The Four Worlds (Hebrew: עולמותʿOlāmot, singular: ʿOlāmעולם), sometimes counted with a primordial world, Adam Kadmon, and called the Five Worlds, are the comprehensive categories of spiritual realms in Kabbalah in a descending chain of existence.
The concept of "Worlds" denotes the emanation of creative lifeforce from the Ein Sof or Godhead through progressive, innumerable tzimtzumim or concealments. Kabbalists identified the names of these worlds from Isaiah 43:7, "All who are linked to My name, Whom I have created, Formed, and made for My glory (Biblical Hebrew: כֹּ֚ל הַנִּקְרָ֣א בִשְׁמִ֔י וְלִכְבוֹדִ֖י בְּרָאתִ֑יו יְצַרְתִּ֖יו אַף־עֲשִׂיתִֽיו׃, romanized: Kol hanniqrā b̲išmi wəlik̲b̲od̲i bərāt̲iw yəṣartiw ʾap̲-ʿăśit̲iw.)". The names are thus Beri'ah "Creation," Yetzirah "Formation," Assiah "Action," and Atziluth "Emanation." Below Assiah, the lowest spiritual world, is the Assiah gashmi "Physical Assiah," the physical universe, which enclothes the last two sefirot, Yesod and Malkuth.[1] Collectively, the Four Worlds are referred to as אבי״עAviyaʿ after their initial letters. In addition to the functional role each world has in the process of creation, they also embody dimensions of consciousness within human experience.
The Worlds are formed by the Light that fills all worlds, the divine creative light or ohr that is divine immanence. The ten sefirot "attributes" and their associated twelve partzufim or "personas" reflect this light in the Four Worlds, as do more specific Divine manifestations. In Lurianic Kabbalah, the partzufim interact dynamically, and sublime levels are clothed within lower existences, a concealed soul. Nonetheless, in each world, sefirot and partzufim predominate. The Five Worlds are, in descending order:
Adam Kadmon (אָדָם קַדְמוֹן) or the Cosmic Man. The anthropomorphic metaphor of Adam Qadmon denotes the Yosher "Upright" arrangement of the sefirot as the tree of life, which is then personified in the form of man, though not yet manifest. "Kadmon" signifies "primary of all primaries", the first pristine emanation, still united with the Ein Sof. Adam Kadmon is the realm of "Keter Elyon" or "Supernal Crown", lucid and luminous lights (tzachtzachot), the pure but concealed sefirot. Regarding the future emergence of Creation, it represents the divine light with no vessels, the manifestation of the specific Divine plan for existence within Creation. In Lurianic Kabbalah, the lights from Adam Kadmon precipitate Tohu and Tikun. As Keter is elevated above the sefirot, Adam Qadmon is supreme above the Worlds; therefore, it is generally not ennumerated in the list of spiritual worlds.
Atziluth (אֲצִילוּת) Emanation. On this level, the light of the Ein Sof radiates but is still united with its source. This supreme revelation precludes the souls and emanations in Atziluth from sensing or perceiving their existence. In Atziluth, the ten sefirot emerge in revelation, with Chochma "Wisdom" dominating. In the context of Atziluth, the last sefira, Malkuth "Kingdom", represents the "divine speech" of the first Genesis creation narrative, through which God created the universe. It is through this Malkuth that the lower worlds are sustained.
Beri'ah (בְּרִיאָה or alternatively[2] בְּרִיָּה), meaning World of Creation. On this level is the first concept of creatio ex nihilo (Yesh miAyin), however without yet shape or form, as the creations of Beriah sense their own existence, though in nullification of being (Bittul HaMetziut) to divinity. Beriah is the realm of the "Divine Throne", denoting the sefirot configuration of Atziluth descending into Beriah like a King on a Throne. The sefirah Binah (Understanding) predominates, representing Divine intellect.
Yetzirah (יְצִירָה),Formation. On this level, created beings assume shape and form. The emotional sefirot, Chesed through Yesod, predominate. The souls and angels within Yetzirah worship through divine emotion and striving as they sense their distance from the Understanding of Beriah. This ascent and descent channel the divine vitality through the Worlds, furthering the divine purpose. Therefore, the main angels, such as the seraphim, are in Yetzirah, denoting their burning consummation in divine emotion.
Assiah (עֲשִׂיָּה), meaning World of Action. On this level, Creation is complete, differentiated and particular, as by this point the Divine vitality has undergone much concealment and diminution. However, it is still on a spiritual level. The angels of Assiah function on the active level, as the sefirah Malkuth (fulfilment in Kingship) predominates. Below spiritual Assiah is Assiah Gashmi (עֲשִׂיָה גַשׁמִיʿăśiyā g̲ašmi "Physical Asiyah"), the final, lowest realm of existence, our material Universe with all its creations. Much like how the sefirah Malkuth within Atziluth is the conduit by which the later worlds emanate, the final sefirot of Assiah are the point by which the physical universe derives.
Meaning
Jacob's vision in Genesis 28:12 of a ladder between Heaven and Earth. In Kabbalistic interpretation, the Sulam-ladder's four main divisions are the Four Worlds and the angelic hierarchy embody external dimensions of the lights-vessels, while souls embody inner dimensions
The Four Worlds are spiritual, heavenly realms in a descending chain, although the lowest world of Assiah has both a spiritual and a physical aspect. The physical level of Assiah is our physical finite realm, including the cosmological Universe studied by science. Consequently, as Kabbalah becomes more of a metaphysical study, the terms "higher" and "lower" are used as metaphors for being closer or further from Divine consciousness, revelation, and emanance.
The 16th-century systemisation of Kabbalah by Moses ben Jacob Cordovero brought the preceding interpretations and schools into their first complete rational synthesis. Subsequent doctrines of Kabbalah from Isaac Luria, describe an initial tzimtzum (withdrawal of the universal Divine consciousness that preceded Creation) to "allow room" for created beings on lower levels of consciousness. Lower levels of consciousness require the self-perception of independent existence, by the created beings on each level, to prevent their loss of identity before the magnificence of God. This illusion increases with more force in each subsequent descending realm. The number of graduations between the Infinite and the finite, is likewise infinite, and arises from innumerable, progressively strong concealments of the Divine light. Nonetheless, the four worlds represent fundamental categories of Divine consciousness from each other, which delineates their four descriptions. Consequently, each world also psychologically represents a spiritual rung of ascent in human consciousness, as it approaches the Divine.
Ezekiel's Tomb in Iraq. Ezekiel's vision of the Divine Merkabah-Chariot,[3] and Isaiah's vision of the Kisei HaKavod-Throne of Glory,[4] are related in Kabbalah to beholding the Four Worlds from Yetzirah, and from Beriah
Kabbalah distinguishes between two types of Divine light that emanate through the 10 sefirot (Divine emanations) from the Infinite (Ein Sof), to create or affect reality. There is a continual flow of a "lower" light, the Mimalei Kol Olmin, the light of eminence that "fills all worlds" is the creating force in each descending world, that itself continually brings everything in that level of existence into being from nothing. It is this light that undergoes the various divine concealments and contractions as it descends downward to create the next level, and adapts itself to the capacity of each created being on each level. A transcendent higher light Sovev Kol Olmin, the light that "surrounds all worlds" would be the manifestation on a particular level of a higher light which above the capacity of that realm to contain. This is ultimately rooted in the infinite light ("Ohr Ein Sof") that preceded Creation, the Tzimtzum and the Sephirot, rather than the source of the immanent light in the "Kav" (first emanation of creation after the Tzimtzum), in the teachings of Isaac Luria. Consequently, all the worlds are dependent for their continual existence on the flow of Divinity they constantly receive from the Divine Will to create them. Creation is continuous. The faculty of Divine Will is represented in the sefirot (10 Divine emanations) by the first, supra-conscious Sephirah of "Keter"-Crown, that transcends the lower 9 Sephirot of conscious intellect and emotion. Once the Divine Will is manifest, then it actualises Creation through Divine Intellect, and "subsequently" Divine Emotion, until it results in action. The reference to temporal cause and effect is itself a metaphor. The psychology of man also reflects the "Divine psychology" of the sefirot, as "Man is created in the image of God" (Genesis 1:27). In man the activation of willpower through intellect and emotion until deed, requires time and subsequent cause and effect. In the Divine Sephirot and their activation of Creation, this does not apply, as limitations only apply to Creation.
The Book of Job states that "from my flesh I see God". In Kabbalah and Hasidism this is understood to refer to the correspondence between the "Divine psychology" of the Four Worlds and the Sephirot, with human psychology and the Sephirot in the soul of man. From understanding the Kabbalistic description of the human soul, we can grasp the meaning of the Divine scheme. Ultimately, this is seen as the reason that God chose to emanate His Divinity through the 10 Sephirot, and chose to create the corresponding chain of four Worlds (called the "Seder hishtalshelus"-"order of development"). He could have chosen to bridge the infinite gap between the Ein Sof and our World by a leap of Divine decree. Instead the Sephirot and Four Worlds allow man to understand Divinity through Divine manifestation, by understanding himself. The verse in Genesis of this correspondence also describes the feminine half of Creation: (Genesis 1:27) "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him, male and female created He them". Consequently, some of the sefirot are feminine, and the Shechina (immanent Divine presence) is seen as feminine. It is the intimate relationship between the Divine scheme of four World and man, that allows man's ascent more easily to Divine consciousness (see Dveikus).
Formless existence First self-awareness Parsah-Veil from Atzilut to Beriah Divine Intellect Nullification of Being First sensed Creation Divine Throne Higher Garden of Eden
Binah-Understanding Grasp of intellect Partzuf of Imma-Mother
Higher ה Hei Dimensional expansion Vessel for intellect-Female Palace
Neshamah-Breath Divine intellect in soul Highest internalised potential Breath is internalised
Drush-Homiletic Midrash Neshamah-Understanding of Torah Aggadah alludes to Kabbalah
Divine name ס״ג Mostly good Little potential source of bad Thought garment Torah scroll Nekudot-Vowels
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