Lights& Vessels; Inside & Out: 2

The purpose of Creation is for man to understand and cleave to Hashem. This understanding is referred to as אור, light. The entirety of the body of the person contributes to his minds ability to achieve this comprehension. They are the כלים, vessels, which facilitate the assimilation of the light.
There are two types of כלים. The limbs of a person serve him to achieve these comprehensions. So too, all other aspects of Creation work to this end as well. The distinction is that a person's limbs are direct contributors to a person's serving Hashem, whereas everything else does so in an indirect manner and are more distantly connected to the person's ability to serve Hashem.
This serves as a way to understand the distinction between the inner and outer vessels. Those which are direct are referred to as the inside. The indirect ones are the outside.

Lights& Vessels; Inside & Out: 1

We will begin this section by offering some definitions of Kabbalistic terms.

(A disclaimer: With many such concepts there are varying ways of understanding them. I do not assume that the way I am presenting is universally accepted or even that it properly conveys the understanding of the authors who I am studying. This is my understanding.)

When we speak of כלים, vessels, it is a reference to a person's (or some other spiritual being's) capacity to engage with and assimilate a particular spiritual concept. Spirituality is spoken of in terms of light, אור, and specifically the light is spoken about in terms of אור פנימי, the Inner Light, and אור מקיף, the Light which Surrounds.

The light of Hashem's spirituality is infinite and can't possibly be fully assimilated by one of His Creations. The אור פנימי is the quantity of light that a person can take within himself. It is that which can fit within his vessel. That which he can comprehend. That which is beyond his ability to conceive of remains אור מקיף, hovering about on the outside. It is there, but unattainable, and in much greater quantity than that which has been taken in.
 

Boundaries: 2

The transition from an infinite existence to one which is bounded also creates a distancing from the source. That which was previously omnipresent, is no longer. This is what our Sages refer to as the left hand (גבורה, the ability to create distinctions which is on the left side of the Sefiros Tree) pushing away, שמאל דוחה.
The distant vacuum that is created sucks a person towards it. This is referred to as the סיטרא אחרא, the other side. Like a black hole the power of the emptiness has the ability to pull a person towards complete destruction, so Hashem tempered it to give a person the ability to resist the force. עלה במחשבה לברוא את העולם במדת הדין וראה שאינו מתקיים...

Boundaries: 1

From a state on infinite holy omnipresence through a state of continuous constriction there arose a place that was empty and devoid of holiness. It was through the creation of boundaries that it became possible for a void to exist.
In a state of complete unboundedness everything is full of Hashem's presence. The creation of boundaries by definition means that the presence is bound to a limited area and there is an area in which it is not present. This is the void.

Hashem Elokim: 3

The line connecting and unifying the disparate and oppositional circles is a manifestation of the name יקוק which represents the singular will of Hashem that underlies all of Creation. (שמו בגימטריאא רצון) The panoply of powers represented by the circles, each expandable in myriad directions and to infinite depth is represented by the name אלוקים, which represents the manifestation of Hashem's presence in a multitude of ways.
In the ultimate truth, the name representing unity is the one that describes Hashem, but for the creation of existence, the name representing more than one is needed. Both of these approaches, which seem to be mutually contradictory, are needed.
Indeed, there is no contradiction. יקוק represents the inner truth of existence, while אלוקים, represents how it appears to us within Creation.

Hashem Elokim: 2

We explained elsewhere the concept of עיגולים, circles with regards to the Sefiros. Each circle represents a self-contained and unconnected concept. Chesed alone, Gevurah alone, etc. They each have no means by which they can connect to anything else. There are no connecting lines to draw one into the other.
We can view this in two ways. They are each separate concepts. Additionally, each one, being self-contained, wants to be all encompassing, and leaves no room for anything else.
The name Elokim, which is defined as "The Master of all Powers," indicates disparate powers. In their state of disconnection and dissension they also wreak havoc. This is why Hashem could not create the world with מדת הדין (the power of separation and differentiation) alone. The world could not exist like that. Only by melding in the name יקוק were they able to unite through the underlying power of the One force that created them all. This name indicates that they all emanated from Him, from his singular unity empowering them to unite.

Hashem Elokim: 1

The Zohar teaches that the combination of the names יקוה אלוקים incorporates all of Creation.

In order to understand this, we will begin with a comment of the Maharal.

As the Torah describes Creation is says: והארץ היתה תוהו ובהו וחושך על פני תהום, "And the earth was confusing and devastated and there was darkness on the face of the depths. The Sages explain that each description in this verse is an allusion to one of the four monarchies that would oppose the people of Israel. Why, asks the Maharal, did the Torah see fit to allude to these oppositional forces at the time of Creation?

He explains that it is there in order to bring home the point that Creation itself was in a flawed manner. Only God is flawless. Within His Creation, however, there are oppositional forces which oppose all that which is good from its very inception.

A Brief History of Time

I don't usually quote the sources for the concepts I share in this blog. This is because I often feel that the ideas as expressed are my filtering the words of others, and I fear I may not be representing their words exactly as they meant them. In this piece I will do differently. The reason is due to the great controversy in the Charedi world as to the Age of the Universe. Without getting into the details of the controversy right now which are well documented elsewhere, I want readers to be aware that my source for this piece is someone who was very highly respected and revered in the Charedi world.

This comes from Rav Elya Weintraub's work Nefesh Eliyahu. There is a bit of irony in that he was a leading opponent of Natan Slifkin,

Rav Weintraub writes that there was a concept and passage of time even prior to Creation as described in the Torah. He explains that the time frame of Creation as described in the Torah is a time frame that introduces human consciousness, but it does not purport to be the beginning of time in general.

Furthermore, he says, that when Kabbalists speak of time outside of our time zone, we should not understand it with our conception of time. For example, in a dream, one can experience what seems to be many years in only a few moments. Time works differently in a different state of consciousness.

So, too, although they may express the earlier (and later) times of Existence - the years that are not part of human consciousness - in terms of thousands of years, they may be referring to time periods in which millions of years actually have passed.

Adam Encompassed All

The Talmud says that Adam was of a size to go from one of the Earth to the other; from one end of the Heavens to another.

The Talmud is not describing the physical size of Adam. It does not mean to suggest that he was a giant of some sort. Rather it is explaining that man, being the central purpose of Creation, incorporates within himself the entirety of existence. Man has the ability to comprehend as well as to define all that exists on both the temporal and spiritual planes.

Points & Lines: 4

Indeed, the entire challenge of existence is to resolve the conflicts between the circles.

Hashem created the world in a broken manner; in a manner in which there are conflicting interests that seem to be irreconcilable. These are represented by the concentric circles of the Sefiros. One does not touch another. Never the twain shall meet. There is chaos and disorder (תוהו ובהו).

Our function is to reorder Creation: the well-known three-column Lurianic structure of the Sefiros in which each Sefirah has a place as well as a relationship with the others. When we succeed at reordering matters and bringing the world into harmony, we have accomplished our task as the human race.

Points & Lines: 3

The line which connects two points and creates a balance between them is a revelation of the will of Hashem.

This can be compared to two students who are at odds with each other. When their teacher voices his opinion which incorporates part of each student's view, they accept his direction and are connected by this compromise approach. This is the line that creates balance.

The ability of the teacher to propose an acceptable compromise approach is predicated on the fact that the mindset of each of his students is based on his teachings. Only that each student then interpreted his words in a way that fit their own mindset. He can therefore find a means of uniting them and finding common ground.

So, too, each of the Sefiros is an emanation of the will of Hashem. Even if they each manifest themselves individually in their own way, at the root they have a balanced connection.

Points & Lines: 2

When we view the various Sefiros as points or concentric circles, that indicates each Sefirah as standing alone. It is what it is and has no connection to any other Sefriah. Chesed is unadulterated Chesed. Gevurah is Gevurah. As such, they are incompatible with one another. Love is not anger. Chesed is not Din. Each one feels its own sphere is everything.

The line creates the ability to resolve these incompatibilities. A line connects points to each other. It indicates a relationship between the Sefiros and a balance being created between them to afford compatibility. It indicates the actualization of that Sefriah.

The actualization, the bringing forth into the world where it must interact with others, is what enables it to be tempered and to find a means of compatibility with others.

Points & Lines: 1

Kabbalistic works frequently use geometric terms such as points and lines.

The basic understanding is that a point represents the essence of something as it is. It is unconnected and not relating to anything else. A point, visualized as a round circle - whose end reaches back around to its beginning - is  self-contained entity.

A line represents a connection between points. In Kabbalistic terms it would represent a relationship being developed between two concepts that had until now seemed unconnected and possibly in conflict.

Malchus...continued

Malchus, monarchy, is a term that is used only when one is ruling over being similar to the monarch. The lion is the king of beasts, but no one would refer to a person in charge of animals as the king over the animals. He may direct them, he may own them, but he is not their king.

How then is Hashem the king over man? We aren't gods! We are not on his level; not in His sphere or dimension.

Within the question lies the answer. The fact that Hashem chooses to describe Himself as our King, is His way of letting us know that we are Godlike. That we were created in His image and have Godly characteristics and abilities.

Now it's our job to discover how it is that we are Godlike and to implement those characteristics in our lives.

Malchus

In Kabbalistic terms the sphere (and Sfira) in which we humans operate is called מלכות, Malchus. Malchus means monarchy, and this begs the question: What does Monarchy have to do with our sphere of activity?

The Gaon of Vilna explains that the primary function of Creation is for us to find the presence of God in Creation. Ultimately, it is our mandate to discover the God permeates the entirety of Creation, as much as that doesn't seem to be the case to the naked eye at the present time.

The concept of Monarchy demands that there be only one monarch and not more (אין שתי מלכים משתמשים בכתר אחד). God created all the forces that appear to oppose Him in order for us to ultimately come to the realization that there is no other. It is our activity in bringing about this revelation, that gives the name Malchus to our sphere.

The Greatest Accomplishment

We have mentioned before that God's purpose in Creation was in order to bestow good upon His Creations. The essential spark of Creation was His creating the ability to receive which had not previously existed.

It stands to reason then that when a person creates a situation in which he and/or others can be vessels to receive God's goodness, he has participated in the epitome of fulfilling the Will of God. 

Tohu

The concept of אין עוד מלבדו, (there is nothing other than Him) does not mean that Creation is non-existent and is a mirage. Rather, it means that as compared to Hashem, all is like nothing. His infinite greatness which is not diminished by Creation, cannot be conceived by any Creation.
As long as a person feels a sense of self, of ego, he is, by definition, incapable of comprehending the infinite existence of Hashem. This is the concept of תוהו, wondering and bewilderment, in that a person can know that Hashem is infinite, but can never fully comprehend that infinity.

The Tension in Creation

There are two major forces within Creation which create an eternal tension. On the one hand is the infinite will of Hashem which is limitless. The other, is the process of constriction (Tzimtzum) which places boundaries on the expansion of His will.

Our Sages teach us that Hashem initially wished to create the world with the force of Din (limitation, constriction), but He saw that the world could not exist in that manner and utilized his trait of רחמים (Rachamim, lit. mercy) which balanced the limitations of Tzimtzum with the boundless Godly will to allow the world to exist.

This balance can exist because these two seemingly opposing forces are really working in concert. The limitations on God's goodness exist only to actualize that goodness. They are not there to negate His goodness. Creation cannot stand before infinite good and it is only the limitations that enable us to receive His good.

It is like the ozone layer and other parts of the atmosphere which make the sunlight safe (or at least safer) for mankind. In their absence the sun's rays would be overwhelmingly damaging to us. The limitations on the sun's rays are what give us the ability to benefit from the sun. The same is true for the limitations on the manifestations of God's goodness.

Hashem Needs You

Despite the fact that Hashem is perfect and needs nothing from Creation, He created the illusion that He needs our assistance. Hashem created the world in an imperfect manner and left it up to man to perfect His Creation. The arena is which this perfecting is done is referred to in Kabblah as מלכות (Malchus, monarchy), the tenth and final Sefirah.

That which is done in Malchus is for Hashem's sake.

Malchus is different than the traits represented by the other Sefiros. A person can be a Chacham (wise) without there being someone lacking in wisdom. A person can be a גבור (strong) without there being someone who is weak. These are traits which are inherent within a person that have no relationship to anything external.  Being a monarch, by contrast, can only be true if there is someone over whom to rule who accepts that rule. There can be more than one wise or strong person, but there can be only one king.

It is only with the cognizance that one is serving within Malchus, that one makes Hashem into the monarch.

Tzimtzum: II

We have mentioned previously that the process of Tzimtzum (constriction) by which Hashem hid himself within the world (עולם = hidden) was in order for man to makes Hashem's honor manifest in the world.

Why did Hashem wish to empower man to bring His honor into the world? Why didn't Hashem just do it Himself?

This was done in order to empower man to become more God-like. The hallmark of God is that He is a giver and never a receiver. By creating this paradigm, Hashem was creating the illusion, but one which appears real within our world, that man is a giver as well, making man God-like.

600,000 Names

In my Tuesday night Kabbalah Discussion Group we have discussed the concept that is taught by the Ramban that the entire Torah is the names of Hashem. We understood this to mean that the name of Hashem in any context is never understood to mean the real or true name of Hashem, but rather it is an expression of how we perceive and experience God's will and presence revealed to us. The Torah is, by definition, completely an expression of His will. As such, it is entirely a record of His names.

One of the participants mentioned tonight that he heard in the name of the Baal Shem Tov that in Messianic times the Torah will become one name of Hashem. What does this mean? Does it mean that suddenly the Torah will turn into one long word, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious style?

I suggested the intent of the Baal Shem Tov is that in our current pre-Messianic consciousness we perceive the manifestations of Hashem as being piecemeal, as we do not have the capacity to see Hashem as being truly One. We see each word or concept in the Torah as a separate name or revelation as we cannot perceive the total unity behind it all. By contrast, in the Messianic era we will have the Unity
consciousnesswhich will enable us to perceive the entirety of the Torah as one unified expression of the will of Hashem - as one name.