In Da'at Tevunot, a profound exploration of Jewish thought, we find a fascinating answer. The Intellect, a figure in this text, explains a crucial concept: that God's very essence is beyond our grasp. It's a "straightforward completeness" utterly unknowable to us. Think about it: the true perfection, the Atzmut, is intrinsically elevated, separate from all creation.
So, how does the Infinite relate to the finite? When God desired to interact with creation, He chose to do so in a way that resonated with the created beings, not according to His own intrinsic value. As Da'at Tevunot puts it, His "straightforward essential character is removed from all these matters entirely."
It's a radical idea, isn't it? God, in a sense, limits Godself.
But it goes even further. Even the actions God takes are tailored to the capacity of creation. God restrains from doing all that He could do. Imagine that! Restraining goodness itself! Why? Because overwhelming, unrestrained goodness wouldn't necessarily be…good…for a creation still developing.
Now, even interacting with creation "according to their value," as Da'at Tevunot says, could still have been done perfectly, without deficiencies. We could have been given a world of "great goodness and with broad flowing sustenance" right from the start. A world where God's actions were perfect, without any apparent lack.
But God chose not to.
Instead, God chose to act with "deficiencies, and an absence of illumination." Why? This is where the mystery deepens. Perhaps it's because true growth, true connection, can only come through facing challenges, through striving to fill those deficiencies ourselves. Maybe the imperfections we see are not a sign of God's absence, but a testament to God's profound wisdom and love, creating a world where we can become partners in creation, striving towards a future of greater illumination.