Atzilus (אצילות) — the World of Emanation

Core definition

Atzilus ("Emanation") is the highest of the four worlds (Atzilus–Beriah–Yetzirah–Asiyah), the world of the ten sefiros as pure Divine light. Its name carries two classical readings: "Atzilus" is explained as "atzlo v'karov" — "at Him and near," denoting that the sefiros are as their Emanator's example — and as emanation ("I shall emanate from the spirit which is upon you" — Bamidbar 11:17), denoting the drawing-down of the spirit below its level [58835/maamar_028 :: Overview]. Both readings say the same thing from opposite ends: Atzilus is the revelation in which the concealed (the Ohr Ein Sof) reveals itself, and in a revelation of concealment "the revelation is as the concealment" — united and bound in Him [58835/maamar_028 :: Overview].

How the Rebbeim develop it

The maamarim's richest treatment of Atzilus is built around the Midrash that all Ten Dibros were said "in one utterance." In Mattan Torah "was the Atzilus's light's revelation below — the matter of the name Havayah's revelation" [58835/maamar_028 :: Overview]. Creation was in the name Elokim ("in the beginning Elokim created"), which covers and hides the name Havayah; Mattan Torah was the innovation of Havayah's revelation literally — "and Havayah descended upon Mount Sinai" [58835/maamar_028 :: Overview]. This is read through the Talmudic dictum "never did the Shechinah descend below ten tefachim" (Sukkah 5a): "this is the aspect of the ten sefiros of Atzilus" — the line's revelation; the line's light ends in Malchus of Atzilus and does not illuminate Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah except as "an illumination of an illumination," a non-essential offspring-light [58835/maamar_028 :: עב׳ 79]. In short: "the Shechinah did not descend below Atzilus" [58835/maamar_028 :: עב׳ 105]. Atzilus cannot be enclothed in Beriah's vessels; the below can become a vessel for the Ohr Ein Sof literally only in the days of Moshiach — in Mattan Torah, rather, "the ten sefiros of Atzilus, which are in Atzilus in lights and vessels — descended and were revealed literally below" [58835/maamar_028 :: Overview].

The ten sefiros of Atzilus are not ten "things" in the ordinary sense. Sefer Yetzirah calls them "ten sefiros blimah (without what): their measure ten, which have no end" — in the aspect of unlimited; even the vessels of Atzilus, which are the power of limit, are themselves unlimited, and their limiting acts only outside Atzilus [58835/maamar_028 :: Overview]. As the Rebbe (the Previous Rebbe, in the cited passage) wrote: "His wisdom and His understanding and His da'as and His Chesed's midah — all is one." The sefiros are "not in the aspect of the essence of a thing": Atzilus's chochmah is "not in the essence of knowing at all," Atzilus's chesed is not "the essence of Chesed" [58835/maamar_028 :: Overview]. This is the meaning of "אני הוי' לא שניתי" (Malachi 3:6) applied to Atzilus: "as in the Ohr Ein Sof, the Emanator — in the ten sefiros of Atzilus — 'I did not change': no change at all... since the light's level... is not in the aspect of essence and existence of a thing" [58835/maamar_028 :: Overview].

That is why the ten sefiros of Atzilus are called "the Upper Man" — Adam, in gematria mah (45). "Mah" has two readings: "without essence at all," and "a thing's essence, only nullified" ("and we are mah" — Shemos 16:7). The sefiros are not the first mah — they are an emanated thing — but the second: "the essence's bitul," a nullified essence [58835/maamar_028 :: Overview]. And because each sefirah is not the essence of anything, they do not oppose one another: "in the Gevurah's line is found Chesed in concealment; in the Chesed's line is found Gevurah in concealment" — each receives from its opposite; "no completeness to one sefirah without the other; only in all's including together — then they are in the aspect of completeness" [58835/maamar_028 :: Overview]. Hence the Ten Dibros could be said "in one utterance": from the side of the ten sefiros' hiskallus (inclusion), "one sefirah is not drawn without the other; only all together" [58835/maamar_028 :: Overview].

A parsa (curtain) separates Atzilus from Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah: "as it is written in Etz Chaim, there is a parsa and curtain between Atzilus and BY'A" [31671/maamar_007 :: עב׳ 315]. "Through the parsa made, separating between Atzilus and BY'A" — Atzilus's light "breaks through the parsa and shines in Beriah" — which is why the lower worlds perceive themselves as separate existences [31671/maamar_007 :: עב׳ 993–994]. Malchus of Atzilus is the threshold: as the name of Malchus of Atzilus "when descending in Beriah, is called 'Shechinah' — upon the name that it dwells in the lower ones" [58835/maamar_028 :: Overview].

Key distinctions

Related concepts

Sources