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Although we tend to think of prophecy as God’s attempt to transmit Firstly, according to a tradition cited by Rashi, all that would
particular messages to the entire Jewish people by imparting them ever be created was created in potential on the first day (Rashi on
to his holy prophets, the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato) Genesis 1:14). Each succeeding day of creation revealed that which
expands this definition significantly. In his book Derech Hashem he had already been created in potential on the first day. The notion
describes prophesy as a state of consciousness that is achieved when of all creation being contained in, and emanating from, an initial
an individual experiences an intense bond with God and can actually starting point has been substantiated by the Standard Model of
feel that attachment. This state of mind lends itself to receiving deep the Universe, also known as the Big Bang. According to science the
insights, inspiration, and knowledge. In other words, one does not entire universe composed of tens of billions of galaxies was contained
need to be a prophet charged with delivering God’s message to the in an almost infinitely small and condensed speck of matter that
Jewish people to experience a prophetic state. “exploded” and to this day is still expanding. The Jewish tradition
that all that would ever be created existed in potential on the first
Although there are a number of ways to become a fitting vessel
for obtaining Divine inspiration and prophetic experience, perhaps day of creation can now be understood quite literally. (The textual
the easiest to comprehend and use is music; for music penetrates the basis for this interpretation is the description of the “first day” as
heart, mind, and soul in a manner unlike nearly any other experience. “one day.” In contrast to all the other days, whose creation stories’
It allows the soul to soar to heavenly heights, giving wing to peoples’ conclude with the phrase “and it was evening and it was morning”
most glorious aspirations and dreams, and expression to their and then mention “the second day,” “the third day,” and so forth,
deepest pain and existential loneliness. Music is a cosmic language the first day’s story ends with the words “one day.” Commenting
that unites the physical and spiritual, body and soul, universal and on this, Jewish tradition explains that the first day was not just the
particular, while simultaneously transcending time and temporal “first day,” it was a unique and self-perpetuating day which included
space altogether. It was exactly this lofty experience that the people all the other days as well.)
of Israel achieved as they sang the Song of the Sea together. (See Secondly, Kabbalah and Chassidut teach that the first verse of the
“The Spirit of Prophecy and Song” for further discussion about Torah – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”
prophecy and song.) – contains all that was created on the first day in archetypal form.
The creation of light and darkness and their separation is already
contained in embryonic form in the creation of heaven and earth. The
creation of heaven represents the creation of everything spiritual that 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 8 - B | 18-01-28 | 12:12:04 | SR:-- | Magenta #24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 8 - B | 18-01-28 | 12:12:04 | SR:-- | Yellow 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 8 - B | 18-01-28 | 12:12:04 | SR:-- | Black 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 8 - B | 18-01-28 | 12:12:04 |
would ever come into existence and the creation of earth symbolizes
£FreedomFreedom
££Freedom the creation of all material and physical reality.

A third manifestation of further contraction is evident in the six
letters of “bereishit,” the Torah’s first word, into which the six days
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov teaches that one can do teshuvah for a of creation are condensed. (In “Permutations of the Word Bereishit,”
previous act of teshuvah; that is, one can repent for the manner in we cited several examples of how these six letters can be understood
which one originally repented, or deeper yet, for the way in which one on a deeper level.) An additional insight regarding the process of
initially drew nearer to God. This insight reveals the radical notion contraction, which is related to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet,
that there is no limit to the boundaries of teshuvah. The higher the is that the very nature of this world, its dualistic appearance and its
level of consciousness one reaches, the more alert one becomes to how
relationship to God, can all be intuited from a deeper understanding

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