Ein Sof
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Ein Sof (or Ayn Sof) (Hebrew אין סוף), in the Kabbalah, is understood as infinite divinity. Ein Sof may be translated as "no end", "unending", "there is no end" or Infinite (titular capitalization). Ein Sof is the divine origin of all created existence: this is in contrast to the Ein (or Ayn), which is infinite no-thingness. [1] According to Gershom Scholem, Ein Sof is the emanator of the sefirot. Sefirot are energy emanations found on the Kabbalist Tree of Life. Ayn Sof, the Ancient of All Ancients emanates the sefirot into the cosmic womb of the Ein in a manner that results in the created universe.
The Ten Sefirot
The ten aspects of the Divine, with the relation to its precursor states of nonexistence, its self-realization stage called Tzimtzum, and their immediate manifest reflection in the top three aspects with the gap between those exhalted states of being and the lower more mundane types via a bridge named Da'at, the 11th or uncounted aspect of the divine, can be described as (also see Sephirah):
- 000. Ain (Nothing; אין)
- 00. Ain Soph (Limitlessness;אין סוף )
- 0. Ain Soph Aur (Endless Light; אין סוף אוֹר)
- -.Tzimtzum (Contraction; צמצום)
- -.Daat (Knowledge; דעת)
- Chesed or Gedulah (Loving Kindness or Mercy; חסד)
- Gevurah or Din (Power or Judgement; גבורה)
- Tiferet (Beauty or Compassion; תפארת)
- Netzach (Triumph or Endurance; נצח)
- Hod (Majesty or Splendor; הוד)
- Yesod (Foundation; יסוד)
- Malchut (Realm; מלכות)
In addition to the Sefer Yetzirah and the Zohar, other well-known explications of the relation between Ein Sof and all other realities and levels of reality have been formulated by the Jewish mystical thinkers of the Middle Ages, such as Isaac the Blind and Azriel.[2]
See also
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Scholem, Gershom; Kabbalah, Jewish Publication Society, 1974.