חכמה סתימאה—"concealed wisdom"—is referred to in Chassidus as the כח המשכיל, the intellectual faculty from which all conscious intellect originates.[1]
This entry is severely incomplete.
Definition[edit]
חכמה סתימאה is the superconscious root of intellect. It transcends even the measure and limitation of the person, which is why it cannot be fully grasped, even through the vessel of the intellect.[2]
This level is associated with the emergence of חכמה from אין, the "nothingness" of כתר, manifesting in a mode of יש מאין (something from nothing).[3]
Teachings of the Rebbeim[edit]
The רבי רש"ב and subsequent Rebbeim explain that within שכל, there are three distinct levels:
1.מוחין שבמדות – The intellect as it operates within practical application, such as thought, speech, and action. This level is within the framework of worldly limitation (במדידה והגבלה).
2. Chochmah – Intellect as it exists in itself, abstract and detached from application. While not limited by the world, it is still bound by the internal limitations of the soul, as one of its פנימיות הכוחות.
3. חכמה סתימאה (Koach HaMaskil) – The supernal source of intellect, entirely transcendent. It surpasses even the limitations of the person themselves and cannot be grasped with the intellectual faculties.[4]
This third level—חכמה סתימאה—is thus the point at which divine wisdom begins to manifest, not as a structured idea but as an undefined potential for insight. It is where the soul receives inspiration beyond comprehension.