138 Openings of Wisdom

Opening 42

The light joins with the vessels according to the degree of their repair, which will be completed in the future.

The repair of the vessels proceeded little by little, and according to the degree to which they were repaired , so the light progressively entered into them. Their repair will be complete in the future, as will the entry of the light and its joining with them.

Having explained that the light entered only with the repair of the vessels, we must now explain how its entry actually came about.

The proposition consists of two parts. Part 1: The repair of the vessels... This explains the process of the repair of the vessels until now. Part 2: Their repair will be complete... This explains what is destined to happen in the future in order for the vessels to complete their purpose.

Part 1: The repair of the vessels proceeded little by little... For it could appear problematic that we are saying that the light enters into the vessel only when it is purified, yet we know that so far the process of purification after the breaking of the vessels is still not complete (see Opening 37). If so, how could lights enter into the vessels even after the start of the repair if the process of purification is not complete?

The answer to this is that the repair did not come about all at once but gradually. It started when the phase of repair first began, and advances stage by stage with every passing day through the ever-renewed process of sorting and sifting that takes places each day. The greater the repair, the more the light is able to enter, as the proposition goes on to state:

...and according to the degree to which they were repaired, so the light progressively entered into them. For as soon as the body is rebuilt again after the resurrection of the dead, the soul will immediately enter into it and start to join with it. Nevertheless, many ascents will still remain to be made before it reaches the end goal. Thus we see that the ability of the soul to enter and join with the body depends upon the degree to which the body is purified. First it must be purified from uncleanliness (through the "torment of the grave") and afterwards from even the slightest residual trace of uncleanliness (after the resurrection of the dead), and this process involves many details. Each time the soul will shine with added luster.

So it is in the upper realms: first the light entered, but it had to leave again. Afterwards, parts of the vessels were repaired and the lights began to enter into them. As more and more parts of the vessel are repaired, so the light enters more and more. And when the process of purification is complete in all parts of the vessel, all the light will enter completely. However, the process of refinement of the vessels after their purification follows the order of the destined future ascents of the lights of the Ears, Nose and Mouth.

Part 2: The repair will be complete in the future... As already explained above (Opening 4), evil will only turn back to good in time to come, at the end of the governmental cycle. By then all the sinners will have received heavy punishments and Israel will have been strengthened in their faith that even the lengthy exile with this great bitterness are a call for the unity of God to be revealed. Accordingly, it will be at the end of the rule of the Residue, when these things will come about, that the purification of the vessels will come to an end, for this is what subdues evil and finally turns it back to good, and this is through Israel's great faith despite the great exile.

...as will the entry of the light and its joining with them. Thus the light will complete its entry into the vessels and join with them to perfection, concluding the destined future ascents.