Nitzutz, Birur, Gakhelet: Spark, Sifting, Burning Coals

Spark-ember from natzatz, to sparkle, blossom, sprout, and nitznetz, to become enkindled, as in A spark of prophecy was enkindled in this person. {Jastrow] fl fl 1rur The Sifting Process from barar, to clarify, to single out, to choose, to sift grain from pebbles 1. The sparks symbolize the pieces of primal Divine vessels containing primal light which broke in the process of primal fragmentation. 2. They represent the repressed Divine parts of us which are hidden from consciousness, hiding under kelipot (shells) needing the process of Birur, of sifting and discovering. When we can be so clear and intuitive about our true innerly felt purpose as to state, "These are my sparks; these must be yours," the sparks become separated from the powers that hide them and the Divine Light can shine into our soul. These "sparks" are equivalent to our buried passions, the places inside us, now dormant, that can burst into flame when tenderly breathed upon. 3. Encountering these sparks in the objects and situations that we encounter in the world around us may become a doorway to an enflamed, passionate life. Birur then, is a kabbalistic concept the process of dealing with physical/family life that leads us to Hit'lahavut, an empassioned life, socially and somatically integral. Gakhelet Om'mot Dimmed coals Gakhelet Bo'eret Burning coals These terms can be understood as a progression towards Hit'lahavut. At first the love in our hearts (and in the person next us) looks like extinguished coals. We appear dead, alienated, burnt out, unreclaimable. If a tender, persistent warm breath blows on us, the spark will blaze within the coal and even flare out. The miracle of enlivening the dead has taken place once again. 4. The mystery of the lost sparks can be understood better by remembering how important embers were to a pre-electrical society. If you could keep a spark going, you could be comfortably warm in the cold night. Even if the fire burned down, and the ashes seemed out, you still might find a spark. If you could only nurture it, blow on it, get it going into a burning fire, everything would be cozy again.