Yetzirah (יצירה) — Formation

Core definition

Yetzirah is the third of the four worlds — Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah (ABY"A). It is called "the world of angels," as Beriah is the world of neshamahs and Asiyah the world of spheres (galgalim); the source of their essence is the Malchus of Atzilus [15962/maamar_012 :: עמוד קנה]. In Yetzirah what is grasped of Divinity is only the existence of Divinity — in Atzilus, the revelation of Divinity's essence; the general revelation in Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah is not the same essence of the Divine revelation revealed in Atzilus [58835/maamar_017 :: עמוד 108].

How the Rebbeim develop it

The maamar on "the neshamah You gave in me is pure" maps the soul's descent through the four worlds: tehorah (purity) is the neshamah in Atzilus; barasa (You created it) is the neshamah in Beriah, "a thing's actuality somewhat"; yatzarta (You formed it) is the neshamah as it descends in the Yetzirah world, where "it is in the actuality aspect itself"; nepachta (You blew it in me) is the descent into Asiyah, enclothed in the body and the animal soul [31692/maamar_019 :: עב׳ 62–67]. Only after the neshamah descends through Yetzirah and Asiyah can it come into enclothement in the body and the animal soul [31692/maamar_019 :: עב׳ 67]. These four correspond to the four letters of the Havayah name, and in a general sense each of the four worlds itself contains the aspect of all four [31692/maamar_019 :: Overview].

In the "Vayikach lo Yackov" maamar, Yackov's avodah drew the highest levels — akudim, nekudim, berudim, "the general Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah" — downward, since he drew from the Kesser's innerness: while in Atzilus the Divine revelation illuminates, in Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah it does not, yet from the Kesser's innerness the light is drawn also there [58835/maamar_017 :: עמוד 108]. Through refining and raising the mayin nukvin of Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah, Yackov drew the revelation into them [58835/maamar_017 :: עמוד 108]. The thirteen attributes of mercy correspond to the ten sefiros and the three worlds Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah (Shimon HaTzaddik's beraisa) — drawn through the avodah of these worlds, from the Kesser's innerness and the first tikkun of the thirteen tikkunei dikna [58835/maamar_017 :: עמוד 109].

Before Matan Torah there was no drawing of Atzilus in Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah; at the giving of the Torah the decree was annulled and Atzilus was revealed within them, so the Jewish souls could receive the light through the Torah [66495/maamar_030 :: עמוד קצח]. Torah's concept is to join Atzilus with Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah [66495/maamar_030 :: עמוד קצז].

Key distinctions

• Yetzirah vs. Beriah. Beriah is the world of neshamahs, where souls sit in the supernal Gan Eden; Yetzirah is the world of angels — beings of formed spiritual existence rather than soul-root [15962/maamar_012 :: עמוד קנה]. Angels of Beriah are called "beasts and living creatures"; the neshamahs of Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah are called "the seed of beast" — man's advantage over them is da'as [58835/maamar_017 :: עמוד 109].
• Existence vs. essence. In Atzilus the Divine essence itself shines; in Yetzirah (with Beriah and Asiyah) only the existence of Divinity is grasped [58835/maamar_017 :: עמוד 108].
• Yetzirah and the middos. In the general mapping, chochmah-binah-daas are the Beriah-aspect, chesed-gevurah-tiferes the Yetzirah-aspect, netzach-hod-yesod the Asiyah-aspect [31692/maamar_019 :: Overview] — Yetzirah, formation, is the realm where the emotional attributes take formed shape.
• Seed of man vs. seed of beast. The neshamahs of Atzilus are "the seed of man," called "sons to the Omnipresent"; the neshamahs of Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah are "the seed of beast" [58835/maamar_017 :: עמוד 109].

Related concepts

Atzilus, Beriah, Asiyah, angels (malachim), the neshamah's descent, mayin nukvin, Matan Torah, akudim/nekudim/berudim, the thirteen attributes of mercy.

Sources

• [15962/maamar_012 :: עמוד קנה] — Yetzirah as the world of angels; Beriah of neshamahs; Asiyah of spheres; source in Malchus of Atzilus.
• [58835/maamar_017 :: עמוד 108] — Existence vs. essence of Divinity; Yackov drawing akudim/nekudim/berudim into BY"A.
• [58835/maamar_017 :: עמוד 109] — Thirteen attributes against the three worlds; seed of man vs. seed of beast; angels of Beriah as "beasts and living creatures."
• [31692/maamar_019 :: עב׳ 62–67] — Tehorah/barasa/yatzarta/nepachta; the neshamah's descent through Yetzirah and Asiyah into the body.
• [31692/maamar_019 :: Overview] — Four worlds corresponding to the Havayah name's letters; each world containing all four in generality.
• [66495/maamar_030 :: עמוד קצז] — Torah joining Atzilus with Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah.
• [66495/maamar_030 :: עמוד קצח] — No Atzilus in BY"A before Matan Torah; the decree annulled at Sinai.