Sunday, October 23, 2011

“Eating The Corn Beef Sandwich” p: 57


AyinBase with R' Paltiel 10/23/11 Sunday 25 Tishrei 5772 

Page 57 – 10 lines from top of the page (line starts: “ha-or...”)
See link on the upper right of the blog to view all pages of the text...

We have explained in terms of makif and pnimi, that the makif is the source for the pnimi. The makif defines what the hashpaa/mentorship will be about and that it will fitting for the student. 

hashpaa/mentorship is no the transfer of information. It is the provision of something that is about keilim/vessels. But he defines it in such a way that the student can receive it.

The Baal Shem Tov says about Pirkei Avot, where King David, refers to Achitofel with respect even though he was instrumental in rebellion against the king! He has respect since they used to learn together and King David learned 2 things from him. 

The Baal Shem Tov draws attention to the word 'bilvad' that is used there. He says in holiness all is connected to the source, but here the Torah of Achitofel was not as it should be and lacked connection. The things he taught were limited and did not have the potential to grow indefinitely.



This is telling us that hashpaa comes from a makif and thus it is connected to infinity.



'Logic' supports the pnimi, but what holds up the makif? The infinity itself is what supports it. This is like a house standing on a foundation (pnimi level), but the earth itself (makif level) hangs in space supported by 'nothing'.

G-d's presence does not rest on any structural proof. And there is an element of this truth in everything that exists.

The student has the sense of the sechel in 'an overall' sense. This alludes to an insight that is higher than sechel... He's not fully dependent on structure.

A table is a real human concept, not just a board supported by 4 legs.

When the student receives the hashpaa/mentorship be pnimiut he digests it, lives with it, walks with it. It becomes him.


'I saw someone riding a bike and eating a bagette and it struck me as 'something not right'' – there is a level of respect for human activity. This stems ultimately from all being 'His handiwork'. And that's why there are halachas about how we should eat.  

Sechel/mind is rooted in ratzon/will. This ratzon is the source of the revelations. It is also the essence of novelty. When one digs with mind/sechel and comes up with an insight/hischadshut/novelty, it is a revelation of his ratzon/will. Finding a needle in a hay stack is very challenging. But more difficult than this is finding it if you don't know if it is there. If you know it is there you have much motivation. If you don't know if it is there, it is not possible to find... In other words if one pursues something with his sechel/mind and he persues, it is because he knows something is there that he is looking for. This is sechel still on the ratzon level. He says, 'I want to know that which I have in my ratzon...!'

The essence of novelty and mind emanate from the nefesh/soul. Ratzon is the beginning of seeing what the nefesh/soul is standing for. Nefesh is like nothing. And ratzon is the beginning of 'something'. This process of 'something from noting' cannot be described. If sechel is not translated into pnimiut – speech and action, then something is missing.

Ratzon on the other hand is 'self-satisfied' – he has the whole truth right there. Life is not measured by activity. Once you are aware of sechel in your life, you will be unhappy with nothing to do.

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