Let\u2019s lay out this very rich section theme by theme and go on to offer it bit by bit. It hearkens back to a number of things we\u2019d already brought up and introduces a lot of things that help us understand Ramchal\u2019s perspectives on Kabbalah as well as on God\u2019s intentions for the universe.<\/p>\n
Ari speaks of a Tzimtzum<\/em> — what\u2019s commonly translated as a \u201cconstriction\u201d or \u201cdiminution\u201d of God\u2019s presence — as step one in the creation process; as a sort of \u201cstepping aside\u201d of God so that everything non-God can exist without being \u201csmothered\u201d, if you will, or \u201cstifled\u201d by His otherwise overarching and all-encompassing presence. We spoke of it before but we\u2019ll go into it in depth here along with Ramchal and others. (It\u2019s of course very interesting that no one spoke of this before him — though one person disagrees as we\u2019ll see, and that it isn\u2019t mentioned in the story of creation offered in the Torah.)<\/p>\n Ramchal depicts the Tzimtzum<\/em> as the first step in the carrying out of the act<\/strong> of creation outside of God\u2019s own Being<\/strong>. And rather than take it literally he understands it as referring to the Ein<\/em> Sof<\/em> purposefully set<\/strong>(ting) aside His infinitude and adopt<\/strong>(ing) the mode of finite action<\/strong>, i.e., of finitude, instead (Petach<\/em> 24). <\/strong>So we\u2019d need to discuss the difference between the two perspectives.<\/p>\n He also hearkens back to the idea of some individuals being able to envision the Sephirot<\/em> with the remark that i<\/strong>t was the Tzimtzum<\/em> <\/strong>in fact that enabled God\u2019s light and radiance to be envisioned <\/strong>(Petach<\/em> 25). So we\u2019ll return to that notion. Then he speaks to a rather arcane point about the light that can now be envisioned <\/strong>being termed \u201cemanated light\u201d<\/strong>\u2026 when in fact it\u2019s only a specific aspect of the original light whose ability was diminished as a consequence of the <\/strong>\u2026 Tzimtzum<\/em><\/strong> (Petach<\/em> 25) which we\u2019ll also need to flesh out.<\/p>\n Then he moves on to explain the next few steps in the creation process. While Ari seems<\/em> to indicate that an utter void was left behind when God\u2019s presence was withdrawn, Ramchal (and others) said that in fact a trace<\/strong> or remnant of the original light<\/strong>, i.e., of God\u2019s presence, remained behind there which functions as the<\/strong> (finite) \u201cplace\u201d of all of existent phenomena<\/strong>, <\/strong>given that it allows them<\/strong> what they need to experience physical existence, which <\/strong>God\u2019s own presence there could not. This place is said <\/strong>by Ari and others to be empty since it\u2019s devoid of the light of Ein<\/em> Sof<\/em><\/strong>,<\/em> but his point is that it\u2019s not empty (Petach<\/em> 26).<\/p>\n This \u201ctrace\u201d itself is quite important in that everything that was to exist <\/strong>in the world has its roots in <\/strong>it. Ramchal then underscores the fact that the trace isn\u2019t an independent agent but rather one of God\u2019s tools (like the Sephirot<\/em>), and that He controls (i.e., \u201cgoverns\u201d) it the way a soul governs a body<\/strong>, with all the implications involved in that (Petach<\/em> 27). We\u2019ll need to expand upon all this. And we\u2019ll also need to delve into the place of the Sephirot<\/em> in this scheme (Petach<\/em> 29).<\/p>\n He then introduces the line<\/strong> that God projects into the <\/strong>center of the \u201cemptiness\u201d <\/strong>brought on by the Tzimtzum<\/em>, and he addresses how the two interact with each other (Petach<\/em> 27), how He interacts with both, and the role the Sephirot<\/em> play in all this (Petachim<\/em> 28-29). We\u2019ll spend some time addressing all that.<\/p>\n And finally, Petach<\/em> 30, the last one in this section, waxes even more philosophical and address the place of right and wrong in the universe, and the role that the ultimate revelation of God\u2019s sovereignty — His Yichud<\/em> — plays in that. We\u2019ll cite what we said about that before and continue that conversation here.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>We\u2019ll take a break, though, while we work in the background getting all of this together.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>(c) 2011 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman<\/p>\n Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org<\/a><\/p>\n ———————————————————-<\/p>\n AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman’s translation of Maimonides’ “Eight Chapters” is available here<\/a> at a discount.<\/p>\n You can still purchase a copy of Rabbi Feldman’s translation of “The Gates of Repentance” here<\/a> at a discount as well.<\/p>\n Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has also translated and commented upon “The Path of the Just” and “The Duties of the Heart” (Jason Aronson Publishers).<\/p>\n Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled “Spiritual Excellence<\/a>\u201d and \u201cRamchal<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Let\u2019s lay out this very rich section theme by theme and go on to offer it bit by bit. It hearkens back to a number of things we\u2019d already brought up and introduces a lot of things that help us … Continue reading