כֶּתֶר

Crown

Keter, or Crown, is the first of the ten sefirot and corresponds to the super-conscious realm of experience. Thus, the image of a “crown,” which suggests an aura surrounding one’s consciousness.

In the configuration of the sefirot, keter appears at the top of the middle axis.

“The supernal crown is the crown of kingdom.” The first, highest of the Divine emanations – keter – is thus linked to the last – malchut (kingdom). Malchut being the “realisation” or ultimate manifestation of the Will of the Creator.

The numerology of keter is 620. This is the full number of God’s commandments to Israel. The text of the Ten Commandments possesses 620 letters, for all of the 620 commandments are included in the Ten Commandments. The secret of the 620 commandments is that from keter (=620) are projected “620 pillars of light” which serve to connect the ceiling of keter to the floor of malchut. These pillars of light encompass the souls of Israel that devotedly fulfil the will (keter) of the King of Kings (malchut).

The sefirah of keter develops into two personas. Its external persona corresponds to the superconscious power of will in the soul. Its inner persona corresponds to the power of pleasure in the soul.

The seven lower sefirot are enclothed within the external persona, thus introducing pleasure as a primary motivational force driving the will. The three upper sefirot, which are not enclothed, represent the unadulterated pleasure of faith – deriving from the experience of one’s essential rootedness within Divinity.

Hence, we speak of the three heads of keter referred to as:

• The elongated head corresponding to the force of will;
• The head of nothingness corresponding to the force of pleasure, and
• The unknowable head corresponding to the force of faith.

These three heads of keter correspond to the three meanings of the word keter in Hebrew. In addition to meaning “crown,” the root keter means both “to wait” and “to surround.”

The meaning “to wait” corresponds to “the unknowable head” of keter, for we wait, in perfect faith, for that level of God’s essential Divinity, absolutely hidden and concealed from the consciousness of this world, to become revealed in the consciousness of the world to come.

The meaning “crown” corresponds, in particular, to “the head of nothingness,” the source of Divine pleasure in the soul. The “crown” symbolises the spiritual power to receive and integrate into one’s consciousness the pleasure of Divine revelation, as our sages express with regard to the world to come: “the righteous sit with their crowns on their heads and receive pleasure from the radiance of the Divine Presence”.

The meaning “to surround” corresponds to “the elongated head,” the level of supernal will. The power of will “surrounds” all of the conscious powers of the soul (corresponding to the Divine emanations from chochmah to malchut). It forces them to manifest themselves in accord with its directions.

The power of will, “the elongated head” of keter, reflects God’s omnipotence. Likewise, the Divine state of pleasure, “the head of nothingness” of keter, reflects God’s omnipresence (“the radiance of the Divine Presence”). Perfect faith, “the unknowable head” of keter, reflects the absolute truth that “God is all, all is God.”