Abba (אבא) — the Father

Core definition

Abba ("the Father") is the partzuf (Divine persona) of Chochmah — the supernal father-principle that, together with Imma (Binah), gives birth to the lower partzufim Ze'ir Anpin and Nukva and supplies them with their mochin (intellectual lights). Of the five partzufim of Atzilus — Atik, Arich, Abba, Imma, and Ze'ir Anpin with Nukva — Abba is the father-side of the intellectual pair: the point of chochmah, the flash of insight still above comprehension, whose revelation carries delight (oneg) rather than expansive joy [31674/maamar_026 :: §230, §235]. The Tikkunei Zohar's formula, quoted in the corpus, is that "Abba supernal nests in Atzilus, Imma in Beriah": Abba's nesting in Atzilus means "the essence of Divinity shining there" [31674/maamar_026 :: §7219–7240; 15692/maamar_003 :: §138].

How the Rebbeim develop it

Abba as giver of mochin. Ze'ir Anpin's "enlargement" (gadlus) consists in mochin being drawn to him "from Abba and Imma, and then he is fit to bear" [31674/maamar_026 :: §639]. The Etz Chaim teaches that for new souls to be born, "there must first be the aspect of the union of Abba and Imma in their inwardness" [31674/maamar_026 :: §708]. That inner union itself draws from higher still: "the inner union of Abba and Imma is what is drawn into Abba and Imma from the aspect of Atik and Arich, and higher and higher, to Ein Sof" [31674/maamar_026 :: §717]. Thus Abba stands in a chain of influence — receiving from Atik/Arich, uniting with Imma, and thereby bearing Ze'ir Anpin and Malchus "in the manner of cause-and-effect hishtalshelut" [31674/maamar_026 :: §681–693]. Yet in one maamar the mochin of Abba are described as "above hishtalshelut" — a transcendent, non-sequential giving that descends as radiance alone [31674/maamar_026 :: §2994, §3003].

Abba as the soul's father. Souls born from Abba and Imma are called "brothers and friends" to Ze'ir Anpin (hence "brothers" — they share the same parents), while souls born from Ze'ir Anpin and Nukva's union are called "children"; the "servants" of Beriah are made yesh through Malchus [31674/maamar_026 :: §482, §592]. The human form itself is "a garment," and "the garments are given by Abba and Imma" [31674/maamar_026 :: §3779].

Yesod of Abba: the highest giver. Within Abba, the yesod is the channel of bestowal, and the corpus stresses its supremacy: "Yesod of Abba is the highest giver in Atzilus of Atzilus" [31674/maamar_026 :: §2763]. Noach is identified as "the level of yesod of Abba (the father, chochmah)," which is why he is called tzaddik — "the bestower": from yesod of Abba flows "bestowal with much greater abundance" than from yesod of Ze'ir Anpin, and "the level of bestowal without division" — above contraction, where "all are equal" [15692/maamar_003 :: §78–144]. Hence Noach fed even the beasts in the ark, as in the shemittah year when the worlds receive from above hishtalshelut and man and beast are equal [15692/maamar_003 :: §149]. The yesod of Abba is "long: it pierces through the level of yesod of Imma and extends until the end of the yesod of Ze'ir Anpin" [15692/maamar_003 :: §209].

Abba and delight. Shabbos is "the mochin of Abba, which is the aspect of delight," while Yom Tov is "the aspect of the mochin of Imma," "appointed times for joy" [31674/maamar_026 :: §230]. Delight (oneg) is higher than joy (simcha): joy expands outward and cannot be concealed, while delight is hidden, restful, and stays within bounds — hence delight shines in Chochmah, which is still above revelation, and joy in Binah, which is revelation [31674/maamar_026 :: §235].

Key distinctions

Abba vs. Imma. Abba is Chochmah — the seminal point of wisdom, hidden, delight-like, "above hishtalshelut" in its giving; Imma is Binah — comprehension unfolded into detail, the revelation that brings joy. Shabbos (Abba's mochin) is oneg; festivals (Imma's mochin) are simcha [31674/maamar_026 :: §230–235].

Abba vs. Atik/Arich. Abba and Imma "enclothe the arms of Arich" — they are below the Kesser-partzufim and draw from them; the inner union of Abba and Imma is what draws new light "from Atik and Arich, and higher and higher, to Ein Sof" [31674/maamar_026 :: §742, §717].

The two levels of yesod of Abba. The yesod of Abba has an upper level "above the chest" (doubly covered) and a revealed level below it; the covered upper level holds the five chasadim and five gevuros still concealed [15692/maamar_003 :: §155, §212].

Related concepts

Imma (Binah, the mother); Ze'ir Anpin and Nukva (the children); Chochmah; Mochin (the intellectual lights Abba transmits); Atik and Arich (the Kesser-partzufim above Abba); Shemittah; Noach.

Sources