That’s kind of how the Kabbalah views our understanding of the Divine.
Specifically, we're going to delve into a concept from Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah (loosely translated as "32 Openings of Wisdom"), a text that wrestles with some pretty heady ideas. It tries to illuminate how we can even begin to comprehend something as immense as Adam Kadmon.
Now, Adam Kadmon isn’t exactly Adam from the Garden of Eden. Think of it more as the primordial, archetypal human – a divine blueprint, containing all of existence within it. The text explains that after the Tzimtzum (the primordial contraction that created the "empty space"), only one complete existence remained. And that was Adam Kadmon, complete with soul, body, and radiant splendor. Within Adam Kadmon resides the entire "government" or orchestration of the divine Name, HaVaYaH – the unpronounceable four-letter name of God.
But here's the rub: this "government" is so profoundly deep that we can’t fully grasp it. We only get a glimmer, a faint echo of its true nature. This glimmer, the tiniest most concise picture is all we can really speak about in terms of Adam Kadmon. And within that glimmer, we can start to discern different levels, one building upon the other, like rungs on a ladder. These levels are the various aspects of the revealed divine governance.
So, are these levels a direct, continuous unfolding from Adam Kadmon? Not exactly. Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah argues that this "revealed government" isn't something that develops out of Adam Kadmon. Rather, it is all that can be revealed of Adam Kadmon. We have to consider it an integral part of Adam Kadmon itself. It's like saying the light emanating from a star is still, fundamentally, the star.
This answers two potential difficulties: that the worlds of Vision, Hearing, Smell, and Speech (often discussed in Kabbalah) aren't separate from, or "under," Adam Kadmon, but part of it. And also that these worlds aren't developed FROM Adam Kadmon, but are OF and IN Adam Kadmon.
Ultimately, we can only say that Adam Kadmon embodies everything that exists in accordance with the order of the divine Name. We can't truly apprehend the intrinsic essence of Adam Kadmon. What we can apprehend is the radiation of Adam Kadmon. And this radiation, this divine emanation, contains all the levels and aspects that are discussed throughout the teachings of Kabbalah.
Think of it like this: you can't stare directly at the sun. It's too powerful, too overwhelming. But you can see its light, feel its warmth, and understand something of its nature through its effects. The teachings of Kabbalah, in a way, are like studying the sunlight – trying to understand the source from which it emanates.
So, what does this mean for us? Perhaps it's a reminder that the Divine is ultimately beyond our complete comprehension. But that doesn't mean we can't strive to understand it, to catch those glimmers, and to appreciate the profound mystery at the heart of existence. And maybe, just maybe, in those fleeting moments of understanding, we catch a glimpse of the true splendor of Adam Kadmon.