Lesson 2: The Dawn of Limitation

In Lesson Two, we are initiated into the ten sefirot, Divine emanations. We survey Kabbalah’s concept of the sefirot that reconciles biblical depictions of Divine attributes or emotions with the philosophical conviction that G-d transcends definition.

We explore the description of the sefirot in Tikunei Hazohar, and the mystic Moshe Cordevero’s etymological association of sefirah with numerical limitation. We review Meir ibn Gabai’s assertion that articulation in defined Divine attributes is a feature of G-d’s perfection, not a compromise.

We introduce the sefirotic tree, a diagram depicting the ten sefirot of Atzilut and their three columns. We explore the symbols, creatures, and rituals that Kabbalah associates with the sefirot and these traits’ embodiment in the varieties of human experience.