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) |
ABiYA (The Four Worlds: Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah)
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| Introduction Arba'ah Olamot | |||
| Olam Ha'Atzilut | Olam Ha'Beriah | Olam Ha'Yetzirah | Olam Ha'Asiyah |
Olam Ha'Asiyah
"The World of Action"
The world of Asiyah is the third and lowest of the three lower worlds. As the worlds which precede it, the world of Asiyah is in essence a spiritual realm. Our physical universe "enclothes" the last two of its sefirot. The "beings" of Asiyah can be understood to relate to the spiritual consciousness pertaining to the laws of nature.
The state of existence in the world of Asiyah is one of "particular existence." Here, each individual "member" of a "species" comes to the forefront of self-consciousness. The word Asiyah, "action" means as well "rectification." Each individual seeks his own personal rectification, the rectification process of Asiyah relates to individuals.
The world of Asiyah (in particular, its physical dimension) is referred to in Kabbalah as "the world of celestial spheres [galgalim]." Each of these spheres possesses individual consciousness. The highest of these spheres, "the daily sphere," is the power that makes the entire universe "revolve."
The class of angles whose abode is the world of Asiyah (in particular, in its spiritual dimension) are the ofanim ("the wheels of the chariot"). The relation of the ofanim to the galgalim of Asiyah is like that of laws of nature to nature itself. The continual movement or revolution of the ofanim is spontaneous and instinctive ("natural"), in contrast to the emotive, experiential motion of the chayot hakodesh in the world of Asiyah. Both the ofanim and the chayot hakodesh (in contrast to the serafim) share the attribute of aspiring upward (toward the level of the serafim) in their Divine service "with great noise." They proclaim together: "Blessed be the Glory of God from His place."
The malchut of Atzilut resides, in particular, in the world of Asiyah. This is the world whose beings are intended to be the essential "people" of the King. As "there is no king without a people," the consummate fulfillment of God's desire to reign over all created reality is in the world of Asiyah (in particular, in its physical dimension), the lowest of the created worlds.
The world of Asiyah is the origin of the soulcs instinctive powers. Souls of Asiyah are naturally "frum" ("religious"), they possess a natural affinity to receiving the yoke of heaven and fulfilling the injunctions of the Torah.
