid.)
Scripture hints at this process in describing the succeeding kings of Edom: "These are the kings who ruled in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites8. Bela son of Be'or became king… He died and was succeeded as king by Yoav… Yoav died, and he was succeeded as king by Chusham… Chusham died, and was succeeded by… etc." (Gen. 36:31-39). The Arizal explained that this refers to the sefirot of Tohu, each of which rules exclusively, and then shatters and "dies."
Thus Tohu was a primordial form of existence that "was created in order to be destroyed, and destroyed in order to be rebuilt" in a superior form (see Mevo L'Chachmat HaKabbala part 2, shaar 6, ch. 7). The order of creation that followed the disintegration of the world of Tohu is called the world of Tikun (literally translated as "rectification" or "restoration"). Regarding Tikun, the Torah states, "And G‑d looked over everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good" (Gen. 1:31). In the words of the Midrash (Bereishit Rabba 3:7; 9:2), as explained by the Arizal, "these please Me" refers to the sefirot of Tikun, whereas the sefirot of Tohu "do not please Me".
The sefirot of Tikun were emanated in such a way that they work together interdependently and harmoniously, as partzufim (literally, "visages" - sing. "partzuf") - compound structures of the sefirot. A partzuf is a metaphorical figure of human likeness, used to represent the expansion of an individual sefira (or group of sefirot) into a configuration with ten sefirot of its own. Partzufim include Atik Yomin, Arich Anpin, Abba, Imma, Zeir Anpin (ben), Nukva(bat)]. As mentioned, the partzufim work as symbiotic harmonious systems instead of the discrete, independent, overpowering nekudot of Tohu.What could not be elevated into Atzilutremained in Beriya…
Although the sefirot of Tohushattered and "died," nevertheless, a residue of the lights that were contained in the vessels remained clinging to the fragments of the vessels. These are referred to by the Arizal as the 288 nitzotzin (literally "sparks") - the initial number of fragments from the vessels that broke. The entire process is alluded to in Scripture in the first couple verses of Genesis: "In the beginning of G‑d's creating the heavens and the earth, when the earth was tohuand void, and darkness was on the surface of the depths, and the sovereignty of G‑d hovered (in Hebrew "merachefet") above the surface of the waters…." The Arizal explains that the word "merachefet" is actually a compound of two words: "met" and "rapach" - signifying that 288 (the numerical value of rapach) fragments had died (in Hebrew, "met") - an allusion to the shattering of the vessels of Tohu into 288 initial sparks. (Mevo She'arim, shaar 2, ch. 8)
Although the fragments of the vessels initially fell into the world of Beriya, when their rectification (tikun) began, the most refined aspects of the vessels were able to ascend and became absorbed in the world of Atzilut. What could not be elevated into Atzilutremained in Beriya and became an integral part of it. What could not be absorbed into Beriya then descended into Yetzira and Asiya. The aspects of the vessels that could not be absorbed in even the lowest realm of holiness became the vitality of the realms of impurity, known as the kelipot. (Ibid.)
The shattering of the sefirot of Tohu is not a coincidence, nor does it signify a flaw in the creative process. On the contrary, it serves a very specific and important purpose, which is to bring about a state of separation or partition of the light into distinct qualities and attributes, and thereby introduce diversity and multiplicity into creation, as explained above. In addition, the shattering of the vessels of Tohu allows for the possibility of evil, and gives man the opportunity to choose between good (for which he gains reward) and evil (for which he is punished). Thus G‑d's attributes of chesedand gevura - the attributes from which reward and punishment derive - are revealed in the world9 , which is one of the primary purposes of creation. (See beginning of Otzrot Chaim)
FOOTNOTES
1.
See at length Rabbi J. I. Schochet, Mystical Concepts in Chassidism, ch. 7.
2.
See Etz Chaim, Heichal HaNikudim(Shaar 8, ff.); Mevo She'arim, Shaar 2, part 2, chs. 1-11; Shaar HaHakdamot, Derush b'Olam HaNikudim.
3.
Literally, "Book of Concealed Matters." This is a commentary on Bereishit - the first section (parsha) of the Book of Gen. (Zohar II, 176b-179a).
4.
Idra Rabba, or Greater Assembly. In it Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai reveals the mysteries of the extremely recondite passages of the Sifra d'Tzniuta to his disciples (Zohar III, 127b-145a).
5.
Lesser Assembly. Here are described the passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and the teachings that he revealed just prior to his death (Zohar III, 287b-296b).
6.
that Malchut does not have anything of her own. Etz Chaim, shaar 6, ch. 5; shaar 8, ch. 5.
7.
The orot of the sefirot of Tohu are called nekudot for a different reason - because all of the lights are sublimated within keter.
8.
Representing the rectification of Tohuas will be explained in the next section.
9.
See Etz Chaim 11:6; Shaar Hahakdamot p. 228ff on the Mishna in Avot 5:1.
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| Introduction to the Ari's Concept of Shevirat haKeilim |
"The shattering of the vessels" (in Hebrew, "Shevirat haKeilim") of the world of Tohu is the key concept in explaining the basic problem of diverseness and multiplicity in Creation as well as the origin of evil1 and is a central component in the Arizal's system of Kabbala, where it receives a full exposition2
The concept of Shevirat haKeilim is linked together with the mystical account of the eight kings who "reigned in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites" (Gen. 36:31) and the Midrashic account of the building and destruction of the primordial worlds (Bereishit Rabba 3:7, 9:1), as will be explained below. Although the idea of Shevirat haKeilim is also found in several sections of Zohar (in Sifra d'Tzni'uta3, Idra Rabba4 and Idra Zuta5), the concept and its ramifications are very difficult to understand there without the elucidation of the entire subject in the writings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria. (For this reason, even here, many readers will find the roll-over glossary feature essential for comprehending this important piece.)
The Arizal explains that when it arose in the Divine Will to create the finite world, the first step was to "withdraw" or conceal the infinite Or Ein Sof in the process known as "the first constriction" or "tzimtzum harishon". The first "world" (plane of existence) that came into being after the tzimtzum is called Adam Kadmon. But even though Adam Kadmon is a post-tzimtzum world, it is still a "meta-world", so-to-speak - undefined, unified, and transcending time, comprising a single transcendent primordial thought.Light emitted from the eyes of Adam Kadmon … signifies a descent from an internal, essential level to an external 'sensory' level…
The existence of the finite world as we know it, and as G‑dintended it, is still not possible in Adam Kadmon due to its extremely lofty state. In order for a finite world to exist, the light in Adam Kadmon had to go through several more stages of quantitative contraction and descent. In one of these stages of descent, one of the several types of light emitted from Adam Kadmon is manifested as ten individual qualities or attributes that act as separate, independent points of light, or quanta of energy. Technically, this is called "light emitted from the eyes" of Adam Kadmon or "or ha-einayim". This metaphorical term signifies a descent from an internal, essential level to an external "sensory" level where the beam of light is refracted into discrete quanta. Each of these points is an extremely powerful concentration of light (the level of keter of each of the ensuing sefirot) as it descends from Adam Kadmon. These sefirotcompose the world of Tohu (chaos or disorder).
The first "world" outside of Adam Kadmon is called Akudim. In it is the first development of a vessel, such that ten degrees of light are bound together (in Hebrew, "akudim") in a single vessel (Writings of the Ari, Shaar HaHakdamot, Derush 1 b'Olam HaNikudim).
The existence of vessels [for the lights that issued forth from Adam Kadmon] begins only in the world of Akudim - in which there is but one general vessel for all the ten lights - and below. Subsequently, the world of Nikudim [another name for Tohu] was emanated, in which ten vessels were formed for the ten lights. All of them were the aspect of keter of the ten sefirot, so that there were ten lights of keter of the ten sefirot. Each of these ten keter-lights had an individual vessel. The remaining nine parts of the lights [i.e., chochma, bina, chesed,etc.] in each of the sefirot were incorporated within the keter-light of each of the sefirot. For this reason they are referred to as ten "nekudot", meaning individual "points" of light, rather than as ten complete sefirot… Now these ten sefirot were emanated in such a way that they were situated one above the other. (Ibid., Shaar HaHakdamot, Derush 1 b'Olam HaNikudim)The sefirot of Tohu were situated one above the other in a single line … unlike the array of the sefirot in the world of Tikun, in which the sefirot are arranged in harmonious triads…
The fact that the sefirot of Tohuwere situated one above the other in a single line indicates that they act as independent entities, unlike the array of the sefirot in the world of Tikun, in which the sefirot are arranged in harmonious triads. Thus each sefira of Tohu existed as an autonomous fiefdom, so to speak, independent of, and even in opposition to, the others. Moreover, each sefira in Tohu is the manifestation of an absolute and quintessential aspect of the light of Adam Kadmon (the level of keter of each type of light, as explained above).
Furthermore, the vessels themselves were in a state of immaturity and were therefore unable to contain the intense light flooding them.
"…Only the malchut aspect of the seven sefirot was emanated… and therefore they were called nekudot, for nekuda and malchut6 are synonymous. 7. In addition, not only were they [in a state of immaturity], even in this state they were not clothed one within the other, nor were they bound together as a unit. Nor were they divided into arrays, [namely,] of kindness in the right array, severity in the left array and the mitigation between them in the middle array [as in Tikun]." (Etz Chaim, shaar 9, ch. 8)
Due to the intensity and exclusivity of the lights and the inability of their vessels to contain them, the vessels of the lower sefirot of Tohu shattered and the lights they contained remained above. The fragments of these vessels then fell to lower levels, becoming absorbed into the various worlds below the world of Tohu.The three uppermost vessels had the ability to contain the lights designated for them and did not die…
"Since the lights of these ten nekudot were so intense and powerful… the [vessels] did not have the power to contain them and the vessels "died", meaning to say, they descended below to the level that is now called [the world of] Beriya. This descent was their demise. But this was only as regards the seven lower nekudot, whereas the three uppermost vessels had the ability to contain the lights designated for them and did not die… The vessels of the seven lower [nekudot] descended to the world of Beriya… but their lights remained above, exposed, without vessels." (Ibid.)
Scripture hints at this process in describing the succeeding kings of Edom: "These are the kings who ruled in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites8. Bela son of Be'or became king… He died and was succeeded as king by Yoav… Yoav died, and he was succeeded as king by Chusham… Chusham died, and was succeeded by… etc." (Gen. 36:31-39). The Arizal explained that this refers to the sefirot of Tohu, each of which rules exclusively, and then shatters and "dies."
Thus Tohu was a primordial form of existence that "was created in order to be destroyed, and destroyed in order to be rebuilt" in a superior form (see Mevo L'Chachmat HaKabbala part 2, shaar 6, ch. 7). The order of creation that followed the disintegration of the world of Tohu is called the world of Tikun (literally translated as "rectification" or "restoration"). Regarding Tikun, the Torah states, "And G‑d looked over everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good" (Gen. 1:31). In the words of the Midrash (Bereishit Rabba 3:7; 9:2), as explained by the Arizal, "these please Me" refers to the sefirot of Tikun, whereas the sefirot of Tohu "do not please Me".
The sefirot of Tikun were emanated in such a way that they work together interdependently and harmoniously, as partzufim (literally, "visages" - sing. "partzuf") - compound structures of the sefirot. A partzuf is a metaphorical figure of human likeness, used to represent the expansion of an individual sefira (or group of sefirot) into a configuration with ten sefirot of its own. Partzufim include Atik Yomin, Arich Anpin, Abba, Imma, Zeir Anpin (ben), Nukva(bat)]. As mentioned, the partzufim work as symbiotic harmonious systems instead of the discrete, independent, overpowering nekudot of Tohu.What could not be elevated into Atzilutremained in Beriya…
Although the sefirot of Tohushattered and "died," nevertheless, a residue of the lights that were contained in the vessels remained clinging to the fragments of the vessels. These are referred to by the Arizal as the 288 nitzotzin (literally "sparks") - the initial number of fragments from the vessels that broke. The entire process is alluded to in Scripture in the first couple verses of Genesis: "In the beginning of G‑d's creating the heavens and the earth, when the earth was tohuand void, and darkness was on the surface of the depths, and the sovereignty of G‑d hovered (in Hebrew "merachefet") above the surface of the waters…." The Arizal explains that the word "merachefet" is actually a compound of two words: "met" and "rapach" - signifying that 288 (the numerical value of rapach) fragments had died (in Hebrew, "met") - an allusion to the shattering of the vessels of Tohu into 288 initial sparks. (Mevo She'arim, shaar 2, ch. 8)
Although the fragments of the vessels initially fell into the world of Beriya, when their rectification (tikun) began, the most refined aspects of the vessels were able to ascend and became absorbed in the world of Atzilut. What could not be elevated into Atzilutremained in Beriya and became an integral part of it. What could not be absorbed into Beriya then descended into Yetzira and Asiya. The aspects of the vessels that could not be absorbed in even the lowest realm of holiness became the vitality of the realms of impurity, known as the kelipot. (Ibid.)
The shattering of the sefirot of Tohu is not a coincidence, nor does it signify a flaw in the creative process. On the contrary, it serves a very specific and important purpose, which is to bring about a state of separation or partition of the light into distinct qualities and attributes, and thereby introduce diversity and multiplicity into creation, as explained above. In addition, the shattering of the vessels of Tohu allows for the possibility of evil, and gives man the opportunity to choose between good (for which he gains reward) and evil (for which he is punished). Thus G‑d's attributes of chesedand gevura - the attributes from which reward and punishment derive - are revealed in the world9 , which is one of the primary purposes of creation. (See beginning of Otzrot Chaim)
FOOTNOTES
1.
See at length Rabbi J. I. Schochet, Mystical Concepts in Chassidism, ch. 7.
2.
See Etz Chaim, Heichal HaNikudim(Shaar 8, ff.); Mevo She'arim, Shaar 2, part 2, chs. 1-11; Shaar HaHakdamot, Derush b'Olam HaNikudim.
3.
Literally, "Book of Concealed Matters." This is a commentary on Bereishit - the first section (parsha) of the Book of Gen. (Zohar II, 176b-179a).
4.
Idra Rabba, or Greater Assembly. In it Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai reveals the mysteries of the extremely recondite passages of the Sifra d'Tzniuta to his disciples (Zohar III, 127b-145a).
5.
Lesser Assembly. Here are described the passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and the teachings that he revealed just prior to his death (Zohar III, 287b-296b).
6.
that Malchut does not have anything of her own. Etz Chaim, shaar 6, ch. 5; shaar 8, ch. 5.
7.
The orot of the sefirot of Tohu are called nekudot for a different reason - because all of the lights are sublimated within keter.
8.
Representing the rectification of Tohuas will be explained in the next section.
9.
See Etz Chaim 11:6; Shaar Hahakdamot p. 228ff on the Mishna in Avot 5:1.
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Perfection of Hakodesh Boruchu in the end will be perfectly mirrored by us,and the mitzvahs are what G-odliness entails in bringing down sparks of holiness from heaven.The main sin of the modern age is narcissism our rabbi has taught in Yeshiva to its spellbound students. What does the perfection of G-d mean? A non involved G-d that cannot cry. He wept and engaged in our exile.
Our egocentric yetzers cannot be completely overcome by most of us. Will they be blotted out by unconditional forgiveness ?
