The Breaking of the Vessels (Part 6)

Let’s continue on from here.

It was the Breaking of the Vessels that allowed for the existence of all wrong and injustice in the universe as well as free will (with all its possibilities, both good and bad), as Ramchal will illustrate in this section, and it epitomizes a fissure and exile. But we’re also taught that a number of sparks of light fell downward, though [1], rather than vanishing all together, and that they can be redeemed and returned to their source much the way that sins can be rectified, bad choices can be amended, and exile can lead to redemption.

The question was raised as to what there was in the seven lower Sephirot that allowed them to shatter in fact, and it was offered that the seven came to act as independent agents, if you will, rather than in partnership [2] and that was their downfall.

But while that might be the reason in fact, we must bear in mind that God planned for this whole phenomenon to occur, so their independence wasn’t a “fault” at all so much as a fact of life — like wrong and injustice itself. That’s to say that while it would certainly behoove us all to work in tandem and to not “separate (ourselves) from the community” (Pirkei Avot 2:5) overall, nonetheless sometimes we need to; and the point is that while that oftentimes brings on harm and wrong, it also allows for good and redemption [3].

Notes:

[1]       We’re taught that 288 sparks fell, in fact — 288 major sorts of sparks with very many offshoots (Eitz Chaim 18:1).

[2]       Eitz Chaim 11:5 (also see 9:2 and 19:1 there).

]3]       After all, didn’t Ar”i, Ramchal, and countless other spiritual geniuses “separate” themselves from “the community” in their independence of thought and inspiration so as to allow for goodness and redemption (as was epitomized by the example of Moses who fled to the desert from where he drew his God-given inspiration to redeem the Jewish Nation).

(c) 2012 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org

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One response to “The Breaking of the Vessels (Part 6)

  1. Pingback: The Other Worlds (1) « Ramchal

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