The Real Deal
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1. Biblical Roots: "Elyon" as "Most High"

The term "Elyon" (עליון) meaning "Most High" appears in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) as an attribute of God. For instance, El Elyon (אֵל עֶלְיוֹן - God Most High) is used in Genesis 14:18-22, where Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest, blesses Abraham. This emphasizes God's supreme authority, sovereignty, and transcendence over all other powers and deities.

The concept of God being "Most High" sets the stage for a later mystical understanding of an ultimate, boundless aspect of the Divine.

2. The Concept of Divine Light ("Aur")

Light ("Aur" - אור) is a foundational metaphor for God and divine presence throughout Jewish scripture and tradition.

Genesis 1:3: "Let there be light, and there was light." This primordial light, created before the sun, moon, and stars, is often interpreted by commentators as a special divine light (Ohr HaGanuz - "Hidden Light") that existed before the physical creation. This hints at a non-physical, divine illumination.

Psalms: Many psalms speak of God as light, or that by His light, we see light (e.g., Psalm 36:10).

Torah as Light: The Torah itself is described as light, representing divine wisdom and guidance.

3. The Emergence of Kabbalah and the "Ein Sof"

As Jewish philosophical and mystical thought deepened, particularly in the medieval period (12th-13th centuries onwards) with the rise of Kabbalah, there was a profound need to reconcile two seemingly contradictory aspects of God:

God as Transcendent and Infinite: Beyond all comprehension, attributes, or even names.

God as Immanent and Active in Creation: The God who interacts with the world and is revealed through His attributes and actions.

This is where the concept of Ein Sof (אֵין סוֹף - "Infinite" or "Without End") emerged.

It was primarily articulated by early Kabbalists like Azriel of Gerona (c. 1160 – c. 1238). The Ein Sof represents God in His absolute, undifferentiated, and unknowable essence, prior to any self-manifestation or emanation into the created worlds. It is beyond all attributes, thoughts, or even names.

The "story" here is less a narrative and more a theological necessity. How can an infinite God create a finite world without being limited by it? The Ein Sof is the answer – the aspect of God that remains entirely boundless even as creation unfolds.

4. "Aur Elyon" as the Light of Ein Sof

Within this Kabbalistic framework, "Aur Elyon" or "Ohr Ein Sof" (Light of the Infinite) becomes the primary way to conceptualize the Ein Sof's creative power and initial self-revelation.

The Problem of Creation (Tzimtzum): If the Ein Sof is truly infinite and fills all reality, how could there be "space" for anything else, let alone a finite world? The Kabbalistic answer, particularly developed by Isaac Luria (16th century), is Tzimtzum (צמצום - "contraction" or "withdrawal").

The "story" of Tzimtzum is that the Ein Sof "contracted" or "withdrew" its infinite light (Aur Ein Sof / Aur Elyon) from a central point, creating a vacant space (a primordial void or tehiru) within itself. This act of self-limitation allowed for the possibility of differentiated existence.

Following this contraction, a single "ray" of divine light was sent into this void, which then began to manifest and form the various spiritual and physical worlds through a process of emanation (the Sefirot).

The Infinite
Ein Sof (Hebrew: אֵין סוֹף) is a Kabbalistic term meaning "the Infinite" or "that which is boundless." It represents the aspect of God that is transcendent and beyond human comprehension, serving as the ultimate source of all creation. In Kabbalah, Ein Sof is understood as God before any self-manifestation, emphasizing God's limitless nature and the divine essence that permeates everything in existence.

Who has all of the intel? Nobody.