| TheFour Worlds inKabbalah |
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Yetzirah (also known asOlam Yetsirah, עוֹלָם יְצִירָה in Hebrew) is the third offour worlds in the KabbalisticTree of Life, followingAtziluth andBeri'ah and precedingAssiah. It is known as the "World of Formation".
"Yetzirah" as in "formation" is as opposed to "Beriah" as in "creation": actually taking whatever matter that was created in "Beriah" and shaping it into the basic elements.
On theTree of Life diagram Yetzirah is associated with thesefirotChesed,Gevurah,Tiferet,Netzach,Hod andYesod. Together, these six sefirot are known as theMicroprosopus (Zeir Anpin) also known as the 'Lesser Countenance' or the 'Small Face.' In this sense, it stands in contrast with theMacroprosopus (Arich Anpin).
The moment of formation, when the fetus' form becomes apparent, is called "the formation of the child" and corresponds to the world of Yetzirah.[1] The external state of consciousness in the World of Formation is called ״half good and half evil.״ The "half evil" refers to the self-consciousness of the beings of this world. The "half good" refers to the emotional sensitivity of one to the other as expressed in the genuine desire to make the other happy. This external dimension of Yetzirah is the seat of heated emotion, of “hotheadedness.”
A more internal dimension of Yetzirah—based on the awareness that the true battleground between good and evil is within us—is the emotional imperative to pit the good inclination against the evil inclination. But in order for our good inclination to be victorious over our evil inclination, it must first be empowered by an input of Divine light and energy. God gives us this input in the merit of our first devoting ourselves to do good for our fellows.[2]
The consciousness of the world of Yetzirah is that of communing with God, speaking to Him directly in prayer or indirectly through the study of His Torah and taking counsel with a true Torah sage.[3] The perspective of the world of Yetzirah as a state of consciousness is based on general notions. At this level, particular definitions are not apparent. The sense of selfhood that is apparent at this level of consciousness can only be grasped in impersonal language.[4]
Non-permanent angels dwell in the world of Yetzirah, unlike archangels which reside in Briah.
In addition, Yetzirah corresponds to: