Tiferet often ‘stands in’ for the ‘masculine six’ of the lower seven Sefirot.
Because Tipheret symbolizes the state of harmony among the Sefirot, it came to be associated with the traditional name for God in rabbinic literature — Ha-Kadosh Barukh Hu (The Holy One Blessed be He). Tiferet was understood to be the subject of many traditional prayers. Prayers that emphasized God as father and king were usually prayers referring to Tiferet in particular or, through it, to the Sefirot in general. In this way Tiferet was often portrayed as the representative of the other Sefirot. Tiferet came to symbolize the aspect of God that was known as the traditional God of Judaism, the God of the Hebrew Bible. Tiferet was the Sefirah that most closely symbolized the transcendent deity. If was the Sefirah that spoke at Sinai as the representative of the other Sefirot.
The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, David S. Ariel, Jason Aronson, London, 1988, p. 81
One who leads the community for the sake of heaven must direct the people both in worldy and in spiritual matters, not with words and deeds alone, but also in thought, joining himself to the L-rd with the people of his generation and raising them so that they might cleave to the L-rd, under the condition that they too will join themselves to the leaders of the generation. Then the leaders of the generation can seize their hands and raise them… This is the meaning of the passage, “When one believes in a shepherd of Israel, it is as if he believes in the L-rd Himself,’ (Melkhita) for the one is the means to the other… By a shepherd is meant one who shepherds and watches over the flock so that they are well fed… acting for the sake of heaven, for the welfare of Israel. It is good to believe in such a man” (Toldot Yaakov Yosef 56c).
“The Zaddik: The Doctrine of the Zaddik According to the Writings of Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Polnoy,” Samuel H. Dresner, pp. 129-130.
The distinction between right and left in the Zohar corresponds, not only to the distinction between reward and punishment in the next world, but also between good and evil, and specifically moral good and evil in this world. Samael, the power of evil, the tempter, the accuser, the evil Serpent, is placed on the left and is identified with the grade Gevurah. Now Samael is represented as the opponent not of Hesed but of Tiferet.
Soncino Zohar, Appendix III
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