Sephira
A Sephira (plural: Sephirot or Sephiroth) is one of the ten emanations of God's creative power, as described in Kabbalistic texts. These emanations are understood as different attributes or aspects through which the divine manifests and interacts with the created world. The Sephirot are often depicted as nodes on a diagram known as the Tree of Life (Etz Chaim), interconnected by various paths.
Each Sephira represents a specific quality or principle. While different interpretations and nuances exist, the general order and attributed meanings of the ten Sephirot are as follows:
- Keter (Crown): Represents divine will, origin, and the unmanifested source of all existence. It is considered beyond comprehension.
- Chochmah (Wisdom): Represents the first manifestation of thought, inspiration, and the potential for creation.
- Binah (Understanding): Represents comprehension, intelligence, and the development of Chochmah's potential into concrete form.
- Chesed (Loving-Kindness): Represents grace, benevolence, and the expansive force of giving. Also known as Gedulah (Greatness).
- Gevurah (Severity): Represents judgment, discipline, and the restrictive force of limitation. Also known as Din (Judgment).
- Tiferet (Beauty): Represents harmony, balance, and the synthesis of Chesed and Gevurah. It is the central Sephira on the Tree of Life.
- Netzach (Victory): Represents endurance, perseverance, and the outward expression of emotion.
- Hod (Splendor): Represents humility, reverence, and the inward restraint of emotion.
- Yesod (Foundation): Represents connection, the subconscious, and the channeling of energy from the higher Sephirot to Malkuth.
- Malkuth (Kingdom): Represents the physical world, manifestation, and the receptive vessel for divine influence.
The Sephirot are not viewed as separate entities, but rather as interconnected aspects of a unified divine reality. The pathways connecting the Sephirot on the Tree of Life are also significant, representing different aspects of consciousness and processes of divine manifestation. Understanding the Sephirot and their relationships is a central aspect of Kabbalistic study and practice, offering a framework for understanding the universe, the human soul, and the nature of the divine.