Jewish mystical tradition suggests that you might be closer to the truth than you think. The Tikkunei Zohar, a central text of Kabbalah, delves into the secrets hidden within the human form, seeing the eye as a gateway to understanding the nefesh, the soul.
The Tikkunei Zohar teaches us that the eye isn't just an organ of sight, but a microcosm of the spiritual world. It speaks of three "garments," or coverings, that correspond to the three colors we see in the eye. These three colors, it says, are the "garments of 'the daughter of the eye'," which is how it poetically refers to the soul.
So, what are these three colors, these three garments? The Tikkunei Zohar connects them to the biblical verse in Exodus 23:17: "Three times in the year, all your males must be seen..." The implication is that these three colors, or "times," represent something fundamental about our connection to the divine.
But the connection goes even deeper. The Tikkunei Zohar draws a parallel between the colors of the eye and the colors of the burning bush that Moses encountered. Remember that iconic image? "And an angel of Y”Y appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of the bush..." (Exodus 3:2).
The text breaks down this verse, pointing out three distinct aspects: "in a flame of the fire" is one color; "from the midst of the bush" is a second; "and behold, the bush was burning in fire" signifies a third. These three colors, the Tikkunei Zohar argues, mirror the three colors of the eye.
Think about that image for a moment. A burning bush, a symbol of divine revelation, reflecting the very colors present in our own eyes. It's a powerful metaphor. And it brings us back to the "daughter of the eye," the bat ayin, which the text equates with the very essence of the flame itself. "In a flame of the fire... – this is ‘the daughter of the eye’."
So, what does all this mean? The Tikkunei Zohar is inviting us to see the world, and ourselves, in a new light. It's suggesting that the divine isn't some distant entity, but is reflected in the very fabric of our being. In the colors we see, in the spark of our souls, we glimpse the infinite. When we truly look, we are seeing more than meets the eye. We're seeing a reflection of the divine flame within.