Partzufim

Partzufim/Partsufim (Hebrew: ‫פרצופים‬, singular partzuf, Hebrew: ‫)פרצוף‬, meaning Divine

"Personae/Visages/Faces/Forms/Configurations", are particular reconfigured arrangements of the ten
sephirot (Divine attributes/emanations of Kabbalah). Each partzuf is thus a configuration of disparate
entities into a harmonious unit.[1] The names of the partzufim are derived from the Zohar, the foundational
text of Kabbalah. There, they are synonymous terms for the sefirot. Their full doctrinal significance
emerged in 16th century Lurianic Kabbalah with reference to the cosmic processes of Shevirah-
"Shattering" and Tikun-"Rectification."

Medieval Kabbalah described the ten sefirot as divine channels that emanate from their source and descend
in a linear progression. Moshe Cordovero systemised the different Medieval interpretations of the Zohar.
Later, Isaac Luria recast Kabbalah into its second articulation. "Lurianic Partzufim" describe the dynamic
relationships between personae, which interact with each other. The higher partzufim enclothe themselves
within the lower ones, as a soul is enclothed in a body.

According to the Lurianic system, the linear scheme of sefirot precipitates the "shattering" of Tohu- "the
World of Chaos." Their reformation as partzufim in the World of Atzilut, or Rectification, begins cosmic
repair.

As a result of the collapse of the World of Chaos, sparks of holiness were lost, or exiled, in the three lower
Worlds. Man, whose soul reflects the harmonised order of partzufim, rectifies the mundane world by
redeeming the exiled sparks of holiness through Torah study and performance of mitzvot.

Contents
Description
Anthropomorphism of the partzufim
Primary and Secondary partzufim
Primary partzufim
Full array of partzufim
Manifestations
Image gallery
See also
Notes
External links

Description
In Lurianic Kabbalah, the four realms of our created existence are arranged in a stable form, through the
reconfiguration of the original sephirot into partzufim. The first realm to exhibit this new arrangement is the
mature form of Atzilut (the World of "Emanation"), therefore also called the "World of Tikun"
(Rectification). This follows on from the Shevirah ("Shattering") of the sefirot vessels in the "World of
Tohu" (Chaos), the initial, unstable form of Atzilut. In Tikun, the Sefirot evolve into the harmonised
 partzufim new arrangements, where they can unite. The realm of Tohu is
characterised by abundant light (Ohr) and weak vessels, as the 10 sefirot act
independently as absolute forces, causing it to collapse. Tikkun is
characterised by lower lights in strong vessels, as through the partzufim the
sefirot inter-relate to absorb the illumination from Tohu.

Instead of each sefirah merely including a full subset of 10 sefirot as latent

Traditional location of the
Idra Assembly. In the
Zohar narrative Shimon
bar Yohai convenes his
students to expound the
partzufim. Later Isaac
Luria, who systemised the
partzufim, convened his
students there, each one
sitting in the location of
their former incarnation[2]
Tikun, revealing the ultimate divine essence of both.
potential forces, the first stage of their evolution in the Lurianic scheme, in
the partzufim the sefirot become full autonomous arrangements where all 10
sefirot are active forces of intellectual and emotional powers arranged
around one of their number, analogous to the Yosher ("Upright") human-like
configuration of the sephirot in three columns. They can now interact with
the other partzufim, becoming enclothed within them in dynamic interaction.
For example, Arich Anpin, the Partzuf of Keter-Will means the
"Long/Extended Face" as it acts as the foundational Divine Will within
Creation, extending down through subsequent partzufim, sefirot and Worlds,
though in successively more concealed mode. The task of man becomes the
rectification of the fallen sparks of Tohu, the concealed sublime origins of
lower Creation, latently active in their exiled state. The messianic goal is the
union of the original great illumination of Tohu within mature vessels of

Anthropomorphism of the partzufim

As Medieval Kabbalists never tire of stressing the unity and non-plurality in the concept of the sefirot, so
Luria stressed the metaphorical nature of the partzufim. They are Divine "faces", manifestations of the
Godhead, alternative aspects through which God manifests Himself, and do not imply any plurality in God.
As Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai recounts in the Zohar:

Whatever I said of the Atika Kadisha, Holy Ancient-One, and whatever I said of the Zeir
Anpin, is all One; everything is absolutely One. There is no division in Him, blessed be He
and blessed be His Name forever. The sum of all this is: the Ancient of the Ancient and the
Zeir Anpin are absolutely One. All is, was, and shall be; He will not change, He is
unchanging, and he has not changed...Should you ask, what then is the difference between
one and the other? It is all One, but from above His paths divide and from below judgement is
found; from our perspective they differ one from another.[3]

Primary and Secondary partzufim

The 10 sephirot develop into 5/6 primary partzufim, which further develop into pairs of Male and Female
secondary partzufim. The male principle in Kabbalah metaphorically denotes outward/emanator/giver, and
the female principle denotes inward/receiver/nurturer, similar to the female process of pregnancy to nurture
subsequent emanation. The terminology and system of partzufim describes detailed and specific aspects of
Divinity, their nature and function discussed in Kabbalah.

Primary partzufim

The fundamental primary partzufim and the sefirot they develop from are:
 Atik Yomin-"Ancient of Days", supreme "earliest/oldest" inner dimension of Keter Will from
Ein Sof)
Arich Anpin-"Long Face/Extending Patience", infinitely extending downwards source of
divine compassion in Keter Will
Abba-"Father", Chokhmah illumination of Wisdom insight, root of intellect on the "right" of
the sefirot (Revelation)
Imma-"Mother", Binah intellectual Understanding nurturing pregnant emotions, on the "left"
side of the sefirot (Internalisation)
Zeir Anpin-"Small Face/Short Patience", Son, 6 sefirot emotions that shattered, born from
Imma on "left" side (Judgement)
Nukvah-"Female" of Zeir Anpin, Daughter, Malkuth reign in Feminine Shekhinah, born from
Zeir Anpin on "left", man reunites

Full array of partzufim

The full array of primary partzufim and the secondary partzufim that develop from them:
 Sephirah:
Unstable Partzufim: Secondary Partzufim:
separated Stable harmonised reconfigurations Particular Male/Female subdivisions
forces

Atik Yomin ("Ancient of Days")

[Atik Yomin is Male "Ancient of Days"]
Inner level of Keter-Delight
Most primary earliest cause
Above Nukvah d'Atik Yomin ("Female of Ancient of Days")
conscious:
Arich Anpin ("Long
Keter [Arich Anpin is Male "Long Face"]
Face/Macroprosopus")
Outer level of Keter-Will
Nukvah d'Arich Anpin ("Female of Long Face")
Descending Divine soul in Creation

Abba Ila'ah ("The Higher Father")

The power to spontaneously extract
insight from the superconscious realm

Yisrael Saba ("Israel the Elder")

Wisdom: Both partzufim of Chokhmah are male. For their female
The power to subsequently direct insight
Chokhmah counterparts see primary partzufim of Binah
into consciousness

Abba ("Father")
The combination of Abba Ila'ah and Yisrael
Saba

Imma ("Mother")
Joined influence with Abba-Father
Nurturing development
Understanding: Both partzufim of Binah are female. For their male
Binah counterparts see primary partzufim of Chokhmah
Tevunah ("Comprehension")

6 Emotional Zeir Anpin ("Small

Both partzufim of Zein Anpin are male and have their
Attributes: Face/Microprosopus")
female counterparts in Nukvah
Chesed Revealed Ben ("Son")
Gevurah Groom seeking unity with Nukvah
Yisrael (named after "Jacob-Israel")
Tiferet Torah study/Written Torah/Sun/Tree of Life
The face that looks up
Netzach Revelation of Divine transcendence-
Hod Tetragrammaton
Yaakov (named after "Jacob", father of Israelites)
Yesod "The Holy One Blessed be He"

Nukvah/No"k d'Zeir Anpin

("Feminine" of Zeir Anpin) Both partzufim of Nukvah are female and have their male
Receiving Bat ("Daughter") counterparts in Zein Anpin
Active
Bride seeking unity with Zeir Anpin
Emotion:
Prayer/Oral Torah/Moon/Tree of Leah (named after First wife of Jacob)
Malchut
Knowledge of Good and Evil
Divine immanence-Elokim Rachel (named after Second wife of Jacob)
Shechinah-Indwelling Divine Presence

Both of the secondary, male and female partzufim of Atik Yomin and Arich Anpin exist within the same
configuration. There are therefore only 10 distinct secondary partzufim, and consequently the secondary
partzufim of Keter do not have particular names, unlike the secondary partzufim of the other sefirot.

Manifestations
The 6 primary and 12 secondary partzufim are the basic harmonised Divine manifestations in the Four
Worlds of created existence. More specifically however, within their interaction are numerous more
particular aspects of Divinity, each denoting a differentiated expression. In the Idrot narratives of the Zohar,
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai discusses profound manifestations of the partzufim. The Idra Zuta, traditionally
ascribed to his day of passing from this world, his Yom Hillula "wedding day", is considered the deepest
teachings of the Zohar.[4]

Image gallery

The partzufim, 3
Reishin and 13
attributes - Tikunai
Dikna from Cabala
Denudata, 1684, by
Knorr von
Rosenroth. Jewish
works avoid drawing
personifications

See also
Anthropomorphism in Kabbalah
Idra
Isaac Luria
Sephirot
Tohu and Tikun

Notes
1. Ginsburgh, Rabbi Yitzchak (2006). What you need to know about Kabbalah (1st ed.).
Jerusalem: Gal Einai. ISBN 965-7146-119.
2. Physician of the Soul, Healer of the Cosmos: Isaac Luria and His Kabbalistic Fellowship,
Lawrence Fine, Stanford University Press, 2003, pp 300 [1] (https://books.google.com/book
s?id=B2o8vqvrQOcC&pg=PA300)
3. Zohar III:290a and 141a
4. Rectifying the State of Israel, Yitzchak Ginsburgh, Gal Einai. P. 136

External links
Glossary of Kabbalah and Chassidut Letter P (http://www.inner.org/glossary/gloss_p.htm)
The Stages of the Creative Process from God's Infinite Light to Our Physical World (http://ww
w.inner.org/worlds/worlds.htm) from www.inner.org. Includes detailed descriptions of
 particular partzuf manifestations
The Partzufim - The Sefirotic Faces (http://www.koshertorah.com/PDF/Partzufim%20-%20th
e%20Sefirotic%20Faces.pdf) By Rabbi Ariel Bar Tzadok (Originally published in Panu
Derekh #13)
True Monotheism (http://www.inner.org/monothei/mono.htm) Kabbalistic understanding of
the absolute Unity of Divine Manifestations, from inner.org

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