It all starts with unity. The absolute, unadulterated unity of God. As the Zohar Chadash (Bereishit 10) and Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer (ch. 3) remind us, even "before the creation of the world, He was one and His name was one." But here's the thing: God, or the Eyn Sof – the Infinite One – didn't just want to be unified. He wanted to reveal this unity, to showcase the sheer magnitude of His perfection.
How do you show off perfection? Paradoxically, by creating its opposite, or at least, the illusion of its opposite. The Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah explains that the Eyn Sof embarked on a "great work"—the concealment of His own perfection. Think of it as a cosmic game of hide-and-seek. God veiled Himself, allowing deficiencies and imperfections to emerge. Why? So that, in the end, His true, underlying unity could be revealed with even greater brilliance.
It’s a bit like a painter who uses dark colors to make the light areas of a canvas truly shine. Or a musician who employs dissonance to heighten the impact of a resolving chord. The contrast is essential.
The text continues, suggesting that only by experiencing this process of concealment and subsequent revelation can we truly appreciate what existed from the very beginning. Once this grand unveiling is complete, it says, God will be at rest. Not a rest of exhaustion, but a rest of fulfillment, having achieved what He set out to do. This primordial unity, the bedrock of all existence, will then be visible for all to see.
And what comes next? Eternal delight. The Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah calls it "the delight of the souls in the demonstration of the truth." This, it argues, is the ultimate joy, a concept touched upon earlier in the text (Opening 4). It's not just about knowing the truth, but about experiencing its revelation, witnessing the unveiling of God's perfect unity after the long journey of concealment.
Ultimately, the revelation of His unity will elevate humanity to unprecedented spiritual heights, fulfilling a divine plan conceived in God's "hidden thought." It suggests that our journey through imperfection, through the challenges and complexities of life, is not a random accident. It’s part of a grand design, a cosmic curriculum designed to bring us closer to the divine. So, the next time you stumble upon something that seems broken or imperfect, remember this story. Remember that sometimes, the greatest revelations come from the deepest concealments. And that the journey towards unity is a journey worth taking.