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Chokmah (, also transliterated as chokma, chokhmah or hokhma) is the Biblical Hebrew word rendered as "wisdom" in English Bible versions (LXX σοφία sophia, Vulgate sapientia). Strong's Concordance H2451: "from H2449 חָכַם; wisdom (in a good sense):—skilful, wisdom, wisely, wit." "The KJV translates Strong's H2451 in the following manner: wisdom (145x), wisely (2x), skilful man (1x), wits (1x)." It is the second of the ten sefirot in Kabbalah, and represents the first power of conscious intellect and subtle manifestation, emerging from Keter's pure potentiality. It embodies wisdom coming from nothingness, as highlighted in the Book of Job and the Bahir. Chokmah is the primordial point of divine wisdom that becomes comprehensible through Binah.
In Jewish mystical texts, Chokmah is described as the primordial point of divine wisdom, which shines forth from the will of God. This point remains incomprehensible until differentiated and given form in Binah. The Zohar, an essential Kabbalistic text, emphasizes Chokmah’s role in the emanation process and its association with the sense of sight, as well as an inner spiritual sense of taste that precedes and arouses sight. The interplay between Chokmah and Binah is crucial for understanding how abstract wisdom becomes concrete understanding.
The ethical behavior associated with Chokmah involves emulating its dual nature: communion with the Creator to gain wisdom and teaching others the wisdom received. This reflects the sefirah's dual role of receiving and disseminating divine insight. Practical applications of Chokmah in Kabbalistic practice include meditative techniques to cultivate wisdom, selflessness, and alignment with divine will, illustrating its central role in theoretical and applied Kabbalistic disciplines.
In Western esotericism, Chokmah holds a significant place within Hermetic Qabalah, associated with analytical thinking and stability. Its corresponding divine name, Jah, the archangel Raziel, and the angels Ophanim, as well as its Tarot associations, underscore its importance in mystical and spiritual traditions. The paths connecting Chokmah to Keter, Binah, Chesed, and Tiferet, symbolized by corresponding Tarot cards, illustrate the flow of divine wisdom through different aspects of the Tree of Life, integrating it into various levels of consciousness and action.
The word occurs 149 times in the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible. It is cognate with the Arabic word for "wisdom", ḥikma حكمة (Semitic root ḥ-k-m). Adjectival "wise" is used as a honorific, as in Talmid Chakham (lit. "student of a sage") for a Torah study, or Hakham Bashi for a Chief Rabbi.
Chokmah is sometimes referred to as "Fear" (יִרְאָה, Yirah) in Kabbalistic texts because it represents an aspect of wisdom that is beyond measure and comprehension, "because it has no measure of boundary, and therefore the mind does not have the power to grasp it". This aligns with the idea expressed in the Book of Job that the "fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.". This term emphasizes the awe and reverence associated with divine wisdom, reflecting the necessary humility and respect required to truly grasp and embody it.
In the 16th century, Isaac Luria, a key figure in Kabbalistic thought, emphasized Chokmah's importance in the cosmic process of tzimtzum (divine contraction) and Tikkun olam (repair). Chokmah initiates the process of restoring the fragmented divine light, central to Lurianic Kabbalah's understanding of creation and redemption.
Contemporary Kabbalists, such as Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag, have further developed the understanding of Chokmah. Ashlag's interpretations highlight Chokmah's role in achieving spiritual enlightenment and ethical living, viewing it as essential for understanding the divine and our place within the cosmos.
In Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's commentary on the Bahir he says "Wisdom (Chokmah) is therefore the first thing that the mind can grasp, and is therefore called a 'beginning'."
In the Zohar, Chokmah is the primordial point which shines forth from the will of God, the starting point of Creation. This point is infinitely small, and yet encompasses the whole of being; it remains incomprehensible until all things are differentiated and given shape and form in Binah, where they become intelligible.
In general, the sense of sight relates to Chokmah. The Zohar states that there is an inner, spiritual sense of taste in Chokmah that precedes and arouses the sense of sight. Chokmah appears in the configuration of the sefirot at the top of the right axis, and corresponds to the eyes in the divine image ( tzelem Elohim):
The word Chokmah is read in the Zohar (Numbers 220b) as koach mah, "the power of selflessness", or, alternatively, as cheich mah, "the palate of selflessness". "The power of selflessness" implies not only the attribute of selflessness itself, but the great creative power that selflessness entails. "The palate of selflessness" is the soul's ability to "taste" Divinity by virtue of one's state of selflessness, as is said (Psalms 34:8): "Taste and see that God is good."
As a female figure (Sir. 1:15 and Wis. 7:12), Wisdom addressed human beings (Prov. 1:20–33 and 8:1–9:6), inviting to her feast those who are not yet wise (Prov. 9:1-6). Wisdom of Solomon 7:22b–8:1 is a famous passage describing Divine Wisdom, including the passage:
Solomon, as the archetypal wise person, fell in love with Wisdom: "I loved her, and sought her out from my youth, I desired to make her my spouse, and I was a lover of her beauty." ().For a summary account of wisdom in the Hebrew Bible, see .
These metaphors emphasize Wisdom's beauty, strength, and presence in various forms, signifying her integral role in the natural world and divine connection. Each image in the list represents different attributes of Wisdom: the cedar and cypress for strength and majesty, the palm tree and rosebush for beauty and grace, the olive tree and plane tree for fruitfulness and resilience, and the aromatic plants for the pleasing and pervasive influence of Wisdom. The terebinth represents spreading influence and enduring presence.
According to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the name of God associated with Chokmah is Jah, the archangel that presides over it is Raziel, who reveals divine secrets. The order of that reside in it are the Ophanim ("Wheels"), which represent dynamic divine insight. The Heaven of Assiah associated with it is called Mazloth, implying the fulfillment of destiny, and the physical manifestation associated with it is the Zodiac.
In Aleister Crowley's Liber 777, Chokmah is associated with the color grey, the four Twos of the Thoth Tarot, Shiva, Odin, Athena, God the Father, Amaranth, Star Ruby, Hashish, Yang and Khien, and Insanity. He lists its associated opposing qliphah as Ghagiel.
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