Ever feel like you're trying to understand something immense, something beyond comprehension, and you just... can't quite grasp it? Like you're peering through a veil?
That feeling, that sense of being on the verge of understanding something profound, is exactly where we find ourselves as we begin to explore the concept of the "concealment of the singularity." It's a big idea, and it’s the starting point of our journey today.
Think of it this way: before anything else, before creation itself, there was only the Ein Sof, the Infinite. Then came a moment of… well, of contraction, of tzimtzum. A space was made, a void created, so that something other than the Infinite could exist. That initial period, that moment of concealment, is what we're diving into.
As Da'at Tevunot puts it, understanding the details of this concealment is "the first period." It sets the stage for everything else. It governs "the laws of His behavior," if you will, in this initial state. It's like understanding the rules of the game before you start playing.
And what is this game? It's the game of existence, the game of our relationship with the Divine. It's about service, about avodah, in all its forms. It's about how we, as humans, prepare ourselves to participate in this grand cosmic dance.
So, where do we even begin to unpack something so vast?
Well, that's precisely the question the Intellect poses to us. Before we can even begin to explore these "ways of His," these divine laws, we need a proper introduction. A foundation. A set of principles to guide us.
It’s like trying to climb a mountain without the right gear or a map. You might make some progress, but you're likely to get lost or stumble. We need that essential introduction, that vital understanding.
Are you ready to take that first step? To delve into the mystery of the concealment and begin to unravel the threads of creation itself?