Thursday, July 1, 2010

Chesed: Mercy/Kindness


Wikipedia: "Chesed is the fourth sefira on the Tree of Life in the Kabbalah of Judaism. It is given the association of kindness and love, and is the first of the emotive attributes of the sefirot.

It sits below Chokhmah across from Gevurah and above Netzach. It is usually given four paths. To Chokhmah, Gevurah, Tiphereth, and Netzach (some Kabbalists place a path from Chesed to Binah as well).

The first three of the Ten Sephirot, are the attributes of the "intellect," while Chesed is the first sephira of the attribute of "action."

Chesed translated as "kindness", is often thought of as being synonymous with niceness, but the connotation of Chesed is much deeper. Chesed can be properly described as an act that has no "cause."

Chesed is proactive-it is the initiator of interaction, and must therefore be the first in the sephirot of action. Chesed deals with the level of the visible and, in the chain of social dynamics, is the primary spark that initiates subsequent action."

4 comments:

X. Dell said...

Interesting when you lay it out this way.

Still reading, but not with much to say.

Devin said...

Hi Xdell - very great to see you able to get enough time to stop by!!!!
I hope you are do for some R n R soon and waiting in anticipation for your new series-
I also hope all is going great with you my friend!!!!
all the best
Devin

Devin said...

haha - i keep making the dumbest grammar errors- should be "due" not "do" for the R n R!!
take care my friend!!!!

Devin said...

Xdell- if you are able to come back -or when you are- wrt your comment on Gevurah - and talking to the Talmudic scholar- also with you yourself- I was wondering- did you find (or do you know what the scholar felt) the Kabbalah an incrredibly intricate- yet beautiful at the same time system of mystical thought?
I knew a lot more about it in the late 80s when I had this fascination of metaphysics (well still pretty much do)
take care and be well my friend!!