• 3 splendours (pp 90,96)
• Ein-sof
• The kabbalist
• Gaze into the Face of G-d
• Free will and angels
• Realm of Spirit
• Going deeper

3 splendours (pp 90,96)

The Tree of Life diagram is the map of a crystal that enables one to communicate with the upper realm.

Of course, within מלכות, the pattern begins once again—the unmanifest, inner radiation of אין סוף.

An aspect of the finite within the infinite, is that in order for it (the finite) to be eternal, it will have to return to its original form at some stage, and be “reborn”…

His is the Law, carried down from heaven. As the same structure, the same pattern, then obviously the same influence, the same laws, will have the an effect on both the upper and the lower realms. However, the effect may not be the same. Something that will be discussed at a later point.

Ein-sof

If אין סוף is manifest, then It contains everything,

Yet, it is not that simple. These “actions” will affect the upper realms, but not the lower. For it passes through a veil, an abyss, from the one to the other, and some sort of “crossing” occurs, similar to the bending of light through a prism.

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Gaze into the Face of G-d

Why should we be afraid to look into the face of G!d and die? For will we not then end up in heaven with the Angels? What is wrong with that?

The story of the four Rabbis ascending to the Pardes – the throne room of the Divine. One saw the beauty and died. Clearly, upon encountering the Divine glory, he decided to remain. If we have an encounter with the Divine, would we not want to stay there – in that space? If you met your Beloved, would you not want to spend eternity with your B’shirt–the one who complements you?

That is the true sex drive – Desire for Union with the Beloved – the search for your B’shirt.

The descent is a descent into Duality. Where you see the One as Two. As described regarding another of the four Rabbis – the one who entered and “became an apostate”, because he saw two where there is only One. This is the entry into movement and form, that has to happen in order to manifest in this realm of Assiyah.

Metaphorically, it is the wave seeking its “identity”, expressed in scientific language, as the collapse of the wave into a particle. Just as we are the expression of a wave that has “collapsed into time”, a spirit being (which is equivalent to a wave in our vocabulary), incorporeal, and timeless, manifesting in this bounded 3d husk.

In Kabbalah, this is termed the Tzimtzum – separation caused by the contraction of the spiritual potential that is derived from the Omnipotent Presence. If desire is the “kinetic” energy of life – what is your desire? Some say the ultimate is to desire nothing, no “need” for movement. However, the androgyne soul has now been split into masculine and feminine. They long to be joined in Holy Union.

As expressed in the film the Broken Crystal – the crystal that has a shard missing, creating Good and Bad. And the end is of them coming together, the light and the shadow, wave and particle joining to become the Supernal light – the light that throws no shadow, known as “Tikkun Olam”.

Free will and angels

Call this “where the angels fear to tread” because they are forbidden to come down here without invitation or permission. They are also “afraid” to come down here, as they need to purify themselves after contact with this realm. Yet they are drawn to experience the realm of free will and once, having tasted it, they might revolt – and go “against” the will of G!d and, G!d forbid, sin – where sin is defined as not obeying the Will of Ha’Shem. This is perhaps the story of Samael and his cohorts, who, after co-habiting with humans, became tainted and had to be removed by the flood.

In fact, there is a possibility, that that is what the impetus to the story of the fall actually was. And we are fashioned from angels who wish to experience “free will”.

Realm of Spirit

The realm of spirit is accessible via the imagination. Which brings me to propose to call what is referred to by the sages as the realm of the intellect, as the realm of the imagination.¹

In the beginning we walked with G!d (Adonai). There was less separation between mind and spirit, which occurred only after the flood!

The spiritual realm consists of live “spirits”, which is one of the names for angels. To access this realm, one of the places to start is Ezekiel’s vision, upon which the Merkaba mysticism is based.

The Holocaust was a deluge, like the flood. It too removed a generation. Why? What was their “sin”? It says if we are righteous, we will be rewarded, yet many orthodox Jews died in this deluge. What went wrong?

Perhaps the Holocaust generation was too devout. If you do the same thing over and over again, how can you expect a different result? We are now accessing 4th dimensional information, seeing different things, finding new ways of understanding the unseen with the aid of science. What a Methodist minister calls “New light – old light…” We cannot live life looking into the rear-view mirror.

Our rabbis say we are far removed from Sinai, when we were holier, thus closer to G!d. I say perhaps we are further removed from the generation that sinned and were not allowed to enter the Holy Land. We have moved from needing animal sacrifices - which themselves were a replacement of human sacrifices - and use instead prayer. Which is indicative of removing the “animal” in you and sacrificing it to a Higher purpose.

Perhaps we are closer to entering the mystical Holy Land. May we be the generation that will merit that – entering into the Olam Ha’ba, the place we will walk in the presence of the Lord, ברוך שם קבוד… at our side.

Perhaps the veil, the מחסום, is getting thinner and we will be able to communicate with the angels – only this time it is a more self-aware communication, a live conversation, a conscious one, where we will sit at the feet of the Holy Presence, when we need to. Like a friend, whom we visit, or who visits us, whom we call upon when we are in need.

Similar to the way that HaShem appears to people (not necessarily prophets) in the Tanach.

There are many tales in the Torah of the appearance of HaShem to others besides Israelites and Israeli Prophets. G!d chooses those who He wants to fulfil His purpose — whether prophet or not. In the same way that we choose people to fulfil our purpose(s)… but not necessarily to fulfil His Holy Purpose.

Going deeper

Footnotes

1. See Speculum that Shines by Elliot Wolfson. ↩︎