 Previous |
 Enlarge |
 Next |
This series is a continuation and should be read in order. If you are not familiar with previous posts you may have trouble understanding later ones.
And now Chapter 13 - Summary
Just as in the analogy of a mentor who summarizes a concept in order to make it understood to the students, the mentor loses nothing of his original understanding and even to the recipients nothing is lost for the entire concept is to be found in a hidden manner within this short explanation, so that if the recipients study this explanation carefully it will be possible for them to understand the entire concept as it truly is. So too it is in the tzimtzum and the reshimu, that to G-d there is no change from before the tzimtzum and the creation in general to after the creation, but to Him everything is exactly as it was and His essence is completely revealed everywhere exactly as it is. What’s more although from the point of view of creation G-d’s essential light was completely concealed within the reshimu and only the limited light of creation is revealed. Yet, in truth the entire essence of the infinite light is found within creation, only that we are not aware of it. So that just as a student may not immediately realize the true depth of a teaching, yet the entire depth was really there all along, so too, we are actually constantly perceiving the infinite light of G-d’s essence only that we are unaware of what we are perceiving, yet it is possible to work to achieve a realization of this perception.
This concept is similarly expressed by the analogy of the soul as it is enclothed within the body to enliven it. That just as the soul is both completely aware and of what occurs to the body and has complete control of the body and yet its essence remains completely spiritual as before and is not effected by damage caused to the body. So too is G-d’s light both completely invested within creation, aware of everything that occurs and in control of everything and yet, at the same time remains completely removed from creation and is not affected or changed at all by the changes that occur within creation.
The same is also understood from the analogy of the power of movement or the power of conceptualization. That its limited revelation within the physical body does not at all represent a change or limitation of its essential spiritual self and infinite potential. So that just as an adult can limit his intellect in order to relate to the game of a small child without losing his original maturity and understanding and it is quite the opposite, that it is specifically one who is truly mature and beyond caring or being affected by such trivial things who can chose to lower himself to such considerations without losing his original maturity. So too, it is specifically because G-d is essentially beyond the limitations of creation that He can lower Himself within the constraints of creation and at the same time remain above it all.
So too, the analogue for the concept of the reshimu is understood from the analogies given in chapel twelve, that just as G-d has the ability of removing Himself from all limitations until the ultimate infinity, so too, does G-d posses the ability of limiting Himself according to His own volition. In addition, this power is also unlimited and so G-d can take even the greatest most infinite revelations and completely conceal and contain them in the most limited manner. This being the concept of the reshimu - that G-d contain His entire infinite light in a completely limited manner. So that everything is contained within this reshimu just as in the analogy of the blueprint or mnemonic. In addition, even the connection of this revelation to G-d is completely hidden, so that it is perceived as something separate from His essence, like a stone that is thrown. Also the way that the reshimu contains the original light is in a way of a complete change of nature and essence, such as in the analogy of the hand signal or the movement of the fingers when writing, that the intellect is completely concealed within them for they are only physical movements and yet the intellect is to be found within them in a concealed manner. So too, is G-dliness concealed within the general light of creation as it is concealed within the reshimu.
Yet, even though this reshimu represents the ultimate concealment and condensation of the original light, at the same time it is the source of all of the revelations to creation. For, being that everything is included within it, albeit in a concealed manner, it can, therefore, be a source for the revelation of this light. In addition, it is specifically because everything is within it in a concealed manner that allows creation to receive from it according to their level and not to be overwhelmed and nullified by the original intensity of the light until it is ready to receive it. This limited revelation, which is drawn forth from the reshimu according to the level of creation is the kav, which will be explained in the following chapters. In addition, this relationship is represented by the Hebrew letter vav u, beginning as a point and then a line is drawn downward from it.
Previous |
Enlarge |
Next |
The material in this series is copyrighted by Rabbi Yossi Markel