four worlds

According to the Kabbalah, before the Universe was created only the Ein Sof  existed.  The white surrounding the Seed in this picture represents the Ein Sof - the Infinite and Unlimited Light of God.  To create the limited realm of Souls in Time an Space, Ein Sof withdrew most of its Light from Creation.  The Kabbalists of Tzfat called this process צימצום (tzimtzum) a word that means contraction.

The Ein Sof is still in Creation, however, and is represented in this picture by the innermost, white part of this 'Seed of Creation'.  The light-brown area around that represents the… more

The Torah is sometimes called an orchard. The Hebrew for orchard is פרדס (Pardes) and its 4 letters hint at the 4 levels of Torah knowledge depicted here in 4 concentric rings.
 
1.   פשט     פ         Pshat         simple         Scripture      body
2.   רמז       ר        Remez        hinted         Mishnah      heart
3.   דרש      ד        Drash         derived        Talmud         mind
4.   סוד       ס         Sode          secret         Kabbalah      soul

1.  The outermost circle quotes the opening sentences of the first scroll of the Scriptures… more

I painted this picture not long after I made 'The Orchard of the Torah'.  I wrote the 4 letters of the Hebrew word for orchard פרדס (pardes) along the horizontal line dividing the picture in half. 

4 pairs of trees representing the 4 levels of the Torah expressed by the 4 letters of Pardes - פשט - רמז -  דרש - סוד - simple, hinted, derived and secret -.draw the eye inward to the center of the picture (as is explained in detail in my description of  'The Orchard of the Torah.')

All the branches and roots that extend from these 4 pairs of trees are  interconnected and joined… more