Basics in Kabbalah and Chassidut: Atik Yomin

Keter D'Atzilut ("The 'Crown' of Emanation") Eight stages of the rectification process of the world of Atzilut which begins with the rectification of its "crown."
Introduction: Partzufei Ha'Keter (The "Figures of the Crown")
Atik Yomin	Arich Anpin	Reisha D'lo Ityada	Reisha D'Ayin
Reisha D'Arich	Gulgalta	Mocha Stima'ah	Dikna

Atik Yomin
"The Ancient of Days"

Atik Yomin is the internal partzuf of keter, corresponding to the super-conscious power of pleasure in the soul. The term Atik Yomin (in Aramaic) appears explicitly in the Bible, in the book of Daniel, connoting God Almighty in Daniel's vision of the coming ofMashiach.

In general, the keter of a world serves as an intermediate level that connects the previous, higher world to the present, lower world. As every intermediate must in itself possess two levels, one linked to one of the two different and often opposite realities to be connected and the other to the other, so with regard to keter: the partzuf Atik Yomin is linked and considered to be an integral part and extension of the (malchut, the lowest sefirah of the) higher world, whereas Arich Anpin is linked and considered to be an integral part, the actual beginning of the lower world. Thus, Atik Yomin is referred to as "the lower of the higher," while Arich Anpin is referred to as "the higher of the lower."

The term Atik Yomin, "the Ancient of Days," implies absolute transcendence in relation to "the days of the world," the normative consciousness of created reality. The word Atik in addition to "ancient" means "to copy." It is the Divine power "to copy" a higher reality or world onto a lower. Thus, the Atik of a world serves as a totally superconscious DNA-like code to copy higher reality onto lower. In the soul of man, this power inheres in the superconscious pleasure principle of the soul.