Da'at (Kabbalah)
Encyclopedia
- For the band, see DååthDååthDååth is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Their music incorporates styles such as thrash metal, death metal, industrial metal, grunge and some traces of gypsy jazz.-History:...
.
Da'at or Daas ("Knowledge", 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...
: דעת ˈdaʕaθ) in Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
, called Kabbalah
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...
, is the location (the mystical state) where all ten sephirot in the Tree of Life
Tree of life (Kabbalah)
The Tree of Life, or Etz haChayim in Hebrew, is a mystical symbol used in the Kabbalah of esoteric Judaism to describe the path to God and the manner in which he created the world ex nihilo...
are united as one.
In Daat, all sefirot exist in their perfected state of infinite sharing. The three sephirot of the left column that would receive and conceal the Divine Light, instead share and reveal it. Since all sephirot radiate infinite self-giving Divine Light, it is no longer possible to distinguish one sefira from another. Thus they are one.
Da'at is not always depicted in representations of the Sefirot, and could in a sense be considered an "empty slot" into which the gem of any other sefirot can be placed. Properly, the Divine Light is always shining, but not all humans can see it. The concealment or revelation of the Divine Light shining through Daat does not actually happen in Daat itself. It only seems that way from the human perspective within Malkuth. The perception of change can only occur in Malkuth. Humans who become self-giving like the Light become able to see it, and for them the benefits of Daat's Light seem "revealed". However, humans who remain selfish cannot see it, and for them its benefits seem "hidden".
Counting Daat as a representative Sephirah
Properly, Daat is not a sephirah, but rather is all ten sephirot united as one. Nevertheless, Daat is sometimes counted as a sephirah instead of KeterKeter (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...
, from the perspective of finite creation using Daat to represent the "reflection of" (the "inner dimension" of) the infinity of Keter. Thus Daat appears in the configuration of the sephirot along the middle axis, directly beneath Keter. It corresponds to the tzelem Elokim (the "image of God embedded in Humanity") and to the cerebellum
Cerebellum
The cerebellum is a region of the brain that plays an important role in motor control. It may also be involved in some cognitive functions such as attention and language, and in regulating fear and pleasure responses, but its movement-related functions are the most solidly established...
(i.e. the "posterior brain").
As Spiritual State
The spiritual state corresponding to the sephirah of Daat is that of yichudYichud
The prohibition of yichud , in Halakha is the impermissibility of seclusion of a man and a woman who are not married to each other in a private area. Such seclusion is prohibited in order to prevent the two from being tempted or having the opportunity to commit adulterous or promiscuous acts.The...
("unification").
As Aspect of Intellect
According to Hasidic philosophy via the TanyaTanya
The Tanya is an early work of Hasidic philosophy, by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Hasidism, first published in 1797. Its formal title is Likkutei Amarim , but is more commonly known by its opening word, Tanya, which means "it was taught in a beraita"...
, Daat is the third and last conscious power of intellect. But in this context, it is actually the Daat of the partzuf of Zer Anpin (not Daat proper of Adam Kadmon
Adam Kadmon
In the religious writings of Kabbalah, Adam Kadmon is a phrase meaning "Primal Man". The oldest rabbinical source for the term "Adam ha-Ḳadmoni" is Num. R. x., where Adam is styled, not as usually, "Ha-Rishon" , "Ha-Kadmoni" ....
).
Zer Anpin refers to the 'personification' (partzuf) of six sephirot from Khesed to Yesod - and as a whole embodies its own ten sephirot and its own Daat. Zer Anpin personifies the revelation of the Torah and relates to the second level of the human soul called 'spirit' (ruakh), that corresponds to mental aspects, including reason and emotion.
Accordingly, Daat is associated in the soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
with the powers of memory
Memory
In psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information and experiences. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing memory....
and concentration
Concentration
In chemistry, concentration is defined as the abundance of a constituent divided by the total volume of a mixture. Four types can be distinguished: mass concentration, molar concentration, number concentration, and volume concentration...
, powers which rely upon one's "recognition" (hakarah) of, and "sensitivity
Sensitivity (human)
The sensitivity or insensitivity of a human, often considered with regard to a particular kind of stimulus, is the strength of the feeling it results in, in comparison with the strength of the stimulus...
" (hergesh) to, the potential meaningfulness of those idea
Idea
In the most narrow sense, an idea is just whatever is before the mind when one thinks. Very often, ideas are construed as representational images; i.e. images of some object. In other contexts, ideas are taken to be concepts, although abstract concepts do not necessarily appear as images...
s generated in consciousness through the powers of chochmah ("wisdom
Wisdom
Wisdom is a deep understanding and realization of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgements and actions in keeping with this understanding. It often requires control of one's emotional reactions so that universal principles, reason and...
") and 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...
("understanding
Understanding
Understanding is a psychological process related to an abstract or physical object, such as a person, situation, or message whereby one is able to think about it and use concepts to deal adequately with that object....
").
Levels
Da'at operates on two levels:- The higher level, referred to as Da'at ElyonDa'as Elyon and Da'as TachtonDaas/Daat Elyon and Daas/Daat Tachton are two alternative levels of perception of reality in Hasidic thought...
("higher knowledge") or Da'at hane'elam ("the hidden knowledge"), serves to secure the continuous bond between the two higher powers of intellect -- chochmah and BinahBinah (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...
, wisdom and understanding. - The lower level, referred to as Da'at TachtonDa'as Elyon and Da'as TachtonDaas/Daat Elyon and Daas/Daat Tachton are two alternative levels of perception of reality in Hasidic thought...
("lower knowledge") or Da'at hamitpashet ("extending knowledge"), serves to connect the intellectIntellectIntellect is a term used in studies of the human mind, and refers to the ability of the mind to come to correct conclusions about what is true or real, and about how to solve problems...
as a whole with the realm of emotionEmotionEmotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves "physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience." Emotion is associated with mood,...
, thereby enhancing one's determination and resolve to act in accordance with the essential truths that one has integrated into consciousnessConsciousnessConsciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
.
Lower level
Of this level of Daat it is said (Proverbs 24:4): "Da'at fills the rooms with precious things." "The rooms" are the chambers of the heart, the emotions of the soul (as alluded to by the word chederCheder
A Cheder is a traditional elementary school teaching the basics of Judaism and the Hebrew language.-History:...
, "room," which is an acronym for chesed din rachamim, the three primary emotions of the soul). The inner consciousness of Da'at fills these rooms and enlivens them as does the soul to the body.
In the Zohar
Zohar
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...
, this level of Da'at is referred to as "the key that includes six." The "key" of Da'at opens all six chambers (attributes) of the heart and fills them with lifeforce. Each of these six chambers, when filled with Daat, is referred to as a particular dei'ah ("attitude," from the root of Daat) of the soul.
Non-Jewish Kabbalah
Daat is considered the point of creation, when the active principle of Chokmah, 'wisdom', ( knowledge which comes from without ), meets with the passive principle of Binah, 'understanding', and creates the archetypal idea of 'knowledge'. These three are sometimes referred to as the "superconscious".However, this sephirot is often not shown on the tree of life, and instead there is an empty space, straddling The Abyss
Abyss (Thelema)
Within the mystical system of Thelema, the Abyss is the great gulf or void between the phenomenal world of manifestation and its noumenal source.-Theory and Practice:...
. In fact, there are often two trees depicted, one which shows Daat but not Malkuth (the kingdom), and the other which shows Malkuth but not Daat. These are considered as being before The Fall of Man
The Fall of Man
In Christian doctrine, the Fall of Man, or simply the Fall, refers to the transition of the first humans from a state of innocent obedience to God to a state of guilty disobedience to God. In Genesis chapter 2, Adam and Eve live at first with God in a paradise, but the serpent tempts them into...
, and after The Fall, in which the fruit of knowledge is taken from the tree, humanity loses paradise, and falls into the earthly state of suffering represented by Malkuth.
In comparing with Eastern systems, some compare Daath to the Vishuddha
Vishuddha
Vishuddha also known as Vishuddhi, is the fifth primary chakra according to Hindu tradition.-Location:Vishuddha is positioned at the neck region near the spine, with its ksehtram or superficial activation point in the pit of the throat.-Appearance:This chakra is white with 16 purple or smoke...
chakra
Chakra
Chakra is a concept originating in Hindu texts, featured in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Its name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning" .Chakra is a concept referring to wheel-like vortices...
in the throat, concerned with creativity, and others compare it with the secretive 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....
chakra at the back of the head, closely related to Vishuddha, which among other things is concerned with the point at which the universe was created.
In some occult methods of thought, Daat is a gateway which, upon passing through, inverts the qualities of the sephirothic spheres. The idea most likely derives from Daat being situated upon The Abyss
Abyss (Thelema)
Within the mystical system of Thelema, the Abyss is the great gulf or void between the phenomenal world of manifestation and its noumenal source.-Theory and Practice:...
. 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...
described the abyss as such:
- "This doctrine is extremely difficult to explain; but it corresponds more or less to the gap in thought between the Real, which is ideal, and the Unreal, which is actual. In the Abyss all things exist, indeed, at least in posse, but are without any possible meaning; for they lack the substratum of spiritual Reality. They are appearances without Law. They are thus Insane Delusions... Now the Abyss being thus the great storehouse of Phenomena, it is the source of all impressions."
This leaves the impression that being situated upon that veil provides a gateway into "the void". Daat is associated with the planet Pluto
Pluto
Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
.
Because of Daat signifies the unity of all Sephirot, a very few Kaballists believe it was associated with the New Testament demon, Legion
Legion (demon)
Legion is a group of demons referred to in the Christian Bible. The New Testament outlines an encounter where Jesus healed a man from Gadarenes possessed by demons while traveling, known as Exorcising the Gerasenes demonic.- In the Bible :...
, before they fell, or a polar opposite of it.