Lesson 3: The Inner Life of God: The Dynamics of the Divine System

Unit 1 – Interactions between the Sefirot - Introduction

In the previous lesson, we discussed the Kabbalistic theory of the sefirot. We learned
about the En-Sof, and the ways Kabbalists perceive its relationship with the sefirot. We
have seen that the En-Sof represents the hidden and transcendent aspect of the divine,
while the sefirot represent the revealed features of God, the aspects of God that form,
govern, and interact with creation. We learned that the sefirot also represent God’s
human like form, and that they are referred to by numerous different names, symbols,
and concepts. Much of Kabbalistic literature is dedicated to the theory of the sefirot and
to the interpretation of Jewish scriptures according to this doctrine.

But why was this knowledge so important for the Kabbalists?

Kabbalists assumed that the sefirot, and the interactions between them influence and
affect our world, humanity as a whole, and especially the destiny of the Jewish people.
Hence, knowledge of the sefirot and the dynamic relations between them provides a
better understanding of the world, of human history, and of our destiny. In today’s
lesson, we will examine Kabbalistic ideas concerning the divine dynamics and their
effects of the lower realms.

Kabbalists perceive the sefirot as a dynamic system. The sefirot interact with each other
and dramatic events occur within the divine realm, affecting, in turn, the lower world. As
there are many different ways in which the Kabbalists describe the sefirot, there are
also many ways in which they describe the relationships between them. As you may
recall, we learned in the last lesson about the different paradigms the Kabbalists used to
interpret the sefirot. The dynamics between the sefirot are also described according to
these paradigms. Thus, Kabbalists speak about the changing dynamics between the
divine attributes. They describe the changing relationship between the masculine and
feminine aspects of God, and discuss different events within the divine family. As the
Kabbalists assume that the Jewish scriptures refer to the sefirot, they interpret the
stories of the Bible, especially the Torah, as referring to events that occur within the
divine realm.

The events within the divine system – the dynamic interaction between the sefirot –
affect the lower realms and shape human history. When the sefirot are in a
harmonious, loving relationship with each other, this harmony is reflected in the lower
realms and peace and prosperity abound in the world. On the other hand, when discord
occurs in the relations between the sefirot - when they are in conflict and are distant
from one another, balance and harmony in the divine system is disrupted. Evil is
created, and catastrophes, wars, pain, and suffering occur in the lower realms.
Scholars of Kabbalah use the term “myth” to describe Kabbalistic narratives concerning
events in the divine realm. The word “myth” is used because of the similarities that
scholars perceive between Kabbalistic narratives about the sefirot and narratives
concerning the relationships between gods in the mythologies of different cultures. As
we saw in the previous lectures, the sefirot are often described in anthropomorphic (that
is, “human like”) terms. Hence, the relations between the sefirot are described as being
similar to human relationships. As we will soon see, they involve love, jealousy, and
rage, as well as sexual intercourse, pregnancy, and birth. The depiction of interactions
between divine beings in human terms is very common in ancient Greek mythology as
well as in the narratives of many other cultures. Some scholars define "myth" as a
narrative about divine, transcendent events, which explain and give meaning to the
practices, institutions, and history of a given society. According to such a definition,
Kabbalistic narratives about the sefirot can indeed be described as mythical.
Nonetheless, the term myth often carries negative connotations and is embedded in a
modern western ideological perspective that regards the narratives of pre-modern and
non-Western cultures as primitive and irrational. We will therefore try to avoid the use of
this term with reference to Kabbalistic narratives concerning the dynamics between the
sefirot.
In the following units, we will learn about some of the major narratives concerning the
inner life of the divine system and the effect the relationships between the sefirot have
on the lower realms, on the power of evil, and on human history.
Unit 2 – The Struggle between the Attributes of Mercy and Judgment
A recurring Kabbalistic theme (whose roots can be found in pre-Kabbalistic Jewish
literature) is that of an inner struggle within God. This struggle occurs between the
divine attribute of mercy and the divine attribute of judgment. The Kabbalists identify
God’s mercy, or loving-kindness, as the fourth sefirah, Hesed. God’s attribute of
judgment is identified as the fifth sefirah, Gevurah, or Din, which also represents God’s
anger, jealousy, and revenge. According to the Kabbalists, when the power of Gevurah
increases it can overpower Hesed and dominate the divine system. When that happens,
harsh judgment, destruction, and hardships reign in the lower realms. On the other
hand, when Hesed is dominant, the power of God’s loving-kindness pours forth into our
world, and wellbeing, kindness, and harmony are in abundance.
What power dominates the divine realm today?
Kabbalists, throughout history, believed that the balance in the divine worlds is tipped
towards judgment. Looking at the state of the world in which they lived, they concluded
that the power of Gevurah was dominant and overrode the power of Hesed.
Yet, Kabbalists believe that there are also periods of harmony in our world in which the
power of Hesed is stronger. The Sabbath – Saturday – the Jewish day of rest, as well
the Jewish holydays, and the hours after midnight, are considered periods in which the
power of Hesed increase. Although Kabbalists agreed that human history, and
especially Jewish history, was affected by the power of God’s judgment, they believed
that in the end of days, in the time of redemption, God’s mercy and loving kindness
would prevail.
Kabbalistic narratives concerning the balance between the powers of Gevurah and
Hesed are consistent with biblical stories that describe the history of the Israelites as
affected by the changing attitude of God to His people. According to the Jewish Bible,
God’s attitude changes from ardent and passionate love towards the people of Israel to
jealousy and anger. In Talmudic literature, this notion is further developed, and changes
in the divine attitude towards Israel are described as struggles between God’s attribute
of judgment and his attribute of mercy. In Kabbalah, these aspects or attributes of the
divine were represented by the sefirot of Hesed and Gevurah.
Before moving on to a different way in which Kabbalists describe the dynamics within
the divine system, I should mention that according to the Bible and Talmudic literature,
the change in God’s mood and behavior is dependent on human actions. God is angry
when the Israelites misbehave, and he is loving and caring when they follow his
commandments. Kabbalists also believe that the change in the balance between God’s
different attributes is stimulated by human behavior. We will discuss the idea of human
influence on the divine in the following lesson.
Unit 3 –Sexual Dynamics within the Sefirot
The relationship between the male and female aspects of the divine play a central role
in Kabbalah. Descriptions of this relationship are especially prevalent in the Zohar, the
canonical text of Kabbalah, which was written in the late 13th century. In this unit, we will
explore these relationships and their effect on the lower realms.
As you may recall, we learned in the last lesson that the divine male is represented by
Tif’eret or the cluster of Tif’eret and the five sefirot that surround it, and the divine
female by sefirat Malkhut. In the Zohar, Tif’eret is often called “The Holy One Blessed
be He” (Kudsha Brich Hu) and Malkhut “The Assembly of Israel” (Knesset Israel). The
divine couple can be in close relationship, which is described by the Kabbalists as
marriage or sexual union. The term for such a union in Hebrew is yihud, a word that
means unification and also designates sexual union. When such a union occurs, divine
affluence increases and expands from the higher masculine sefirot to the final (female)
sefirah, Malkhut, and from her, to the lower realms. However, when the divine male and
female are distant from one another, the divine harmony is broken and the flowing of
divine affluence is interrupted. As a result, the lower realms are deprived of divine
blessing and afflicted with destruction and suffering.
According to the Kabbalists, sexual union within the sefirot does not happen only
between Tif’eret and Malkhut. The higher masculine and feminine sefirot Hokhmah
(father) and Binah (mother) are also in sexual union. We will discuss the relations
between the higher divine couple in the next unit.
As mentioned previously, the lower feminine sefirah, Malkhut, is identified with the
Shekhina, the divine presence. According to Talmudic tradition, after the destruction of
the Temple, the divine presence was exiled together with the people of Israel.
Kabbalists understand the exile of the Shekhina as referring to the distancing and
separation that occurred between the divine female and her male divine partner. The
restoration of the divine harmony between the male and female (the re-union of Tif’eret
and Malkhut) would restore the Jewish people to their land and bring redemption and
blessing to the world.
Although Kabbalists believed the final and complete restoration of the harmony between
the divine male and female would occur only at the time of redemption, they also
recognized moments of divine union and blessing during history and throughout the
yearly cycle. Jewish holidays, including the sabbath, were recognized as holy times
during which divine union occurred. For instance, since the 16th century, Kabbalists
have received the entrance of the Sabbath, which was identified with the last sefirah,
Malkhut, as the progression of the divine feminine towards her male lover. This event
was celebrated in a special ceremony, kabbalat shabat (reception of the Sabbath),
conducted on Friday evening before the prayer service. During this ceremony, which
was subsequently accepted by all Jewish communities, the congregation sings the
famous poem “Lekha Dodi” - “Go forth my beloved towards the bride”. The poem,
written by the 16th century Kabbalist from Safed, Shlomo Alkavetz, celebrates the
entrance of the sabbath, the future redemption of Israel, and the union of the bride and
groom - the male and female aspects of the divine.

‫לינק‬
http://old.piyut.org.il/chosen12/english/.index.html#t55

Unit 4 - The Relationship within the Divine Family

As you may recall, Kabbalists also depict the sefirot as a family. According to this
perception, the second and third sefirot - Hokhmah and Binah - are called Aba (father)
and Ima (mother). The cluster of six sefirot below them, and especially the central
sefirah of this cluster, Tif’eret, are described as the offspring of Hokhma and Binah. The
last sefirah, Malkhut, is sometimes described as the daughter of the divine father and
mother, and sometime as the bride of the son.
As we saw before, Kabbalists were very much interested in the relationship between the
lower male and female sefirot, the heavenly couple Tif’eret and Malkhut. Kabbalists also
described and ascribed importance to relations between the divine family, the divine
mother and father, and their offspring, the lower sefirot. Descriptions of the relations
and events within the sefirot as a family were especially prevalent in Lurianic Kabbalah,
developed in Safed in the 16th century by Isaac Luria and his disciples.

Just like in human families, the major events in the divine family revolve around
pregnancy, birth, and the raising of children. According to Lurianic Kabbalah, such
events constitute the major stages of the inner life of the divine. The first important
stage is that of pregnancy, ibur in Hebrew. During this stage, the third sefirah, Binah
(mother, or Ima), is pregnant and the lower sefirot exist as embryos within their mother’s
womb. The second major stage according to Lurianic Kabbalah is infancy, katnut, or
yankut in Hebrew. In this stage the lower sefirot are still dependent on their mother and
do not reach mental and sexual maturity. The final and most complete stage in the
development of the divine system is maturity, gadlut in Hebrew. In this stage, the lower
sefirot reach their final development and become fully mature and independent.

According to the Lurianic Kabbalists, the different stages in the development within the
divine system are reflected in human history, as well as in the yearly and weekly cycle.
As long as the divine realm does not reach its maturity, the world remains in an
imperfect state. Only in the messianic age will the divine realm reach maturity and the
world its perfection. Nonetheless, each year, different periods symbolize and reflect
divine processes of maturation. Different holydays and sacred moments are explained
by Kabbalists as symbolizing and reflecting the different stages of pregnancy, birth, and
maturation within the divine.

Unit 5 – Divine Contraction (zimzum) and the Breaking of the Vessels

Kabbalists not only discuss the relations between the sefirot, but also describe dramatic
events that occurred within the En-Sof and during the formation of the sefirot. Isaac
Luria, (known as ha-Ari, the Lion) the famous 16th century Kabbalist from Safed, and his
disciples, developed a complex theory that became very influential in later Kabbalah. It
described dramatic events within the divine realm, prior to the formation of the sefirot.
According to Luria, before the emanation of the sefirot and creation of the lower worlds,
the only thing that existed was divine infinite light – “Or En-Sof”. In order to form a place
within which the sefirot and all other realms could be created through emanation, the
divine light had to contract in order to form a void within itself. This act of self-
contraction of the En-Sof is called in Hebrew zimzum, and the empty space formed by
the zimzum, tehiru. The process of emanation could only begin after the divine
contraction and formation of the empty space. A thin line of divine light reentered the
empty void. Following this, a highly complex and dramatic process of emanation began.
At a certain point in this process, the light of the En-Sof started pouring forth into the
vessels of the sefirot. According to Luria’s Kabbalah, the infinite light was first poured
forth into the first three sefirot – Keter, Hokhmah, and Binah. Yet, when the light of the
En-Sof reached the lower seven sefirot, its power was stronger than the capacity of the
sefirot to receive it and they broke. This catastrophic event within the divine realm is
called Shvirat Ha-Kelim, the breaking of the vessels. Following the breaking of the
vessels, most of the divine light returned to the last unbroken sefirah, Binah. Later, the
divine light reemerged from Binah and created a different formation of the divine
structure. The broken vessels themselves – and some of the divine light that adhered
to them – fell down from the divine realm to the bottom of the void – the tehiru. Through
this fall, the worlds of angelic powers, Beri’ah (creation) and Yetzirah (formation) were
formed, and the lower material realm, the world of action (Asiah) came into being. This
world is comprised of the broken shards of the vessels - called klipot - and some sparks
of divine light that were captured within them. This is the lower material world we live in.
As we will see later, according to Kabbalists, the mission of humanity is to redeem this
world by separating the sparks of divine light from the shards of the broken vessels.
Unit 6 –Evil and its Origins
The nature of evil, its origins, and its relations to the divine realm are questions that
Jewish philosophers and Kabbalists were interested in. Kabbalists gave different
answers to these questions, yet many of them agreed that the roots of evil were to be
found within the divine system, and that the power of evil was dependent on an
imbalance, or disharmony, between the sefirot.
According to many Kabbalists, the source of evil was to be found in the fifth sefirah,
called Gevurah, or Din – judgment or power. One of the earliest Kabbalistic texts, Sefer
ha-Bahir, identifies it as Satan, and as the attribute of evil. It says: “What is it? It is
Satan. We learn that the Holy One Blessed be He has an attribute whose name is Evil.
And it lies to His north. As it is written, “Out of the north evil shall break forth” (Jeremiah
1, 14) … What is it? It has the shape of a left hand, and it has many emissaries, which
are all called: evil, evil (Bahir, section 109).”
Later Kabbalists did not accept this view. For them, the powers of evil emanate from
Gevurah, but as long as this sefirah is balanced by the powers of mercy it is not evil.
Nonetheless, when divine judgment is not mitigated by the attribute of mercy, the
powers of evil emanate from Gevurah and become independent.
According to another perception, which is found in one of the sections of the Zohar
called the Idra Rabba, evil was formed from imperfect realms that were emanated
before the sefirot and were destroyed because they did not have a feminine
counterpart. The Zohar proposes that an allusion to these imbalanced realms can be
found in Genesis 36:31: “These are the Kings who reigned in the land of Edom before
any king reigned over the Israelites”. The Zohar explains that the Kings of the Israelites
are the sefirot, and interprets the Kings of Edom as the powers of evil that preceded
them.
Isaac Luria and his disciples further developed this idea, claiming the potential for evil
already existed in the En-Sof before the zimzum. According to some of Luria’s disciples,
the roots of judgment were concealed within the infinite divine light. During the zimzum,
the roots of judgment were concentrated in one place. The vessels of the sefirot, which
were supposed to contain the light of the En-Sof were formed from these roots of
judgment. Following the breaking of the vessels (which, in Lurianic Kabbalah, is also
termed “the death of the kings of Edom”), the broken shards or husks of the vessels, the
kelipot, formed the material world and the realms of evil.
Unit 7 – The Powers of Evil: The Other Side (Sitra Ahra), Samael, and Lilith.
According to most Kabbalists, the roots of evil are found within the divine system, yet
the powers of evil that emerge from the sefirot are described as an independent
constellation. It exists outside the divine system and stands in conflict with it. Many
Kabbalists were interested in the powers of evil and described them in detail.
For instance, a group of Kabbalists active in Castile in the 13th century were considered
experts in the knowledge of the evil realms. These Kabbalists described a system of ten
evil powers that parallel the sefirot, which they referred to as “The Left Emanation”.
Similar ideas are found in the Zohar, which described this parallel realm of evil as the
Sitrah Ahra – “the other side”. According to the Zohar and other Kabbalists, the realm
of evil constitutes male and female powers, similar to the divine system. The masculine
evil power was identified with Satan, and is sometimes called Samael, a term that
appeared in early Jewish sources, and which was understood to signify the blind (in
Aramaic “suma”) God. The female counterpart of Samael was Lilith – a famous
demonic female figure in Jewish culture since the Second Temple period.
According to Jewish legends, Lilith was the first wife of Adam who was banished
because of her independent spirit. Lilith was described in Jewish sources as a female
demon who harms babies and seduces men in their sleep. These motifs were adopted
by the Zohar, that offered vivid and elaborate descriptions of Lilith and her evil powers.
According to the Zohar, the powers of the Sitrah Ahra, the demonic “other side,” interact
with the sefirot and can have a negative effect on the divine system. Thus, for instance,
the Zohar describes a situation in which the male demonic power seduces the lower
feminine sefirah, Malkhut, adulterates her, and separates her from her male divine
counterpart, Tif’eret. This of course, has a negative effect on the lower realms and
especially on the Jewish people. Another narrative found in the Zohar describes a
situation in which Lilith, the feminine demonic power, seduces Tif’eret and thus also
causes a separation between the divine masculine and feminine powers with
devastating effects on the lower realms.
What are the reasons for these catastrophic events within the divine realm? What
causes imbalances within the sefirot? What leads to the empowerment of the forces of
evil and allows them to disrupt the harmony of the divine system and harm the lower
worlds?

The answer, according to the Kabbalists, is human beings’ misconduct and

disobedience. This is the cause of the disruption of divine harmony and the
empowerment of the evil side. The notion that the balance, harmony, and power of the
divine system are dependent on the behavior of human beings is a central idea of
Kabbalah. Human beings, according to the Kabbalists, can disrupt the inner life of the
divine. Yet, as we shall see in the next lesson, they can also restore the balance and
harmony within the sefirot.

Unit 8 - Reading a Primary Text: The Serpent Defiles Malkhut

Before moving to our next lesson, in which we will discuss the effect of human behavior
on the divine system, I would like us to read a text from the Zohar. This text describes
the relations between the sefirot and the powers of evil. In it, many of the topics we
discussed in this lesson come to the fore.

In the third volume of the Zohar, we read:

“As we have learned, at the time when the powerful Serpent on high awakens, because
of the sins of this world, he dwells and unites with the Female, and defiles Her. The
Male departs from Her, because She was defiled, and She is called impure. It is not
proper for the Male to come close to Her, for woe if He becomes impure by Her when
she is defiled… The powerful Serpent on high has awoken, and poured his filth in a
place he shouldn’t have, uniting with the Female. And the hair of the Male grows, and
the Female is defiled, and her hair grows long, and her fingernails grow long. Then
judgment begins to emerge in the world, and everything becomes defiled, as it is
written: “For he has defiled the Lords Sanctuary” (Numbers 19:20). God’s sanctuary is
defiled because of human sins” (Zohar III, 79a).
The passage gives us a good example of the vivid, colorful style of the Zohar’s
description of dramatic events in the upper realm. It explains why scholars often refer to
the Zohar as representing Jewish myth. The Serpent on high in the passage is the
demonic male figure – Satan, or Samael. The female, which he defiles, and the male,
who separates from the female, are the feminine and masculine sefirot: Tif’eret and
Malkhut. The Zohar describes how, when the power of evil awakens and becomes
strong, he can penetrate the divine system. Then he dominates the divine female,
contaminates and defiles her, and thus causes a separation between the divine male
and divine female. When Malkhut is dominated and defiled by Satan, she becomes a
demonic figure herself, and her hair and fingernails grow wild. Then stern judgments
govern the world, and God’s sanctuary, the Temple in Jerusalem, is destroyed and
defiled.

According to the Zohar, human sins are the reasons for the dramatic events that it
describes:

1. The awakening of the Serpent of high.

2. The defilement of the divine female

3. The destruction of the Temple.

The notion that human sin has devastating effects on the upper realm – but also the
idea that human beings can repair the damage they have done on high – are central
ideas in Kabbalah. We will discuss these notions in detail in the next lesson.