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A Frame of Reference
The Infinite Divine Light and the Ten Sefirot
The Ramak, in his well-known book, Pardeis Rimonim (cf. The Orchard of the Pomegranates) (Gate 2, Chapter 6), presents an analogy between the sun and a giant lantern, that portrays the relationship between the Holy One’s Infinite Divine Light and the Sefirot (System of Divine Lights). Just as the sun is a brilliant luminary, whose intense magnitude precludes our viewing it for more than a few seconds without injuring our eyes, so too, the radiance of the Infinite Divine Light is beyond the comprehension of every created being.
This may be likened to a skylight which lets the sunlight shine into a house. Of course, to look up at the sun directly would damage the eyes. Therefore, the rays of the sun are filtered through ten multicolored lenses of a giant lantern which reduce the intensity of the direct sunlight. The brilliance of the sunlight is reduced so that people can enjoy it, without damaging their eyes.
Imagine that a person enters the house to enjoy the filtered sunlight. He asks why do you need specifically ten lenses, no less and no more? They answer him, “If there was less than ten lenses the intense sunlight would damage the eyes, and if there was more than ten lenses the light would not be visible.”
In His unbounded Mercy, the Holy One reveals the Infinite Divine Light to the Creations in a limited fashion, filtered to the extent that we can gain the merest glimmer of understanding of His Light. He accomplishes this “reduction” of the Infinite Divine Light through the agency of the Ten Sefirot through which His Will is expressed to His Creations.
A Frame of Reference
In order to provide a frame of reference that will help us grasp the notion of the Sefirot in a tangible way that relates to our daily lives, we offer the metaphor of a satellite array: Communication satellites are positioned in space, receiving data from one Earth station and then transmitting it to another. In a manner of speaking, we can say that the Sefirot bear a resemblance to these satellites: Just as the satellites receive and send data, so do the Sefirot transmit life and spirituality to our souls (moreover, the Sefirot are also in constant, uninterrupted, real-time communication with each other, all synchronized in complete harmony and agreement). The Mitzvos (Commandments) we perform send “spiritual signals” to the Sefirot. In turn they receive our “signals” and radiate an iota of the Eternal’s Light and Holiness upon us and the entire Universe.
Introduction to the Infinite Divine Light and the Ten Sefirot
What follows is the briefest and most basic introduction to this endlessly deep topic. The Sefirot are generally understood to be revealed in a semi-descending order, with complementary pairs and paralleling descents. The most common conceptual understanding lists them as follows, with the Infinite Divine Light “descending” Itself into:
כתר ( 1 ~ Crown, which stands by itself. This is followed by the complementary pair of
חכמה ( 2 ~ Wisdom and בינה ( 3 ~ Enlightenment; followed by the parallel descent to
חסד ( 4 ~ Kindness and גבורה ( 5 ~ Judgment; followed by the stand-alone
תפארת ( 6 ~ Glory; followed by the complementary pair of
נצח ( 7 ~ Triumph and הוד ( 8 ~ Splendor; followed by
יסוד ( 9 ~ Foundation; followed by
מלכות (10 ~ Kingship. This can be visualized in eight graduated tiers, as follows:
אור אין סוף, ברוך הוא ~ The Holy One’s Infinite Divine Light
כתר ~ Crown
בינה ~ Enlightenment * חכמה ~ Wisdom
גבורה ~ Judgment * חסד ~ Kindness
תפארת ~ Glory
הוד ~ Splendor * נצח ~ Triumph
יסוד ~ Foundation
מלכות ~ Kingship
(If you find Day 4 a bit abstract, please continue reading. The forthcoming chapters will help you grasp and understand these concepts.)
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