![]() The Zohar says in Zohar Vaera 1:5: Therefore the verse says, "trust in Hashem forever" (Yeshayah 26:4), which is Zeir Anpin. For from there up, namely chochmah and binah, which are above zeir anpin, the place is covered and hidden, as none can conceive it. It is a place from which the worlds, which are male and female, emerge and are formed. This is the meaning of: "For Yah Hashem is an everlasting rock." Yah is chochmah, יהוה is binah, and they design and produce the worlds that are male and female. This place is hidden and concealed. Therefore, the scripture says, "Trust in Hashem forever (Heb. adei ad)," to teach that up to here, to zeir anpin which is called “ad”, everyone is permitted to observe. From here and further, meaning in chochmah and binah as mentioned, no one is permitted to observe because it is concealed from everyone. And what is the place that is prohibited to be observed-it is Yah, יהוה, which are chochmah and binah whence all the worlds were formed, and no one is able to understand that place, in order to conceive anything.” (Zohar Vaera 1:5) Now this may seem complicated. But if we go to Derech Chaim. The Maharal tells us that the sefirot is made up of three pillars. And this will show you that Judaism DOES teach trinitarianism, the HRM ignorantly denies it and essentially takes away the Jewish aspect of the Divine Messiah. So the Maharal says this: “It seems superfluous for the mishnah to count how many things were said (in reference to Pirkei Avos 1:1); after all, we can easily count them ourselves. The mishnah states "They said three things" to teach that the remedy consists of precisely three parts. No less would be adequate and no more are required. The number three is characteristic of a complete entity. An entity consists of three parts: two opposite extremes and an intermediate part that joins with those extremes to form a unified whole. Consider a house. Inside is a haven of refuge and tranquillity; outside fies danger "and the harsh elements; and the structure joins these extremes. We can fortify a house in all three dimensions. We can protect it from outside forces with a windbreak and good water drainage. We can protect the inside by eliminating fire hazards, and we can brace the structure of the house itself. All of those areas must be fortified, and there is no other area available for improvement. This principle of a three-dimensional creation appears in many facets of Jewish thought: • The three forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, left a legacy for the Jewish nation in the dimensions of kindness, strictness and the balanced synthesis of these opposites. • A human being is the synthesis of the spiritual and physical planes of existence. • This mishnah addresses the three areas that encompass all of Torah law: mishpatim, mitzuos and chukim. At one extreme are mishpatim — Intuitive civil Jaw. At the other extreme are chukim — laws that defy systematic rationale. And in between those extremes are all other mitzvos, which have systematic principles that require significant effort to discover.” (Derech Chaim p 13-14) So we learn of three pillars of sefirot making sefirot complete. We find completeness is within 3. Now let’s look at the quote from the Zohar. Let’s start with Chochmah, Binah and Zeir Anpin. Chochmah represents “wisdom” which is on the right hand side of sefirot. It represents the feminine. Binah represents “understanding” which is on the left hand side of the sefirot. It represents the male aspect. Now, Zeir Anpin is different, it is not located on sefirot. But it is a combination of the left and right and builds the bridge between the left and right. It means “small face” and it contains chesed (mercy, kindness), gevurah (judgement), tiferet (splendor), netzach (victory, eternity), hod (glory), yesod (foundation), and malchut (kingdom). Now these are all attributes of Mashiach Ben Yosef and Mashiach Ben David. The connection is also located in the middle pillar, which is Keter (crown). The crown of thorns was placed upon the head of Mashiach. Now we have to look at the masculine and feminine traits of HaShem. For the scripture says: “And G-d said, Let Us make man in Our tzelem, after Our demut.....” (Genesis 1:26) Within Genesis 1:26 the name for G-d used there is אֱלֹהִים which is a singular plural. So the “our” it is speaking of in the verse are the three pillars of the sefirot. The male, feminine and zeir anpin also called the tzimtzum (the constricted light). The male aspect of G-d is the Father, grammatically and through the use of adjectives in the Hebrew and Aramaic scriptures Ruach HaKodesh is feminine. The “bridge” is Zeir Anpin, which is the Mashiach. |
The Blog
Theological Insights from Rabbi Eved Banah the North American Rebbe of Ani Judaism Archives
February 2021
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