To reach a more active role in the unification of the different configurations, one needs to understand and concentrate when praying. There are different levels of Kavanah – concentration. The basic Kavanah is to understand the words, and concentrate on the intention of the blessing or the prayer. The higher level is to meditate on the different systems of permutation of names and configurations, to get a particular action or result. Each word or part of the prayers has its own action or purpose. These actions are initiated by concentrating on the different names of G-od, their appellations and other arrangements of the Autiot – letters.

When saying a blessing with the Kabbalistic meditation on the appropriate words or names, we act and participate directly on the Tikun – rectification of the action or thing being blessed. The purpose of most of the blessings recited before and after eating or drinking is to liberate the souls that have been reincarnated in these comestible elements.

When praying, it is important to be part of a Minyan – a group with a minimum of ten men. Without this minimum number, the Kadish and other important parts of the prayer cannot be recited. For the morning prayer, one also has to wear a Talit – praying shawl, and Tefilin – phylacteries wrapped on the head and left arm.

As we can see, every element of the prayers, whether physical or spiritual, has very deep and essential meanings to give important forces and power to the one praying. It is a pity that these powerful and beautiful rituals are taken mistakenly for “folkloric recitations” in an incomprehensible language, part of “one has to do” type of thing when attending a prayer in a synagogue.

By making the effort to understand the deeper meanings of these rituals, one will discover a whole new definition and reason for his special relationship with the higher worlds and his Creator

The forces or energies that make or influence the guidance are also identified or described as the different names of God.

The main names are:

• Y-H-V-H – י-ה-ו-ה
• Ein Sof – אין סוף
• Adona-y – אדנ- י
• Ahy-h – אהי-ה
• Elohi-M – אלוה-ים

Ein Sof– אין סוף

Ein Sof – The without limit or Infinite, is the most used Name for G-od in the Kabbalah. Since His light or energy cannot be measured by any definition or limiting terms, we therefore use the name “Ein Sof” (without limit) since we know and admit that G-od and the concept of limitlessness or without end is beyond our human comprehension. This name represents kindness.

Adona-y – אדנ- י

This name represents the feminine aspect of G-od; it has an aspect of rigor and is represented by the Sephira מלכות. It also represents the feminine configurations of Ra’hel and Leah. Since men’s prayers are first directed to the Sephira מלכות before they can be transmitted higher, this name also represents the closest relationship between man and his Creator.

Ahy-h – אהי-ה

This name represents the higher masculine aspect of G-od, and is represented by the Sephira כתר. It shows kindness together with the awe of G-od.

Elohi-M – אלוה-ים

One of the names of G-od, represented by the Sephira גבורה. In general, it denotes rigor in the actions of G-od.

Y-H-V-H (ה–ו–ה–י)

The primary name of G-od reveals kindness and mercy, represented by the Sephira תיפארת. All that was created has its origin in these four letters. Most of the guidance is manifested by this name and its different spellings that make new individual names.

By spelling each one of the four letters of this name differently, the numerical value of the name changes, and each one of these possibilities becomes different in its nature and actions.

The four Miluyim (spellings) are:

Each name can also be divided and subdivided to describe even more precisely the different outcomes and manifestations of these energies:

‘A”V of ‘A”V, SaG of ‘A”V, MaH of ‘A”V …

BaN of BaN of SaG, SaG of MaH of ‘A”V etc.

The lights or forces that are clothed in these letters or their combinations emanate masculine or feminine configurations that make the guidance of the worlds.

Tikun in the Kabbalah is a very important notion. It shows, in a way, that everything that was created with a possibility of deficiency also has a potential to be rectified. In Hebrew, the word “Tikun” has different meanings; it can be understood as reparation or rectification but also as function, relation or action.

There are different types of Tikunim:

– Tikunim (reparations) that took place in the first emanations to repair the worlds.
– Tikunim (rectifications – relations) for the construction and inter-relations of the Sephirot and configurations.
– Tikunim (actions – functions) of certain configurations for the guidance of the world.
– Tikunim (rectifications) for the souls.

Tikunim (reparations) to repair the worlds: At the creation, when from the configuration of Adam Kadmon emerged the ten Sephirot of the feminine aspect of BaN (52), and the seven lower Sephirot broke. To sustain the recipients of these Sephirot after they broke, 288 sparks of their lights came down as well to keep them alive.
This important damage – Shvirat HaKelim – the breaking of the vessels needed to be repaired. A first Tikun was to help in the ascent of some of these fallen 288 sparks, and to repair the recipients that had broken when they fell, that they might return to their respective lights.
Tikunim (rectifications – relations) for the construction of the configurations

The Tikunim for the construction of the Partsufim – configurations are achieved by way of Zivug (union) of the higher masculine and feminine configurations, during which time the lower configuration will go through a period of gestation inside the feminine higher configuration, followed by its birth.Tikunim (rectifications – relations) of the configurations for the guidance: There are also Tikunim of different configurations which are their actions, illuminations, and inter-relations in order to influence the guidance of the worlds. These Tikunim result in various illuminations of different intensities, depending on time and the actions of man.

Tikunim (rectifications) for the souls: A Tikun for a soul is its rectification because of its unfulfillment or to cleanse it from any defect. The Tikun for the soul is realized by the Gilgul (reincarnation) and by the ‘Ibur (attachment). By accomplishing what he did not complete of the 613 Mitsvot, by rectifying an act or a damage he caused by his wrongdoings, man makes the necessary Tikun of his soul, which can now ascend to the higher realms and rejoin its source.

There are different types of Tikunim – rectifications for the soul, each one of its levels[1] needs its own Tikun. Most men only have the lower level of נפש, and if they do the proper Tikun, they will acquire the succeeding levels[2] – albeit one by one. A Tikun of a higher level can only be accomplished after all the preceding levels.

As long as one undertakes the Tikun of his soul within three reincarnations, he will reincarnate and return as needed to complete his Tikun. However, if he maintains his wrong behavior, he will not come back after the third reincarnation and this soul will be destroyed with no more chance of Tikun.

Tikun ‘Olam – General Tikun

Evil will disappear from this world and change to goodness, when all the general Tikunim – rectifications will be completed[3]. The general Tikun is to bring back the world to its former state before the damage caused by the breaking of the vessels. A state of harmony where kindness, bounty and peace prevail and rigors are appeased, when all the fallen sparks of holiness will be bought back up to their origins because of all the positive behavior and acts of men. Consequently, the Sitra A’hra (negative force) will not be able to attach and nourish from the higher lights anymore and will cease to exist. G-od gave man an important role in the  Tikun ‘Olam – general Tikun. It is now up to him to restore and make the necessary reparations to the world by observing His commandments, doing good deeds, and learning the ways of his Creator.

The final goal is to understand and accomplish His will, to deserve and merit closeness to His presence, and to finally help and participate in the revelation of His unicity to the world.

[1] Five levels of the soul

[2] After reincarnating again

[3] When the fallen sparks will ascend again

The Kabbalah is the mystical and esoteric explanation of the Torah. All the profound secrets explained in the Kabbalah, are alluded to in the letters, words and different stories narrated in the Torah. These stories as well as the shape of the letters, the vowels, and the cantillation notes are a Levush – outer garment on the real message and meaning of the Torah. The different systems of Sephirot and configurations of lights and energies are represented by the people and events in the Hebrew texts of the Torah. Therefore, the translations only cover the most basic meaning and can not reach into the real purpose and signification of the Torah as explained in the Zohar:

“Rabbi Shimon said: Woe to this man who says that the Torah came to simply relate stories in an ordinary language, because if this is so, even in these times we could make a Torah from ordinary tales, and even nicer than from those [tales]. If the Torah came to explain worldly subjects, even the governors of the [present] world have more interesting stories. If so, let’s follow what it [tale] says and make a Torah of it in the same way. But really, all that the Torah says is of very high nature, and of supernal secrets.

Therefore, the story in the Torah is the garment of the Torah. The one that thinks that this garment is itself the Torah and that there is nothing else, let his soul swell and have no part in the world to come. For this reason, King David said: (Tehilim, 119. 118) “Open my eyes so I may glaze the wondrous things in your Torah”. Meaning what is under this garment of the Torah.
(Zohar, Bamidbar, Behalotekha 58- 64)

The Torah has 248 positive and 365 negative commandments. Similarly, there are 613 veins and bones in man, 613 parts to the soul, and 613 lights in each Sephira or configuration. This number is not arbitrary, as there are important interrelations and interactions between them.

The Torah contains four levels of comprehension, of which the highest is the Sod (secret). At this level, the Torah explains to us the goal of creation, the real purpose of all the commandments and their influence on the Sephirot.

Through the knowledge of Kabbalah, we can arrive at a level of true understanding of the will of the Creator, His guidance, the creation, and in a way, “decode” the profound secrets of our holy Torah.
Mitsvot – commandments

In the Torah there are 613 Mitsvot and each one corresponds to one of the 613 veins and bones of man and to one of the 613 parts of his soul. By observing the commandments, man reinforces their strength, and by not accomplishing them, he, in a way, weakens them.

The Mitsvot were given for three main reasons:
· To reinforce and purify man
· To act on and influence the guidance
· To help accomplish the Tikun of the creation

After the breaking of the vessels and the fall of the 288 sparks, man has to act and participate in the ascent of the fallen sparks to their origin. This can be done by accomplishing the Mitsvot and by the prayers. As there are different levels of grasping the meanings and purpose of our actions, there are also various possibilities and powers of influence, depending on the understanding and intention of our acts.

The husks are the manifestations of the negative force to obstruct the lights of the Sephirot, and this degradation is caused by the sins committed by man. When accomplishing the Mitsvot, the lower beings send positive energies to weaken these husks and detach them from the higher lights, and thus remove any obstacles from the inflows and outflows of positive energies. Therefore, before each prayer and performance of the commandments of the Torah, we try to unify the masculine and feminine configurations so there will be harmony on high, and that a result or inflow of abundance will come down to us.

By understanding the profound meanings of these commandments as explained in the Kabbalah, we realize the enormous love that the Lord bestows to His creatures by allowing them to be part of this dynamic system, and by giving them the means and tools to reach the highest realms.