THEMES of Featured Contemporary Kabbalists Articles

Jacob, who personifies tiferet of Atzilut, arouses G-d's mercy upon the souls that descend into the physical world, throughout all generations. Even when our misdeeds cast us into further states of exile, we are able to be raised from this state and become reunited with G-d through Torah study and the performance of mitzvahs.

A handmaid represents an inferior level of relationship to God, a lower level of Divine consciousness. Abraham and Jacob did not initially want to marry their handmaids, that they not descend to a lower level of Divine consciousness. The matriarchs, in contrast, recognized the need for their husbands' descent, since only thus could they elevate this lower level, as well.

In Kabbala, the Hebrew word for "iron/barzel", is seen as an acronym for the four wives of Jacob: Bilhah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Leah, mentioned in this week's Torah reading.

Abraham and Jacob did not initially want to marry their maidservants: they did not want to be brought into the lower worlds. The Matriarchs, however, recognized the need for this descent - that thus be able to reconstruct malchut, a necessary stage in the process of Redemption.

"Jacob then took himself moist sticks of aspen, hazel, and chestnut, and peeled white stripes in them by baring the white of the sticks."

Jacob was drawing divine consciousness into physical reality. He employed both natural and supernatural means in coloring the animals in order to elicit both G-dly energies.

Jacob placed around his head twelve stones, corresponding to the twelve tribes. Through their unification into one stone, the tzadik could lay down his head. This implies that the Jewish People will be able to live on their land in security only if there will be unity between them.