Basics in Kabbalah and Chassidut

THREE STAGES IN THE

EVOLUTION
OF KABBALISTIC THOUGHT
Introduction

There are three distinct stages in the historical

revelation of Kabbalah. Each represents a conceptual
approach to understanding Kabbalistic tradition. Each is
identified with a particular historical figure Rabbi Moses
Cordevero, also known as the Ramak; Rabbi Yitzchak
Luria, popularly referred to as the holy Ari; and Rabbi
Yisrael, the Ba'al Shem Tov. Each system of thought
served to advance the evolution of Kabbalistic theory by
providing new and more illuminating frameworks within
which to organize the totality of Kabbalistic doctrine
existing up to their time.

These three stages themselves correspond to three basic

and recurring concepts found in Chassidic philosophy
hishtalshelut (evolution), hitlavshut (enclothement) and
hashra'ah (omnipresence).
Ramak
Hishtalshelut
Ari
Hitlavshut
Ba'al Shem Tov Hashraah

evolution
enclothement
omnipresence

Basics in Kabbalah and Chassidut

Three Stages in the Evolution of Kabbalistic Thought

Part 1

The Historical Evolution

of Kabbalistic Thought

In the early part of the nineteenth century, one of the

great Kabbalists of modern times, Rabbi Isaac of Homel,
published a treatise entitled Maamar Ha'shiflut
v'Ha'simchah (A Discourse on Humility and Joy) in
which he introduced the idea of three distinct stages in
the historical revelation of Kabbalah. These three stages,
which he refers to as "the three Kabbalot (plural of
Kabbalah)," each represent a conceptual approach to
understanding Kabbalistic tradition. Each is identified
with a particular historical figure whose system of
thought served to advance the evolution of Kabbalistic
theory by providing new and more illuminating
frameworks within which to organize the totality of
Kabbalistic doctrine existing up to their time. These three
figures, as identified by Rabbi Isaac, were Rabbi Moses
Cordevero (1522-1570), also known as the Ramak; Rabbi
Yitzchak Luria (1534-1572), popularly referred to as the
holy Ari; and Rabbi Yisrael, the Ba'al Shem Tov (16981762).

Whereas the revealed law of the Torah realized its

greatest revelation at Sinai, only to have its clarity
diminish over time, the hidden tradition experienced a
virtually opposite situation: its doctrine, whose historical
origins are obscure, has come into sharper and sharper
focus with every passing generation. This is due to the
mediation of select individuals who spontaneously

emerged through the course of history, souls whose

purpose was to reveal that measure of Divine mystery
necessary in order to sustain an existential balance in the
world.

The first stage in the revelation of Kabbalistic theory

culminated in the 16th century with the work of the great
Kabbalist, philosopher and Talmudic scholar, Rabbi
Moses Cordevero of Safed. His goal was to rationally
systematize all of Kabbalistic thought up to his time, in
particular the teachings of the Zohar and its later
interpreters. The Zohar, which is the foundational text of
Kabbalah, was first publicized in 14th century Spain by
Rabbi Moses de Leon, although its teachings originated
with the second century Talmudic sage, Rabbi Shimon
bar Yochai.

For the thousand years before coming into public view,

the teachings of the Zohar were revealed to a select few
in every generation deemed worthy of preserving their
transmission. For the 250 years subsequent to its
publication in 1305, many Kabbalists attempted to
provide a conceptual framework within which to
understand the loosely associated and highly symbolic
homiletics of the Zohar. None were as successful as the
Ramak, who in his magnum opus, Pardes Rimonim,
demonstrated the underlying unity of Kabbalistic
tradition by organizing the various, often contradictory,
teachings of the hidden wisdom into a coherent
philosophical system.The core of the Ramak's system
consists of a detailed description of how finite reality
evolved from G-d's infinite being through a hierarchy of
creative forces known as sefirot.

The second stage in the revelation of Kabbalistic theory

commenced almost immediately upon the Ramak's
demise, and is identified with the work of his successor,
Rabbi Yitzchak Luria. Rabbi Luria, otherwise known as
"the Ari" (an acronym for "the Godly Rabbi Yitzchak"),
was born in Jerusalem but subsequently relocated to
Egypt where he quickly established himself as a
Talmudic prodigy. Introduced to the secrets of the
Kabbalah by one of his mentors, he would often spend
extended periods in isolated meditation. During one of
his visionary experiences, the Ari was instructed by
Elijah the prophet to return to the land of Israel where in
the city of Sefad he would find the one destined to
become his principal disciple and exponent.

The Ari arrived in Sefad on the very day of the Ramak's

funeral. Joining the procession, he discovered that he
alone was witness to a pillar of fire following behind the
Ramak's bier--a sign, according to the Zohar, that he was
meant to inherit the mantle of leadership left behind by
the deceased. Nevertheless, the Ari avoided assuming
any authority in Sefad for a full half-year until such time
as his destined disciple, Rabbi Chaim Vital, presented
himself for instruction. The Ari only lived for another
two years, but in that short period he managed to reveal a
completely new path in the study of Kabbalah. So pivotal
were his insights that to this day the study of Kabbalah is
virtually synonymous with the study of the Ari's writings.

At the center of the Ari's system is a radically new

description of the universe's evolution, focusing on the
dynamic interplay of forces within Creation made
possible through the elaboration of individual sefirot into

complex and interactive partzufim, "personae." Unlike

the Ramak's system, wherein the sefirot appear as
discrete and autonomous forces advancing the evolution
of Creation, the Ari's system posits a universe constantly
interacting with itself, engaged in the perennial conflict
between good and evil which will only be resolved
through the advent of universal redemption--a
redemption that man can either hinder or expedite
through his own actions.

Subsequent to the Ari, there was one more personality

who emerged on the scene, inspiring a qualitative shift in
the evolution of Kabbalistic thought. He was Rabbi
Israel, the Ba'al Shem Tov (Master of the Good Name).
Born in 1698, in the western Ukraine, the Ba'al Shem
Tov devoted the first half of his life to wandering among
the downtrodden Jews of his region and humbly
ministering to their needs. At the same time he was an
active member of the nistarim, a secret fraternity of
mystics who delved into the mysteries of Kabbalah. In
the year 1734, he revealed himself as a Kabbalist and
healer, and proceeded to found a popular movement
which was to reinvigorate the spiritual lives of Jews all
across Eastern Europe. This movement, which came to
be known as Chassidism, was firmly based upon the
doctrinal foundations of classical Kabbalah; nevertheless
it outwardly emphasized the simple and joyful service of
G-d, particularly through prayer and acts of
lovingkindness, over the intellectual discipline of
Kabbalistic study. It was chiefly the Ba'al Shem Tov's
disciples, particularly Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi
(1745-1812), who revealed through written elaborations
of his teachings their master's profound understanding of

Kabbalistic thought. In these works, which form the

foundation of Chassidic thought and philosophy, the
abstract and often impenetrable formulae of classical
Kabbalah are recast into the psychological terms of
ordinary human experience. By employing the structure
of the soul as an allegorical model for understanding the
deepest mysteries of the universe, Chassidism was able
to both elevate the consciousness of the ordinary Jew as
well as expand the conceptual territory of Kabbalistic
reflection.

By including the Ba'al Shem Tov amongst those who

advanced the evolution of Kabbalistic thinking, Rabbi
Isaac corrects the common misconception of Chassidism
as a movement existing outside the formal mainstream of
Kabbalah. In fact, according to Rabbi Isaac, not only did
the Ba'al Shem Tov influence Kabbalistic thought; he
introduced its supreme historical expression, both in
terms of conceptual focus as well as its scope of
influence upon the lives of the Jewish populace.
It has been said that if Kabbalah is the soul of the Torah,
then Chassidism is its "soul within a soul." Rabbi Isaac's
identification of three stages in the evolution of
Kabbalistic thought implies a necessary sequential
process in the exposure of human consciousness to the
secrets of Creation. Without first understanding the
nature of the Ramak and the Ari's Kabbalistic systems, it
is impossible to appreciate the revolutionary turn
introduced by the Ba'al Shem Tov.
Basics in Kabbalah and Chassidut
Three Stages in the Evolution of Kabbalistic Thought
Part 2

Kabbalah:
A System of Correspondences

After presenting his model of "the three Kabbalot,"

Rabbi Isaac proceeds to suggest that the three stages
themselves correspond to three basic and recurrent
concepts found in the seminal work of Chassidic
philosophy, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi's Likutei
Amarim, otherwise known as the Tanya. These three
concepts are hishtalshelut (evolution), hitlavshut
(enclothement) and hashra'ah (omnipresence).

Before explaining these terms and their correspondence

to the three Kabbalot, it would benefit us to understand
the significance attached in Kabbalah to the formulation
of comparative hierarchical models, such as the one put
forth by Rabbi Isaac.

This in fact can be accomplished by inquiring into the

meaning of the word Kabbalah itself. Kabbalah is
generally taken to mean "receiving," as evident from its
root in Hebrew k-b-l (kuf-beit-lamed), to "receive". The
term Kabbalah, which was first coined in the middle
ages, was presumably chosen as descriptive of the
process whereby the hidden wisdom of Torah was orally
transmitted through the course of history, each
generation of student "receiving" the tradition anew from
its masters.

Nonetheless, an additional nuance of meaning can be

derived from the association between the word Kabbalah
and the first appearance of its root, k-b-l, in the Torah. In

Exodus (26:5, 36:12), the root k-b-l (in the word

makbilot) appears to imply a state of "corresponding"
rather than "receiving." It is used to describe the
"corresponding loops" which, when clasped together,
joined the two sections of the overhang covering the
Tabernacle.

How did the grammatical root of "correspondence" later

come to denote the act of "receiving"? The implicit
message is that in order to fully receive some essence,
there has to first be a proper calibration, or
"correspondence," between giver and receiver; otherwise
what gets transmitted is not the essence, but tangential
elements. Proper correspondence is what enables the
receiver to fully assimilate the essence of the giver, in the
sense implied by the Biblical expression panim b'fanim
("face to face"), describing the "correspondence"
between G-d and Israel at the time when the Torah was
given.

Although the expression panim b'fanim is generally

translated as "face to face," it literally reads "face in
face," thus suggesting that panim be understood in its
alternate sense of "innerness," implying the assimilation
of G-d's Essence ("innerness") within the soul of Israel.
Hence the first word of the Ten Commandments - Anochi
("I am")--is interpreted in the sources as an acronym for
ana nafshi ketavit yehavit, "I have written and given My
Essence."

In conclusion, we see that the word Kabbalah implies a

capacity for establishing proper correspondences. For
this reason, much of Kabbalistic discourse concerns itself

with articulating various correspondences and

parallelisms implicit within Creation. This mode of
discourse constructively guides and disciplines one's
koach hamedameh, the "associative power" of
consciousness responsible for intuiting hidden
connections within reality.

This innate power possesses the tendency, if left

unchecked, to invite fantasies and other distorted
imaginings aimed solely at gratifying one's senses and
ego. Thus it is identified in Chassidic thought as the
psychological root of man's evil inclination. The study of
Kabbalah helps rectify this power by guiding it in the
direction of positive associations, those which express
the harmony within Creation and eventually, at an even
higher level, point to its Divine unity and oneness.

We are now better prepared to appreciate the approach

of Rabbi Isaac and other Chassidic masters who expound
their ideas through the use of parallel models. It is
important to realize that whenever one attempts to
articulate correspondences, there is either a conscious or
unconscious frame of reference guiding one in the
process.

The Torah itself provides us with the necessary

prototypes for conceptually ordering our reality. These
models differ according to the number of corresponding
levels one is interested in articulating. For instance,
should one wish to express four levels of
correspondence, the classic frame of reference in
Kabbalah is the ineffable four-letter Name of G-d
(Havayah); ten levels always relate back to the ten

Divine emanations (sefirot) within Creation; thirteen

levels, to the thirteen attributes of Divine mercy; and so
on. (The importance of such models as educational tools
is hinted at in the Passover Haggadah, the essential
Jewish primer, which concludes with a song entitled
"Who knows one?" delineating in verse thirteen models
of correspondence, ranging from one G-d to the thirteen
attributes of His mercy.)

By suggesting a correspondence between the "three

Kabbalot" and the following three concepts from the
Tanya, Rabbi Isaac hopes to transplant the essence of the
first model into the second, thus enriching it and giving
birth to a new and deeper understanding.
Basics in Kabbalah and Chassidut
Three Stages in the Evolution of Kabbalistic Thought
Part 3

Hishtalshelut
and the Kabbalah of the Ramak

The first of the terms identified in the Tanya is

hishtalshelut, "evolution." The concept of hishtalshelut,
as used in Chassidic thought, refers to the metaphysical
process whereby the complex and finite reality of the
universe unfolds out of G-d's absolute oneness. The
underlying dynamic of hishtalshelut is that of ila v'alul,
temporal "cause and effect." According to Kabbalah, the
universe evolves, like the trunk of a tree, as rings within
rings with G-d at its center. The root of the Hebrew word
taba'at ("ring") is teva, which itself means "nature."
Nature and the evolutionary process are one and the

same. Both suggest an underlying unity which serves as

the source of energy for a vast creative enterprise.

As indicated above, the Kabbalah of the Ramak focuses

primarily on the process of hishtalshelut, describing in
detail the array of Divinely emanated forces which serve
to mediate between the infinite Creator and His finite
Creation. These forces, or sefirot, emerge in a particular
sequence, ultimately remaining as the underlying
formula for all creative process within the universe.
Although the Ramak was a mystic in every sense of the
word, whose inspiration derived mainly from the opaque
imagery of the Zohar, his conceptual focus on
hishtalshelut resulted in a quasi-philosophical exposition
of the themes which lie at the heart of Kabbalah.The
dialect of philosophical discourse was deemed by him to
be most effective in describing a process which itself
reflected a sequential logic and coherence.
Basics in Kabbalah and Chassidut
Three Stages in the Evolution of Kabbalistic Thought
Part 4

Hitlavshut
and the Kabbalah of the Ari

The concept of hitlavshut ("enclothement"), on the

other hand, implies a radical shift of focus in considering
the nature of Creation. According to the perspective of
hitlavshut, the chief dynamic of Creation is not
evolutionary, but rather interactional. What this means is
that higher strata of reality are constantly enclothing
themselves within lower strata, like the soul within a

body, thereby infusing every element of Creation with an

inner force that transcends its own position within the
universal hierarchy. Hitlavshut is very much a
"biological" dynamic, accounting for the life-force which
resides within Creation; hishtalshelut, on the other hand,
is a "physical" one, concerned with the condensedenergy of matter rather than the life-force of the soul.

Of all the innovative concepts which the Ari introduced

into Kabbalistic thought, hitlavshut is the one which he
identified as most significant. It provides the motif for
his doctrine of the partzufim, wherein the sefirot are
portrayed as complex interacting entities, cosmic
"personae," which in "familial" constellation are
constantly giving and receiving life-force from one
another.

It is the theme of hitlavshut which informs the Ari's

unique concern with the issue of gilgul neshamot,
"reincarnating souls." Reincarnation is another
manifestation of how one stratum of life-force can
enclothe itself within another. The prime variety of
gilgul, wherein human lifetimes themselves overlap, is
described by the Ari as exhibiting the same pattern of
hitlavshut as the overlapping of broader realms within
Creation--the "legs" of the previous soul or lifetime
enclothing themselves within the "head" of the present
one.

We can now understand why the doctrine of gilgul does

not appear anywhere within the system of the Ramak.
Having not identified hitlavshut as part of his conceptual

focus, the entire issue remains premature and in need of

the Ari's future elaboration.
Basics in Kabbalah and Chassidut
Three Stages in the Evolution of Kabbalistic Thought
Part 5

Hashra'ah and the

Kabbalah of the Ba'al Shem Tov

The final concept cited by Rabbi Isaac from the Tanya

is that of hashra'ah. This is a difficult term to translate.
Its root--shara (to "immerse")--implies the pervasive
infiltration of some higher element or force within a
lower one. It is commonly used in reference to the
Shechinah, G-d's universal Presence within the created
realm. Hence we have identified it as the concept of
Divine omnipresence.

The term hashra'ah is also used in the vernacular to

denote "inspiration," implying an infinite force
encompassing one's reality which elevates him to a
transcendent plane which otherwise would be
unattainable. For instance, the inspiration one derives
from immersing himself regularly in the presence of a
great tzadik is such that he may often become endowed
with some of the tzadik's own capacities, even though he
is still in essence the "lesser" individual that he was
before.

The dimension of Kabbalistic thought introduced by the

Ba'al Shem Tov is what allowed for a fuller appreciation
of G-d's omnipresence within Creation. Although the

concept of G-d's immanence within the created realm

was always a central one within Kabbalah, the
implications of this concept as expounded by the Ba'al
Shem Tov amounted to an entirely new revelation.
According to the Ba'al Shem Tov, Divine immanence
implies a direct equivalence between G-d and all other
levels of reality, as expressed by the Chassidic aphorism:
"All is G-d and G-d is all." The proper understanding of
this idea, especially as it differs from that of pantheism,
represents the supreme insight to be attained prior to the
Messianic age.

The presumption of a stratified reality, be it one which is

statically hierarchic (as described by the Ramak) or
dynamically interactive (as described by the Ari), is one
intuited by finite minds unable to grasp the true nature of
existence. Although both the system of the Ramak and
the Ari play an important role in advancing our
awareness of the Divine element within Creation, they
are only stepping stones on the path to a fully liberated
consciousness capable of seeing G-d within all reality
and thus attesting to His absolute exclusivity of Being.

Hence the Ba'al Shem Tov touches little upon the topic
of gilgul, the notion of overlapping realities giving way
to the awareness of G-d interpenetrating all of reality in
equal measure, the essence of hashra'ah. The realization
that every individual being is subsumed within a higher,
more infinite, collective being renders the historical
consideration of gilgulei neshamot virtually irrelevant.
As Jews become more conscious over time of their
identification with a Divine collective being, their focus
shifts from that of concern with their own individual

selves to one of concern with the broader identities of

community and nation. This tendency is expressed as
well in the desire to reclaim the collective homeland of
the Jewish people and reestablish there the rhythms of a
shared existence in dialogue with the Divine.

Hence the aspect of hashra'ah introduced by the Ba'al

Shem Tov represents the final dimension of Kabbalistic
thought to reveal itself before the coming of Mashiach.
All of Kabbalah is now to be understood in terms of this
revelation, albeit in context of the conceptual progression
that preceded it through the systems of the Ramak and
the Ari.
Basics in Kabbalah and Chassidut
Three Stages in the Evolution of Kabbalistic Thought
Part 6

Three Varieties of Creative Force:

Koach, Chayut and Ohr

In line with R. Isaac's expository method, it is possible

to suggest yet another triad of terms corresponding to the
conceptual model of "the three Kabbalot." This triad is
taken as well from the Tanya, specifically from the
segment entitled Sha'ar Hayichud V'haEmunah ("The
Gate of Unity and Faith"). There, Rabbi Shneur Zalman
of Liadi describes the process whereby G-d forms and
sustains all of Creation through an infinite number of
Hebrew letter permutations, each of which conveys three
levels of Divine lifeforce: koach, chayut, and ohr.

Koach represents the innate "power" or "energy" which

condenses into the very substance of Creation itself, be it
in physical or spiritual form. This is comparable to the
energy which Einstein identified as the ultimate
component of all matter. The equivalence between
energy and matter is expressed in the Kabbalah by the
statement: mehitabut ha'orot, nithavu hakelim--"from the
condensation of the lights, were the vessels brought into
being." This concept relates to the system of the Ramak,
which sets out to delineate the evolving forms of energy
(the sefirot) underlying the very substance of Creation.

Chayut represents the inner "lifeforce," or soul, which

fills the substance of Creation with an independent
consciousness of the Divinity immanent within it. There
is a quantum distinction between innate "energy,"
inhering within the actual forms of Creation, and
"lifeforce," which while mysteriously enclothing itself
within reality remains attached to its Divine source.
Hence chayut corresponds to the system of the Ari
which, as we have seen, deals directly with the process of
hitlavhsut ("enclothement") and the possibility of souls
transmigrating from "vessel" to "vessel" within Creation.

Ohr represents the all-encompassing infinite "light"

which inspires every element within Creation to
transcend the boundaries of its own nature and become
absolutely one with G-d. According to the Ba'al Shem
Tov, the infinite light of G-d, which by definition
disallows any other form of existence, paradoxically
remains within the "empty space" which G-d cleared as a
"womb" for His unfolding Creation. The Ari's description
of the withdrawal, or disappearance, of this infinite light

is understood in Chassidic thought as emanating from the

perspective of Creation itself, whose finite consciousness
cannot accommodate the truth of G-d's essential
immutability. According to the Ba'al Shem Tov, the
closer we come to the Messianic age, the more attuned
we become to G-d's omnipresence within Creation;
hence the centrality of hashraah within his system of
thought.
Basics in Kabbalah and Chassidut
Three Stages in the Evolution of Kabbalistic Thought
Part 7

Three Conceptualizations of Time

Another set of concepts, expressing various

perspectives on the relationship between time and
Creation, can be correlated as well with the three
Kabbalot.

The first, which appears in philosophical texts as the

concept of ila v'alul ("cause and effect"), represents the
temporal dynamic of causality implicit in the
"evolutionary" model of Creation articulated by the
Ramak. According to this model, every unfolding stage
in Creation is the product of all stages that precede it.
Unlike other conceptions of causality which, viewing all
of reality as deterministic, oppose the fundamental belief
in free will and moral responsibility, the causality of
hishtalshelut is limited to the external dimension (the
"outer vessels") of Creation alone, leaving the inner
dimension of "light," or soul, to operate according to its
own principles.

Indeed, the Ari's focus upon hitlavshut, the

"enclothement" of soul within outer reality, implies an
entirely different temporal dynamic within Creation, that
of bri'ah yesh m'ayin ("creation ex-nihilo"). In the Ari's
system, creation ex-nihilo is described as the process
whereby G-d continuously regenerates existence "at each
and every moment" by alternately nullifying reality and
then re-enclothing a ray of His infinite light within the
resulting existential vacuum. This continual re-creation is
responsible for the pulse of life which reverberates
throughout the cosmos, the persistent back and forth (or
"run and return," as called in Kabbalah) between Divine
"nothingness" and created "somethingness." Without the
dynamic of hitlavshut, one is simply not "alive"
spiritually; but rather a "rolling stone," an inanimate,
ongoing physical process with no sense of its own free
will and creative potential.

Although the concept of continuous re-creation suggests

that time is nothing more than an ever recurring present
moment, unconnected to (and thus undetermined by) a
past, this is not entirely the case. The collective past of
Creation, rooted in its Divine source, is conveyed into
the present through the ray of infinite light which
enclothes itself within every reconstruction of reality.
Hence the infinite light, or "soul" of reality, serves to
bind these quantum re-constructions into a single
integrated pursuit of Divine actualization.

There is yet another level of consciousness which

implies an even sublimer appreciation of the relationship
between time and Creation. This is the level of
consciousness advocated by the Ba'al Shem Tov in his

depiction of Creation as the ultimate field of Divine selfexpression. Ki mimcha hakol - "for all emanates from
You," not only the singular spirit of Creation but its
multiplicity of form as well.

Whereas the Ari views Creation as emanating out of

"nothingness," the Ba'al Shem Tov sees it as emanating
out of G-d Himself. The "nullity" of pre-existence
spoken of by the Ari is synonymous with G-d's "infinite
light" obliterating all other reality. As sublime a realm as
it may be, the domain of the "infinite light" cannot
compare with that of its ultimate source, the absolute
Essence of G-d which, according to the Ba'al Shem Tov,
is the true origin of reality.

In the context of experiencing time, this level of

consciousness leads one to identify a Divine
synchronization of timeframes whereby past, present and
future all exist simultaneously within Creation. This
paradoxical state of consciousness in fact reflects the
ultimate Divine reality expressed by G-d's essential fourletter Name (Havayah), an amalgam of the words hayah,
hoveh and yihyeh--"was, is and will be." Only by
transcending the boundaries of "created time," even in its
profoundest sense as a continuous present moment, can
we approach the true nature of reality.

Hence we see that there are three stages in the

maturation of consciousness which correspond to varying
psychological conceptions of time. The classical
conception of time as a contiguous progression of
moments flowing one into the next reflects the
consciousness of hishtalshelut; a consciousness which, in

isolation, can lead one to view himself as the victim of an

entropic and deterministic reality with limited creative
potential.

The more enlightened conception of time, deriving from

the consciousness of hitlavshut, allows for constant
renewal and creativity as each and every moment
releases one from the past and reveals the range of
possibility inherent in the continuous present moment.

Yet it is only the supra-temporal conception of time,

associated with the consciousness of hashra'ah, which
allows one the absolute freedom of identifying with He
who created time itself. This state of consciousness,
which will crystallize at the time of universal
redemption, holds the key to liberating all of Creation
from its imaginary bonds of selfhood and restoring the
true Divine face of reality.
Basics in Kabbalah and Chassidut
Three Stages in the Evolution of Kabbalistic Thought
Part 8

Four Levels of Divine Praise

Having refined our understanding of the three

Kabbalot, we can now better appreciate the succession of
idioms used in the Shabbat morning prayer, Hakol
Yoducha ("All will thank You"): Eyn aroch lecha ("there
is none relative to You"), eyn zulatecha ("there is none
other beside You"), efes bilt'cha ("there is nothing but
You"), eyn domeh lecha ("there is none like You").

Eyn aroch lecha -- "There is none relative to You." This

expression of Divine praise implies a relative estimation
(or erech) of the various elements and forces within
Creation. In this estimation, all finite realities are deemed
insignificant relative to G-d's infinite Being; however,
relative to each other, created beings do possess
significance and can indeed be compared one to the next.
Hence this expression of praise reflects the orientation of
the Ramak, whose system delineates the sliding scale of
existence from the infinite being of the Creator to the
finite physical realm in which we live.

Eyn zulatecha -- "There is none outside of You."

Implicit in this expression of praise is the idea that
nothing can exist without G-d "entering" into it and
actively bringing it into existence at each and every
moment. This idea is expressed by Maimonides in the
following language: b'amitat himatzo nimtzeu kol
hanimtzaim--"through the truth of His existence, all
existing things were granted (their own) existence." This
level of praise reflects the central theme of the Ari's
Kabbalistic system: hitlavshut, the "enclothement" of
Divine spirit within all reality. Although representing a
higher level of consciousness than the expression which
precedes it, the implication is still that other realities
exists--even if only by virtue of G-d's constant presence
within them.

Efes biltecha -- "There is nothing but You." This

expression gives voice to the idea promoted by the Ba'al
Shem Tov and Chassidism that there is indeed no other
reality aside from that of G-d Himself. In this statement
of Divine praise, we negate the integrity of our own

existence and declare the entire spectrum of created

being to be no more than a manifestation of G-d's own
essence.

Eyn domeh lecha -- "There is none like You." This

assertion is explained in Chassidic thought as expressive
of G-d's power to sustain paradox. Hence it is a response
to the previous expression which seems to contradict
basic intuition by denying Creation its own autonomous
existence. In His fashioning a world which
simultaneously tolerates these two opposing
interpretations of existence, G-d asserts His own
essential singularity.