Partzufim orPartsufim (Hebrew:פרצופים, singularpartzuf,Hebrew:פרצוף, fromGreek: πρόσωπονprósopon "face" or "mask"), are "countenances"[1] or "personas" ofGod described in theZohar.
The terms used for partzufim appear in the following texts of theZohar:Sifra de'Tzniuta (theBook of Concealment), theIdra Rabba, and theIdra Zuta.[2]: 93 TheIdra Rabba describes a divine being composed of three partzufim:Arikh Anpin, the “Long-Faced One” or “Slow to Anger”;Zʿeir Anpin, the “Small-Faced One” or “Short-Tempered”; and Nukvah, the feminine aspect of the Divine.[3]: 18 Although one can observe expression of certainsefirot in the partzufim, the Idra Rabba makes no attempt to bring these two paradigms into alignment.[3]: 33 TheIdra Zuta describes five partzufim, the aforementioned three and two additional ones Abba (Father) and Imma (Mother), forming an “inner” divine “family” within the Godhead.[3]: 19
The symbolic language of the Idrot entered mainstream Kabbalah after their adoption byIsaac Luria.[4]: 155 InLurianic Kabbalah, the partzufim are reconfigured arrangements of the ten sefirot, the divine attributes or emanations. Each partzuf is thus a configuration of disparate entities into a harmonious unit.[5]: 117 Their full doctrinal significance emerged in Lurianic Kabbalah in the 16th century concerningThe World of Chaos and The World of Rectification. The Lurianic system describes the dynamic relationships between personas, which interact. The higher partzufim clothe themselves within the lower ones as a soul is in a body.[5]: 7–8, 117
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In Lurianic Kabbalah, theFour Worlds of our created existence are arranged in a stable form, through the reconfiguration of the original sefirot into partzufim. Their reformation as partzufim in the World of Rectification beginstikkun olam, 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. The human, whose soul reflects the harmonised order of the partzufim, rectifies the mundane world by redeeming the exiled sparks of holiness throughTorah study and performance ofmitzvot.
The first realm to exhibit this new arrangement is the mature form ofAtziluth, the World of Emanation, therefore also called the World of Rectification.[2]: 79 This follows on from theShevirah "Shattering" of the sefirot vessels in the World of Chaos, the initial, unstable form of Atziluth.[7]: 231 In Tikun, the sefirot evolve into the harmonised partzufim, new arrangements where they can unite. The World of Chaos is characterised by abundant light (Ohr) and weak vessels, as the ten sefirot act independently as absolute forces, causing it to collapse. The World of Rectification is characterised by lower lights in strong vessels, as through the partzufim the sefirot inter-relate to absorb the illumination from Chaos . The task of humanity becomes the rectification of the fallen sparks of Chaos, the concealed sublime origins of lower Creation, latently active in their exiled state. Themessianic goal is the union of the original great illumination of Chaos within the mature vessels of Rectification, revealing the ultimatedivine essence of both.
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 theGodhead, alternative aspects through which God manifests Himself, and do not imply any plurality in God. AsShimon bar Yochai recounts in theZohar:
Whatever I said of theAtika Kadisha, Holy Ancient-One, and whatever I said of theZeir 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.[8]
The ten sefirot develop into five or six 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.
The fundamental primary partzufim and the sefirot they develop from are:[5]: 117–119
The full array of primary partzufim[4]: 154–155 and the secondary partzufim that develop from them:[5]: 118
| Sephirah: Unstable separated forces | Partzufim: Stable harmonised reconfigurations | Secondary Partzufim: Particular Male/Female subdivisions |
|---|---|---|
| Above conscious: Keter | Ancient of Days Atika Kadisha Inner level of Keter-Delight Most primary earliest cause Arich Anpin ("Long Face/Macroprosopus") Outer level of Keter-Will Descending Divine soul in Creation | [Atik Yomin is Male "Ancient of Days"] Nukvah d'Atik Yomin ("Female of Ancient of Days") [Arich Anpin is Male "Long Face"] Nukvah d'Arich Anpin ("Female of Long Face") |
| Wisdom: Chokhmah | Abba Ila'ah ("The Higher Father") The power to spontaneously extract insight from the superconscious realm Yisrael Saba ("Israel the Elder") The power to subsequently direct insight into consciousness Abba ("Father") The combination of Abba Ila'ah and Yisrael Saba | Both partzufim of Chokhmah are male. For their female counterparts see primary partzufim of Binah |
| Understanding: Binah | Imma ("Mother") Joined influence with Abba-Father Nurturing development
| Both partzufim of Binah are female. For their male counterparts see primary partzufim of Chokhmah |
| 6 Emotional Attributes: Chesed Gevurah Tiferet Netzach Hod Yesod | Zeir Anpin ("Small Face/Microprosopus") Youthful of Days[9] Revealed Ben ("Son") Groom seeking unity with Nukvah Torah study/Written Torah/Sun/tree of life Revelation ofDivine transcendence-Tetragrammaton "The Holy One Blessed be He" | Both partzufim of Zeir Anpin are male and have their female counterparts in Nukvah Yisrael (named after "Jacob-Israel") The face that looks up Yaakov (named after "Jacob", father of Israelites) |
| Active Emotion: Malkuth | Nukvah/No"k d'Zeir Anpin ("Feminine" of Zeir Anpin) Receiving Bat ("Daughter") Bride seeking unity with Zeir Anpin Prayer/Oral Torah/Moon/tree of the knowledge of good and evil Immanence-Elohim Shekhinah-Indwelling Divine Presence | Both partzufim of Nukvah are female and have their male counterparts in Zeir Anpin Leah (named afterFirst wife of Jacob) Rachel (named afterSecond wife of Jacob) |
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 othersefirot.
The 6 primary and 12 secondary partzufim are the basic harmonised Divine manifestations in theFour Worlds of created existence. More specifically however, within their interaction are numerous more particular aspects of Divinity, each denoting a differentiated expression. In theIdrot narratives of theZohar, Shimon bar Yochai discusses profound manifestations of the partzufim. TheIdra Zuta, traditionally ascribed to his day of passing from this world, theHillula of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, is considered the deepest teachings of theZohar.[10]: 136
![The partzufim, 3 Reishin and 13 attributes - Tikunai Dikna from Cabala Denudata, 1684, by Knorr von Rosenroth.[11] Jewish works avoid drawing personifications.](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.m.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aComplex_qaballah.jpg)
