Kabbalah/Chassidut

Bleeding Curtain Miracle

 

Part I

Part II. Organ Manufacture

Curtain Slash

Since the Jews' transgressions pierced the supernal vessels, G-d chose a miracle that would communicate the character of their travesty. That's why Titus's curtain slash exuded blood. G-d wanted everyone to know that a similar crime had been perpetrated against Him.

It is inappropriate that G-d's Light reach the extraneous forces, which is intended solely for the Jewish people. The verse informs us, "G-d shines His Face on you." (Numbers 6:25) The Hebrew word for "face" is derived from the same root as the word "inner." G-d's Inner Light shines only to Jews.


Making Supernal Man

What is unique to Jews that they alone deserve G-d's radiance? Only Jews perform mitzvot, and mitzvot make vessels for the Infinite Light. The verse confirms this, "And you shall observe all My decrees and all My ordinances, and you shall do them; I am G-d." (Leviticus 19:37) Torah explains, "As is you made me." Jews make the organs and vessels of the World of Emanation.

Here's how it works. Emanation has six emotive attributes: Kindness, Severity, Splendor, Victory, Majesty and Foundation (Yesod). Kabbala calls their construct (parztuf) "Little Faces" (Z'eir Anpin). Every construct is a self-contained entity. No realm, though, can function without higher intelligence. The attributes of Wisdom, (Chochmah), Understanding (Binah) and Knowledge (Daat) operate on Z'eir Anpin's six sefirot.

Kabbala makes the following calculation. When the three intellectual attributes are added to Z'eir Anpin's six sefirot, they total nine. Each attribute contains an element of the others; multiplied together, 49 is produced. Every attribute also possesses an inner, intermediate and outer dimension, making 243 dimensions in all. Now add the five attributes of Kindness, which direct the flow of the life-force. What's the grand total? Two hundred and forty eight.

These are the 248 organs of Z'eir Anpin, also called the Supernal Man of the World of Emanation, that correspond to the 248 organs in the human body. They also match the 248 positive commandments of the Torah, each of which makes its corresponding organ-vessel above.


Metamorphosis Exchange

Chassidus provides an alternative explanation of making vessels. Not only do mitzvot cause the vessels to expand, they bring about their actual construction.

Vessels are, after all, relatively finite entities, far removed in value from the Essence of G-d. The Book of Formation says of the Essence, "You don't possess any of these attributes at all." That's why Emanation's vessels are called mere products of G-d's action.

All of Emanation's vessels must be "built" and brought into existence to enable the Infinite Light to become enclothed in them. To accomplish this, there must first be an arousal from below. An object is nullified to G-d. That elicits a Divine Response: G-d shines his Infinite Light and vessels to make Supernal Man. By our transforming physicality into spirituality, G-d transmutes His spirituality into the "physicality" of vessels.

 

Three Thoughts

Isaiah says, "My Thoughts are not your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8) This verse speaks of three levels of thought; the highest of which is Thought of Thought, the intermediate is Speech of Thought, and the lowest is Action of Thought.

Jewish souls derive from G-d's Thought of Thought. That's why they have the ability, through Torah and mitzvot, to effect G-d's lower Speech of Thought. From there are emitted vessels and Light in Genesis's Ten Creation Utterances: "And G-d said 'Let there be light." (Genesis 1:3)

But what caused Speech of Thought to emit the letters of Creation? King David reveals the secret, "For I said the World of Kindness is built." (Psalms 89:3) Here G-d speaks out His heart - the highest Thought of Thought. From there, G-d's innermost Thought descends to the level of Speech of Thought to enact Creation. That's why David's verse concludes, "the World of Kindness is built," referring to the vessel of Kindness of Emanation.


Folly's Free Lunch

Jews cause G-d to emanate vessels and additional Infinite Light into Emanation. Emanation itself is radiated from its specific source, the Long Faces (Arich Anpin), found in the external dimension of Crown (Keter) of Emanation. But that refers to Emanation's standard Lights, and here we are referring to new, additional lights. Their source is the Essence of G-d, completely removed and beyond the creation process. This aspect of G-d, called the Infinite One (Ein Sof), shines forth Infinite Light (Ohr Ein Sof). That's the Light Jews bring down into the World of Emanation.

Emanation's vessels expand as Jew-inspired Infinite Light showers into their midst. Vessels are strengthened and broadened as they acclimate to new Infinity. This is the Light, which now shines, in Supernal Man. And when Jews' misdeeds puncture one of its vessels, Infinite Light cascades into the netherworlds.

A question arises: How is it possible that Light, which originates at the most sublime of levels, bestows undeserving vitality to evil and impurity?

Chassidus explains that Infinite Light's source is from the Externality of Essence. Its infinity precludes differentiation - just as a circle has no beginning or end. Before this aspect of G-d, light and darkness, good and evil, small and great are all equal, for the Essence equally transcends everything. That's why evildoers can also enjoy Infinite Light's benefit. This is similar to the Jews' condition before the Giving of the Torah. Tracking through the wilderness, the Jews complained, "We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt free of charge." (Numbers 11:5) "Free of charge" is interpreted as without mitzvot.


Light Guards

At Mount Sinai things changed: G-d introduced mitzvot. Mitzvah-vessels have a unique character. When an object is used for a mitzvah it becomes subjected to G-d's Will. As a result, it loses its sense of self-identity. Now the object can receive revealed Infinity. Likewise, above, Supernal Man's new vessels receive Infinite Light. By encasing the Light, they ensure its illumination stays solely in the realm of Divinity.

A verse makes this clear, "To guard all of my mitzvot." (Leviticus 19:37) By means of performing mitzvot, G-d's Infinite Light is protected. Conversely, transgressions pierce open the vessels. No longer able to restrain the Light, it shines unfettered into domains of impurity.

 

On to Part III

 


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