How can we get a glimpse of God? Kabbala reveals how the Infinite interacts with humanity.

by Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

The Kabbalah is about understanding God.

This brings us to a major paradox, because how can we -- who are finite, understand God, who is Infinite.

The Kabbalah describes God as Ein Sof, which in Hebrew means "without end."

Colloquially, of course, we are accustomed to use "infinite" whenever we refer to something “very, very big” or “uncountable.” But its real definition is “without borders” or "without parameters."

Just as when we physically grab something, we need edges/borders to hold onto, so too when we mentally grasp a concept, we need to perceive the boundaries of the idea as points of reference. Thus, when we define something we give it parameters, and thereby we are able to comprehend it.

A picture’s clarity depends on the sharpness of contrast of its boundaries. When I wish to describe a person, I point out the distinctions between him and others. If I say, “he is tall”, I really mean to say “he is taller than most others.”

God is termed Bal Tachlis -- He is not bound in any way.

This doesn't just mean that His powers are not limited in any way, but, more deeply, that we cannot contrast God with any experience known to humanity.

Describing the Indescribable

When a child asks to describe honey, we can point to the sweetness of sugar, the color of brown toast, and the texture of syrup, and tell him to imagine all three together.

But when a child asks for an explanation of the politics of workplace relationships, we have a difficult time finding an illustration, because emotional interactions have no real parallel in a child’s universe.

The same is true of God’s essence. No amount of comparison, illustration, or metaphor will bring His reality closer to our understanding. He is simply Ein Sof -- indefinable, period.

So what are we studying in Kabbalah?

Is the mind a useless tool when it comes to contact with God?

Are we adopting the view that the mind is a useless tool when it comes to contact with God? Or that communion with God is but a transcendental, emotional state of self-negation and acceptance?

No. It cannot be that the human mind -- our most important and God-like organ -- has no purpose in our attempt to communicate with our Creator.

The Realm of Understanding

The answer is that while God Himself is Ein Sof, He has created a place of interaction between Himself and humanity that is, for our sakes, bounded and defined. This place is called hanhaga -- and this is the realm within which we can make use of our understanding and knowledge.

But is this realm meaningless in the absolute sense? Has it been created just for the sake of keeping our minds occupied, since we can’t ever grasp the real thing?

Let us contrast two illustrations that will highlight our question and hopefully, provide an answer.

An adult is visiting the home of his friend, who has asked him to baby-sit. The adult has little in common with the child, yet must busy him somehow (let's say the television is broken.) He devises a game of marbles, and sits with the child and plays.

In doing so the adult has completely left the adult world and has entered the child’s world. Years later when the child will remember this incident, he might feel this as an example of the adult's kindness. But nothing in the game itself is a reflection of the adult’s values.

Now let us consider a second illustration. An adult sets up a school for children, where he will teach them dignity, responsibility and justice. But those are abstract concepts, meaningless to a child. Therefore, he makes a rule that white shirts and ties be worn at all times, that a certain amount of homework be the duty of the child to prepare, and that studying or the lack of, will be noted and publicized.

In the child’s mind these are concrete rules, and physical realities that the child can relate to. Yet underpinning the rules are abstract principles that the child is meant to learn. When the child grows up, he will perceive the inner values represented in these rules.

Commandments are finite and graspable. Yet their "soul," so to speak, is Divine.

This is what is at work in Divine hanhaga -- which, of course, is contained in the rules and laws of the Torah.

To us the commandments of the Torah are rules and dictates. Being concrete and finite they are graspable. Yet their "soul," so to speak, is Divine.

Studying, obeying and understanding that hanhaga allows us to gradually develop some sense of the Divine will.

This is the subject matter of Kabbalah.

The Kabbalah seeks to understand the Divine hanhaga, as opposed to understanding God Himself. Yet in reaching a deeper understanding of hanhaga, we get a glimpse of God Himself.

Published: February 14, 2000
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Article 2 of 24 in the series Kabbala

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Visitor Comments: 16

(15) Sarah, April 18, 2012 3:21 PM

Definitions are always subjective

This is good reading, however, definitions are always subjective, and therefore very limited as far as descriptors of the real thing. And what human being can ever know the "real thing", whether it is G-d or something else. Boundaries to hold onto are slippery, but yes, we need them or else we would go insane. Real Kabbalah is deep, too deep for most of us. W

(14) Emmanuel Ikan Astillero, December 12, 2011 6:26 AM

We live God's life by living His attributes.

The only way, as Kabbalah teaches, to attain the Creator is to adhere to this teachings. As we obey His commandments, we become like God.

(13) Han David, May 13, 2011 7:47 PM

Clear and usefull! Shalom !

(12) Alexander Huzau, September 19, 2010 8:37 PM

A glimpse of G..d

To Stacy: The undefinable can not be defined. Our finite mind encount difficulties defining parameters which are infinite, such as SPACE or TIME(although TIME is rather a unit of measure than a physical parameter..) Just try it on your own, to give an acceptable definition for this two... G..d is infinite in time and space: eternal. And because of this, He has no past or future time, just present. We are free on taking decisions, but He already knows which decision we chose... He has no 'here' and 'there' because He is everywhere: omnipresent. He is non-physical (considering the actual stage of science about dark matter and dark energy) and non-corporeal, but He can take material forms: man, burning bush, clouds, frog, or everything in between. He is omnipotent: the creator of all things.

(11) meyer zuckerman, March 15, 2010 5:01 PM

Use of "uncountable" and "parameter" in description of infinite

First, as a long time student of Kabbalah, I applaud this plain talking series. I'd like to refer the interested person to the work of the late 19th century mathematician Georg Cantor,who describes infinity in a way that actually gave me some of the same insights posited in this series. I would like to just make note that we must be careful when using descriptive terms such as "uncountable" with regard to infinity because there is an infinite set of "countable" numbers(the set of integers) and a set of "uncountable" nunbers(all the rest of numbers as well). The same basic argument is true of "parameter". If you are interested in comparing a mathematical description of infinity to a Kabbalistic one, than there are several not very technical books available on the work of Georg Cantor.

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About the Author

Rabbi Shimon Leiberman

Rabbi Leiberman is a leading Jewish educator in Israel and abroad, and has written a number of works on Jewish thought and Kabbalah.

Related Articles:

  • Kabbala #1: What Is Kabbala?
  • Kabbala #19: History of Kabbala Part II
  • Kabbala #17: History of Kabbala: Part 1

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