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shevirat

Shevirat hakelim, literally the "breaking of the vessels," is a central concept in Lurianic Kabbalah. It describes a cosmic event in which vessels intended to contain divine light shattered during creation because they could not withstand the intensity of the emanated energy. The idea was developed by Isaac Luria in 16th-century Safed and later elaborated by his students.

According to this scheme, God’s infinite light was channeled through a series of sefirot, with vessels designed

The breaking of the vessels helps explain perceived imperfection, concealment of the divine in the world, and

In later Jewish thought, shevirat hakelim is often treated as both a literal cosmological account and a

to
hold
different
aspects
of
that
light.
When
the
light
overwhelmed
the
vessels,
they
broke,
and
some
of
the
divine
energy
leaked
out.
The
resulting
shards
remained
scattered
throughout
the
physical
world.
These
shards
are
said
to
contain
sparks
of
holiness
that
sustain
creation
and
require
gathering
and
elevation
to
repair
the
rupture.
the
presence
of
evil,
all
seen
as
outcomes
of
the
initial
shattering.
The
process
of
repair,
or
tikkun,
involves
human
action—especially
study
of
Torah,
observance,
and
acts
of
loving-kindness—to
release
and
elevate
the
trapped
sparks
back
to
their
source,
gradually
restoring
harmony
in
the
universe.
metaphor
for
human
vulnerability
and
ethical
responsibility.
The
term
appears
in
classical
mystical
texts
and
in
modern
discussions
of
Kabbalistic
metaphysics,
where
it
is
used
to
interpret
historical
events,
spiritual
growth,
and
the
aims
of
tikkun
olam.