Repairing the World

In Jewish mystical thought, specifically within the Kabbalah, there's a concept of Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">tikkun olam, repairing the world. But how does that repair actually happen?

Let's dive into something called Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah – which translates to "138 Openings of Wisdom." It's a deep dive into the mechanics of creation and repair. And right now, we're looking at how two concepts called MaH and BaN connect to make things right.

The text explains that the "government" – meaning the way the universe is structured and operates – works in a constant state of repair. We're not talking about politics here, but rather the fundamental forces at play. But to understand this, we need to understand MaH and BaN.

Now, our passage breaks down this interconnection into three parts. Let's tackle the first one.

Part 1: MaH, it says, went through the process of joining up to "Him" – referring to the Divine – all the levels being selected from BaN. What does that even mean?

Well, earlier in Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah (Opening 54), it’s explained that the Sefirot of BaN (the Sefirot are the ten attributes or emanations through which God reveals Himself) were the first to emerge, but they were incomplete, awaiting another radiation, another burst of Divine energy, to repair them. Think of it like a first draft that needs editing and refining.

Why did they need repairing? Because, as the text explains, these Primordial Kings – which are the Sefirot of BaN – were initially considered only one aspect of the "Likeness of Man" that the Divine Mind rejected. Ouch.

According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, these early attempts at creation were flawed, unstable, and ultimately destroyed. They were experiments that didn’t quite work.

But here's the key: Now, now comes the true completion of the Likeness of Man, which emerges from the Supreme Mind. And that's MaH. And when MaH connects with BaN, even those aspects which had originally been producing evil – or, let's say, imperfection – start turning back to good. It’s like a cosmic recycling program, where even the mistakes get a chance to be redeemed.

So, what does this all mean for us? Perhaps it's a reminder that even when things seem broken or flawed, there's always the potential for repair, for redemption. Just as MaH connected with BaN to bring about completion, we too can find ways to connect with the broken parts of ourselves and the world around us, and participate in the ongoing process of tikkun olam.