Sometimes, it's glimpses into the hidden structure of time itself.
Today, we're going to peek into a fascinating, if somewhat cryptic, passage from Da'at Tevunot, a text deeply concerned with wisdom and understanding. It wrestles with the very nature of time, of existence, and what we can truly know.
The text presents a dialogue, with "the Intellect" as a speaker. And right away, the Intellect sets some pretty firm boundaries. "On the contrary, we shall not discuss them." Ouch! What’s being avoided here?
The topic is different eras, different "times." We're told, "the existence of these times and their matters in general we know with certainty." So, there are other times, other eras, beyond our own. But the details? That's where things get murky. "The details of these times it is certainly not possible for us to grasp them and to know them at all."
Why this sudden stop? Well, the text gives us a clue. Only "the time of these six thousand years is known to us and grasped in its details." This refers to the traditional Jewish understanding of history, a 6,000-year period of creation and human endeavor. It’s this era that is "known to us" in a "detailed way." Our "eyes and words focus on this." We can study it, analyze it, learn from it.
But what about those "two other times?" What are they?
Here's where the text gets really interesting. "The two other times we will only know in generality, for they are times when the body loses its control and the soul is elevated." Think about that for a moment. Times when the physical world, our bodies, our earthly concerns, fade into the background. Times when the neshama, the soul, is elevated. These are realms that are fundamentally different from our own.
Perhaps these "other times" refer to the eras before creation, or the messianic era that’s yet to come. Or maybe they represent spiritual states, realms of pure consciousness that exist alongside our physical reality. We cannot know for sure, but we can contemplate.
The Intellect is telling us that our understanding has limits. There are realms beyond our grasp, mysteries that remain veiled. But it’s not a counsel of despair. It's an acknowledgement of the vastness of existence, of the infinite potential for spiritual exploration.
So, what do we do with this? Do we throw up our hands and say, "Too complicated!"? I hope not.
Instead, maybe we can take this as an invitation. An invitation to appreciate the time we do have, the world we can understand, and to remain open to the possibilities that lie beyond. To delve deeper into the tradition of the six thousand years while acknowledging that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy. To remember that the pursuit of wisdom is not just about accumulating knowledge, but also about recognizing the boundaries of our understanding. And to cultivate a sense of wonder at the vast, unknowable mysteries that surround us.