Direct Light and Returning Light, Part 1

 

 

 

 

 

The proposition has two parts: The Sefirot shine… This is a prefatory statement setting forth a fundamental aspect of the Sefirot. (1) After the levels descended… This explains the above statement.

 

Part 1: The Sefirot shine with direct and returning light of two kinds. This means that in the prophetic vision, these two kinds of direct and returning light are seen.

 

Part 2: (1) After the descent of the Sefirot level by level from Keter to Malchut, Malchut in turn becomes Keter, and so on in the same way until Keter becomes Malchut. In the vision, this looks exactly “like the appearance of lightning” (Ezekiel 1:14). A flash of lightning looks as if it comes out from one side and travels over to the other side, then immediately afterwards, it appears to turn from the other side back to the side from which it came. Similarly, all the ten Sefirot, in every place where they are, appear in this way whenever they are seen. Keter emerges first from the Source, and the steps go down one by one to Malchut. Afterwards, Malchut itself is seen to be Keter emerging from Eyn Sof.

 

This is because Eyn Sof, blessed be He, encompasses the Sefirot as seen in the prophetic vision both above and below. The light flashes from above and descends and spreads out downwards. As it spreads out, so it becomes weaker, and when it reaches the bottom it returns to the Source below, Eyn Sof, Who encompasses below. Then the light goes back and flashes from below up above along exactly the same path. Thus: “And the Chayot were running and returning like the appearance of lightning” (ibid.).

 

And this shows the absolute control and perfection of Eyn Sof. For everything emanates from Him, and He is the end goal of everything… The whole point of this image in the prophetic vision is to show that the Sefirot are not something outside of Him in any way, for nothing exists against His will, but that His light shines in this way [within the Tzimtzum, like lightning] until it disappears. In other words, what is concealed [in the the Tzimtzum] is the perfection that was in Him from the beginning [before the Tzimtzum], just as it is now [in truth, even in the phase of concealment, within the Tzimtzum, for even within the present concealment, His perfection is really in control] just as it will be at the end.

 

Between the one and the other [between the initial and final perfection, within the Tzimtzum], all the Sefirot exist – they are the source of the entire government of all the worlds, for everything is included in these ten Sefirot. And what is the end goal of the entire government? The restoration of perfection [Eyn Sof, beyond Tzitzum] as at first. Thus during the concealment, the government starts from Keter, and does not end until Malchut. And when it is complete, what is the point? The point is that the perfection, which was initially concealed, is now fully revealed. This will be discussed further later on (Opening 30).

 

To be continued, G-d willing