Jewish mysticism has a powerful, and frankly dramatic, explanation for that feeling. It’s all about the breaking of the vessels, the Shvirat ha-Kelim.
The Ramchal, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, one of the most influential Kabbalists of all time, touches on this concept in his work Asarah Perakim, or "Ten Chapters." And it's wild.
Imagine, if you will, a universe in its earliest stages. In the beginning, everything was equal, perfectly balanced. Then came the divine light, the Ohr, an unimaginable force of pure creation. But here’s the thing: the vessels, the Kelim, weren't ready. They couldn't contain such intense energy.
What happened? They shattered.
The Kelim broke, and the shards, along with the divine light they were meant to hold, fell. According to the Ramchal, some of the good that remained after the breaking descended into Briah, the World of Creation. Then even more fell into Yetzirah, the World of Formation. And finally, the last vestiges landed in Assiah, the World of Action – our world.
Think of it like a cosmic egg cracking open, scattering its contents across different realms. It's a pretty potent image, right?
Now, here’s where it gets even more interesting. After this cosmic catastrophe, after the Kelim were repaired, something changed. The original three worlds became four. According to the Ramchal, the second realm of Assiah ended up beneath the first. And from its lowest point, evil emerges.
The prophet Obadiah even speaks to this, saying, "Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be utterly despised" (Obadiah 1:2). This verse, in this context, becomes a prophecy about the very source of evil stemming from this fractured, lowest part of creation.
So, what does it all mean?
The breaking of the vessels, the Shvirat ha-Kelim, is more than just a story. It's a powerful metaphor for the imperfections we see in the world, the struggles, the pain. It suggests that the very fabric of reality is interwoven with brokenness. But it also hints at the possibility of repair, of Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkun Olam – repairing the world, piecing together the shattered fragments, and restoring the divine light.
Perhaps, then, our task is to find those sparks of light, those remnants of the original wholeness, and help them find their way back to where they belong. Maybe, just maybe, that's how we heal not only the world but also ourselves.