Explore the primordial roots of conflict and the secret of Tikkun Olam as explained in the mystical teachings of Kabbalah and Chassidut.
The teachings of Chassidus are centered around one essential question: If G-d is wholeness and perfection, how did this fractured, chaotic world emerge from Him? Why did He create the conditions for conflict in the first place?
In Hebrew, the word for peace, shalom, is related to shleimut, wholeness. Peace is an active process of growth and integration. Life in this world is paradoxical. Extremes spar inside of us and pull us in different directions. We face intractable problems that elude real solutions. Often we can only select from an array of less bad choices. G-d could have created a world of simplicity, a world where we are all alike, think the same and feel the same. Instead He chose to create a world of multiplicity, where we all think differently and must learn how to deal with each other. The more extreme the differences are between us, the more energy is needed to bridge the gap. This is the space in which true creativity can flourish.
This section will elucidate kabbalistic and chassidic concepts such as tzimtzum (contraction), shevirat hakeilim (the shattering of vessels), the world of Tohu (chaos) and the world of Tikkun (repair). Learn why the soul had to descend to earth and why we must struggle relentlessly, but also discover the tools for rebuilding and repair which lead to a greater level of perfection.