| Learning Kabbalah Through Humor | | | | He was granted a temporary permit for the project, |
| Creation | | | | but had trouble complying with the Cease and Desist |
| Harry: What's green, hangs on the wall, and whistles? | | | | order. Appearing at the hearing, God was asked why |
| Stanley: I don't know. What's green, hangs on | | | | He began the project in the first place. He replied |
| thewall, and whistles? | | | | that He just liked to be creative. Then God said, "Let |
| Harry: A herring. | | | | there be light." Officials immediately demanded to |
| Stanley: But... a herring Isn't green! | | | | know how the light would be made. Would there be |
| Harry: Nu, so you could paint it green. | | | | strip mining? What about thermal pollution? God |
| Stanley: But a herring doesn't hang on the wall! | | | | explained that the light would come from a huge ball |
| Harry: Nu, so you could hang it on the wall. | | | | of fire. He was granted provisional permission to |
| Stanley: But a herring doesn't whistle! | | | | make light, with the proviso that no smoke would |
| Harry: Ok, so it doesn't whistle. | | | | result from the ball of fire, that He would obtain a |
| God, the Creator of the universe, is limitless, | | | | building permit, and, to conserve energy, would have |
| formless, all-knowing and all present. Although God | | | | the light burning only half the time. God agreed and |
| has no specific gender, we refer to God as He, | | | | said He would call the light Day and the darkness |
| because that is how the neutral gender is rendered in | | | | Night. Officials replied that they were not interested |
| Hebrew, the language of the Torah. To reinforce | | | | in semantics. God said, "Let the earth sprout |
| God's genderlessness, there is a femi-nine aspect of | | | | vegetation, seed-yielding herbs and fruit trees |
| God called Shechinah, which comes from the root | | | | producing fruit according to their kind." The EPA |
| word to dwell and denotes God's transcendent | | | | agreed as long as native seed was used. Then God |
| presence as it dwells in the physical world. God is, | | | | said, "Let the waters swarm a swarming of living |
| was and always will be. He is known as the Ein Sof - | | | | creatures, and let fowl fly over the earth, across the |
| Never-Ending One - and is also called, The Primary | | | | expanse of the Heaven." Officials pointed out that |
| Being. of the world according to Kabbalah, the body | | | | this would re-quire approval from the Department of |
| of Jewish mystical thought. In fact, God is all there is. | | | | Game. Everything was OK until God said he wanted |
| According to the famous kabbalist, Rabbi Menachem | | | | to complete the project in six days. Officials informed |
| Mendel of Lubavitch (the Tzemach Tzedek) | | | | Him it would take at least 200 years to review the |
| (1789-1866), it is only God's existence that has no | | | | application and the environmental impact statement. |
| beginning. All other existence, in contrast, is | | | | After that there would be a public hearing. Then it |
| comprised of new creations that did not exist | | | | would be 10-12 months before... At this point God |
| be-fore they were brought into being by Him. God is | | | | created Hell. |
| not time-bound; He alone existed, before time was | | | | Kabbalah speaks of four worlds: (1) Atzilut, (the |
| created. When He created the world, He also created | | | | World of Emanation), is the highest world. It contains |
| time. To say that God has always existed would limit | | | | the revealed potential for further creation. It |
| the expression of God, because always is an aspect | | | | possesses no perceived existence independent of |
| of time. God exists independent of time, above the | | | | God. |
| entire framework of chronology. Time is relevant only | | | | (2) Beriah, (the World of Creation), is the second |
| to created beings. I told you all that hoping you | | | | highest. world. It holds the beginnings of creative |
| would ask what our herring joke has to do with God, | | | | potential, born of Atzilut, which begin to take on the |
| or even if it is a joke. Whether you think it's a joke | | | | perception of form or independent existence. The |
| or not, if you delve into the words a little deeper, | | | | higher order of angels dwells in Beriah as do created |
| you will discover a parallel with how God created the | | | | souls and the upper Garden of Eden, where certain |
| world, according to Kabbalah. God looked to see | | | | privileged souls journey as a reward for their |
| what He wanted to create, and then He created the | | | | meritorious conduct during their lifetime on earth. The |
| thing He desired from nothing, from no previous | | | | Divine Throne also resides in Beriah. It embodies the |
| existence. Just as Harry, the joke-teller above, could | | | | concept that the Divine begins to lower itself in order |
| set up his punch line any way he wanted while | | | | to touch the lower worlds. |
| Stanley tried to poke holes in the logic of it, so too, | | | | (3) Yetzirah, (the World of Formation), is the third |
| God is not limited by a linear or logical way of | | | | highest world, where the blueprints are drawn up for |
| thinking. We may not understand God's ways, but | | | | final creation and where specific steps are taken to |
| that doesn't invali-date them. All it means is that we | | | | bring them to fruition. The lower order of angels - |
| are limited in our ability to grasp. But in His great | | | | those with a specific mission - reside in Yetzirah, and |
| mercy and love for us, God patiently allows for and | | | | the lower Garden of Eden abides here as well. |
| invites our questions. | | | | (4) Asiyah, (the World of Action), is the fourth world, |
| Benjy was asked by his mother what he had learned | | | | the world in which you and I live. In Asiyah, we |
| in Hebrew School. "Well, Mom, our teacher told us | | | | witness the most convincing representation of |
| how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue | | | | independence from God. Sadly, this is because in |
| mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he | | | | Asiyah we are the most removed from Him, and it is |
| got to the Red Sea he had his engineers build a | | | | here where the dazzling radiance of God is the most |
| pontoon bridge, and all the people walked across | | | | concealed. This total concealment gives rise to free |
| safely. Then he used his walkie-talkie to radio | | | | choice, such that a person is permitted to choose |
| headquarters for reinforcements. They sent F-16s to | | | | whether or not he will serve God according to His will. |
| blow up the bridge and save the Israelites." "Now, | | | | Asiyah embodies the ultimate purpose of creation, |
| Benjy, is that really what your teacher taught you," | | | | where God has provided us both the map and the |
| his mother questioned. "Well, no, Mom," said Benjy, | | | | guidebook so we can actualize that purpose: to make |
| "but if I told you what she really said, you'd never | | | | our world an abode in which He will desire to dwell. |
| believe it." | | | | From free choice springs the notion of Evil and the |
| Can God fit an elephant through the eye of a | | | | threat of Hell. |
| needle? This is a famous riddle posed by the Talmud. | | | | According to Kabbalah, Evil was created from the |
| The answer is yes! But how? Would He make the | | | | sitra achra, the other side of God. In other words, it |
| elephant smaller? Would He make the eye of the | | | | originates from God, so it must have hidden elements |
| needle bigger? He would do neither. The elephant | | | | of Goodness, but not in the way you may think. Evil |
| would remain un-changed, as would the eye of the | | | | is a way that God tests humanity's actions. This is |
| needle. And under that exact set of circumstances, | | | | com-pared to a king who sends a temptress to |
| God would fit the elephant through the eye of the | | | | seduce his son, the prince. The temptress must |
| needle. If you say this makes no sense, you are | | | | follow the king's orders and do everything in her |
| right, but having created that set of rules called logic, | | | | power to seduce the prince, all the while hoping that |
| the Master of the Universe is certainly entitled to | | | | the prince will not succumb to her allure. So, too, Evil, |
| ignore them. | | | | in the form of our Evil Inclination, entices us with all |
| In the beginning, God created Heaven and Earth. | | | | sorts of worldly attractions, hoping that we will reject |
| Immediately God was faced with a class action suit | | | | them. |
| for failure to file an environmental impact statement. | | | | |