I am writing my Rabbinic thesis on the idea that our thoughts ascend to God. Right now I am researching the practical application of that and reading a lot on consciousness. In some theories the role of images is a salient, albeit subconscious aspect of consciousness. The Zohar is a treasure trove of Jewish mystical images and symbols. I recently asked Hebrew Seminary Professor of Kabbalah Rav Rahmiel Hayyim Drizin, “Would you share with us a Zohar image that is meaningful for you especially as it might enhance our spiritual consciousness?”
Here’s an all-encompassing principle: What is above is below, and what is below is above. We know that the human is a microcosm of the universe, while the universe is a macrocosm of the human. And heaven and earth are mere reflections of each other.
What we do down here affects above, as the verse in Psalms says “Ascribe strength to G-d!” Our thoughts, ideally expressed through words and realized in deeds, rise to high levels, as the Talmud Berachot 6b notes that “prayer stands at the heights of the world.” But prayer first starts out here in our hearts, “the service of the heart,” and then it finds its way to the ear of G-d.
This brings to mind (thank you Rabbi Dr. Douglas Goldhamer) the great Sufi mystic and poet Ibn al Arabi’s teaching that, “He who knows himself, knows his God.”
Yes, we always talk about ascending. We have this picture in our mind that we are going up there to a higher, elevated world but in Kabbalah we yordei haMerkavah, we descend into the chariot. That means we go inward. Everything we need to know about is inside of us. Torah says, “Build me a mishkan and I will dwell within them.” We are not the Shechina, but the Shechina dwells in our heart. Those who know their heart for all of its beauty and passions, they know where God dwells within them and they can find their way more easily. We have the power to figure it out. Learning Zohar and Torah is helpful for this. It’s all about consciousness. We need to let the light inside.
Rav Rahmiel Hayyim Drizin is Professor of Kabbalah at Hebrew Seminary. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and moved to Chicago to go to Northwestern Law School. Reb Rahmiel is a devoted student of many of the leading teachers of Kabbalah in Israel and the USA. He is a criminal defense lawyer who lives in Oak Park with his family. Much of Reb Rahmiel’s work is available on line at www.kabbalahonline.org.