The Sefirot (Part 3)

The next pair of Sefirot are Netzach, which can be translated as Eternity or Victory, and Hod, which literally means Splendor, but  is taken to mean submission, surrender, or sincerity. Kindness and Judgment are God-oriented, they describe God's ultimate goals in His interactions with man. Netzach and Hod account for humanity's ability to receive Kindness and Judgment. Thus, while God’s ultimate aim in a series of events may be one of great kindness, the person may not initially perceive it as such. Nonetheless, God can take the eternal (Netzach) view and His ultimate aim is always achieved. Similarly, while the wicked may seem at times to prosper, and the righteous must submit or surrender, this is only temporary. God is the true Judge and justice will eventually reign. 

Understandably, prophecy and prayer flow from these Sefirot. The prophet can foresee that what true today will not be true tomorrow. Isaiah foresaw the subjugation of Judea while it was a regional power under King Uzziah. He then foresaw the ultimate redemption after Samaria (the northern kingdom of Israel) and a large portion of Judea was exiled by Assyria. Prayer as well flows from Hod for the opposite reason. Prayer attest to both our submission to God, and our confidence that justice will prevail in the face of evil. Finally, fear and awe of God also grow from Hod. When we finally see justice, and realize that those who were so powerful do fall in the face of God’s judgement, we are filled with awe of God’s power and God’s justice. 

The Sefirot of Netzach and Hod are represented by Moses and Aaron, respectively. Moses is the ultimate prophet. When he first returns to Egypt the situation actually worsens for the Jewish slaves. Nevertheless, according to our Sages, this increase in workload was actually for their benefit as it allowed them to leave Egypt sooner. Moses is also the great lawgiver, bringing God’s Torah, which He gave to us out of His great kindness. 

Aaron is, of course, the first High Priest. In that role he oversaw the Tabernacle (or, in later times, the High Priest looked over the Temple) the ultimate place of prayer. It is also the place of repentance, inspiration, and learning through which Jews came to awe of God. 

The tribulations of the righteous before ultimate victory and the prosperity of the wicked before ultimate defeat, are classical themes in novels of all cultures. Added elements of the biblical figures, prayer and prophecy will transform the novels in our Jewish Narnia into works manifesting particularly Jewish themes.