YESHIVAT HAR ETZION
ISRAEL KOSCHITZKY VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH (VBM)
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Introduction to the Thought of Rav Nachman of Breslov

Shiur #10b: The "Empty Space"  (Part 2)

By Rav Itamar Eldar

In last week's shiur, we described how a person who has fallen into the empty space - the empty space that, from a certain perspective, is devoid of all Godliness - is like someone whose God, heaven forefend, has died, as it were.  The existence of God for a person allows him to convert all the distances, all the concealments, into a longing that is part of the relationship.  But when God does not exist for a person, there is no way out and no purpose: "None who go to her, return."

How, then, do we cope with this type of doubt? What is a person to do, if he has fallen into this type of heresy? R. Nachman continues:

Only Israel, through their faith, overcome all the wisdoms, and even this heresy that comes from the empty space.  For they believe in the blessed God without any logical investigation or wisdom - only in perfect faith.  For the blessed God "fills all the worlds and turns all the worlds."  Thus He is, as it were, within all of the worlds as well as around all of them.  But there must be a separation or difference, as it were, between "filling" and "turning" or "surrounding."  For if not, then all is One.  But (it is possible) through the concept of the empty space, from which the Holy One restricted Himself, as it were, and in which He created all of Creation.  Hence we find that the empty space encompasses the whole world, and the blessed God – Who surrounds and turns all the worlds – also surrounds the empty space.  And therefore it is appropriate to say, "He fills all the worlds," i.e., all of Creation, which is created within the empty space.  And He also "surrounds all the worlds," i.e., He also surrounds and turns the empty space.  And between them lies the empty space, from which His Godliness is restricted, as it were."

Here R. Nachman introduces a new concept into the picture.  It is the concept of God as "surrounding all the worlds," which represents a perception that, to a large degree, is the antithesis of his philosophy and of all that we have seen thus far.

We have already noted (shiur #7) that this concept gives expression to the transcendental view of Godliness, in which Hashem is perceived as being above the world and outside of it.  In the above excerpt R. Nachman sharpens this idea even further, stating that it is not enough that Hashem is above and outside, but that there also needs to be some separation between Himself and what He is surrounding – the world.  "For if not, then all is One." The transcendental aspect of Godliness expresses distance and separation, and this is the perception of "surrounding all the worlds."

But until now we have seen these two perceptions as mutually contradictory – if we accept one, then we must necessarily reject the other.  Now R. Nachman wants to maintain both simultaneously.  How can we connect these opposites? If something is far off, then it cannot be within, and if it is within, then it is not far off!  The solution to this contradiction, and what facilitates the simultaneous existence of both, is the empty space.

The empty space, then, has a significant role to play in existence.  And again, as we saw previously concerning the idea of tzimtzum, we are not speaking about a one-time function.  The empty space is what maintains both aspects – filling and surrounding – in existence together for so long as anything exists.

How does this help to save us from the harm caused by the empty space? R. Nachman continues and explains:

And behold, it is through faith – the belief that the blessed God fills all the worlds and surrounds all the worlds.  Since He surrounds all the worlds, therefore the empty space itself comes into being from the wisdom of the blessed God.  And certainly, in truth, Godliness does exist there, only it is impossible to perceive it and to find God there.  Therefore they review all the wisdoms and questions and heresies that come from the empty space, for they know that there surely cannot be any answer for them.  For if we could find answers to them, then we would be finding God in them, and then there would be no empty space, and there would be no possibility of Creation coming into existence.  But in truth, of course, there is an answer for them, and of course there is Godliness to be found there.  But through investigation we lose ourselves there, for it is impossible to find God there, for it is the "empty space."  We must just believe that the blessed God surrounds this, too, and that of course there must be Godliness there as well.

R. Nachman, as we have seen, will not relinquish either of these two aspects – filling or surrounding.  The faith in both at the same time, explains R. Nachman, is made possible only on the basis of the acceptance of the empty space as facilitating their simultaneous existence.

The picture painted for us by R. Nachman in the previous excerpt allows a person to change his attitude towards the empty space.  We see before us the world, and within it – Godliness.  This world is surrounded by an empty space, which is completely devoid of Godliness.  And this empty space is itself also surrounded by Godliness.  This picture (which is no different in form from that of the Ari z"l as described by R. Nachman) likewise focuses on two critical points:

i.  That the empty space occupies a tangible space, and that this is its permanent place even after the creation of the world
ii. The Godliness that surrounds the empty space is not a Godliness that is pushed aside in order to facilitate the space's creation, and thereafter the action takes place only within the empty space.  Rather, this Godliness is one of two ways in which God communicates with the world, and it in fact maintains a relationship of "surrounding" with the world.  From this perspective, its ability to maintain this type of connection with the world – an active and eternal connection – is facilitated thanks to the existence of the empty space.

The empty space, as a result of these emphases, becomes a part of Hashem's communication with the world.  There is a "filling," which is the Godliness that is concealed within Creation, and there is the "surrounding."  And what is this surrounding?

	The surrounding is the Godliness that is revealed to the world by means of the creation of a channel between it and the world.  The channel is part of the movement of Godliness seeking to maintain a relationship of encompassing and turning.  As Rav Nachman puts it, "Because He turns all the worlds, therefore the empty space itself must also come into being out of His wisdom.  We have only to believe that the blessed God turns this too, and that certainly in truth there is Godliness there too."

Previously we have seen that R. Nachman's way of defining something as a thing that contains Godliness is by turning it into part of the dialogue between man and God.  Utterances of holiness turned man's falls into places where Godliness exists, while the shout of "ayeh" turned man's doubts into a place where there is Godliness.  And now, the fact that the empty space serves Godliness in allowing it to appear in the world in the aspect of "turning" it, makes the empty space, too, into a place where Godliness exists.

Yet in contrast to the previous stages, here this is not sufficient.  The statement that Hashem can reveal Himself in the form of question and doubt may be understood, and it allows man to encounter God in a tangible way within that doubt itself, but here R. Nachman maintains that God's revelation as "turner" also includes within itself His absence.  But this knowledge does not allow one to encounter Him in the place of His absence, for He is not there.  Therefore, the question remains: what is a person to do if he falls to such a place? R. Nachman continues:

"Therefore Israel are called Hebrews (Ivriim), for through their faith they bypass (ovrim) all the wisdoms.  Even those wisdoms that are not wisdoms – i.e., the second type of heresy, which comes from the empty space.  And for this reason the blessed God is called, in Shemot 3, "the God of the Hebrews" (Elohei Ha-Ivrim), which is derived from (Yehoshua 24) "over the river" (ever ha-nahar).  "This term connotes the sides, i.e., that Godliness turns even the empty space, which comes into being through tzimtzum.  God constricted ("tzimtzem") the light to the sides.  And for this reason Israel are called "Ivriim," for through the faith that they have in the blessed God, the "God of the Ivriim," they bypass (ovrim) all the wisdoms, and also that which is not wisdom – i.e., the second type of heresy.  And therefore it is certain that from this second type of heresy one should beware and be exceedingly careful, to run and escape from it, not studying or looking at their words at all.  For if he does, heaven forefend, he would surely sink therein, for concerning this it is written: 'None who go to her, return,' etc." (Likutei Moharan Kama 64:2)

So far R. Nachman had proposed to a person who has fallen into heresy and doubt that he open his eyes, look deeper, and find Godliness within the place where he is.  He stressed that one should not run from his feelings, his recognitions, and from what is happening to him at the time.  Here, however he demands that the Jew close his eyes, block his ears, ignore his senses completely and continue forwards.

Let us return to R. Nachman's picture.  A person who falls within a reality is required to look deeper, at what fills it, to reveal it and expose it.  A person who has fallen into the empty space, on the other hand, has nothing to grasp – "None who go to her will return."  But R. Nachman suggests to this person that he close his eyes, and to paint instead his picture in his mind.  The empty space is not Infinite.  There is something beyond it.  Something surrounds it.  All in all, it is part of a larger picture.  Although it is true that within the empty space – as least as far as one can see – there is no Godliness, but beyond it there is.  It itself is one of the kinds of communications that the Godliness surrounding it maintains with man.  And therefore – ignore it.  Do not fear the emptiness that fills it; do not fear the sense that there is no Godliness where you are.  The sense is correct, at least as it appears to us, but even God's silence and His absence - are part of the dialogue that He maintains with you.  It is a dialogue of a different type, with which you are not familiar: the aspect of "turning all the worlds."

Hashem reveals Himself in intellect and in letters.  He is also revealed in the sealed utterance that expresses the shout of "ayeh" that man addresses to his God.  And now, He is also revealed in His silence.  We cannot understand how, nor can we understand the significance of revelation in silence, but we know through the aspect of "turning" that this, too, is revelation.  Somehow we must say that Godliness is to be found even within the empty space.

R. Nachman maintains that this perception can develop only within the nation of Israel, who are "Ivriim" – i.e., "those who pass by."  The attribute of transition, of passing, that is being described here is the perspective.  "We survived (passed by) Par'o; we shall survive this, too," in the words of a popular Hebrew song.

There are some who claim that a Jew has a special ability to put down his head when stormy winds are blowing and to wait it out until things calm down.  This ability was acquired through bitter historical experience, by living through the various trials and tribulations that we have passed in the course of our history.  A regular person, faced with a severe problem, fears that his world is crumbling, that there will be no good outcome.  But a Jew has no such fear.  We lived through Par'o, the Crusades, the Inquisition, and Hitler – we shall survive this, too.  I do not believe that this is a reflection of a hardening of our sensitivity.  It is simply a perspective that allows a Jew to place the events around him into an historical framework that has a beginning and an end.

The beginning and the end are what give a Jew who has fallen into the abyss of doubt the ability to proceed onwards.  He does not question, he does not seek to find answers.  If he does so, he sinks forever in the limbo of the depths of heresy.  He is even aware that there is no answer, but with perspective he knows that Hashem encompasses even this.  He feels, at times, like someone who, heaven forefend, has no God, but he knows that God "turns" and surrounds this.

The significance of this feeling is the readiness to accept that not only God's concealment in reality is part of the dialogue that He maintains, but even his absence, at times, is part of that same dialogue.  Returning to the metaphor of the woman and her husband, we are speaking here not of a spouse who is dead, but rather of one who at very rare moments gets up, collects his things and leaves the house.  The ability of the spouse remaining at home to pass over this, to accept this as part of their dialogue, is what determines whether this relationship will end as a case of "None who go to her, return" - or not.

The practical ramification with which R. Nachman concludes this section is the subject of the next section, which we shall examine in the next few shiurim: the practical directive to distance oneself from questions, from difficulties, from heretical utterances that arise out of the bottomless limbo of the empty space.  To pass over them, with the deep faith that these, too, are part of Hashem's word.  And this despite the gross doubt that they contain, leaving no place for God to appear there – even in the form of a question, in the sense of "Hear, Hashem, my voice when I cry out."  There are moments when even the cry, "This is Torah and this is its reward?!" have no place.

At such moments existence is covered over by a still voice of silence, and only God's word can break it: "Be silent; thus it arose in thought before Me."