It’s a question that has occupied mystics and theologians for centuries. And the answer, as we find in the wisdom of Kabbalah, is far more nuanced than you might think.
Let’s dive into a fascinating concept, drawing from the teachings of Baal HaSulam (Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaLevi Ashlag) in his preface to the Zohar, that monumental work of Jewish mysticism.
He uses the term Beria, the world of Creation. Imagine, for a moment, that within this realm, there are vessels. Not physical vessels as we know them, but spiritual ones. These vessels, he says, possess a color, specifically red.
Now, what does this red color signify? It's not arbitrary. It's how the light of Beria, that Divine emanation, becomes accessible to the beings within that world. Think of it like stained glass, coloring and shaping the light that passes through.
This vessel, imbued with the red color, is considered a “substance” or “entity”—the first mode of perception. This might sound abstract, but Baal HaSulam is making a critical point: we don't perceive the essence of anything directly. We only experience its manifestation, its activity. Even something as seemingly simple as a color becomes the 'thing' itself.
It’s like trying to understand the sun by only seeing its rays. The rays aren't the sun itself, but they are how we experience it.
And what about the Divine light, that radiant energy that permeates everything? This light becomes "enclothed" within the red color, passing through it. This enclothed light represents the second mode of perception. The light takes on the characteristic of the vessel. This is why the light appears red – it’s a direct result of its interaction with the "vessel," the entity, the substance.
Essentially, the red color is the body, the substance through which the light manifests. It’s not just an attribute, but the very means of perception. We’re not just seeing red; we’re seeing the Divine light filtered and revealed through the lens of that red "vessel."
So, what does all of this mean for us? It suggests that our perception of reality, and especially our perception of the Divine, is always mediated. It's always shaped by the "vessels" – our minds, our senses, our experiences – through which that reality is filtered. We never grasp the essence directly, only its manifestation.
And isn’t that a profound and humbling thought? It reminds us that our understanding is always partial, always colored by our own unique perspective. It calls us to be open, to be curious, and to always seek a deeper understanding of the light that shines through the vessels of our world.