Honor: When concealment reveals true presence

Source: A light that retreats to create: The first contraction

Know that before the emanated beings were emanated and the created beings were created, a simple, supernal light filled all of existence. There was no vacant place, such as empty air or a void, but rather everything was filled by that simple, infinite light. It had no aspect of beginning and no aspect of end, but rather everything was one simple light, completely equal and uniform, and this is what is called the light of the Ein Sof.

And when it arose in His simple will to create the worlds and emanate the emanated beings, to bring to light the perfection of His actions, His names, and His attributes, which was the reason for the creation of the worlds, as we explained in the first branch, in the first inquiry.

Behold, then the Ein Sof contracted Himself in the middle point within Him, in the exact center of His light.

(Rabbi Chaim Vital, "Etz Chaim", teachings of the Arizal. Image: Diagram in the handwriting of Rabbi Menachem de Lonzano, 16th century, 'The Worlds After the Tzimtzum')

Explanation: From something to nothing: How contraction reveals honor

Before anything was created, everything was filled with divine presence. God was everything, and everything was God. God's honor filled all of existence, yet God sought to create a world and humankind so that His honor would be revealed, and therefore contracted Himself and cleared a vacant space in which the world was created. Thus, precisely by contracting God's honor was His honor revealed. And the more He went on contracting Himself from being to nothingness, from infinity to finitude, the greater His honor grew.

Perspective: The price of disappearance: Between spiritual honor and earthly honor

As noted, God's contraction enabled us to honor Him, yet that very contraction also created heresy, sin, illness, and evil—and all of these have led many to feel distant from and angry at God. All of creation "takes advantage" of God's contraction to deviate from order, and perhaps it would have been better to contract the contraction, to leave an honor that carries weight, power, and intimidation, so there would be less anarchy. So too with human beings: can we really do without external honor? Someone who contracts themselves completely might win appreciation, even honor, but from human nothingness, new worlds do not usually grow. Perhaps that is why Rabbi Yochanan, head of the Tiberias academy in the third century, says that "his garments are his honor" (Babylonian Talmud, 91b).

Going Deeper: A presence that takes up no space: The miraculous ark

The Talmud (Megillah 10b) describes a miracle that took place in the Holy of Holies in the Temple: "The space of the Ark was not of the measurements," because according to the dimensions described in the Torah, the Ark was larger than the space where it was meant to dwell. Therefore, the Sages of Israel say that the Ark of the Covenant took up no physical space in the Holy of Holies, as if it were a hologram. This is the level of perfection: an absolute presence that can be passed through, one that does not crowd anyone else out. The transition from koved (heaviness) to kavod (honor).

Culture: Cyrano in the shadows: A poet who found honor in the dark

The play Cyrano de Bergerac (Edmond Rostand). Cyrano, the large-nosed poet, performs the ultimate contraction in the balcony scene. He stands in the shadows (contraction) and gives his words and soul to Christian, handsome and foolish, who stands in the light. He erases his own "I" to allow Roxane's love to exist. His true honor lies not in the sword, but in the ability to be the voice in the dark that allows others to shine.