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The Four Universes
From Kedushat Levi, p. 116;
selected and translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
With regard to the blessed Creator, there is no
attribute or measure, since He is the Infinite.
It arose in His simple will that near (in
Hebrew, "etzel") Him should be the attribute of chesed, so that He
would be able to love Israel. He then brought into existence (in Hebrew,
"atzal") the concept of love, just like one flame brings another into
existence [without giving up any of its substance]. This is called the Universe
of Nearness ( Atzilut ).  | | " ...like an artisan who has a thought to make something..." | | |
It then arose in His will to create all universes and
thus reveal His divinity to the world. This is called the Universe of Creation ( Beriya ).
This was His original thought, namely that his love be revealed to the
world.
He then depicted in His thought what form the world
would take. This is like an artisan who has a thought to make something, but its
form is still concealed and stored in his thought. It is only after he decides
to make the thing that he depicts how it will be made. The same is true of the
Creator, who decided what form in which to create the universe. This is called
the Universe of Formation ( Yetzira ) coming from the word "form" (in
Hebrew, "tzura").
After this, He brought His thought from potential to
actuality, thus creating His universe. This is called the Universe of Making ( Asiya )
- for it is made with bounds and limits. (The Chasidic Masters/ Moznaim)
Visitor Comments: 1
Marco Túlio Santos Oliveira, from Brazil, (Paraná), Curitiba4/17/2006
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