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Chokmah

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The Sefirot in Kabbalah
The Sefiroth in Jewish KabbalahKeterBinahChokmahDa'atGevurahChesedTiferetHodNetzachYesodMalkuth
The Sefiroth in Jewish Kabbalah
View the image description page for this diagram The Tree of Life

Chokmah (Template:Lang-he) is the Biblical Hebrew word rendered as "wisdom" in English Bible versions (LXX σοφία sophia, Vulgate sapientia).

The word occurs 149 times in the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible. It is cognate with the Arabic word for "wisdom", ḥikma حكمة (Semitic root ḥ-k-m). Adjectival ḥakham "wise" is used as a honorific, as in Talmid Chakham (lit. "student of a sage") for a Torah scholar, or Hakham Bashi for a Chief Rabbi.

The Talmud, Shabbat 31a, describes knowledge of the Talmudic order of Kodshim as a high level of wisdom, chokmah. In the Kabbalah, Chokmah is the uppermost of the sephirot of the right line (kav yamin, the "Pillar of Mercy") in the Tree of Life. It is to the bottom right of Keter, with Binah across from it. Under it are the sephirot of Chesed and Netzach. It commonly has four paths going to Keter, Binah, Tiferet, and Chesed (some kabbalists, such as Isaac Luria, also attributed a path between Chokmah and Gevurah).

According to kabbalah, chochmah color is blue-black, meaning something that come up from no-thing.

Etymology and names

Chokmah (חָכְמָה), the Hebrew term for "wisdom," holds a prominent place in both Jewish mysticism and Gnostic traditions. Its etymology traces back to the Hebrew root ח-כ-מ, which conveys the concept of wisdom or insight. In Gnostic cosmology, Chokmah is frequently identified with Sophia (Σοφία in Greek), who embodies divine wisdom. Sophia's narrative is central to many Gnostic texts, where she is also known by the name Achamōth, a Greek derivation from the Hebrew word Chokmah.

In the Hebrew Bible

Further information: Sophia (wisdom)

Proverbs personifies Divine Wisdom, which existed before the world was made, revealed God, and acted as God's agent in creation (Prov 8:22–31 cf. 3:19; Wisdom 8:4–6; Sir 1:4,9). Wisdom dwelt with God (Prov 8:22–31; cf. Sir 24:4; Wisdom 9:9–10) and being the exclusive property of God was as such inaccessible to human beings (Job 28:12–13, 20–1, 23–27). It was God who "found" wisdom (Bar 3:29–37) and gave her to Israel: "He hath found out all the way of knowledge, and hath given it unto Jacob his servant, and to Israel his beloved. Afterward did he shew himself upon earth, and conversed with men." (Bar 3:36–37; Sir 24:1–12).

As a female figure (Sir. 1:15; Wis. 7:12), wisdom addressed human beings (Prov. 1:20–33; 8:1–9:6) inviting to her feast those who are not yet wise (Prov. 9:1-6). Wisdom 7:22b-8:1 is a famous passage describing Divine Wisdom, including the passage: "For she is the breath of the power of God, and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty: therefore can no defiled thing fall into her. For she is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of his goodness. And being but one, she can do all things: and remaining in herself, she maketh all things new: and in all ages entering into holy souls, she maketh them friends of God, and prophets." (Wisdom 7:25–27). Solomon, as the archetypal wise person, fell in love with Wisdom: "I loved her, and sought her out from my youth, I desired to make her my spouse, and I was a lover of her beauty." (Wisdom 8:2).

It is likely some ancient Jews literally believed in the existence of Chokmah as a second creator, and as an angel or angel-like being.

In the Apocrypha

The Book of Sirach, also known as Ecclesiasticus, contains significant references to Chokmah. In chapter 24, Wisdom speaks about her origins, her role in creation, and her dwelling among the people of Israel. Verses 13-17, often referred to as the "Riddling List of Ecclesiasticus", use a series of trees to describe Wisdom:

  • Cedar: "I grew tall like a cedar in Lebanon, and like a cypress on the heights of Hermon."
  • Palm Tree: "I grew tall like a palm tree in En-gedi, and like rosebushes in Jericho."
  • Olive Tree: "Like a fair olive tree in the field, and like a plane tree beside water I grew tall."
  • Cane: "Like cinnamon and camel’s thorn, I gave forth perfume, and like choice myrrh I spread my fragrance."
  • Galbanum, Onyx, Stacte, and Frankincense: "Like galbanum, onyx, and stacte, and like the odor of frankincense in the tent."
  • Terebinth: "Like a terebinth I spread out my branches, and my branches are glorious and graceful."

These metaphors emphasize the beauty, strength, and presence of Wisdom in various forms, signifying her integral role in the natural world and her divine connection. Each image in the list represents different attributes of Wisdom: the cedar and cypress for strength and majesty, the palm tree and rosebush for beauty and grace, the olive tree and plane tree for fruitfulness and resilience, and the aromatic plants for the pleasing and pervasive influence of Wisdom. The terebinth represents spreading influence and enduring presence.

In the Talmud

Chokmah is also discussed in the Talmud, where it represents a high level of wisdom. The Talmudic order of Kodshim, related to sacred things, is described in Shabbat 31a as a significant area of study that imparts Chokmah. This reflects the importance of deep scholarly engagement with sacred texts as a path to attaining wisdom.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2024)

In Kabbalah

According to the Bahir: "The second (utterance) is wisdom, as is written: 'Y-H-W-H acquired me at the beginning of His way, before His deeds of old' (Prov 8:22). And there is no 'beginning' but wisdom."

Chokmah, the second of the ten sefirot, is the first power of conscious intellect within Creation, and the first point of 'real' existence, since Keter represents emptiness. According to the book of Job, "Wisdom comes from nothingness". This point is both infinitely small, and yet encompasses the whole of being, but it remains incomprehensible until it is given shape and form in Binah.

The name of God associated with Chokmah is Yah. Its associated opposing qliphah is Ghagiel.

Chokmah appears in the configuration of the sefirot at the top of the right axis, and corresponds in the tzelem Elokim ("the Divine image") to the eyes, even word "eyes" have various meaning in kabbalah or right hemisphere of the brain.

Chokmah is also called Fear, 'because it has no measure of boundary, and therefore the mind does not have the power to grasp it'. The book of Job states 'Behold the fear of God is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding' (Job 28:28).

In the Zohar Chokmah is the primordial point which shines forth from the will of God and thus, is the starting point of Creation. All things are still undifferentiated at this point and only become intelligible at Binah. The word Chokmah is read in the Zohar (Numbers 220b) as koach mah, "the power of selflessness", or, alternatively, as cheich mah, "the palate of selflessness". "The power of selflessness" implies not only the attribute of selflessness itself, but the great creative power that selflessness entails. "The palate of selflessness" is the soul's ability to "taste" Divinity by virtue of one's state of selflessness, as is said (Psalms 34:8): "Taste and see that God is good." In general, the sense of sight relates to Chokmah (the lightning-flash referred to above). From this verse we learn that there is an inner, spiritual sense of taste in Chokmah that precedes and arouses the sense of sight.

In Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's commentary on the Bahir he says "Wisdom (Chokmah) is therefore the first thing that the mind can grasp, and is therefore called a 'beginning'." Chokmah has 2 faces, one facing keter above, and the other overseeing the over sefirot. Therefore, to emulate this Sefira, one aspect should be in communion with his Creator in order to increase his wisdom, and the other should be to teach others the wisdom that the Holy One has endowed him.

The angelic order of this sphere is the Aralim, ruled by the Archangel Raziel. The opposing Qliphah is represented by the demonic order Gaghiel, ruled by the Archdemon Beelzebub.

In Western esotericism

According to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the name of God associated with Chokmah is Jehovah, the archangel that presides over it is Raziel, the order of angels that reside in it are the Ophanim (the wheels), the Heaven of Assiah associated with it is called Mazloth, implying the fulfillment of destiny, and the mundane chakra associated with it is the Zodiac.

In Aleister Crowley's Liber 777, Chokhma is represented as The Four twos of the Tarot, Illuminating, Thoth, Vishnu, Joy, Odin, Uranus, Athena, God the Father, Man, Amaranth, Lingam, Hashish, Phosphorus, Musk, and Yang (not a complete list).

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ Strong's Concordance H2451: "from H2449 ; wisdom (in a good sense):—skilful, wisdom, wisely, wit." "The KJV translates Strong's H2451 in the following manner: wisdom (145x), wisely (2x), skilful man (1x), wits (1x)."
  2. "Wisdom – an Arabic word". arabic.fi. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  3. "Introduction To The Tree Of Life - Kabbalah Experience". 2022-01-28. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  4. Botterwick & Ringgren (1974), p. 371. sfnp error: no target: CITEREFBotterwickRinggren1974 (help)
  5. For a summary account of wisdom in the Hebrew Bible cf. R.E. Murphy, "Wisdom in the Old Testament", Anchor Bible Dictionary (1992), vi. 920–931.
  6. "Hindu Ideas of Creation". In Our Time. BBC Radio 4. 2015-12-05. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  7. Graves (1948), p. 264–5.
  8. Brunton (1927), pp. 123ff.
  9. "Shabbat 31a".
  10. Wilson (1901).
  11. Green (2004), p. .
  12. Job. 28:12
  13. ^ Cordovero (1993), p. .
  14. Crowley (1986), p. 2, Table VIII; Regardie (1970), p. 82, Fifth knowledge lecture; Godwin (1994), p. .
  15. "The book of ZOHAR" "‘these are comparable to the two eyes from which two teardrops Fell into the great sea. Chochmah is called eyes, and the right eye Is the upper chochmah and the left eye is the lower chochmah"
  16. "Chokmah: The Wisdom ⋆ ASH - Abrahamic Study Hall". ASH - Abrahamic Study Hall. Retrieved 2024-05-18. Associated body part: RIGHT BRAIN HEMISPHERE ARM – The element associated with this sephira is the right hemisphere of the brain.
  17. Kaplan (1995), p. .
  18. Bahir (1995), p. .
  19. Regardie (1970); Regardie (1999).
  20. Crowley (1986).

Works cited

Further reading

External links

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