I don't Love the Garment (Unit 3 Unifications Ch. 8, Ch. 11 in DM)

Nevertheless, since the Infinite Light [in the Attributes] that is drawn down through the known contraction known as the Cleared Away Space is still incomparable to the Infinite Light itself [at the source] and this is all our object and desire and longing...

When G-d desired to create the world He made a "cleared away space". And everything that exists as an existence is as a result of this contraction. This is the most fundamental contraction [like a clearing away of "all of the Infinite Light"]. While it is compared to a drop from the ocean, it's more like a leap from infinity to zero.

The Divine Light as it exists in the "Cleared Away Space" is not the revealed G-dly being.  I desire G-d, I long for Him, I love Him. When he appears in a red garment, or a blue garment, I'm not in love with the garment. It carries a connection but this is not what I desire. A more accurate depiction would be if someone sends me their picture - very nice, beautiful - but this is not the actual person. I'm not interested in the picture but in the actual physical person. 

Let's say I love someone, and this person wants to hug me. In order to hug someone, several muscles and nerves have to be activated but this doesn't interest me. These are simply external mechanisms. I read somewhere that one of the most complex physical activities is smiling. It involves about 80 different nerves and it's astounding that children are able to learn this. But I'm not interested in the nerve endings but rather in the person who is smiling.

Our experience of G-d in this world is a mere metaphor for His True Essence and Being. The Greek philosophers challenged the Jewish people's belief that G-d is involved with and cares about the world, when He is so far beyond it. This is a similar question from a different perspective. Why must we concern ourselves about the different aspects and mechanisms by which the light reaches us when these mechanisms are apparently not connecting us with the Essence?

(The text in italics are the words of Derech Mitzvosecha by the third Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek. The bolded words are Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's commentary as heard on his shiurim on hashefa.co.il. The rest is my commentary. All rights reserved to Rabbi Steinsaltz. Pictures courtesy of Moshe Schlass.)