There are a number of things we’ll want to touch upon before we go on to learn more about the images that the Sephirot, which God used to create the various worlds and continues to use to govern them, are said to assume.
We’re taught in this section, for example, that every action that God brings about occurs through the Sephirot (Petach 10), that it’s the Sephira of Malchut specifically that is the root of the lower realms (Petach 11) and is also the means by which individuals can “ascend” or “receive” (Petach 11). So let’s see what precedes the appearance of the Sephirot for one thing, learn about their arrangement, and delve into Malchut itself.
As we know, the Torah reports that God created the world in seven days; but there’s a background story as well we learn, which is only alluded to in the Torah, and exceedingly subtly at that. Let’s briefly examine Ramak’s, Ari’s, and Ramchal’s insights into this.
(c) 2011 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org
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AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman’s translation of Maimonides’ “Eight Chapters” is available here at a discount.
You can still purchase a copy of Rabbi Feldman’s translation of “The Gates of Repentance” here at a discount as well.
Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has also translated and commented upon “The Path of the Just” and “The Duties of the Heart” (Jason Aronson Publishers).
Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled “Spiritual Excellence” and “Ramchal”.