Adam HaElyon
"Adam HaElyon" is a title for the level of G-dliness that resides in the world of Atzilut, which the lower man resembles. Adam HaElyon is the revelation of G-dliness in the "form" of man - through the ten sefirot.
Level[edit | edit source]
When the prophets describe the Divine Chariot (Merkavah), they describe the Throne of Glory and the One sitting upon it:
"I saw the L-rd sitting on a high and lofty throne" — Sefer Yeshayahu 6:1
"And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it" — Sefer Yechezkel 1:26
The essence of this level, as well as other various titles like "the hand of Hashem" and similar expressions, refer only to G-dliness as it was contracted and clothed in the ten sefirot, and because of this it is called "Adam" (man); but in the Infinite Light (Ohr Ein Sof) itself that is beyond embodiment, there it is not appropriate to call it by the name "Adam," but rather it is called "Lo Adam" (not man), and the embodiment in the aspect of "Adam" is through great contractions (tzimtzumim).
This mode of light's embodiment in the sefirot is also called "temunah" (image), because the word "temunah" has the same gematria (numerical value) as "partzuf adam" (human countenance). Regarding this it is said, "And he beholds the image of Hashem," but regarding the light that is beyond this embodiment, it is not applicable, and about it is written, "For you saw no image," "And you saw no image."
Generally, the title 'Adam' refers to the ten sefirot in the world of Atzilut, and specifically (to Zeir Anpin), to the sefirah of Tiferet within it (as it is written "as the beauty of Adam").
But in a more general sense, the title 'Adam' also applies to Keter of Atzilut, since even though it is not a 'human countenance,' it is a 'human skull.' Similarly, the general Keter is called 'Adam Kadmon' (Primordial Man). Thus, when it is in a state of 'smallness,' it is called 'Zeir Anpin' (the ten sefirot of Atzilut); when it is in a state of 'greatness,' it is called 'Arich Anpin'; and when it is in an even greater state of 'greatness,' it is called 'Adam Kadmon.'
Yisrael[edit | edit source]
There are sources that explain that "the appearance of a man" refers to the souls of Israel as they arose in His blessed thought. That is, although with the Blessed One the concept of body and likeness of body is not applicable, nevertheless, due to His love for the people of Israel, their image is engraved with Him; similar to "for example, when a person loves his friend, his form is engraved in his heart as if his form is upon him." And since the souls of Israel are in the form of man, therefore this thought is also called "the appearance of a man." And even though a person cannot imagine the likeness of his son before he is born and sees him in his image and likeness, above it is possible even before they came into being (and in fact, through this thought they came into being). Therefore it says "and you shall make them," and our Sages said "as if you made Me" - that the making of the 'form of man' above is accomplished through the souls of Israel.
This concept - the thought that leads to the 'appearance of man,' is in the primordial thought in the essence of Atik of Adam Kadmon, which is the root of the souls of Israel. (And before the tzimtzum, although even there the souls of Israel arose in thought, nevertheless, we cannot speak there of the concept of 'form of man,' since the concept of coming into being, as well as limitation and division, is not applicable there; but for this 'formed' thought, there was the tzimtzum - in order that there would be a 'form of man' of the souls of Israel.
This thought is the reason that the Holy One, blessed be He, contracted the Infinite Light through so many contractions, to be in the 'form of man' of the ten sefirot and also of the entire order of the chain of worlds, because for the formation of souls in the 'form of man,' the chain of worlds also needed to be in a similar form - since the lower man is actually created from the supernal man (ten sefirot). And in truth, the contraction into the 'form of man' was made for the creation of the lower man. And the reason for these contractions is due to the Holy One's love for the people of Israel, wanting to dwell among them, and "love (as it were) pushes aside the flesh."