Partzufim
Encyclopedia
Partzufim/Partsufim meaning Divine "Personae/Visages/Faces/Forms/Configurations", are particular reconfigured arrangements of the 10 sephirot Divine attributes/emanations of Kabbalah
into harmonised interactions in Creation. Their names derive from mystical discourses in the Zohar
, the foundational text of Kabbalah, where they appear as synonymous manifestation terms for the sephirot. Their full doctrinal significance emerges only in 16th century Lurianic Kabbalah in relationship to the cosmic processes of Shevirah-"Shattering" and Tikun-"Rectification". Each Patzuf is a Yosher-"Upright" scheme of all the sephirot around one of their number, analogous to the interrelated sephirot configuration in Man.
R. Isaac Luria, the Ari, recast Kabbalah into its second articulation, after R. Moshe Cordovero, the Ramak, had systemised differing Medieval interpretations of the Zohar
. Philosophically
influenced Medieval Kabbalah had described the 10 sephirot as Divine channels in a linear, emanated
descending Creation. Lurianic Partzufim, instead, described dynamic interactions in Divine influence, where each Persona interacts and enclothes itself independently within the others, turning the unfolding of Creation into a dynamic scheme of spiritual enclothement, like a soul becoming enclothed in a body. In Lurianism, the original independent scheme of sephirot, described by Cordovero, precipitates the collapse of Tohu-"Chaos". Their reformation as Partzufim in the stable World of Atzilut
begins cosmic repair. Rectification of the three lower Worlds
takes place through redemption of the exiled Sparks of Holiness
by Man, whose soul embodies the harmonised order of Partzufim. The anthropomorphic metaphor
of the Partzufim stressed the need by Kabbalists to divest the Lurianic concepts from false corporeal, materialistic analogy.
of our created existence are arranged in a stable form, through the reconfiguration of the original sephirot into Partzufim. The first realm to exhibit this new arrangement is the mature form of Atzilut (the World of "Emanation"), therefore also called the "World of Tikun" (Rectification). This follows on from the Shevirah ("Shattering") of the sephirot vessels in the "World of Tohu" (Chaos), the initial, unstable form of Atzilut. In Tikun, the Sephirot evolve into the harmonised Partzufim new arrangements, where they can unite together. The realm of Tohu is characterised by abundant light (Ohr
) and weak vessels, as the 10 sephirot act independently as absolute forces, causing it to collapse. Tikkun is characterised by lower lights in strong vessels, as through the Partzufim the sephirot inter-relate to absorb the illumination from Tohu.
Instead of each sephirah merely including a full subset of 10 Sephirot as latent potential forces, the first stage of their evolution in the Lurianic scheme, in the Parzufim the sephirot become full autonomous arrangements where all 10 sephirot are active forces of intellectual and emotional powers arranged around one of their number, analogous to the Yosher ("Upright") human-like configuration of the sephirot in three columns. They can now interact with the other Partzufim, becoming enclothed within them in dynamic interaction. For example, Arich Anpin, the Partzuf of Keter-Will means the "Long/Extended Face" as it acts as the foundational Divine Will within Creation, extending down through subsequent Partzufim, Sephirot and Worlds, though in successively more concealed mode. The task of man becomes the rectification of the fallen sparks of Tohu, the concealed sublime origins of lower Creation, latently active in their exiled state. The messianic goal is the union of the original great illumination of Tohu within mature vessels of Tikun, revealing the ultimate divine essence
of both.
, alternative aspects through which God manifests Himself, and do not imply any plurality in God. As Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai recounts in the Zohar
:
Both of the secondary, male and female Partzufim of Atik Yomin and Arich Anpin exist within the same configuration. There are therefore only 10 distinct secondary Partzufim, and consequently the secondary Partzufim of Keter do not have particular names, unlike the secondary Partzufim of the other Sephirot.
of created existence. More specifically however, within their interaction are numerous more particular aspects of Divinity, each denoting a differentiated expression. In the Idrot
narratives of the Zohar
, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai discusses profound manifestations of the partzufim. The Idra Zuta, traditionally ascribed to his day of passing from this world, his Yom Hillula
"wedding day", is considered the deepest teachings of the Zohar.
By Rabbi Ariel Bar Tzadok
(Originally published in Panu Derekh #13)
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...
into harmonised interactions in Creation. Their names derive from mystical discourses 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...
, the foundational text of Kabbalah, where they appear as synonymous manifestation terms for the sephirot. Their full doctrinal significance emerges only in 16th century Lurianic Kabbalah in relationship to the cosmic processes of Shevirah-"Shattering" and Tikun-"Rectification". Each Patzuf is a Yosher-"Upright" scheme of all the sephirot around one of their number, analogous to the interrelated sephirot configuration in Man.
R. Isaac Luria, the Ari, recast Kabbalah into its second articulation, after R. Moshe Cordovero, the Ramak, had systemised differing Medieval interpretations of 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...
. Philosophically
Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy , includes all philosophy carried out by Jews, or, in relation to the religion of Judaism. Jewish philosophy, until modern Enlightenment and Emancipation, was pre-occupied with attempts to reconcile coherent new ideas into the tradition of Rabbinic Judaism; thus organizing...
influenced Medieval Kabbalah had described the 10 sephirot as Divine channels in a linear, emanated
Ohr
Ohr is a central Kabbalistic term in the Jewish mystical tradition. The analogy of physical light is used as a way of describing metaphysical Divine emanations...
descending Creation. Lurianic Partzufim, instead, described dynamic interactions in Divine influence, where each Persona interacts and enclothes itself independently within the others, turning the unfolding of Creation into a dynamic scheme of spiritual enclothement, like a soul becoming enclothed in a body. In Lurianism, the original independent scheme of sephirot, described by Cordovero, precipitates the collapse of Tohu-"Chaos". Their reformation as Partzufim in the stable World of Atzilut
Four Worlds
The Four Worlds , sometimes counted with a prior stage to make Five Worlds, are the comprehensive categories of spiritual realms in Kabbalah in the descending chain of Existence....
begins cosmic repair. Rectification of the three lower Worlds
Four Worlds
The Four Worlds , sometimes counted with a prior stage to make Five Worlds, are the comprehensive categories of spiritual realms in Kabbalah in the descending chain of Existence....
takes place through redemption of the exiled Sparks of Holiness
Tohu and Tikun
Olam HaTohu and Olam HaTikun are the two general stages, and states of being in Creation, in the Kabbalistic system of Isaac Luria , the father of modern Kabbalah....
by Man, whose soul embodies the harmonised order of Partzufim. The anthropomorphic metaphor
Anthropomorphism in Kabbalah
Kabbalah, the central system in Jewish mysticism, uses subtle anthropomorphic analogies and metaphors to describe God in Judaism. These include male-female influences in the Divine. Kabbalists repeatedly warn and stress the need to divorce their notions from any corporeality, dualism, plurality, or...
of the Partzufim stressed the need by Kabbalists to divest the Lurianic concepts from false corporeal, materialistic analogy.
Description
In Lurianic Kabbalah, the four realmsFour Worlds
The Four Worlds , sometimes counted with a prior stage to make Five Worlds, are the comprehensive categories of spiritual realms in Kabbalah in the descending chain of Existence....
of our created existence are arranged in a stable form, through the reconfiguration of the original sephirot into Partzufim. The first realm to exhibit this new arrangement is the mature form of Atzilut (the World of "Emanation"), therefore also called the "World of Tikun" (Rectification). This follows on from the Shevirah ("Shattering") of the sephirot vessels in the "World of Tohu" (Chaos), the initial, unstable form of Atzilut. In Tikun, the Sephirot evolve into the harmonised Partzufim new arrangements, where they can unite together. The realm of Tohu is characterised by abundant light (Ohr
Ohr
Ohr is a central Kabbalistic term in the Jewish mystical tradition. The analogy of physical light is used as a way of describing metaphysical Divine emanations...
) and weak vessels, as the 10 sephirot act independently as absolute forces, causing it to collapse. Tikkun is characterised by lower lights in strong vessels, as through the Partzufim the sephirot inter-relate to absorb the illumination from Tohu.
Instead of each sephirah merely including a full subset of 10 Sephirot as latent potential forces, the first stage of their evolution in the Lurianic scheme, in the Parzufim the sephirot become full autonomous arrangements where all 10 sephirot are active forces of intellectual and emotional powers arranged around one of their number, analogous to the Yosher ("Upright") human-like configuration of the sephirot in three columns. They can now interact with the other Partzufim, becoming enclothed within them in dynamic interaction. For example, Arich Anpin, the Partzuf of Keter-Will means the "Long/Extended Face" as it acts as the foundational Divine Will within Creation, extending down through subsequent Partzufim, Sephirot and Worlds, though in successively more concealed mode. The task of man becomes the rectification of the fallen sparks of Tohu, the concealed sublime origins of lower Creation, latently active in their exiled state. The messianic goal is the union of the original great illumination of Tohu within mature vessels of Tikun, revealing the ultimate divine essence
Atzmus
Atzmus/Atzmut meaning "essence", is the descriptive term referred to in Kabbalah, and explored in Hasidic thought, for the Divine essence....
of both.
Anthropomorphism of the Partzufim
As Medieval Kabbalists never tire of stressing the unity and non-plurality in the concept of the Sephirot, so Luria stressed the metaphorical nature of the Partzufim. They are Divine "faces", manifestations of the GodheadGodhead (Judaism)
Godhead is used to refer to "God as He is in Himself." This is the aspect or substratum of God that lies behind His actions or properties, i.e., the essence of God, and its nature has been the subject of long debate in every major religion.-Terminology:...
, alternative aspects through which God manifests Himself, and do not imply any plurality in God. As Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai recounts 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...
:
Whatever I said of the Atika Kadisha, Holy Ancient-One, and whatever I said of the Zeir AnpinZeir AnpinZeir Anpin is a revealed aspect of God in Kabbalah, comprising the emotional sephirot attributes: Chesed, Geburah, Tiphereth, Netzach, Hod and Yesod.The Zohar's imagery expoundes its role in Creation, where it is the microscopic equivalent of Arich Anpin in...
, is all One; everything is absolutely One. There is no division in Him, blessed be He and blessed be His Name forever. The sum of all this is: the Ancient of the Ancient and the Zeir Anpin are absolutely One. All is, was, and shall be; He will not change, He is unchanging, and he has not changed...Should you ask, what then is the difference between one and the other? It is all One, but from above His paths divide and from below judgement is found; from our perspective they differ one from another.
Primary and Secondary Partzufim
The 10 sephirot develop into 6 primary Partzufim, each of which further develops into pairs of Male and Female secondary Partzufim. The male principle in Kabbalah metaphorically denotes outward/emanator/giver, and the female principle denotes inward/receiver/nurturer, similar to the female process of pregnancy to nurture subsequent emanation. The terminology and system of Partzufim describes detailed and specific aspects of Divinity, their nature and function discussed in Kabbalah.| Sephirah: Unstable separated forces |
Primary Partzuf: Stable harmonised reconfigurations |
Secondary Partzuf: Particular Male/Female subdivisions |
|---|---|---|
| Above conscious: Keter Keter *Keter in Kabbalah, is one of the ten Sephirot *Keter or kether כתר is the Hebrew word for "Crown ", as worn by a king or queen* Keter Publishing House is a book publisher based in Israel... |
Atik Yomin ("Ancient of Days") Inner level of Keter-Delight Most primary earliest cause Arich Anpin Arich Anpin Arich/Arikh Anpin is an aspect of Divine emanation in Kabbalah, identified with the sephirah attribute of Keter, the Divine Will.... ("Long Face"-Macroprosopus) Outer level of Keter-Will Descending Divine soul in Creation |
Atik Yomin (Male "Ancient of Days") Nukvah d'Atik Yomin ("Female of Ancient of Days") Arich Anpin (Male "Long Face") Nukvah d'Arich Anpin ("Female of Long Face") |
| Intellectual Wisdom: 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... |
Abba Ila'ah ("The Higher Father") The power to spontaneously extract insight from the superconscious realm. Yisrael Saba ("Israel, the Elder") The power to subsequently direct insight into consciousness. Abba ("Father") The combination of Abba Ila'ah and Yisrael Saba |
Both partzufim of Chokhmah are male. For their female counterparts, See primary partzufim of Binah. |
| Intellectual Understanding: 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... |
Imma ("Mother") Joined influence with Abba-Father from Chokhmah Nuturing development Tevunah ("Comprehension") |
Both partzufim of Binah are female. For their male counterparts, See primary partzufim of Chokhmah. |
| 6 Emotional Attributes: Chesed Chesed The Hebrew noun khesed or chesed is the Hebrew word for "kindness." It is also commonly translated as "loving-kindness," or "love." Love is a central Jewish value, and leads to many particular commandments. Chesed is central to Jewish ethics and Jewish theology... Gevurah Tiferet Netzach Hod Hod (Kabbalah) Hod in the Kabbalah of Judaism is the eighth sephira of the Kabbalistic tree of life. It is derived from hod הוד in the Hebrew language meaning "majesty" or "splendor" and denoting "praise" as well as "submission".... Yesod |
Zeir Anpin Zeir Anpin Zeir Anpin is a revealed aspect of God in Kabbalah, comprising the emotional sephirot attributes: Chesed, Geburah, Tiphereth, Netzach, Hod and Yesod.The Zohar's imagery expoundes its role in Creation, where it is the microscopic equivalent of Arich Anpin in... ("Small Face"-Microprosopus) Revealed Ben ("Son") Groom seeking unity with Nukvah Torah study/Written Torah/Sun/Tree of Life Tree of Life The tree of life in the Book of Genesis is a tree planted by God in midst of the Garden of Eden , whose fruit gives everlasting life, i.e. immortality. Together with the tree of life, God planted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil . According to some scholars, however, these are in fact... Revelation of Divine transcendence-Tetragrammaton Tetragrammaton The term Tetragrammaton refers to the name of the God of Israel YHWH used in the Hebrew Bible.-Hebrew Bible:... "The Holy One Blessed be He" |
Both partzufim of Zein Anpin are male and have their female counterparts in Malkuth (Nukvah or Nok) Yisrael ("Israel Jacob Jacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the... " - (The face that looks up). Yaakov ("Jacob Jacob Jacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the... " - (The father of Children of the Nation of Israel) |
| Active Emotion: Malchut |
Nukvah (or Nok) d'Zeir Anpin ("Feminine" of Zeir Anpin) Receiving Bat ("Daughter") Bride seeking unity with Zeir Anpin Prayer/Oral Torah Oral Torah The Oral Torah comprises the legal and interpretative traditions that, according to tradition, were transmitted orally from Mount Sinai, and were not written in the Torah... /Moon/Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil In the Book of Genesis, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or the tree of knowledge was a tree in the middle of the Garden of Eden. . God directly forbade Adam to eat the fruit of this tree... Divine immanence-Elokim Elohim Elohim is a grammatically singular or plural noun for "god" or "gods" in both modern and ancient Hebrew language. When used with singular verbs and adjectives elohim is usually singular, "god" or especially, the God. When used with plural verbs and adjectives elohim is usually plural, "gods" or... Shechinah-Indwelling Divine Presence |
Both partzufim of Nukvah are female and have their male counterparts in Zein Anpin. Leah Leah Leah , as described in the Hebrew Bible, is the first of the two concurrent wives of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob and mother of six of sons whose descendants became the Twelve Tribes of Israel, along with at least one daughter, Dinah. She is the daughter of Laban and the older sister of Rachel, whom... - (First wife of Jacob) Rachel Rachel Rachel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, is a prophet and the favorite wife of Jacob, one of the three Biblical Patriarchs, and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She was the daughter of Laban and the younger sister of Leah, Jacob's first wife... - (Second wife of Jacob) |
Both of the secondary, male and female Partzufim of Atik Yomin and Arich Anpin exist within the same configuration. There are therefore only 10 distinct secondary Partzufim, and consequently the secondary Partzufim of Keter do not have particular names, unlike the secondary Partzufim of the other Sephirot.
Detailed Partzuf manifestations
The 6 primary and 12 secondary partzufim are the basic harmonised Divine manifestations in the Four WorldsFour Worlds
The Four Worlds , sometimes counted with a prior stage to make Five Worlds, are the comprehensive categories of spiritual realms in Kabbalah in the descending chain of Existence....
of created existence. More specifically however, within their interaction are numerous more particular aspects of Divinity, each denoting a differentiated expression. In the Idrot
Idra
The Idra, which means threshing floor in Aramaic, is a Kabbalistic work included in printings of the Zohar, and was probably written and appended to the main body of the Zohar at a later date. Contemporary scholars believe the Idra dates to the third generation of Zoharic literature, which...
narratives of 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...
, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai discusses profound manifestations of the partzufim. The Idra Zuta, traditionally ascribed to his day of passing from this world, his Yom Hillula
Yom Hillula
A Yom Hillula is another word for yahrzeit . However, it differs from a regular yahrzeit in two respects...
"wedding day", is considered the deepest teachings of the Zohar.
See also
- Sephirot
- IdraIdraThe Idra, which means threshing floor in Aramaic, is a Kabbalistic work included in printings of the Zohar, and was probably written and appended to the main body of the Zohar at a later date. Contemporary scholars believe the Idra dates to the third generation of Zoharic literature, which...
- Isaac LuriaIsaac LuriaIsaac Luria , also called Yitzhak Ben Shlomo Ashkenazi acronym "The Ari" "Ari-Hakadosh", or "Arizal", meaning "The Lion", was a foremost rabbi and Jewish mystic in the community of Safed in the Galilee region of Ottoman Palestine...
- Tohu and TikunTohu and TikunOlam HaTohu and Olam HaTikun are the two general stages, and states of being in Creation, in the Kabbalistic system of Isaac Luria , the father of modern Kabbalah....
- Anthropomorphism in KabbalahAnthropomorphism in KabbalahKabbalah, the central system in Jewish mysticism, uses subtle anthropomorphic analogies and metaphors to describe God in Judaism. These include male-female influences in the Divine. Kabbalists repeatedly warn and stress the need to divorce their notions from any corporeality, dualism, plurality, or...
External links
- The Stages of the Creative Process from God's Infinite Light to Our Physical World from www.inner.org. Includes detailed descriptions of particular partzuf manifestations
- http://www.koshertorah.com/PDF/Partzufim%20-%20the%20Sefirotic%20Faces.pdf The Partzufim - The Sefirotic Faces
By Rabbi Ariel Bar Tzadok
(Originally published in Panu Derekh #13)