We've been talking about the big picture, about creation itself, about the rules that govern everything. But now, it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty.
At the heart of it all is the revelation—or maybe the lack of revelation—of God's singularity, His absolute oneness. And according to Da'at Tevunot, a work focused on understanding God's wisdom and knowledge, this revelation isn't a constant. It comes in waves, in distinct periods.
There's the first period: a time when God is hidden, His presence felt but not fully seen, a promise of a future revelation. And then there's the second period: when He is revealed, His presence undeniable.
But what triggers these shifts? What flips the cosmic switch from hiddenness to revelation? The text tells us it’s dependent on the service of humankind—our actions, our intentions, and the rewards that follow. It's a profound idea, isn't it? That our choices, our deeds, actually influence the very nature of God's presence in the world.
So, now we need to dive deep. We need to explore the details, as much as we can possibly grasp them, of both periods. What does it mean for God’s singularity to be concealed? What are the specific characteristics of that concealment? And conversely, what does His revelation actually look like, feel like, mean?
And perhaps most importantly: how are these two periods connected? There has to be a bridge, a passageway between these two extremes. What is that connection point? What allows us to move from a state of hiddenness to one of revelation?
That connection, that passageway, is where things get really interesting. It’s the space where we find our agency, our ability to impact the divine flow. It’s a reminder that we’re not just passive observers in this grand cosmic drama. We're participants.
Thinking about these two periods, I'm reminded of the concept of galut and geulah, exile and redemption. We often think of these terms in a historical or political context, referring to the Jewish people's experience of displacement and eventual return. But perhaps they also represent these broader cosmic states of hiddenness and revelation.
And if that's the case, then the bridge between galut and geulah, between concealment and revelation, is teshuvah – return, repentance, turning back to God. Maybe that's the passageway we're searching for.
So, as we ponder these questions, let's remember that the journey itself is part of the revelation. The striving, the questioning, the yearning – that's where the connection lies. And maybe, just maybe, that's what we've been waiting for all along.