Vacation

While in the midst of a longer than expected vacation, I wonder what to do with all this unexpected free time. There are so many options leading people to use their vacation time in a variety of different ways; often ranging from just vegging to exerting oneself in a full out adventure. And then of course, there’s everything in between. In almost everyone’s work life the work schedule tends to upset the life balance. What all these choices have in common is that they’re attempts to bring some sort of balance to one’s life; whether it’s time with family, friends, rest, hobbies, interests or simply catching up on having fun.

As for my vacations, I try for a slightly “different” kind of life balancing (when I can). I take my guidance from the earliest known moment when any sort of vacation happened in recorded reality. Kabbalah teach that God withdrew His Infinite Light, leaving a vacated space to populate with finite realities. Until then, everything was awash with Infinity and there was no room for anything finite to exist. This vacated space was the very first known vacation in the history of anything.

We usually think of vacation primarily as an opening in time and not necessarily in space. However, let’s not get too caught up on this. Firstly, Einstein taught that time and space is deeply intertwined. At least for Einsteinian purposes, the two are exactly same thing. Secondly, the Kabbalists were likely appealing to what’s easier for the human imagination to process. Since we actually see space, it is relatively easy for our minds to depict; whereas, time tends to be more abstract. To think in spatial terms about a vacated space in the midst of the Infinite Light, just takes imagining a dark spot in the midst of an immense expanse of light. Even if the thinker knows that this is not the real deal, still it tentatively serves as a useful mental representation. However, to try the equivalent on the time model would require a much larger leap into the complexities of abstract thinking.

Why did this vacation emerge in the earliest reaches of identifiable reality? The main text describing the vacated space, explains that it occurred in order to allow God an arena of expression for His names and attributes, i.e. a stage to act on. For example, only in a finite reality can God’s compassion be actualized into expression. In singular seamless Infinity, there’s no need for compassion.  

We are enjoined to imitate God’s ways; thereby, aligning themselves with Him. Since His vacation was designed (as if) for the purpose of His own self-actualization, it is helpful for us to do the same on our own level. By doing so, we add to our own personal and spiritual growth. For those whose daily work is not very self-actualizing, this may be their opportunity to reset their life balance and introduce some long awaited self-actualization activities into their lives. And for those whose work is already self-actualizing, it can never be self-actualizing enough. There are always pockets of oneself which get repressed in the course of the daily grind. It’s just unavoidable. A vacation might be just that golden opportunity to discover activities which bring out these pockets of self onto life’s stage in the most productive way possible.   

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