is one of the ten sefirot on the kabbalistic

Tree of Life The tree of life is a fundamental archetype in many of the world's mythology, mythological, religion, religious, and philosophy, philosophical traditions. It is closely related to the concept of the sacred tree.Giovino, Mariana (2007). ''The ...

. It is given the association of

kindness Kindness is a type of behavior marked by acts of generosity, consideration, or concern for others, without expecting praise or reward in return. It is a subject of interest in philosophy, religion, and psychology. It can be directed towards o ...

and

love Love is a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment (psychology), attachment to a person, animal, or thing. It is expressed in many forms, encompassing a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most su ...

, and is the first of the emotive attributes of the .

Etymology and names

The Hebrew noun (חסד) is typically translated as "loving-kindness", "mercy", or "grace". It appears frequently in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. '' chasidim''. These groups include the

Hasideans The Hasideans (, ''Hasidim ha-Rishonim'', Greek ''Ἁσιδαῖοι'' or Asidaioi, also transcribed as Hasidaeans and Assideans) were a Jewish group during the Maccabean Revolt that took place from around 167–142 BCE. The Hasideans are men ...

of the

Second Temple period The Second Temple period or post-exilic period in Jewish history denotes the approximately 600 years (516 BCE – 70 CE) during which the Second Temple stood in the city of Jerusalem. It began with the return to Zion and subsequent reconstructio ...

, the Maimonidean Hasidim of medieval Egypt and Palestine, the Chassidei Ashkenaz in medieval Europe, and the Hasidic movement which emerged in eighteenth century Eastern Europe.

History

The development of Chesed as a sefirah began in medieval Kabbalistic writings, particularly those of

Isaac the Blind Isaac the Blind ( ''Rabbī Yīṣḥaq Saggī Nəhōr'', literally "Rabbi Isaac, of much light"; c. 1160–1235 in Provence, France), was a French rabbi and a famous writer on Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). The Aramaic epithet "Saggi Nehor" means " ...

and the Gerona circle in 12th and 13th century Provence. These mystics laid the groundwork for the dynamic processes within the divine and human realms. The '' Zohar'', a foundational Kabbalistic text from the 13th century, elaborates on Chesed as the right arm of God, representing the extension of divine mercy into the world. In the 16th century, Moses ben Jacob Cordovero and Isaac Luria significantly advanced the understanding of Chesed. Cordovero's '' Pardes Rimonim'' framed Chesed within a systematic Kabbalistic structure, while Luria's teachings, compiled in texts like '' Etz Chaim'', emphasized its role in the cosmic process of '' Tikkun'' (rectification). The 18th-century Hasidic movement, led by figures such as the Baal Shem Tov, further emphasized Chesed, advocating for acts of kindness and compassion as essential spiritual practices.

Hasidism Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a Spirituality, spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most ...

integrated Chesed into daily life, highlighting its importance in connecting with God and elevating the mundane. Today, Chesed remains a central theme in Kabbalistic studies and Jewish ethical teachings, reflecting its enduring relevance as a guiding principle of love and compassion in both personal and communal spirituality.

Description

Chesed, the fourth of the ten sefirot on the Tree of Life, is located on the right pillar, which is associated with mercy and compassion. As a sefirah, Chesed embodies the divine quality of unconditional love and benevolence, serving as a conduit for the flow of divine energy and grace into the world. The '' Bahir'' states, The first three of the ten are the attributes of the

intellect Intellect is a faculty of the human mind that enables reasoning, abstraction, conceptualization, and judgment. It enables the discernment of truth and falsehood, as well as higher-order thinking beyond immediate perception. Intellect is dis ...

, while is the first of the attribute of action. In the kabbalistic

Tree of life The tree of life is a fundamental archetype in many of the world's mythology, mythological, religion, religious, and philosophy, philosophical traditions. It is closely related to the concept of the sacred tree.Giovino, Mariana (2007). ''The ...

, its position is below Chokmah, across from Gevurah and above Netzach. It is usually given four paths: to , , ''tiphereth'', and ''netzach'' (some Kabbalists place a path from to ''binah'' as well.) According to Moses ben Jacob Cordovero, manifests God's absolute, unlimited benevolence and kindness.

Qualities

Colour

Ethical behaviour

In Moses ben Jacob Cordovero's kabbalistic treatise '' Tomer Devorah'', the following are actions undertaken in imitation of the qualities of : * love God so completely that one will never forsake his service for any reason * provide a child with all the necessities of their sustenance and love the child * circumcise a child * visiting and healing the sick * giving charity to the poor * offering hospitality to strangers * attending to the dead * bringing a bride to the

chuppah A ''chuppah'' (, ) is a canopy under which a Judaism, Jewish couple stand during their Jewish wedding, wedding ceremony. It consists of a cloth or sheet, sometimes a tallit, stretched or supported over four poles, or sometimes manually held u ...

marriage ceremony * making peace between a person and another human being.

Textual references

In the Hebrew Bible

The word ''chesed'' occurs 248 times in the Hebrew Bible. In the majority of cases (149 times), the

King James Bible The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version (AV), is an Early Modern English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by ...

(KJV) translation is ''

mercy Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French , from Medieval Latin , "price paid, wages", from Latin , "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social, and legal contexts. In the social and le ...

'', following the

Septuagint The Septuagint ( ), sometimes referred to as the Greek Old Testament or The Translation of the Seventy (), and abbreviated as LXX, is the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Biblical Hebrew. The full Greek ...

(LXX) . Less frequent translations are: ''

'' (40 times), ''lovingkindness'' (30 times), ''goodness'' (12 times), ''kindly'' (five times), ''merciful'' (four times), ''favour'' (three times) and ''good'', ''goodliness'', ''pity'' (once each). Only two instances of the noun in its negative sense are in the text, translated ''reproach'' in Proverbs 14:34, and ''wicked thing'' in Leviticus 20:17.

In the Cloverdale Bible

The translation of ''loving kindness'' in KJV is derived from the Coverdale Bible of 1535. This particular translation exclusively uses to refer to the benign attitude of YHWH ("the ") or

Elohim ''Elohim'' ( ) is a Hebrew word meaning "gods" or "godhood". Although the word is plural in form, in the Hebrew Bible it most often takes singular verbal or pronominal agreement and refers to a single deity, particularly but not always the Go ...

("God") towards his chosen, primarily invoked in

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament. The book is an anthology of B ...

(23 times), but also in the prophets, four times in

Jeremiah Jeremiah ( – ), also called Jeremias, was one of the major prophets of the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition, Jeremiah authored the Book of Jeremiah, book that bears his name, the Books of Kings, and the Book of Lamentations, with t ...

, twice in Isaiah 63:7 and once in Hosea 2:19. While ''lovingkindness'' is now considered somewhat archaic, it is part of the traditional rendition of Psalms in English Bible translations.: "The Hebrew hesed (plural hasadim) is usually translated as 'grace' or 'loving-kindness', but sometimes also as 'mercy' or 'love'."

In Western esotericism

In Western esotericism, Chesed is the fourth sephirah on the Tree of Life in the Kabbalistic tradition. Positioned on the Pillar of Mercy, Chesed lies directly below Chokmah and is associated with attributes of benevolence, expansion, and kindness. It represents a range of qualities linked to mercy and loving-kindness, making it a cornerstone of the esoteric understanding of divine benevolence. Chesed signifies compassion, mercy, and the unconditional love of the divine. It embodies growth, abundance, and the expansive nature of divine energy, often symbolizing the idea of a benevolent ruler who governs with wisdom and kindness. This sephirah is linked to the planet Jupiter, reflecting qualities of generosity and authority. The God-name associated with Chesed is El, which signifies might and power in a benevolent context. The

Archangel Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the Catholic hierarchy of angels, based on and put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the 5th or 6th century in his book ''De Coelesti Hierarchia'' (''On the Celestial Hierarchy'') ...

Tzadkiel (or Zadkiel) oversees Chesed, embodying the mercy and benevolence that this sephirah represents. The

angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

ic order of this sphere is the Hashmallim. The opposing qlippah is represented by the

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in Media (communication), media including f ...

ic order Gamchicoth (or Gha'agsheblah). In terms of virtues and vices, Chesed's virtue is obedience, reflecting alignment with divine will through acts of kindness. Its vice is bigotry or hypocrisy, indicating the perversion of kindness into favoritism or unjust discrimination. Chesed is often depicted in blue, symbolizing serenity and expansiveness. Its symbols include the wand, representing authority and power, and the tetrahedron, denoting stability and structure. In practical Kabbalistic work, Chesed can be invoked to bring about healing, generosity, and harmonious expansion. Meditative practices focusing on Chesed aim to open the heart to divine mercy and develop the capacity for kindness and magnanimity.

References

Citations

Works cited

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