Basics in Kabbalah and Chassidut

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Basics in Kabbalah and Chassidut

THREE STAGES IN THE

EVOLUTIONOF KABBALISTIC THOUGHT

Introduction

There are three distinct stages in the historicalrevelation of Kabbalah. Each represents a conceptual

approach to understanding Kabbalistic tradition. Each is

identified with a particular historical figure Rabbi MosesCordevero, 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 withinwhich 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) andhashra'ah (omnipresence).

Ramak Hishtalshelut evolution

Ari Hitlavshut enclothement

Ba'al Shem Tov Hashra’ah omnipresence

Basics in Kabbalah and ChassidutThree 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'shiflutv'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 identifiedwith a particular historical figure whose system of

thought served to advance the evolution of Kabbalistictheory by providing new and more illuminating

frameworks within which to organize the totality ofKabbalistic doctrine existing up to their time. These threefigures, as identified by Rabbi Isaac, were Rabbi Moses

Cordevero (1522-1570), also known as the Ramak ; RabbiYitzchak Luria (1534-1572), popularly referred to as the

holy Ari; and Rabbi Yisrael, the Ba'al Shem Tov (1698-1762).

Whereas the revealed law of the Torah realized its

greatest revelation at Sinai, only to have its claritydiminish over time, the hidden tradition experienced a

virtually opposite situation: its doctrine, whose historicalorigins 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 rationallysystematize all of Kabbalistic thought up to his time, in

particular the teachings of the Zohar and its laterinterpreters. The Zohar, which is the foundational text ofKabbalah, was first publicized in 14th century Spain by

Rabbi Moses de Leon, although its teachings originatedwith 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 fewin 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 Kabbalistictradition 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 realityevolved 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 'sdemise, 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 toEgypt where he quickly established himself as aTalmudic prodigy. Introduced to the secrets of the

Kabbalah by one of his mentors, he would often spendextended periods in isolated meditation. During one of

his visionary experiences, the Ari was instructed byElijah 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 wasmeant 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 timeas 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 acompletely new path in the study of Kabbalah. So pivotal

were his insights that to this day the study of Kabbalah isvirtually 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." Unlikethe Ramak 's system, wherein the sefirot appear as

discrete and autonomous forces advancing the evolution

of Creation, the Ari's system posits a universe constantlyinteracting with itself, engaged in the perennial conflict

between good and evil which will only be resolvedthrough the advent of universal redemption--a

redemption that man can either hinder or expeditethrough his own actions.

Subsequent to the Ari, there was one more personalitywho emerged on the scene, inspiring a qualitative shift inthe 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 humblyministering to their needs. At the same time he was an

active member of the nistarim, a secret fraternity ofmystics who delved into the mysteries of Kabbalah. In

the year 1734, he revealed himself as a Kabbalist andhealer, and proceeded to found a popular movement

which was to reinvigorate the spiritual lives of Jews allacross Eastern Europe. This movement, which came to

be known as Chassidism, was firmly based upon the

doctrinal foundations of classical Kabbalah; neverthelessit outwardly emphasized the simple and joyful service of

G-d, particularly through prayer and acts of

lovingkindness, over the intellectual discipline ofKabbalistic 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 thefoundation of Chassidic thought and philosophy, the

abstract and often impenetrable formulae of classical

Kabbalah are recast into the psychological terms ofordinary human experience. By employing the structure

of the soul as an allegorical model for understanding thedeepest mysteries of the universe, Chassidism was able

to both elevate the consciousness of the ordinary Jew aswell as expand the conceptual territory of Kabbalisticreflection.

By including the Ba'al Shem Tov amongst those who

advanced the evolution of Kabbalistic thinking, Rabbi

Isaac corrects the common misconception of Chassidismas 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; heintroduced its supreme historical expression, both in

terms of conceptual focus as well as its scope ofinfluence 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 ofKabbalistic thought implies a necessary sequential

process in the exposure of human consciousness to thesecrets of Creation. Without first understanding the

nature of the Ramak and the Ari's Kabbalistic systems, it

is impossible to appreciate the revolutionary turnintroduced by the Ba'al Shem Tov.


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 recurrentconcepts 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 understandthe 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". Theterm 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, eachgeneration of student "receiving" the tradition anew fromits 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 wordmakb il ot) 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 implicitmessage is that in order to fully receive some essence,

there has to first be a proper calibration, or"correspondence," between giver and receiver; otherwisewhat gets transmitted is not the essence, but tangential

elements. Proper correspondence is what enables thereceiver 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 fora na n afshi k etavit y ehavit , "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" ofconsciousness responsible for intuiting hidden

connections within reality.

This innate power possesses the tendency, if left

unchecked, to invite fantasies and other distortedimaginings 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 ofKabbalah helps rectify this power by guiding it in the

direction of positive associations, those which expressthe 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 expoundtheir ideas through the use of parallel models. It is

important to realize that whenever one attempts to

articulate correspondences, there is either a conscious orunconscious frame of reference guiding one in the

process.

The Torah itself provides us with the necessary prototypes for conceptually ordering our reality. Thesemodels differ according to the number of corresponding

levels one is interested in articulating. For instance,

should one wish to express four levels ofcorrespondence, 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; thirteenlevels, 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 essentialJewish primer, which concludes with a song entitled

"Who knows one?" delineating in verse thirteen modelsof 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 theTanya, Rabbi Isaac hopes to transplant the essence of thefirst model into the second, thus enriching it and giving

birth to a new and deeper understanding.



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 theuniverse 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 withinrings 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 asthe 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 serveto mediate between the infinite Creator and His finite

Creation. These forces, or sefirot , emerge in a particular

sequence, ultimately remaining as the underlyingformula for all creative process within the universe.

Although the Ramak was a mystic in every sense of theword, whose inspiration derived mainly from the opaqueimagery of the Zohar, his conceptual focus on

hishtalshelut resulted in a quasi-philosophical expositionof 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 itselfreflected a sequential logic and coherence.



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 consideringthe nature of Creation. According to the perspective of

hitlavshut , the chief dynamic of Creation is notevolutionary, but rather interactional. What this means is

that higher strata of reality are constantly enclothingthemselves within lower strata, like the soul within a



body, thereby infusing every element of Creation with aninner force that transcends its own position within the

universal hierarchy. Hitlavshut is very much a

"biological" dynamic, accounting for the life-force whichresides within Creation; hishtalshelut , on the other hand,

is a "physical" one, concerned with the condensed-energy 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 forhis doctrine of the partzufim, wherein the sefirot are portrayed as complex interacting entities, cosmic

"personae," which in "familial" constellation areconstantly 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 lifetimeenclothing themselves within the "head" of the presentone.

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 ofthe Ari's future elaboration.



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 pervasiveinfiltration of some higher element or force within a

lower one. It is commonly used in reference to theShechinah, 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 beunattainable. For instance, the inspiration one derives

from immersing himself regularly in the presence of agreat tzadik is such that he may often become endowedwith 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 appreciationof G-d's omnipresence within Creation. Although the



concept of G-d's immanence within the created realmwas 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 otherlevels of reality, as expressed by the Chassidic aphorism:

"All is G-d and G-d is all." The proper understanding ofthis 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 ) ordynamically 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 andthe Ari play an important role in advancing our

awareness of the Divine element within Creation, theyare only stepping stones on the path to a fully liberated

consciousness capable of seeing G-d within all realityand 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 inequal measure, the essence of hashra'ah. The realizationthat 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 theiridentification 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 ofcommunity 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 ashared 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 progressionthat preceded it through the systems of the Ramak andthe Ari.



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 theconceptual model of "the three Kabbalot ." This triad is

taken as well from the Tanya, specifically from thesegment entitled Sha'ar Hayichud V'haEmunah ("TheGate of Unity and Faith"). There, Rabbi Shneur Zalman

of Liadi describes the process whereby G-d forms andsustains all of Creation through an infinite number of

Hebrew letter permutations, each of which conveys threelevels of Divine lifeforce: koach, chayut , and ohr .



K oach represents the innate "power" or "energy" which

condenses into the very substance of Creation itself, be itin physical or spiritual form. This is comparable to the

energy which Einstein identified as the ultimatecomponent of all matter. The equivalence between

energy and matter is expressed in the Kabbalah by thestatement: mehitabut ha'orot, nithavu hakelim--"from thecondensation 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 independentconsciousness 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 itselfwithin 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 soulstransmigrating 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 becomeabsolutely one with G-d. According to the Ba'al Shem

Tov, the infinite light of G-d, which by definitiondisallows 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 descriptionof 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, thecloser we come to the Messianic age, the more attuned

we become to G-d's omnipresence within Creation;hence the centrality of hashra’ah within his system of

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 thetemporal dynamic of causality implicit in the"evolutionary" model of Creation articulated by the

Ramak . According to this model, every unfolding stagein Creation is the product of all stages that precede it.

Unlike other conceptions of causality which, viewing allof 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 anentirely different temporal dynamic within Creation, that

of bri'ah yesh m'ayin ("creation ex-nihilo"). In the Ari'ssystem, creation ex-nihilo is described as the process

whereby G-d continuously regenerates existence "at eachand every moment" by alternately nullifying reality andthen re-enclothing a ray of His infinite light within the

resulting existential vacuum. This continual re-creation isresponsible 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 ofCreation, 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 singleintegrated 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 ofconsciousness advocated by the Ba'al Shem Tov in his



depiction of Creation as the ultimate field of Divine self-expression. 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 "infinitelight" obliterating all other reality. As sublime a realm as

it may be, the domain of the "infinite light" cannotcompare with that of its ultimate source, the absoluteEssence 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 Divinesynchronization 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 four-

letter 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 classicalconception 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 anentropic and deterministic reality with limited creative

potential.

The more enlightened conception of time, deriving from

the consciousness of hitlavshut , allows for constantrenewal 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 thetrue Divine face of reality.



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, HakolYoducha ("All will thank You"): Eyn aroch lecha ("there

is none relative to You"), eyn zulatecha ("there is noneother beside You"), efes bilt'cha ("there is nothing butYou"), eyn domeh lecha ("there is none like You").



E yn 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 deemedinsignificant relative to G-d's infinite Being; however,

relative to each other, created beings do possesssignificance 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 ofexistence from the infinite being of the Creator to the

finite physical realm in which we live.

E yn zulatecha -- "There is none outside of You."

Implicit in this expression of praise is the idea thatnothing can exist without G-d "entering" into it and

actively bringing it into existence at each and everymoment. This idea is expressed by Maimonides in the

following language: b'amitat himatzo nimtzeu kolhanimtzaim--"through the truth of His existence, allexisting things were granted (their own) existence." This

level of praise reflects the central theme of the Ari's

Kabbalistic system: hitlavshut , the "enclothement" ofDivine spirit within all reality. Although representing a

higher level of consciousness than the expression which

precedes it, the implication is still that other realitiesexists--even if only by virtue of G-d's constant presence

within them.

E fes 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 statementof 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.

E yn domeh lecha -- "There is none like You." This

assertion is explained in Chassidic thought as expressiveof 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 autonomousexistence. In His fashioning a world which

simultaneously tolerates these two opposinginterpretations of existence, G-d asserts His ownessential singularity.

Basics in Kabbalah and Chassidut

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