Tree of Life, or Etz haChayim (…) in Hebrew, is a classic descriptive term for the central mystical symbol used in the Kabbalah of esoteric Judaism, also known as the 10 Sephirot, and the 22 Paths. Its diagrammatic representation, arranged in 3 columns/pillars, may derive from older sources and is not known to the earlier Jewish tradition. The tree, visually or conceptually, represents as a series of divine emanations God’s creation itself ex nihilo, the nature of revealed divinity, the human soul, and the spiritual path of ascent by man. In this way, Kabbalists developed the symbol into a full model of reality, using the tree to depict a map of Creation. The symbolic configuration of 10 spiritual principles (11 can be shown, of which – Keter and Da’at are interchangeable), Jewish Kabbalah usually refers to the symbol as the 10 Sephirot, while non-Jewish Christian Cabala and Hermetic Qabalah generally terms it universally as the Cabalistic/Qabalistic Tree of Life. … Kabbalists believe the Tree of Life to be a diagrammatic representation of the process by which the Universe came into being. On the Tree of Life, the beginning of the Universe is placed in a space above the first sephirah, named Keter («crown» in English). It is not always pictured in reproductions of the Tree of Life, but is referred to universally as Ain Soph Aur (Ain – Without, Soph – End, Aur – Light). To kabbalists, it symbolizes that point beyond which our comprehension of the origins of Being cannot go…. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_life_(Kabbalah)
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In appearance and content, Kabbalah represents a combination of elements of Gnosticism in II – III centuries of our era and Neoplatonism. It borrowed from the Gnostic teaching of 10 eons that constitute the Pleroma. Outstanding Sephardic Platonist of the XI century, Gabirol had a strong influence on the formation of the classical Kabbalah. Parallel, Midrash with a strong Kabbalistic slant appeared in Byzantium. Some of them (for example, «Alef bet of Rabbi Akiva» and «Midrash ha-Cohen») explored the mysteries of creation and the structure of the universe. Other works of the same period describe the heavens, which represent the seven heavenly palaces (Hekhalot), and the sacred chariot (Merkava) from the visions of Ezekiel. These early hints of a mystical cosmogony, cosmology, and theosophy in the IX century was resurgent in Italy and Germany.» https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Каббала 10 elements (Sephirot), which represent the 10 emanations 10 names or 10 channels of the manifestation of God form the Tree of Life in Kabbalah. In our days, Sephirot is called «archetypes of States of consciousness.» At the same time, the Tree of Life represents the structure of the higher man (Adam Kadmon), created in the image of the Creator. https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Древо_Жизни_(каббала) «Most of the concepts in the Kabbalah are used in the Zohar (Hebrew. … – «the Shining») and «Sefer Yetzirah» («Book of Creation»); some of them formed later.» «Ein Sof, En Sof (Hebrew. … «infinity») is a designation of God in the Kabbalah, reflecting his mystic and unknowable out of touch with the world. Other names of God signify his relationship with the created world». «5» the spiritual worlds " (Olamot, from Alam – concealment) – between the world of Infinity (the Olam Ein Sof) and human consciousness at the beginning of its development – 5 degrees of concealment, filled with five kinds of light.» «The origin of the soul in Kabbalah is God. The human soul consists of 613 desires. She is immortal and is reborn until, until will not rise through all the degrees to its source. The correspondence between the five names of the soul mentioned in the Torah (Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, Yechida) and ten Sephirot is contained in the book of Zohar. Five names of the soul are treated as five levels of steps in the approximation where higher transmit low light, the root of which in the world of infinity (Ein Sof), and all becomes one. The Zohar also describes the events for each soul at birth and death.» «According to the Zohar, the Torah was created before the world and is a «user manual» for his creation. Based on this, the Kabbalah teaches that the book of the Torah contains all the information about our world, some Kabbalists are looking for «hidden codes» that help you understand the structure of the world.» «10 Sephirot are the composition of the 10 items that represent the fractal hierarchy of the universe and every part of it. They mean: 10 properties of the Creator; 10 channels of Its manifestation (emanations); 10 names of the Creator; 10 concealments of the upper Light that exist in order that creations can receive the Light. 10 Sephirot – 10 spiritual vessels, through which God governs the worlds and affect them. Each of the Sephirot perceives the Divine light and transmits it in a modified form, in accordance with the quality that reveals the Sephirot. Each Sephirot has its own «personality» and a special character, corresponding to the qualities of the Almighty. The human soul also has 10 strengths, corresponding to the 10 Sephirot, and therefore, descriptions of these forces, you can get an idea of the 10 Sephirot. Chokhmah (Wisdom) – the ability of the mind to grasp the essence of the subject, to get the main idea of phenomena or things. Chokhmah – a higher level about all the other Sephirot that has the ability to perceive such a high level of divine light which cannot be described, detailed, or expressed with the help of our ideas and even through the qualities of all the other Sephirot. Binah (Knowledge, Understanding) – the ability of the mind to comprehend the structure and the shape of the object, its parts and internal relations between them. Da’at (Awareness) is not a separate sephirah (that’s why, when mentioned the first sephirah Keter, Da’at is not used). Da’at is manifested as the ability of a compound of opposites and manifests itself on two levels. At a low level (lower Da’at) the Da’at’s ability to translate the insights of the mind (Chokhmah and Binah) in the world of emotions (Middot). In the highest manifestation (the higher Da’at) is the ability to connect Chokhmah and Binah. Chesed (Kindness, Compassion) – the aspiration of sharing and positive action to do good. Gevurah (Fire, Power) – the power of restriction or containment, the desire to return light to its source. It can also be limiting and the desire to prevent the transfer of excessive impact on those creations that do not deserve. Tiferet (Beauty) – an aspiration to the harmonious combination of the qualities of Chesed and Gevurah in the transmission of influence. Netzach (Victory) – the dedication, the desire to implement even under the influence of counteraction from the higher levels of Intelligence and Middot (for example, the victory over himself). Hod (Recognition, Acceptance) – the willingness to unconditionally accept and implement the higher levels. In the aspect of the transmission of the impact, this quality is manifested in the wish of acceptance of external circumstances, and in an effort receiving to be at the proper height and become worthy of the impact he receives. Yesod (Foundation) – the quest for unity both from the side receiving the impact, and the one who influences. This quality is necessary for the perception of impact from the upper, so it is the basis of the existence of all worlds. Malkuth (Kingship) – the ability to convey the vitality to the perceiver which is at a lower level than the giver and to affect it. It is the quality of the king towards his subjects – he cares about them and at the same time rises above them. Sometimes Keter (Crown), the source and prototype of all Ten Sephirot is mentioned as the first of the Sephirot. According to the explanation of the Arizal, this level has a dual nature: on the one hand, it represents the lower level of the Infinite Light of the Almighty, on the other – is the source of all the other nine Sephirot. It is due to two levels of manifestation within the sephirah of Keter. The first level is sublime, and it is known as Partzuf Atik Yomin. The second, lower one, it is known as the Partzuf Arich Anpin (see below). When Keter is listed along with the other Sephirot, it means its low influence – Partzuf Arich Anpin. Then Da’at is not mentioned.
