The Rabbi Who Saw Two Thrones in Heaven

 

Resolving the Vision of “Two Thrones” Through the Sefirot

In the mystical journey of Jewish tradition, some visions are so profound that they risk being misunderstood when seen without the proper lens. One such vision is that of Elisha ben Avuyah, known as Aher, who reportedly saw “two thrones in heaven” and concluded there must be “two powers.” This led him down a path of heresy, becoming one of the most tragic figures in rabbinic history.

But what if the vision was not false—only misinterpreted? What if the problem wasn’t in what he saw, but in how he saw it? In this video, we’ll explore a new Kabbalistic understanding of this vision, one that draws from the structure of the Sefirot and reveals a deeper unity hidden within apparent duality. This teaching proposes that Aher’s vision was a glimpse into the secret of Keter and Malchut—what appears to be two thrones, but are in fact one. A single throne viewed from two ends of the same divine spectrum.

The Talmudic account of Elisha ben Avuyah (Aher) witnessing “two thrones in heaven”—which led him to believe in “two powers”—has long challenged theologians and mystics. Yet, when seen through the lens of the Sefirot and the inner structure of divine reality, this apparent duality dissolves.

In the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, there are indeed two crowns: Keter, the supernal crown—the highest Sefirah and source of all emanation; and Malchut, the lowest Sefirah, often called Keter she’b’Tachton—the crown below, the vessel into which all upper light flows. Both are referred to as thrones: one above, one below.

What Aher saw may have been a legitimate mystical vision—but misunderstood due to a linear perception of reality. He saw “two thrones,” but lacked the conceptual framework to realize they were reflections of one another: Keter Elyon and Malchut, the beginning and end of the same divine circuit.

When viewed from a two-dimensional perspective, the Sefirot appear as distinct and separate spheres—like dots on a flat diagram. But in truth, they are nested lenses, like a spiritual telescope, through which divine light passes and refracts in multiplicity, yet remains unified at its source.

Just as a telescope aligns many lenses to focus on a single reality, so too the Sefirot, when aligned in consciousness, reveal their oneness. What looks like “two thrones” from below—separation between the world of emanation and the world of action—is in fact one continuous Throne when seen from a higher vantage point.

This resolves the heresy: the two thrones were never separate entities, but a singular kingship manifesting at two poles of existence—Keter above and Malchut below. The final redemption will reveal this unity explicitly, as Malchut rises to Keter, completing the circle of divine will and consciousness. Then, the throne below and the throne above will be seen as one.