Ein Sof: “without end” and the language of divine infinity
Ein Sof means “without end.” Kabbalistic sources use it in speaking about divine infinity. Or Ein Sof, the light of Ein Sof, is a related expression. Reading the phrase carefully requires attention to whether an author discusses the divine, its manifestation, or the imagery used to explain a relationship.
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Term and spelling
אין סוף · Ein Sof; also written En Sof or Ain Soph in English.
Keep Ein Sof and Or Ein Sof visible
Nissan Dovid Dubov’s Chabad introduction distinguishes Ein Sof from the expression Or Ein Sof and explains light as a metaphor for divine power. Sefer Etz Chaim 1:2:2 begins its account with unlimited light and proceeds to the language of contraction. These are passages within a theological system, not measurements of physical illumination.
Do not shorten every occurrence of Or Ein Sof to Ein Sof in a study note. The extra word or, “light,” may carry part of the explanation. Preserve the actual phrase before paraphrasing it, just as you would preserve an author’s distinction between a source and what issues from it.
Sources: Nissan Dovid Dubov · Tzimtzum, Ein Sof and the metaphor of light · Sefer Etz Chaim · 1:2:2, Sefaria Community Translation
An infinite term is not another numbered circle
The follow-along Tanya chapter discusses divine infinity, concealment and the existence of finite beings. Its argument gives those words a specific context. A glossary can introduce that vocabulary without presenting every explanation as identical or claiming that a sketch settles the argument.
If Ein Sof appears above a sefirot diagram, first ask what the diagram’s accompanying text says about that position. Does it mark a distinction, a source, or a relationship? Placement alone is insufficient evidence for a new numbered sefirah. Save the caption and system name with the image.
Sources: Tanya · Chapter 7, follow-along text and Lessons in Tanya
A small comparison to make
Read a paragraph containing Ein Sof and another containing Or Ein Sof. Make two columns for the exact phrases and the role each plays in the passage. Then write a paraphrase that retains the difference. Mark an uncertain technical word as uncertain rather than replacing it with a familiar scientific term.
Continue to tzimtzum for the related question of finitude and concealment. For a broader reading sequence, use the Kabbalah learning path. The aim is a source you can return to and understand, not a personal score of spiritual infinity.
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Sources and editorial approach
Prepared by Mazalogy with AI assistance and the named sources. Definitions summarize a source in its context; reading exercises are contemporary editorial work. Source attribution does not imply that its author or institution reviewed or endorsed this page.