Sephirot - The Sephirot and The Four Worlds

The Sephirot and The Four Worlds

These ten levels are associated with Kabbalah's (Zohar) four different "Worlds" or planes of existence, the main part from our perspective of the descending "chain of progression" (Seder hishtalshelus), that links the Infinite Divine Ein Sof with our finite, physical realm. In all Worlds, the 10 Sephirot radiate, and are the Divine channels through which every level is continuously created from nothing. Since they are the attributes through which the unknowable, infinite Divine essence becomes revealed to the creations, all ten emanate in each World. Nonetheless, the structure of the Four Worlds arises because in each one, certain Sephirot predominate. Each World is spiritual, apart from the lower aspect of the final World, which is our "Asiyah Gashmi" ("Physical Asiyah"), our physical Universe. Each World is progressively grosser and further removed from consciousness of the Divine, until in our World it is possible to deny God. In descending order:

1. Atzilut (אֲצִילוּת)-World of "Emanation": In this level the light of the Ein Sof radiates and is united with its source. Divine Chochma, the limitless flash of wisdom beyond grasp, predominates.
2. Beriah (בְּרִיאָה or alternatively בְּרִיָּה)-World of "Creation": In this level, is the first creation ex nihilo, where the souls and angels have self awareness, but without form. Divine Binah, the intellectual understanding, predominates.
3. Yetzirah (יְצִירָה)-World of "Formation": On this level, creation is related to form. The Divine emotional Sephirot of Chesed to Yesod predominate.
4. Asiyah (עֲשִׂיָּה)-World of "Action": On this level creation is relegated to its physical aspect, the only physical realm and the lowest World, our realm with all its creatures. The Divine Kingship of Malchut predominates, the purpose of Creation.

In the Zohar and elsewhere, there are these four Worlds or planes of existence. In the Lurianic system of Kabbalah, five Worlds are counted, comprising these and a higher, fifth plane, Adam Kadmon-manifest Godhead level, that mediates between the Ein Sof and the four lower Worlds.

As the four Worlds link the Infinite with our realm, they also enable the soul to ascend in devotion or mystical states, towards the Divine. Each World can be understood as descriptive of dimensional levels of intentionality related to man's natural "desire to receive", and a method for the soul's progress upward toward unity with or return to the Creator. (The terminology of this formulation is based on the exposition of Lurianic Kabbalah by the 20th Century Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag).