Elevating the Sparks, and Tikkun Olam

Once on vacation at a beach in Florida, I was fascinated watching the hobbyists combing the shoreline for buried treasure. Using their metal detectors, they'd pause at a random spot in the sand, dig a few inches under the surface and retrieve a small sandy object. Rinsing it in the surf, what once appeared to be nothing of value might be quite valuable indeed.

In this is a deep spiritual metaphor that can help to unlock the Kabbalistic concept known as the 'elevating of the sparks'.

But to understand the nature of the 'sparks', we should first explain what they are, how they got where they are, and how we can engage with them. We will find this tradition instructive and empowering, making sense of the ups, downs, and in-betweens of life.

Shattering of the Vessels

In the 1500's, Rabbi Isaac Luria (aka, the Arizal) taught a profound and unique concept known as the "Shattering of the vessels" (Shevirat haKeilim).

Masterfully weaving together ancient threads of the Jewish tradition - from the Torah, the Midrashic, and the mystical interpretations - The Arizal sought to explain the unseen scaffolding of existence, and how these dynamics interact in our daily lives.

Citing many hints throughout the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), he leveraged the framework of the Sefirot¹ to describe a significant event that preceded the creation of humankind.

[Paraphrasing] Rabbi Luria envisioned the (10) Sefirot as spiritual vessels through which G_D brought creation into existence. Each Sefirot, or vessel, interacted with the others to some degree, filling with Divine Light as creation unfolded.

However, the original vessels were not conditioned to contain the intensity of this Light. As a result, they shattered like glass vases, sending shards to every corner of creation.

These shards represent artifacts of holiness that are now scattered, often hidden from view, throughout our universe as they await discovery.

On one hand, we may perceive the shattering as an early design flaw in creation. This is not so, but rather an important part of a refinement process that operates at every level of existence².

It is from the shattering of the vessels that the Klippah³ originated - which subsequently absorbed these holy sparks, enshrouding them in the forces of evil⁴. As a result, all of creation is now composed of some mixture of good and evil.

This sets the stage for understanding the purpose for which humanity was created.