The Four Worlds (עולמות ʿOlamot, singular: ʿOlam עולם), sometimes counted with a prior stage to make Five Worlds, are the comprehensive categories of spiritual realms in Kabbalah in the descending chain of Existence.
The concept of "Worlds" denotes the emanation of creative lifeforce from the Ein Sof Divine Infinite, through progressive, innumerable tzimtzumim (concealments/veilings/condensations). As particular sefirot dominate in each realm, so the primordial fifth World, Adam Kadmon, is often excluded for its transcendence, and the four subsequent Worlds are usually referred to. Their names are read out from Isaiah 43:7, "Every one that is called by My name and for My glory, I have created, I have formed, even I have made" each elucidating the names Atziluth ("Emanation/Close"), Beriah ("Creation"), Yetzirah ("Formation"), and Assiah ("Action"). Below Assiah, the lowest spiritual World, is Assiah-Gashmi ("Physical Assiah"), our Physical Universe, which enclothes its last two sefirot “emanations” (Yesod and Malkuth). Collectively, the Four Worlds are also referred to as ABiYA, after their initial letters. As well as the functional role each World has in the process of Creation, they also embody dimensions of consciousness within human experience.
Seder Hishtalshelut
The Worlds are formed by the Ohr Mimalei Kol Olmin, literally "Fills all Words", which is the Divine creative light that represents the concept of Divine immanence. The 10 sefirot attributes and their associated twelve partzufim "shine" in each world, as do more specific Divine manifestations. In Lurianic Kabbalah, the partzufim dynamically interact with each other, and sublime "levels" are enclothed within lower existences, representing a sort-of concealed soul. Nonetheless, in each World, particular sefirot and partzufim predominate. The Five Worlds are, in descending order:
Adam Kadmon (אָדָם קַדְמוֹן) meaning Primordial Man. The anthropomorphic metaphor "Adam" denotes the Yosher ("Upright") arrangement of the sefirot as the tree of life, which is then personified in the form of Man, though not yet manifest.