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ב"ה

THEMES of Featured Ari Articles

The Snake at the Sea's End
Kabbalah teaches that Pharoah represents a misplacement of divine consciousness.
The Ari teaches that Pharaoh's constricted consciousness was only related to the spiritual nature of the name Elokim. Of the name Havayah, which signifies expanded, mature consciousness, he knew nothing.
Atone with Bricks and Mortar - Part 1
Early generations set the pattern for nurturing evil in this world.
When the generation of the dispersion declared war on G-d and sinned with mortar and bricks to build the tower of Babel, this caused the Divine Presence to ascend to the fifth heaven. The Ari teaches that the Jews in the Egyptian exile were punished with mortar and bricks to atone for the sin of that earlier generation.
The Power in a Name
The consciousness of intellect is altogether different from that of emotion.
Pharaoh received his sustenance and consciousness from the neck of Zeir Anpin, in which are present the three immature mentalities. In contrast, the Name Elokim signifies the contraction of divinity into the context of nature.

Pharaoh and Egypt knew only of this G-d, in contrast to the Name Havayah, which signifies transcendent G-dliness, the aspect of divinity not limited by the laws of nature.
Kabbala and the 10 Plagues
In Kabbalah, each of the Ten Plagues combated a corresponding emanation of wickedness.
The 10 plagues correspond, in ascending order, to the ten [sub-] sefirot of Nukva, otherwise known as Malchut. Nukva seems to be mustering all her possible sources of divine energy, based on various combinations of divine names. Each plague expressed a different combination of divine power channeled by Nukva to destroy its evil opponents.
Conversation with a Soul
In Paradise you will eat the bread of the Torah that you studied while you were in that world
The Ari discusses how the powers of the evil inclination set out to chase the soul in order to harm it when the soul leaves the body. This is because the evil inclination is also the accusing angel. After taking the soul from the body, it pursues it in order to harm it and take vengeance on it.
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