the Hidden Sparks
There is a spark of divine light in all things, taught the great Rabbi and philosopher Abraham Isaac Kook (1865-1935)1, and I'm looking for those sparks through my camera lens. Kook's vision was based on the Jewish mysticism brought by Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-72) – Lurianic kabbalah – which told that “at the moment of Creation, infinite divine light was poured into vessels, which, unable to withstand the intensity, shattered and scattered fragments of divine light everywhere.”2 These light fragments became trapped sparks, sealed away from shining in our world. Our humanly purpose is to find, reveal and raise up the hidden sparks. I'm hopeful of being blessed with a small measure of success in that endeavor.
1, 2 Sinclair, J., Shabbat Ha’aretz (New York: Hazon, Inc., 2014), 43; quoting “Concerning the Conflict of Beliefs and Opinions,” by Abraham Isaac Kook.