Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, delves into precisely this, offering intricate maps of creation. And one particular text, Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah ("138 Openings of Wisdom"), gives us some fascinating clues.
Imagine, if you will, the very beginning. According to Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, we start with a "general basic foundation." What does that even mean? Think of it as the raw material, the unformed potential from which everything else will spring. This foundation, crucially, consists of the lights of SaG emerging from the eyes of Adam Kadmon.
Now, let's unpack that a little. Adam Kadmon isn't the Adam we know from the Garden of Eden story. This is a primordial Adam, a kind of divine blueprint for all of creation. And SaG? In Kabbalah, it's an abbreviation referring to one of the stages in the emanation of divine light. Think of it as a specific filter or vessel through which the divine light passes. So, these lights of SaG, streaming forth from Adam Kadmon's eyes, form the very substance we're talking about.
(Just to add a bit more detail, the text goes on to explain that the Lights of Nekudim—another important concept in Kabbalah—are the lights of SaG of SaG, following other stages involving the Ears, Nose, and Mouth.)
The crucial point here is that everything that exists in the upper and lower realms is included within this initial material. Every angel, every star, every blade of grass – all potentially present within this original emanation. It was from this substance that everything was ultimately made.
But how do you go from a formless potential to, well, everything? According to Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, as this original material began to differentiate, the first thing to emerge was a single, overarching power. A general, all-encompassing force that held everything together as one.
Think of it like this: you have all the ingredients for a cake—flour, sugar, eggs—but before you can bake it, you need a recipe, a structure, something to organize those ingredients. This "single, overall, general power" is like that recipe.
Within this power, some elements exist as the very essence – what Kabbalists call Atzilut, the realm of emanation, the closest to the Divine. Other elements are secondary, existing to enable the primary essence to fulfill its purpose. These secondary elements are related to the lower worlds of Beriyah (creation), Yetzirah (formation), and Asiyah (action). These four worlds – Atzilut, Beriyah, Yetzirah, Asiyah, often abbreviated as ABYA – represent a descending chain of being, each further removed from the original divine light.
So, what does this all mean for us? Why does it matter that everything originated from these lights of SaG? Perhaps it reminds us of the interconnectedness of all things. That everything, from the highest angel to the smallest particle, is ultimately rooted in the same divine source. And maybe, just maybe, understanding this intricate process of creation can give us a glimpse into the very nature of the Divine itself. A journey into the heart of mystery, one light at a time.