Ohr Ein Sof (אור אין סוף) — The Infinite Light

Core definition

Ohr Ein Sof, "the Infinite Light," is the Divine light as it is without limit — the revelation of Awtsmoos itself in the aspect of light, before and beyond all contraction, vessel, and world. "The lights of Atzilus are revelations from the Ohr Ein Sof, the Ma'atzil (the Emanator)" [31688/maamar_011 :: עב׳ 110]. Everything below — Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah, the sefiros, the souls — is drawn from it: "it is known that the ohr's drawing's root is also from ohr ein sof the bli gvul (the limitless)" [58841/maamar_016 :: עב׳ 464].

How the Rebbeim develop it

The Rebbeim develop the Ohr Ein Sof chiefly through its two modes of relation to the worlds: Sovev Kol Almin (that which encompasses all the worlds) and Memale Kol Almin (that which fills all the worlds). "For this is the novelty in the aspect of the Ohr Ein Sof, the sovev kol almin: that it can be in concealment in every place; and although it is found there, nevertheless it effects nothing" [31688/maamar_011 :: עב׳ 92–95]. The sovev "is found in every place in concealment, and does not act" [31688/maamar_011 :: עב׳ 102–103]; by contrast, "in the aspect of the memale kol almin… the drawing-down is that it is found in the place to which it is drawn; this is in revealedness, and it acts there" [31688/maamar_011 :: עב׳ 96–99].

Beneath both modes lies the essence of the Ohr Ein Sof. The discourses distinguish revelations that come through arousal from below — "in all the festivals the revelation is from the aspect of the Ohr Ein Sof, the sovev kol almin, but it is still drawn through arousal from below, so it is not from the essence of the Ohr Ein Sof" — from the "leaping" (dilug) of the Exodus, an arousal from above with no arousal from below, "from the essence itself" [31688/maamar_011 :: Overview, opening exposition]. The same maamar teaches that "the sovev kol almin, though found everywhere, is revealed in this world specifically through Torah and mitzvos" [31688/maamar_011 :: Overview, opening exposition] — which is why teshuvah and the refinements (birurim) take effect precisely here below.

The essence of the Ohr Ein Sof is characterized as pure goodness and kindness: the world's beginning is "for He desires chesed" — "not a middah at all, but the essence of the Ohr Ein Sof's goodness and chesed," from whose will the world came to be through gratuitous chesed ("ki amarti olam chesed yibaneh") [66495/maamar_030 :: Summary]. Above will, source, and drawing stands the "root of roots" — the essence of the Ohr Ein Sof before the will's arising, of which is said "what does it matter to Him" [66495/maamar_030 :: Overview] — and all the lights are "included and united utterly in ohr ein sof the Maatzil" [58841/maamar_016 :: עב׳ 443].

In avodah, the soul's work ascends toward this essence: "when he contemplates the wondrousness (hafl'ah) and exaltedness of ohr ein sof," the arousal climbs until "specifically through this he comes to the merchav (expanse) of the essence of ohr ein sof" — from "min hameitzar karasi Kah, anani bamerchav Kah" (Tehillim 118:5) [58841/maamar_016 :: עב׳ 231, עב׳ 34].

Key distinctions

Related concepts

Sources