8 replies to this topic

[Rabbi Shapiro]

It isn’t a simple matter to create something. In fact, it is not possible.

Before the world, there was only Hashem. In fact, Hashem WAS the world.There was no space, time, dimensions - only Hashem. We can’t even say Hashem was “everywhere”, since there was no space to say “where.” There was only Hashem.

And there can only be Hashem. Being that Hashem is perfect, it means He is,for lack of a better term, every "where”. And every “thing”. It can’t be any other way.

So you can’t really create a world, because then there would be something in existence BESIDES Hashem. And if there is something besides Hashem, that means there is a “place” where Hashem is not. A physical world is not a spiritual, Perfect G-d. So where one is, the other is not.

Yet, if Hashem is every “where” (and every “thing”), how can there be “room” for a physical world?

The answer is that Hashem had a way to “make room” for the universe. This is called the “Tzimtzum” (something like “constriction”, or “limitation”).Exactly how it works is a subject of big time controversy, and it was a big dispute between Chassidim and Misnagdim in the days of the Vilna Gaon. (Disclaimer: The following explanation is not intended to touch upon that disagreement, but rather to explain, in the simplest terms possible, the basic idea. If it seems for some reason that I have “sided” with one opinion or another, it is purely unintentional.)

Basically, Hashem did not need to “make room” for the universe because the universe does not “take up” space. The universe was created not through adding something to the world, but rather by removing, or even better, by HIDING something. Hashem created the world by hiding His presence and making it APPEAR as if imperfection (that is, physical, material stuff) exists. When you create something, that usually means that you produce something where previously it was not. The “after” is more and better than the “before”. It is an enhancement. But when Hashem created the world, it was the opposite: “Before”, there was Hashem’s light, His essence, all over. Hashem hid some of that light, made it “invisible”, blocked it from the eyes of the universe, so that where before there was Perfection, there now appears to be imperfection. Where there was G-d,there now appears to be sticks and stones. Where there was boundlessness, there now appears to be the confinements of time and space.

G-d created the universe out of darkness - or rather, the lessening,“constricting”, “limiting” of His light. The “after” of the universe is on a lower, lesser level, than the “before”.

G-d hid a certain amount of His light in a certain way, and there appeared a mountain. A different amount of light, in a different way, and there appeared a horse. It’s kind of like scratchboard – you create shapes and sizes by scratching away the ink, not by adding something. Or like making shadow images by blocking light. So too the world was created by concealment and constriction, not by additions or improvements.

Therefore, the world seems like an imperfect place, but that’s only because we are only granted the ability to see part of the light. The word “physical” really means: “where only part of G-d’s light shines”.

As an example: Where Hashem is, there is no such thing as time. Past, present, and future all happen at the same… well, for lack of a better term, “time”. Time only seems to be our reality because Hashem hides from us the future and the past. Imagine a piece of cardboard, with a tiny hole in it. Look through that hole at the world. You can only see part of what is going on. Now move that cardboard to the right and to the left. You see different parts of the landscape, one after the other, even though all parts are always there. That’s time. G-d allows us to “see” part of the picture now, yet another part later, and a further part after that - like one of those binocular-machines on the observation deck of the Empire State Building. As you move it, you get different views. To us, what we view is all that exists. To Hashem, Who lives on the other side of the cardboard, kaviyochel, the entire view – past, present, and future - is visible at once.

So everything in the universe – the very universe itself – is created through hiding and blocking of Hashem’s Light (i.e. His visible presence). Hashem Himself, Who exists outside of His creation, is not bound by time, place, or any physicality whatsoever.

[taon]

I dont really understand ow Hashem can "remove" His presence. So does the physical have actual existence? whata bout the spiritual realm?

[Rabbi Shapiro]

I dont really understand ow Hashem can "remove" His presence. So does the physical have actual existence? whata bout the spiritual realm?

That is impossible to understand because when you say Hashem's "presence" in that context, there really is no such thing. "Presence" in your sentence means "located in a certain place." But there is no such place outside of Hashem for Him to be located. Instead, think of this "constriction" simply as Hashem allowing certain things to happen that we would think cannot happen in a reality that consists only of Hashem.

As far as the world's existence, yes it exists. Hashem אמת ופעולתו אמת. But it exists only as an expression of the Will of Hashem. As an analogy - and this is only an analogy, not a comparison - imagine in your mind a little world, consisting of people, places, things, planets, oceans - an entire universe. That universe actually exists, as an expression of your imagination, and to each creature in the universe, the rest of the universe is physical reality, with consistent and predictable laws of nature (because you will it so), and all the characteristics of a material universe.

But relative to you, it's just an expression of your imagination.

As a moshol, we can understand the physical world this way. The entire physical universe only acts the way it does, only is the way it is, only feels the way it feels, only exists altogether - because Hashem wills it so. Compared to Hashem, it has no existence. אין עוד מלבדו. It is nothign but the Ratzon Hashem. But to us it is very very real.

I will discuss this more at length in the Creation forum.

I have a full audio Shiur on this topic - "Cosmology 101" it's called. You can get it here.

[Rabbi Shapiro]

Well there's two parts to this discussion: (1) That אין עוד מלבדו and that the entire universe is only an expression of the Ratzon Hashem, and then (2) If so, how can the world be limited and finite if it is an expression of Hashem's will which is unlimited and infinite?

The first part of the discussion is the more important and fundamental part. You can find a very condensed statement about it in the Rambam Yesodei HaTorah 1:4. This principle is a derivation from the fact that Hashem is Kulo Poshut and therefore has no boundaries. You can find more detailed discussions in the places I cited in צדה לדרך on page 65, which you can view or download in .pdf form here. What you are looking for is on p.65 ד"ה מציאות הכל אינו אלא רצון ה.

The second part, which is the Tzimtzum, is much more complex, and is not mentioned in the Rambam. I could tell you about the Nefesh HaChaim (3:4-7) or the Tanya (Igeres HaKodesh 5), but honestly, you don't want to delve into any of those sources right now. If someone tries to run before they can walk, they can easily fall and hurt themselves, and this is the marathon we're talking about here. If you like, you can check out the Malbim in Ki Sisa (33:21), where he gives a condensed explanation of the topic.

[eidel]

G-d created the universe out of darkness - or rather, the lessening,“constricting”, “limiting” of His light. The “after” of the universe is on a lower, lesser level, than the “before”.

The Rav's explanation reminds me of a mathematical fact: all (1-dimensional, regular) knots (like we imagine from strings) are untied when viewed in 4-dimensional space, whereas their knottedness appear when we $restrict$ ourselves to 3-dimensions!
Or on a more daily level, we can "slice" a 3-dimensional solid and get a 2-dimensional surface, by shrinking one axis (for example the height) to a zero-dimensional point.

Oh I wish I could go thru all the references posted! Which ones are allowed for girls to study?

[Rabbi Shapiro]

If you say so I believe you. (Braid theory isn't my bailiwick.)

Me it reminds of חק תוכות.

None of the references I mentioned are prohibited to women. But I'd recommend, like I did above, not going into the Nefesh Hachaim or Tanya.

[eidel]

If you say so I believe you. (Braid theory isn't my bailiwick.)

Me it reminds of חק תוכות.

None of the references I mentioned are prohibited to women. But I'd recommend, like I did above, not going into the Nefesh Hachaim or Tanya.

Thank you for the reply. I will need to study a lot to catch up

[rocksdontfly]

this was explained really well. Thank you