The ten Sephirot that comprise Adam Kadmon assumed two formations upon inhabiting the trace environment: one that resembled a series of onion-skins (known as iggulim or “circles” in Hebrew), and another which was the better-known straight-line configuration (known as yosher or “straight [line]”).
As Ari puts it,
”This is the (first) way the light descends and extends from the Ein Sof and flows into the circle (i.e., the trace environment). Ein Sof surrounds and encircles the circle on all sides because it, too, has a circular aspect….
“The first circle, which is closest to Ein Sof, is called the Keter (i.e., the outer- and top-most layer) of Adam Kadmon. After this, the line continued to descend some more, then spread out and around and became a second circle inside the first one. This one is called the circle of Chochma of Adam Kadmon. Then the line continued downward some more … until it became a third circle inside the second circle … which is called the circle of Binah of Adam Kadmon. It kept going down and creating circles in this way until it made the tenth circle, which is called the circle of Malchut of Adam Kadmon.” [1]
Notes:
[1] The Tree of Life pp. 16-17 (with slight changes). See Ramchal’s Klallot HaIlan 1:1 and Pitchei Chochma v’Da’at 28.
(c) 2011 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org
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