In Kabbalah, the ancient Jewish mystical tradition, they talk about light. Not just the light we see, but a divine light, ohr, that permeates all of creation. And how that light interacts with vessels, kelim, to bring forth different levels of consciousness. It's a dance, a delicate interplay.
So, what happens when things aren't quite in alignment? What happens when the vessels, the containers for this divine light, are... incomplete? That's where things get really interesting.
Think of it like this: Imagine you have a three-story house. The top floor is Keter, the crown, the highest level. The second floor is Ḥokhma, wisdom. And the ground floor is Bina, understanding. Now, imagine the light is trying to fill this house. If everything's in place, the light can fill all three floors.
But what if something's missing? What if, instead of the light reaching all the way down to the level of Bina, it stops short? Let's say the "fourth level"—which, in this case, represents a specific point of interaction between light and vessel—is standing in the place of Bina. According to the Sulam Commentary, because there are only three vessels present (Keter, Ḥokhma, and Bina), the returning light can only draw out three lights: Nefesh, Ruah, and Neshama. These are often translated as soul, spirit, and breath. It's like the house is only partially lit.
And what if it's even more constricted? What if that fourth level is standing in the place of Ḥokhma? Now, we only have two vessels: Keter and Ḥokhma. In that case, the returning light only draws out two lights: Nefesh and Ruah. Even less illumination.
This idea becomes really important when we talk about Nekudim. Nekudim refers to a specific stage in the emanation of the divine, a world of "points." In this world, a fusion (or, perhaps, a misalignment) occurred in the apertures of the eyes, which Kabbalistically correspond to the vessel of Ḥokhma. Because of this, only the height of Nefesh and Ruah emerged in what’s described as a phase of immaturity.
Think of it as a nascent, underdeveloped state. As the text explains, the phase in which the partition – the barrier that filters the light – is positioned at this higher point is considered a phase of immaturity. Why? Because the other lights, the "brains" as they're sometimes called, can't be fully present. They're restricted, held back.
It's a powerful image, isn't it? This idea that our capacity for understanding, for receiving the full spectrum of divine light, can be limited by the state of our vessels. It begs the question: what can we do to create more complete, more receptive vessels within ourselves? What can we do to allow the full light to shine?