Zeir Anpin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject.
Please help improve the article with a good introductory style.

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please improve this article if you can. (October 2006)

Ze'ir Anpin (זֵיר אנפִן), meaning "small countenance", is an important term in Kabbalah. Ze'ir Anpin is the partzuf of the midot, corresponding to the emotive faculties of the soul. Initially, the midot consists of the six Sephirot from Chesed to Yesod. These six midot develop, in the rectified world of Atziluth, into the full partzuf of Ze'ir Anpin, by the addition of the three mental powers drawn into them by means of the partzufim of Abba and Imma above them.

Ze'ir Anpin is referred to as "The Higher Man," "the image of God" which the prophet Ezekiel saw in the "vision of the chariot." "The Higher Man" is influenced by the lower man. Likewise, the lower man aspires to emulate the attributes of "the Higher Man". Ze'ir Anpin symbolizes the experience of finitude. The word midot, means "measured", implying definite finite states of being. The partzuf Ze'ir Anpin "enclothes" the partzuf Arich Anpin from "navel" to "feet". This is to say that the lower half of the experience of infinity enters into the experience of finitude to enliven it as a soul to a body.

Just as the figurative "long countenance" of Arich Anpin symbolizes infinite patience, the "small countenance" of Ze'ir Anpin symbolizes relative impatience. By the deeds of mortals, Ze'ir Anpin may become "angered" and the extent of his partzuf reduced. Ze'ir Anpin is identified with the archetypal soul of Jacob, the third patriarch. As the extent of the partzuf Ze'ir Anpin fluctuates in accord with the deeds of mortals (unlike the higher partzufim) as explained above, Jacob possesses two essential names, Jacob and Israel When relatively small, he is called Jacob, when fully grown in spirit he is called Israel. In Chassidut it is explained that the name Jacob refers to the service of the Beinoni (the level of Divine service obtainable by all Jewish souls), while the name Israel refers to the service of the Tzaddik (the uniquely righteous souls of each generation).