Lights vs. The Light
The Light vs. Lights: The Essence of the Difference
The Light is the Godliness itself.
The simple unity in which there is no duality at all.
What the Ramchal calls “the direct light of the Infinite.”
This is a light that has no limit, no form, no ownership.
It is the being of the One, a ceaseless flow of existence from love.
In contrast,
Lights are the refractions of the one Light through different vessels:
our desires, thoughts, emotions, needs.
They are the glimmers, the illuminations, the flashes—not the source itself.
Baal HaSulam writes:
“The many lights are nothing but a multiplicity of impressions in the vessels. But the Light, from its own side, is one and there is no change in it.” (Talmud of the Ten Sefirot)
The Ramchal teaches that the entire journey of a person is a process of overcoming the desire for “lights,” because “lights” are tempting. They are a feeling of inspiration, excitement, elation, an experience.
But “the Light” is stability, simplicity, is-ness.
The Light does not change—it is eternal.
Spiritual maturation is the move from temporary enthusiasm (lights) to divine stability (the Light).
The Baal HaTanya describes it like this:
“There is one who lights the fire and drinks its light, and there is one who becomes the fire itself.”
The difference is that in the first, the light comes from the outside; in the second, it flows from within.
When a person chases after lights, they are dependent on something outside of themself: a teacher, a group, a ceremony, appreciation, a result.
But when they become the Light, they become a pure vessel, in which the divine light shines of its own accord, without effort and without need for stimulation.
This is the great weaning of the generation:
from the addiction to an “exciting togetherness”
to a root-unification in which “there is nothing but Him.”
The Zohar calls this “transforming the light of the feminine into the light of the masculine.”
Meaning: to transform the light that is awakened by a stimulus (nukva) into the constant and independent light (dkura), which is the consciousness of Mashiach—an inner light.
A person gets used to being influenced, nourished by “togetherness,” by reaction, by reflection.
But the true Light is not influenced—it influences by its very existence.
Mashiach is the absolute connection between the Light and the vessel,
between the Godliness and the person,
between the Infinite and the finite.
It is a place where there is no more searching for “lights,”
because the person themself has become a pure channel of the one Light.
Lights – feelings, illuminations, inspirations, excitement.
The Light – essence, stability, truth, divine existence.
Lights are consumed; the Light is eternal.
Lights belong to the world of rectification; the Light belongs to the world of redemption.
Reflect:
In your spiritual journey, are you more often chasing “lights”—exciting experiences, powerful workshops, inspiring teachers?
What would it feel like to stop chasing and instead focus on becoming “the Light” itself—a stable, simple, unwavering presence?
The Tanya speaks of drinking the light versus becoming the fire. Where in your life are you consuming light from the outside, and where are you generating it from within?
Let’s explore this together.