Those
who are proficient in kabbala are able to consciously channel G-d's blessing and
beneficence into the world. This is achieved through the process of kavana, "intention,"
(pl. kavanot) - kabbalistically formulated meditations used during prayer or while
fulfilling a mitzva. It is through kavana that the sefirot become properly harmonized
and united, allowing the Divine efflux to flow down, and the soul of the person
practicing the kavana (called a "mechaven") becomes a channel through
which G-d pours out His benevolence. When the mechaven cleaves to his Creator
in thought and in deed (by fulfilling the mitzvot) his soul rises up and is elevated
from level to level, from principle to principle and from cause to cause, until
He pours out upon him a great outflow of beneficence so that eventually this righteous
person can become the seat and locus of outflow for the entire world. He becomes
the abode of the Shechina and the node through which G-d's blessing issues forth
to the world. The mechaven therefore bears great responsibility towards his fellow
man; at the same time, he is a greatly privileged individual. When meditating,
the mechaven does not focus on the sefirot per se, but rather on the atzmut (the
Infinite Light) illuminating the sefirot - his prayer is "to Him, not to
His attributes." 1 Proper kavana focuses upon G-d as He is when acting through
the sefira of chesed, for example, or through gevura. The Essential Name of G-d
represented by the four letter Tetragrammaton - Yud-Hei-Vov-Hei, is indicative
of the Infinite Light clothed within the sefirot. Each sefira is distinguished
from the others by the manner in which the Infinite Light is clothed within it.
This is indicated by the change in the vowel-points (nekudot) found underneath
each of the four letters of the Name in each sefira: 2
SEFIRA | TETRAGRAMMATON | NEKUDAH | Keter | | Kametz |
Chochma | | Patach | Bina | | Tzeirei |
Chesed | | Segol | Gevura | | Sheva |
Tiferet | | Cholam | Netzach | | Chirik |
Hod | | Kubutz | Yesod | | Shuruk |
Malchut | | No vowels | One
who is versed in kabbala knows how to act at the right time by knowing which sefira
dominates at a particular time, and he cleaves to the light of the dominant sefira.
He can then bring about the correct adjustment and harmonization of the sefirot
through proper thought, speech and deed. In this way a person extricates himself
from lack of awareness of G-d, which may be compared to sleep and death, and binds
himself to holiness and eternal life, which is the mystery of Gan Eden (the Garden
of Eden). Thus the Crown of the Shechina never departs from his head. 3
Notes: . Sifri. 2. Pardes Rimonim shaar 32, chaps. 1-3 3. Tomer Devorah
chap. 10.
|