The Ariza"l is known to have opened new vistas in Kabbalistic understanding. The most fundamental point which he clarified is that earlier Kabbalists discussed נקודות, individual points, whereas the Ariza"l explained that there were פרצופים, partzufim, literally faces, i.e. combinations of points, as well.
The fundamental building blocks of Kabbalistic understanding are the ספירות, Sefirot. These constitute ten "colors" of Divine conduct. (Literally, the word Sefirah means clear.) They are the atoms of Creation.
But they do not form the entire picture. The Sefirot only describe individual and very specific ways of God's conduct, חסד, kindness, גבורה, limitation, etc. When this Sefirah is on top, you get this result. When another is in ascendancy there is a different result. They are like points נקודות in which each point has a very limited definition. Each point stands individually on its own and there is no overarching picture.
This viewpoint does not allow you to see the entire picture because God's conduct is actually a combination of different colors all blended together. From all of them emanates one united purpose. The study of the details gives you only a superficial view.
The fundamental building blocks of Kabbalistic understanding are the ספירות, Sefirot. These constitute ten "colors" of Divine conduct. (Literally, the word Sefirah means clear.) They are the atoms of Creation.
But they do not form the entire picture. The Sefirot only describe individual and very specific ways of God's conduct, חסד, kindness, גבורה, limitation, etc. When this Sefirah is on top, you get this result. When another is in ascendancy there is a different result. They are like points נקודות in which each point has a very limited definition. Each point stands individually on its own and there is no overarching picture.
This viewpoint does not allow you to see the entire picture because God's conduct is actually a combination of different colors all blended together. From all of them emanates one united purpose. The study of the details gives you only a superficial view.
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