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May. 7th, 2004
Tonight, going through the sefirot, something occured to me:
Each of the sefirot has an entrance and an exit. In this regard they differ from the original vessel, which only had an entrance. When ein sof attempted to flow into that original vessel, it shattered. But the sefirot do not shatter, because ein sof can flow through them. The original vessel had an end, a bottom. Ein sof reached it and burst through, but because the sefirot have exits, they have no end - the pressure that destroyed the original vessels cannot destroy the sefirot, because instead of building, it passes through.
This idea occurred to me because I once worked for a hydraulics company. The importance in hydraulic systems of making sure that pressurized fluid always has someplace to go is the most fundamental concept in fluid dynamics. So it was some work of mine that made this epiphany possible. This, I suppose, is why Maimonides taught that one should work 8 hours, study 8 hours, and sleep 8 hours. Having a "day job" gives one real world experience that can be essential to effective study -- one draws upon one's engagement with the world in order to develop useful metaphors.
Indeed, Malkut is the text before us. It is not an illusion so much as it is a sensory allegory for the workings of heaven.
Each of the sefirot has an entrance and an exit. In this regard they differ from the original vessel, which only had an entrance. When ein sof attempted to flow into that original vessel, it shattered. But the sefirot do not shatter, because ein sof can flow through them. The original vessel had an end, a bottom. Ein sof reached it and burst through, but because the sefirot have exits, they have no end - the pressure that destroyed the original vessels cannot destroy the sefirot, because instead of building, it passes through.
This idea occurred to me because I once worked for a hydraulics company. The importance in hydraulic systems of making sure that pressurized fluid always has someplace to go is the most fundamental concept in fluid dynamics. So it was some work of mine that made this epiphany possible. This, I suppose, is why Maimonides taught that one should work 8 hours, study 8 hours, and sleep 8 hours. Having a "day job" gives one real world experience that can be essential to effective study -- one draws upon one's engagement with the world in order to develop useful metaphors.
Indeed, Malkut is the text before us. It is not an illusion so much as it is a sensory allegory for the workings of heaven.