The Sefirot – Part II

In a previous article (see “The Sefirot – Part I,” posted on 30 July 2009), I discussed the sefirot, the ten spiritual forces through which God’s will descends and unfolds, and by means of which God acts in the universe. But why, we may ask, did God see fit to create the sefirot at all? And why is it necessary to have a hierarchy of ten sefirot – ten levels of spiritual energy?

To understand the rationale for the ten sefirot, let us take an analogy to the physical world. In the beginning of creation, God said, “Let there be light.” But that light could not have been the light of the sun and the stars, because neither the sun nor the stars had been created yet. Rather, the Torah is speaking of another kind of light: the emanation of God’s will into the universe, which in many ways is analogous to the radiant energy of our physical universe. Just as the radiant energy of the sun is of such magnitude that it would instantly vaporize anything exposed to its full intensity, the universe would not be able to exist under the full intensity of the emanation of God’s will. And, just as the energy of the sun must be attenuated if life is to exist on earth, so also the flow of divine “energy” must also be attenuated; ki lo yir’ani ha’adam vachai – for Man cannot see Me and live (Exodus 33:20).

To continue the physical analogy, then, the sefirot may be regarded as ten successively lower “energy levels” through which the flux of divine emanation cascades until it reaches our world. And, just as in the physical universe, life on earth depends on having just the right amount of attenuation of the sun’s radiation, so also the divine emanation must be attenuated by exactly the right amount for life to be sustained. If attenuation were insufficient, we would be incinerated; if attenuation were excessive, all life would die of deprivation. Ten sefirot give exactly the correct degree of attenuation – no more, no less.

The above discussion demonstrates that the sefirot are highly complex entities. We may consider them spiritual forces that are the agents of God’s will, each sefira representing a different blend of mercy or justice in God’s governance of the universe. Alternatively, we may view the sefirot as a series of “filters” attenuating God’s light. Or, alternatively, we may see them as levels of the spiritual world, each possessing a different quantity of divine “energy.” The sefirot are the means through which God projects His will into the world, but they are also the means by which God conceals Himself from us. They simultaneously reveal and conceal God’s presence in the world.

As mentioned previously (see “The Sefirot – Part I”), we may represent the sefirot in various ways, depending on context: as a linear hierarchy, as concentric circles, as a tree, or as a human body. For purposes of analysis, we may talk about the action of an individual sefira, but in actuality no single sefira acts independently. As indicated in the sefirot diagram (see posting of 5 August 2009), there are links connecting the sefirot, just as the limbs of the human body connect to the trunk. When a person lifts a heavy object with his hand, it may appear that it is the hand that performs the action, but really the command comes from the brain. Moreover, the hand does not act alone, but the trunk and the legs participate as well, if only in a supportive role. Similarly, it may appear that a certain action emanates from one sefira alone, but in actuality, although one sefira may predominate, there is always participation of all ten sefirot acting in unison. Transcending the sefirot is God, whose relation to the sefirot is similar to that of the human soul to the body. Just as the soul gives life to the body, so also the sefirot would be impotent without God’s spirit to give them vitality, as it is written: “And You give life to them all” (Nehemiah 9:6).

© Copyright 2009 by Ben Roshgolin. All rights reserved.