Ohr Makif (אור מקיף) — The Surrounding Light
Core definition
Ohr Makif, "the surrounding light," is Divine light that encompasses its recipient without being grasped inwardly. It is the counterpart of Ohr Pnimiyus (the inward light): where pnimiyus is tailored to the vessel and acts within it, the makif hovers over it, in concealment, relating to it from above its measure. "It has relation to the worlds — only, since it cannot shine in the pnimiyus in the worlds, it is in the aspect of a makif upon them" [58846/maamar_014 :: עב׳ 178]. The name itself, like every name, "rests only in the aspect of makif upon the thing over which the name is called" [31674/maamar_026 :: עב׳ 273]. Even Adam Kadmon — the highest structure — receives only in this mode: "even in the aspect of Adam Kadmon it shines only in the aspect of makif alone" [31674/maamar_026 :: עב׳ 654], and "it is not grasped inwardly, only in the aspect of encompassing" [31674/maamar_026 :: עב׳ 2426].
How the Rebbeim develop it
The standard doctrine distinguishes two makifim: "there are two aspects of makifim — the near makif and the distant makif" [58846/maamar_014 :: עב׳ 20], parabled as "the makif of a garment and the makif of a house" [58846/maamar_014 :: עב׳ 21]. The near makif — the encompassing ohrim drawn from the Kav — is closer: "the close makif — they are the encompassing ohrim drawn from the Kav" [31669/maamar_017 :: עb 70]. It still has closeness of category with pnimiyus: "though this is a makif and this is pnimiyus, nevertheless… a little of it shines in the pnimiyus of the recipient, which is his pnimiyus" [58846/maamar_014 :: עב׳ 74–75]. The distant makif, by contrast, is radically removed: "the general makif is not of their value at all" [31669/maamar_017 :: עב׳ 42]; if it "had any category and relation to the whole of hishtalshelus, automatically it would have some relation to the particulars, and would be felt in them" [58846/maamar_014 :: עב׳ 104]. Its first root is "in the aspect of the essence of the Luminary" — Awtsmoos hama'or itself [58846/maamar_014 :: עב׳ 179].
The two makifim map onto the two Torahs: the Written Torah is the garment-makif, while "the Oral Torah… is in the aspect of a house built by Torah scholars" — "a house is the distant makif" [58846/maamar_014 :: עב׳ 19–21; 31669/maamar_017 :: עב׳ 19]. Malchus, the source of the Divine utterance, is makif "in the aspect of exaltedness and upliftedness over the worlds and created beings, encompassing them all equally" [31674/maamar_026 :: עב׳ 380]. The near makif is not passive: "it is concealed and hidden from it — only, it is in the aspect of the near makif, which acts to bring it into being and give it life" [31674/maamar_026 :: עב׳ 1145]. In the soul, the makif of Chayah is identified as "the essential will" (ratzon atzmi) [19803/maamar_009 :: עב׳ 473], and kedushah's makif is "the aspect above the middos and the mochin" [19803/maamar_009 :: עב׳ 169–170].
Makif is also relational: "the makif is according to his measure alone: for according to a level higher than him, it is not in the aspect of a makif at all" [58846/maamar_014 :: עב׳ 73]. And in holiness the makifim compound: "makif-to-makif is the essential and inward connection; and essential connection is only in kedushah" — whereas kelipah "has only one makif alone" [19803/maamar_009 :: עב׳ 337–339].
Key distinctions
- Near vs. distant makif: the near makif (garment; the ohrim of the Kav; the Written Torah) has closeness of category with pnimiyus; the distant makif (house; the Oral Torah) is "not of their value at all," rooted in the essence of the Luminary [58846/maamar_014 :: עב׳ 20–21, עב׳ 74–75; 31669/maamar_017 :: עב׳ 42, עב׳ 70; 58846/maamar_014 :: עב׳ 179].
- Makif vs. pnimiyus: makif cannot shine inwardly and is not grasped inwardly, only encompassing [58846/maamar_014 :: עב׳ 178; 31674/maamar_026 :: עב׳ 2426]; yet a little of the near makif shines in the recipient's pnimiyus [58846/maamar_014 :: עב׳ 75].
- Kedushah vs. kelipah: kedushah has makif-to-makif, essential connection; kelipah has only one makif [19803/maamar_009 :: עב׳ 337–339].
- Relativity: a light is makif only relative to the recipient's measure; to a higher level it is not makif at all [58846/maamar_014 :: עב׳ 73].
- Makif as cause: the near makif, though concealed, "acts to bring it into being and give it life" [31674/maamar_026 :: עב׳ 1145].
Related concepts
- Ohr Pnimiyus
- Sovev Kol Almin
- The Kav
- Chayah (level of the soul)
- Ratzon
- Written and Oral Torah
Sources
- 58846/maamar_014 — כי נר מצוה: the two makifim [עב׳ 20]; garment vs. house [עב׳ 21]; relativity of makif [עב׳ 73]; closeness of category [עב׳ 74–75]; the general makif [עב׳ 104]; makif upon the worlds [עב׳ 178]; the distant makif's root in the essence of the Luminary [עב׳ 179]; Oral Torah as house [עב׳ 19]; Torah as revelation in the distant makif [עב׳ 310]
- 31669/maamar_017 — Sefer HaMaamarim תש״ד, maamar 17: house as distant makif [עב׳ 19, עב׳ 216]; the general makif not of their value [עב׳ 42]; near makif from the Kav [עב׳ 70]
- 31674/maamar_026 — ד״ה שמח תשמח (חתונה, תרנ״ז): name as makif [עב׳ 273]; Malchus as makif over all equally [עב׳ 380]; makif alone in Adam Kadmon [עב׳ 654]; near makif giving life [עב׳ 1145]; not grasped inwardly [עב׳ 2426]
- 19803/maamar_009 — מאמר צהר תעשה (ספר המאמרים תש״ז): makif of kedushah above middos and mochin [עב׳ 169–170, עב׳ 325]; makif-to-makif [עב׳ 338–339]; makif of chayah as essential will [עב׳ 473]