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Gevurah

גבורה

Gevurah (restraint) · also: גבורות

The Sefirah of might (the left; Yitzchak), opposite Chesed: described as what limits and contracts Chesed’s flow, and as the life-force in greater intensity, which becomes judgment; included in Chesed, it gives life.

The word גבורה also means might or strength in the ordinary sense (גבור, “who is mighty? one who conquers his inclination”; גבורות גשמים, the might of rain). It means the Sefirah when the text writes בחי׳ גבורה, pairs it with Chesed (חו״ג), speaks of ה׳ גבורות, גבורות דאבא / דאימא, the left, or Yitzchak.

Where it’s explained

  1. Torah Ohr, Noach 3, ¶3Gevurah, from “tigbores,” is the life-force from Or Ein Sof coming with far greater intensity than in Chesed, which comes in coolness and can spread far down; as it descends it becomes judgment, since one unfit cannot receive so intense a flow. These are the seven kings of Tohu.אלא הפי׳ מדה״ד הוא בחי׳ גבורה לשון תגבורת שכח החיות מאור א״ס בא בהתגברות יותר מבחי׳ החסד
  2. Likkutei Torah, Tazria 2, ¶2Chesed and Gevurah include each other: the south, which is Chesed, holds the intense heat of the sun because every contraction comes from the limiting gevuros, and vessels too are of Gevurah; the north, which is Gevurah, holds the cold of Chesed.וכל צמצום הוא מחמת הגבורות המגבילים וגם הכלים הם מבחי׳ גבורות
  3. Torah Ohr, Vayeira 1, ¶25The gevuros go from below upward and are called “short”: they shorten and limit the flow of Chesed, which spreads from above to below, so that it matches the ascent from below.וגבורות שהן ממטה למעלה נק׳ קציר שהוא מקצר ומגביל השפעת החסד
  4. Likkutei Torah, Nasso 4, ¶2Every birth needs warmth, which is of Gevurah, so the Name Havayah that brings all into being includes it; included in the right it is the main source of life and being, but not included, as in Tohu, it branches into harsh judgments and the accusers above.שכל הולדה א״א להיות כ״א ע״י חמימות שהוא מבחי׳ גבורה
  5. Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 21, ¶2The kelipos are rooted in the gevuros; iskafya and is’hapcha in a person sweeten the gevuros below and arouse the same above. Sweetening does not remove them: the gevuros themselves become sweet, like sour food made into a preserve, and are then finer than before.ופי׳ וענין המיתוק היינו שהגבורות עצמן נעשים מתוקים

Stated differently

Whether Gevurah, the attribute of judgment, is contraction and limitation

Likkutei Torah, Tazria 2, ¶2וכל צמצום הוא מחמת הגבורות המגבילים

Every contraction comes from the limiting gevuros, and the vessels too are of Gevurah.

Likkutei Torah, Tzav 5, ¶2ונודע דמדת הגבורה הוא בחי׳ צמצום

It is known that the attribute of Gevurah is contraction: for light to shine in Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah it must come through contraction.

Torah Ohr, Noach 3, ¶3ואין הפי׳ כמו שהעולם סוברין שמדה״ד הוא בחי׳ צמצום ומניעת ההשפעה

The attribute of judgment is not, as commonly held, contraction and withholding of the flow, since Gevurah is one of the Sefiros that give life (blood comes from it); it is the life-force coming in greater intensity, which the unfit cannot receive.

Discussed by

  • The Rebbe Rashab · Sefer HaMaamarim 5672–5676, p. קצט

    The Rebbe Rashab says the same act is contraction only from the giver’s side, while from the recipient’s side it is not a withholding but the fulfillment of Chesed.

    אמנם לגבי המשפיע בעצמו הנה זהו גבורה וצמצום לצמצם עצמו ולחלק השפע לפרטים ולהלביש ולהעלים השפע

  • The Rebbe · Sefer HaMaamarim (bilti muga) 5724, p. לז

    After granting that Gevurah is the contraction the flow needs, the Rebbe argues that heat (Gevurah) increases and enlarges, so through Gevurah the flow comes in greater abundance.

    יש גם מעלת הגבורה על החסד, שדוקא ע״י הגבורה תהי׳ ההשפעה בריבוי ביותר

Further in Chassidus

  1. The Tzemach Tzedek · Or HaTorah, Vayikra vol. 2, p. תריט

    The Tzemach Tzedek calls Gevurah’s restraint the outer side of its vessel, with awe as its inner side, and shows prohibition in the Torah flowing from Gevurah wherever Chochmah finds something that cannot be elevated.ועד״ז יובן במדת הגבורה והצמצום שהוא חיצוניות הכלי ופנימיותה הוא היראה

  2. The Rebbe Rashab · Sefer HaMaamarim 5672–5676, p. קצט

    The Rebbe Rashab explains Gevurah as dividing and clothing the flow so the recipient can take it in, and shows how this makes Gevurah-within-Chesed for the giver and Chesed-within-Gevurah for the recipient.וא״כ הרי גבורה זו שהוא בהתחלקות לפרטים ובהתלבשות בלבושים והעלמות אינו ענין העדר השפעה וגילוי

  3. The Rebbe · Sefer HaMaamarim (bilti muga) 5724, p. לז

    The Rebbe explains why Gevurah’s contraction and division are needed for the flow to reach its recipients, and adds that Gevurah’s root is higher than Chesed’s, as fire rises toward its source.והנה נוסף על הצורך בענין הגבורה לפי שדוקא ע״י הצמצום וההתחלקות תוכל להיות ההשפעה אל המקבלים

Short quotes, © their publishers; each page opened by a second AI reader.

Main sources

Torah Ohr, Noach 3, ¶3Torah Ohr, Noach 3, ¶4Likkutei Torah, Tazria 2, ¶2Likkutei Torah, Vaeschanan 12, ¶16Likkutei Torah, Nasso 4, ¶2Likkutei Torah, Korach 1, ¶37Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 21, ¶2Torah Ohr, Vayeira 1, ¶25

Where it appears

In 416 paragraphs of 200 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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