MALKHUT
The Light of Faith and Prayer
Malkhut translates as kingship and implies authority, similar to that of a monarch who wields power over his domain. In a deeper sense, Malkhut represents the Authority of God. As mentioned earlier (see p. 59), Malkhut is the vessel that manifests the Light of Keter. God’s Light originates at such a lofty level that we are unable to access it; it must be filtered down through all Ten Sefirot until it reaches Malkhut, from where it can shine onto us and our world.
By mastering all the energies that devolve until they reach Malkhut, we can attain the right to authority. We can become an authority in our field. We can be an authority to others. Through Malkhut, we can learn to exercise control and to use power beneficially for ourselves, our neighbors and communities. Though power often corrupts those who wield it, the fact that we have grounded our efforts on the moral base of Yesod (see previous chapter) helps us act with controlled energy rather than dictatorial whim.
Conceptually, Malkhut represents the mouth. It is the mouth that issues the king’s edicts. Furthermore, just as a person reveals his innermost thoughts when he speaks them aloud, Malkhut represents the revelation of God and His Kingdom. When we perform acts that evoke God’s Malkhut (such as the recital of the Shma, which the Talmud explains is “kabbalat of Malkhut Shamayim—accepting the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven”), we draw the energy of Malkhut (control and power) into our lives. As Rebbe Nachman teaches, “Everything we do—praying, Torah study, performing mitzvot, eating, earning a livelihood and much more—has one fundamental aim: to reveal the kingship of God”
(Likutey Moharan I, 77).
Malkhut is also said to correspond to one’s mate. No one can attain his goals on his own. All life is a series of give-and-take relationships that unify benefactor and beneficiary (see p. 53). just as a husband and wife unite to bring about the birth of their child, so too all the higher energies (the benefactor) unite with Malkhut (the beneficiary) to “give birth” to our ideas and our potential.
We can access this Sefirah and release its energy into our lives with two powerful tools: faith and prayer.
Taken from Hidden Treasure
Written By Chaim Kramer
QUESTION FOR COMMENT: HAVE HAVE READ HIDDEN TREASURE? WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM IT?
Copyright (R) 2009 Breslov Research Institute
