And tackling it requires us to ask some fundamental questions of our own. But before you run screaming into the night, let’s clarify: We’re not talking about diving into the unknowable depths of God's essence itself. The thing is, that's off-limits. We simply don't have the tools, the capacity, to grasp that. We can neither think nor say anything meaningful about it.
Instead, we need to focus on something we can understand: God's actions.
Think of it this way: we can't know the artist completely, but we can appreciate and analyze their art. The Torah itself nudges us in this direction. "Know the God of your father and serve Him," it says in 1 Chronicles 28:9. It’s an invitation to understand through experience and observation. And the Shir HaYiḥud, the Song of Unity, sung on Thursdays, echoes this sentiment, stating, "You [God] are known through your actions."
So, where do we begin? What actions are we supposed to study? Well, that’s where texts like the Zohar come in. The Zohar, meaning "splendor" or "radiance," is a foundational work of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. It’s a complex, poetic, often enigmatic exploration of the secrets of the Torah and the nature of reality.
Now, Baal HaSulam, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ashlag, a 20th-century Kabbalist, wrote extensively on the Zohar, making its teachings more accessible to a wider audience. His "Introduction to the Zohar" provides a framework for understanding this profound text. He helps us navigate the complexities, guiding us toward those very actions of God that we’re meant to contemplate.
It’s through these actions, through the study of creation and the unfolding of the divine plan, that we can begin to glimpse an answer to that initial question: how the eternal can create the temporal, the perfect can create the imperfect. It’s a journey, not a destination. A process of inquiry and contemplation that can lead us closer to understanding… well, everything.