How to attain knowledge of the Ein-Sof (the "Infinite”)? If God is the ultimate perfection, but knowledge of His true nature is neither accessible nor possible, how does one delimit Divinity’s attributes? Indeed, some kabbalists have maintained that because God’s essence exists at such a remove from human perception, one cannot even accord Him the attribution of volition.
Yet the universe, the kabbalists agree, was created by the Divine Will - whether or not that attribute is connected to the Ein-Sof. The combination is called the "Infinite Will” (Haratzon Ad Ein-Sof). Some kabbalists maintain that the hidden God works through the Primal Will. This is the highest emanation (Sefirah) that either flows from Him or is concealed within His power. The age-old question raised is: Was this Primal Will co-eternal with God/Ein-Sof, or did it originate only at the time of its emanation? The majority of statements in the Zohar support the former view. It is generally accepted that this eternal "twinning” of God and Will brought forth the first emanation (Sefirah).
The early kabbalists, who linked the attribute of Will to the Ein-Sof, assert that it was with God’s Will that the world came into being. Thus communion with the Supreme or Primal Will was the ultimate goal of prayer, since this attribute was the "source of all life,” including the first emanation. This concept of the Will as the supreme Divine Power takes precedence over Divine thought and pure intellect.
Yet, as in all things kabbalistic (and Jewish), the argument for the preeminent role of the intellect in the process of Creation would have its day. Thus, stirring the brew, the kabbalists adduce the concept of Thought. Some see Thought as a replacement for Will in the first act of emanation. This substitution effectively changes the perception of the creative process from an act of volition to an act of intellect. This caused great controversy, which was resolved by placing the attribute of Thought a level below that of Will, thus identifying it as Divine Wisdom (Chochmah) which contemplated the whole plan of creation and the structure of the universe. Will dwelled on a higher rung. Will activated Thought; the two concepts could not be reversed.
The highest aspect of this Thought/Wisdom is perceived as the Divine Intellect (Sechel). Eventually, the idea of Divine Intelligence replaced the concept of Will. Interestingly, this theory of Creation was later embraced and propounded as the divine intelligere by Meister Eckhart, the thirteenth-century founder of German mysticism.