June 4th, 2006Theogenesis - Kabbalah
The following document presents the Kabbalah as I understand it, through various literature (list at the end) and through contemplation. It may diverge from the customary viewpoint, e.g. the names and roles of the ten sephiroth.
For the kabbalist the universe is not just a creation by God, but also a manifestation of this Gods own development. Just like we develop and grow, so does God.
The state or stage of God in the beginning, the kabbalists describe with the symbol Ein-Sof. This first stage is a mysterious boundless state of being of which nothing can be said, since all describtions will limit and encircle it.
However to create an idea or an intuition in the minds of their students the kabbalists describe the state as a coincidence of all opposites, like good and evil, above and below, beginning and end, etc..These opposing concepts are not "just words", but are of profound importance when trying to grasp the Ein-Sof. Using good and evil as an example, good deeds only exist to the extent that the opposite, evil deeds, exists. If for some reason the deeds that we label evil should cease to exist, the deeds that we label good, would also cease to exist. Concepts need a background in order to stand out, and the more clearly the background is, the more clearly the concept stands out, and vice versa.
Hence, the concept of good only exists because of its opposite, evil. |
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The opposites are intimately linked to each other - one cannot exist without the other. These oppositions did not exist at the stage of Ein-Sof. The infinite light of God was everywhere and nothing existed, rather everything existed as a potential. The type of existence or being are described as the union of being and nothingness.
To illustrate this mysterious and paradoxial stage, which can not be encircled, we will be somewhat disobedient, and illustrate it with a circle. Also we will use an analogy, and compare the stage of Ein-Sof to the ocean: |
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The describtion of God does not end with the symbol of Ein-Sof. The reason is, as mentioned above, that God is also growing and changing according to His own wish. The creator of our universe is a God who will be whatever He wants to be, the kabbalists say.
In the state of Ein-Sof God has the potential to be anything at all, in the new state of being a certain part of these potentials will be purged out, resulting in a more complex state of being. |
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Other kabbalah links: |
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(can be read without reading part I) |
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”Man is not only the end purpose of creation, nor is his dominion limited to this world alone, but on him depends the perfection of the higher worlds and of God himself.”
Lurian cabalah. |
