Finding Balance: A Contemporary Paradigm

MyLife Essay Contest

One of the most fundamental pillars on which all Chassidic teachings are based, is the need to “translate” every story, mitzvah (commandment) and concept in the Torah into an understandable and relevant message that is both practical and personally meaningful. In this article we will take a highly symbolic kabbalistic and chassidic concept regarding cosmology and see how it can be employed to not only understand the human condition but how to balance the conflicting attractions, forces and conflicts confronting humanity, especially today in our quickly changing and complex world.

Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the great 16th century Kabbalist, explains that in the initial stages of the Divine creative process a catastrophic event occurred called shevirat hakalim, the ”breaking of the vessels,” when the initial immature vessels of creation could not contain pure spiritual light and as a result they shattered. This “breaking of the vessels,” occurred in a previous stage of creation called olam hatohu,” the world of chaos”. According to Rabbi Luria these broken vessels actually form the reality of this world, which he termed, olam hatikun, “the world of rectification”. It is important to note that in their essence there was nothing defective in the lights of tohu, only that the immature vessels of that world could not contain such great spiritual lights.

He further taught that when the vessels shattered, sparks of light were trapped in the fallen “shards” and that man’s ultimate purpose is to redeem these sparks of light until the very light that is freed will repair the broken vessels and bring redemption to the world. This highly symbolic cosmology has been incorporated in a myriad of ways in Chassidic thought, so much so, that the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, used it in one of his most important discourses.

In 1991 the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who for years had urged his followers to pray for the coming of the Messiah and to learn and teach others about the promised Messianic era, declared that he had done all he could do to bring the Messiah and from now on his followers needed to accept this responsibility and do all they could to manifest the final redemption. He tantalizingly gave one hint as how to accomplish this: by integrating the spiritual lights of tohu (mentioned above) in rectified vessels. Whereas in the world of tohu there was too much light and not enough mature  vessels, in this present world there are far too many vessels, an abundance of physicality, but only a meager amount of light. To bring the Messiah there needs to be a rectified paradigm where the material world becomes a proper vessel to hold divine light which would subsequently transform  all reality.

We now present a number of practical and identifiable situations that will make clear how relevant these concepts are in our own lives. The following terms are appropriate expressions of what it means to lack vessels when confronted with too much energy or light: “I can’t handle this”; “this is too much”; “I am freaking out”; “I need my space”; “I need to get out of here”; “the straw that broke the camel’s back”; “I really can’t deal with this”. Everyone at one time or another has been in this type of exasperated situation. The “breaking of the vessels” applies from the cosmos to the human psyche, from the macrocosm to the microcosm.

Another example of too much light and too few vessels may occur when experiencing a glimpse of Godliness, holiness, revelation, or an indication of one’s inner soul and potential. For many these are peak moments that can lead to true life changes. Yet for many who do not have the capacity to integrate these new realizations they may just as often lead to a subsequent psychological and emotional identity crises of major proportions due to the inability to incorporate such new realizations.

Now let us look at the other side of the coin when there are too many “vessels” – an overemphasis on materiality – and not enough “light” or meaning and purpose in life. This kind of condition leads to people becoming workaholics or putting the pursuit of material gain above all other considerations. Not enough light, or sense of purpose, may lead to boredom, loss of initiative, or in many cases, serious depression. More destructive manifestations of too little light fuel in many people the constant necessity to fulfill their physical desires and the overwhelming need for instant gratification. Alcoholism, drug abuse, casual sexual encounters, gambling, extreme sports, overeating and the need to be constantly “entertained” are some of the ways the over emphasis on materiality is manifest in our world today.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe in his historic address was not only using the idea of light and vessels to describe the existential reality of humanity but was also refining and directing these concepts into a formula of personal and global redemption. We need both light and vessels in their right proportions in order to rectify the world and bring a real and meaningful balance into our daily lives. Lights without vessels cannot be revealed, they remain hidden and impotent. Vessels without lights have nothing to fill them, leaving only an empty shell.

Identifying a problem is in many cases a good part of the solution. Having analyzed in brief the complex interplay of lights and vessels and their relevance to each individual we now turn our attention to various activities and methods that can help achieve a healthy balance in contemporary life.

A beautiful model used in Chassidic thought for this purpose is Jacob’s dream of a ladder that was firmly entrenched in the earth but whose top reached the heavens (Genesis 28:10-22). The firmly entrenched ladder in the earth of course represents the need to be grounded and well-adjusted to the realities of the physical world, to create proper vessels, whereas the ladder reaching the heavens symbolizes the equally important human need to fill our lives with spiritual light and content, to reach for the stars, to have ideals and dreams and to actively try to realize them. The angels Jacob saw in his dream ascending and descending the ladder represent the ongoing process of finding the proper balance of spirituality and physicality, lights and vessels. God appearing at the top of the ladder in the dream indicates the soul’s desire to be close to God, to forge a personal relationship with the Creator.

Judaism in general, and Chassidus in particular, encourages finding spirituality in all of life’s activities, from the most mundane to the most holy. The Ba’al Shem Tov, the founder of the Chassidic movement, taught this concept based on the verse in Proverbs (3:6): “In all your ways know Him”. In fact, virtually all the mitzvot entail either a physical action, an object or speech. The word mitzvah itself means “to connect”. Through the disciplined fulfillment of mitzvot we not only connect to the world around us, to other people, to our inner soul and ultimately to God, but we also strengthen our capacity to integrate Divine light into our lives. Thus every mitzvah is a ladder connecting earth to heaven, bringing the spiritual lights of tohu, into the rectified vessels of tikkun. This ongoing process releases the light trapped in the broken vessels that make up this world, transforming materiality altogether into a more spiritual state.

Learning Torah is in itself a mitzvah and in Judaism it is considered the main vehicle for increasing light, spirituality, and a sense of purpose, while the actual practice and active involvement in Jewish tradition creates the needed vessels to hold, and manifest this light.

Along with learning Torah and fulfilling the mitzvot it is incumbent on each person to forge their own unique path to incorporate increasing levels of light into stronger and more developed vessels. Among tried and true Jewish methods used for millennia to achieve these lofty goals are a wide array of meditative practices, introspection, visualization, various forms of formal and informal prayer, using music as a conduit to higher levels of consciousness, communing with God in nature, disciplined character development and acts of kindness. Learning to appreciate God’s blessings, seeing the good in ourselves and others, and adopting methods that enhance a joyous attitude towards life are of vital importance.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe in his discourse was alluding to yet another cardinal teaching of the Ba’al Shem Tov: that every Jew has a spark of the Messiah, a spark of Godliness with infinite potential to do good and influence the world in a positive manner. When enough individual sparks of the Messiah are realized a critical mass of positive redemptive energy will create a momentum leading to the revelation of the Messianic era.

The Rebbe was urging everyone to accept the responsibility for not only their own personal growth but for the redemption of the entire world.

This type of attitude creates a deep sense of purpose and meaning in life, a feeling of mission and direction so missing in today’s world. Like the ladder in Jacob’s dream we are meant to enjoy, prosper and use this world as a means to climb ever higher on the rungs of spiritual attainment.

Individual fulfillment, as well as the destiny of the world, depends on finding a workable balance between physical and spiritual, lights and vessels. When we accomplish this our broken world will become truly redeemed and rectified.