The World In The Reflected Light

Laitman_114The Zohar, Chapter “VaEra (And I Appeared),” Item 6: …each degree comprises GAR and ZAT, which is ZA, and there is attainment only in ZA of each degree, even in ZA de [of] GAR, called Daat. However, no one can attain in the GAR of each degree, even in the GAR of the degree of Assiya.

We perceive everything inside of Malchut. Malchut is called “the Creator’s image.” Presently we do not see the true picture of the world, but only what enters our five senses (sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch) and is presented in our brain. We receive an impression from the information delivered to us by our senses, and sense reality that seemingly exists before us within, in the back of our brain.

The same happens to Malchut. Baal HaSulam explains in “Preface to the Book of Zohar” that along with Malchut, there exist the first nine Sefirot; however, Malchut does not know what those nine Sefirot are. She attains these Sefirot after including them within herself, sensing them as something that appears before her.

Thus, Malchut discovers the first nine Sefirot to the extent that she is able to act like them, from below upward. When Malchut becomes like Keter by repelling the Direct Light and forming the Reflected Light, from within the Reflected Light, she attains the fact that before her are the first nine Sefirot, that is, the lower one begins to act outside of itself, outward, and sees what is happening in the Reflected Light.

The same applies to us in this world. We see something that exists before us in accordance with our ego, depending on what is beneficial to us and what isn’t. Whatever doesn’t affect our ego, cannot bring us benefit or cause harm – we do not detect.

This stems from the spiritual roots: Malchut senses the first nine Sefirot only to the measure of the Reflected Light, which the Direct Light imprints within itself. This is the picture that appears to Malchut as though existing before her. Nothing else exists as far as she’s concerned, for she doesn’t sense anything above that.

If Malchut were to have the desire to enjoy of the Root (0) phase, she would not detect before her anything other than the Root phase. If Malchut were to have a greater desire to enjoy, she would see before her a wider picture of reality. Everything is determined by the thickness of our desire (Aviut) and the Light it reflects. That is why nothing in Kabbalah speaks of what truly exists in reality, for everything depends on the measure of one’s attainment.

From the Evening Zohar Lesson 4/28/10

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2 Comments

  1. It appears that Rav is often asked about “historical physical reality” — what “actually happened.” Although he has emphasized that this is not the issue, he has generally answered in kind, and suggested what this historic reality was. The implication appeared to be as though the “archeological” findings and such, and their implications, were some absolute reality. But aren’t these no more than “what appear to our senses.” As such, wouldn’t one say that the appearance of internality to those crossing the sea — in word of a miraculous splitting — be more congruent to “actuality” than any material historic record, though neither corresponds to some actual “external” reality. Or in the broader sweep, the physical world is no more 15 billion years old than it is 6,000 — how would a sense appearance out of an internal timelessness actually be either? However perhaps 6,000 years remains a superior language to represent this internality, once perceived by the Kabbalist?

  2. Actually, just to finalize the thought behind the above question: When one finds dinosaur bones in a video game he or she is playing, does the apparent age of those bones have any actual meaning other than somehow working wth that appearance in context of the goal of the game (the Goal of Creation). That is, in truth isn’t it nothing more than an issue of internal consistency to the level matters are sensed and understood?

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