El (אל) is a Hebrew Divine Name, literally meaning 'God' or 'Mighty One.' The word derives from the Semitic root *ʔil-, which denotes a powerful, ruling deity. In the Kabbalistic system of Liber 777, this name is assigned as the God-name in the world of Assiah (the material world of action) for both the fourth sephirah, Chesed, and several of the paths connecting it to other spheres.

Position on the Tree of Life

The primary position of El (אל) in the 777 system is on the fourth sephirah, Chesed (Step 4). Chesed is the sphere of Mercy, grace, and loving-kindness, the first of the formative sephiroth. The Divine Name associated with this sphere in the highest world (Atziluth) is also El, but here in the table of Assiah, it designates the specific manifestation of that divine force in the most concrete, active layer of reality. The name also appears in the table for Paths 17, 21, and 29, all of which are pathways that either emanate from or are closely linked to the loving and expansive energy of Chesed.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

The sephirah Chesed, which this God-name rules, is universally assigned the astrological correspondence of Jupiter. Jupiter is the planet of expansion, benevolence, and authority. Therefore, the divine name El (אל) in Assiah is the verbal formula that compresses the Jupiterian qualities of mercy, growth, and kingship into a single, potent heptagrammaton that can be employed in the material world.

Historical context

The name El is one of the most ancient and widespread divine designations in the Semitic world. It was the name of the chief god of the Canaanite pantheon, a father figure, a creator, and a king. In the Ugaritic texts, El is depicted as the benevolent patriarch residing on a mount at the source of the rivers. The Hebrew Bible adopted and transformed this root, stripping it of any polytheistic associations and using it as a generic title for the God of Israel, emphasizing his power and might. Examples include El Shaddai (God Almighty) and El Elyon (God Most High). In the Kabbalistic tradition, El is understood as the God-name expressing the sephirah of Chesed, embodying the loving and merciful aspect of the divine. It is the name that signifies the first emanation of the triad of force (Geburah) and form (Chesed), acting as the dynamic, gentle pillar of the right side of the Tree of Life. The spelling in the text, El, reflects the Cyrillic transliteration common in esoteric works from Eastern European traditions, which preserves the precise pronunciation of the Hebrew letters Aleph-Lamed.

In the specific context of table 777, the entry 'El (אל)' at Step 23 (Path 23) denotes the God-name in Assiah for the letter path that connects Chesed and Netzach. This represents the descent of Jupiterian mercy into the sphere of Victory and enduring devotion, manifesting as a practical, earthy formula for binding mercy into action.