The way of direct connection

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/31/09 Monday 11 Elul 5769 Page: Pay

Page Pay – 5 lines from the top.

The people connect to the king as a way to connect to Hashem. Things come through a certain conduit – levels of awareness – you cannot go direct. If you want to connect to hashem through pnimiut it is through the king – if you want to connect through yeshus you can try various things and think it is direct direct.

The principle of the romemus of malchus – not that he is remote unto himself, but that he is supreme over the worlds, and this gives them an elevation. And this aspect of romemus is what connects the atzmus ohr of atzilus (G-dliness) and the world.

Atzilus is elokus, including the keilim of atzilus. Biya (created world) on the other hand is the essence of yesh - malchus joins them. We can only conceptualize elokus in contrast to yesh. Yesh is something that needs to be created. Because we are primarily relating to yesh, for us the absence of yesh is nothing – this nothingness cannot be destroyed or affected. The basis of yesh is nothing.

What provides for yesh? The open space. This is how we see gashmius. This is why we are oblivious of elokus, because the yesh does not directly point to elokus. The truth however is that nothing is there on its own – even nothingness. Nothingness exists due to elokus and our awareness of it is due to G-dly choice. Infinite space that we are aware of is a G-dly choice.

Therefore elokus is the basis of this nothingness. Freddiker rebbe talks about this – above there is emptiness and this emptiness is already a G-dly provision. We don't percieve elokus, but we perceive nothingness.

The principle of the romemus of malchus is the way malchus is in atzilus – cos atzilus and biya are two different realms. There is no real commonality between these realms. One is a precarious existence and the other is not.


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A perception of reality itself

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/30/09 Sunday 10 Elul 5769 Page: Pay

Page Pay – 5 lines from the top.

We went over the two levels of romemus. The connection between the melech and the am is facilitated by malchus.

Sechel is a perception of reality itself – and if the middos are affected by this sechel then this gives them a true basis. A king is only involved in true things – things of significance. The people gain a purpose by being connected to the king – and secondly the people become the melech, without consciousness of a personal agenda.

There are traffic lights and traffic rules. From the people's perspective this is so people don't crash. From the king's perspective this must be an orderly functioning country.

The people are lifted up to the level of the king, beyond having an orderly country. What is the concept of order? Order is that two people don't bump into each other – there are multiple things. At the king's level there aren't multiple things – there is just the king.

Why should a person put on tephilin? He could say I have a direct conection – but this is really a disconnect. The only way for us to connect directly to the king is by the means that he provides. He wants us to build a dirah be tachtonim – if you say I'm above that, then it is just your personal preference.

How is the dwelling place made below? It is done by the people accepting what the king wants, doing the work/avodah of establishing the dirah according to the king's instructions. Our personal Amalek, says okay, I'm also something, what about me? Through the first step of bitul the people ultimately connect to the king.

The bitul starts on an external level – without the king, I'm nothing. And it develops from there. We put on tephilin – it is a physical action, which in the physical realm makes absolutely no sense – this is what the king wants and this is how we connect to the pnimius/inner aspect of the king.

The king's presence does not depend on a metziut, although people can only relate to that garb.

Why not be butel to Hashem himself? What is the role of the king? As much as we take on ol malchut shamayim we are on the threshold that this bitul will become yeshus.



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The king is a presence, without the constraints of presence

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/28/09 Friday 8 Elul 5769 Page: Pay

Page Pay – 5 lines from the top.

The connection between the people and the king can be seen as having 2 stages. At first he is meromum over the people and through this the essence of the king is bestowed upon them – till all there is, is the king.

At a simcha you have all the details and settings. When you look at it from another , higher perspective it is seen to be a gilui of ein sof. Then all the details still exist, but the focus is different. When you talk of ein sof the meal is totally lost in the purpose. Purpose of the meal is to bring the ein sof into the world.

We can understand an aspect of malchus of atzilus - it is known that atzilus is completely removed from biya – no compare. But malchus (conglomeration and ingathering) of atzilus is the aspect of hisnaasus al am. He recognizes and makes a statement – the statement is of the superiority.

Malchus takes stock - “I exist” - this is a briah inyan – the king unto himself is not involved in this level, but when he reflects he has a presence then he sees himself and he sees the people. They have the commonality in that they are both a presence in the world. When chassidus gives a mashal of desire we use a king - “a king has a desire to build a palace...”

When the king wants/desires something he doesn't consider cost – and the people support this desire to the utmost. The king is a presence, without the constraints of presence.



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He doesn't fall down

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/27/09 Thursday 7 Elul 5769 Page: Pay

Page Pay – 7 lines from the top.

Malchus of atzilus is in a different realm from the created worlds – atzilus is not a created world. Atzilus is the sphirah as it is in elokus – gilui hahelem.

To demarcate between atzilus and briah one could say this is like the difference between chochmah and binah. Binah has a format – chochmah looks at the thing as it is. Chochma is like a mashal for atzilus. Atzilus and briah are on completely different levels.

In olam/world – no matter how high it is – it has the trait of having been brought into being. As opposed to elokus that is an original presence. When we see something we have the experience that it was there before. This is like chochma – sight and chochma relate to that which proceeds them – this is like atzilus.

Briah and binah (and the other 5 senses, aprart from sight) have the sensation of things coming into being.

With the aspect of hisnasus/exaltedness – the people and the king relate and don't have to understand each other. Malchus is when the king reflects and recognizes the greatness and glory of the experience that he has – and that he bestows on the people.

Hisnasus means he's devoid of any limitations/challenges. This is a feature that can be a defining factor. He sees that everything is the world falls down – and he doesn't fall down.

This is not a relative quality – you explain something to another person – you can explain it when it is no longer your sechel – then you can explain to another. The king recognizes things from this universal level.



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Through submission, full expression (the Rebbe and the ferryman)

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/26/09 Wednesday 6 Elul 5769 Page: Pay

Page Pay – top line.

We have been looking at the the topic of the corner to get an understanding of the relationship between the king and the people.

Just to add to this: the wall coming to represent its true presence when it meets up with another wall. Just running by itself does not represent anything.

When the people has a full expression then they are ready to relate to the king. Like we do torah and mitzvahs not because “I want to be a good person'” but because we are in G-d's world. After you get fulfillment of your own self you are able to take part in a bigger realm.

When you reach the level of being able to think for yourself – that is when you can be commanded. You have wholeness of mind to want to participate. Before this you are limited to your own experiences.

Top of page hay – yesh lomar - “it could be said” - sechl is not an entity unto itself, it is trying to represent something higher than itself. To do this it has to beat around the bush, show it from different angles – this yesh lomar gives this kind of connotation – we are presenting something in sechel that is higher than sechel – this is not the real thing – this is a presentation of something beyond presentation.

The phrase says, “think with me...”

the king unto himself is removed and elevated in comparison to the people. There is no comparison. His shoulder is above the heads of others – his middot are at the level of the sechel of others.

He is above the people and there is no way to correlate them. But by means of melucha, that he is exalted and elevated above the people, he stands above them and a relationship is formed - “I will be your reality”. This is a connection of the essence of the king with the people.

He conceives of a benefit to the people. He relates to them, by his greatness – he shows them his superiority – this creates a connection and the people experience his essence. This connection is very subtle – the king stays where he is – he is not allowed to understate who he is. If he did that he wouldn't be giving the people the benefit of who he is.



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The king, his thoughts and the people

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/25/09 Tuesday 5 Elul 5769 Page: Pay

Page Pay.

Malchus is called shchinah – even as it is in the king, since it enables the connection between the king and the people. That is the corner.

There are constant thoughts going through a person's mind – thoughts at all levels – they are all neshamah insights that are truly representative of his life and the experience of his life.

These thoughts represent all the sphirot. While they are going on they do not form an entitity – it is entirely personal. Malchus is where they coalesce and they say “this is what I am”. And this is how he relates to other people.

On the one hand it sets a limit of, “this is who I am”, but the point is not the limit, it is rather to collect the experiences and express a real being. The reality of this life is in malchus – a summary. If it goes on indefinitely then it doesn't stand for anything – it must reach a statement – this is the corner where it expresses what it is all about.

In the melech where we are talking of self definition – this is what facilitates his relation to the people, otherwise he is involved with his own internal thoughts/processes. Thus the corner not a limit – it is the granting of full consequence.

Both the king and the people are in full expression. This is a metzius not based on yeshus.



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The wall, the corner, the hammer and the king

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/24/09 Monday 4 Elul 5769 Ein Tet

Page Ein Tet. 3 lines from the bottom of the page.

We are explaining the term – moreh gadol – gilui shchinah.

We started by expaining kav – which has the ability to extend downwards – this descent is in an orderly, gradual way – first the yud (which touches the source) etc.

The shchinah however represents a gilui that is directly from above, without seder and hadraga – straight from above.

To explain this we looked at the word schinah – one meaning is shochenet – it dwells on the lower worlds. This expains how malchus is atik to briah.

The other meaning of shchinah is not in its relation to briah, but in its own existence. This will be looked at next.

In what way is malchus called schinah if it stays it its own abode? What is the principle aspect of malchus? That it connects the element of ohr ein sof with olamot. And these are two elements that are completely separate – there is no correspondence between them. And malchus is able to affect a joining between them.

The kohen in the temple would apply the blood to the alter at the corner. Malchus is called keren/corner. Just like a corner connects two wall – so too melucha is that which connects the king himself with the people. The emphasis is that the connection is with the king himself who is in a different realm from the people.

The principle of the corner is that there is no entity called a corner – it is made by the meeting of the two walls – this is like melucha that has nothing of its own – it receives form the other sphirot.

The two walls don't change to meet at the corner – but they end and meet.

This stopping is their own doing – not that one wall stops the other. They remain in full expression. What is the principle of a wall ending – a wall built for no reason will go without ending. A wall will purpose will end when that purpose is satisfied.

A corner represents reaching their purpose – fulfillment of their purpose – the epitome of its presence – this is where it can meet the other wall. This corner also adds strength to the two walls. When one reaches its purpose its own presence represents/demands that there is another wall.

This meeting says that there are two parts in the wall – what it is unto itself and what it is saying. A person refers to himself as “me” without a name, but he gets fully actualized when he gets a name that is used by others.


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An import of essence

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/23/09 Sunday 3 Elul 5769 Ein Tet

Page Ein Tet.

Pesach – to get free from there – there had to be a gilui at the level of dilug.

It had to be a revelation of essence/etzem.

We have a principle of the baal shem tov that regarding essence if you “have hold of part – you have it all”

Gilui shchinah is the malchus of ein sof that is beyond and higher than the aspect of the kav. Kav is a line – a line extends over distnce and consists of many points – each point comes in succession to the previous point. This means they are not of equal standing. The kav refers to the light that was measured by the tzimzum.

Here is a metaphor for tzimzum: In the treasure house there is an abundance of supplies and the owner want to distribute the resources. He can do it in two ways. One he can remove the walls of the house or secondly he can open up a window for all to come and get given. In the first case the giving is not aimed – need is not taken into account. At the window it is given when it is needed – the giving relates to the need.

The principle of wold is that there is an order – there is a need and a supply to the need. An infinite supply is by definition not worldly. The kav is the line of revelation of light that is measured according to the needs of the world.

3rd line of 2nd paragraph page ein tet.

Kav is a line that is measured and it comes in an organized manner.

Malchus has a unique quality – it is one of the 10 sphirot – on the other hand it is described by saying it does not have anything of its own. It is a recipient of all the influence from the other sphirot. In terms of malchus coming down there are also both these aspect – it is a sphira and can relate to the world, but how does it come down? It comes in full glory, in an all encompassing manner. Thus how do you relate to a king? Not through his qualities, but to him himself.

This gives malchus a level/aspect of being above world. This is the way the king relates to the people, by romemus/exalted.

We said malchus includes in itself all the sphirot that preceded it. This means that atzilus can be known outside of atzilus. A summary demarcates a whole theory – it solidifies and makes transferable the whole material. This is also called malchus. This is the bringing of atzmus.



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Simple Faith

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/21/09 Friday 1 Elul 5769 Ayin Tet

In our world we know of things only from the perspective of a specific benefit that it brings – this is world – devoid of intrinsic value.

Elokus/Godliness needs to be understood in a different framework – elokus is what makes everything else meaningful – it is the truth.

People think in terms of me vs you – so they think of G-d as “the boss” - but really we have emunah peshutah (simple faith) which enables us to know G-d is that which makes life worth living – that says “life is for real”.

This sense of reality does not have any parameters. Emunah peshutah says that this is reality, this is what I am about and it doesn't have circumstantial concerns/orientations. Unfortunately in reality, as a result of what we go through in the world, life itself has been attacked with the question, “is it real?”

This truth cannot be defined, one cannot know what he wants in the sense of defining it.

We spoke recently about breathing – the specific function is very narrow – inhale through nostrils and exhale, yet despite its narrow definition it makes fundamental difference to us if we breathe through tubes or through open space – breathing in open space is breathing bepshitus.

The truth of our breathing is not that we breathe in – it is the creation of a vacuum and the life around us flows in.

As said at Seagate this week – Avraham avinu from the age of 3 started looking for something and rejecting all he was shown, he was looking for G-d. How did he know to start and to look?

He recognized/sensed that there must be a truth and “all of this is not truth”. He was looking for G-d. He looked at the sun, and the sun set, then came the moon etc and he knew truth doesn't change and he realized truth is outside the world.

Truth is outside the world and maintains it. He said, “okay, I live in the world, but it is the truth that is really manifest in the world, and I'm going to relate to that and serve G-d, not anything in the world, without that the world is less than worthless.


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Sensitivity to your own soul

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/20/09 Thursday 30 Menachem Av 5769 Ayin Tet

At the start of the meimar – 3 lines from end of first paragraph.

Pesach is dilug and the other yom tovim are based on arousal from below and above.

At time of Pesach the people were totally buried in darkness – they didn't have the beginnings of trying to rise up – besides the simple faith inherent in their souls they had no other seeking to rise up.

A man seeks when he perceives something truer than what he is currently perceiving. In Mitzraim the nefesh ha sichlis had no sensitivity to G-dliness. Sensitivity to your own soul will bring arousal from below (halaas mun) – you're looking for something more.



This is why in mitzraim the hamshacha had to be in a dilug manner from the element of atzmus – so essence would come down to mitzraim – and the klippa would have not access to it.

Emunah peshuta (simple faith) – you recognize a truth which precludes having to examine and evaluate. Though they had this emunah it was dormant.

Only atzmus was able to remove them from there.


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The handmaiden at the sea

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/19/09 Wednesday 29 Menachem Av 5769 Pay Zayin

“the handmaidens saw the same vision as the prophets (some say they saw more)”

Page pay zayin – second line from top of the page (after the parentheses).

Even within the revelation of ohrot atzmium there are two levels.

Ohrot in malchus (7th day of Pesach) is one level, and the second level was at matan torah; the ohrot in their pure state (not in malchus) were revealed.

Moshe told the people - “Hashem will take care of you and you should be quiet” - this can mean don't request or do anything since it is a time of pure arousal from above.

Before chatzot it is enclothed in the mitzvah and the levush gover – it is a real levush and safeguarding is still needed, since there can be an achizah for klippah, while it is ohr and not etzem.

Reshus is that period when it is purely from above, and it has no levush and there is not possibility of klippah getting a handle on it. The sixth day has the gilui of rommemus atzmi of malchus, while the 7th day is the revelation of the ohrot atzmium that were contained in malchus (that which caused the rommemus).

Mitzvahs come from sovev which is an ohr/ratzon, and ohr is able to be usurped by klippah. The gilui at matan torah was etzem, but the way the mitzvah translates itself into our world allows for the achizah of klippah.


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“My beloved is like a deer”

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/18/09 Tuesday 28 Menachem Av 5769 Pay Vav

Page pay vav – middle of the page. Line starts “rak”.

The matzah is at a level of mitzvah and not a the level of chovah before chatzot.

Leaving mitzraim the matzah had the level of chovah and not mitzvah. The chovah had come to sweeten the dinim.

Now matzah has the higher quality of mitzvah.

After chatzot when there is revelation of ein sof without garments then it becomes an aspect of reshus. Reshus comes without instruction. Chovah is coming from something that puts the obligation on you.

In this reshus category there is a difference between the 6 days and the 7th day. The 7th day their was kriyat yam suf (splitting of the sea) – it split and there was dry land – this means that yam of malchus was opened and the ohrot atzmium were shown/revealed.

The element of rommemus al am in malchus connects the essential/upper element of malchus with the am.

Significance of this connection is that the essential level is connected yet remains aloof. Hence the ohrot atzmium remain concealed.

Kriyat yam suf – the sea split. The rommemus atzmi no longer concealed – it revealed the essential lights that are contained there. It is know that the splitting of the sea occurred both physically and also up to the highest spiritual level – all the way to malchus ein sof.

This means the essential lights were revealed – malchus of ein sof before the tzimzum.

“My beloved is like a deer”, says the verse – just like the deer jumps – hashem “jumps” from mitzraim to the yam. This is a dilug – a jump.

Why is it a dilug? In mitzraim there was a moreh gadol, but this was the revelation of the greatness of malchus itself, which contains the ohrot atzmium, but at kriyat yam suf, then the ohrot atzmium were revealed – this is a great jump.

The dilug from yam to matan torah can be described as the revelation of the essential lights as they are unto themselves – not thru malchus.




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Breathing in open space

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/17/09 Monday 27 Menachem Av 5769 Pay Vav

Page pay hay – one third lines from the top. Line starts “bechinas”.

This is brought to explain that 'tho you only have katnus (smallness) of perception, like a child's first relating to his father, without understanding the depth – nevertheless this katnus contains in it the whole gadlus. It is not self-serving – he feels a real primary connection.

Similar inyan relates to our discussion of matzah. In the matzah we eat there is a revelation atzus, but still it is revealed not independently, but through the mitzvah – the mitzvah is the garment and the garment covers/overpowers the atzmus that is in it.

Atzmus is camouflaged by the means of its revelation – matzah. We're doing the mitzvah.

For this reason it is a mitzvah and not reshus. Meaning it had to be commanded.
Reshus is that it comes from an arousal from above – independently, without any solicitation from below. It is atzus unto itself. But by eating matzah, there is the preeminent factor of it being a mitzvah – solicitation of response from above.

Breathing naturally – air flows in by a change of air pressure – on the other hand we have to participate. The air comes automatically, yet it has to come through a conduit – therefore the sensation of abundance of life is not really experienced, though it is a constant. This is the same as reality being there automatically and yet we relate to it by an action/process.

This is similar to chochmah and sight – sight is really automatic – we see the reality itself – you have to be a recipient and not actively pursuing it. On the other hand you have to have open eyes and look in the right direction.
A normal mitzvah is at the level of shmiah/hearing. The gilui comes as the result of the action. Mitzvah of matzah is different – matzah represents the complete bitul of the mata – atzmus is right there yet it comes through a mitzvah.

Since it has the quality of a mitzvah – i.e. the essence itself is hidden – thus the time to do it is before chatzot.

Aeter Page Pay Hay (85) - lower half

Double click on the page for enlaged version

Essential connection

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/14/09 Friday 24 Menachem Av 5769 Pay Hay

Page pay hay – 4 lines from the bottom.

Chova lacks the essential connection that a mitzvah has. This means that the their service at that time was hachanah/preparation from below.

But now that we do have torah and mitzvahs – the fulfilling of them by themselves is of the level of yirah tata. Also the effect/ha-arah of yirah ilah is felt. Now through eating matzah is drawn down the element of moreh gadol – gilui schinah even before chatzot.

One may think that since we have now gilui shchinah before chatzot so why should it be that matzah is only eaten till midnight and also why is eating matzah a mitzvah not a reshus.

Even today there has to be a hachanah for the gilui that comes on the night of Pesach. There is a gateway and this is the hachanah. This is a hachanah today that is at a higher level than it was in miztraim. The gilui is due to the eating of matzah. After midnight there is inyan of atzmus ein sof without any garment. Before chatzot there is a similar gilui, but it comes by way of levush.

The levush overpowers/covers the gilui. The garment becomes preeminent, not the revelation. This is like ohr and keili – the main thing is the light, but the vessel becomes preeminent – and you get to the light through the vessel.

Etzem is not like ohr that comes from one place to another. We are saying gilui of ohr ein sof is gilui through a levush because even though it is atzmi it is revealed in a way of ohr.

Since etzem does not come through a conduit – the source and the revelation are the same – hence there should not be a mitzvah, which is a conduit.

Next we will explain – if it is an issue of essence/ein sof so how is it involved with a garment/levush and how does the garment obscure/cover it.

Sweetening the judgements

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/13/09 Thursday 23 Menachem Av 5769 Pay Hay

Page pay hay – about 10 lines from the bottom. Line starts “lekutei torah”.

First power of torah was given at matan torah – He held the mountain over them – this alludes to how it is coming from a source beyond solicitation.

Before matan torah there was not yet this level of hamshacha. At the time of exodus there was the mitzvah to eat matzah, but it was more in the category of chovah rather than mitzvah. These are two different categories. Mitzvah is a command.

Zohar says chovah is feminine and mitzvah is masculine.

The chovah is in the level of feminine/nukvah. Mitzvah is masculine – it is a command and has 2 levels – there is the obligation to fulfill, but there is also the command that is connected to the commander. Chovah is an obligation that does not imply a connection between the recipient and the giver.

Mitzvah – although a command for you to do – in mitzvah the command does not become separate to the giver. In contrast, with a chovah he would go home and say, “what did he tell me to do?”

Mitzvah is like kabalos ol malchus shamaim. You take on the ol of shamayim.
In nukvah there is a need for hamtakahs hadinim – sweetening the decrees. There is a king and the king has ministers. The ministers follow the rules of the land and if one goes to a minister for adjudication he looks up the decree in a book – he looks at it from a din level. It becomes difficult and harsh if you work from this level. Some spirit is needed to be brought in.

The masculine/masculine is connected to the source and the dinim are not so emphasised, on the side of nukvah an inspiration and sweetening is needed.
The phenomenon of eating matzah in mitzraim was chovah and not mitzvah. It was a preparation for the level of yirah tata. Also a commander was involved – this represents ohr abba – the masculine quality – an aspect of chovah that sweetens the dinim – not a real connection to the source.

Mitzvah has also a deeper meaning of “connection” - a joining of the commander and the commanded. By means of this connection the commander is actually present.

The crown and the king himself

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/12/09 Wednesday 22 Menachem Av 5769 Pay Hay

Page pay hay – about 13 lines from the top. Line starts “ve hagam”.

Yirah tata is a preparation to be able to receive the moreh gadol.

'Tho the arousal from above comes of itself and not due to solicitation from below (and is thus not limited to the scale of the lower arousal), yet still there is preparation for it – this hachanah is so that you will be sensitive to it and be able to receive it.

“This is the gate way to hashem”, says the pasuk and this is the preparation. Opening up this initial “receiving quality” from below allows/enables us to recognize it. This is the matzah eaten before midnight.

There is a difference between the matzah before midnight and after midnight. Matzah has a letter, “hay” and chametz a “chet”. The hay is representative of malchus. And this hay has two levels – external and internal – two levels of malchus. Matzah from before midnight requires safekeeping – it is within seder hishtalshalus, within the world and here it can sour.

At midnight there was a revelation and after that, when leaving mitzraim the dough couldn't sour – the gilui had been from/of malchus ein sof – atzmius hamalchus and it incorporates everything without coming out of itself and thus the matzah could not sour.

The matzah is in the world and part of atzmius. The world was in such a state that nothing would be separate from elokus. We say that when dough sours it becomes separate from its source – it has its own internal process.

The exodus was after chatzot as a result of the fact that the king of kings was revealed on them. This order of first a preparation of one level of matzah and then the revelation was the process in mitzraim when they were sunk in the deepest level and they also did not have torah and mitzvahs.

But after matan torah when torah and mitzvah were given there is already the element of yira tata the whole year. One does a mitzvah with kabalos ol – one of the means that one gets yirah tata. So yirah tata is a common state of being.
We have mitzah's during the year and they are rooted in kesser – this is higher than the metziut of world.

Your are given the opportunity to do the mitzah, but you have to summon the effort do, the exertion from below.

Significance of mitzah's being rooted in kesser: mitzvahs can be viewed from 2 perspectives – they are directives that tell us how to live in the world – this perspective won/'t connect you to yirah ilah. The fact that mitzvahs are connected to kesser and the reason for them are not contained in the world at all – this connects you to the king himself.



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Even though it comes from above, a preparation is needed for it.

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/11/09 Tuesday 21 Menachem Av 5769 Pay Hay

Page pay hay – about 12 lines from the top starts ve hadugmah mizeh.

We are discussing yirah ilah and yirah tataa. Yirah tata is the state of preparing to see the king – he doesn't see the king and he's not in the king's presence. As he enters the kings chambers then he is affected by the king's presence and he has bitul be metziut.

In our mashal – we need to understand that the level of yirah in preparation is not, “what will happen when I enter the chambers” - he's affected by the reality of the king – an appreciation of the king and awe of him.

By the preparation he will come to have gilui and moreh gadol. Without this preparation it will go over his head or it will nullify him. The preparation allows him to be affected by it, while standing on his feet.

Bitul is affected by the yirah/awesomeness. That awe is by his hisbonenus, which is focused directly on the greatness of the king himself. An intelligent human being relates to that which he knows only through his intelligence and his neshama quality is struck by the greatness.

When he is prepared for the encounter it allows him to appreciate it, otherwise it will go over his head. At the meeting the appreciation is greater than that which he gains by hisbonenus.

Compared to a minister, a king rules/decress without reference books. This is a different way of dealing with reality. You realize then without hisbonenus that your whole approach to life is null and void – this you can have only in the presence of the king.

On the other hand someone who is unaware/uninitiated will see the same thing and say “hey, this guy is arbitary/willful”.

You can miss the experience/opportunity of being in the presence of the king if you are trying to work out what is happening.

The important thing is to understand that yira ilah, even though it comes from above, a preparation is needed for it.

What is the keili for this? It is the bitul. The yirah tata opens up in him the ability to receive things that are beyond his sechel.

Being there and experiencing the greatness

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/10 Monday 20 Menachem Av 5769

Pay hay – 6 lines from the top.

We are explaining yirah ilah and yirah tata.

Yirah ilah is where he is butul be etzem. Not like yirah tata where he brings the yirah on himself by hisbonenut.

Yirah ilah – bitul be etzem – not a yirah that he imposes on himself. Bitul be etzem is a response to the truth itself. He is seeing the inyan – the ohr is be gilui and he doesn't have to explain it to himself.

This is like one who comes to the king. There are 2 types of yirah in approaching the king. One is before he enters the palace – the yirah is according to his reflection on the greatness of the king and the yirah will be according to the depth of his hisbonenus.

The other yirah is when he actually enters the chamber of the king – he doesn't have to impose anything on himself and say, “hey, now i'm standing before the king.” The yirah is based on the greatness of the king himself.

When the bitul is a function of sechel that means he's (his personal identity) involved. When in the king's presence there is not self there is only the king. Thus these are the two steps. By the first he becomes fit to come before the

king and as a result of that he is able to enter the king's chamber.

If he has a natural sensitivity to greatness, when entering the king's palace he will be completely null/dissipated. If he lacks the sensitivity he will completely miss the message that comes from seeing the king.

With proper preparation he is able to both, be there and to experience the greatness. The preparation revealed the intelligence that is needed to relate to being in the king's presence. Just to be subdued and nullified is not experiencing the king. The keili to receive the king's presence is his bitul. Prior to his hisbonenus he felt reality was “yeshus”, and if something of gilui ohr is coming on this reality it clashes completely.

With hisbonenus he realizes yeshus is not all there is – he comes in contact with a higher reality – this bitul becomes his vessel to accept the actual greatness that follows (when he's in the king's presence) – accept it and process it – and that processing doesn't create a yesh, but a deeper bitul – his metzius is the metzius of the king. It his not his sechel – it is the truth itsefl that he recognizes.

The best mashal we have for this bitul be metzius is chochmah. Just like sight relates to the truth, you see it 'cos it is there.

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A personal recognition of the truth

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/9/09 Sunday 19 Menachem Av 5769 Pay Dalet

Page pay dalet. 3 lines from the top of pay hay at the end of the line (see page above - double click to enlarge).

Malchus of ein sof is revealed through malchus of atzilus.

We looked at how the root is not independent of the result, but continues into it.
This explains how we get a moreh gadol to get us out of mitzraim.

The two hay's – matzah was the hachanah / preparation to receive that gilui – yirah tata represents bitul hayesh – meaning that it is not bitul be etzem, since there is not as yet gilui ohr – just that he makes himself butul by means of kabalus ol malchus shamayim or by means of hisbonenus.

To understand this, let's revisit yirah – it can indicate something superficial, where one is “scared for himself” and this fear can sometimes have no relation to reality – this is not what is meant by yirah and bitul hayesh.

Yirah relates to someone who is in full self confidence. Yirah at any level entails a recognition of the G-dly truth.

He recognizes in whose presence he exists. The lower level of this is bitul hayesh – the principle of bitul is the means by which he opens up his finer qualties and becomes sensitive to a greater reality. Without bitul we are locked in outselves and the only yirah we have is for our own security/safety which is not what we mean by yirah.

Real bitul makes one sensitive to what is going on around him and this gives him a level of respect. This is called bitul hayesh. He is not in essence butul since there is as yet no gilui ohr. The metzius of a nivrah is a result of helem ve hester – when one is aware exclusively of oneself even though he is a creation then there is no yirah. First step is bitul hayesh.

If there is giui ohr then he clearly senses reality and what his metziut represents.

Sunlight is butel to the sun – and thus it doesn't become a seperate metzius and the metzius of the light is true, since it is connected to the sun.

Bitul ha yesh – he's senses only himself, nevertheless he at the same time senses that, that which he experiences is not the real truth. And he imposes on himself bitul by one of two ways, kabalos ol malchus shamaim or hisbonenus.

Hisbonenus is mentioned, not learning. Learning it will not affect yirah tata or bitul hayesh. Learning can be like a possession. It may not become the basis for his thinking. It is conceivable that one can know “breshit barah elokim...” and it just enhances his yeshus.

Hisbonenus is a completely different function from learning. It is when one stops learning and asks what does this mean to me – how does it affect my metziut. He imposes it on himself, but it is real – a personal recognition of the truth. This is the activity of hisbonenus and there can be a resultant bitul hayesh – he recognizes that he is not independent and this makes him sensitive and opens him up to what is the truth.

Then there is a deeper level – to have kabalas ohl malchus shamayim one needs to be more pure – one needs to be sensitive without hisbonenus. This is not just knowledge, but he has a personal sense that he is not the truth and that he is here for a purpose. This is also an inherent quality – the ability to recognize that the truth is much greater than himself.

We spoke many times about sechel enoshi and the principle of obligations and responsibilities – if one is aware only of himself, how can one demand responsibilities? This is possible because every human being knows that the world does not really belong to him. Even though he may not know to serve the creator he has to know that he doesn't own the world and it is not his to destroy.

Yidden go further – not only is the world not mine, but there is a creator to the world – this is kabalos ol malchus shamaim.

He doesn't see the creator, but he imposes it on himself. This is a more direct connection than through hisbonenus.

Generally an intelligent person wants to relate to the truth. A yid's sechel enushi is sensitive to the ultimate truth and he wants to relate to it – his sechel enushi leads him and opens him to it.

Aristotle was a profound thinker and the Rambam and the Zohar talk of him. But it was all in the sechel - all was at the academic level – all for the purpose of fulfilling his intellectual desire, rather than finding out who he is and what his purpose is. There was a time Aristotle failed – his students asked him you teach ethics and we saw you failing morally – how is this possible? He answered, “that is my animal”. There was not a soul desire to get to the truth and it didn't push him further. By yidden there is a soul connection that takes him further.

A yid doesn't just want to live a good life in the world – he wants the ein, the truth in the world.

The Baal Shem Tov uncovered that the simple yid shows greater neshamah quality than the greatest scholars.

Where does he get it from? He has it.

This is yirah tata and bitul hayesh – it is a meaningful bitul, but it is imposed by his own work/effort – not that he experiences gilui ohr.

The alter rebbe explains the difference between a navi and chacham. It is said that a chacham is greater than a navi. Moshe rabenu was the greatest navi possible – he brought from lower levels of atzilus. The navi sees the reality. But we talk about atzmus and levels above atzilus – chochmah is relating to levels beyond what the navi can see. Through hisbonenus he imposes it on himself, and it is a sensitivity, but it is a sensitivity to something real.

When there is gilui ohr then he recognizes that he is part of the source.

The beginning is wedged in the end

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/7/09 Friday 17 Menachem Av 5769 Pay Dalet

Page pay dalet. 2 lines from the bottom of the page

There had to be a preparation for the gilui of atzmus.

This was the eating of matzah, which has the element of shiflus. Even though Hashem jumped over the gate, nevertheless the yira tata aspect of the pathway was still required.

Difference between matzah and hametz is the hay which is the aspect of malchus. The name havayah has 4 letters. And there are 4 ways to spell out the letter hay – there is a milui hay. There is the frontal hay and the hidden hay.
Shem ban alludes to shem havayah with the numerical value of 52 – which is when the hay is filled with another hay. Thus the letter hay which represents malchus has a subtle malchus hidden in it – this is not seen. The 2 hays are the two aspects of malchus – of atzilus and of ein sof.

Malchus of atzilus is the hay of creation.

But deep below that is the inyan of malchus ein sof concealed in the malchus of atzilus. We have the rule that in the seder hishtalshalus - “the inception reflects itself in the end”.

Malchus de ein sof comes to expression through malchus de atzilus.
This leads to an important principle – malchus is rooted in kesser. It is not just that it comes from there, but that the essence of the lower level is sourced in and powered by the higher level.

Thus the lower hay as represented by the “lower world” relates to the hay of the ein sof. This is to say the root of gashmius is in atmus. We don't see the connection since we are incapable of seeing that level of elokus. The koach for gashmi is koach atzmi!

the lower level represents and is similar in name and in koach – the malchus of atzilus has some of the koach of malchus of ein sof. This is like chitzoni hasechel being given meaning and power by pnimius hasechel. The world says the real existence is the chitzonius – the interaction of elements. Yidden say “wait a second the real chayus to this is the pnimius”, you sense it and look for it.

When you try and relate to a sechel it is because you sense the pnimius of it.
The truth is numbers/math have to do with being above nature. It is used for trading and that is since we are meant to live together in a G-dly world. This sechel enushi is a gateway to sechel elokis.

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He jumped over the gate

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/6/09 Thursday 16 Menachem Av 5769 Pay Dalet and also last night's notes (from Yehudah)

Page pay dalet. In the middle of the page – line starts yetziut mitzraim.

talking about atzmus this is the root principle of chag hapesach – hopping across – jumping over. This is the revelation of atzmus ein sof. Revelation / hisgalus as it pertains to atzmus. This is not an “expression of” - this affects dilug.

Hashem will hop over the pesach – this jumping/hopping across is chag ha pesach. What does he hop over? Pesach refers to malchus - as it says “this is the gateway to havayah. Just like a gate serves for enter and exit – so too the rising of the angels up to atzilus or beyond, cleaving to the body of the king – is by means the pesach/gateway of malchus.

This applies to all influence from above – it is by means of malchus. The melachim relate to the melech by way of malchus. However the inyan of pesach/gateway is a hagbalah – limit. It is not an open space – the walls haven't been removed. The separation is in place and there is an opening/conduit by which to go through. “Mi yuchal la-alut? “– “who can rise up? (lit.)” or “mi” can rise up – mi is inyan of bitul that has the aspect or desire to rise.

This is the principle of the occupation of neshamas in gan eden – as result of revelations in torah revealed daily in gan eden – and they rise by the gateway.

But on Pesach there was a novelty – Hashem hopped over the pesach/gateway. He ignored it. He revealed his atzmus. He revealed the entire process and revealed Himself.

Thus even in the state of great darkness in mitzraim they awoke with the desire to rise up and go out. This is like a gazelle jumps.

Even so it was necessary for some kind of preparation for this revelation. Preparation is not so the revelation takes place – hachanah means you get ready to accept it – they had to accept and follow as a result of gilui ha-atzmus. This hachanah was accomplished by eating matzah. Matzah is element of submission and lowliness – no resistance. In avodah this kabalot ol malchut shamayim – also known as yirah tata. This is the gate to shamayim.

Yirah ilaa is a yirah that relates to the melech himself – yirah tata is just acceptance. This element had to be in place for the gilui to have the needed affect.

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8.5.09 (Wednesday evening, 15 Av) p.84 (1/3 from top)

For example: The nefesh ha behamis (N’B) is concerned about tomorrow’s breakfast. Nefesh Elokis (N’E) by learning about memale and sovev frees itself and knows that there is nothing to worry about.

If he has a personal sense of trust, he can free himself from worldly concerns and devote himself to Hashem. This free up is not freeing him up from the concerns of the N’B – it is just that he doesn’t have to worry about it since Hashem will take care.

But his being and sense of well being is dependant on provisions of one sort or another (it’s just that he has trust in Hashem that He will provide for all his needs.)

If I’m dependant on provisions it means that I have fundamental lacks as an entity (I am in need) – I cannot rely on just the fact that I’m here this second. Instead, I realize that Hashem is here and He will provide – but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m living in precarious existence.

But atzmus – you relate to a totally different level of existence. Not only an existence that has an infinite level of support – you relate to a different level of existence – it’s an infinite existence – you are thinking of Atzmus itself.

Malchus of ain sof incorporates everything without hashpa / giluii – it is a primary truth without having to be supported. It completely eliminates all negative effects because negativity is impossible. Not just that I don’t need support. Physicality doesn’t need to be recognized at all – it is the living G-d in essence. Doesn’t need memale or sovev. I only want You Yourself – the etzm Elokus – the Atzmius. It incorporates everything. This is the level where Hashem is a melech without an Am.

So what is a person thinking about when he thinks of Atzmus?

Intelligence means that you have something that strikes you – something that you relate to. When the Yidden were in Mitz for 200 years – they became totally absorbed in the tuma/impurity of the place – they could not think differently than the Egyptians were thinking. Can’t even think any other way.

An example of this in our world: you can have a perfectly intelligent person and it doesn’t even faze him to think that humans evolved from monkeys.

This is a symptom of lifelessness (just like in mitzrayim). Yitzias mitzrayim is the fact that something penetrated through this lifelessness for him to say that he’s not dead.

There is no limit to what Atzmius can effect – it wakes up even the lifeless flesh.

This doesn’t deal with a created being that will be maintained indefinitely in a G-dly world – here we are dealing with G-dliness Itself. As a result of this, His heart spills out to the living G-d. Atzmius doesn’t destroy anything that is positive – because it incorporates everything.

Hisgalus atzmus effects yitzas mitzrayim under any circumstance.

What does it mean hisgalus ha atzmus? Hisgalus here means a different thing than gilui.

Gilui usually means an expression – light of the sun tells you about the sun – expresses the source – it reveals it in a different place; a place where the source is not. The source remains out of this place but you now know about it.

Hisgalus ha atzmus is a different meaning altogether. Hisgalus of the atzmus itself. This is not any of the levels of light we speak about – this is the shemesh itself.

With respect to the light in the shemesh, light can either illuminate or eliminate darkness. But shemesh does neither. It does not recognize that darkness exists. This is the hisgalus of atzmus – you rise up to atzmus which incorporates everything without hisgalus [outside of Itself].

Limit of the mashal: sun doesn’t create world only serves the world. But atzmus does create the world – but the way it is in atzmus is on a different level. Like malchus the way it is in atzmus is a completely different level. Atzmus incorporates everything – but on a different level. Lo signov is of equal absoluteness as Anochi.

When you have dilug you don’t’ recognize the entire mitzeus of mitzrayim.

It is called yitzias mitzrayim (departure from Egypt) because we can only come to know atzmus from context. The concept of yitzias mitzrayim leads us to ask the question, “what happened here.” Yitzias mitzrayim is like the doorway to lead us into the inyan of Atzmus.

Yitzias mitzrayim was for the purpose of creating the Jewish people on this level.

Creation of the Jewish people as a nation is completely different that the creation of any other nation. Any other nation grew out of ancestral development in a particular area.

Jews were created as a nation by G-d directly. Fact that we were the children of Avroham, Yiz and Yaakov dissipated when we were in mitzrayim. Then Hashem took us out and gave us an identity.

The ID of the Jewish people was by G-dly declaration. The very existence is based on a G-dly declaration rather than ancestral development. This is why it is possible to be a Ger/convert. When he acquires all the conditions [of becoming a Ger], then he is declared by Hashem Himself to be Jewish.

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Concealed and not known to us

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/5/09 Wednesday 15 Menachem Av 5769 Pay Dalet

Page pay dalet. 12th from the top – starts “tzorech”.

General topic: the effect of learning torah before prayer. Since the nefesh habahamit has been given extra power torah is needed. It comes from above. And bypasses your personal situation.

Thus the gemara says if someone learns torah not for its own sake – he should still do it since the “source” will come through independent of the motive. This is why torah has phenomenal ability.

Torah is independent of the person and pnimius hatorah is even more pure/removed of world effect/orientation.

Amitis haatzmus is not understandable from world. So how does one speak of it? Occasionally the matter that one is learning leads there.

Atzmus can be in mitzraim and not be effected by it and not be usurped
Our contact is exclusively with world, thus we describe G-dliness from a perspective of worldliness. This is our approach to G-dliness – we know the world and we know that G-d makes the world.

Even the level of sovev is in relation to world.

Destruction in the world is not a crime against the world it is against the king.
Regardless of how it is seen on the world level, a group functions “under G-d” as the US constitution indicates and the Rebbe was fond of mentioning.

The aspect of atzmus is not comprehensible to us at all because it is concealed and not known to us. Nothing in our experience exposes us to atzmus. Sovev and memale are levels of elokus not how it is to itself but in relation to world.

Atzmus is not for the purpose of creation. The fact that hashem creates worlds does not describe who he is – this is not the ikar of elokus. To understand something that is true unto itself, not by virtue of its function, is impossible, but one can relate to it.

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Sometimes it leads you there

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/4/09 Tuesday 14 Menachem Av 5769 Pay Dalet

Page pay dalet. 7th from the top – starts “mitzad atzmo”.

When the nefesh habahamit is overpowering and the point of hodaa cannot be located then torah assists with this since it comes from above.

Pnimius hatorah is completely above world – and within this aspect of torah there are 2 levels. Sovev kol almin has to do with world – emetis haatzmi is above world completely.

If you want to understand atzmus it comes from your position in the world – and that approach is altogether erroneous, since in the world there is no cognizance of emetis haatzmis – so how do we come to look at this?

Only when torah itself brings it about in the course of learning. Occasionally torah leads you to that topic.

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Enabling the beginning

8.3.09 (Monday, 13 Av) p.84 (3rd line) Notes by Yehudah

It is necessary that the avodah in tefilla should be in a gradual manner so that it be effective on the guf b’pinimius. The lowest level is hodaah.

Tefilla means to come out of mitzrayim.

This is ample to take one out of the basic mitzrayim – which is that the nefesh Elokis is encased in the nefesh ha behamis.

But when the Nefesh Habahamit strengthens itself over the Nefesh Elokis through taaivos or excessive involvement with business then you need a koach from above to effect an arousal in tefilla. This comes through learning torah before tefilla. Normally hodaah is self-arousing.

Torah & tefilla: Tefilla – he reflects from within himself. This is what he recognizes – the truth of Hashem. This is an initiative/movement from below to above. Torah is a different process – learn the way the inyan is in truth. This is above to below.

This is the extra push that helps to arouse oneself in davening - since this is a force coming from outside the person. The torah inyan is not in gulus and is able to awaken a person and bring him out of gulus. This is an arousal from above that allows you to come in contact with the hodaah.

Torah in general is above to below, but particularly pinimius ha Torah. Torah was given down below. Even though it continues to be connected above, nevertheless niglah d’torah speaks about world; thus it is not a full fledged power that reflects above. The aspect of pnimius ha torah is a direct force that comes from above.

Sometimes there is a need to meditate on atzmus, which is even higher than sovev and memale. This is truly an arousal from above. Atzmus is an infusion of life not coming from our own seichel.

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Starting out - a fabulous beginning

Aeter with R' Paltiel 8/2/09 Sunday 12 Menachem Av 5769 Pay Gimmel

Page pay gimmel. End of third line from the bottom.

Looking at mitzraim and exodus from mitzraim as it exists at all times. The neshamah, being in nefesh habahamit is in a mitzraim situation. And it can be pulled into even deeper levels of galus.

In order to effect departure from there it can be done as follows: tephillah is the stepping out of the original descent in to the body. Before davening the neshamah is in his nose i.e. barely noticeable.

Through the process of prayer the neshamah spreads forth into the body and this is the revelation of the nefesh haelokis. Tehillah is an act of connecting.

Connecting to one's insight, to the depth of one's neshamah.

We connect with and verbalize the universal presence of G-dliness. The tephillah thus begins with lowly/worldy concepts at the level of submission/recognition.

We start the day with “modeh” – acknowledgment, without knowledge at this stage – accepting without yet understanding.

Someone commented, “this seems like a fabulous beginning.”

“Yes, it is a fabulous beginning, because we are talking about a person who is not resistant to the truth. He is ready to submit to the G-dly truth that there is a creator, and I am in the service of the the creator.”

“When we awake we see a big world and we admit I don't know what it is about – it belongs to the creator and I submit to him.” this is a normal, natural, human attitude. If a person is limited from looking at the big world and is overcome by pressures, he is imprisoned, instead of relating to infinity he is limited by the walls around him.

Avodat Hashem means you are fee from imprisonment. You have responsibilities, but they are second to your primary experience of life.

At the second line of page: pay dalet. We start with this hodaah in the morning and in davening since the revelation of the nefesh elokis has to be in a ordered way. First nefesh, then ruach till the top reaches into the heavens in shmone esrei – where the nefesh elokis is fully expressed.

It must proceed in an orderly way. There must first be the submission - “I accept the truth this much” - this way the lower elements won't be resisting the sechel. They first accept. In the beginning you don't have the sechel in full glory, you have a little glimpse and at that stage the submission is made.

With what faculty do you submit? The koach of hodaah is higher than sechel, the fact that I accept even if I don't understand is an element of bitul – this is inherent in a person. It is naturally found in a human. The hard thing in tshuvah is not putting on tephilin it is thinking like a human being.

Our problem is not; “do I submit to the truth?” But rather, “is there a truth?” There can't be anything more perverse/sick than that – the disorientation of this perspective. In learning the sechel has an experience of the truth.

The biggest challenge is to think like a healthy human being. Psychologists say that all human activity is driven by competition, or personal interest/fear – this is a wold built on fear. And we see people living their lives like this, and we're all exposed to it. Everything is by degrees – the redeeming factor in all this is that while we feel the effect of a sick world we still have an inherently healthy neshama.

We have to respect the intellect – it is a massive power in the human being, but how is it viewed from the negative perspective – it says, “you're imagining things” - negativity is deeper than negativity – ”this is a tangible reality and anything else you should acknowledge is imaginary”. For a person to come to the state of knowing that what he knows in his sechel is reality – that takes a lot of guts. That is a jump – not amida or halicha it is dilug.

Not only do we deny G-dly presence but we “explain” human beings – the human experience, without a neshama – this is extreme cynicisim.

This is the time of breaking out of a “G-dless” world.

The baal shem mentions that if a goyish wagon driver does not show respect at a church, jump off the wagon – there was a time when not acknowledging G-d was a shocking exception. On the roads today there are people who obstruct the progress of others for the sake of experiencing yeshus – since for them this is of the greatest value.

A healthy morning – I am here in this big world with a life to live. I accept it. There is an interview of the Rebbe by a journalist. The bochrim asked the journalist how the interview went. The journalist said, “the Rebbe believes like a child, and he is of great intelligence.” The truth is there is no reason not to believe like a child.

Today's world has a philosophy that a sick person is healthy in his way. We don't subscribe to this, we identify health and sickness. If it is sick we see it is not the way we were made or intended. And we identify the healthy way and strengthen it.




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