Glossary

The words, defined plainly.

Kabbalah uses old Hebrew and Aramaic terms because some ideas do not translate neatly into a single English word. This glossary gives you the useful meaning first, without making the language a barrier.

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24 terms shown

A

Ari

Rabbi Isaac Luria, the 16th-century mystic of Safed.

Assiah

The world of action, the level of physical, observable reality.

Atzilut

The world of emanation, the level of reality closest to Ein Sof.

Ayin Hara

The evil eye. The disturbing effect of concentrated, often envious attention.

B

Bashert

Destined, or meant to be. The other half of one original, shared soul.

Beriah

The world of creation, where an idea first takes on a distinct shape.

Bina

Understanding; the sefira of deep, structured insight.

Bread of Shame

The discomfort of receiving something you feel you have not earned.

C

Certainty

Trust built through your own action, not a feeling you force.

Chesed

Loving-kindness expressed as active sharing.

G

Gematria

A method of reading numeric value into Hebrew letters and words.

K

Klipot

The "shells" that obscure light. Not evil, just distance.

L

Light and Vessel

Light is endless good, and the vessel is your ability to receive and hold it.

M

Malchut

Kingdom; the sefira of receiving, where all the others land.

Masach

The curtain, or restriction, that creates free will.

O

The One Percent World

The visible world is a small part of what is real; the causes behind it are hidden.

The Opponent

Not a devil, but the selfish, reactive voice inside every person.

Or Ein Sof

The infinite light, before any restriction or form.

R

Reactive and Proactive

Reacting responds to what happens to you; acting proactively starts from what you want.

S

Sefirot

The ten channels through which reality expresses itself.

T

Tikkun

Correction. The work a soul returns to complete.

Tzimtzum

The initial contraction that made room for creation to exist.

Y

Yetzirah

The world of formation, where an idea gains real emotional shape and structure.

Z

Zohar

The central text of Kabbalah. Literally, "radiance" or "splendor."