Anthropomorphism and Metaphors in the Zohar and the Medieval Kabbalistic Literature
Part of a series on metaphor in classic Jewish literature. See some previous entries on Talmudic metaphor listed here, under section “Talmudic Studies and Interpretation”. For a fascinating popular discussion of anthropomorphism in the Hebrew Bible, see Francesca Stavrakopoulou, God: An Anatomy (2022)
Anthropomorphic Symbols
The metaphorical language within the domain of Kabbalah frequently incorporates anatomical references, such as the head, face, legs, hands, and back, among others. A series of anthropomorphic terms are employed to depict esoteric ideas, and some quintessential examples include:
Adam Kadmon (אדם קדמון): Often rendered as "Primal Man" or "Archetypal Man," this refers not to a corporeal entity, but to an ethereal existence preceding the material world's creation.
Adam Olam Katan (אדם עולם קטן): Literally "Man is a Microcosm", this posits that every individual is a condensed cosmos, with facets of our physical and mental existence reflecting the divine universe's layout.
Zeir Anpin (זעיר אנפין): Commonly translated as "Lesser Countenance" or "Impatient One," it denotes the six sefirot, ranging from Chesed (Kindness) to Yesod (Foundation) on the Tree of Life.
Arikh Anpin (אריך אנפין): Known as "Long Countenance" or "Patient One," it epitomizes the divine facet of forbearance and embodies the sefira Keter (Crown).
Compare also the early Medieval book Shiur Komah (שיעור קומה): "Measure of the Stature," a pre-Kabbalistic exposition delineating the dimensions of the Divine form.
The anthropomorphic constructs in Kabbalah function as metaphoric mechanisms to elucidate broader concepts. Such as, Adam Kadmon serves as a symbol for a metaphysical reality, an aggregate of all potentiality. Each part of the human anatomy often corresponds to divine qualities or sefirot, evident in the Tree of Life's symbolism (see further).
Some non-anthropomorphic symbols
The Tree of Life: Emblematic in the Zohar, the "Tree of Life" (Etz Chaim) signifies the ten sefirot or divine emanations.
Light: The Zohar recurrently employs light (Ohr) as an emblem of divine energy or sagacity, resonating with the metaphor that ideas are light, where enlightenment equates to luminosity.
The Male-Female Duality: Within the Zohar, divine representation often bifurcates into male and female entities, with Tiferet and Malkhut symbolizing them, respectively. Their conjunction denotes divine creation and equilibrium.
Such metaphors in the Zohar transcend mere literary embellishments, operating as cognitive instruments that mold the reader’s perceptions.
A Preliminary Mapping Table of Major Zoharic Sefirotic Symbols
Here’s a broad mapping (in PDF format, download require to view) of Zoharic symbols (cross-posted also at my Academia.edu page, registration required). It is primarily based on my study of Zohar in Isaiah Tishby and Lachover’s Mishnat Hazohar (available also in English translation, as Wisdom of the Zohar).
