“The Clock on The Wall” p: 173

AyinBase, Ayin Beis, with R' Paltiel ThursdayNight 12 Elul 5772 

Page 173 – lower third of the page (line starts, 'de-shame...') For text, see picture below.

The word 'be-emes' – this means 'going down to the truth of it'. In everything in the world and in everything in the whole path of creation you have keilim/vessels and orh/light.

What are these 2 elements – light and vessels?

Think of a clock and a clock on the wall. As far as the clock is concerned, there is no difference between being in the closet or being on the wall. But when you put it on the wall, an extra element is added to it – the human element is added. It is intangible. It cannot be measured.

And yet this is the true value of the whole phenomenon. The value of it is that there is a human being. This is the general reference of 'be-emes' – 'in truth'. It does not lend itself to touch and easy identification.

The clock hangs from the wall on a nail. But that is a lie. The real thing that hangs it there is the human being's desire that the clock hang there. This is be-emes – the truth behind it.

A person can speak and be silent. So you may say it is not representing nefesh. Like the clock the speech is completely separate from the person, but 'be-emes – from the truth perspective' there is a connection and a G-dly presence is represented.

There are levels to a person's name. As he is, as he is called, and as his name is bestowed upon something that he owns.

Light is present only as a result of cleaving. Light by definition is present only by being attached to its source.

Light and vessels are both a present. But what makes light exist? And what makes a vessel exist? A vessel exist because it is built. It is made. Light exists exclusively through cleaving.

And when you have light, is there only the light or is some of the essence coming along with it?

Think again of the clock on the wall and how that represents the human being. It could have been any kind of clock and it could have been hung in any place in the room. But if it is representative of the owner, it will demonstrate 2 things – how it is and how he wants it.

Sunlight reflects off an object and hits the eye. This is physically how we see... But is this all that sight is?

When the sun comes to the world it comes at the level of light. It pushes of the darkness. It doesn't convert the earth to 'all light'.

Then there is another aspect that the sun provides. It transforms and eliminates dark. It becomes 'day'. For this period, the darkness is gone. This is light that brings an element of sun with it.

Both of these levels of light are cleaving to the sun. But only the second level is transformative and changes the whole scene, as it brings the essence with it.

The metaphor of 'the name' was to enable us to relate to the principle that in the light before the tzimzum there are also levels. So if we see the difference between how the light is in light vs in vessels then surely in the level of light far preceding the tzimzum is in a level of true cleaving/deveykuth.

How did all this help us talk about the infinite light before the contraction? After the tzimzum the light comes back, but this time via a narrow passage, called the 'kav' (line). A metaphor for this – think of sight – in our world we can only process things that come to us in an orderly fashion (this is how we eat, drink and breathe). This is what 'world' is. G-d is a fundamental reality. But world needs the feeling of 'I am here and not here – I am coming into being'. It exists only in a created manner. So the light comes via a narrow passage, so you see how it comes into the world. So world cannot process the infinite light (ohr ein sof).

The phenomenon of name in a person represents not any of his features, but his presence. This is like the 'infinite light' before the tzimzum/contraction.