Kelim | כלים

The term Kelim is translated as vessels or containers. However, it is crucial to clarify that these vessels transcend the worldly understanding of such objects. Kelim are not physical entities, but metaphysical constructs; they are conceptual and spiritual structures, frameworks that shape reality and knowledge.

The fundamental purpose of the Kelim is to contain, manifest, and direct the divine energy, known as Ohr, that ceaselessly springs from Ein Sof. In fact, without the Kelim, this divine light, being infinite and boundless, would scatter in all directions without any definable pattern or purpose. Here lies the essential importance of the Kelim: they offer a vehicle for creation, a way to channel the divine energy and give it form, thereby allowing for the existence and manifestation of reality.

Although the Kelim contain and shape the light of Ein Sof, they themselves are also a manifestation of divinity. They are not entities separate from Ein Sof, but tools created by Ein Sof itself to facilitate the creation process. Through the Kelim, Ein Sof engages itself in an act of self-reflection, allowing itself to explore the countless possibilities of its own existence.

In the cosmic dance of creation, the Kelim play a role as vital as the very light they contain. By containing and shaping the energy of Ein Sof, they become the architecture of existence, carving out space, time, and reality from nothingness, allowing the light of Ein Sof to manifest in a multitude of forms, thus giving rise to the cosmos as we know it.

- Keli Tohu, its name, derived from the Hebrew term for chaos, is a direct reflection of the moment and circumstances of its appearance. This era, known as Tohu, is one of the earliest stages in the evolutionary sequence of creation, a period where everything was still incipient and tumultuous, akin to a blank canvas waiting for the artist's first stroke.

These initial Kelim, or vessels, arose with an essential purpose: to house the intense Light emitted by Ein Sof. However, despite the nobility of its mission, Keli Tohu was in an early phase of its development, having not yet reached the necessary resistance and maturity to fulfill this mission.

The result was a dramatic and transcendental event that left an indelible mark on the universe: Shevirat haKelim. In this catastrophic event, the Kelim of Tohu failed to contain the immense energy of Ein Sof's Light and, like a cup that overflows when more liquid is poured into it than it can contain, these vessels broke.

This rupture was much more than a mere physical failure. It was a break in the fabric of existence, a fracture in the harmony of the cosmos that had lasting and profound consequences. The divine sparks of Light, which had been contained in the vessels, scattered in all directions, ending up scattered throughout the corners of the universe.

These divine sparks, fragments of the infinite light of Ein Sof, were lost in the vastness of the cosmos, hidden in the darkest places. And while their light may seem dimmed, they should not be underestimated, for each of these sparks carries within itself the potential of divinity, the possibility of connection with the infinite. It is these fragments of divinity that, through a long and laborious process of restoration and correction known as Tikun, will eventually be gathered and reintegrated, thus completing the great mosaic of creation.

- Keli Kedusha, or vessels of holiness, emerge as a response and an antidote to the previous cataclysm provoked by the Kelim of Tohu. With the experience of the rupture still fresh in cosmic memory, the creation process moves forward, learning from and adapting to past mistakes. In this phase, the very nature of the Kelim undergoes a radical transformation, giving rise to new and improved vessels, whose purpose is to handle the powerful divine Light in a more effective and safe manner.

Kli Kedusha represent a new era in the evolution of creation, a period of greater maturity and sophistication in the handling of divinity. They are refined vessels, more resistant and flexible than their predecessors, capable of containing the intense energy of the Light without breaking. They become homes for holiness, safe and enduring places where the divine light can reside and shine in all its splendor.

But these vessels are not merely passive containers. They are active participants in the act of creation, facilitating not only the preservation of holiness but also its proliferation. They absorb the divine light, transform it, and emanate it out into the World, acting as beacons of holiness in the universe.

The work of the Kedusha Kelim is fundamental to the structure of existence. They are the catalysts and mediators between Ein Sof and finite reality. They translate the infinite divine light into understandable and manageable terms for creation, allowing holiness to spread on all levels of reality.

These Kelim shape the sacred space, infuse it with holiness, and shape it through their own structures and capabilities. Each one of them, in its own place and in its own way, contributes to the construction of a dwelling for divinity, a sacred sanctuary amidst the vast and varied cosmos.

Thus, the function of the Keli Kedusha is twofold: on one hand, they serve as protectors of the divine light, safeguarding its purity and preventing its dissipation. On the other hand, they act as facilitators of holiness, working tirelessly to make the divine vision of a World imbued with holiness a reality. They are the guardians and architects of holiness in creation.

- Keli Tikun, or vessel of repair. As the universe progresses, a cosmic operation of collection and reintegration is set in motion, a kind of divine rescue mission in which the divine sparks that had scattered after the shattering of the vessels of Tohu are gathered and carefully restored. But restoration does not simply imply a return to the previous state, but the formation of a new, stronger and more resilient reality: the vessels of Tikun.

In their construction and functioning, the vessels of Tikun reflect a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the nature of divine Light and how it interacts with the vessels. They have been created to be more flexible and robust, capable of accommodating and channeling divine energy without being overwhelmed by its intensity.

But the vessels of Tikun are not just an upgrade of their predecessors. They represent a new paradigm in the relationship between light and vessels. While in the Tohu phase, the light and the vessels operated in a disordered manner, leading to shattering, in the Tikun phase, a harmonious cooperation between them is achieved. The vessels of Tikun have learned to adapt to the light, to moderate their capacity for containment to adjust to the intensity of divine Light, and to channel it efficiently to prevent overflow.

In this sense, the vessels of Tikun are a manifestation of the adaptability of creation. They bear witness to the fact that creation is not a static process, but a journey of constant learning, a perpetual balance between giving and receiving, containing and releasing. The vessels of Tikun are, in short, the vessels of wisdom, formed by the scars of the past and strengthened by the promise of the future.

- Keli Qlifa, or vessels of impurity, as they are called, play an intriguing and crucial role in Qabalistic cosmogony. Although they might be considered the outcasts in this divine narrative, their function is as vital as that of their holier counterparts.

The Keli Qlifa is not simply a vessel of impurity; it is the dark mirror of creation that reflects the aspects of existence that have strayed from divinity and holiness. These vessels represent the domains and dimensions where divine Light is perceived in a more distorted way, spaces that defy the sacred harmony of the cosmos. In these realms, divinity seems to be veiled, obscured by layers of impurity and disorder.

However, beyond their appearance and disheartening nature, these vessels fulfill a transcendental function in the grand scheme of the cosmos. As paradoxical as it may seem, the vessels of Qlifa are vital for the understanding and appreciation of holiness. They provide the necessary contrast, the darkness against which the light can shine more brightly. It is in the presence of the profane that the sacred can be fully recognized and valued.

Furthermore, the vessels of Qlifa serve as powerful and necessary reminders of the inherent duality in existence, the dynamic tension between holiness and impurity, between light and darkness. Despite their impure nature, these vessels are, in their own way, instruments of divinity, used to teach, test, and ultimately elevate creation towards its perfection.

The vessels of Qlifa underscore a fundamental principle of Qabalah: that divine Light is present everywhere, even in the darkest and farthest places. Although these vessels seem to be far from holiness, they are not completely deprived of divine Light. Within them, no matter how dark or profane it may seem, there is a spark of divinity, a flash of the infinite Light of Ein Sof. And it is in the process of redemption and elevation of these divine sparks, hidden in the deepest places of impurity, where the true task of creation is found.