The first ''Sefirah'', being ''Keter'' ("Crown"), was transformed into the potentially existing three heads of the Macroprosopon (''Erech Anpin''); the second ''Sefirah'', being ''Chochmah'' (Wisdom"), into the active masculine principle called "Father" (''Abba''); the third Sefirah, being ''Binah'' (Understanding"), into the passive, feminine principle called "Mother" (''Imma''); the six broken ''Sefirot'', into the "male child" (''Ze'er''), which is the product of the masculine active and the feminine passive principles; the tenth ''Sefirah'', ''Malkut'' which is ("Kingship"), into the female child (''Bath''). This proceeding was absolutely necessary. Had God in the beginning created these figures instead of the ''Sefirot'', there would have been no evil in the world, and consequently no reward and punishment; for the source of evil is in the broken ''Sefirot'' or vessels (''Shvirat Keilim''), while the light of the ''Ein Sof'' produces only that which is good. These five figures are found in each of the four worlds; namely, in the world of Emanation (''atzilut''), Creation (''beri'ah''), Formation (''yetzirah''), and in that of Action (''asiyah''), which represents the material world.
Arizal's psychological system, upon which is based his devotional and meditational Kabbalah, is closely connected with his metaphysical doctrines. From the five figures, he says, emanated five souls, ''[[Neshamah]]'' ("Soul"), ''[[Ru'ach]]'' ("Wind"), ''[[Nefesh]]'' ("Spirit"), ''[[Chayah]]'' ("Life"), and ''[[Yechidah]]'' ("Singular"); the first of these being the ''lowest'', and the last the ''highest''. (Source: [[Etz Chayim]]). Man's soul is the connecting link between the infinite and the finite, and as such is of a manifold character. All the souls destined for the human race were created together with the various organs of Adam. As there are superior and inferior organs, so there are superior and inferior souls, according to the organs with which they are respectively coupled. Thus there are souls of the brain, souls of the eye, souls of the hand, etc. Each human soul is a spark (''nitzotz'') from Adam. The first sin of the first man caused confusion among the various classes of souls: the superior intermingled with the inferior; good with evil; so that even the purest soul received an admixture of evil, or, as Luria calls it, of the element of the "shells" (''Kelipoth''). From the lowest classes of souls proceeded the pagan world, while from the higher emanated the Israelitish world. But, in consequence of the confusion, the former are not wholly deprived of the original good, and the latter are not altogether free from sin. This state of confusion, which gives a continual impulse toward evil, will cease with the arrival of the Messiah, who will establish the moral system of the world upon a new basis. Until that time man's soul, because of its deficiencies, can not return to its source, and has to wander not only through the bodies of men and of animals, but even through inanimate things such as wood, rivers, and stones.
