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
Now in looking at the Sephiroth which constitute the first triad, it
will be seen that they represent the intellect; hence this triad is
called the Intellectual World (עולם מושכל). The second triad, again,
represents moral qualities; hence it is designated the moral or
Sensuous World (עולﬦ מורגש): whilst the third triad represents power
and stability, and hence is designated the Material World (עולﬦ
המוטבע). These three aspects in which the En Soph manifested himself
are called the Faces (אנפין and פרצופין = πρόσωπον, the two words
are identical, the former being pure Aramaic, and the latter from the
Greek). In the arrangement of this trinity of triads, so as to produce
what is called the Kabbalistic tree, denominated the Tree of Life (עץ
חיים), or simply the Tree (אילן), the first triad is placed above,
the second and third are placed below, in such a manner that the three
masculine Sephiroth are on the right, the three feminine on the left,
whilst the four uniting Sephiroth occupy the centre, as shown in the
following diagrams:—
I.
כתר 1 Crown
3 בינה Intelligence חכמה 2 Wisdom
5 פחד Justice חסד 4 Love
תפארת 6 Beauty
8 הוד Splendour נצח 7 Firmness
יסוד 9 Foundation
מלכות 10 Kingdom
II.
און סוף The Endless.
כתר Crown 1
בינח Intelligence 3 חכמה Wisdom 2
פחד Justice 5 חסד Love 4
תפארת Beauty 6
הוד Splendour 8 נצח Firmness 7
יסוד Foundation 9
מלכות Kingdom 10
The three Sephiroth on the right, representing the principle of mercy
(חסד), are called the Pillar of Mercy (סטרא ימינא עמודא דחסד); the
three on the left, representing the principle of rigour (דין), are
denominated the Pillar of Judgment (סטרא דשמאלא עמודא דדינה); whilst
the four Sephiroth in the centre, representing mildness (רחמיﬦ), are
called the Middle Pillar (עמודא דאמצעיתא). Each Sephira composing
this trinity of triads is, as it were, a trinity in itself. I, It has
its own absolute character; II, It receives from above; and III, It
communicates to what is below it. Hence the remark, “Just as the Sacred
Aged is represented by the number three, so are all the other lights
(Sephiroth) of a threefold nature.” (Sohar, iii, 288 b.) Within this
trinity in each unit and trinity of triads there is a trinity of units,
which must be explained before we can propound the Kabbalistic view of
the cosmogony.
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