Splendours and Emanations

Emanations^[1] are the highest things that we can grasp. Even though they are unreachable and unknowable, and the human intellect cannot actually comprehend them, still, these Splendours satisfy the soul.
    — Likutey Moharan 24:1,8.

In Kabbalah it is said that G-d revealed Himself with 10 emanations. These are called Sephirot.

[Diagram of the tree]

Sephirot could be thought of as something like the Calibi-Yau manifolds. In one version of a consistent string theory, the strings must live in a 10-dimensional spacetime. Since human experience seems to be that of 4-dimensional spacetime (three space dimensions, plus time), it is presumed that if 10-dimensional string theory is correct, there must be six additional dimensions that are curled up into complicated undetectably small shapes at Planck scale, know as Calibi-Yau spaces. Every point in spacetime would therefore possess six additional dimensions whose topology is described by a Calibi-Yau space, providing a large number of possibilities.

[Image of Calibi-Yau Manifold]

As these sefirot are emanations of G-d, how would we imagine, or describe them? They would be spaces, or fields, rather than material. They would contain infinity in them. But, more importantly — especially to the Kabbalist — they would contain the Light of the Divine. However, contain is not the right word either. For they are expressions, or conduits, of this light as it descends to the final goal, the purpose of Creation, this "universe". It is referred to as the "clothing of the Light". At each stage of its emanation, it gathers more garments to clothe itself, until it can "appear" in public, so to speak — and can be sensed. It has then manifested in this world of light and shadow, emerging in this time and place, holding space, carrying a narrative, and thus information.

What then could these splendours be? That would be an absurd question if, as stated, they are beyond the emanations which are the highest things we can grasp. Yet they "satisfy our soul". That means it is only something we can intuit — where intuit would mean "having a soul feeling".

Infinite Being

The Infinite Being fills all worlds and provides the Life Force for all of them.

If I accept the concept of a Divine Being, then that being would fill all worlds that exist, no doubt. That is not the issue.

However, let us begin with the Infinite.

What is infinity?

The Infinite exists everywhere. For some it comes after 3, as in 1, 2, 3 ... many. For us that might seems primitive, and after a huge number like $10^46$ or $10^10^10$ ... etc. But if we think those that thought that infinity was lurking around the corner from 3, try this one.

Imagine a circle, or a 2-dimensional sphere. Now imagine a 3-dimensional sphere like a soccer ball. No problem. Now try to imagine a 4-dimensional sphere, commonly known as a hypersphere — you can't. Whether we encounter /imagine infinity after 3, or after 10 trillion, or $10^100$, it is the same infinity. Infinity comes after whatever threshold we have set. How close is close enough? When referring to infinity, who really knows? Once we have stepped over the threshold, passing through the veil that separates the two, we have entered into the realm of faith, for we do not know what awaits us. As we are only able to process a finite amount of events from the infinite potential of events inherent in the Infinity of Infinities from which all came. In the infinite realm, our coherency breaks down.

Reiterating that infinity is the same wherever it is encountered. One could almost say it "feels" the same — in that the experience thereof is the "same", as the experience of eating an orange is the "same". Which is patently untrue. The orange might taste similar to all other oranges, but no two oranges taste exactly the same. Even the emotional environment in which you eat it could affect the taste. This "feeling" has the same sense as our soul "feeling" satisfied by these splendours. That is, wherever we see or meet infinity, the experience would be the same.

Every finite thing is contained in infinity.

From most finite elements, we can derive an infinite set in which they exist. So does the finite object then have some sort of infinity "in" it? Whether it does or not, it is, however, definitely a part of the infinite.

Life Force

The next question that arises is why is it necessary to include "and provides the Life Force for them all?"

What is being said here is that in addition to this Infinite Being existing in all the world, It also "provides the Life Force".

If there was intention for life to emerge in at least one of these worlds, then the Life Force would have been created together with the worlds. Remember, prior to the creation of the worlds, there was no reason for there to be a life force. Only with the emergence of worlds, could there be a need for a Life Force.

This Creation was done in a moment in the realm of the Creator, even though it might be taking billions of years from our perspective. Thus the "days" of Genesis, are not days, but periods.

This Life Force then is an additional quality. In other words, that life could not occur unless the Creator provided the Force that powers Life. Thus "life" was shaped by this Force. It did not just occur, but is part of a Divine impetus. An additional Desire had to made manifest. A desire that we might call information.

One could think of this information that we encounter spread in the universe as information that G-d has provided us!

But there needed to be some Life Force that was input to the Creation in order for there to be living beings. There is some question as to whether this is referring to all life forms or to only the creation of the human, a being who is conscious of Creation. A being who is capable of denying G-d, of apprehending Her cloaked and hidden as she is in the densities of this existence. In fact, I would propose that that is the very purpose here—to uncover the Divine sparks hidden in all of existence.

The Infinite Being transmits an illumination to all worlds through an aspect of "revealing out of concealment." This is one of the reasons that the influence and transmission of the Life Force is called "Light" She gives Life Force to all worlds, as well as to the entities that exist in them.

Referring to this Life Force as Light, we divide the world into light and dark. Light being that which supports and nurtures this Life Force, and darkness that which opposes this Life Force. Thus murder is a capital crime, though the Bible would disagree with this. For it is the intention, or purpose, behind the action which determines whether it is good or evil. The sages might say that if it furthers G-d's Will and is done in service to G-d, than it is Good. And if an act goes against G-d, it is bad. The difficulty always is to discern which is which. Another way to express this is, if the result of the action uplifts the people involved, and brings them closer to G-d, then it is Good.

The higher worlds receive this is a somewhat more revealed manner than the lower ones. The entities that exist in each world receive it, each one according to its own nature and strength. One could compare it to a template that has been created, and each instance of this template, is one that is filled with the Life Force. In each case, it also depends on the particular mode through which the Infinite Being transmits Life Force to each one and illuminates it. The lower spiritual worlds do not receive this Force in such a revealed manner. They must receive it through many garments, in which the Infinite Beings clothes the Life Force and the Life He transmits to them. He thus illuminates them and gives them existence.

This is the basic paradox we now face. The cloaking of the Life Force is needed in order for us to manifest in this density, to exist. Thus we are essentially an expression of the clothing, the garments, created by the blocking of Divine Energy.

These garments conceal the Light and Life Force to such an extent that the latter is not visible at all. All we are able to detect are corporeal, physical things, that appear utterly lifeless.

Actually, all things contain Light and Life Force, giving them being, and constantly changing from nonexistence to existence. Were it not for this, they would revert to utter nothingness, just as it was before creation.

This Light comes from the Infinite Being, but is clother in many garments.^[3]. Each level contains the spiritual level above it. All of these contain the Ten Emanations.^[4]. These are in turn unified with the Emanater, who is the Infinite Being.

In conclusion

G-d is present in each and every movement. It is impossible to make any movement or speak any words without His power. This is the meaning of the verse, "The whole world is filled with His Glory" (Isaiah 6:3).

For one to emerge, there had to be a "Not" that emerged out of whatever was or was not. So whatever was, had to produce a "Not"-ness for it to be recognised. Then the "Notness" will produce a "vibrationary" remains, a trace of itself in the Source from which it appeared. This is the quantum concept of the particle – anti-particle.