The Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei_Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei Zohar, a central text of Kabbalah, certainly does. It sees the colors of a candle as nothing less than the garments of the soul. Powerful stuff. : "A candle of Ha-Shem is the soul of a human," as it says. Ha-Shem, literally "The Name," is how we often refer to God, a way of showing reverence. So, if the candle represents the soul, what do the different colors signify?
The Tikkunei Zohar goes straight for the shadows, starting with black. Black, it tells us, corresponds to the spleen. Now, why the spleen? In this context, the spleen isn't just an organ; it's a symbolic space where the animating soul can become trapped because of sins.
Ouch.
When the soul finds itself stuck there, weighed down by wrongdoing, the text evokes the Song of Songs: "Do not look upon me for I am blackened..." But it doesn't stop there. The Tikkunei Zohar adds a heartbreaking twist: "...blackened with the darkness of My children, in their oppression, in their poverty."
It's a gut-wrenching image, isn't it? The darkness isn't just personal sin; it's the collective suffering of the people.
According to the Tikkunei Zohar, darkness, mockery, and poverty all spring forth from this spleen when the soul is imprisoned within it, exiled from its true home. This resonates with the verse from Proverbs: "...and a maidservant when she inherits her mistress." It speaks of a world turned upside down, of things being out of order. And in this state of disarray, the spleen—that place of darkness and confinement—laughs.
Why does the spleen laugh? Is it a laugh of triumph, of the darkness having won? Or is it a more sinister laugh, a mocking reminder of our failings? It's a chilling thought.
This passage from the Tikkunei Zohar isn't just about colors or organs. It's about the heavy burden of sin and suffering and the soul’s potential captivity. It challenges us to look beyond the surface, to recognize the darkness within ourselves and the world, and to strive for something more.
So, the next time you see a candle burning, remember this story. Remember the colors, the soul, and the call to break free from the darkness. What will you do to let your soul shine brighter?