And it's a question that Baal HaSulam, in his preface to the Zohar, tackles head-on.
He starts with something we all instinctively know: We can't imagine what we can't sense. Makes sense. If you’ve never seen the color blue, how could you possibly conjure it in your mind? And if you can't imagine something, it’s pretty much impossible to think about it in any meaningful way. It’s just… not there for you.
But here’s where it gets interesting. Baal HaSulam takes this idea and applies it to something far more profound: our understanding of essence. The very core of being.
He points out that human thought simply can't grasp essence. I know I exist. I feel myself taking up space, feeling warmth, thinking thoughts. These are all manifestations, outward signs of my being. But what is the underlying "I" that’s experiencing all this? What is that deep, internal atzmut (essence)?
Baal HaSulam argues that we don't know. We have absolutely no clue. And what’s more, he suggests that this isn't an accident. Providence, or divine design, has actually prevented us from perceiving essence.
Why?
Well, maybe because true essence is beyond our limited human capacity. Maybe because focusing on essence would distract us from the manifestations, the actions and interactions that actually shape our world and our relationships. We perceive only the effects, the actions, the images arising from those hidden essences.
It’s a humbling thought, isn’t it? We spend so much time trying to understand the world, and even ourselves, but we’re essentially limited to observing the surface. We’re forever barred from peering into the engine room of existence.
So, what does this mean for us? Does it mean we should give up trying to understand? Absolutely not! Instead, maybe it invites us to appreciate the beauty and mystery of the world, to recognize that there are depths we may never fully plumb. And perhaps, most importantly, to be a little more humble about what we think we know. Because ultimately, we're all just scratching the surface of something truly profound and unknowable.