The Masach - The Veil Between Spiritual Realities

Introduction to Sulam Commentary turns to The Masach - The Veil Between Spiritual Realities.

The core idea revolves around the partition, or masach (מסך) in Hebrew. It's not a solid wall, but more like a dynamic interface where light interacts with, well, let's call it "opacity."

This masach undergoes a process of purification. When it generates what’s called "returning light" ( אור חוזר, or chozer), it loses a level. Think of it like layers being peeled away. Why? Because this returning light becomes a vessel for the supernal light ( אור עליון, or elyon), the divine radiance. But only so much light can be contained. The excess, the "surrounding light," beats against the vessel, actively eroding the opacity within the masach.

It's like polishing a mirror, removing imperfections to allow a clearer reflection.

Now, here's the crucial point: Even though this purification process causes the masach to lose a level, the "last level," it's never completely erased. The text emphasizes that a trace of “enclothing” remains.

Think of it like the faintest echo of a sound, or the lingering scent of a flower. Even after the main force has passed, something subtle persists. This remnant is important.

Why? Because it’s this trace that allows for the intricate structure of the partzufim (a divine configuration) (פרצופים), the divine countenances or configurations, to exist. These are the five "heights" mentioned in the text, arranged one beneath the other. If the levels were completely eliminated, this hierarchical structure wouldn’t be possible. We can find more about the structure in the Petiḥa LeḤokhmat HaKabbala, sections 40-41, where it explains the partzufim at length.

The text points us to section 42 of that work for further clarification on this enclothed remnant.

So, what does this all mean? It suggests that even in the process of spiritual refinement, nothing is ever truly lost. There's always a residue, a connection to what came before. This is really important, as it allows a more complete understanding of the divine structure.

It's a comforting thought, isn't it? That even as we strive for greater clarity and purity in our own lives, the experiences and lessons we've learned along the way aren't simply wiped away. They remain, subtly shaping who we are and how we perceive the world. And perhaps, just perhaps, connecting us to something far greater than ourselves.

74. The meaning of all this is as follows: Although the purification of the partition causes it to lose the last level,212As was mentioned previously, the partition of a given level loses “layers” of opacity after generating a column of returning light. The returning light serves as a vessel for the supernal light, but only a certain amount can be contained, called the “inner light.” The remaining supernal light, surrounding light, beats against the vessel of the returning light, eroding the opacity within it until it is purified. The “last level” referred to here is relative, meaning, the surrounding light erodes the most opaque level of the partition that is present in a given context. on account of which the five heights of partzufim are positioned one beneath the other (as explained in detail in Petiḥa LeḤokhmat HaKabbala, sections 40–41), the last level is, nevertheless, not entirely lost. Rather, a trace of enclothing remains of it in the partition (as explained there in section 42).