The Tree of Life

The Tree of Life contains some of the writings of Chayyim Vital (1542-1620) who was a noted student of Isaac Luria. The Tree of Life contains a detailed framework through which the Kabbalah and the Bible can be interpreted and understood. One of Vital's primary goals was to reconcile the apparent contradictive descriptions and statements found within the Kabbalah and Bible. This volume contains a translation of the first part of the Fifth Palace of the Tree of Life, which is the Palace of Zeir Anpin. In this volume, Vital describes the establishment of Zeir Anpin in detail and from various perspectives. Consequently, various other topics are explained including the secret of circumcision, the development of the soul, the resurrection of the dead, the secret of Adonai, the secret of legs, the secret of kab, the secret of muteness, the destruction and restoration of the Temple, the interpretation of the Sefer Yetziarh, and aspects of the cosmological function of the Messiah.