Aravot (ערבות) – Gematria: 678 – World: Atzilut
Aravot is the highest and most sublime of the heavens. It is the realm closest to Ein Sof, where the Throne of Glory is enthroned and the Shekhinah dwells in her purest form. This is the source of the storehouses of life, righteousness, dew, and the souls of the righteous yet to descend into the world. There are no angels here, only the unified light of divine will. This heaven exists in the World of Atzilut, the realm of pure emanation, where the light of God shines unfiltered and is one with its Source.
Machon (מכון) – Gematria: 116 – World: Beriah
Machon, meaning “foundation” or “prepared place,” is the realm of divine blueprint. It is here that the Kav, the narrow beam of light that entered the vacuum post-tzimtzum, first condenses intention into purpose. Machon is where the divine plan for souls, time, and events is encoded before it flows downward. No creation yet exists here in form, but all potential is held in the divine mind. This heaven belongs to the World of Beriah, the world of creation and intellect.
Maon (מעון) – Gematria: 166 – World: Yetzirah
Maon is the dwelling of angelic praise, where choirs of seraphim, chayot, and ofanim sing without cease. The Zohar teaches that these harmonies sustain the cosmos and ascend with the spiritual fruits of human deeds. It is also the abode of the righteous who have completed their earthly tikkun and await resurrection. As the heaven of worship and beauty, Maon exists within the World of Yetzirah, the realm of formation and emotion, where divine energies are shaped into structure.
Zevul (זבול) – Gematria: 45 – World: Yetzirah
Zevul is the heaven of the Heavenly Temple, where the angel Michael offers spiritual sacrifices. The Heichalot (palaces of the tzadikim) reside here. Unlike the earthly temple which reflects it, the Shekhinah here is clothed in radiant glory. Zevul spans both Beriah and Yetzirah, forming a bridge between divine structure and spiritual experience. It is a place where prayer becomes incense and divine names are inscribed on heavenly altars.
Shechakim (שחקים) – Gematria: 458 – World: Yetzirah
Shechakim, “grinders,” is so called because of the heavenly millstones that prepare the manna: divine sustenance for angels. It is the realm where divine influence is measured, refined, and distributed. Angels of providence work here, preparing spiritual insight, healing, and dreams before they descend to human consciousness. It is also associated with the mechanics of divine justice, as judgments are weighed here before being issued into lower realms.
Raqia (רקיע) – Gematria: 380 – World: Yetzirah / Asiyah
Raqia is the firmament, the expanse described in Genesis that divides the upper and lower waters. It is filled with stars, planets, and cosmic forces. The Raqia reflects divine order into the world through celestial patterns, cycles of time, and heavenly signs. In Kabbalah, it functions as a reflective screen, refracting higher truths into the world of visibility. This heaven sits between Yetzirah and Asiyah, governing the transition from spiritual form into physical influence.
Vilon (וילון) – Gematria: 102 – World: Asiyah
Vilon, meaning “curtain,” is the lowest heaven, which is drawn open each morning to allow the light of day to shine forth. Though nearest the Earth, it serves a crucial function: it initiates the descent of divine light into the world and dispatches angels to oversee the daily unfolding of events. Vilon is the veil between spirit and matter, where the unseen world becomes perceptible and action begins. Here, the Shekhinah whispers before she speaks.
Eretz (ארץ) – Gematria: 291 – World: Asiyah
Eretz, the Earth is the final vessel, where all upper realities manifest into form. Here the Shekhinah resides in exile, awaiting humanity’s actions to lift her up. Though it seems the furthest from the divine, Earth is the ultimate arena of transformation, where free will, mitzvot, and tikkun olam take place. It is the crown of the lower worlds, receiving light from above and offering it back through human deeds.
The universe is structured through multiple layers of reality. Chief among these are the seven heavens and the Earth, spanning the spiritual realms from the infinite light of Ein Sof down into physical creation. The total gematria of these eight domains is 2236, precisely 26 × 86, the product of the two foundational Names of God: YHVH (26), the name of mercy and becoming, and Elohim (86), the name of judgment and natural order. This numerical harmony expresses a deeper metaphysical truth: that all existence is a balanced interplay between divine compassion and constraint. The Shema itself hints at this mystery: “Echad” (13), multiplied by Elohim (86), yields 1118 – exactly half of 2236 – reflecting how unity permeates creation through structure. The word “Kavod” (glory) also equals 26, showing that divine glory is not separate from mercy, but a direct emanation of it. As Psalm 19:1 affirms, “The heavens declare the glory of God,” revealing that the architecture of the cosmos itself is a witness to divine unity, intention, and illumination.
