Divine Manifestations: Selections from the Kabbalistic Zohar, Part 1 of 2

Today, we would like to present selections from the Greater Holy Assembly, a volume of the Zohar where Rabbi Schimeon led a group of holy sages through a discussion on the attributes governing the laws of physical reality as symbolized by the features of Microprosopus. Although the human mind is separate from the Divine, it receives sparks of benevolence and understanding from the Divine, as symbolized by Macroprosopus, the creator of Microprosopus.

CHAPTER 44 FURTHER REMARKS CONCERNING THE SUPERNAL MAN.

“Rabbi Schimeon spoke, and said: Let us behold. The superiors are below, and the inferiors are above.

The superiors are below. That is the form of the Man which is the Universal Superior Conformation. We have learned this which is written, ‘And the just man is the foundation, Yesod, of the world,’ Proverbs 10:25, because He comprehends the Hexad in one enumeration. And this is that which is written, Canticles 5:15: ‘His legs are as columns, Shesh, of the Number Six.’

We have learned in the ‘Book of Concealed Mystery’ that in man are comprehended the Superior Crowns in general and in special; and that in man are comprehended the Inferior Crowns in special and in general. The Superior Crowns in general are comprehended in the figure of all those conformations, as has been already said. The Superior Crowns in special are comprehended in the fingers of the hands, which are Chamesh Ke-Neged Chamesh, Five over against (or opposed to, or chief above) Five.

The Inferior Crowns are comprehended in the toes of the feet, which are special and general. For the body is not seen with them, seeing they are extraneous to the body. And therefore, they are not in the body, seeing the body has receded from them. For if so, what is this, Zechariah14:4: ‘And His feet shall stand in that day?’ Truly the feet of the body, the Lords of Judgments to exercise justice. And they are called the Lords of the Feet; and certain of Them are powerful, and the Lords of the Judgments, who are below, adhere unto the inferior crowns. […]”

“When the Syntagma of the Supernal Man had been mitigated as to the Holy Body, in Male and Female form, these two were conjoined together again for the third time. And the temperation, [the achievement of balance and harmony] of all things proceeded there from, and the superior and inferior worlds were mitigated. And from then on, the superior and inferior worlds are bound together under the form of the Holy Body, and the worlds are associated together, and cohere together, and have been made one Body. […]”