In our analysis of the Kabbalistic doctrines on these grand problems, we shall follow the order in which they have been enumerated, and accordingly begin with the lucubrations on the Supreme Being and the Emanations.

I. The Supreme Being and the doctrine and classification of the Emanations, or Sephiroth.

Being boundless in his nature—which necessarily implies that he is an absolute unity and inscrutable, and that there is nothing without him, or that the τὸ πᾶν is in him, [1]—God is called En Soph (‏אין סוף‎) = ἄπειρος Endless, Boundless. [2] In this boundlessness, or as the En Soph, he cannot be comprehended by the intellect, nor described in words, for there is nothing which can grasp and depict him to us, and as such he is, in a certain sense, not existent (‏אַיִן‎), because, as far as our minds are concerned, that which is perfectly incomprehensible does not exist. [3] To make his existence perceptible, and to render himself comprehensible, the En Soph, or the Boundless, had to become active and creative. But the En Soph cannot be the direct creator, for he has neither will, intention, desire, thought, language, nor action, as these properties imply limit and belong to finite beings, whereas the En Soph is boundless. Besides, the imperfect and circumscribed nature of the creation precludes the idea that the world was created or even designed by him, who can have no will nor produce anything but what is like himself, boundless and perfect. On the other hand, again, the beautiful design displayed in the mechanism, the regular order manifested in the preservation, destruction, and renewal of things, forbid us to regard this world as the offspring of chance, and constrain us to recognize therein an intelligent design. [4] We are, therefore, compelled to view the En Soph as the creator of the world in an indirect manner.

Now, the medium by which the En Soph made his existence known in the creation of the world are ten Sephiroth [5] (‏ספירות‎) or intelligences, which emanated from the Boundless One (‏אין סוף‎) in the following manner:—At first the En Soph, or the Aged of the Aged (‏עתיקא דעתיקין‎) or the Holy Aged (‏עתיקא קדישא‎), as he is alternately called, sent forth from his infinite light one spiritual substance or intelligence. This first Sephira, which existed in the En Soph from all eternity, and became a reality by a mere act, has no less than seven appellations. It is called—I, the Crown (‏כתר‎), because it occupies the highest position; II, the Aged (‏עתיקא‎), because it is the oldest or the first emanation—and this name must not be confounded with the Aged of the Aged, which, as we have seen, is the appellation of the En Soph; III, the Primordial Point (‏נקודה ראשונה‎), or the Smooth Point (‏נקודה פשוטה‎), because, as the Sohar tells us, “When the Concealed of the Concealed wished to reveal himself, he first made a single point: the Infinite was entirely unknown, and diffused no light before this luminous point violently broke through into vision;” (Sohar, i, 15 a). IV, the White Head (‏רישא הוורה‎); V, the Long Face, Macroprosopon (‏אריך אנפין‎), because the whole ten Sephiroth represent the Primordial or the Heavenly Man (‏אדם עילאה‎), of which the first Sephira is the head; VI, The Inscrutable Height (‏רום מעלה‎), because it is the highest of all the Sephiroth proceeding immediately from the En Soph. Hence, on the passage “Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold the King of Peace [6] with the Crown!” (Song of Solomon iii, 2) the Sohar remarks, “But who can behold the King of Peace, seeing that He is incomprehensible, even to the heavenly hosts? But he who sees the Crown sees the glory of the King of Peace.” (Sohar ii. 100 b.) And, VII, it is expressed in the Bible by the Divine name Ehejeh, or I Am (‏אהיה‎ Exod. iii, 4), because it is absolute being, representing the Infinite as distinguished from the finite, and in the angelic order, by the celestial beasts of Ezekiel, called Chajoth (‏חיות‎). The first Sephira contained the other nine Sephiroth, and gave rise to them in the following order:—At first a masculine or active potency, designated Wisdom (‏חכמה‎), proceeded from it. This Sephira, which among the divine names is represented by Jah (‏יה‎ Isa. xxvi, 4), and among the angelic hosts by Oplianim (‏אפנים‎ Wheels), sent forth an opposite, i.e. a feminine or passive, potency, denominated Intelligence (‏בינה‎), which is represented by the divine name Jehovah (‏יהוה‎), and angelic name Arelim (‏אראלים‎), and it is from a union of these two Sephiroth, which are also called Father (‏אבא‎) and Mother (‏אמא‎), that the remaining seven Sephiroth proceeded. Or, as the Sohar (iii, 290 a) expresses it, “When the Holy Aged, the Concealed of all Concealed, assumed a form, he produced everything in the form of male and female, as the things could not continue in any other form. Hence Wisdom, which is the beginning of development, when it proceeded from the Holy Aged, emanated in male and female, for Wisdom expanded, and Intelligence proceeded from it, and thus obtained male and female—viz., Wisdom, the father, and Intelligence, the mother, from whose union the other pairs of Sephiroth successively emanated.” These two opposite potencies—viz., Wisdom (‏חכמה‎) and Intelligence (‏בינה‎)—are joined together by the first potency, the Crown (‏כתר‎); thus yielding the first triad of the Sephiroth.

From the junction of the foregoing opposites emanated again the masculine or active potency, denominated Mercy or Love, (‏חסד‎), also called Greatness (‏גדולה‎), the fourth Sephira, which among the divine names is represented by El (‏אל‎), and among the angelic hosts by Chashmalim (‏חשמלים‎, Comp. Ezek. i, 4). From this again emanated the feminine or passive potency, Justice (‏דין‎), also called Judicial Power (‏גבורה‎), the fifth Sephira, which is represented by the divine name Eloha (‏אלה‎), and among the angels by Seraphim (‏שרפים‎, Isa. vi, 6); and from this again the uniting potency, Beauty or Mildness (‏תפארת‎), the sixth Sephira, represented by the divine name Elohim (‏אלהים‎), and among the angels by Shinanim (‏שנאנים‎, Ps. lxviii, 18). Since without this union the existence of things would not be possible, inasmuch as mercy not tempered with justice, and justice not tempered with mercy would be unendurable: and thus the second trinity of the Sephiroth is obtained.

The medium of union of the second trinity, i.e. Beauty (‏תפארת‎), the sixth Sephira, beamed forth the masculine or active potency, Firmness (‏נצח‎), the seventh Sephira, corresponding to the divine name Jehovah Sabaoth (‏יהוה צבאות‎), and among the angels to Tarshishim (‏תרשישים‎, Dan. x, 6); this again gave rise to the feminine or passive potency, Splendour (‏הוד‎), the eighth Sephira, to which answer the divine name Elohim Sabaoth (‏אלהים צבאות‎), and among the angels Benei Elohim (‏בני אלהים‎, Gen. vi, 4); and from it again, emanated Foundation or the Basis (‏יסוד‎), the ninth Sephira, represented by the divine name El Chai (‏אל חי‎), and among the angelic hosts by Ishim (‏אישים‎, Ps. civ, 4), which is the uniting point between these two opposites—thus yielding the third trinity of Sephiroth. From the ninth Sephira, the Basis (‏יסוד‎) of all, emanated the tenth, called Kingdom (‏מלכות‎), and Shechinah (‏שכינה‎), which is represented by the divine name Adonai (‏אדוני‎), and among the angelic hosts by Cherubim (‏כרובים‎). The table on the opposite page exhibits the different names of the Sephiroth, together with the several names of God and the angels, which correspond to them.

From this representation of each triad, as consisting of a threefold principle, viz., the two opposites, masculine and feminine, and the uniting principle, the development of the Sephiroth, and of life generally, is symbolically called the Balance (‏מתקלא‎), because the two opposite sexes, are compared with the two opposite scales, and the uniting Sephira is compared with the beam which joins the scales, and indicates its equipoise.

Before we enter into further particulars about the nature, operation, and classification of these Sephiroth, we shall give the Sohar’s speculations about the Supreme Being, and its account of the origin of the Sephiroth, and their relationship to the Deity.

THE TEN THE TEN THE TEN THE TEN SEPHIROTH. CORRESPONDING CORRESPONDING CORRESPONDING NAMES OF THE CLASSES OF MEMBERS OF THE OF THE DEITY. ANGELS. HUMAN BODY.

/ 1. כתר‎, Crown. \ | 2. ‏עתיקא‎, the Aged. | | 3. ‏נקודה ראשונה‎, | | Primordial Point. | | 4. ‏נקודה פשוטה‎, | | Smooth Point. | i. < 5. ‏רישא הוורה‎, White > ‏אהיה‎, I am ‏חיות‎, ζῶον. Head. | Head. | (Exod. iii. 4). | 6. ‏אריך אנפין‎, | | Macroprosopon. | | 7. ‏אדם עילאה‎, | | Heavenly Man. | | 8. ‏רום מעלה‎, | \ Inscrutable Height. / ii. ‏חכמה‎, σοφία, ‏יה‎, Jah (Isa. ‏אופנים‎, κίνησις. Brains. Wisdom. xxvi. 4). iii. ‏בינה‎, νοῦς, ‏יהוה‎, Jehovah. ‏אראלים‎, Arelim Heart. Intelligence. (Isa. xxiii. 7). / 1. ‏חסד‎, χάρις, \ ‏אל‎, the Mighty ‏חשמלים‎, Right Arm. iv.< Love. > One. Chasheralim \ 2. ‏גדולה‎, Greatness. / (Ezek. i. 4). / 1. ‏דין‎, Judgment. \ ‏אלה‎, the ‏שרפים‎, Seraphim Left Arm. v. < 2. ‏פחד‎, Justice. > Almighty. (Isa. vi. 7). \ 3. ‏גבורה‎, Strength. / vi. ‏תפארת‎, Beauty. ‏אלהים‎, God. ‏שנאנים‎, Shinanim Chest. (Ps. lxviii. 18). vii. ‏נצח‎, Firmness. ‏יהוה צבאות‎, ‏תרשישים‎ Right Leg. Jehovah Sabaoth. Tarshishim (Dan. x. 6). viii. ‏הוד‎, Splendour. ‏אלהים צבאות‎, ‏בני אלהים‎, the Left Leg. God Sabaoth. Sons of God (Gen. vi. 4). ix. ‏יסוד‎, ‏אל חי‎, Mighty ‏אשים‎, Ishim (Ps. Genital Foundation. Living One. civ. 4). Organs. / 1. βασιλεία sc. τῶν \ x. < οὐρανῶν, Kingdom. > ‏אדני‎, the Lord. ‏כרובים‎, Cherubim. Union of the \ 2. ‏שכינה‎, Shechinah. / Whole Body.