Tag Archives: Tree of Life (Sefirot)

Elements of the Sefirot

As we continue counting the Omer in these weeks between Pesach and Shavuot, it is worth exploring another facet of the mystical Sefirot: their elements. It is well-known that the Sefirah of Chessed, “kindness”, is associated with water. Chessed represents positivity, generosity, and largesse (it is also called Gedulah). Chessed is flowing and life-giving, like water. On the other side, the Sefirah of Gevurah, “strength”, is always associated with fire. Gevurah represents restraint and severity. It is also commonly called Din, “judgement” and punishment. The burning flames are an appropriate metaphor and symbol.

Balancing the first two Sefirot is the third, Tiferet, literally “beauty”, harmony, or symmetry. Tiferet is the golden middle path. It is all about balance, and that’s where real truth is found, so it is also called Emet. Tiferet corresponds to the next major element, air. The ancient mystical text Sefer Yetzirah (3:3) states that “air balances fire and water” (והאויר מכריע בין האש ובין המים). It is hinting to a great secret of chemistry that no one could have known back then. Water is H2O, composed of the two gases hydrogen and oxygen. Most of the molecular weight of water (about 89%) is oxygen, which makes up about 20% of our air. Fire, meanwhile, requires oxygen to burn, and typically produces H2O as a product in the smoke and steam that emerge into the air. So, air does play a key role in both water and fire, balancing the two opposing forces.

Beneath Tiferet on the tree of Sefirot is Yesod, “foundation”, also referred to as Tzadik to represent true “righteousness”, and being the realm of intimacy and sexual purity. Yesod is “grounded-ness”, too, and fittingly parallels the element of earth. Sometimes, one will find that the Sefirah beneath Yesod, the “feminine” Malkhut, is called “earth” as well. Malkhut is literally “kingdom”, and is sometimes referred to as Shiflut, “lowliness” or humility, which is intrinsically tied to kingship or leadership. The difference elementally is that Yesod is afar, the actual dust of the earth, while Malkhut is aretz, the Earth itself, and its landmasses. The landmasses contain all the elements, including bodies of water and the atmosphere above, as well as the molten lava beneath the crust. It is like Malkhut, which sits at the bottom of the Sefirot and is seen as the receptacle that collects from all of the above.

In Western philosophy, there is a fifth element, the most subtle and sublime, called ether or quintessence. One could parallel Malkhut (commonly associated with the Shekhinah, the “divine presence”) with the ether as well. On the other side of the world, Eastern philosophy has the elements wood and metal instead of earth and ether. Scientifically, the Earth is full of metal. Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the crust, followed by iron, calcium, and sodium. And beneath the crust is mostly iron and nickel. One can integrate the Eastern system by paralleling earth-like wood with Yesod, and metal with Malkhut.

Indeed, we find that the tzadik (Yesod) is often described as a tree that has deep roots and foundations, as in Psalm 92:13-14 or Avot 3:17. And a kingdom (Malkhut) requires abundant metal both to build itself up and assert its rule. In fact, we find detailed lists of all the metals that the kings of Israel amassed, and even the metals that David specifically left for Solomon (I Chronicles 29:1-2), and in order to build the Temple, including “5,000 talents of gold, 10,000 darics, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of copper, 100,000 talents of iron.” (I Chronicles 29:7, for the significance of this, see the class on ‘Torah Chemistry’.) Keep in mind, too, that Malkhut represents the “vessel” or “receptacle”, which we typically make from metals.

Electromagnetism

So where does that put the remaining two “twin” Sefirot of Netzach and Hod? One is unlikely to find ancient texts that parallel these mysterious Sefirot to any elements. However, a careful reading of the available texts can point to the hidden answer. (I have discussed it briefly in the past, in ‘Secrets of the Menorah Psalm’ in Garments of Light, Volume One, and more fully last year in the class on ‘Kabbalah of the Omer’.) There are two more “twin” forces in nature that can be grouped together with the primordial elements: electricity and light. Both are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and their energies travel nearly 300,000 kilometres per second. Netzach and Hod are considered the roots of prophecy, so it is fitting to parallel them to electricity and light, through which we see and receive visions. Our eyes pick up light photons and convert them to electrical signals sent to the brain for processing.

More specifically, Netzach means “eternity” or “victory”, and represents perseverance, diligence, and faith. It lies under Chessed (which is water), and is an extension of it. Interestingly, today the vast majority of our electricity is generated using water at some point in the process, either in hydro plants and hydroelectric dams where flowing water directly spins a turbine; or in coal, oil, gas, and nuclear power plants that boil water into steam to spin a turbine. Fuel cells, meanwhile, combine hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity, and water comes out as the byproduct. There is an intrinsic link between water and electricity, just as there is between Chessed and Netzach. Furthermore, Netzach represents the ascent towards the Eternal One, and electrical chashmal energy is precisely what God’s “Chariots” are described as using to ascend to the Heavens and traverse the cosmos (as explored in the past here).

On the other side, Hod means “glory” and “gratitude”, and is also referred to as majesty, grace, and acknowledgement. A person with good Hod energy is said to exude a light and a glow. The splendour of Hod is also associated with the Torah’s deeper mysteries, secrets of light. There is a beautiful gematria here where the word for “secret” (רז) has a value of 207, equal to the word for “light” (אור)! And this is why the holiday that celebrates Jewish mysticism and the hidden light of the Torah, Lag b’Omer, is specifically on the 33rd day of the Omer, the Sefirah of which is Hod sh’b’Hod—splendour of splendour, light within light. We kindle bonfires to bring out more light into the world. Hod lies under Gevurah and is an extension of it (like Netzach and Chessed), so fittingly the light of Hod emerges out of the fires of Gevurah.

We can think of these elements as we focus on personal development during the Sefirat haOmer period. A Chessed person is kind and flowing. A Gevurah person is tough and stoic. A Tiferet person is spirited, creative, and social. A Netzach person is “electric”, diligent, and ambitious. A Hod person is “magnetic”, graceful and charming, with a warm glow. A Yesod person is righteous and grounded. A Malkhut person is humble, ethereal, and regal. With these elements and qualities in mind, we can hopefully make our Sefirat haOmer more meaningful. To summarize:

Happy Yom ha’Atzmaut!

Learning Resources for Yom ha’Atzmaut:
The Kabbalah of Yom ha’Atzmaut
Hidden History of Zionism (Video)
Spiritual Tools for Israel’s Military Might
The Four Holy Cities (Video)
Zionism Before Zionism

What Does Authentic Judaism Look Like?

Today, there are so many different subgroups and denominations within Judaism – which is the most “authentic”? How can we determine what makes Judaism authentic? Find out as we explore the ten major qualities of Judaism based on the framework of the Ten Sefirot, and conclude with a list of ten critical questions for every Jew to ask about their Judaism.

The Spiritual Significance of Fruits

This Sunday evening brings Tu b’Shevat, the “New Year for Trees” and the start of a new agricultural and fruit-tithing season. Fruits play a huge role in Judaism, starting right at the beginning of the Torah with a special double-blessing on Day Three of Creation when fruit-bearing trees emerged. Then comes the Forbidden Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, setting in motion all of history as we know it. The importance of fruits carries over into the Talmud, where the Sages teach that a Torah scholar should not live in a place that does not have a wide variety of fruits! The passage (Sanhedrin 17b) begins like this:

וְתַנְיָא: כׇּל עִיר שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ עֲשָׂרָה דְּבָרִים הַלָּלוּ אֵין תַּלְמִיד חָכָם רַשַּׁאי לָדוּר בְּתוֹכָהּ: בֵּית דִּין מַכִּין וְעוֹנְשִׁין, וְקוּפָּה שֶׁל צְדָקָה נִגְבֵּית בִּשְׁנַיִם וּמִתְחַלֶּקֶת בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה, וּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת, וּבֵית הַמֶּרְחָץ, וּבֵית הַכִּסֵּא, רוֹפֵא, וְאוּמָּן, וְלַבְלָר, וְטַבָּח, וּמְלַמֵּד תִּינוֹקוֹת. מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אָמְרוּ: אַף מִינֵי פֵירָא, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמִּינֵי פֵירָא מְאִירִין אֶת הָעֵינַיִם

And it is taught: A Torah scholar is not permitted to reside in any city that does not have these ten things: A court that has the authority to flog and punish transgressors; and a charity fund for which monies are collected by two people and distributed by three. And a synagogue; and a bathhouse; and a public restroom; a doctor; and a craftsman; and a scribe; and a ritual slaughterer; and a teacher of young children. They said in the name of Rabbi Akiva: The city must also have varieties of fruit, because fruits illuminate the eyes.

It’s easy to see how the ten requirements neatly parallel the Ten Sefirot: a charity fund is Chessed, while a beit din is Gevurah (or Din). A doctor (rof’e) is tied directly to Tiferet, the root of balance and healing. A beit knesset is a place to connect and communicate with the Eternal One, Netzach. The bathhouse is tied to the Sefirah of Hod (as explained in detail in the recent class on health). Today’s equivalent of the Roman bathhouses they used to have in Talmudic times is probably something like a country club or fitness room (with amenities like pool, sauna, and hot tub). A restroom corresponds to Yesod for obvious reasons. Thankfully, we live in an age where there are restrooms everywhere, including in our own homes. A craftsman who can construct things ties to the “kingdom” of Malkhut. (In fact, numerically, the value of “craftsmanship”, אמנות, is 497, one more than Malkhut, מלכות, which is 496.) Rashi says that “craftsman” here is referring to a bloodletter (also discussed in the same class on health linked to above). Kabbalistically, blood parallels the lowest level of soul, the nefesh, which parallels Malkhut.

The remaining three correspond to the upper three Sefirot, the Mochin. The shochet to Binah (since he must be both God-fearing and Torah-learned, but also knowledgeable in the biology and physiology of the animals), the teacher to Chokhmah (as his job is to spread wisdom and educate others), and the scribe to Keter (for reproducing the Word and Will of God). Then Rabbi Akiva adds an eleventh requirement, which is appropriate since there is a hidden “eleventh” Sefirah, too, the opposite face of Keter, called Da’at. The requirement corresponding to Da’at is having fruits, fittingly reminding us of the Etz haDa’at, the Forbidden Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. The big question is: why are fruits so important that they are a fundamental requirement for a Torah scholar?

The simple answer that Rabbi Akiva gives is that fruits are good for the eyes. Indeed, fruits are very nutritious and have things like vitamin A (retinol) which is helpful for vision, as well as different pigments that help with eye health. Today we know that carotenoids (which give fruits and vegetables their yellow and orange colours) protect the eye’s retina, while anthocyanins (which make fruits and flowers blue or purple) have been shown to boost rhodopsin proteins which allow one to see. Evidence suggests that both lycopene (the red pigment) and vitamin C reduce cataracts, the leading cause of blindness. So, modern science confirms Rabbi Akiva’s teaching. And it’s all the more important for Torah scholars to have good vision since they spend so many hours a day pouring over books and fine print.

Fruits are also important for Jewish practice, and are intricately tied to the Jewish calendar. We need various fruit and tree varieties for Rosh Hashanah simanim, and for the four species of Sukkot; to fulfil mitzvot like orlah and bikkurim, to recite a bor’e pri ha’etz blessing, to make charoset for Pesach, and to conduct a proper Tu b’Shvat seder. So, of course, having access to fruit is absolutely vital for a Torah scholar. That said, how can we understand Rabbi Akiva’s teaching on a deeper level?

Rabbi Akiva says that fruits are meirin et ha’eynaim, “illuminate the eyes”. This is a clear allusion to the Garden of Eden, where the Serpent told Eve that if she eats of the Fruit, “your eyes will be open and you will become like Elohim” (Genesis 3:5). The next verse says that Eve now saw that the Fruit was good to eat and “desirable for the eyes”. And the following verse says that once Adam and Eve consumed the Fruit, “the eyes of both of them were opened”. There is a constant repetition of “opening eyes” in relation to the Fruit, taking us right back to Rabbi Akiva’s teaching of fruits being good for opening one’s eyes. Because, ultimately, what is the purpose of the Torah scholar? The goal is cosmic tikkun, rectification, restoring the world to its primordial holy state, as it was in the Garden of Eden. That means reversing the “primordial sin” of the Forbidden Fruit—and the curses that came about as a result—and recreating a reality where Hashem is openly revealed.

So a Torah scholar needs ten things to facilitate this work and to accomplish that ultimate goal. What follows is “illuminating” one’s eyes as it was originally for Adam and Eve, where they could see Hashem openly revealed and communicate with Him directly. Recall that Rabbi Akiva’s primary disciple, Rabbi Meir, taught that Adam and Eve were originally clothed with “garments of light” (כׇּתְנוֹת אוֹר), and only after did that get replaced with “garments of skin” (כׇּתְנוֹת עוֹר), or “garments of leather” (3:21). Rabbi Akiva specifically uses the expression meirin et ha’eynaim, reminding us of Rabbi Meir’s teaching about being able to see the divine light openly revealed. This is the world we are working towards—and something deeper to meditate on as we consume our illuminating Tu b’Shevat fruits.

Chag Sameach!