Movie Theatre in the Tzimtzum of Echad
Published by Shraga Kreska,
Movie theatre in the Tzimtzum of Echad- Musing 1
By Shraga Kreska 25th February 2017
"....The Goal Is Freedom, the Driving Force Is Altruism We should recognize that egoism is the only objective evil, and its influence must be neutralized. We have to begin living in accordance with the laws of nature, of which we are an integral part. Modern science asserts that nature is permeated with one thought and develops according to one law-the law of bestowal, which states, "Take according to your need and give according to your ability." "The impasse we have reached is Nature's gift. In the present circumstances humanity is ready to admit what it has been denying during its entire history." Kabbalist Michael Laitman, PhD...."
Irrespective of my doubts concerning Michael Laitman's Bnei Baruch movement and the self styled appellation 'Kabbalist' - I quote here because it manifests an essence of the teachings of Baal Ha-Sulam (Master of the Ladder – an allusion to his authorship of the Sulam commentary on the Zohar in Hebrew from the original Aramaic) [Rabbi Yehuda Leib ben Ha-Levi Ashlag ) and his sons which is all too often forgotten in Hassidic Circles; though always deeply studied. We are alas left with their legacy in the form of two Kabbalistic (very much in inverted commas) schools, which shrouds it in a 'barrier' of introversion, new age obfuscation and gnosticism coupled with a cul-tic exclusivity, from which we have to extract the dregs in much the same way as we are with the difference between Chaim Vital's 'note-taking' and the original Ari.
However moving on to the the reason for the quote, substantively it is interesting to note that Laitman moves the formulation of either/or polarity to a codification in the 'law of bestowal' (owing a great deal to the younger R. Baruch Shalom Aslag's Shamati (I heard)) "Take according to your need and give according to your ability" and reduces evil simply to 'egoism'.
Now, to critique this, we must enter into the 'logical construct' called, in the kabbalah, the Tzimtzum - the 'contraction'. This necessity of one (echad) to 'tolerate' two. In many shiurs I have in the chats used the term without definition, now it is my 'imaginative' interpretation here - there does not exist a definitive one - since in the words of the great Rabbi Chaim Luzatto (RamChal) all of Kabblah is 'imaginitive' in the sense that it cannot be conveyed otherwise, it resides within the realm of prophecy, and can only be mediated by 'intellectual, imaginative, metaphorical structures' in the same way as mathematics - an example will suffice:-
Look at the opening of Euclid s Elements - the foundation of Geometry:-
" ... 1...A point is that which has no parts, or magnitude 2...A line is length without breadth: 3...The Ends (or bounds) of a Line, are Points,... "
If anyone can really point to a line which has no breadth in 'reality' I'd like to see it (of course I cannot see it)! The 'concept' line is in a 'logically established 'imaginative' context' easily assumed but rarely truly understood, which is why the previously mentioned R. Ginsburgh and other previous mentioned 'kabbalists' point to mathematics being an emanation from a 'higher world' itself fraught with the 'conceptual' framework in which it is received: the root of 'freewill', and also a gateway to see behind it, if the right eyes are applied to it - anyway to move on.
Back to the Tzimtzum - like Euclid, the formulation is pointing to something that does not exist, but its postulation manifests as the ability to create a 'legal' structure or 'case' on which one can formulate 'covenant' with the receiver - in trust of an ultimate 'unknown' but paid with awe and wonder, which harnesses the ego, not with proscription, but boundless 'possibility' - the humbling of the 'ego' with diminishment - the mark of the Tzaddik, the eradication of the 'evil inclination'. In understanding Tzimtzum correctly we begin to understand the necessity of covenant, and the key to Torah, why the law of 'nature' governs the Creation, why G_d is bound by this 'law' in His Elohim as much as we are, and why the puzzles of G_d's 'limitations' seem evident and puzzling, such as abominations e.g. the Holocaust. Unfortunately, G_d's 'Chessed bubble' which protects our falsity (or our ability to choose it) is maintained moment to moment through 'law' or 'covenant' and the very fabric of the Creation is bound by it, the unlimited 'power' of echad has to be shielded from it, otherwise the 'ohr' (light) of echad would drown any 'individual' (ner or candle) more effectively, and conclusively than any 'flood'. This covenant is symbolized with the rainbow and if examined is a wonderful metaphor for Tzimtzum itself.
The rainbow emanates from the sun's light, and spans in circular form across the heavens against the darkness of the storm which signifies chaos, it 'divides' into 'colours' or 'names' which are 'emanated' in an order which never changes. To perceive such beauty we turn our back on the emanator and lose ourselves in the 'colours' or 'names' in their fascinating possibility of 'shades'. Stand at ninety degrees to the Rainbow it disappears, because the emanator's position has changed, not in reality, but relative to our position, and the raindrop 'screen' is no longer manifesting. A good example here being the 'projector' of a movie - you get no movie from the 'god-ray like' emanation of the projector, you have to have a 'screen' and you are required to sit in certain places to watch the movie no 'dissent' (sitting at 90 degrees is possible, but not if you want to 'see' the movie). So to watch a movie you are bound by 'law' to behave a certain way, 90 degree watching is permitted but you will 'see' nothing hence the atheist, but he/she will always 'see' the 'track' of the 'emanator' (in the movie by the dust particulate track of the projectors beam), in life by the nature of suffering, joy, life, death and choice, but without the 'law' of where to sit, the movie, the 'information' cannot be seen. The Tzimtzum functions as both screen and 'barrier' in the same way 'obey the covenant' and the rainbow (movie) is 'possible', sit sideways or off skew in any way, the wonder cannot be seen. All the 'myriad 'angles' of 'perception are 'permitted' in the Tzimtzum 'theatre' but only one will give you 'truth' and one will give you permanent 'blindness' or 'nullification' and that is to stare directly into the emanator. In the movie theatre this is permitted (in folly) and also with the rainbow, but the Tzimtzum closes it off with a 'veil' constructed of its own emanation of existence - to admit the echad into the Tzimtzum would nullify creation itself.
So in simplicity we see the 'movie theatre = Tzimtzum' model seems to work in explaining 'spirituality' and its lack - one 'can' sit anywhere in the movie theatre in 'freewill' but only with 'law' and arvut (agreement), i.e. sit in the correct seatswill the wonder manifest. The 'container' of the 'wonder' has no limitation within its freedom of 'position' other than its 'boundary' conditions 'the walls' even the screen can be torn from place in an attempt to eradicate the beauty all together but the walls will remain in its place to produce a lesser or degraded 'wonder' but the law of 'position requirement' ( = Torah) will remain unharmed only the 'projection' will be 'dimmed' not the projector, or emantor (in our metaphor the projector is outside the theatre and 'out-of-reach to the 'movie watchers' exactly as in the Tzimtzum). By pursuing this metaphor we find that an understanding of our world can conceptualize, through its mediation, it is not in any way 'reality' but it is a 'manifestation' that provides a framework to understanding the non-understandable. We are as movie-goers confined to a 'room' we call creation (Tzimtzum) if we 'obey' the dictate of the 'system' our life in the theatre will be filled with the 'knowledge' conveyed by the emanator (the movie) and we will stay in our seats and have the true emanators message enlighten us, as long as we establish the law of where to sit (a problem as we shall see). The Tzimtzum, the theatre does not impose this - a person may freely choose to destroy everything within the theatre, but the walls and the emanator will remain. In response to this 'impossible' freedom and irritation, our reaction will not be to watch the movie - cognisant of its emanator, but to 'protect' and to 'protect the rights of others to watch' and in doing so 'righteous indignation' is born to establish laws of protection rather than of emancipation. As the movie goers elaborate their legal structures to protect the other 'potential' movie goers, they become more 'warlike' in the imposition of law unlike the Tzimtzum which still manifests the projected image - even if you tear down the screen! If the Tzimtzum is inhabited by imbalance in the 'name of' truth a falsity and a blasphemy, it collapses under the weight of people trying to polarize beyond its 'design limits' of balance. The emanator 'burns' down the edifice in imposition of truth, which is the only reality, not out of capricious rage or volition but out of the inability of echad to tolerate the ultimate polarization of truth into falsity - falsity can only be manifest in the Tzimtzum, through a chessed barrier. Chessed itself is undone through falsity, especially with a falsity that claims to be THE truth, the ultimate blasphemy, if the balance is upset falsity condemns Tzimtzum to 'non-existence' by its own 'covenant' - the 'bubble' of the 'possibility of falsity' within truth - the knife-edge existence between 'everything' and 'nothing' - Adams choice manifest in the timeless 'Serpents possibility' in Eden.
In seeing our theatre erupt into 'protectionism' in the guise of goodness, we never mentioned what the 'movie' might be saying, and indeed you could postulate that the movie may be simply saying there is no movie and no Tzimtzum, just echad and you are one as I am one - Adam make the right choice...
The 'fairytale' ends, the movie fades to credits and we have to leave the theatre, blinking against the light of the day. We live in a movie theatre of possibility, and seeming freedom. We are permitted to develop and deploy nuclear weapons, commit genocide, corrupt law, murder, refuse truth or embrace - whatever we choose since like the rainbow we are allowed every shade the palette can provide. We will suffer, rejoice, live and die - both in a myriad of ways, in image of the rainbow. Through those choices we will 'suffer' not through 'evil' but through falsity which has limits. As long as there is some small modicum of truth it permits Tzimtzum to perpetuate. The only threat to 'creation' is when there is manifestation of falsity as truth, or pure 'falsity' when even the 'righteous' truly believe falsity to be truth, this is intolerable to echad and Tzimtzum ceases. The Torah is the movie given to us, it is copyright, it is unique. Its structure is the foundation of Tzimtzum, the covenant - whilst one will stand for truth, the Tzimtzum holds and the movie is 'possibility' - without the acceptance of covenant, others will not be able to view it. It cannot be 'protected' or 'pirated' - it needs no fence, its truth has to shine for all, no one has primacy on truth except the one, the purpose of the covenant is to mediate unity not to create 'polarity' - the mere presence of the 'covenanter's' will keep the world of 'possibility' alive long enough for Adam to make his choice.