The Kabbalah: its doctrines, development, and literatureGinsburg, Christian D. (Christian David)
Religion
The Kabbalah: its doctrines, development, and literature
Ginsburg, Christian D. (Christian David)
Cabala
In their totality and unity these ten Sephiroth are not only
denominated the world of Sephiroth (עולﬦ הספירות) and the world of
Emanations (עולﬦ אצילות), but represent and are called the Primordial
or Archetypal Man (אדﬦ קדמון = πρωτόγονος), and the Heavenly Man
(אדם עילאה). In the figure, the Crown (כתר) is the head; Wisdom
(חכמה), the brains; and Intelligence (בינה), which unites the two
and produces the first triad, is the heart or the understanding—thus
forming the head. The fourth and fifth Sephiroth, i.e., Mercy (חסד)
and Justice (פחד), are the two arms of the Lord, the former the right
arm and the latter the left, one distributing life and the other death.
And the sixth Sephira, Beauty (תפארת), which unites these two
opposites and produces the second triad, is the chest; whilst the
seventh and eighth Sephiroth,—i.e., Firmness (נצח) and Splendour
(הוד), of the third triad,—are the two legs; and Foundation (יסוד),
the ninth Sephira, represents the genital organs, since it denotes the
basis and source of all things. Thus it is said “Every thing will
return to its origin just as it proceeded from it. All marrow, all sap,
and all power are congregated in this spot. Hence all powers which
exist originate through the genital organs.” (Sohar, iii, 296 a.)
Kingdom (מלכות), the tenth Sephira, represents the harmony of the
whole Archetypal Man. The following is the archetypal figure of the ten
Sephiroth.
It is this form which the prophet Ezekiel saw in the mysterious
chariot, and of which the earthly man is a faint copy. Moreover, these
Sephiroth, as we have already remarked, created the world and all
things therein according to their own archetype or in the likeness and
similitude of the Heavenly Man or the World of Emanations. But, before
we propound the Kabbalistic doctrine of the creation of the world, it
is necessary to describe a second mode in which the trinity of triads
in the Sephiroth is represented, and to mention the appellations and
offices of the respective triads.
כתר CROWN
חכמה WISDOM
בינה INTELLIGENCE
תפארת BEAUTY
חסד LOVE פחד JUSTICE
יסוד FOUNDATION
הוד SPLENDOUR נצח FIRMNESS
מלכות KINGDOM
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