Shalom,
This is Rabbi Ben Newman.
I'm sharing with you today a meditation from the mystical book of the Zohar from the 13th century.
This is a meditation on the light of a candle as a vision of divine unity.
Before you begin this meditation,
I recommend that you find a candle and you sit in a quiet spot where you feel relaxed and comfortable.
Light your candle and then you can play this meditation.
Come and see.
One who desires to know the wisdom of holy unity should gaze upon a flame that rises from a coal or from a lit candle.
Or the flame only rises when it is attached to a course or other object.
Come and see.
In the rising flame,
There are two lights,
One white shining light and one light to which black or blue is attached.
The white light is on top and it rises in a straight path and the blue or black light is beneath it and it is a seat to the white.
The white light rests upon it and they are attached to one another forming a single unity.
The light that is either black or a shade of blue that is below is a throne of glory to the white light.
And herein lies the secret of the color blue.
And this blue or black throne is attached to another object below it that kindles it and arouses it to attach itself to the white light.
At times this blue black changes to red but the white light above it never changes for it is constantly white.
However,
The blue changes to these other colors.
At times it is blue or black and at times it is red and it is attached at both sides.
It is attached above to that white light and it is attached to that object below that has been set to give it light to serve as kindling and to attach itself to it.
And resting above the white light is a concealed light that surrounds it.
And herein lies a supernal mystery and all of it can be found in the rising flame in which the wisdom of the higher realms are present.
I invite you to continue to breathe and look at the candle.
Whatever thoughts arise,
Pay attention to them.
You can even name them silently and then return your attention to the light of the candle.
The zohar also turns our attention to the light that radiates beyond the white of the flame,
A hidden concealed light that surrounds the bright contours of the flame itself.
This is a metaphor for the hidden divine realm that is present but not directly perceivable.
It is attached to all of the other levels of the flame.
But rather than perceiving it directly,
You may relate to it through its mystery.
Taken as a whole,
The zohar sees a burning candle as a mirror of divine unity.
It embodies a single continuum that unites the most sublime and elevated realms to the most concrete elements of physical reality,
Holding all of these layers together in a single unity.
The zohar invites us to meditate on the burning candle and allows ourselves to be enveloped by its exquisite vision.
I invite you to spend a few more moments meditating on the light of the candle and the divine unity which it represents.
