Ishapcha (אתהפכא) — transformation of darkness to light

Core definition

Ishapcha ("transformation," literally "it is overturned") is the turning of darkness into light, evil into good — the higher of the two movements of refinement in the soul's avodah, paired with iskafya ("subduing," "coercion"). Iskafya subdues the sitra achra: it holds the evil in check without changing its nature. Ishapcha goes further: it transforms the very darkness itself into light — chashocha l'nehora — so that the evil inclination itself comes to love Divinity [58835/maamar_020 :: pp.123–124, p.127].

How the Rebbeim develop it

The purpose of creation. A Basi LeGani maamar roots the pair in the purpose of the world's creation: "the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to have a dwelling in the lower ones — there shall be the Divine revelation below — through iskafya and ishapcha." This is the Zoharic saying: "when the sitra achra is subdued, the Holy One, blessed be He, is exalted in all the worlds" — "in all the worlds" being the aspect of the light that is in all the worlds equally, sovev kol almin, above the light that became a source to the worlds. "For the light's advantage is specifically from the darkness: through the sitra achra's refinement specifically is drawn the aspect of the light's advantage — that the revelation shall illuminate below." This was the avodah of the Beis HaMikdash: "the avodah's main was in the refinements' avodah — in the aspect of iskafya and ishapcha: this is the matter of the offerings' offering" [58835/maamar_020 :: pp.123–124].

The offering of the nefesh habehamis. In the soul's avodah, the offering is: as in the physical they offered a physical beast included in the fire from above, so in the spiritual "the fire from Above is the nefesh ha'Elokis's flashes of fire" — and the nefesh habehamis must be included in those flashes, "that it shall desire specifically in Divinity. As it is written: 'and you shall love Havayah,' etc., 'with all your heart' — even the evil inclination shall have love to Divinity. It is found: this is the nefesh habehamis's refinement in iskafya and ishapcha" [58835/maamar_020 :: pp.123–124].

Shtus d'le'umas zeh turned to shtus d'kedushah. The Mishkan's shittim (acacia) wood is read as the emblem of the pair: "the Mishkan and Beis HaMikdash's avodah is the refinements' avodah — in the aspect of iskafya and ishapcha, darkness to light — therefore it was from shittim wood: the aspect of shtus d'le'umas zeh (folly of the opposite side) was turned to shtus d'kedushah (folly of kedushah)." Through this the Divine revelation illuminated the Beis HaMikdash — "they shall make Me a sanctuary, and I shall dwell among them" [58835/maamar_020 :: p.127].

The future's laughter from today's transformation. A maamar on Sarah's "Elokim made laughter for me" (Bereishis 21:6) locates the fruit of ishapcha in the future: "in the future specifically there will be the revelation of the joy from the aspect of the refinements of now, in the aspect of iskafya (coercion) and ishapcha (transformation)" — for "the matter of laughter and delight is from a new thing," like a speaking bird. "Specifically from the aspect of iskafya and ishapcha in this world specifically — that the body and the animal soul conceal from this — will come the future's laughter and delight." The laughter is "made from the name Elokim specifically — through the diminution of the light until hiddenness and concealment, and when darkness is transformed to light through coercing the sitra achra, the advantage of the light is made." In the maamar's metaphysics: "this is the aspect of the Ayin that is clothed in the Yesh, to refine it and transform it" — the Ayin descending into the Yesh so that through its transformation "added lights are drawn from the Yesh's root and source" [31641/maamar_033 :: pp.1–45, pp.321–402].

The main revelation in the future. So too the Basi LeGani maamar: "to draw the Divine revelation below through iskafya and ishapcha. The main of this revelation shall be in the future to come: this shall be through the avodah of now, in iskafya and ishapcha" [58835/maamar_020 :: p.131].

Key distinctions

1. Iskafya vs. ishapcha — subduing the sitra achra (coercion, holding it in check) versus transforming it: darkness itself overturned to light [58835/maamar_020 :: pp.123–124]. 2. The beast included vs. the inclination loving — in ishapcha the nefesh habehamis is not merely restrained but included in the nefesh ha'Elokis's love, "even the evil inclination shall have love to Divinity" [58835/maamar_020 :: pp.123–124]. 3. Shtus d'le'umas zeh vs. shtus d'kedushah — the folly of the opposite side versus the folly of holiness (the bitul above reason and daas); ishapcha turns one into the other, emblemized in shittim wood [58835/maamar_020 :: p.127]. 4. Now vs. the future — iskafya and ishapcha are the avodah of now; the revelation they draw, the laughter and delight, is mainly of the future to come [58835/maamar_020 :: p.131; 31641/maamar_033 :: pp.1–45].

Related concepts

Sources