It’s a question that’s haunted mystics for centuries, especially when grappling with the idea of creation itself. To understand, we need to delve into a concept called Tzimtzum.
Tzimtzum—contraction. It’s the idea that in order for the universe to exist, God, or Eyn Sof (the Infinite), had to withdraw, to create space for something other than Himself. And according to the ancient text, Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, it's only when this contraction has done everything it can, when it’s reached its limit, that the light of Eyn Sof, blessed be He, can truly shine through and complete the work.
But here's the twist: the light didn't immediately mesh with the vessels created by this contraction. Imagine it like this: the light entered, but couldn't quite connect, so it retreated, becoming hidden above. What does that mean?
The Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah uses a beautiful analogy to explain it: think of the soul residing in the Garden of Eden while the body undergoes purification here on earth. Even though separated, the soul still sends what it needs to the body, a kind of ethereal sustenance referred to as hevla degarmei – the "vapor of the bones." It’s a fascinating image, isn't it? A connection maintained even across seemingly insurmountable distances.
And so, it is with these vessels, these containers meant to hold the Divine light. We'll explore this idea further later on in the Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, but for now, consider the profound implications.
What does this tell us about our own struggles, our own brokenness? Perhaps it suggests that even when we feel incomplete, when the light seems distant, there's a process at work. Maybe the initial separation, the feeling of being hidden from the source, is a necessary stage. Just as the soul nourishes the body from afar, so too does the Divine light continue to influence and shape us, even when we can't perceive it directly.
And perhaps, ultimately, it’s in that very process of purification, of working through the Tzimtzum of our own lives, that we become vessels capable of truly holding and reflecting that infinite light.