Tapping into the Infinite Light

Parashat Bereishit

Tapping into the Infinite Light

The Light of Creation

In the spiritual healing I practice – Emunahealing – we endeavor tapping into Hashem’s infinite light and pray to heal whatever ailment we are treating through it. This light was the first to be created because nothing created can exist without it. Any disease – be it physical, emotional or spiritual – is only a blockage of this light. G-d Himself is referred to as אוֹר אֵין סוֹף/Ohr Ein Sof – ‘Infinite Light’ in the Zohar and in numerous other Kabbalistic books. The concept of Light is the closest, innermost link to the Divine that we can connect with. Hashem created this light in the beginning to shine its rays upon us, so we can tap into it and connect with Him.

 

ספר בראשית פרק א פסוק ג וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי אוֹר:

“G-d said, ‘Let there be light! and there was light” (Bereishit 1:3).

The Hidden Light (Ohr Haganuz)

The original light was too intense for this lower world, where people are tempted to follow their negative inclination. So, Hashem hid away the brightest part of this light for the righteous in the word-to-come (Rashi, Bereishit 1:4). Yet G-d gave us a 36-hour glimpse of the primordial light before hiding it, so our souls would have a perpetual connection with this light and a deep yearning for it. Hashem also imbued within the creation of this world designated windows of time through which the hidden light shines. On all the holidays and especially when we light the Shabbat and Chanukah candles, we can catch a glimpse ofאוֹר הַגָּנוּז/Ohr Haganuz. 

The Light Revealed in this World

Rabbeinu Bachaya notes that our Torah verse repeats the word אוֹר/Ohr –‘light.’ The first time the word ‘light’ is mentioned refers to the light of this world, while the second ‘light’ became hidden away for the righteous in the coming world. Both lights are alluded to in, “How great is Your goodness that You have laid away for those who fear You, that You have worked for those who take refuge in You, in the presence of the people!” (Tehillim 31:20). The goodness is the light hidden away for the tzaddikim in the coming world, whereas the revealed light is available in this world, for those who take refuge under Hashem’s wing.

The Residual Drops of the Hidden Light Available Now

Even the light accessible in our realm is potently healing both physically and spiritually. This may partly be because the separation between the light designated for the coming world, and the light available in this world is not absolute. Just as when you poor water out of a bottle, there always remain the last residual drops (the רְשִׁימוֹ/reshimo), so a reshimo of the hidden light exists within our everyday reality. This tinge of light is a portal to the higher reality, “A little light expels a lot of darkness” (Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, Tanya, chapter 12).

The Healing Benefits of Physical Light

Light is always associated with goodness. Just as Hashem is called Infinite Light, the Torah is called light (Mishlei 6:23). Light is also the source of healing and joy as it states:    

    

ספר תהילים פרק צז פסוק יא אוֹר זָרֻעַ לַצַּדִּיק וּלְיִשְׁרֵי לֵב שִׂמְחָה:

“A light is sown for the righteous, and for the upright of heart, joy” (Tehillim 97:11).

 Even physical light is healing and beneficial for both the body and for mental health. We cannot underestimate the healing power of being exposed to a balanced dose of sunlight daily, for just 20 minutes before the sun reaches its full strength. In The Healing Power of the Sun: A Comprehensive Guide to Sunlight as Medicine Richard Hobday explores the many beneficial effects of sunlight to prevent and treat illness as well as boosting health and well-being. He shares scientific research on sunlight therapy to heal osteoporosis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, heart disease, and cancer. For thousands of years, we have used the heat and light of the sun as medicine. In recent history, however, with skin cancer on the rise, we have become too focused on the negative effects of the sun. Fortunately, science has made new discoveries showing just how beneficial the sun truly is to our lives.

Healing by Extracting Entrapped Divine Sparks from the Ailment

While the sun is the apparent source of physical light, all light emanates from Hashem. The sun is only Hashem’s servant (hence the name שֶׁמֶשׁ/Shemesh – ‘servant’). Through spiritual healing and prayer, we have the ability to tap into the Divine, spiritual light imbued within reality. In EmunaHealing, we pray for Hashem’s infinite light to attach itself to the deficiency (such as the trauma, pain, backache etc.) that we are treating. This causes the sparks of light trapped within the particular ailment to be drawn out to attach itself to Hashem’s infinite light, according to the spiritual law of affinity, that everything seeks to merge with its likeness. All existence has a Divine spark that keeps it alive. Once all the sparks are extracted from the deficiency, it shrivels up and disintegrates, causing the person to be healed. This is the main principle of EmunaHealing.

The Five Light Corresponding to the Five Books of the Torah

Rabbeinu Bachaya points out that the word אוֹר/Ohr – ‘light’ is mentioned five times in the first paragraph of creation: Twice in our verse, twice in verse four and once in verse five. According to Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 15:7, each of the five ‘lights’ correspond to one of the five books of the Chumash. “Let there be light” through which G-d created the world corresponds to the Bereishit, which depicts the creation. “…and there was light” refers to the Israelites who emerged from the darkness when they were redeemed from Egypt, in the book of Shemot as it states, “All of Israel had light in their dwellings (Shemot 10:23). “Hashem saw the light” corresponds to Vayikra, which is filled with laws. “G-d separated between the light…” corresponds to the separation between the Israelites who came out of Egypt and those who entered Israel that took place during the wilderness wandering in the book of Bamidbar. “G-d called the light…” corresponds to Devarim, in which Moshe recalled the mitzvot. These five lights can be understood as follows: ‘The first light’ is the Light of Creation, ‘the second light’ is the light of Redemption, ‘the third light’ is the Light of Teshuva (as a person repents through the sacrificing). ‘The fourth light’ is the Light of the Temple (as the Tabernacle was carried as the heart and the center of Israel’s encampments during their wandering in the wilderness). ‘The fifth light’ is the Light of the Torah and Mitzvot which are repeated in Moshe’s 36-day monologue in the Book of Devarim.  

The Book of Bereishit	The Book of Shemot	The Book of Vayikra	The Book of Bamidbar	The Book of Devarim
יְהִי אוֹר /Yehi ohr “Let there be light…”	וַיְהִי אוֹר/vayehi ohr “…and there was light.”	/וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאוֹר כִּי טוֹב Vayar Elokim et Ha’ohr ki tov “Hashem saw the light that it was good…”	/וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחשֶׁךְ: Vayavdel Elokim bein ha’ohr “G-d separated between the light…”	/וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹםvayikra Elokim la’ohr yom “G-d called the light day…”
Light of Creation	Light of Redemption	Light of Teshuva	Light of the Temple	Light of Torah and Mitzvot

Tapping into the Five Kinds of Light and Using Them in Spiritual Healing

We can set a conscious intention and tap into all these five kinds of light and employ them in spiritual healing. The Light of Creation is especially potent for treating physical ailments, as everything in the physical world was created through this light. Furthermore, the word for creationבְּרִיאָה /briyah is etymologically linked with the word for healing בְּרִיאוֹת/briyut. If a person for example is suffering from a headache, try massaging the aura around her head while reciting יְהִי אוֹר /Yehi ohr – “Let there be light…” With the light of Redemption, we can treat emotional ailments caused by emotional blocks that prevents personal redemption, such as expressing oneself, succeeding in employing one’s talents, getting married, conceiving a child etc. Try reciting וַיְהִי אוֹר/vayehi ohr “…and there was light.” While massaging the aura around the heart of the person in treatment. The Light of Teshuva is especially potent for treating spiritual illness caused by our many sins, whereas the Light of the Temple may help heal a disconnection from Hashem and from spirituality. The Light of Torah and Mitzvot is generally healing. After each healing through one of the first four Lights, you could recite, /vayikra Elokim la’ohr yom –  וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹם“G-d called “G-d called the light day…” intending to infuse the person in treatment with the Light of Torah and Mitzvot. May we be able to recreate ourselves, our loved ones, and the people we treat through these five Lights of the Torah!