It all began with an unbounded light
that filled all and left no room for a world to be.
Then that light was withheld
so that the world might be created in the resulting void.
Then the world was created,
with the purpose of returning to that original state of light
—yet to remain a world.
That is something greater than unbounded light:
A dark world that shines, through our hard work.
Re: Void? Rabbi & Doc - Attract the Light!
G_d is The 'LIGHT' which is the force/quality of unconditional LOVE.
G_d desired to create us as a 'desire to receive' his abundant pleasure.
For this purpose He created us as 'existence from absence' - a 'desire to receive' his bounty. The quality to receive did NOT exist in G_d. - So He created it - US.
The VOID is the absence of His quality,His Light,in us. We need to recognize our deficiency, aspire to attain equivalence of quality with G_d (Dvekut), then we create a vessel to receive His Light which surrounds us.
We attract this Light by our yearning to be like IT. We gradually attain the revelation and sensation of G_dliness, Light, by advancing through 5 'Worlds' or degrees of Love until we resemble and reveal Him.
He had to conceal His Light, and make us opposite to Him in order for us to earn the merit of His boumty. Adam, Abraham, Moses, Ari, RASHBI (author of Zohar) revealed G_dliness in their time. We need to understand their work now.
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Re: Void?
Doc, if it were my thoughts, chuck out whatever you don't like. But with the teachings of the Ari, it's a matter of trying to understand what he meant.
The Ari taught that creation began with the withdrawal of light. Some misunderstood him to mean that G-d withdrew Himself from that space. As Rabbi Schneur Zalman points out, this is nonsensical. Rather, it was only the light--the external presence of G-d--and even then, only at an external level--that was withdrawn. G-d, the source of all light, remains in all places at all times.
This is why I was careful not to capitalize the words "infinite light" in this meditation.
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Great!
Great description! Thanks for sharing!
Regards.
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Void?
Sorry, but I respectfully differ, as there was no void, and never will be, "for G-d is everywhere, and surrounds everything, and there is no place that He is not." Like the rays of sun, from HIs perspective they are still one with the source, and nothing has changed. It is within Himself that G-d created vessels that contain levels of energy, and worlds upon worlds. There cannot be a void, because that would G-d forbid suggest that there is someplace separate from G-d which cannot be.
In regards to a primordial infinite light, there is no light while the light is within the sun. Before the light, G-d was, is, and has not changed. Things and light only exist from our perspective, for from his perspective all is one, and Him.
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Saying the same thing Thank you for your feedback Rabbi Tzvi. We are saying the same thing, and I appreciate what you have to say always, and would not throw out anything that came out of your mouth. We should communicate more often by e-mail, but I know you are a busy guy, which is OK with me.
To create a space with infinite light, and withdraw Himself so that only a faint glow remains is quite remarkable. All that exists is only there because He does this each and every moment of every day.
Be well and blessed always!