In Kabbalistic and Hasidic philosophy, seder hishtalshelut (, ) refers to the chain-like descent of the Four Worlds between God and Creation. Each spiritual world denotes a complete realm of existence, resulting from its general proximity or distance to divine revelation. Each realm is also a form of consciousness reflected in this world through the psychology of the soul. Kabbalah is concerned with defining the esoteric nature, particularly the partzufim or divine manifestations or personas, as well as the functional role of each level between the infinite and the finite. Each spiritual realm embodies a creative stage God uses to go from his self to the creation of the physical world, the material Universe being the end of the chain and the only physical realm. Hasidic thought applies the Kabbalistic scheme to its concern of perceiving divine omnipresence in this material world. In this, Hasidism varies in its use of Kabbalah, Mainstream-Hasidism avoiding Kabbalistic focus, while Chabad thought explains seder hishtalshelut concerning man's psychology. In contrast to the functional aim of Kabbalah, this contemplates seder hishtalshelut as a vehicle for relating to the divine unity with creation.Chassidut: Kabbalah's Final Frontier from inner.orgDivine Omnipresence and the Kabbalah of the Baal Shem Tov from inner.org. Here Yitzchak Ginsburgh refers to Hasidic thought as a final stage in Kabbalah: "Seder Hishtalshelut" is sometimes used restrictively to refer to the emergent Created Order, the Four Worlds. More broadly, all preceding levels are included, as their function underlies existence. This page lists and links to all the main spiritual levels described in Lurianic Kabbalah, the scheme of Isaac Luria (1534–1572), the basis of modern Jewish mysticism. Its listing incorporated, expanded and explained earlier Medieval/Classical Kabbalah. After Luria, esoteric Kabbalists broadened their explanation within the Lurianic listing. The supra-rational doctrines of Luria described the Chokmah levels of divinity (tzimtzum and the shattering) that preceded the "rationally" perceived Bina levels of Medieval Kabbalah and Moses ben Jacob Cordovero.The Development of Kabbalah in Three Stages from inner.org: "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 has come into sharper focus with every passing generation. Each stage in the historical revelation of Kabbalah represents a conceptual approach to understanding Kabbalistic tradition. 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." In turn, the Habad Hasidic exploration described Keter (will) levels of Divine intention that preceded Creation.Ohr Ein Sof: Ten stages of God's Infinite Light before the beginning of the creative process from inner.orgOverview of Hasidic thought from inner.org: "By using the individual's own inner experience as an allegorical model for understanding the deepest mysteries of the universe, Hasidut both elevates the consciousness of the ordinary Jew as well as expands the conceptual territory of Kabbalistic thought. Indeed, the classical tradition of Kabbalah can be considered superficial relative to that of Hasidut. By focusing upon immediate experience, Hasidut identifies aspects of Divinity that the highly formal and abstract system of Kabbalistic induction leaves unexplored."
The Upper Unity Or Ein Sof Preparatory stages in Or Ein Sof "God's Infinite Light" before the beginning of the creative process. The Or Ein Sof is a paradoxical form of divine self-revelation. These are above any world/limitation. Kabbalah considered whether Ein Sof represents God's divine essence or God as First Cause. Chabad philosophy explores atzmut or divine essence in the purpose of Creation. Ten stages of God's Infinite Light in Kabbalistic terminology before the beginning of Creation:The Worlds: The Stages of the Creative Process from God's Infinite Light to Our Physical World - Introduction, from inner.org AtzmuthHeaven On Earth: Reflections on the Theology of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Faitel Levin, Kehot 2002) Yachid "Single" Echad "One" Sha'ashuim Atzmi'im "Delights of Self" Aliyat Haratzon "Ascent of the Will" Ana Emloch "Primordial Thought" Ein Sof "No End". This is a term for the Unknowable God in Kabbalah, God as infinite life source continuously sustaining all Creation into Existence, above Being and Non-Being, reciprocally becoming through the totality of Creation by the divine souls of AnthroposSymbols of the Kabbalah: Philosophical and Psychological Perspectives, Sanford Drob, Aronson 1999) Kadmon Avir Kadmon "Primordial Atmosphere" Adam Kadma'ah Stima'ah "Concealed Primordial Man", God's will for Creation before the tzimtzum Tzimtzum
There were three stages of the Sod HaTzimtzum "Secret of Contraction" taught in the new doctrines of Lurianic Kabbalah. These received differing interpretations after Luria, from the literal to the metaphorical. In this dynamic myth, the first act in Creation was Divine Self-Withdrawal, the opposite of Creative revelation. Tzimtzum is a paradox as Creation depends on God also being present in the vacuum and resulting existence: Tzimtzum, the self-withdrawal of God's Infinite Light to create the Ḥālāl "Vacuum" Reshimu "Impression": Light left behind in the vacuum, the Residue Ḥālāl ( "Empty space"), the emptiness Kav "Line/Ray", new divine light radiated into the primordial emptiness Avir "Space, Ether": Where divine light, created precisely by God, took shape in creation and creatures or was sublimated in the spiritual modalities of the angels and the souls of living beings (see hyle). A cause of his spiritual nature, Avir is related to Adam and Eve before the original sin, but in natural science, avir is a modality about the orbital mechanism of constellations and silica in the esoteric traditions of Eastern Europe. The "celestial green color"is the first iridescence of Jupiter. In the more accessible Halakhah, all this corresponds to the tzitzit of the tallit: the tekhelet of the threads. Shevirat HaKelim ("Distinctions") creation, World by World. Adam Kadmon Adam Kadmon ("Primordial Man" or "Anthropos"), an anthropomorphic term, is the revelation of the divine will for creation after the tzimtzum. Its paradoxical nature is expressed as both Adam (creation) and Kadmon ("primary" divinity). As the will of Keter, it is pure light, with no vessels, bounded by its future potential to create vessels. It is sometimes counted as the first of the Five Worlds, but its supreme transcendence is before the emergence of the sephiroth and the shattering of their vessels: Ratzon Kadum ("Original Desire") Adam Kadmon ("Primordial Man") Orot Ozen-Chotem-Peh (Five "lights from the eyes, ears, nose, mouth and forehead" of Adam Kadmon)http://newkabbalah.com/index3.html Adam Kadmon-Primordial Man, newkabbalah.com. Akudim, Nekudim, Berudim
Three Worlds of "lights" and "vessels" resulted from the interacting lights that emanated from Adam Kadmon in Lurianic Kabbalah. Each embodies different stages in the emergence of the ten sephiroth. Their progression corresponds to the archetypal realms of Tohu and Tikun (Chaos and Rectification) described in the new doctrines of Luria. Tohu caused the shattering of the sephirot vessels, the catastrophic exile in creation: Akudim: ten lights in one vessel - Stable Tohu Nekudim: ten isolated lights in ten vessels - Unstable Tohu Berudim: ten interrelated lights in ten vessels - beginning of TikunGlossary of Kabbalah and Hasidut from inner.org, letter B. Link to page on Berudim currently out of service, March 2020
Keter of Atzilut
The world of Atziluth is the first of the comprehensive Four Worlds, collectively the realm of rectifying the vessels shattered by Chaos. Atzilut completes the Upper rectification, which began in Berudim, through the sephirot transforming into personas or "countenances" of the divine. The personas harmonise the sephiroth in fully-interacting configurations in the form of Man. The rectification of Atzilut begins with the rectification of its Keter "Crown". Eight rectification stages in the Crown:8 stages of rectification in the world of Atzilut which begins with rectification of its 'crown' - Introduction: Partzufei Ha'Keter (The "Figures of the Crown"), from inner.org
Ancient of Days: the upper partsuph of Keter Arich Anpin, the lower partsuph of Keter Reisha D'lo Ityada "Unknowable Head" Reisha d'Ayin "Head of Nothingness" Reisha d'Arich "Head of Infinity" Gulgalta "Skull", the Keter of the Arich Anpin Mocha Stima'ah "Concealed Brain", the origin of ḥokhma "Wisdom" of the Arich Anpin Diqna "Beard": contracts the light of the Arich Anpin through the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy
Atziluth
The ten personas after Keter rectified the first world, Atziluth. Each of the six primary and twelve secondary personas corresponds to the ten sephiroth arranged around one of their numbers. The interaction of the personas rectifies Atziluth eternally, completing the upper rectification. Redemption of the fallen sparks by the Anthropos rectifies the time-connected three lower Worlds Below. Atziluth is separated from the three independent lower worlds by its exclusive consciousness of divine unity without self-awareness. The infinite insight of Hokmah predominates beyond intellectual grasp. Creation from Nothing is seen from the view of Ayin, "Nothingness", realising its non-existence in the Bitul ha-Atzmit "Nullification of Essence"—the world of the Anthropos (sephiroth and personas). Abba "Father", persona of Hokhma Imma "Mother", persona of Bina Abba Ila'ah ("Higher Father") Upper secondary persona of Chokhmah Imma Ila'ah ("Higher Mother") Upper secondary persona of Bina Yisrael Sabba "Israel the Elder": Jacob in the Hebrew Bible, lower secondary persona of Hokhma Tevuna ("Comprehension") Lower secondary persona of Bina Zeir Anpin : General persona of Emotions Nukva d-Ze'ir Anpin: "Female of Short Countenance" General persona of Malkuth Leah: first wife of Jacob, the upper secondary persona of Malkhut Rachel: second wife of Jacob, lower secondary persona of Malkhut The ten sephiroth shine in the Four Worlds; the last sephira of a World, Malkuth, becomes the first sephira, the Crown, of the next Realm. The Malkuth of Atzilut, called "God's speech," the source of prophecy, is the general source of independent creation.Introduction: Arba'ah Olamot (The Four Worlds), from inner.org World of Atsiluth
The Lower Unity The beginning of self-aware ego, the spiritual worlds perceiving themselves to exist, as created realms independent from God, despite the ultimate illusion of this. The worlds can only reach Bitul Ha-Yesh (Nullification of Being), not the Bitul Ha-Atzmis (Nullification of Essence) characterised by Atzilut.
Beriah
The roots of Creation in the Divine mind. Binah (Divine Understanding) predominates, the intellect taking measured grasp of the Divine transcendence and remoteness of God above Beriah. The world of the Throne of God, metaphorically where the Divine Anthropos of Atzilut descends ("sitting") to rule independent Creation from above.
Olam Ha'Beriah (the "World of Creation")
Yetzirah Archetypal Creation. Zeir Anpin (Divine Emotions) predominate. The world of the angels who serve God with emotional self-nullification.
Olam Ha'Yetzirah (the "World of Formation")
Asiyah Particular pluralist Creation. Malkuth (Divine Rulership) predominates. Asiyah is a spiritual world, but with a lower physical aspect (our Universe).
Olam Ha'Asiyah (the "World of Action")
Asiyah Gashmit