The Essential Kabbalah

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Chapter One?Ein Sof: God as Infinity?Ein Sof and the Sefirot?IN THE BEGINNING Ein Sof emanated ten sefirot, which are of its essence, united with it. it and they are entirely one. There is no change or division in the emanator that would justify saying it is divided into parts in these various sefirot. Division and change do not apply to it, only to the external sefirot. ?To help yo u conceive this, imagine water flowing through vessels of different colors: white, red, green, and so forth. As the water spreads through those vessels, it appears to change into the colors of the vessels, although the water is devoid of all color. The change in color does not affect the water itself, just our perception of the water. So it is with the sefirot. They are vessels, known, for example, as "Hesed, Gevurah," and "Tif'eret," each colored according to its function, white, red, and green, respectively, while the light of the emanator--their essence-is the water, having no color at all. This