The Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei_Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei Zohar, a crucial text of Kabbalah, invites us to see something far deeper. It sees the candle as a representation of the divine, a microcosm of the cosmos itself.

The candle's components, according to the Tikkunei Zohar, each represent a different aspect of God's name. The still, small candle itself is the Yod (י), the first and smallest letter, often considered the seed of all creation. The flame that rises from it? That's the Vav (ו), the connector, drawing things together. And that flickering, dancing movement of the flame, going this way and that? That, my friends, is Hei-Hei (ה־ה).

Think about that for a moment. The very act of lighting a candle becomes a symbolic act, a connection to the divine name and the flow of creation. It's a powerful image, isn't it? Light illuminating the darkness.

But the Tikkunei Zohar doesn’t stop there. It presents a contrasting image: a "candle of darkness" from gehinom – hell. And this is where things get really interesting, and a little unsettling.

This dark candle isn't just one color, but a disturbing mix of three, each representing a different organ and a different kind of negativity. Red, the color of the liver, is associated with Esau and Edom (Genesis 36:1), embodying conflict and earthly desires. Green, the color of the gall bladder, hints at bitterness and envy. And black, the color of the spleen, is linked to dimmed vision, as in the case of Isaac (Genesis 27:1) whose "eyes were dim, so that he could not see." This darkness represents a spiritual blindness, a failure to perceive the divine light.

The Tikkunei Zohar even gives us a sign to recognize these colors, drawing a parallel to the laws of tzara'at (often translated as leprosy) in Leviticus 14:37: "...greenish or reddish stains...and their appearance is lower than the wall." This idea of being "lower" (shaphal) is equated with the color black, the deepest level of darkness.

So, what does this all mean?

The Tikkunei Zohar isn't just giving us a spooky story. It's presenting us with a powerful duality: light and darkness, purity and corruption, the divine and the… well, the other side. It's a reminder that within ourselves, within our world, both potentials exist. We have the capacity for great light, for connection to the divine, but we also have the potential for darkness, for spiritual blindness and negativity.

The choice, ultimately, is ours.

Which candle will we feed? Which flame will we nurture?