It’s a question that Baal HaSulam, in his introduction to the Zohar, helps us unravel.
He paints a picture of the divine structure, using the term Partzuf (divine "persona" or configuration). Think of each Partzuf as a spiritual body, each with its own set of vessels or attributes. He focuses on the upper parts - ḤaBaD (Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge) and ḤaGaT (Loving-Kindness, Severity, Beauty) - reaching down to the "chest". These are the more concealed realms, where the divine light is, shall we say, politely dimmed.
According to Baal HaSulam, the real fireworks – the revelation of the supernal Ḥokhma (Wisdom) – begin from the "chest" downwards, through the vessels of NaHYM (Netzach, Hod, Yesod, Malchut - Victory, Glory, Foundation, Kingdom). Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Before these lower vessels of NaHYM were “ready,” so to speak, the wisdom of the Zohar, and Kabbalah in general, remained largely hidden. Covered.
Why?
Because, as he puts it, prior to the revelation of the vessels of NaHYM in the Partzuf of the world, namely in the last two thousand years of the world’s six thousand years, the wisdom remained hidden. It’s like waiting for the right conditions to bloom.
Then comes the pivotal moment. Around the time of the Ari z”l – the holy Rabbi Isaac Luria – something shifted. With the perfecting of the vessels from the "chest" down drawing closer, the illumination of the upper Ḥokhma could finally be revealed.
And it was revealed.
Through the soul of Rabbi Isaac Luria, who, according to Baal HaSulam, was uniquely equipped to receive this immense light. This allowed him to unveil the core principles of the Zohar and the wisdom of Kabbalah, essentially reshaping our understanding and setting aside even the wisdom of earlier sages. He was able to bring this ancient wisdom into the light, making it accessible in a new way.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What other hidden wisdom is waiting for its moment to be revealed? And what role do we play in preparing ourselves, and the world, to receive it? Perhaps the answer lies in continuing to explore these ancient teachings, always seeking to understand the deeper currents flowing beneath the surface of reality.