But in the world of Kabbalah, this idea of rejection as a catalyst for growth is actually central to understanding how we receive divine light. this way: Let's say you're hosting a dinner party. You’re practically begging your friend to come. You're offering them this wonderful meal, this connection. The Ohr Elyon, the supernal light, is like that generous host, eager to bestow its abundance. It wants to expand, to fill us.
But what if your friend refuses? Maybe they're busy, maybe they're not feeling well. That refusal, that rejection...it changes things, doesn't it? According to the teachings of Petichah LeChokhmat HaKabbalah, that very act of rejection becomes the most important element in how your friend ultimately could receive the meal – more important, even, than their initial hunger or desire!
This is where the concept of "fusion through collision" comes in. It's a bit of a mind-bender, so stick with me. Imagine the supernal light encountering a barrier, a partition – what Kabbalists call a Masach. This partition is what bounces the light back. This "bouncing back," this returning light, or Ohr Chozer, isn't just wasted energy. Instead, it becomes a brand new vessel for receiving the supernal light.
Think of that returning light as a transformation. It's the energy of refusal being channeled into a capacity to receive. This idea is tied to the concept of Tzimtzum, the initial constriction of God, which created space for the world. Before Tzimtzum, the fourth level (the place where we can receive) was meant to be the receiving vessel. But after, a new way of receiving emerged.
This is all illustrated in the parable above, which comes from an interpersonal relationship, so that we can understand the concept of fusion through collision and the returning light that rises by means of it. It becomes a new receiving vessel for the supernal light instead of the fourth level that was initially meant to serve as the receiving vessel.
The Zohar tells us that everything operates on this principle of giving and receiving.
How does this relate to our dinner party analogy? Well, the friend's refusal to accept the meal becomes a new way of relating – a receiving in order to give. They might refuse the meal itself, but offer to help with the dishes, or contribute to the next gathering. Their rejection becomes an act of giving in itself, transforming the entire dynamic.
Similarly, the rebuffing of the supernal light creates this returning light, which serves as a new vessel precisely because it incorporates the element of giving back. It's not just about passively receiving; it's about actively participating in the flow of abundance. Even though the returning light is light (like the supernal light), it is light that comes from the receiver (the created being) and can therefore serve as a vessel for the supernal light.
So, the next time you face rejection, or find yourself saying "no," remember this Kabbalistic teaching. Maybe, just maybe, that refusal is paving the way for a deeper, more meaningful connection, a new way of receiving that you never even imagined. What new vessels are being created by your rejections?