Black on White

[Ms Tercy Lonan]

Black on White

Hebrew letters also represent Kelim (vessels). The Zohar tells us that
the letters appeared one by one before the Creator and asked to
be selected to serve Him in creating the universe. Put simply, the
letters asked to receive his blessing and give it to creation, just as a
Kli (vessel) receives water and pours it out to sustain life.
White symbolizes Light (giving) and black symbolizes darkness
(receiving). For this reason, the properties of the Creator are
absolutely white, symbolized by the white paper. Black is creation, 

symbolized by the black
ink. Alone, the Creator and
creation cannot be understood
at all. Together, they
make letters and symbols
that can be read and understood.
Think of it this way:
without a creation, can
we really call the Creator,
“Creator”? To be a Creator,
He needs to create. This
Creator-creation dualism is
the basis for all that exists.
You can talk about something
only from the perspective of the being that perceives that
something.
The shapes of the letters symbolize a connection and bond
between you and the Creator. They are not just black lines; they
form clear shapes because they represent corrected relationships
between creation and Creator.
This bond is built on contrast and collision. As creatures, you
and I don’t experience Light unless it collides with something.
To sense Light, it must be stopped by something, such as the
retina in your eye. The surface of an object (sound, light, or any
kind of wave) collides with our perception. This stops it from
continuing and allows us to sense it.
Because the paper is like the Light, it must be stopped with
black lines (letters). That allows a person to sense the Light and
learn from it. The black lines of the letters are seen as a barrier
to the Light. This is because black (the color) is the opposite of
Light. The Light strikes against the creature’s Masach; it wants
to enter the Kli and give delight. Instead of deflecting it, the 

struggle between the rejecting Masach and the striking Light
creates a powerful bond. This collision is what the relationship
between the Light and letters is based on.
In this way, the black lines of the letters limit the Light or
restrict it. When the Light “hits” a line, it is forced to stop, and
then the Kli can study it. It turns out that the only way to learn
anything about the Creator is by stopping His Light—restricting
it and studying it. Ironically, it is precisely when you contain the
Creator that you learn how to be as free as Him. In a sense, the
Masach is like a prism: the rejection of Light breaks it into the
elements that comprise it, and this allows us, creatures, to study
it and decide how much of each “color” we want to use.