They dared to ask: Who really governs all those hidden worlds the Kabbalists only hinted at?
Think about it: If Zeir Anpin, the "Small Face" – a Kabbalistic term for one of the configurations of God's attributes – resides in the realm of Atzilut, the realm of emanation, does he sustain all those unseen realms? Do they worship him? Or do they serve the Infinite directly?
And if the Infinite is their leader, what does that say about us? Do we serve Zeir Anpin because he sustains us? Is he our God, as the Kabbalists suggest? This line of questioning, if taken too far, leads to a rather uncomfortable conclusion: that the Infinite is the God of the upper realms, while Zeir Anpin is the God of the lower realms. G-d forbid, are we suggesting there are two distinct authorities?
This is a bold and potentially heretical notion, but it forces us to grapple with the complexities of divine power and the relationship between the Infinite and its manifestations. Some, grappling with this, have said, "You have seen all the great works of the Lord, which is greater than any small thing."
Our Rabbis, in Menorat HaMaor, tell us that at the giving of the Torah, God tore open seven firmaments and revealed seven lands. He said to the Israelites: "Understand in the upper realms and understand in the lower realms, and know that there is no God other than Me, neither in the upper realms nor in the lower realms. I am the Lord your God."
The Midrash Rabbah on the Book of Exodus (Parashat Yitro) expands on this idea. "I am the Lord your God," it says. Rabbi Abbahu offers a powerful parable: Imagine a king of flesh and blood. He has a father, a brother, a son. The Holy One, blessed be He, declares: "I am not like that. I am the First, and I am the Last, and besides Me, there is no other God."
He is the First, who has no father. "And I am the Last, who has no son. Besides Me, there is no other God, who has no brother." It’s a powerful image of unparalleled singularity.
Rabbi Eitz Yosef, a commentator, explained the significance of this. A mortal king with a father must honor him, sharing his kingship. A brother shares the honor. A son might exercise authority alongside him or become his successor. But God? "Besides Me, there is no other God" means He has no father, no cause preceding Him. He has no brother because He is utterly unique. And He has no son in the sense that the qualities derived from Him are not inherent in the same way a son inherits from a father—a point that directly challenges some Kabbalistic ideas about Zeir Anpin being a "son" of Imma (the divine Mother) and a "father" to subsequent generations.
He has no sister or female siblings either, for according to that viewpoint, He does not have the ability to change anything in the world, and His kingship is not complete. But the Almighty, blessed be He, said: "I am the Lord your God." This, crucially, is an expression of His power to bring them out of Egypt. His kingship is complete, unchallengeable.
So, what are we left with? The sages, through bold questioning and insightful interpretations, reaffirm the absolute, unyielding sovereignty of God. It's not about diminishing the complexities of Kabbalistic thought, but about grounding them in the fundamental principle of God's singular authority. And isn't that the ultimate freedom? To know that despite the mysteries, the layers upon layers of creation, there is one constant: the unchanging, unchallengeable power of the Holy One, blessed be He.