THE WORLD OF BERIAH (CREATION)
(Last updated 7/27/01)

The world of Beriah (Creation) comes forth from the changeless world of Azilut. With this beginning of Creation, comes the first true separation from the purely Divine. With this separation from the perfectly Divine world of Azilut, many concepts come into existence such as; dissimilarity, day and night, past and future, male and female, and with these the concepts of time, imperfection, imbalance and change -- and thus, evil.

Isaiah 45:7 - I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Beriah is considered "Heaven" proper. Thus, the Malkhut of Beriah, is "the Kingdom of Heaven." The Hebrew term for "heaven" is Shamaim, which is plural. This plurality is reflected in the idea of the "seven heavens" within Beriah. Shamaim is also a combination of the root words for fire and water. Beriah lies between the "fire" of Azilut above, and the "water" of Yezirah below.

As Azilut is a World of pure consciousness; Beriah symbolizes the Spiritual World apart from God, and includes the elements of time and space. With the emergence of this world of separation we begin to deal with material which is to be found in the Bible. Where Genesis 1:1 states, "In the beginning ...", this implies both separation and time and the world of Beriah/Creation. The Name of God used in the Hebrew text with regard to creation, is "Elohim," which is a plural form.

Beriah/Creation contains the essential nature of all those things which are to come into being. It is also the location of the Divine Throne, Archangels and various spirits involved in implementing the Will of God. (This is the "third Heaven" mentioned by Paul in his Corinthian epistle.) Beriah is also called "the World of Separate Intelligence," as it is a world of essences, principles and ideas. As it is "heaven," it is associated with the color blue.

Associated with the Sephirah of Keter within Beriah is Metatron, the head of creation, through whom all three lower worlds (Beriah, Yezirah, Asiyyah), were made. Metatron, as previously mentioned, bears such a close resemblance to the image of God, that he is called the "Lesser YHWH."

This is reflected in the book of Hebrews, which states that Yeshua made these world and is in the image of God:

Hebrews 1:1-3 - God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

The World of Beriah - the Spiritual Realm / Archangels

Here we take a "top-down" view of the Tree of Life in Beriah. The world of Beriah is the Throne Room of God and inhabited by the Archangels. Keter = Metatron, God as Creator, the "Lesser YHWH," simultaneously the Tipheret of Azilut, the Beauty of God. Hochma = Raziel (Revelation) Binah = Zaphkiel (Contemplation) Da'at = the Bat Kol (literally "Daughter of the Voice," also called the "Voice of Heaven"), the Spirit hovering over the face of the Waters (Genesis 1:2), also called the "Spirit of Messiah" (see Tipheret below), the "Image of God" and "Knowledge of Creation." Chesed = Zadkiel (Good) Gevura = Samael (Evil) Tipheret = Michael (Chief of Hosts), the Sephirah of the Messiah and the Four "Holy Animals" of the books of Ezekiel and Revelation. Simultaneously the Malkut of Azilut and the Keter of Yezirah (where the three upper worlds meet). The "Beauty of Creation." Netzah = Haniel (Grace) Hod = Raphael (Healing) Yesod = Gabriel (Spiritual Knowledge), guardian to the foundation of the Spiritual World of Beriah. Simultaneously the Da'at of Yezirah and "door" into the Heavenly Throne Room. Malkhut = Sandalphon (Guardian Spirit) Simultaneously the Tipheret of Yezirah and the Keter of Asiyya (where the three lower worlds meet).