Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Iskafya and is’hapcha
אתכפיא ואתהפכא
Subduing and transforming (iskafya and is’hapcha) · also: אתהפכא חשוכא לנהורא
Iskafya is subduing the sitra achra: holding back the animal soul’s desires without yet changing them. Is’hapcha is transforming them, turning darkness itself to light, so they love G‑d alone.
Where it’s explained
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 1, ¶2G‑d’s dwelling in this lowest world is made through subduing the sitra achra, the evil inclination. First iskafya in the five senses, speech, action, thought and feeling, including sanctifying oneself in what is permitted; then is’hapcha, when the senses and thought become vessels for the Or Ein Sof.
ומתחלה צ״ל אתכפיא ואח״כ בחינת אתהפכא חשוכא לנהורא וענין אתכפיא זו היינו בכל ה׳ חושים
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 2, ¶19The Zohar’s saying: when the sitra achra is subdued below, through turning from evil and doing good, the concealments above are removed too, and the lights break through the vessels that limit them, revealing G‑d’s essence.
כד אתכפיא סט״א לתתא אסתלק יקרא דקב״ה בכולהו עלמין
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 8, ¶6Iskafya does not refer to outright evil but to what is permitted; it is turning yesh into ayin, which is higher than bringing yesh from ayin.
ואין פי׳ אתכפייא על רע גמור כי האומר אחטא כו׳ אין מספיקין בידו כו׳. אלא במותר לך
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 1, ¶21The purpose of the light’s descent into a dark world of separation: to turn the bad middos, the fiery love of worldly vanities and anger, to G‑d alone. This is called teshuvah, and it brings great delight above.
להפוך את כל המדות רעות שהם האהבה ורשפי אש של הבלי עולם או הכעס כו׳ להפכם שיהיו רק לה׳ לבדו
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 13, ¶5The ten powers of the G‑dly soul take hold of the ten of the animal soul in order to transform it, as a flame consumes the wick and the wick itself becomes fire.
וכמו שהפתילה עצמה נהפכת לאור ואש. כך נה״ב עצמה היא אתהפכא
Stated differently
Which reaches higher: iskafya, a complete bittul that draws from sovev, or is’hapcha, drawn from mochin d’Abba above iskafya’s mochin d’Imma
והנה בבחי׳ זו בחינת אתכפייא הוא למעלה מבחי׳ אתהפכא. כי הגם שאינו מהפך את המדות עדיין מ״מ הרי הוא בטול מכל וכלIn this respect iskafya is above is’hapcha: though he has not yet transformed his middos, he is wholly nullified, and this arousal from below draws from sovev.
שע״י אתכפיא בבחי׳ נפשי כעפר מעורר אתעדל״ע מבחי׳ סוכ״ע למעלה ממה שמעורר ע״י בחי׳ אתהפכאIskafya, “my soul like dust,” arouses a response from sovev, higher than what is aroused through is’hapcha.
שבבחי׳ אתכפייא נמשך ממוחין דאימא אך בשבת שהוא מוחין דאבא נמשך להיות אתהפכא חשוכא לנהוראIskafya is drawn from mochin d’Imma; is’hapcha comes from mochin d’Abba, revealed on Shabbos. That is for kelipas nogah; turning what is below nogah into merit comes from a higher level still, “before Havayah” on Yom Kippur.
Whether iskafya is turning from evil itself or refers only to what is permitted
ואין פי׳ אתכפייא על רע גמור כי האומר אחטא כו׳ אין מספיקין בידו כו׳. אלא במותר לךIskafya does not refer to outright evil (of one who says “I will sin…” it is said he is not given the chance [to repent]); it refers to what is permitted to you, and it is bittul of yesh to ayin.
זהו בחי׳ סור מרע והוא בחי׳ ומדרגת אתכפיא סט״א וזהו יסוד היסודותTurning from evil is the level of iskafya of the sitra achra, the foundation of foundations; after it comes is’hapcha.
Main sources
Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 1, ¶2Likkutei Torah, Shelach 2, ¶19Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 6, ¶10Torah Ohr, Vayakhel 2, ¶14Torah Ohr, Vayakhel 2, ¶15Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 1, ¶21Torah Ohr, Shemos 8, ¶6
Where it appears
In 242 paragraphs of 132 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 18 ¶4 ¶27 ¶28
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 10 ¶16 ¶18 ¶19 ¶20 ¶22 ¶25 ¶26 ¶28
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 11 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 4 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 3 ¶12 ¶14 ¶22 ¶23
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 1 ¶11 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 3 ¶2 ¶14 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 4 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 5 ¶1 ¶28 ¶37
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 18 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 36 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 4 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 4 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 7 ¶1 ¶11 ¶12 ¶14 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 3 ¶4 ¶7 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 11 ¶18 ¶19
- Torah Ohr, Vayakhel 2 ¶10 ¶12 ¶14 ¶15 ¶16 ¶19
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 4 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 1 ¶3 ¶10 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Korach 1 ¶32
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 8 ¶13 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8 ¶41 ¶48
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 2 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 6 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Terumah 1 ¶13 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Terumah 2 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Vayishlach 1 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 6 ¶6 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 8 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 15 ¶19
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 7 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Behar 2 ¶19
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 6 ¶9 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 3 ¶5 ¶8 ¶13 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 1 ¶2 ¶3 ¶4 ¶5 ¶31 ¶33 ¶53 ¶54
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 2 ¶6 ¶17 ¶18 ¶19
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 16 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 13 ¶13 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 26 ¶13 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 27 ¶1 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 37 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 1 ¶2 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 1 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Tetzaveh 3 ¶6 ¶29
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 5 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Parshas Zachor 1 ¶21 ¶22 ¶24 ¶25 ¶30
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 20 ¶4 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 3 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 2 ¶26
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 11 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 29 ¶5
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 6 ¶21 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 2 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Shabbos Shuvah 1 ¶1 ¶2 ¶3 ¶4 ¶7 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 7 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 6 ¶4 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 1 ¶10 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 1 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 1 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 11 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 17 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 1 ¶13 ¶14 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 4 ¶1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 1 ¶5 ¶16 ¶29 ¶30
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 3 ¶29
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 1 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 2 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 1 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Shabbos Shuvah 3 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 32 ¶44
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 34 ¶6 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 35 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 4 ¶5 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 10 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5 ¶15 ¶57
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 2 ¶17
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 7 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 6 ¶11 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 10 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 12 ¶16
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 15 ¶15 ¶39
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 8 ¶6 ¶22
- Torah Ohr, Toldos 2 ¶4 ¶6 ¶8 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 1 ¶18 ¶21 ¶23 ¶24 ¶25 ¶27 ¶30
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 2 ¶11 ¶14 ¶15 ¶16 ¶18
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 4 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 4 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 1 ¶10 ¶11
- Torah Ohr, Noach 1 ¶5 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 5 ¶5 ¶7 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 3 ¶6 ¶33
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 2 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 4 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 19 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 21 ¶2 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 7 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Beshalach 1 ¶32
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 4 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Kedoshim 1 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 5 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 5 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 7 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 3 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 4 ¶38
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 2 ¶14 ¶38
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 6 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 8 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 9 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 6 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 14 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 20 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 40 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 3 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 5 ¶7 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 3 ¶28 ¶29
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 2 ¶3 ¶16 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 2 ¶23
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 6 ¶10
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 1 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Lech Lecha 2 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 8 ¶29 ¶30
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 4 ¶18 ¶19
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 13 ¶5 ¶9 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 14 ¶6 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 6 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Tetzaveh 1 ¶16
- Torah Ohr, Va’eira 1 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Vayechi 1 ¶5 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Vayechi 2 ¶5
- Torah Ohr, Vayechi 3 ¶17 ¶30
- Torah Ohr, Vayechi 4 ¶21
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 1 ¶12
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.