LESSON FIVE

FOUR WORLDS; FOUR LEVELS OF SOUL

TEXT ONE --- Isaiah 43:6-7

Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the end of the earth; all who are
linked to My name, whom I have created (berativ); I have formed him (yetzartiv);
yea, I have made him (asitiv) for My glory.

TEXT TWO --- Tikkunei ha-Zohar, introduction, end of p. 3b.

Blessed is He who clothes the king and the Matronita with the ten sefirot of
Beri’ah (creation)...for on Shabbat and festivals He dons the garments of royalty,
which are the ten sefirot of Beri’ah, and on weekdays He dons the ten groups of
angels, who serve the ten sefirot of Beri’ah. For the king is within the ten sefirot of
Atzilut (emanation); He and His essence are one there, He and His life are one
there. This is not the case with the ten sefirot of Beri’ah (creation), for they and
their life are not one; they and their essence are not one. And the Cause of all
illumines the ten sefirot of Atzilut and the ten sefirot of Beri’ah, and He illumines
the ten groups of angels and the ten spheres in the firmament, and He does not
change anywhere.

TEXT THREE --- Tikkunei ha-Zohar, tikkun 6, 23a.

The upper mother nests in the Throne, among the three upper sefirot; the central
pillar, which comprises six sefirot, nests in Metatron; the lower mother nests in the
Wheel... For from the Throne came the neshamot, and from the Chayah
(Creature) the ruchot, and from the Wheel the nefashot, and they are in Beri’ah,
Yetzirah, and Asiyah (creation, formation, and making). On Shabbat and festivals
there descend upon them neshamot, ruchot and nefashot by way of emanation,
and they are the holy spirit from the ten sefirot.

TEXT FOUR --- Isaiah Horowitz, Shnei Luchot Ha-Brit, Toledot

Adam, House of Y-H-V-H, sect. 22-24.

Although the ten utterances are the secret of the emanation of the sefirot,
nevertheless the root of the building of the world depends on two partzufim
(faces), Tiferet and Malkhut. For God made six days (Ex. 20:11): These are the
six supernal days, the six extremities, Tiferet, which contains six sefirot that are its

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pride. From my flesh, I see God (Job 19:26). It is like the body, which has its two
arms and two legs and the organ of generation, which bestows (shefa) to the
sefirah Malkhut. God in His holy chamber (Ps. 11:4), i.e., the chamber of God
which receives the influx, and later empties it out below, bringing into existence
the worlds Beri’ah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah...

...the Kabbalists gave Chokhmah and Binah the names Father and Mother, and
Tiferet and Malkhut, Son and Daughter. From my flesh, I see God. The existence
of the son comes from father and mother. Before the son was revealed, he existed
as part of the father in great concealment, that is, as the seed sent from the brain,
through the spinal cord, and later most discernible as the embryo within the
mother. Afterward, when he emerges from his mother’s womb, he is revealed to
all.

However, there is an even greater degree of concealment than this one, in the will,
the thought to arouse the coupling. We may say that the potential (existence) of the
son was inherent in this will, in great concealment. Later, it was drawn from the
brain, through the father’s power, and bestowed upon the mother. Similarly the two
partzufim first existed in the secret of the will, the thought, in the secret of Keter,
which is called will. As explained in (Cordovero’s) Pardes Rimonim, Sha’ar Ha-
tzachtzachot (“Gate of Brightness”), Keter is absolutely concealed and
Chokhmah is the beginning of revelation, in comparison to the deep concealment.
This beginning of revelation is revealed by Binah. Then Binah is BEN YAH,
Tiferet in its place. And its place of reception is Malkhut, along with him. For the
emanation of the six extremities into their place occurred by means of bestower
and receiver, Chokhmah and Binah. In the same way, when the extension of the
six extremities above produce the worlds Beri’ah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, Tiferet
bestows and Malkhut receives this bestowal and actualizes it. Son and Daughter
are comparable to Father and Mother, except Father and Mother are responsible for
revealing the emanation of the six extremities and the effect (of what is enacted by
the sefirot) is revealed by Son and Daughter.

With this introduction, you can understand how the Four-Letter Name of God
includes all of the divine emanation. But another fundamental still needs
explanation. The kabbalists, especially in Sefer ha-Pardes,1 have already
discussed at length the linkage of the worlds. For the upper and the lower cleave
together. The upper bestows upon the lower, and the lower is a shadow of the
upper. What is in one is in the other, even if the one below is material and the one
above spiritual. It is always the case that one is parallel to the other. The entire
ma’aseh Bereshit speaks of the lower worlds but alludes to the higher worlds. For

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He, praised be He, brought all the worlds into existence and all the worlds depend
on His great light. Although the light is revealed in a much more refined way in a
certain world than in another, this is due to the process of extension. However,
everything is from His great light. I will give you an example. The light of the sun
casts its light on the moon. Afterword, the moon shines in the atmosphere of the
world. From there, the light proceeds from the atmosphere of the world into a
single room. The light progressively becomes coarsened because of the process of
extension, but it is all one light. So it is with the extension of the worlds, Atzilut,
Beri’ah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah.

The secret of the world of Atzilut is that it is like a flame attached to a coal. It is
not something separate from it. For the (source of the) flame is in the coal, and in
hovering over the coal, the flame is revealed and it is tightly bound to it. Similarly,
(the world of) Atzilut consists of rays of light from the coal, which were concealed
in perfect unity (within it). The light of emanation consists of supernal lights
beyond comprehension. These lights were revealed in the secret of the verses, And
God said: let there be light! And there was light... And the spirit of God hovered...
(Gen. 1:3, 1:2) The secret alluded to by the hovering is the arising of the will to
contract His light so that it could emanate. This involves no change in either the
emanator or the emanation, according to the secret meaning of And there was light,
which our Sages of blessed memory interpreted to mean that there was light
already. Only, (the light) was completely concealed in its root and supernal source,
as was said above. That is the secret of His divinity. For the Ein Sof is a soul to the
soul of the sefirot. They are the souls of everything that would later be brought into
existence. And the Cause of Causes is a soul to them, according to the secret of
emanated divine essence.

Afterward, the world of Atzilut was extended by means of Malkhut, through the
contraction of its light, and the world (of Beri’ah) came into existence. The world
of Atzilut is a soul to the world of Beri’ah, just as Ein Sof is a soul to the world of
Atzilut. Afterward, the world of Beri’ah was extended through the contraction of
its light and the world of Yetzirah came into existence. The world of Beri’ah is a
soul to the world of Yetzirah. Afterward the world of Yetzirah was extended
through the contraction of its light and the world of Asiyah came into existence.
All of this occurs through the power of the Cause of Causes, Ein Sof, which is the
power of the world of Atzilut. And the power of the world of Beri’ah depends on
the power of Atzilut. So the power of Beri’ah depends on the power of Atzilut,
whose power depends on Ein Sof. This world of Beri’ah is the power of the world
of Yetzirah. So Yetzirah is in the power of Beri’ah which is in the power of
Atzilut which is in the power of Ein Sof. This world of Yetzirah is the power of

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the world of Asiyah, only the light has become concealed and coarsened,
according to the nature of the receivers.

Thus the world of emanation can be compared to a flame in a coal. The flame is
revealed through the will, which hovers above and is tightly bound to the coal. The
world of Beri’ah is like one who lights a torch from a flame. The light of the torch
does not remain connected in perfect unity to the light of the flame from which the
torch was lit. Nevertheless, its level is great. The torch contains a great light in
which the light of the flame inheres. The world of Yetzirah is comparable to
lighting a candle from a flame, and this candle illuminates a dark room.

And there was light. All the stages of the extension of the worlds are parallel. Only,
one is secret, the next more revealed, and the next even more revealed. So it is
explained in the Zohar and brought in Pardes Rimonim, Sha’ar Mahut
v’Hanhagah, chapter 11: “There are four elements in all the worlds.” But they are
material in the world of Asiyah, while at a higher level, in the world of Yetzirah,
they are spiritual. In other words, Michael is water, Gabriel is fire, Uriel is air, and
Raphael is earth. Above, in the world of Beri’ah, they are more spiritual, the four
chayyot (creatures) which bear the Throne (of Glory). Later, above, they become
the four legs of the Throne. Ultimately, in the world of Atzilut, they are most
spiritual. Chesed is water. Gevurah is fire. Tiferet is air. Malkhut is supernal
earth. Each level contains the roots for the level below. Thus everything that exists
in the lower worlds alludes to the upper worlds, and from the revealed we reach the
concealed.

TEXT FIVE --- Mark Malachi, “From the Depths of Silence,” pp.
168-172

In terms of the Kabbalah, the Tree of Life can be viewed as the Adam Kadmon,
or prototypical human body. It is comprised of ten sefirot, each a vibrating and
pulsating vortex of energy. Each sefirah corresponds to an area of the human body.
When one of the sefirot is underdeveloped, its spiritual gift is unrealized and/or
negative action is perpetrated from that place, a blockage of energy occurs in the
corresponding aspect of the person. This may manifest in a spiritual, mental,
emotional, or physical problem, or any configuration of the above.

Just as a separate Tree of Life exists in each of the four worlds–-Asiyah, Yetzirah,
Beri’ah, and Atzilut, a Tree exists for each of the corresponding four bodies:
physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Each body must be clear and pure, and
the energy flow must be unobstructed and free for the most natural state of health

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to exist. A blockage in the working of a sefirah on any of the four levels causes an
imbalance and disharmony on all levels. The optimum state of health exists when
each sefirah on each of the levels is in harmony with each of the other
sefirot...Disharmony generally travels from the most etheric to the most dense,
from Atzilut to Asiyah, from the spiritual through the mental and the emotional
levels to the physical body...

The Four Worlds and the Four Bodies

World Aspect of Qualities Dimension

Adam Kadmon

Atzilut spiritual body pure being higher planes

(Emanation) limitless light
nothingness
union with God

Beri’ah mental body grace 5th and 6th

(Creation) discernment dimensions
unconditional love
detachment

Yetzirah emotional body creativity 4th dimension

(Formation) imagery
psychic phenomena
dreams

Asiyah physical body material world 3rd dimension

(Action) world of illusion
karmic events
politics

TEXT SIX --- Zohar II, 141b-142a

The human soul is called by three names: nefesh, ruach, neshamah. All are
comprised within one another, while their power appears in three places. Nefesh
appears in the grave while the body decomposes in the dust, and she flits about in

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this world to mingle with the living and to perceive their suffering. When they are
in need, she pleads for mercy.

Ruach enters the earthly garden, where she is formed into an image of the body of
this world, in a certain garment she dons there. She revels there in pleasures and
delights of the radiance of the garden. On Shabbat, new moons and festivals, she
ascends above, delighting there, and (afterwards) returns to her place. On this it is
written: The ruach will return to God who gave it (Eccl. 12:7). Will return:
precisely, at these times we have mentioned.

Neshamah ascends immediately to her place, to the place from which she came.
Through her the lamp is kindled, shining above. This one never descends below;
through this is encompassed the one who is encompassed from all sides, above and
below. Until this ascends to be linked with her place, ruach is not crowned in the
earthly garden and nefesh does not rest in her place. As soon as this ascends, all of
them attain tranquility.

When inhabitants of the world are in need, when in their suffering they go to the
cemetery, this nefesh arouses and she goes flying and arouses ruach, and that
ruach arouses the patriarchs, and ascends and arouses neshamah. Then the Holy
One, blessed be He, has compassion on the world, as we have established.
Although these matters of the soul have been aroused in other aspects, they are all
evenly balanced; this is clarity of the matter, and all is one.

When neshamah is hindered from ascending to her place, ruach goes and stands
by the entrance of the Garden of Eden. But the entrance is not opened for her, and
she goes roaming about, unnoticed by anyone. Nefesh goes roaming through the
world, sees the body breeding worms and enduring the punishment of the grave,
and she mourns over it, as they have established, for it is written: Surely his flesh
feels pain for him and his soul mourns for him (Job 14:22). All suffer punishment
until neshamah is bound in her place above; then all are bound in their places. For
all these form a single bond, corresponding to the pattern above in the mystery of
nefesh, ruach, and neshamah. All is one, one bond.

Nefesh has no light of her own at all. This is the one who shares in the mystery of
a certain body, delighting and nourishing it with all that it needs, as it is written:
She provides food for her house and a portion for her maidens (Prov. 31:15). Her
house is that body, which She nourishes; her maidens are those limbs of the body,
all of them. Ruach is the one who rides on this nefesh, controlling her, illumining
her with all that She needs, and nefesh is a throne for this ruach. Neshamah is the

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one who generates this ruach, controlling Him, illumining Him with the light of
life; and that ruach depends upon this neshamah, and is illumined by Her radiant
light. That nefesh depends upon this ruach, and is illumined and nourished by
Him, and all is one bond.

Until this supernal neshamah ascends into the flow of Ancient of Ancients,
Concealed of all Concealed, and is filled by it, since it is ceaseless, this ruach does
not enter the Garden of Eden, which is nefesh--eternally, ruach rests only in the
Garden of Eden, and neshamah above--and this nefesh does not settle in Her place
within the body below. Similarly, all below separates thus in a human, although
they all form one bond. Neshamah ascends above into the flow of the well; ruach
enters the Garden of Eden, corresponding to the supernal pattern; nefesh settles in
the grave.

TEXT SEVEN --- Midrash Bereshit Rabbah 14:9

The soul is called by five names: nefesh, ruach, neshamah, yechidah, chayyah.
Nefesh is the blood, as it says: For the blood is the nefesh (Deut. 12:23). Ruach
(is called this) because it ascends and descends, as it says: Who knows the ruach
of man, if it ascends [and the ruach of the beast, if it descends] (Eccl. 3:21).
Neshamah is the breath; as people say, his breathing is good. Chayyah (is called
this) because all the limbs are mortal, whereas this lives on in the body. Yechidah
(“unique”, from “echad”), because all the limbs are in pairs, but this is unique
within the body.

TEXT EIGHT --- Vital, Sha’ar ha-Gilgulim (“Gate of

Reincarnations”), beginning (p. 2)

We begin with what the rabbis wrote, that there are five names to the soul. From
the bottom up, their order is: nefesh, ruach, neshamah, chayah, yechidah.
Without doubt, these names were not attributed by chance or convenience. But
know that the person himself is the spiritual force within the body, while the body
is only a garment for the person; it is not the person himself. This is why it is
written: On the flesh of man, do not anoint (Ex. 30:32), as noted in the Zohar I,
20b. (“The body clothes the soul”)

It is known that man connects all four worlds of ABY’A (Atzilut, Beri’ah,
Yetzirah, Asiyah). Therefore, there must within him exist portions of all four
worlds, and each portion is called by one of the five names NRNChY (Nefesh,

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Ruach, Neshamah, Chayyah, and Yechidah), as we will explain. He does not
acquire all of them at one time, but only according to his merits. At first he obtains
the lowest of them, nefesh. Afterwards, if he merits further, he will also acquire
the (level of) ruach. This is explained in several places in the Zohar... (including)
II, 94b: “When a person is born, he is given a nefesh...”

TEXT NINE --- Vital, Sha’ar ha-Gilgulim (“Gate of

Reincarnations”), beginning (continued)

...Know that every nefesh comes only from the world of Asiyah, every ruach is
from the world of Yetzirah, and every neshamah is from the world of Beri’ah.
However, most people do not have all five parts--nefesh, ruach, neshamah, etc.--
but only the nefesh from Asiyah. But even this nefesh has many levels, and this is
because Asiyah itself also divides into five partzufim (lit., “faces”). They are
called: Arikh Anpin (“the long face”), Abba (“father”), Imma (“mother”), Ze’ir
Anpin (“the short face”), and Nukva d’Ze’ir Anpin (“the feminine [consort] of
Ze’ir Anpin”). Before a person can merit to attain ruach in the world of Yetzirah,
he must be complete in all five faces of nefesh in Asiyah.

Even though, as is known, there are those whose nefesh is from Malkhut in
Asiyah, and others who are from Yesod of Asiyah, still, each person must rectify
the whole spectrum of Asiyah. Only after this can a person receive his ruach from
Yetzirah, since Yetzirah is greater than all of Asiyah. Similarly, to attain
neshamah from Beri’ah, one needs to rectify every part of his ruach in all of
Yetzirah, after which he can then receive his neshamah from Beri’ah. It is not
enough for him to rectify only the particular place where his soul-root is grounded.
He must rectify all the aspects of each level, until...he can attain his ruach of
Yetzirah. It is this way with all the worlds. The upshot of this (rectification) is that
one must be involved with Torah and mitzvot which correspond to all of Asiyah,
not only those corresponding to the specific place to which his nefesh is attached.
Similarly, if one sins and blemishes a particular spot in Asiyah, even though it is
not the place to which his nefesh is attached, he still must rectify it.

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Cordovero’s Pardes Rimmonim.