Chokhmah (Kabbalah)
Encyclopedia
Chokhmah (or chochmah or hokhmah) in the Kabbalah
of Judaism
, is the uppermost of the Sephirot of the right line (kav yamin which is also the "Pillar of Mercy"). It is derived from the Hebrew
word chokhmah
(חכמה) which means "wisdom". It is to the bottom right of Keter
, and with Binah
across it. Under it are the sephirot of Chesed and Netzach
. It commonly has four paths going to Keter, Binah, Tifereth
, and Chesed. (Some Kabbalists attribute a path between Chockma to Gevurah
.)
In Jewish mysticism, it denotes the first intermediate step between Keter
and the rest of the sephiroth, forwarding and channelling Or Ein sof
through the rest of the sephiroth.
Chokhmah, the second of the ten sefirot, is the first power of conscious intellect within Creation, and the first point of 'real' existence, since Keter represents emptiness. According to the book of Job, "Wisdom comes from nothingness". This point is both infinitely small, and yet encompasses the whole of being, but it remains incomprehensible until it is given shape and form in Binah
.
The name of God associated with Chokhmah is Yah.
Chokhmah appears in the configuration of the sefirot at the top of the right axis, and corresponds in the tzelem Elokim ("the Divine image") to the right eye, or right hemisphere of the brain.
In its fully articulated form, Chokhmah possesses two partzufim ("faces" or "features"): the higher of these is referred to as Abba Ila'ah ("the higher father"), whereas the lower is referred to as Yisrael Saba ("Israel, the Elder"). These two partzufim are referred to jointly as Abba ("father").
Chokhmah is associated in the soul with the power of intuitive insight, flashing lightning-like across consciousness. The partzuf of Abba Ila'ah is associated with the power to spontaneously extract such insight from the superconscious realm, whereas the partzuf of Yisrael Saba is associated with the power to subsequently direct it into consciousness.
The "wisdom" of Chokhmah also implies the ability to look deeply at some aspect of reality and abstract its conceptual essence till one succeeds in uncovering its underlying axiomatic truth. These seeds of truth can then be conveyed to the companion power of Binah for the sake of intellectual analysis and development.
Chokhmah is the primary ("beginning") force in the creative process, Creativity
, as it is said: "You have made them all with Chokhmah ." The first word of the Torah
(in Genesis, Breishit means "In the beginning (God created the heavens and the earth)", is translated (Targum Yonatan) as "With Chokhmah (God created...)."
Chokhmah is also called Fear, 'because it has no measure of boundary, and therefore the mind does not have the power to grasp it'. The book of Job states 'Behold the fear of God is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding' (Job 28:28).
. There are several aspects of Chokhmah:
The word Chokhmah itself may be broken into two words -- koach ("potential") and ma ("what is"). Thus, Chokhmah means "the potential of what is", or, "the potential to be." This aspect of Chokhmah describes the state of Chokhmah in relation to the sefira of Keter. As Chokhmah emanates from Keter, the first dawning of the "Infinite Light", it "appears" in an obscure and undefined state that is a virtual non-being. Thus the verse states, "and Chokhmah emerges from nothingness" (Job 28:12, see Zohar II, 121a, Zohar III, 290a, commentaries). The light of the Ein Sof
becomes unified in the world of Atzilut through clothing itself first in the sefira of Chokhmah.
In its fully articulated form, Chokhmah possesses two partzufim ("faces" or "appearances"): the higher of these is referred to as Abba ("father"), whereas the lower is referred to as Yisrael Sabba "Israel [the] ancient (grandfather)". In the soul, Chokhmah is associated with the power of intuitive insight.
In the Zohar Chokhmah is the primordial point which shines forth from the will of God and thus, is the starting point of Creation. All things are still undifferentiated at this point and only become intelligible at Binah.
(Numbers 220b) as koach mah, "the power of selflessness", or, alternatively, as cheich mah, "the palate of selflessness."
"The power of selflessness" implies not only the attribute of selflessness itself, but the great creative power that selflessness entails.
"The palate of selflessness" is the soul's ability to "taste" Divinity by virtue of one's state of selflessness, as is said (Psalms 34:9): "Taste and see that God is good." In general, the sense of sight relates to Chokhmah (the lightning-flash referred to above). From this verse we learn that there is an inner, spiritual sense of taste in Chokhmah that precedes and arouses the sense of sight.
In Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
's commentary on the Bahir
he says "Wisdom (Chokhmah) is therefore the first thing that the mind can grasp, and is therefore called a "beginning." and according to the Hasidic Judaism
site Inner.org, Chokhmah refers to "the first power of conscious intellect within Creation."
in the Shiva
-Shakti
duality of Shakta tantra. Chokhma and Binah are compared to the fuel and the engine of a car. Chokhma is the fuel, pure force, and Binah is the engine, pure potential. One without the other is useless, both are needed to drive the cosmos.
According to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
, the name of God associated with Chokmah is Jehovah
, the archangel that presides over it is Raziel
, the order of angels that reside in it are the Ophanim (the wheels), the Heaven of Assiah
associated with it is called Mazloth, implying the fulfillment of destiny, and the mundane chakra associated with it is the Zodiac
.
Chokhma is related to the phallus and the straight line. It is variously attempted to relate it to different chakras in Indian mysticism. One attempt at reconciliation is that both Chokhma and Binah are united in the Ajna
chakra, which is where both Shiva and Shakti, subject and object, are united. In its role as the primal point from which all creation emerges, the idea of Chokhmah is very similar to the Bindu
, or primal point.
In Aleister Crowley
's Liber 777, Chokhma is represented as The Four twos of the Tarot
, Illuminating, Thoth
, Vishnu
, Joy
, Odin
, Uranus
, Athena
, God
the Father, Man
, Amaranth
, VIAOV, Star Ruby, Lingam
, Hashish
, Phosphorus
, Musk
, and Yang
(not a complete list).
Its shadow or Qlippoth
ic equivalent has the name Chaigidel.
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
of Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, is the uppermost of the Sephirot of the right line (kav yamin which is also the "Pillar of Mercy"). It is derived from the Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
word chokhmah
Chokhmah
Chokhmah, also sometimes transliterated chochma or hokhmah is the Hebrew word for "wisdom". It is cognate with the Arabic word Hikmah, which also means 'wisdom'. The word "chokhmah" and others derived from it may connote one of several things.-People:A "wise man" is a chakham...
(חכמה) which means "wisdom". It is to the bottom right of Keter
Keter (Kabbalah)
Keter also known as Kether, is the topmost of the Sephirot of the Tree of Life in Kabbalah. Since its meaning is "crown", it is interpreted as both the "topmost" of the Sephirot and the "regal crown" of the Sephirot. It is between Chokmah and Binah and it sits above Tiphereth...
, and with Binah
Binah (Kabbalah)
Binah, , in the Kabbalah of Judaism, is the second intellectual Sephirah on the tree of life. It sits on the level below Keter , across from Chokmah and directly above Gevurah...
across it. Under it are the sephirot of Chesed and Netzach
Netzach (Kabbalah)
Netzach is the seventh of the ten Sephirot in the Jewish mystical system Kabbalah. Located beneath Chesed, at the base of the "Pillar of Mercy" also consisting of Chokhmah and Hesed...
. It commonly has four paths going to Keter, Binah, Tifereth
Tiphereth (Kabbalah)
Tiferet or Tifaret, Tifereth, Tyfereth, Tiphereth is the sixth sefira in the Tree of Life in Kabbalah, which is the spirituality of Rabbinic Judaism...
, and Chesed. (Some Kabbalists attribute a path between Chockma to Gevurah
Gevurah (Kabbalah)
The Hebrew feminine noun gevurah or geburah The Hebrew feminine noun gevurah or geburah The Hebrew feminine noun gevurah or geburah (גבורה in the Kabbalah of Judaism is the fifth of the Sephirot of the tree of life, and it is the second of the emotive attributes of the Sephirot. It sits below...
.)
In Jewish mysticism, it denotes the first intermediate step between Keter
Keter (Kabbalah)
Keter also known as Kether, is the topmost of the Sephirot of the Tree of Life in Kabbalah. Since its meaning is "crown", it is interpreted as both the "topmost" of the Sephirot and the "regal crown" of the Sephirot. It is between Chokmah and Binah and it sits above Tiphereth...
and the rest of the sephiroth, forwarding and channelling Or Ein sof
Ein Sof
Ein Sof , in Kabbalah, is understood as God prior to His self-manifestation in the production of any spiritual Realm, probably derived from Ibn Gabirol's term, "the Endless One"...
through the rest of the sephiroth.
Description
According to the Bahir: "The second (utterance) is wisdom, as is written: 'Y-H-W-H acquired me at the beginning of His way, before His deeds of old' (Prov 8:22). And there is no 'beginning' but wisdom."Chokhmah, the second of the ten sefirot, is the first power of conscious intellect within Creation, and the first point of 'real' existence, since Keter represents emptiness. According to the book of Job, "Wisdom comes from nothingness". This point is both infinitely small, and yet encompasses the whole of being, but it remains incomprehensible until it is given shape and form in Binah
Binah
Binah may refer to:* Binah, Togo, a prefecture of Togo* Binah , the second intellectual Sephirah on the tree of life in the Kabbalah of Judaism* Binah , a Jewish women's weekly magazine published in the United States...
.
The name of God associated with Chokhmah is Yah.
Chokhmah appears in the configuration of the sefirot at the top of the right axis, and corresponds in the tzelem Elokim ("the Divine image") to the right eye, or right hemisphere of the brain.
In its fully articulated form, Chokhmah possesses two partzufim ("faces" or "features"): the higher of these is referred to as Abba Ila'ah ("the higher father"), whereas the lower is referred to as Yisrael Saba ("Israel, the Elder"). These two partzufim are referred to jointly as Abba ("father").
Chokhmah is associated in the soul with the power of intuitive insight, flashing lightning-like across consciousness. The partzuf of Abba Ila'ah is associated with the power to spontaneously extract such insight from the superconscious realm, whereas the partzuf of Yisrael Saba is associated with the power to subsequently direct it into consciousness.
The "wisdom" of Chokhmah also implies the ability to look deeply at some aspect of reality and abstract its conceptual essence till one succeeds in uncovering its underlying axiomatic truth. These seeds of truth can then be conveyed to the companion power of Binah for the sake of intellectual analysis and development.
Chokhmah is the primary ("beginning") force in the creative process, Creativity
Creativity
Creativity refers to the phenomenon whereby a person creates something new that has some kind of value. What counts as "new" may be in reference to the individual creator, or to the society or domain within which the novelty occurs...
, as it is said: "You have made them all with Chokhmah ." The first word of the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
(in Genesis, Breishit means "In the beginning (God created the heavens and the earth)", is translated (Targum Yonatan) as "With Chokhmah (God created...)."
Chokhmah is also called Fear, 'because it has no measure of boundary, and therefore the mind does not have the power to grasp it'. The book of Job states 'Behold the fear of God is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding' (Job 28:28).
The first of the intellectual powers of the soul
In the array of sefirot in three columns (gimel kavim), Chokmah is situated at the top of the right column, and corresponds to the right hemisphere of the brainBrain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
. There are several aspects of Chokhmah:
The word Chokhmah itself may be broken into two words -- koach ("potential") and ma ("what is"). Thus, Chokhmah means "the potential of what is", or, "the potential to be." This aspect of Chokhmah describes the state of Chokhmah in relation to the sefira of Keter. As Chokhmah emanates from Keter, the first dawning of the "Infinite Light", it "appears" in an obscure and undefined state that is a virtual non-being. Thus the verse states, "and Chokhmah emerges from nothingness" (Job 28:12, see Zohar II, 121a, Zohar III, 290a, commentaries). The light of the Ein Sof
Ein Sof (Kabbalah)
Ein Sof , in Kabbalah, is understood as God prior to His self-manifestation in the production of any spiritual Realm, probably derived from Ibn Gabirol's term, "the Endless One"...
becomes unified in the world of Atzilut through clothing itself first in the sefira of Chokhmah.
In its fully articulated form, Chokhmah possesses two partzufim ("faces" or "appearances"): the higher of these is referred to as Abba ("father"), whereas the lower is referred to as Yisrael Sabba "Israel [the] ancient (grandfather)". In the soul, Chokhmah is associated with the power of intuitive insight.
In the Zohar Chokhmah is the primordial point which shines forth from the will of God and thus, is the starting point of Creation. All things are still undifferentiated at this point and only become intelligible at Binah.
In the texts of Judaism
The word Chokhmah is read in the ZoharZohar
The Zohar is the foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah and scriptural interpretations as well as material on Mysticism, mythical cosmogony, and mystical psychology...
(Numbers 220b) as koach mah, "the power of selflessness", or, alternatively, as cheich mah, "the palate of selflessness."
"The power of selflessness" implies not only the attribute of selflessness itself, but the great creative power that selflessness entails.
"The palate of selflessness" is the soul's ability to "taste" Divinity by virtue of one's state of selflessness, as is said (Psalms 34:9): "Taste and see that God is good." In general, the sense of sight relates to Chokhmah (the lightning-flash referred to above). From this verse we learn that there is an inner, spiritual sense of taste in Chokhmah that precedes and arouses the sense of sight.
In Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
Aryeh Kaplan
Aryeh Moshe Eliyahu Kaplan was a noted American Orthodox rabbi and author known for his "intimate knowledge of both physics and kabbalah." He was lauded as an original thinker and prolific writer, from studies of the Torah, Talmud and mysticism to introductory pamphlets on Jewish beliefs and...
's commentary on the Bahir
Bahir
Bahir or Sefer Ha-Bahir סֵפֶר הַבָּהִיר is an anonymous mystical work, attributed to a 1st century rabbinic sage Nehunya ben ha-Kanah because it begins with the words, "R. Nehunya Ben Ha-Kanah said"...
he says "Wisdom (Chokhmah) is therefore the first thing that the mind can grasp, and is therefore called a "beginning." and according to the Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
site Inner.org, Chokhmah refers to "the first power of conscious intellect within Creation."
Ethical Behaviour
Chokhmah has 2 faces, one facing keter above, and the other overseeing the over sefirot. Therefore, to emulate this Sefira, one aspect should be in communion with his Creator in order to increase his wisdom, and the other should be to teach others the wisdom that the Holy One has endowed him.Non-Jewish usages
Western occultists describe Chokhma as the creative, active principle behind the cosmos. It is force, the ultimate Subject, as compared to Binah, the ultimate Object. In this respect, it is very similar to the idea of ShivaShiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
in the Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
-Shakti
Shakti
Shakti from Sanskrit shak - "to be able," meaning sacred force or empowerment, is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe in Hinduism. Shakti is the concept, or personification, of divine feminine creative power, sometimes...
duality of Shakta tantra. Chokhma and Binah are compared to the fuel and the engine of a car. Chokhma is the fuel, pure force, and Binah is the engine, pure potential. One without the other is useless, both are needed to drive the cosmos.
According to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was a magical order active in Great Britain during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which practiced theurgy and spiritual development...
, the name of God associated with Chokmah is Jehovah
Jehovah
Jehovah is an anglicized representation of Hebrew , a vocalization of the Tetragrammaton , the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible....
, the archangel that presides over it is Raziel
Raziel
Raziel |God]]") is an archangel within the teachings of Jewish mysticism who is the "Keeper of Secrets" and the "Angel of Mysteries"...
, the order of angels that reside in it are the Ophanim (the wheels), the Heaven of Assiah
Assiah
Assiah is the last of the four spiritual worlds of the Kabbalah—Atziluth, Beri'ah, Yetzirah, 'Asiyah—based on the passage in . According to the Maseket Aẓilut, it is the region where the Ofanim rule and where they promote the hearing of prayers, support human endeavor, and combat evil...
associated with it is called Mazloth, implying the fulfillment of destiny, and the mundane chakra associated with it is the Zodiac
Zodiac
In astronomy, the zodiac is a circle of twelve 30° divisions of celestial longitude which are centred upon the ecliptic: the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year...
.
Chokhma is related to the phallus and the straight line. It is variously attempted to relate it to different chakras in Indian mysticism. One attempt at reconciliation is that both Chokhma and Binah are united in the Ajna
Ajna
Ajna is the sixth primary chakra according to Hindu tradition.-Location:The Ajna chakra is positioned in the brain, directly behind the eyebrow centre, while its ksehtram or superficial activation site is at the eyebrow region, in the position of the 'third eye'.-Appearance:Ajna is white in...
chakra, which is where both Shiva and Shakti, subject and object, are united. In its role as the primal point from which all creation emerges, the idea of Chokhmah is very similar to the Bindu
Bindu
Bindu is a Sanskrit term meaning "point" or "dot". The feminine case ending is bindi which denotes a small ornamental, devotional and/or mystical dot that is cosmetically applied or affixed to the forehead in Hinduism....
, or primal point.
In Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other...
's Liber 777, Chokhma is represented as The Four twos of the Tarot
Tarot
The tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...
, Illuminating, Thoth
Thoth
Thoth was considered one of the more important deities of the Egyptian pantheon. In art, he was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or a baboon, animals sacred to him. His feminine counterpart was Seshat...
, Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, Joy
Joy
Joy may refer to:* Happiness, an emotion* Joy , people with the given name or surname Joy-Music:Bands & performers* Joy * Joy Albums* Joy ; also the title track from that album...
, Odin
Odin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
, Uranus
Uranus (mythology)
Uranus , was the primal Greek god personifying the sky. His equivalent in Roman mythology was Caelus. In Ancient Greek literature, according to Hesiod in his Theogony, Uranus or Father Sky was the son and husband of Gaia, Mother Earth...
, Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
, God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
the Father, Man
Man
The term man is used for an adult human male . However, man is sometimes used to refer to humanity as a whole...
, Amaranth
Amaranth
Amaranthus, collectively known as amaranth, is a cosmopolitan genus of herbs. Approximately 60 species are recognized, with inflorescences and foliage ranging from purple and red to gold...
, VIAOV, Star Ruby, Lingam
Lingam
The Lingam is a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva used for worship in temples....
, Hashish
Hashish
Hashish is a cannabis preparation composed of compressed stalked resin glands, called trichomes, collected from the unfertilized buds of the cannabis plant. It contains the same active ingredients but in higher concentrations than unsifted buds or leaves...
, Phosphorus
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
, Musk
Musk
Musk is a class of aromatic substances commonly used as base notes in perfumery. They include glandular secretions from animals such as the musk deer, numerous plants emitting similar fragrances, and artificial substances with similar odors. Musk was a name originally given to a substance with a...
, and Yang
Yin and yang
In Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
(not a complete list).
Its shadow or Qlippoth
Qlippoth
Qlippoth may refer to:* Qliphoth, the representations of evil forces in the mystical teachings of Judaism, such as in the Kabbalah* One of the character types in Dead Inside* Primordial demons of the abyss in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game...
ic equivalent has the name Chaigidel.
Jewish
- Bahir, translated by Aryeh KaplanAryeh KaplanAryeh Moshe Eliyahu Kaplan was a noted American Orthodox rabbi and author known for his "intimate knowledge of both physics and kabbalah." He was lauded as an original thinker and prolific writer, from studies of the Torah, Talmud and mysticism to introductory pamphlets on Jewish beliefs and...
(1995). Aronson. (ISBN 1-56821-383-2) - Lessons in Tanya
- Kabbalah 101: Chochmah
Non-Jewish
- 777, Aleister CrowleyAleister CrowleyAleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other...
(1955). Red Wheel/Weiser. (ISBN 0-87728-670-1) - The Mystical Kabbalah, Dion FortuneDion FortuneViolet Mary Firth Evans , better known as Dion Fortune, was a British occultist and author. Her pseudonym was inspired by her family motto "Deo, non fortuna" , originally the ancient motto of the Barons & Earls Digby.-Early life:She was born in Bryn-y-Bia in Llandudno, Wales, and grew up in a...
(1935). Weiser Books. (ISBN 1-57863-150-5)
External links
- Basics in Kabbalah, The Ten Sefirot: Chochmah (inner.org)