And one fascinating text, the Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah (which translates roughly to "138 Openings of Wisdom"), delves into the concept of a concealed root that underpins all of existence.
Specifically, it talks about the joining of MaH and BaN. Now, these aren’t your everyday Hebrew words. In Kabbalistic thought, they represent different permutations of the divine name, different ways of expressing God's creative energy. MaH represents a higher, more expansive emanation, while BaN represents a more grounded, solidified aspect. Think of it like potential versus manifestation.
The Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah tells us that the connection between these two – the way MaH and BaN interrelate – is “the true root of the entire governmental order.” Governmental order here doesn’t mean political structures, but rather the entire system by which the universe operates, from the smallest atom to the grandest galaxy. It's the blueprint for how everything works.
But here’s the kicker: this root, this foundational connection, is inherently hidden. We can’t see it directly. And, according to this text, that concealment is absolutely essential.
Why? Because it allows for human free will. If we were fully aware of the divine plan, if we could see the strings being pulled, would we truly be free to choose our own paths? The Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah suggests that the concealment of this divine root allows us to act "on their level in accordance with their freedom of choice while the Holy One, blessed be He, carries out His plan.”
It's a delicate dance, isn't it? We have our agency, our ability to make decisions, and yet, simultaneously, there's a larger cosmic unfolding happening.
The text goes on to explain that this concealment is what ultimately brings about Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">tikkun – repair, restoration, the mending of the world. The very act of hiddenness facilitates the process of bringing things back into alignment.
So, on one hand, we have the manifest order, the world as we perceive it. The Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah calls this the “order of Atzilut with its various Partzufim.” a little. Atzilut is one of the four worlds in Kabbalistic cosmology, the world of emanation, closest to the divine source. And Partzufim are like divine faces or configurations, different aspects of God's being. This is the order that God displays, the structure we can, at least partially, understand.
But then, there's the concealed root, the hidden connection between MaH and BaN. And this, the text emphasizes, "is not known." It remains a mystery, a secret at the heart of creation.
It’s a profound and challenging idea. That the very foundation of reality is built on something inherently unknowable. Something that requires concealment in order for the whole system to function properly.
What does this mean for us? Perhaps it invites us to embrace the mystery, to accept that there are things we will never fully grasp. To trust that even in the face of uncertainty, there is a deeper order at play. To act with intention and free will, knowing that our choices contribute to the ongoing repair of the world, even if we can't see the full picture. And maybe, just maybe, in the moments when we feel most lost, we are actually closest to that hidden root, that secret engine that drives all of creation.