2.20 - The Infancy and Maturity of ZO, Father and Mother, Israel The Ancient and Understanding

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object:2.20 - The Infancy and Maturity of ZO, Father and Mother, Israel The Ancient and Understanding
book class:General Principles of Kabbalah
author class:Rabbi Moses Luzzatto
class:chapter
subject class:Kabbalah

We have already explained that the Sefirot are
none other than attri butes of the Creator, and that
as such they provide channels through which he ad
ministers, and paths of Light through which He radiates
into His created beings. However He bound these
Lights and these supervisions one with the other so that
there relationship exists between them.

In addition to what may be known of the content
of each one of them according to its function, it is
also necessary to know of its relationship to the at
tri butes which either precede or follow it.

ZO is the aggregate of all the upper Lights, which
are the source and cause of all things in this mundane
world, in all their details: the qualities of the created
beings, as well as the very substance of the different
species, their diversified natures, all their laws and their
conditions.

The fact is that this mundane world is established
on the principle of the Creators Judgment (the super
vision of ZO). Since He governs the world through

177

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DETAILED OUTLINE OF THE KABBALAH

the attri butes of His Judgment, the offspring partake
of the very nature of the Sefirof. In other words, His
desire is to create a world according to these diverse
Lights which represent the sum of His judgmental at
tri butes. For these Lights are drawn in such a manner
as to conceal His Goodness, and to reveal instead the
rule of Judgment. They are the sum total of all the
Sefirof of ZO and from them resulted the creation of
this mundane world, in all its subdivisions, and in its
present aspect. And since His desire is to govern this
creation according to these measures, the existing govern
ment of the world appears in all its subdivisions.

Recall that the Sefirof are attri butes, that they are
Lights, and that they constitute sources. They are attrib
utes by reason of their very first functionnamely that
they serve in Gods supervision of His creature-. They ex
emplify to a certain extent the attri butes of the nefesh
(soul) of man. But the attri butes of the Creator are
not inherent characteristics in Him, so we only label
them modes of action. They are Lights, being none
other than the diverse bestowals and various supervisions
which are all one and the same thing, emanating from
Him: His compassion, His wrath, His righteousness,
His meekness, His exaltedness, and so on. And they are
indeed sources, since all the different qualities of created
being are nothing but offspring from the aggregation of
these various supervisions. This may be explained in two
ways. First, the quality of the bestowal to the created
being matches the nature of the attri bute. For the at
tri butes do not administer absolute gain or absolute loss,
rather their bestowal is modified according to the dif-

THE INFANCY AND MATURITY OF ZO

179

ferent degrees of meritoriousness. Therefore, they dis
criminate between that which is precious and that which
is inferior, between the greater quantity and the lesser
quantity, as well as all the other opposing categories
discernible in the qualities that are found in the world.

The attri bute corresponding to "Compassion and
"Mercy brings to birth (in the wake of its bestowal)
worthiness, Light and abundance; and, conversely, the
attri bute of wrath and "concealment of Countenane
brings forth, by its bestowal, darkness, degradation and
lack. This too is the manner in which the many other
paths function.

The second way of explaining this connection of
the offspring with its source is as follows: We have
already explained that the created beings themselves are
exemplifications of the supervision which controls them;
similarly, these Lights produce offspring like themselves;
or in other words, that resemble the supervision. And
so the Sefirot are the source.

To pursue the point further, the Sefirot of ZO are
the attri butes of the Creators Judgments. They are the
sources of the qualities of nature and its denizens. They
are the sources for the created beings of this world,
which are constructed only according to the prototypes
that these Sefirot represent. However, we have already
explained that what must first be discerned in the
Sefirot is their function of supervision, namely, attri butes
(which limit)after which a larger number of Lights
and a larger number of sources are drawn into mani
festation. Therefore, we will first discern the content of
ZO, according to its attri butes of supervision which

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DETAILED OUTLINE OF THE KABBALAH

represent the measure of Judgment. Thereafter we
will examine all that pertains to ZO as Sefirot, Lights
and sources.

As we have learned, ZO is the measure of the
Creators Judgment. It represents the roo: of the
measure of Judgment. Judgment is the result of the
concealment of the Creators goodness. Bui: in the
measure of Judgment itself we may discern two types:
first severe Judgment, which is wrath, contempt and
abandonment; second, emended Judgment, which is tem
pered Judgment. Hence, ZO embraces all the varied
aspects of Judgment. When we analyze the progression
of this Judgment we shall recognize it to be first of
all utter, severe Judgment. Following that, we distinguish
modification and a trace of emendation in it. Thereafter
more modification and more emendation is presented,
until it becomes completely perfect.

Note that the first degree of Judgment, wrath and
fury, is the condition that brought about the shattering
of the vessels in the Primordial Kings. This event is
the offspring of absolute Judgment. Soon we note that
ZO is undergoing something of an emendation and a
modification. Nevertheless it is still but a slight degree
of mitigation. Its offspring is a defective order, namely
one in which complete destruction does not take place,
as it does in the case of the shattering of the vessels,
the offspring of absolute, severe Judgment. Nevertheless
in this second defective offspring every good order is
corrupted.

This is the time when the Creators scale of Judg
ment is unknown in the world. (That is, to the world

THE INFANCY AND MATURITY OF ZO

181

it will seem as though the Creators supervision is miss-
ing.) On the contrary, of this time the Scriptures say:
"And I will surely hide my face in that day . . . and
they shall be devoured and many evils and troubles shall
befall them. . .

(Deut. XXXI, 18, 17). The wicked will be suc
cessful and arrogence will increase. The righteous will
walk with bowed heads.

Following this we see ZO receiving still further
modification and emendation; at this stage the world
will no longer be forsaken. The righteous will enjoy
some success, although it will not as yet be complete.

Thereafter we distinguish ZO as corrected and
emended Judgment: here the world contains good judg
ments for the meritorious and evil judgments for the
wicked. Everything is emended in the best possible
order.

These three periods distinguished between the im
maturity and maturity of ZO. The immature stage of
ZO is Judgment, but its pre-natal state is unmitigatedly
severe Judgmentactual obscurity. In the "nursing
period Judgment is modified. These two stages both
represent the Name Elohim. Maturity, the stage which
denotes more compassion, represents the Name Havaya.
But even in maturity, ZO is never other than the
measure of Judgment, albeit emended Judgment.

Note that this entire progression of the existing
measure of Judgment traces it from its initial stage
down to the level where it reaches completion. How
ever, since these Lights issue one from the other in
the manner of cause and effect, we must examine this

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DETAILED OUTLINE OF THE KABBALAH

structure of the measure of Judgment (ZO) as it issues
from its cause.

The first emendation which is rendered this
attri bute (ZO) from its cause (Mother) supplies
it with a slight degree of modification so that at least
no chaos and destruction (such as occurred in the earlier
case of the Primordial Kings) should result from it. This
first construction containing the design for ZO was
fashioned in Mother at the time of gestation. As the
cause of Judgment, she herself is obliged to effect this
improvement; she must include in herself everything
that relates to Judgment so that she may impart to it
the necessary modification that will free it from its
destructive state (which is the offspring of untempered
Judgment) and permit it to enter into the emended
condition of the measure of Judgment.

What is required of her at this particular juncture
in the process of emendation is the establishment of
Judgment mingled with a specific measure of Justice, so
that it will no longer be untempered Judgment. When
the cause effected this, she accomplished the first stage
of what she was supposed to do by herself, namely to
temper the untempered ZO. But her work was still
to be completed.

The first step in tempering Judgment is considered
to take place in the period of gestation. At this stage
ZO was being built within the Mother, that is, his
Sefirof were selected from out of the chaos of the Pri
mordial Kings and put together inside her. The ad
vantage of this first emendation is only that ZO emerges

THE INFANCY AND MATURITY OF ZO

183

from chaos to the emendation of balance (miskelech.*
However, Judgment still remains severe Judgment, which
implies that all the orders are defective. But at least
in its new condition it is not tantamount to destruction.
Nevertheless, when the period of gestation prevailed in
the general supervision (the first step in ZOs emenda
tion) then the world was in complete darkness. Even
the Law (Torah) did not appear in the world. In other
words, it is represented in particular by the entire period
of the exile in Egypt, and, in general, by the remaining
2000 years of "chaos.

However, from birth onward, the continual emen
dations of ZO begin to accrue to Judgment. These are
the ones that are enacted in him during both the
nursing and the mature periods, that is, all during the
time when ZO is in the process of being constructed.
Thus the existence of an emended order for ruling
the world is in the process of preparation. But as long
as the process consists only of continual unions of Lights
and the emended order is not fully complete, the super
vision (by the emended ZO) is concealed witjiin the
Kings domain and remains entirely unrevealed. This
signifies that ZO is concealed in Mother and is non
manifest. For all the preparations of goodness which the
Creator is making for the world during the period of
ZO growth are, being formed in secret. When the

* TR. N. In the Primordial Kings the Sefirot of ZO were
arranged in a single pillarran/ ing one below the other, but the
first emendation of balance means that they were arranged in three
parallel pillars.

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DETAILED OUTLINE OF THE KABBALAH

preparations are complete, the final act occursZO is
born. During the secret preparatory period, however,
the first corruption still prevails. Yet, as bad as this
order of corruption may be it is still a step away from
complete destruction. At this point, although the Creator
proceeds to correct the matter, the corruption of order
still remains, fqr during the entire period of preparation
in the upper realms, nothing is revealed to the nether
beings.

Another point to recall here is that the Creator,
blessed be He, is only capable of doing good and that
even the period of the concealed Countenance is not
due to His having scorned the world. On the contrary,
He is secretly preparing emendation for its defects; in
the meantime the world suffers many evils and troubles.

To reiterate, we find, on analyzing the government
in all its aspects during the period of gestation, that
there are three distinct phases: 1) what pertains to
Mother; 2) what pertains to the condition of ZO;
3) what pertains to the immature stage of Z'O.

Thus the period of gestation signifies that: the con
struction of ZO is going on secretly and that it is
achieved through Mother, inside of her. And, simultane
ously, with the final emendation of the world as its goal,
the state of an emended order is in the process of being
prepared. This preparation is not, however, the work of
the Mother. She is the cause of righteous Judgment
(ZO) which remains concealed in the upper realms,
and, because of her, is not revealed below. What is
manifested during that period is the corruption of the
good orders. Yet this is not total destruction, whereas

THE INFANCY AND MATURITY OF ZO

185

in the state of the first corruption (when the Sefirot
of ZO were all issued in one pillar) final destruction
was wrought in the shattering of the vessels. Here at
least, the Creator assumes the task of emendation so
as to avoid any repetition of shattering. Nonetheless,
the world remains unredeemed, yoked still to the cor
rupt orders, since its emendation can only come through
the revelation of righteous Judgment (ZO). But ZO
itself is concealed, and this condition exists because
the Sefirot of ZO are in the process of being selected;
and, because they are not yet manifest outside of the
feminine polarity (Mother), they cannot assume their
places in the administration. The immaturity ( katnut)
which precedes each elevation to a higher degree is
considered to be concealed preparation for a new stage
of emendation; here there is no corruption and no dark
ness.

Up to this point we have been discussing the at
tri butes from the standpoint of their governing order.
But when we analyze them as far as their modes of
bestowals are concerned we shall understand that the
Sefirot of ZO constitute the sum total of the bestowals
which bring to birth the material things of the mundane
plane.

The Creators bounty, a bestowal which is drawn
from the divine source, is fit to produce only that which
is of a Godly, spiritual or divine nature. But the Creator,
blessed be He, desired that the quality of His bestowal
should be debased in order to produce the material off
spring which He desired. Thus we find that even in
this procedure of bestowal there is the appropriate
gradation.

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DETAILED OUTLINE OF THE KABBALAH

That is, the bestowal begins from that point which
in accordance with the upper decreeenables it to
descend gradually to the level which caters to the re
quirements of a mundane world. The first radiation
emitted by the Creator is of a spiritual and tenuous
nature, entirely free from matter;* it produces only
offspring of tenuous, Godly and spiritual nature. This
is the first type of Light.

Next in the scale of gradually evolving Lights
comes a type of Light whose offspring is also 'Godly and
spiritual, yet not entirely free of matter, for it is already
combined with matter itself in that it allows its exist
ence. Nevertheless, it is combined in such a way that
the Light may shine into its obscurity in the required
proportion.

Following this second type of Light comes a third
type, wherefrom actual matter is drawn.

The three descending types of Light are:

1) "Crown

2) "Wisdom and "Intelligence

3) The seven lower Sefirot

"Crown, the collective Parezuf of Arik, is free from
matter. "Wisdom and "Intelligence are drawn suc
cessively; they constitute the Parzuf of Father and
Mother.

* TR. N. This is not actually physical matter, but only a
spiritual Light, which, in relation to the more tenuous Lights pre
ceding it, is opaque.

THE INFANCY AND MATURITY OF ZO

187

Lastly, the seven lower Sefirot are the Lights from
which matter issues. They constitute the collective
Parezuf of ZO and Ntikbah ("Kingdom), the former
constituting the major part, while the latter is merely
the termination of ZO. This Parezuf is the collective
Light from which the mundane world issues.

This mundane world is composed both of matter
and of Light,that is, knowledge, intelligence, and
other factors pertaining to the soul. Through this
power of knowledge and intelligence we can discern
the six dimensions in ZO which are the sources of
matter, as well as its first three Sefirot, which constitute
the brain that reaches ZO from Father and Mother.
Father and Mother represent the second type of Light
that combines with matter and has the capacity to
impart something of itselfin this case, the varying
capacities of "Brain to ZO. What is designated as
mature or immature, or in states of elevation, refers
to the differing quantities of Light which are combined
with matter. Here in man they represent the dif
ferent degrees of worth or merit: the six dimensions
are the sources of mans material substance, but the
treasure of intelligence which resides within him is rooted
in the first three Sefirot. Thus, according to the system
of evolvement, wherein the Lights issue one from the
other as cause and effect, Father and Mother gave birth
to ZO, that is, to his six dimensions and, although his
content is different from theirs (for he is the source
of matter) they nevertheless produce him just as he is.
Still, they impart to him something of their own essence,
and it is this that constitutes the first three Sefirot.

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DETAILED OUTLINE OF THE KABBALAH

Such transference is possible only by virtue of the fact
that Lights emanate one from the other. If not for
this, the world would be wholly corporeal and com
pletely devoid of Spirit or Light.

The brain joins with the attri butes (the six di
mensions) . Note that in the measure of Judgment itself
(in ZO) the Light is of an obscure and inferior
quality the type of Light which produces offspring
that are inferior and corporeal."' What is brought to
birth here results from the concealment of the Creators
perfect Countenance and Goodness. But when the mode
of government springs from His love and His exalted
ness, it means that the Creator, blessed be He, does not
subject His supervision to the deeds of man, but rather
employs His loftiness, which is exalted over all that
pertains to the lower beings. It is a supervision which
is independent of them. It is a tremendous atid exalted
radiation of Light which produces only Godly and sacred
entities.

In the Idra Xuta of the Z ohar, ZO is called "Knowl
edge. It also calls him "first born sonhe who inherits
the tokens (traits) of his father and mother. He is
worthy of being considered their equal, for as the oldest
son, who is in the image and form of his father, he is
consulted by the latter in all matters.

The explanation of this matter runs as follows.
Although matter must inevitably exist in it:, in order
for the mundane world to be in its proper state of

* TR. N. This government of Judgment rules because mans
deeds are not in accord with Divine Will.

THE INFANCY AND MATURITY OF ZO

189

emendation, Light must so dominate over matter that
its sanctification occurs immediately as a result. In this
connection it is said in the Scriptures: "And it shall
come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that
remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy . . .
(Isaiah IV, 3).

The influence of the Light (brain) which Father
and Mother impart to ZO is increased in him to such
an extent that he himself becomes a source for the
world in its sanctified state. There is still material sub
stance in that world, but the matter itself is sanctified.

However, in this process too there is a progression.
Since the first condition of ZO is not identical with
that of Father and Mother, there are two states involved
here. First, the state which prevails when Father and
Mother send down a glow into ZO, which fails, however,
to elevate him to their own level. On the contrary,
matter still has sway. But now some Light also is to
be found in him. The second stage occurs when the
Light dominates in ZO, and the material part in him
follows after it to the extent that the world becomes
hallowed, as it will be in the future. This means that
the light of Father and Mother has overpowered the
essence in ZO, so that he is now said to have assumed
their traits.

When the Light of Father and Mother triumphs
over the material substance of ZO, he becomes their
equal. With this intention, they themselves give him
the "brain, which is a great and complete Light. How
ever, if the intention is to leave ZO in his inferior
statewhere only a glow is to be implanted in him

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DETAILED OUTLINE OF THE KABBALAH

then Father and Mother do not give the brain to ZO.
Only a little Light is transferred from their lowest
degree, "Kingdom, otherwise known as Israel the An
cient, and Understanding. "Kingdom effects this act
in the role of Israel the Ancient, and Understanding by
giving ZO the brain. Hence he does not become
equal of Father and Mother, for only when they impart
the Light directly can he arrive at their status.

This is intimated in the word Binah, whose letters
reveal that he (ZO) is the son ben of Y ud He. In
the word tivunah we find the two words ben u-bat,
the "son and the daughter, as it is explained in the
Idra Zuta.* For Binah (Intelligence) has the capacity
to raise ZO to a state which is equivalent to Father
and Mother, but Twtmah (Understanding) is the reverse
for it imparts little Light.

When the world is governed in accordance with
the first stage of maturity there is Light in the world,
but not in sufficient quantity to sanctify all created
beings.

However, when it is governed in accordance with
the second stage of maturity then the Light is sufficiently
ample to sanctify all creation.

Note that during the two thousand years of chaos,
a supervision of immaturity reigned. Even the Law
(Torah) was missing from the world. Man was totally
sunk in matter. Of this period it is said in the Scriptures:

* TR. N. This designates a secondary degree of Light,
issued not from Father and Mother themselves, but from their lower
degrees.

THE INFANCY AND MATURITY OF ZO

191

". . . whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue
is like the issue of horses. (Ezekiel XXIII, 20). There
fore it is said of the Egyptian exile: "And they made
their lives bitter ... in mortar . . . Exodus I, 14) .*
The patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) in their
time began to improve conditions, but the task was
only completed with the giving of the Law (Torah)
on Sinai.

Truly speaking, during this present exile, the world
is under the governing rule of the "infant ZO (while
it partakes of nourishment from the Mother Binah ).
This stage of infancy means that ZO (lacking brain)
possesses only the six Sefirot (dimensions), except during
periods of prayer, when its Light is temporarily in
creased.

The Law (Torah) that exists in the world is the
result of the three Sefirot "Mercy, "Power and
"Beauty, which are revealed when the infant ZO is
nourished. These Lights are called Ruab. They represent
the actual degrees of the Torah that reside in "Beauty
(ZO as a whole). Still lacking in the world, however,
are the divine spirit, prophecy, and signs or miracles.,
When, the Temple flourished, ZO in its mature stages
was the prevailing supervision. Then signs, miracles and
prophecies abounded. These are all matters which come
from the brains of Father and Mother, which are present
in ZO. It is a general rule that everything supernatural

* TR. N. "Mortar here refers to the matter in which man
was sunk. For further explanation see the Z ohar and Tikune
Zohar.

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DETAILED OUTLINE OF THE KABBALAH

derives from that which is above the six Sefirot of ZO
(namely, from the brain of Father and Mother"Wis
dom and Intelligence). Yet even then the world was
not sanctified, for prophecy was the gift of only rare
individuals and the recognition of God only occurred by
virtue of signs and miracles.

However, in the days of Messiah the supervision will
emerge from ZOs second stage of maturity. Of that
period it is said in the Scriptures: "And he that remaineth
in Jerusalem shall be called holy. (Isaiah IV., 3.) For
great Light will envelop matter, to the extent that the
matter itself will be sanctified, and prophecy will spread
to all Israel, as it is said: "... I will pour out my Spirit
upon all flesh. (Joel III, 1.) Then wisdom will inhere
in all men as a natural trait, just as it is in the angels.
In the words of the prophet: "And they shall teach no
more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother,
saying Know the Lord . . . (Jeremiah XXXI, 33.)

But until the second and most exalted stage of
maturity arrives, ZO is not elevated, but is only taking
part in the process of becoming complete. For the
prenatal stage is the beginning of the structure: the stage
of infancy is his completion, and there are some matters
in ZO which are only completed during the time he is
nourished. Maturity means the enlargement of all the
already constructed organs, so that they acquire the
necessary strength and power which belong to them.

Until ZO reaches the second stage of maturity, the
Sefirot do not as yet possess all that belongs to them.
For since ZO must acquire brain, he is not considered
complete until this brain dominates. But from the

THE INFANCY AND MATURITY OF ZO

193

second maturity onward, any further advance signifies
actual elevations: ZOs degrees are then transformed by
ascents. From the time of Messiah on, the same condition
leading from one elevation to another will be found in
the stages of man.

However, the idea of "brain exists as the dynamic
power in every Parezuf. In fact, the power of each
Parezuf is only as great as the measure of its brain.

But in ZO whatever concerns the brain is subdivided
further; that is, the process of joining the first three
Sefirot (the brain) with the six following Sefirot (the
six dimensions) is differentiated into particular stages.

However, in every instance the brain itself is a Light
habiliment (garment) for the Line of Light from the
Infinite, blessed be He. This Line of Light is changeless,
no matter how far it extends. All the attri butes receive
it, enclothed in the brain. Individually, the attri butes
differ, and therefore the Line of Light within them differs,
although in itself it remains changeless. This is in accord
with the Creators decree that the attri butes should re
ceive Lights appropriate for a supervision of reward and
punishment, so that even the functions of the attri butes
themselves derive from the Line of Light.

The ultimate benefit of this motivation of the
Sefirot of ZO by the Line of Light, is that the Line of
Light will eventually return the Impression to its own
level thus rendering the government equal and unified.

Remember that the chief governing factor in the
brain lies in "Knowledge (Daatwhich is the soul of
the attri butes of ZO). Therefore ZOs attri butes are
manifest, while "Wisdom and "Intelligence, the other

194

DETAILED OUTLINE OF THE KABBALAH

elements of the brain, are not. The Sefirot ''Wisdom
and "Intelligence are the paths by which the attri butes
receive their "Knowledge from the Line of Light
"Knowledge that is established to govern within the
attri butes according to this recipiency. (In other words,
"Knowledge is the governing factor in the brain of
ZO.)

The brain is different in each Parezuf, according to
the Parezuf itself, and according to the period in which
it is received. The power of the Parezuf and of its gov
ernment depends upon its brain. But in ZO the com
ponent parts are more distinctly segregated; the six
lower Sefirot, as well as the three first Sefirot that
comprise his brain, may actually be discerned in him.

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