“G‑d borrows terms from His creatures to express His relationship with the world. G‑d has no eyes, yet He creates the eye and is aware of everything that happens in the world. G‑d has no hand, yet He creates the hand and His providence guides the world’s destiny. When the Torah tells us that G‑d made Man in His image, it means that Man is a microcosm of the Sefirot, with the entire spiritual infrastructure reflected in him.”
“Kabbalists chose to depict the Sefirot as corresponding to various limbs and functions of the human body.”
Romans 16-24 CJB
16 Now if the hallah offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole loaf. And if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you — a wild olive — were grafted in among them and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, 18 then don’t boast as if you were better than the branches! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you. 19 So you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 True, but so what? They were broken off because of their lack of trust. However, you keep your place only because of your trust. So don’t be arrogant; on the contrary, be terrified! 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he certainly won’t spare you! 22 So take a good look at God’s kindness and his severity: on the one hand, severity toward those who fell off; but, on the other hand, God’s kindness toward you — provided you maintain yourself in that kindness! Otherwise, you too will be cut off! 23 Moreover, the others, if they do not persist in their lack of trust, will be grafted in; because God is able to graft them back in. 24 For if you were cut out of what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree!
“Still, when trying to grasp the dynamic of the Sefirot in the higher realms; one may make reference to the human conceptual model, and then reflect these concepts above. In this manner, we can speak in the language of man to appreciate the higher spiritual realms. One must be cautious in doing so, and realize that this human model is only a reflection of the Sefirot. All analogies have their human dimension which may not be applicable in the higher realms.”
“When one utilizes the ten soul powers within him in his Divine service here in this world, he is able to affect their source, the Sefirot, in the higher worlds.
The emotive powers are represented by the seven channels of Chessed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malchut. They are also referred to as the Three Mothers and the Seven Doubles.
The first three are viewed as “mothers” because they are the source and root of the other seven, just as a mother is the source of her offspring. The seven Emotions are called doubles because they manifest themselves in a two-fold manner as shall be explained.”
“The first of the Sefirot is called Chochmah. Chochmah is the soul faculty that conceives any matter, and hence is made of the words koach mah, meaning the potential of what is. It produces the original idea, and is often referred to as the first flash of intellect. It already contains within it all the details of the idea but as yet they are concentrated and obscured. It is everything in potential. This potential has been likened to a dot, in which everything is contained, but nothing is actualized or given definition. In the Tetragrammaton, this is represented in the first letter, yud, which resembles a dot.”
“The second Sefirah is Binah. Binah means, “to understand or derive one matter out of another matter.” Binah takes the original idea and expands and develops it both in breadth and depth. It crystallizes and clarifies the details of the idea that were obscured in Chochmah. That which was in concentrate form is now revealed and understood. In the name of G‑d, Binah is the letter hey. Its shape, which is more elongated and comprised of strokes, implies the expansion of the dot in breadth and length. Chochmah and Binah are equitable to two good friends who can never be separated. The Zohar describes them as “a dot in the palace,” with the dot Chochmah being realized in the palace of Binah. The koach mah of Chochmah (potential of “what is”) is realized in Binah.”
The Hebrew letter Hey (ה) is deeply symbolic in Jewish mysticism, especially within Kabbalah, where each letter is understood to carry layers of meaning connected to spiritual and metaphysical principles. Here’s an overview of how Hey connects to the concepts you mentioned:
- Hey and the Dot (Yod)
The letter Hey is constructed from two primary elements: a dalet (ד), which represents structure and form, and a yod (י) that represents divine wisdom and the essential point of life. The yod within the Hey is sometimes described as a "dot" and represents the seed of chochmah (wisdom), as the smallest point of spiritual energy and origin.
This yod represents the initial spark of divine inspiration, often described as undivided and pure in its form. The two parts—dalet and yod—cannot be separated, symbolizing the inseparability of form and divine inspiration, matter and spirit, which reflect unity in creation.
- Hey as a Vessel of Divine Bliss
In Kabbalistic thought, Hey often symbolizes the feminine vessel that receives and gives form to divine energy. This is why it is associated with binah (understanding), which "receives" the spark of chochmah. Together, chochmah and binah act as complementary forces—wisdom and understanding, father and mother—that give birth to all of creation.
Binah (understanding) is often linked to divine bliss and ecstasy because it involves the process of "unpacking" divine wisdom into comprehensible, structured knowledge. This bliss is the result of the union and harmony between chochmah (wisdom) and binah (understanding), which in turn relates to the upper triad of the Sefirot, the Godhead or Divine Unity.
- Hey and the Godhead Union
The Hey also signifies the feminine aspect of the divine, often linked to malchut (sovereignty) in the lower Sefirot, which receives from binah and channels divine energy into the world. In the higher Sefirot, the union of chochmah and binah reflects a mystical union of the Divine Masculine and Feminine—the Godhead—through which the flow of divine energy into creation is made possible.
This union is also associated with the highest form of divine ecstasy, as chochmah and binah intertwine to reflect the ultimate state of devekut (clinging to the Divine). Their connection is considered a sublime state, often referred to as the highest form of spiritual enlightenment, where one experiences unity with the Divine.
- Two Inseparable Parts
The letter Hey’s structure—with its open space between dalet and yod—alludes to the idea of receptivity and expansiveness. The divine energy (yod) flows into the vessel (dalet), symbolizing that while Hey has separate elements, they work together in perfect harmony, symbolizing balance in creation.
This inseparability of parts within Hey mirrors the unbreakable link between chochmah and binah in their divine union. This inseparability emphasizes that the process of creation is complete and interconnected, reflecting the unification of all divine attributes within the Ein Sof (the Infinite).
In summary, Hey encapsulates the essence of divine union, both in form and energy, symbolizing the ecstatic fusion of chochmah and binah within the Godhead. This fusion yields the profound bliss that arises from divine wisdom and understanding, ultimately creating a vessel for spiritual enlightenment and unity with the Divine.
"Reference Rabbi Nissan Dovid Dubov, a rabbinic scholar, lecturer and author, is director of Chabad Lubavitch in Wimbledon, UK."
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