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sha”tzcore kabbalacel ramblings june 14th: malchutological reverse-kenosis
post by gur dimei

in continuation of yesterday’s post, which was about the beginning of the second division of sefer habria, I will today elaborate on the matter of the communion of lights (yichud ha’orot) which is mentioned in daf 10a and on the matter of “tnu oz l’elohim” (“let us encourage God/the gods” – psalms 68:35) which is a core tenant of shabbatean ideology.

the communion of lights

light (“ohr”) in kabbalistic terminology is a term which symbolizes abundance of vitality, be it reproductive-seminal (divine cum) or organic-energetic (divine food, providence). the mystery of gan eden (the garden of eden, the most inner and yet physical level of world-humanity’s vital consummation) is that there is no transmission of abundance there, no “achila” (being-fed) or “shtia” (being-watered). the reason for this is that for us shabbateans the final level of human-worldly consummation is not being drawn near God to the point of being able to freely draw his plenitude, but rather to become one in flesh and in spirit with other humans and with God, and thus to commune with his light, his vital abundance, and to become one divine self-vitalized substance (“etzem chaim” – substance of life; or “etzem elokut gamur” – total godly substance.)

liturgy, tefilinic theurgy and reverse kenosis

the matter of “tnu oz l’elohim” (“let us empower/encourage god” – psalm 68) is a core tenant of shabbatean ideology. the sefer “oz l’elohim” by the shabbatean initiate nechemia chayun is named after this shabbatean mystery. in essence, this is what the meaning of the verse is for shabbateans: humanity (“nishmot yisrael”, the spirits of israel) in a collective theurgico-liturgical act, shape and fulfill and enform the godhead’s inner life. the enforming of the partzuf (“co-figure” or “person”) of the God of israel is committed by the collective ekpneumatic organism of israel: in their prayers, in their devotion to torah study and mitzvot, in other types of liturgy, etc. etc. etc. hence, the collective self-growing living soul of israel is the final and formal consummation of divine ipseity, existence and activity; and the redemptional deed is a bottom-up procedure.

in daf 12a in the second division of sefer habria, rabbi natan describes tefilin as “oz” (power/courage), hence – a tool for the transmission of human self-producing formativity to the hyperactive godhead. in that page rabbi natan described the God of israel as a “mana yakira” (“precious ‘mana’” [mana is a judeo-aramaic kabbbalistic term for a conceptual hyper-ekonomic receptacle which brings forth divine form]), which is encouraging itself through the devotion of israel to the mitzvot, which are the formal vicissitudes of eschatical life. after the partzuf is enformed and redeemed by the neshamot, it is left “lifeless” and “dry” in the mystery of the god-fulfilling ma’aseh bereshit, because of the inherent tendency of the reality-form of godly existence to motivate itself and be drawn away from its unique link with the full total bio-substance.
let me finish with a final quote from sefer habria:

as for the issue of “who is like you people israel” etc. here we are told of the talmudic interpretation [...] that he [God] wears a tefilin which is wholly a praise of israel, since all of his oz [“power”/“courage”] was given to him by the neshamot of israel, and then his self-configuration stands fully consummated.

hence, rabbi natan says that the reason for the depiction of God as wearing a tefilin on which it is written “who is like your people israel – one people” is that God is being pleromized and filled by the neshamot of israel which are active and formative agents in the self-abundant procession of divine life.



(this song is good for being tormented and angsty:)

On the Author: Gur Dimei is an Israeli ''Frankist Incel'', sha''tzposter and an independent researcher of the Zohar.