And while we can never truly grasp the infinite, Jewish mystical tradition, especially the Zohar, offers some tantalizing glimpses.

According to Baal HaSulam, in his preface to the Zohar, the answer lies in understanding the concept of Ein Sof (אין סוף) – "the Infinite," or "that which has no end." Think of Ein Sof as the ultimate, unknowable source of everything.

He says that Ein Sof, blessed be He, is the mystical meaning of that initial thought. Imagine the entire sweep of creation, everything that ever was, is, and will be, already present, complete, and perfect before anything actually existed. It's mind-bending, isn't it?

But here's where it gets really interesting. Baal HaSulam cautions us that even this idea of a "thought" is just a metaphor. For God, future and present aren't separate things; they are one and the same. And unlike us, God doesn't need to roll up His sleeves and get to work. The very thought is the completion. It's actual reality!

This concept is linked to the world of Atzilut (אֲצִילוּת), often translated as "Emanation." Baal HaSulam describes Atzilut as a mystery, a hidden design, like the architect's blueprint before the first brick is laid. All the intricate details are there, waiting to become manifest when the "builders" – in this case, the forces of creation – begin their work. The blueprint contains the whole house in potential. The number of rooms, the location of windows, the color of the walls. It all exists in a state of perfect, unrealized form. That's Atzilut: the world of divine thought, the blueprint of creation, hidden within Ein Sof.

So, next time you gaze at the stars or marvel at the beauty of a flower, remember that, according to the Zohar, it all started with a thought. A perfect, complete, and all-encompassing thought, existing eternally within the boundless mystery of Ein Sof. And that thought, that hidden design in Atzilut, continues to unfold around us, moment by moment.

What does it mean for us that creation was, in a sense, already complete before it began? Does it challenge our understanding of free will? Or does it offer a glimpse into the inherent unity of all things? Perhaps these are questions we are meant to ponder for ourselves, as we continue to explore the mysteries of the universe.