Exploring the Nature of God: Beyond Names and Attributes in Kabbalistic, Islamic, Apocryphal, Hermetic, and Zoharic Teachings
Introduction
The journey to comprehend the Divine spans centuries and cultures, from Jewish mysticism to Islamic theology, Hermetic philosophy, and various apocryphal texts. This exploration brings together insights from Kabbalistic thought, particularly the teachings of the Zohar and the Ramchal, as well as perspectives from Islamic, Kolbrin, and Hermetic sources like The Kybalion. In these traditions, the Divine is seen as both profoundly near and utterly beyond reach—manifesting through attributes and names yet remaining unfathomable in essence.
The Ramchal and the Zohar: Insights into Divine Attributes and Ein Sof
The Zohar introduces Ein Sof ("The Infinite"), representing the boundless nature of God that precedes all attributes and descriptions. The Ramchal deepens this concept by explaining that while Divine attributes, or sefirot, are necessary for humans to relate to God, they do not define His essence. According to the Ramchal, these emanations allow creation to perceive aspects of God, but they are not God Himself; they are simply ways through which His will is expressed in the world.
In Kabbalah, God is referred to as Ein Sof—the Infinite—representing an unmanifest, unknowable Divine Essence. Ein Sof is understood to be beyond all names, attributes, and human comprehension. As stated in the Zohar:
"Before form and image were created, He [Ein Sof] was without form or likeness. Thus, it is forbidden to perceive Him in any way, even through the letters of His holy name or any symbol."
The Sefer Emek HaMelech and other Kabbalistic works emphasize this distinction between God’s essence and His attributes. The idea is that God, in His ultimate form, is utterly beyond the grasp of human minds and definitions. His names, such as Elohim, Shaddai, and Adonai, are not intrinsic to His essence but are ways through which He manifests in creation, allowing His presence to be perceived and understood in specific relational aspects.
The Rambam's View: The Limits of Language in Describing the Divine
Maimonides (Rambam) expressed a similar perspective in his Guide for the Perplexed, suggesting that attributes attributed to God are either descriptions of His actions (e.g., "Merciful"—because He acts in a way that evokes mercy in human experience) or denials of what He is not (e.g., "Eternal"—indicating that He is not bound by time). Rambam warns that thinking of God as having attributes risks misunderstanding His absolute unity, akin to polytheistic conceptions. He writes:
"Those who believe that God is One and has many attributes, proclaim unity with their lips and assume pluralism in their thoughts. This is like the doctrine of Christians, who say He is One and yet He is Three… The same nature belongs to those who say God is One, but has many attributes."
In Rambam's understanding, these attributes, while functional in helping us relate to God, do not capture His essence, which remains beyond our conceptual reach.
The Ramchal clarifies in Da’at Tevunot (The Knowing Heart) that the multiplicity seen in the sefirot does not indicate division within God. Rather, they are the means through which the Infinite interacts with the finite. He writes:
“The Divine Being is simple and without complexity, but in order for His influence to descend to the created world, He chose to express different qualities.”
This aligns closely with the Zohar’s perspective that God, in His essence, is unknowable, and that the sefirot are merely conduits for Divine interaction.
The Kybalion: The Principle of Mentalism and "The All"
The Kybalion, a cornerstone of Hermetic philosophy, introduces the concept of "The All," a Divine Mind that underlies and permeates all existence. The All, much like Ein Sof, cannot be fully understood or named. In The Kybalion, it is described as a reality so vast that it is beyond the comprehension of any part within it:
"The All is Infinite Living Mind—the Illumined call it Spirit!"
In Hermetic philosophy, the Principle of Mentalism states, "The All is Mind; the Universe is Mental." This means that all of creation is an emanation of the Divine Mind, yet this Mind itself is beyond human faculties, existing as the ultimate source of all being. As The Kybalion explains:
"Under, and back of, the Universe of Time, Space, and Change, is ever to be found The Substantial Reality—the Fundamental Truth."
In Hermetic philosophy, The Kybalion describes the Divine as "The All," a concept akin to the Kabbalistic Ein Sof in its ineffability. According to the Principle of Mentalism, "The All is Mind; the Universe is Mental," suggesting that creation is an emanation of Divine Thought rather than a part of God’s essence. This Divine Mind, like the Ramchal’s and Zohar’s teachings on Ein Sof, transcends human understanding.
The Kybalion warns that any attempt to fully describe The All will ultimately fall short:
“The All is above names and beyond reach; it is unknowable and unnameable.”
The Qur'anic Perspective: Divine Transcendence Beyond Compare
The Qur'an reinforces the Divine’s transcendence, describing God as beyond all likeness and comparison. In Surah Al-Ikhlas 112:4, it states,
“And there is none comparable unto Him.”
So the Qur'an here similarly affirms the incomparability of God, by this statement, emphasizing His absolute uniqueness and transcendence.
In Surah Ar-Ra'd 13:16, the Qur'an directs believers to reflect on the futility of equating the Divine with anything else, as only God possesses true creative power:
"Say, 'Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?' Say, 'Allah.' Say, 'Have you then taken protectors other than Him, who have no power either for benefit or harm for themselves?' Say, 'Is the blind equal to the one who sees, or are darkness and light the same?'"
The Qur'an here uses rhetorical questions to illustrate the incomparability of God’s essence and actions, highlighting that names and attributes serve as guides but can never equate with God’s true nature.
Islamic theology maintains that while God’s names reveal aspects of His presence, they do not capture His essence. Divine names such as Ar-Rahman (The Merciful) and As-Samad (The One that cover and connect, bind everything) reflect ways in which creation experiences the Divine, yet He remains beyond all attributes.
This aligns with the Ramchal’s understanding that God’s names and attributes are expressions of Divine interaction rather than essence—a theme also emphasized in the Zohar and The Kybalion. The Divine as As-Samad, meaning “the One who holds together, bind” or “links all things,” reflects the understanding of God as the source and sustainer, a role echoed by Ein Sof and The All.
Kolbrin Bible: The Hidden, Nameless God
The Kolbrin Bible’s concept of the Eternal aligns with the Zohar, Hermetic, and Qur'anic notions of a God beyond human grasp. Describing the Eternal as a boundless, nameless essence, the Kolbrin states in CRT 1:3-4:
"Before the beginning, there was only one consciousness, that of the Eternal, whose nature cannot be expressed by words... This Great Being, remaining nameless, is the beginning and the end, beyond time, beyond mortal understanding."
In SCL 10:6, we see a mystical passage where the seeker passes beyond the realm of names and attributes, standing in awe before the Unnamed:
"I passed beyond those with names to come into the presence of the Great One whom no one names, whose name men do not know. I reached the destination of ages; I attained the ultimate goal."
These passages suggest that God’s true nature, according to the Kolbrin, remains veiled and inaccessible, a theme shared with Kabbalistic and Qur'anic thought.
The Kolbrin echoes the understanding in the Zohar and the Ramchal that Divine names and attributes are not definitions of God but only guides for human comprehension.
The Ramchal on Divine Emanations and the Purpose of Creation
The Ramchal elaborates that the multiplicity of Divine attributes exists for the sake of creation’s understanding. In Derech Hashem (The Way of God), he describes that God’s essence remains hidden, with Divine actions serving as “rays of light” that emanate to illuminate creation. This multiplicity enables a relational framework, allowing humanity to recognize justice, mercy, and wisdom in Divine actions without assuming they represent God’s essence.
Divine Veils and Mysteries in the Zohar and Hermeticism
The Zohar presents Ein Sof as veiled within layers of mystery, suggesting that creation is only a reflection of the Infinite. It says in Zohar 1:22b:
“Ein Sof is the most concealed of all, beyond grasping or knowing… veiled and hidden in the highest mystery.”
This mirrors The Kybalion’s Principle of Correspondence, “As above, so below; as below, so above,” asserting that the Divine essence is mirrored but not contained in the created order.
The Zohar emphasizes that even the highest spiritual beings cannot fathom Ein Sof directly. This perspective resonates with the Qur'anic insistence on Divine incomparability and with the Ramchal’s teaching that no created being can truly comprehend God’s essence, only His manifestations.
Names and Attributes as Pathways to the Divine
Each tradition speaks to the purpose of Divine names and attributes as pathways toward understanding. In Kabbalistic thought, the sefirot serve as intermediaries, allowing creation to experience aspects of God. Similarly, Islamic teachings on the Asma ul-Husna (The 99 Beautiful Names of God) present Divine attributes as ways to recognize God’s interaction with the world, even though they fall short of capturing His essence.
While Divine names and attributes offer ways to connect with God, they are understood in these traditions as representing distinct aspects of God’s interactions with creation rather than His ultimate nature. Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto) in Adir B'Marom articulates this idea:
"Thus, Rabbi Eliahu in his prayer said that Ein Sof cannot be bounded by any name… The use of His name, blessed be He, does not mean Ein Sof itself, but rather that God possesses names so that creation can connect with Him in some aspect. A name is only for others, not His essence."
Each tradition examined here suggests that divine names and attributes serve as ways for humanity to relate to the Divine rather than capturing its essence. Ramchal describes this idea, noting that names like El and Rahman offer glimpses of God's manifestations but fall short of expressing the Infinite. Similarly, The Kybalion warns that even the concept of "The All" is ultimately just an idea or metaphor, for:
"The All is beyond all names, expressions, or even the highest conceptions that man can think of."
These attributes, names, and metaphors function as guides to help humanity experience aspects of the Divine, allowing us to approach what is otherwise a reality beyond form.
The Ramchal emphasizes that God’s simplicity and unity mean that no attribute can define Him. Instead, these attributes are “garments” or “pathways” through which God’s actions are made accessible to humanity, allowing for a relationship between Creator and creation.
In each tradition, there is an acknowledgment that while we may call upon the Divine through names and attributes, these only represent the "shadows" or "reflections" of the unknowable. Thus, understanding God, as the Kolbrin Bible states, demands humility and the recognition that true comprehension lies beyond human grasp:
"I have come to the presence of the Great One who none can name... For He who is nameless knows every name." (SCL:25:5)
This exploration underscores a shared view across traditions: the Infinite Divine, while made accessible through various names and symbols, ultimately transcends human understanding, inviting us into a relationship rooted in wonder and reverence rather than knowledge or mastery.
Unity Amidst Diversity: The Divine Mystery
Throughout these traditions, there exists an emphasis on the essential unity of the Divine, despite the diversity of manifestations. The Zohar portrays Ein Sof as the singular source behind all forms, while The Kybalion’s All is a unified Mind manifesting through creation. The Qur’an and Kolbrin Bible likewise speak to a reality beyond comprehension, where all creation is a reflection of, but not identical to, the Infinite.
The Hermetic tradition, like Kabbalistic and Islamic teachings, suggests that seeking knowledge of the Divine involves embracing mystery and accepting the limitations of human understanding. As The Kybalion teaches, the human mind can only grasp shadows and reflections of The All, just as Kabbalah and the Qur'an caution against equating any name or form with the true essence of God. The Kolbrin Bible also emphasizes this humility before the Divine:
"Now, in our days, God has many different forms in the eyes of men... But Truth can never bow to man’s limited understanding; man’s understanding must expand to comprehend it."
In this way, all these traditions invite seekers to approach the Divine with reverence, acknowledging that while attributes, names, and principles serve as aids, the Infinite remains ever beyond complete understanding.
Conclusion
The Zohar, the Ramchal’s teachings, The Kybalion, the Qur'an, and the Kolbrin Bible offer profound insights into the nature of the Divine, each emphasizing that while Divine attributes and names provide pathways to understanding, they do not capture the essence of God. Through attributes, the Infinite interacts with the finite, yet remains a boundless Reality, cloaked in mystery and unity. The Zohar’s Ein Sof, the Ramchal’s teachings on Divine emanations, Hermetic "All," Qur'anic God beyond compare, and Kolbrin’s Eternal all call seekers to transcend the limits of thought and embrace the mystery of the Divine—a journey of humility, insight, and wonder.
