Question: What does it mean to experience the Light?

Answer: To experience the Light means to feel pleasure. In this world, I can enjoy different things that delight me or don’t, depending on my state of mind. One time I enjoy staying in bed and don’t want to get up to attend a lesson; another time, I am dying to jump out of it, but they don’t let me get up and tell me to stay in bed for another week until I get well.

In other words, this isn’t an absolute pleasure, just like sweet, soft, or warm, all have a limited, conditional meanings. Sometimes, they give me pleasure, and another time quite the opposite feeling.

Common pleasure that we experience in our collective desire to feel pleasure (the will to receive) is called the “Light.” It’s because the Light that existed initially created our desire, a vessel, and now the desire receives pleasure when the Light fills or unfolds in it. That’s how we are designed! Therefore, when the Light leaves the desire, it cries and wants to bring it back. This is how the entire creation is made.

But the Creator wanted for you to desire the Light by your own will and not just to receive it and enjoy. Beside the pleasure you feel, He wishes you to have an understanding and awareness of the Light: Where does it come from? Where is its source? Why did it create you and what does it want from you? It is as though the Light wants to show you: “Look from what a distant star I came here; there, everything is so wonderful and good, and I want to take you with me!”

Therefore, it hides from you and starts trying to get your attention with various indirect actions, from every side. It plays with you until you finally start wishing to know the source it came from, rather than chase the pleasure it can bring, and despite the pleasures it brings.

In truth, if you desire to come to it, to its “home,” it means you love Him and not just the pleasures He sends to fill you. You have to love Him so much as to be ready to “fly away” to that place, that “star” where He came from, just to never part with Him again. And you do it despite the fact that you completely renounce the pleasure, thereby showing Him how much you love Him.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 12/30/10, “The Wisdom of Kabbalah and Philosophy”

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