Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Kisei
כסא
The Throne (kisei; kes)
The Throne (kisei, read kes-alef, “covering of the Alef”): what lowers and conceals G‑d’s light, as one lowers oneself to sit, so that worlds separate from Him can come into being.
Where it’s explained
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 5, ¶11On “upon the likeness of the Throne, a likeness as the appearance of a man”: created beings of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, limited and separate, cannot come straight from the “man” above, which is utter bittul. They come through the supernal man’s sitting on the Throne: sitting is a lowering, “Havayah sits as King,” and the Throne, kes-alef, is a garment that clothes and hides the light of the Alef, “the Master of the world,” so that a separate yesh can exist.
והיינו ע״י הכסא כס א׳ שהוא בחי׳ לבוש להלביש ולהעלים האור וחיות הנמשך מבחי׳ אל״ף אלופו של עולם
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 42, ¶6The attributes of Atzilus bear no comparison to the delight of created souls, so how can Gan Eden draw from them? Through the partition (parsa) between Atzilus and Beriah, through which only their radiance passes. “The heavens are My throne”: as a person who sits lowers his body and his head, so through the partition, called the Throne, the attributes of Atzilus, called “the body,” are lowered and their light shines in Beriah.
כך הוא ענין הפרסא הנ״ל שנק׳ כסא שבו וע״י נמשכים ונשפלים המדות דאצי׳ הנק׳ גופא
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 1, ¶36Yeshayah did not grasp G‑d’s kingship (the name Ado-nai) as it is before it enters the worlds, only as clothed in them as memalei. “I saw Ado-nai sitting on a throne” is His kingship drawn down to be clothed in the world of Beriah, which is called the Throne, after Gevuros and contractions that limit the light.
וז״ש ישעיה ראיתי את אד׳ יושב על כסא כו׳ דהיינו כשנמשך להתלבש בעולם הבריאה הנק׳ כסא כנודע
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 11, ¶8“Techeles resembles the sea, the sea the sky, the sky the Throne of Glory,” His kingship, from which the worlds receive life through bittul, accepting the yoke of Heaven; the separate and the sitra achra draw no life from there. A throne is bittul, as a chair is nullified to the one who sits on it.
וזהו דומה לכסא הכבוד כי כסא בחי׳ ביטול כמו שהכסא בטל לגבי היושב עליה
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 8, ¶19“The Throne is not whole”: kisei is kes-alef. The Alef, Chochmah and Binah, is the Torah, which came down and was covered in physical coverings, the matters of Zeraim and Moed. As one lowers oneself to sit on a chair, the Torah here is the “back” and outer side clothed in this world, and the Throne is the chariot for that lowered back.
היא התורה ירדה ונתכסה בכסויים גשמיים כמו כל עניני זרעים ומועד
Stated differently
Where the Throne is: the world of Beriah, the partition between Atzilus and Beriah, or Malchus of Atzilus
כי הנה עולם הבריאה שהוא עולם השרפים נקרא עולם הכסאBeriah, the world of the seraphim, is called the world of the Throne, kes-alef: though its angels are in bittul, they still have a separate existence and so cover and hide the Alef, the Master of the world.
ועי״ז נושאות את הכסא שהוא ראש עולם הבריאהThe Ofanim and Chayos carry the Throne, which is the head of the world of Beriah.
כי בחי׳ כסא הוא בחי׳ פרסא המפסיק בין אצי׳ לבריאה כסא כס א׳The Throne is the partition that divides Atzilus from Beriah; the elders saw only what is below it, “under His feet,” as clothed in Beriah, while Moshe drew near to the lights of Atzilus.
גדולה תשובה שמגעת עד כסא הכבוד מל׳ דאצילותTeshuvah reaches the Throne of Glory, which is Malchus of Atzilus, called “blessing”: there even the lowest dust of the kelipos is included and curse turns to blessing.
הנה שם הוי״ה הוא בז״א וכסא במל׳On “the Name is not whole and the Throne is not whole”: the Name Havayah is in Zeir Anpin and the Throne in Malchus (2:3: the Throne is the partzuf of Malchus).
ע׳ בע״ח שער כסא הכבוד שהוא היכל קה״ק דבריאה וע׳ בסש״ב) (ח״א פנ״ג). א״נ שהמלכות דאצילות עצמה נק׳ כסאGives both: the Throne of Glory is the Heichal of the Holy of Holies of Beriah (citing Etz Chaim), or else Malchus of Atzilus itself is called the Throne (citing the explanation on Parshas Zachor).
Main sources
Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 5, ¶11Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 5, ¶17Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 6, ¶4Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 42, ¶6Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 3, ¶8Likkutei Torah, Emor 1, ¶36Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 8, ¶19
Where it appears
In 183 paragraphs of 107 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 15 ¶8 ¶25
- Likkutei Torah, Behar 3 ¶10 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 1 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 1 ¶36
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 4 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 8 ¶16 ¶19
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 4 ¶8 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 6 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 7 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 22 ¶2 ¶17 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 4 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 7 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 1 ¶5 ¶6 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 8 ¶1 ¶19 ¶27 ¶28
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 12 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 7 ¶14 ¶15 ¶16 ¶18 ¶19 ¶26 ¶42 ¶43
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 1 ¶3 ¶4 ¶9 ¶12 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 1 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 2 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 3 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 7 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 6 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 9 ¶1 ¶5 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 16 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 41 ¶16 ¶17 ¶20 ¶25
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 42 ¶6 ¶8 ¶9 ¶10 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 1 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 3 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 5 ¶7 ¶23
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 11 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 2 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 16 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 2 ¶2 ¶4 ¶11 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Va’eira 1 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 5 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 4 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 2 ¶26
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 8 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 29 ¶7 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini 2 ¶2 ¶3 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 4 ¶17 ¶18 ¶38 ¶41
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 3 ¶8 ¶9 ¶10 ¶19 ¶43
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 2 ¶5
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 6 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Toldos 2 ¶6 ¶31
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 1 ¶22
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 2 ¶18 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 3 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 11 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8 ¶29
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 11 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 23 ¶11 ¶16
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 14 ¶23
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 5 ¶1 ¶11 ¶12 ¶16 ¶17 ¶18 ¶19 ¶20 ¶22 ¶31 ¶34 ¶35 ¶36
- Torah Ohr, Noach 4 ¶17
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 4 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 9 ¶1
- Torah Ohr, Parshas Zachor 2 ¶2 ¶3 ¶7 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 3 ¶6 ¶18
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 2 ¶13 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Parshas Zachor 1 ¶1 ¶4 ¶28 ¶31
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 3 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 6 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 8 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 34 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 4 ¶7 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 10 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 1 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 5 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 18 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 8 ¶18
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 6 ¶4 ¶5 ¶10
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 8 ¶9 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Kedoshim 2 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 3 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 3 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 19 ¶13 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 20 ¶26
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 4 ¶4 ¶6 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 4 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 5 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 7 ¶1
- Torah Ohr, Terumah 1 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 4 ¶24 ¶33
- Torah Ohr, Vayakhel 1 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 14 ¶5
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 4 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 4 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 1 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 8 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 12 ¶38
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 6 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 6 ¶28
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 20 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 6 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 13 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 2 ¶31
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 17 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 5 ¶19
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 5 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 26 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 1 ¶29
- Torah Ohr, Tetzaveh 3 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 1 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 1 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 9 ¶15
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.