Jewish mystical tradition grapples with this very feeling. It speaks of an "Encompassing Light" – a concept that can be both beautiful and a little intimidating.
So, what exactly is this Encompassing Light? The Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, a key text in Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), gives us some clues. It tells us that the Encompassing Light doesn't stand far off, disconnected from us. If it did, it wouldn't be able to produce what it does: the "Residue."
Now, "Residue" might sound a bit…unappetizing. But in Kabbalistic terms, it refers to something essential. Think of it as the vessel, the container that holds and makes manifest something precious. The Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah explains that instead of being distant, this light "surrounds" the Residue. It's intimately connected.
And more than that, the Encompassing Light includes the Residue’s power. What does that mean? It means the Light is the cause. It includes the Residue in the way that a cause always contains its effect. In other words, the Encompassing Light is the source of the vessel. It’s the ultimate revelation waiting to happen.
The text goes on to explain something even more profound. This vessel, this Residue, contains the very roots of our service to God. It's through this "vessel" that we can actually attain that revelation, that Encompassing Light. That very light becomes our reward. Our efforts, our spiritual work, aren't just about earning something from a distant, uninvolved God. Instead, according to this teaching, we're actually engaging with and drawing closer to the very source of all light. Our service, our avodah, becomes the means to access the ultimate goal.
So, the Encompassing Light? It's not just some abstract concept floating out there in the cosmos. It’s both the cause and the ultimate goal of our spiritual journey. It's the "why" behind everything we do, the "what" we're striving for. And the vessel, the Residue, is the "how" – the path, the method, the practice.
It's a beautiful, circular idea, isn't it? The Light creates the vessel, and the vessel allows us to access the Light. It makes you wonder: what "vessels" are we cultivating in our own lives? What actions are we taking to draw closer to that Encompassing Light, to allow it to illuminate our world?