Sunday, August 16, 2009

"Revelation is the recognition of a reality that was overlooked"


"God is present and He dwells within one, just as He dwells in the world as a whole.

Except that I do not know of this Divine inner presence.


As soon as I become conscious of it, however, I realize the purpose of Creation—'to be a dwelling place for Him in the world.'

God creates the world in such a manner that God, being invisible, cannot be taken for granted.


He has to be sought out.

There are aspects of Creation, like light, that are self-evident.


Other things, including the Divine Himself, must be looked for consciously.

Like those inside/outside drawings, one can choose to see either the black picture against a white background or the white picture against a black background.

The play of perception depends on one’s own place, one’s angle or point of view.

Revelation is the sudden recognition of a reality that was overlooked, because it was considered background.


It is the emergence of the essential image.

It can occur in a moment, by a slight alteration of one’s perspective or will, for example, by consenting to be a dwelling place for the Divine."


--Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz

From Pebbles of Wisdom from Rabbi Adin Steinslatz (forthcoming)