The Stages of the Creative Process
from God's Infinite Light to Our Physical World
| Introduction Or Ein Sof ("God's Infinite Light") Sod Ha'Tzimtzum ("The Secret of 'Contraction'") Adam Kadmon ("Primordial Man") Akudim, Nekudim, Brudim ("Binding, Points, Connection") Keter D'Atzilut ("The 'Crown' of Emanation")  Olam Ha'Atzilut ("The World of Emanation")ABiYA (The Four Worlds: Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah) |
Olam Ha'Atzilut ("The World of Emanation")
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| Abba | Imma | Abba Ila'ah | Imma Ila'ah | Yisrael Sabba |
| Tevunah | Ze'ir Anpin | Nukvah D'Ze'ir Anpin | Leah | Rachel |
Abba Ila'ah
The "Higher Father"
Abba Ila'ah is the higher of the two primary partzufim which develop from the sefirah of chochmah (and which together are referred to as the general partzuf of Abba), as described above.
In addition to "enclothing" Arich Anpin's "right arm" from the "chin" to the "chest" (as described above), the partzuf Abba Ila'ah "nurses" from the eighth part of the Dikna of Arich Anpin, the mazal elyon (the higher mazal?source of Divine influx), God's attribute of mercy known as notzer chesed, "He guards lovingkindness."
The life-force which flows through the "hairs" of the eighth tikkun of the "beard" of Arich Anpin to Abba Ila'ah, is composed of two energies, one deriving from the Gulgalta and the other deriving from the Mocha Stima'ah. These energy sources express together the serene pleasure of Resha d'Ayin, "the Head of Nothingness." For this reason it is said of the tikkun notzer chesed (which flows from keter to chochmah): "Nothing is the mazal of Israel" (read by the Ba'al Shem Tov, "the Divine ?nothing' is the origin of all spiritual and physical life-force of Israel"). As explained above, this is the meaning of the verse: "Wisdom is found from nothing."
Abba Ila'ah is identified in Chassidut with the archetypal soul of Abraham, the first Patriarch (whose name begins with the two letters Av, "father"). Of Abraham it is said: "Who shined from the east?!" Abraham?the new revelation of faith and Divine consciousness?shines into the word like a new ray of light. His soul represents the Divine power to "flash" a new seminal insight which is then "grasped" by Imma Ila'ah ("the Higher Mother"), identified with the archetypal soul of Sarah.
The union of Abba Ila'ah and Imma Ila'ah is described in the idiom from Sefer Yetzirah: "Understand (at the level of) wisdom." Our Sages describe this union figuratively (in reference to the Divine revelation at Sinai) as "hearing the seen."
