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The Shattering of the Vessels
"The shattering of the vessels" (in Hebrew, "Shevirat
haKeilim") of the world of Tohu is the key concept in explaining the
basic problem of diverseness and multiplicity in Creation as well as the origin
of evil and is a central component in the Arizal's system of Kabbala, where it
receives a full exposition. The concept of Shevirat haKeilim is linked
together with the mystical account of the eight kings who "reigned in the land
of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites" (Gen. 36:31) and the
Midrashic account of the building and destruction of the primordial worlds ( Bereishit
Rabba 3:7, 9:1), as will be explained below. Although the idea of
Shevirat haKeilim is also found in several sections of Zohar (in
Sifra d'Tzni'uta, Idra Rabba
and Idra Zuta
), the concept and its
ramifications are very difficult to understand there without the elucidation of
the entire subject in the writings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria.
The Arizal explains that when it arose in the Divine
Will to create the finite world, the first step was to "withdraw" or conceal of
the infinite Or Ein Sof in the process known as "the first constriction"
or "tzimtzum harishon". The first "world" (plane of existence) that came
into being after the tzimtzum is called Adam Kadmon. But even
though Adam Kadmon is a post-tzimtzum world, it is still a
"meta-world", so-to-speak - undefined, unified, and transcending time,
comprising a single transcendent primordial thought.  | | " Light emitted from the eyes of Adam Kadmon ... signifies a descent from an internal, essential level to an external 'sensory' level..." | | |
The existence of the finite world as we know it, and
as G-d intended it, is still not possible in Adam Kadmon due to its
extremely lofty state. In order for a finite world to exist, the light in
Adam Kadmon had to go through several more stages of quantitative
contraction and descent. In one of these stages of descent, one of the several
types of light emitted from Adam Kadmon is manifested as ten individual
qualities or attributes that act as separate, independent points of light, or
quanta of energy. Technically, this is called "light emitted from the eyes" of
Adam Kadmon or "or ha-einayim". This metaphorical term signifies a
descent from an internal, essential level to an external "sensory" level where
the beam of light is refracted into discrete quanta. Each of these points is an
extremely powerful concentration of light (the level of keter of each of
the ensuing sefirot) as it descends from Adam Kadmon. These
sefirot compose the world of Tohu (chaos or disorder).
The first "world" outside of Adam Kadmon is
called Akudim. In it is the first development of a vessel, such that ten
degrees of light are bound together (in Hebrew, "akudim")
in a single vessel (Writings of the Ari, Shaar HaHakdamot, Derush
1 b'Olam HaNikudim).
The existence of vessels (for the lights that issued
forth from Adam Kadmon) begins only in the world of Akudim - in
which there is but one general vessel for all the ten lights - and below.
Subsequently, the world of Nikudim (another name for Tohu) was
emanated, in which ten vessels were formed for the ten lights. All of them were
the aspect of keter of the ten sefirot, so that there were ten
lights of keter of the ten sefirot. Each of these ten keter-lights
had an individual vessel. The remaining nine parts of the lights (i.e.,
chochma, bina, chesed, etc.) in each of the sefirot were incorporated
within the keter-light of each of the sefirot. For this reason
they are referred to as ten "nekudot", meaning individual "points" of
light, rather than as ten complete sefirot... Now these ten sefirot
were emanated in such a way that they were situated one above the other. (Ibid.,
Shaar HaHakdamot, Derush 1 b'Olam HaNikudim) | | " The sefirot of Tohu were situated one above the other in a single line ... unlike the array of the sefirot in the world of Tikun, in which the sefirot are arranged in harmonious triads..." | | |
The fact that the sefirot of Tohu were
situated one above the other in a single line indicates that they act as
independent entities, unlike the array of the sefirot in the world of
Tikun, in which the sefirot are arranged in harmonious triads. Thus
each sefira of Tohu existed as an autonomous fiefdom, so to speak,
independent of, and even in opposition to, the others. Moreover, each sefira
in Tohu is the manifestation of an absolute and quintessential aspect of
the light of Adam Kadmon (the level of keter of each type of
light, as explained above).
Furthermore, the vessels themselves were in a state of
immaturity and were therefore unable to contain the intense light flooding them.
"...Only the malchut aspect of the seven
sefirot was emanated... and therefore they were called nekudot, for
nekuda and malchut
are synonymous. In addition, not only were they
[in a state of immaturity], even in this state they were not clothed one within
the other, nor were they bound together as a unit. Nor were they divided into
arrays, [namely,] of kindness in the right array, severity in the left array and
the mitigation between them in the middle array [as in Tikun]." (Etz
Chaim, shaar 9, ch. 8)
Due to the intensity and exclusivity of the lights and
the inability of their vessels to contain them, the vessels of the lower
sefirot of Tohu shattered and the lights they contained remained
above. The fragments of these vessels then fell to lower levels, becoming
absorbed into the various worlds below the world of Tohu. | | " The three uppermost vessels had the ability to contain the lights designated for them and did not die..." | | |
"Since the lights of these ten nekudot were so
intense and powerful... the [vessels] did not have the power to contain them and
the vessels "died", meaning to say, they descended below to the level that is
now called [the world of] Beriya. This descent was their demise. But this
was only as regards the seven lower nekudot, whereas the three uppermost
vessels had the ability to contain the lights designated for them and did not
die... The vessels of the seven lower [nekudot] descended to the world of
Beriya... but their lights remained above, exposed, without vessels."
(Ibid.)
Scripture hints at this process in describing the
succeeding kings of Edom: "These are the kings who ruled in the land of Edom
before any king ruled over the Israelites . Bela son of Be'or became king... He
died and was succeeded as king by Yoav... Yoav died, and he was succeeded as king
by Chusham... Chusham died, and was succeeded by... etc." (Gen. 36:31-39). The
Arizal explained that this refers to the sefirot of Tohu, each of
which rules exclusively, and then shatters and "dies."
Thus Tohu was a primordial form of existence
that "was created in order to be destroyed, and destroyed in order to be
rebuilt" in a superior form (see Mevo L'Chachmat HaKabbala part 2,
shaar 6, ch. 7). The order of creation that followed the disintegration of
the world of Tohu is called the world of Tikun (literally
translated as "rectification" or "restoration"). Regarding Tikun, the
Torah states, "And G-d looked over everything that He had made, and indeed it
was very good" (Gen. 1:31). In the words of the Midrash (Bereishit
Rabba 3:7; 9:2), as explained by the Arizal, "these please Me" refers
to the sefirot of Tikun, whereas the sefirot of Tohu
"do not please Me".
The sefirot of Tikun were emanated in
such a way that they work together interdependently and harmoniously, as
partzufim (literally, "visages" - sing. "partzuf") - compound
structures of the sefirot. A partzuf is a metaphorical figure of
human likeness, used to represent the expansion of an individual sefira
(or group of sefirot) into a configuration with ten sefirot of its
own. Partzufim include Atik Yomin, Arich Anpin, Abba, Imma, Zeir Anpin
(ben), Nukva (bat)]. As mentioned, the partzufim
work as symbiotic harmonious systems instead of the discrete, independent,
overpowering nekudot of Tohu. | | " What could not be elevated into Atzilut remained in Beriya..." | | |
Although the sefirot of Tohu shattered
and "died," nevertheless, a residue of the lights that were contained in the
vessels remained clinging to the fragments of the vessels. These are referred to
by the Arizal as the 288 nitzotzin (literally "sparks") - the initial
number of fragments from the vessels that broke. The entire process is alluded
to in Scripture in the first couple verses of Genesis: "In the beginning of G-d's
creating the heavens and the earth, when the earth was tohu and void, and
darkness was on the surface of the depths, and the sovereignty of G-d hovered
(in Hebrew "merachefet") above the surface of the waters...." The
Arizal explains that the word "merachefet" is actually a compound of two
words: "met" and "rapach" - signifying that 288 (the
numerical value of rapach) fragments had died (in Hebrew, "met")
- an allusion to the shattering of the vessels of Tohu into 288 initial
sparks. (Mevo She'arim, shaar 2, ch. 8)
Although the fragments of the vessels initially fell
into the world of Beriya, when their rectification (tikun) began,
the most refined aspects of the vessels were able to ascend and became absorbed
in the world of Atzilut. What could not be elevated into Atzilut
remained in Beriya and became an integral part of it. What could not be
absorbed into Beriya then descended into Yetzira and Asiya.
The aspects of the vessels that could not be absorbed in even the lowest realm
of holiness became the vitality of the realms of impurity, known as the
kelipot. (Ibid.)
The shattering of the sefirot of Tohu is
not a coincidence, nor does it signify a flaw in the creative process. On the
contrary, it serves a very specific and important purpose, which is to bring
about a state of separation or partition of the light into distinct qualities
and attributes, and thereby introduce diversity and multiplicity into creation,
as explained above. In addition, the shattering of the vessels of Tohu
allows for the possibility of evil, and gives man the opportunity to choose
between good (for which he gains reward) and evil (for which he is punished).
Thus G-d's attributes of chesed and gevura - the attributes from
which reward and punishment derive - are revealed in the world , which is one of
the primary purposes of creation. (See beginning of Otzrot Chaim)
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