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Ein Sof

אין סוף

The Infinite One (Ein Sof)

The name for G‑d as without end or limit, beyond all grasp; what is drawn from Him is Or Ein Sof, only a radiance; all revelation comes from Malchus of Ein Sof.

The word אין סוף literally means “without end” (אין לו סוף), and as a name is usually written א״ס ב״ה. Distinguish א״ס from אור א״ס (the light, a radiance) and from מל׳ דא״ס (Malchus of Ein Sof, its lowest level). It is also used relatively: Atik is called Ein Sof relative to Atzilus (Shir HaShirim 25:8), and Keser is sometimes called Or Ein Sof (Shir HaShirim 8:3).

Where it’s explained

  1. Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8, ¶3The light that brings the Sefiros into being is like the sun’s radiance, which makes no change in the sun itself; so it is called Or Ein Sof, a mere radiance. Light from the essence of the Emanator comes to be revealed, even in Atzilus, only through an intermediary, Keser, which holds the lowest level of the Emanator: His Name, the power to radiate included in His essence.ואף האור המהוה כל הספירות הוא רק כמו זיו השמש אשר אינו פועל שום שינוי בעצם המאור לכן נקרא בשם אור א״ס שהוא לשון זיו והארה בעלמא
  2. Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8, ¶24Of the essence of Ein Sof one cannot say even “encompasses all worlds” or “You are wise”: it is utterly simple, unchanged since before creation. All drawing down and revelation is only from Malchus of Ein Sof, from which Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah descend by a leap, through the kav.כי עצמות א״ס פשוט בתכלית הפשיטות
  3. Likkutei Torah, Masei 8, ¶11The “supernal Atzilus,” which is Or Ein Sof, is called Malchus only as Etz Chaim says: it is the lowest of all levels of Ein Sof, as if Malchus of Malchus, though there is no form or Sefirah there, said only “to ease the ear.” The kav, though a radiance of Ein Sof itself, comes only after the tzimtzum and the empty space.הוא הבחי׳ היותר תחתונה ושפלה מכל בחי׳ א״ס
  4. Likkutei Torah, Balak 2, ¶14No necessity applies to Ein Sof; He is omnipotent, and limited beings can come into being from Him, through His Malchus, which withdraws and conceals Ein Sof; were it not hidden, they would be nullified like a candle before a torch.שעל בחי׳ א״ס אין שייך ענין הכרח כלל אלא הוא ית׳ כל יכול ויכול להתהוות מבחי׳ א״ס בעלי גבול
  5. Torah Ohr, Yisro 10, ¶28A created, limited soul that is stirred by Ein Sof, who is without limit and beyond all thought, is a “voice,” a drawing from the unlimited into the limited; the mixed multitude were moved only by the size of the heavenly spheres, a yesh, not by Ein Sof.א״ס ב״ה שאינו בבחי׳ גבול ולית מחשבה תפיסא ביה כלל

Stated differently

Whether the name Ein Sof describes His essence, or only His Name, the light drawn from Him

Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 2, ¶22ותירץ דמה שאנו קורין אין סוף אין ר״ל לתאר מהותו ועצמותו יתעלה ח״ו

Citing the Ramaz and Pelach HaRimon: we do not say Ein Sof to describe His essence, of which “silence is praise,” but of His Name, the light drawn from Him, which has no end; that is why it is called Ein Sof rather than “without beginning.”

Torah Ohr, Bo 1, ¶1הנה ידוע שמהותו ועצמותו של הא״ס ב״ה הוא פשוט בתכלית הפשיטות

The very essence of the Ein Sof is utterly simple; attributes like wise or merciful do not apply to it at all, and even Chochmah is like physical action before Him.

Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 42, ¶3אך המאציל א״ס ב״ה הוא למעלה מעלה מבחי׳ אור

The Emanator, Ein Sof, is far above light, even above surrounding light; the lights (chayohi) come from Him, and “He” (ihu) is the essence of the Emanator.

Likkutei Torah, Vaeschanan 7, ¶1שא״ס ב״ה כשמו כן הוא אין לו סוף כו׳ כי נשגב שמו לבדו

Ein Sof, as His name so is He: without end; He alone is exalted, and only the radiance of His Name is on earth and heaven, the lower and upper Gan Eden.

Main sources

Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8, ¶3Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8, ¶24Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 2, ¶22Likkutei Torah, Masei 8, ¶11Torah Ohr, Bo 1, ¶1Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 42, ¶3

Where it appears

In 648 paragraphs of 258 maamarim.

Written with AI from the paragraphs of Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah, each entry checked by a second AI reader and every Hebrew quote checked by code; not yet reviewed by a person. Our English: CC BY-NC 4.0.

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