Yesod (יסוד) — foundation, the ninth sefirah

Core definition

Yesod ("foundation") is the ninth of the ten sefirot, positioned between the six emotional attributes (middos) and malchus. Its role is gathering and transmission: it collects all the bestowals flowing from above and conveys them to Malchus, the receiver. The Sages' dictum is its motto — "the tzadik is the foundation of the world" (tzadik yesod olam, Mishlei 10:25): the righteous is called tzadik precisely because he is the level of Yesod, "for all bestowal and revelation of the Ohr Ein Sof is from the state of Yesod specifically" [31641/maamar_018 :: p.קכד].

How the Rebbeim develop it

The window of the ark — Yesod of Imma. A Noach maamar reads "A tzohar shall you make for the ark" (Bereishis 6:16) through the Sages' two readings — a window, or an illuminating jewel — and identifies the window with the Yesod of Imma (binah). The prooftext cited from Me'oros (Ma'orei Or): "a window is called the yesod of every sefirah, and the yesod of Imma is a wide window." Through the Yesod of Imma, the revelation of binah is drawn to Ze'ir Anpin and Nukva (and also through the middle pillar, tiferes): the level of Yesod of Imma "is the revelation of the level of binah to Ze'ir Anpin and Nukva" [15692/maamar_003 :: p.ח].

Noach — Yesod of Abba. The same maamar identifies Noach himself as Yesod of Abba (chochmah), as in Likutei Torah from the Arizal — "therefore he is called tzaddik, for Yesod is called tzaddik, as is known." From Yesod of Abba flows "bestowal with much greater abundance" than from Yesod of Ze'ir Anpin (Pri Etz Chaim, kavanah of Purim) — bestowal without division: "wherever there is contracted light there are levels and divisions; above contraction, all are equal." 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 :: p.ח].

Two levels of Yesod of Abba, and the concealed chasadim. The maamar distinguishes two levels of Yesod of Abba: above the chest (doubly covered) and below it (revealed), corresponding to the two mentions of "Noach" in the parshah. Five chasadim and five gevuros are concealed in the Yesod of Imma until the chest, then revealed — and the concealed/revealed chesed-gevurah are identified with the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge. Yesod of Abba is pure Tree of Life: it gives "no nourishment for the chitzonim even in revelation" — because in chochmah's bitul there is no yeshus for the outer forces to grip, even delight and love there are sealed and unfelt [15692/maamar_003 :: Overview].

Yesod as redemption. A discourse on joining redemption to prayer explains that "the matter of joining redemption to prayer is joining yesod (foundation) to malchut (kingship), for redemption is the state of yesod." Why? Because "yesod is called 'good' (tov)" — "say of the tzadik, for he is good" (Yeshaya 3:10) — "after the bestowal," since "all the bestowals flow through yesod." Redemption too is "good": the revelation of the Ohr Ein Sof — exile as pregnancy (concealment), redemption as birth, "until the King of kings of kings was revealed upon them." The geulah blessing draws from Yesod of Atzilut [31641/maamar_018 :: p.קכד]. And Malchus is called "the angel who redeemed" when there is an abundance of bestowal from Yesod to Malchus [31641/maamar_018 :: p.קכד].

Yosef the provider. In the same maamar, Yosef embodies the Yesod-bestower: "the tzadik is the foundation of the world" is glossed with "(Yosef the provider)" — the administrator who channels sustenance to all, the human image of the sefirah that channels all divine bestowal downward [31641/maamar_018 :: p.קכד].

Key distinctions

1. Yesod of Abba vs. Yesod of Imma — Yesod of Abba (chochmah) is the bestower in his own right, superabundant and undivided; Yesod of Imma (binah) is the window through which binah's light reaches Ze'ir Anpin [15692/maamar_003 :: p.ח]. 2. Yesod of Abba above vs. below the chest — the doubly covered level above the chest and the revealed level below it, corresponding to the two mentions of Noach [15692/maamar_003 :: Overview]. 3. Yesod of Abba vs. Yesod of Ze'ir Anpin — from Yesod of Abba flows bestowal "with much greater abundance" than from Yesod of Ze'ir Anpin [15692/maamar_003 :: p.ח]. 4. Yesod vs. Malchus — the bestower versus the receiver; "joining redemption to prayer" is joining the two, drawing Yesod's bestowal to be "in the state of Malchut specifically" [31641/maamar_018 :: p.קכד].

Related concepts

Sources