the 4 worlds & the tree of life

B”H

…while everything perceived by the senses may be physical, the lowest level of manifestation, all phenomena are evidence of events (prayers) that have come down through all the levels of existence, all four Kabbalistic worlds.*

ASSIYAH, the World of Action, is the physical and material world, the human body, the Earth. This is the place of darkest density for the soul. It is sometimes referred to as Malchut, after the name of the sephirah at the base of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Fruit is the final product of the tree, it contains the seeds of the next generation. What has come to fruition? What are you seeding for the future of the World?

The second level is YETZIRAH, the World of Formation. This is the realm of the Self, of conciousness. This is the branch of the Tree. We can refer to it by the name of the sephirah Tiferet which falls in the center of this World. The fruits of this world have no protective outer covering that has to be removed. They are edible accept for an inner pit or stone. This is symbolic of the heart protected and hidden. What’s on your heart? What do you desire to draw to you?

BERIAH is the World of Creation. This is the world of the Mind, the realm of pure knowledge. It represents cosmic and collective consiousness. It is symbolized as the trunk of the tree. The sephirah in the center of this world is Daat, which means knowledge, in the deepest most intimate sense. The fruits of this world are totally edible, with no discardable shell or pit. This makes them closest to the spiritual. How do you understand/relate to the Great Mystery in this moment?

The level of AZILUT, the World of Emanation, is the Keter or Crown of the Tree. This is the place of the light of the infinite or the Ain Sof, Divine conciousness. We are in the “tap” root of the tree. The roots of Heaven, a world without end. How can I empty myself of self and open to the Infinity of One?

At the beginning of a journey we must remind ourselves of the goal. Our efforts will ultimately bear fruit.

*Eliezar Shore from Sarah Yehudit Schneider’s “A Still Small Voice”