Now, there is an advantage of the vessels over the lights in the fact that it is specifically because of the vessels that the investment of a light in its opposite vessel can take place. As mentioned before, this is the most important quality of Tikkun. This means that a vessel of Gevurah can contain a light of Chesed, or that a vessel of Chesed can contain a light of Gevurah. For example, when a parent disciplines his or her child, it is an act of Gevurah which contains the light of Chesed. The inner motivation is love, not anger. Rather, it is in the best interest of the child, so that he will mature into be a responsible human being. However, the act itself is one of sternness (Gevurah). This is an example of how the act (vessel) could be Gevurah, but its inner intent (light) could be Chesed.
The opposite is also true. The vessel could be Chesed and the light could be Gevurah. An example of this is a business man who suspects his employee of embezzling. He is very angry at him and wants to harm him. Instead of firing him, he does the opposite. He doubles his salary for several months and then fires him. By then, the employee has become so accustomed to earning double the salary, that he will find any job that pays less below his dignity. This will literally ruin his life. In this case, the inner intent (light) is Gevurah, but its vessel, which is the act of giving him a raise in salary, is a Chesed.
Furthermore, as can be seen from any human being, every organ is connected to every other organ of the body, and depends on it for its well being. All the parts of the body work together as one integrated system. For this reason if someone has an ingrown toenail, it will affect his ability to function on the job or to concentrate on his studies. This interconnectedness of the organs, one with the other, is the basis of acupuncture, where, in order to heal a person’s eyesight, for example, needles will be stuck into his foot.
This inclusion and symbiosis of the vessels, one with the other, does not apply to the lights. If a person is having trouble with his eyes, for instance, no matter how many good intentions he may have, it will not improve his eyesight. Furthermore, as mentioned before, opposite lights cannot coexist. The light of Chesed and the light of Gevurah are mutually exclusive and cannot coexist. Rather, it is specifically the vessels which have the ability to bring about the compromise and synthesis of opposites. Thus, as mentioned before, it is specifically through the abundance of vessels, that Tikkun (rectification) can take place.
