B”H Notes from Yehudah - this morning and last night.
10.30.09 (Friday, 12 Cheshvan) p.84 (middle)
Sovev – world has a sense that what it has is greater than itself. not incrementally occurring.
Naming all the creatures, he gave it over to Adam haRishon. When it came to day and night, Hashem called them Himself. To give the name “day” must come from above. This is not within Adam’s immediate experience. He gets the chitzonious of it. Without the aspect that comes from above the world will not be a real presence. It would all be on the level of action, the way the scientists look at it.
Chitz & pinim are aroused through observation. Etzm has a different source.
Etzm of seichel is the unequivicol certainty in the soul that things are real. Not due to proofs. This is what the soul is. The nefesh is a reflection of that soul. Chitz & pin are a derivative of that etzm of seichel. The question of how it came to be is only because there is some sense of truth in the person. There must be something real in it. Due to what the human is.
Makif – he sees the overall message of the briah.
10.29.09 (Thursday evening, 12 Cheshvan) p.94 (middle)
Without ohr pinimi & ohr makif there would be no world.
Ohr makif vs. sovev kol almin. Makif is mata l’maila. Sovev is l’maila l’mata. If the world needs the makif, how do come to be masig the sovev (which is completely above world)? Seemingly, we should only be able to masig the makif; yet the Rebbe tells us we come to be masig the sovev.
Even sovev is needed by the world. What the world needs to be a full fledged world is ohr makif. But through the ohr makif we can come to be masig an inyan of ohr sovev.
Ratzon & oneg is like the sovev. Seichel is also called an inyan makif. Seichel is how the person knows the inyan in its truth. When it comes into middos, this is him. Seichel does not really permeate the mitzeus of the person. What is the diff between makif of seichel and of ratzon. Seichel is a makif that already has worldly parameters. Seichel there is past, present & future. Ratzon/oneg there is no past present & future.
Understanding is a conscious understanding. Anything that is conscious is active. Once it comes into seichel it already has worldly qualifiers. In a human, anything he does al pi seichel must be reevaluated. Each time he does it intentionally. On the other hand, there isn’t a rejuvenation of the ratzon. It is a constant. The way the etzm is, this is way the ratzon is. This is the diff between ratzon and seichel. The continuity of the human is based on the ratzon.
In world, sun rises in the morning it is a new day. Sun moves across the sky. Every move is another decision. Same time there is an overall reality that this is one and the same inyan. Reality of “day” vs. sunlight – day is sovev. Day is a reality. Mitzad ohr ha makif we can ultimately see the ohr sovev. World is divided into pieces. Then there is something that is continuous.
Etzm. Even though ratzon is a constant thing – it is a constant gilui of the nefesh. The etzm – nothing in the world that points to etzm.
Although gashmious rooted in atzmus, this is not the part of the gashmious that we are observing and living with.
Very heart and flesh will sing to Hashem. Not only the nefesh qualities of love & fear and kochos.
Hisgalus atzmus – what exactly is nisgala? Normally, when we say Hashem created the world we focus on what He creates. We focus on the quality of the world. In atzmus, focus is on Hashem exclusively. The world cannot dissipate into nothingness b/c Hashem made it. Even when you have no qualities, nevertheless Hashem made it. This can never be removed. This is Hashem Himself, not the way He became translated in a nivra.
What makes him think of atzmus – only when there is total dissipation of any quality / or any chayus. He turns and says to himself, that which defines who I am – I’ve lost it all. But the One who gave it to me, that didn’t dissipate. Therefore I am going to connect to the One who gave it to me. Comes as an act of desperation – but this is not unreal – comes not as a result of what the world represents – but rather if there is a world there must be a source.
Hashpa v gilui – means that you are revealing a quality. Translates into some kind of quality that can relate outside itself.
Gilui etzm – you are revealing the entire etzm exactly the way it always was. No change.
Atzmus – under normal circumstances you don’t even know that it exists.
Understand the thought process of what chassidus talks about – what we know, what we don’t. Chitzoniousdik thought process, pinimousdik thought process. Chitz – like a puzzle. How did this happen. Project a possibility how did this happen. Doesn’t come from the definition of what this is. From the chitz approach, you say of course I know about atzmus. There must have been a beginning. But this is not real knowledge. The whole mitzeus is only a projected thing. It is not your seichel. It won’t expose you to ohr at all. The gashmious remains exactly as it is. You are merely projecting.
Living seichel – this is the way I as a human being see things. The way I observe the world, I am seeing memale & sovev. It is a reality. Then I am misbonen in it. Like A”A – he realized the truth from the world in which he was living.
Chitz seichel has a place – when it is connecting you to the pinimious. Chitz seichel can be a living seichel provided it is based on pinimious ha seichel. See half cup of water. Say how did it get here. Who tells you it got here. 2 possibilities: 1) you could project and say that this table could have been without this cup – thus something must have brought it here. I can imagine the world not being, then something must have brought it here. (this is a chitzonious approach); 2) it has to have been brought here. b/c of the quality that it represents. It has a meaning. Something is pointing to something other than itself (in this way of thinking, you are coming to a higher inyan but the worldly phenomenon itself is pointing you to that inyan. Because the phenomenon has a value (a pinimious), then you begin to know something about the higher inyan.
Table. Legs and a board – Chitz approach: legs must have been attached to the board – it is too tricky to happen by itself. [Pinimous:] then you say, this leg is attached to a board to form a table. This attachment represents something. There is a purpose/ goal. The attachment was for a purpose.
Someone who wanted to be stubborn can say no it just happened that way. You haven’t proved it to me. When you say this is a table – a table must have a purpose / a maker. True but you don’t see the maker, you only see the table. The table tells you there must be a maker. Then you go a step further [Etzm of seichel] and say when I see a table I don’t see a table, I see a human being. This is a human creation. You go directly to the creator. This is human seichel. What does it stand for? You see the reality itself.
Sometimes you have to go down to the chitz, but this doesn’t become your whole way of thinking. It only clarifies the pinimous.
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/29/09 Thursday 11 Chesvan 5770 P:PayDalet
Line starts vesovev kol almin – about a third down the page.
As we focus on the world in front of us we see that it is a G-dly creation and we see that He acts on it in two ways – memale and sovev.
For us to be what we are we need to keep these two in mind.
We recognize the G-dly presence at 2 levels – memale and sovev.
Avraham avinu did intellectual research to make sense of what he was seeing when looking at the world and he came to the conclusion that the world was not made by itself – it was guided and made by an infinite power.
He saw sunrises and sunsets daily, and seasons cycle and the world in general – he saw a reality that does not lend itself to be explained from a worldly perspective. It has a G-dly quality. Each human experience of thought, speech and action is unfathomable.
In the world when you ask, “where does it come from?” and track who made/owns it, it does not affect the object. Avraham was looking not to “enjoy” the world – he was looking for the truth.
He persevered till Hashem came and lifted him up from atzecha (parsha lech lecha).
If we recognize that the world is a non-entity if not for the G-dly force, we say, “what should we dedicate our lives to?!” Avraham at a previous stage had gone out and debated all the people of his town and put himself in danger and told them that they are falsifying reality.
He wanted to know “how will I satisfy the neshamah?” rather than saying “in what activity will I use the neshamah to satisfy the body?”
pnimiut ha sechel is able to relate to a spiritual quality – when we bring it down to machshavah it is lacking, we have a nefesh and are able to relate to this, but on a kochot hanefesh level.
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/28/09 Wednesday 10 Chesvan 5770 P:PayDalet
Line starts memale.
“Do you think the eagle flies, because it has wings?”
The soul of the bird enables it to fly.
“I am making you aware, till you examine and see how you yourself, perceive it. This is the principle of bringing out our own intelligence/sensitivity.”
The recognition of memale kol almin is due to us seeing the world. Sovev is beyond world, independent of it, but we also realize and can absorb with our intelligence that there is a level of sovev because this too is a need of the world. The world cannot exist without the level of sovev, it needs ohr makif.
Though each creation in the world has its own identity it is functioning in an overall context – this is makif (sovev is the same thing, from above).
“I was talking to some guys, trying to wake them up, every person is concerned about his sustenance, how about a prisoner, who has all his “needs” taken care of, but he's in pain. Same thing if you have a capsule filled with all human needs and a man is shot into space, without the possibility of return. At first the guy said, 'I don't see what would be so bad about it', but then he saw that this would be a living death – there would be no living environment.”
The world requires an ohr makif. The sun rises, travels and sets. What does it mean? What does light on earth mean? (not light in contrast to darkness) The whole night we await daybreak.
Sovev kol almin is really above world. To provide context there has to a connection to sovev – that which is above worldly distinctions – a connection to essence.
The president is concerned what history will say about him – he's thinking about eternity – something beyond world.
The real sense in a person and the world as to what is happening is that something is happening that is outside what can be contained in my sechel. If it can be contained it is not living. Yesh me ein, means that the yesh has an ein quality. The world is not yesh me yesh and is thus indestructible.
For the world to be real it needs a sovev – a sense of reality beyond itself.
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/27/09 Tuesday 9 Chesvan 5770 P:PayDalet
Line starts memale.
In real terms we can understand “world”, not elokus. All that happens in “world” occurs in a logical/graduated manner.
We see sechel the same way – we have a sense of development. This is the way science works and this is the way the world works. It begins from a yesh – a physical object and works from/with that.
We were given a sechel that enables us to see things above that – at an essential level. This is not a guf thing – this is a mind/soul faculty.
The body is just a keili – a tool in the hand of the craftsman. The neshama is memale the guf – in every nook and crevice. The function of neshama in the body is way beyond the sum of its parts.
Every bodily function has a miraculous element to it. The skill is beyond craftsmanship it is a miraculous ability in the body. We train/practice to get used to the way the neshamah is finding new expression through our kochot – this allows for continuity. This is halicha – walking – till we are in a new place by incremental stages. To move one needs to detach in stages, stepping out.
When the eagle sees the mouse, that is also beyond just bodily function – it relates to the mouse, how much more so the human activity.
We understand that there is the element of sovev – that which encompasses equally all that is in the world. The reason we comprehend it is since it is a necessity for the world, just like it needs an ohr pnimi. The hand itself is composed of many components and the koach hatnuah co-ordinates them and gives them movement.
So too the world. The world needs to have a context – an overall presence. A house in the middle of the desert is not a home. A home needs to be in a settled place – a house is only that which demarcates one family from another, but if it is in a desert then the home doesn't facilitate the life experience.
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/25/09 Sunday 7 Chesvan 5770 P:PayDalet
First line of the page pay dalet.
We said that there is the inyan of mitrzraim and exodus on a constant basis.
The aim is to show has the deepest principle of exodus, which represents atzmus, is engaged in the avodah on a daily basis.
To draw the neshamah out of the initial exile of being in a body – the practice of prayer/tephillah is effective.
Accepting and recognizing the truth is called hodaa – this is the lowest level of sechel and is the start of prayer.
You cannot come to full understanding without first na-aseh – the stage of stepping into it and becoming part of it – then later follows the understanding. The na-seh is said on the basis of sensing/accepting, without understanding the full implication of it. This is the path of growth – whatever initial sensitivity he has, he must accept it and build on this.
The only reason a person can grow spiritually is that he is actually exposed to it, has a sense of it. He may ask, “why do the action and then understand. It is insignificant to me.” how does the mind get refined? At each level a man finds himself he senses something higher and finer, but since he cannot grasp it he often discards it.
In the morning, “where did I come from? He's making something happen, its not just a natural phenomenon, it is a real experience!” this is the way to have a first thought and should not be pushed off. He needs to go with this thought/sense – this is the level of na-aseh – going with it and it brings him into this realm. This is a “normal' sensitivity
Timtum is when this is obscured from him.
Tephilah starts with hodaa. Nefesh, then ruach, then neshamah, like a ladder standing on the earth reaching heaven, is the order of prayer. Nefesh level is hodaa – waking up and recognizing the chayut in awakening in the morning Above that he is able to recognize ruach – life independent of the guf/body. Sechel enushi / human cognition can discern value independent of the body. Neshamah can perceive elokus – truth not defined by worldly parameters at all.
This davening process, can provide liberation in “normal” situation of getting the nefesh ha elokis up from the nefesh ha bahamit. But when there have been deeper involvement in the world and even in desires of the world, till the nefesh habahamit becomes preeminent till the nefesh ha elokis pushed back into a crevice, then extra strength from above is needed to get the arousal of prayer.
Prayer is usually “from below up” - an effort starting from his own experience, but if the nefesh ha bahamit is preeminent then he is not sensitive to the G-dly presence. He needs an assist from above – and this is gained by being involved in Torah before davening, since it is “from above to below”. Torah tells you something, what the reality is and you try to understand what it is.
Tal ha torah is pnimiut ha torah. This is the real torah from above, in contrast to regular torah which is compared to rain – which comes after the field has been prepared and the seends have been sown.
Tal/dew of torah is from above, without arousal from above.
Tal Torah / Chassidus talks to the pnimius of the nefesh – there is not practical need – it talks to the nefesh directly, not to the guf.
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/23/09 Friday 5 Chesvan 5770 P:PayGimmel
3 lines from the bottom of the page pay gimmel.
We are looking at how the G-dly soul is restricted by being involved with the nefesh ha bahamit.
This is timtum halev – this is insensitivity. The opposite of this was the appreciation/yirah of that of real value.
Timtum halev/moach is clogged and insensitivity – on the extreme of this he is totally insensitive to good and bad, and is involved only in himself, to the exclusion of any sense of value in his actions.
In that state the nefesh haelokis, which is entirely sensitive is completely concealed and this is the ultimate of mitzraim.
In order to affect an exodus from there takes place on different levels. By prayer/davening there is strengthening of revelation of the nefesh ha elokis in the body.
When a person awakens he on the one hand he says “modeh ani”, on the other hand he feels himself in the world. At the time of prayer/davening he begins to recognize in the world something that is higher than world and that is the essence of it. He realizes this inspiration is all there is and in shmonei esrei he unites with this chayut of the world.
Hodaa – modeh – hodu – this is acknowledgment. Recognizing a certain truth, without knowing what its standing on. Sechel sees reality and the nefesh habahamit won't have a sense of this – an animal will trample on things of value due to lack of sensitivity.
There is no way to recognize G-dliness without starting with the step of hodaa.
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/22/09 ThursdayNight 4 Chesvan 5770 P:PayGimmel
Line starts umikol makom – last quarter of the page pay gimmel.
Class started with a discussion of the difference between light that makes for “daylight/day time” in contrast to light to illuminate (giving light for a functional purpose).
When daylight comes you don't say “ah, I can see across the street”. It is a new period, qualitatively different.
Then there was a discussion of the levels of light and yirah. “yisron ohr min hachoshech.” this means you have an initial state of darkness, and then you recognize ohr. This is a recognition of the presence of ohr even while you were in choshech. This means the yisron haohr expresses the principle of ohr having a root in etzem, so that even in darkness, there is also ohr.
Retroactively you realize that this ohr was there even before, even when it was dark. This states that it is there, not only when you see it.
We've been learning that the nefesh elokis has gilui ohr. It has a gilui of the essence through the ohr. The ohr is revealing the source of the ohr.
Nefesh elokis is a keili for this due to its bitul. It is exculsively focused on the truth rather than how it sees it. This is different from chochmah which is looking at it from outside. Nefesh elokis is bitul be meziut.
Oneg and ratzon are above. Ratzon says I want – but it says it wants it with its entire being – not with kochot.
Etzem ha sechel is the eloki aspect of the sechel. What is it? External element of the sechel is based on proofs. Then there is the inner element and beyond that is the essence/etzem. Sechel expresses a truth beyond sechel. Pnimi is still sechel, but essence is the basis – it is so basic it is not sechel anymore – it is more like ratzon – “the way it should be”.
The reason the world runs in a certain order and pattern is because there is a G-dly essence behind the world. This G-dly truth is recognizable in the most external level. When we understand 2x2=4 we have a feel for it – we sense the elokus in it.
Nefesh elokis is focused exclusively on the etzem of sechel.
And we're looking at mitzraim and exodus from mitzraim.
The body hides/conceals the nefesh elokis that has descended into it. It is there in a state of hislabshut – dressed in the nefesh habahamit and guf.
Nefesh elokis has to function exclusively through the nefesh ha bahamit (though at essence it is unchanged). Avraham avinu was looking and first started by looking at the world through the guf and the nefesh habahamit.
Much work and labor is needed to bring the ohr elokis to shine and be recognized.
There has to be a lot of soul searching, “what do I see behind the world?!” This is labor – digging behind the surface and the surface behind that.
This is like the galus in and exodus from mitzraim/Egypt.
Being in business is being caught up in the cycles of “supply and demand” - all this is circumstantial. To be sensitive to the market is to be sunk in it.
On top of that, if one has experienced the desire of the nefesh habahamit that further conceal the elokus in the world – even desire for permissible objects.
Sechel needs a sense of unknown to have bitul. You recognize things for what they are even if you can't explain it. Every time human being try to go the extra step into the unknown they become animals. To control the nefesh habahamis there has to be a influx of light from something higher. The sechel needs it and the nefesh habahamit needs it.
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/22/09 Thursday 4 Chesvan 5770 P:PayGimmel
Line starts kulhi (second of the two) just below middle of the page pay gimmel.
We finished looked at moreh gadol and the 3 levels of yirah. Yirah in middot, yirah ilah (which sees mehus haohr), and then above that a yirah that does not come through the kochot at all – this is yirah elyonah.
“it is known that there is exodus from mitzraim every day...” this points out that the situation of mitraim and the exodus from there is present all the time. This refers to the dressing of the nefesh elokis in the nefesh habahamis. It is encompassed by it and cannot function without it.
Even though the nefesh elokis is actually G-dliness – not just that it can see/recognize elokus – it is elokus. From its own perspective the nefesh elokis is a vessel for gilui ohr and to be in a constant cleavage to elokus. This is its state above in gan eden, where there is no interference with elokus.
The nefesh elokis is part of G-d, but it has a “separate” existence... that is why is it is said that it is a keili for gilui ohr. Ohr reaches what is in its direct line – if there is an obstacle, shade is created and the light doesn't reach. The nefesh elokis can receive the whole etzem – the light that knows no boundaries – the kind of light that only exists inside the shemesh itself.
The G-dly soul is a creation, yet a vessel for gilui ohr. This soul is a special nivrah/creation. It is a creation, yet it is capable of being it. The bitul of this soul is through and through and it unites with elokus. There is no limit to the degree of unity – it constantly rises. The soul gets pleasure from this constant progress.
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/21/09 Wednesday 3 Chesvan 5770 P:PayGimmel
About a 3rd from the top - line starts veyesh bechinat yirah ilah – about a 3rd down the page pay gimmel.
We said chochmah is gilui mehus ha ohr. Even though it is a true observation of the inyan, there is still, just as in sight you and the object are separate – you are not part of it – you see the gillui. Yirah ilyonah is the yirah as it is contained in the malchus itself – that is realized not through observation, but etzem and malchus are one thing. This is not a gilui, but a surfacing.
The am and the malchus are one thing. This is yirah ilyonah. This is different from yirah ilah, which is something separate from the king.
Etzem elokus is everywhere, but we don't sense it. Why do we have to go to chochmah to sense it? The etzem conceals itself, but it surfaces. (ohr is affected by tzimzum, not etzem). Surfacing is when you are given ability/permission to see that which you are usually not able to see.
This yirah was able to extract the people from the darkness of mitzraim, since this yirah reaches every place. Why does it reach everywhere? Since it is everywhere.
Why yirah and not etzem? There is a difference between taking an object out of place, the object is moved because of the force acting on it. Coming out of mitzraim the people chose/acknowledged and the people followed Hashem into the desert – it was really their decision to go.
Elokus is in all places and darkness does not hide or cover it – it was this level of atzmus that affected the exodus.
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/20/09 Tuesday 2 MarChesvan 5770 P:PayGimmel
About a 3rd from the top - line starts bechinat morah gadol – about a 3rd down the page pay gimmel.
Midot come from sechel that then define specific pathways – ahvah and yirah – that went through a complete process of sechel and then the midot themselves were defined in a proper way. This is the normal process of midot.
The yirah ilah however reflects the aspect of chochmah - it has thus gilui mehus haor. This is in contrast to how it is in binah, where it is translated to the level of sechel. Chochmah, on the other hand is not disconnected from the source. Thus it is gilui mehus ha ohr. Chochmah has the sense of “how it is” in contrast to “how I understand it”.
Yirah in the nefesh is not a reaction (in contrast to: something happens and we're scared of what will happen) – inherently there is yirah since it is the recognition that elokus is of a different realm from briah.
So in chochmah the yirah is due to mehus ha-ohr – due to what it is itself.
In knowing elokus there are stages. Avraham avinu's first question was “who is moving things/planets in my world?” and he came to the answer that the mover is outside the world, then he transferred his attention to understanding G-d himself. At this level, G-d is not the one who moves planets – he is himself. And Avraham was doing Avodat Hashem – this is the start of chochmah.
This is a yirah not bounded by metziut of the man, but how it is unto himself.
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/19/09 Monday 1 MarChesvan 5770 P:PayGimmel
Line starts mezumzum – about a 3rd down the page pay gimmel.
When there is gilui of malchus, then the yirah is bepnimius.
We experience yirah/fear in our world. The way we interpret it is, that I on my own should not have any concerns, if there are concerns they are coming from outside. We perceive things as response to external stimulus. At the level of nefesh however, in its most passive state is in a contstant state of desire. This is yirah pnimi. The essence of the nefesh is its bitul to elokus – there is no insensitive state in it.
Nefesh is chelek elokah – wanting to recognize and be incorporated into G-dliness continually.
We have a similar aspect. Normally we think in term of “not being bothered” - the real truth however is there is an underlying sense that we do not want to be separate and alone.
Life means to live in a living world, not in a capsule in outer space. The nefesh is continually alive (not just when it is bothered by some lack).
Chochmah is a window to the nefesh – you have a way to see it without being able to fully understand. You see it since it is true. This is mehus ha ohr. That illicits a yirah of a different type – it is not reactive. It is the ohr itself that creates the yirah. This is awsome – not because i'm scared, but because of what it is.
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/16/09 Sunday 30 Tishrei 5770 P:PayGimmel
4 lines from the top of pay gimmel.
This is what is said in haggadah – moreh gadol is shchinah. Shchinah usually relates to malchus, but there is also the level where it is in atzmus itself, without relation to worlds – this is like melech blo am and it is where the king and the people are ultimately rooted.
Morah gadol alludes to the unity of him himself, and his shchinah – this bestows below the element of yirah. Yirah pnini is brought about by the revelation of light.
Normally we say ahvah/love is by closeness and yirah/fear is by distance. However there are different types of yirah – chitzoni and pnimi. Chitzoni is a yirah affected by sechel. You recognize something and stay away – you don't get to know that, which you are fearing. Then there is yirah pnimi – it is not just the principle of staying away – it is a full recognition of the inyan (which usually involves closeness), a recognition that it is greater than that which you can really recognize.
There are many levels – the lowest and most comprehensible to the greatest. The smallest is a glimpse of the greatest – if you don't have deep down the greatest, you can't have the smallest. The sense of reality we have at this table is based also on the entire surroundings up to and beyond the level of world/cosmos etc.
this yirah gadol has the meaning that every small level of yirah is rooted in a deeper sense that there is such a thing as respect. Ultimately there is a sense in the person that there is a primary truth – without that there is nothing. All that a person understands is only because there is a a deeper sense that there is an ultimate truth – this is malchuscha, malchut kol olamot.
Thus the smallest opening “open for me the eye of a needle and I will...” will ultimately lead to the full opening to ultimate truth.
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/16/09 Friday 28 Tishrei 5770 P:PayGimmel
End of second line – top of pay gimmel.
This aspect of he and his name alone were before creation, is contained and united in atzmus itself. It is not a separate step.
Malchus is where it is definable “what all this is about”. Above that it is just “going on” without any definition or expression. Malchus level is confirmed by that which is above it – non presence.
Etzem elokus is not presence, yet it has an aspect of presence, this is “hu veshmo” - he and his name. Hu is not presence and shmo is his name, which is presence/revelation. Here the revelation/shmo could not, not be.
Chassidus expalains that “name” is an external thing, on the other hand the name captures the whole person/entity. If a person faints, one way to wake him is calling his name. If it is so external, how does it penetrate? To know the name is external, but to have the name is pnimi/internal. The person has a deep sense of his own presence (in contrast to a truth without and identity) and that is connected to his name. The self awareness in a person is his inherent presence – that he is for real – this is malchus. The name is connected to this.
Here below a car needs a body on the chassis and the components to give it a presence and a name, above there is no need – there are no components, the name too is truth.
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/15/09 ThursdayNight 27 Tishrei 5770 P:PayBeis
In kabalos ol there is no concern or conception of the one who is directing the action. This clarity of presence (not quality) is possible only in etzem/atzmus, not ohr.
This is what we are saying – malchus of ein sof – ha melech ha kodesh – no-one can deny – even the communists say “thank G-d”, since this is the fundamental reality of existence – this kind of presence is only possible in etzem. This etzem is also called shchinah, even though it is totally unexpressive. Malchus provides the presence.
It has effect not by decending, but by being in its place and having effect. His presence is not due to any kind of expression, but due to himself. The king as he is in his palace is all-over.
Two lines from the bottom of pay beis.
What is melech kadosh – is he a king over/with the people or removed and holy?
Not to say he's holy in relation to the people, he's betzem kadosh/holy.
There are 10 sphirot down to malchus. The upper nine are the etzem – taking place internally. Only at malchus level is he aware of what it is he knows. There is an infusion of ratzon in the sechel, and it becomes a metziut in malchus. Here regarding the king we are saying there is a presence of king – a presence - “presentable”, but it is to himself – this is melech ha kadosh.
Here's a perspective, that will be sufficient understanding: in our world we do many different things, and each thing has a purpose above it. Even a mitzvah, ultimately there has to be some essential meaning – this is a mitzvah – He wants it. If it is for gilui hamalchus then it is also a means to an end. But there is an element in the mitzvah of connecting to gufa de malka – to the body of the king. To him himself. This is anochi – he himself – torah/mitzvah is connecting to elokus himself - “the buck stops here” - you don't have to go any further.
Last line of pay beis – before the creation of the world there was him and his name. He is atzmus and shmo/his name is the revelation of him – atzmus becoming a presence.
This is the element of etzem of malchus that is above “ana emloch” (I will reign) – which is the matter of relating to people. The essential level is above the thought of reigning. “I am there – I am there already!” I don't need to create a people to be a melech. Catch this point: the etzem versus everything else. Atzmus of malchus is not present because it is present, but because it cannot, not be present. Kabalos ol is only possible with the position that Hashem, could not , not be here. Not points of reference is needed. I relate to that which cannot, not be present. It is the purist recognition – there is absolute truth and it cannot, not be. The root of kabalos ol is at the highest level, and the simple man is not aware of it.
It cannot not be is different from it must be. Must be gives the sense that something brings it about. Astronaut fly into space, can they fly out of space? You cannot fly out of infinity. Deep down we are aware of it. We are living in infinite space. The man in prison suffers since he does not feel that he is living in the world. And in the world we feel the significance of all the entities – representing a greater meaning. The tangible is not the limit of reality. The reality is what you perceive with your nefesh.
When a child says modeh ani he knows very well, without having it in his sechel. It makes good sense to him.
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/15/09 Thursday 27 Tishrei 5770 P:PayBeis
If there is truth in the learning it points to the truth that is beyond the learning.
Binah without chochmah is a meaningless process. It would be like gilui without and etzem. Without the chochmah it is all imaginary. Even our attempts from below (lematat-lemayla) are all based on emunah.
This is why in our world the deepest severance from elokus is the question, “is there such a thing as reality?” with this question you can lose sight of the most basic things – the difference between man and beast.
2nd line from bottom of pay beis.
“The king is holy and removed, unto himself”. When light shines – it can shine on gold or dirt and it is not affected. Why? Wherever it is it remains itself – this is like – kadosh/holy: it cannot be absorbed by anything. Metzius, bilti metzius nimzah – a presence (this is already malchus) that is holy that is present, but not affected by world.
The rebbe sat at a window looking into space – totally oblivious. If he's looking into space how can he not notice if someone blocks the space? This is contemplation beyond metzius.
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/14/09 Wednesday 26 Tishrei 5770 P:PayBeis
The bottom of pay beis.
It sounds in congruous to say a melech belo am. In what way is he a king? The meaning of king is based on his effect externally. So even if we say that atzmus is everything and everywhere – that's the etzem itself, and doesn't describe spreading and affecting the outside. So how do we understand melech from this understanding of atzmus?
A vibrant mind is busy all the time – if not for the creation of the world, what was Hashem busy with? Why was He not bored?
This is the ultimate meaning of our lives and accomplishment – connecting to Hashem. Our accomplishments are all relative – we are hungry, some lack and we respond. Under a state of perfection these activities will have no value. Above this is the highest level of perfection and activities there are not to fill a gap. This is malchus above. It is not the ikar of elokus that He makes worlds. The worlds don't define him at all. Sechel even though it answers a question has an inner G-dly point of truth – malchus is the expression of that truth.
Inherent in etzem is the ability also to express itself. How is malchus an expression? To speak of everything in etzem is an expression. Etzem is beyond that.
The principle of everything is to say that in this point of what he is, encompasses everything. Inside the king is a traffic light – there in untold variety and
the enabling of it. What does he do all day? His activity is without activity. Only illustration we have is “tzaddikim sit and enjoy the ray of shchinah”. Our activitiy consists of 2 things – the doing and the effect.
Our activity is complemented by something external to it. The Rebbe Rashab visited Freud, who asked him what he does, he said, that the heart should understand what the mind knows. Freud advised that he have the chassidim report back to him the effect of his words on them. Though the Rebbe had to say what needed saying, there had to be an effect.
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/13/09 Tuesday 25 Tishrei 5770 P:PayBeis
4th line from the bottom of pay beis.
We are attempting to understand, in the 4 last lines of the page pay beis, what is a melech belo am (without a people). The whole idea of king is that he extends beyond himself – thus it makes sense to say there is no king without a people – ie he extends even to the people who have no appreciation of him.
Malchus of einsof – there is no outside there, so in what way is it malchus? In what way is it influence extending outside? There is the inyan of chalal – vacant space that the king would fill if it existed.
The difference between ohr and etzem is that wherever ohr/light is found it came there. Even though in the sun we don't say it was ever dark, yet conceptually the ray of light arrived there. Etzem is not a matter of arrival, there is no chalal concept with regards to etzem. In the sun it is primarily a state of light, as opposed to our world which is primarily in a state of darkness.
Does the sun illuminate the million of miles that it occupies? Ohr ha shemesh, the space it illuminates is something that it reaches – it goes outside to the places it reaches. The shemesh itself “owns” the space it occupies, this is not a secondary aspect of its presence – so it does not spread out to these millions of miles. This is the principle of etzem – it is part of it, it is not a complementary aspect, there is no multiplicity.
To bring it closer to home, we say a table is “a board with 4 legs”, but that is not a table – that is how you make a table. In etzem there are no parts. It is everywhere, but there is no everywhere. Hence the king is there without an everywhere. Thus you have the melech, belo am (without a people).
The principle of everywhere; take the table as the model, it is made up of the board, the 4 legs and the space it occupies. If a leg is missing it is a problem, since it has to stand on the ground, thus the ground is also “part” of the table.
Anything that exists consists of a whole group of components to make it real. In our cosmos the earth hangs on nothingness, and tanach explains higher realms support the lower realms – an infinite structure. For anything to be there has to be the whole stucture – nothing stands on its own. Everything depends on everything else. In ohr/world you need everything. In etzem there isn't everything – it is everything. Etzem is not being held up – it is the true presence. The chitzoni of that true present is that it is everything.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/12/09 Monday 24 Tishrei 5770 P:PayBeis
4th line from the bottom of pay beis.
Even the level of malchus from before the tzimzum has the principle of hisnasus al am. The chitzoni of this becomes the atik for a'k.
The etzem of this melucha – if it is al am it is not yet the essential level. The essential level is as it is completely contained within the king himself.
In atzmus itself, there is no such thing as “a place where I'm not present”. There is a difference between ohr and etzem; before the ztimzum the ohr was everywhere – but it is everywhere since it fills the “space” - it is there since it reached there. It is something that enters.
Since the sun is the essence of light, there is no “darkness” for the ray of the sun to illuminate inside the sun.
if the sun is the essence of light, why do we call it light when light is in contrast to darkness? We call it light, though it is of a different quality, and not in contrast to darkness. Ohr, even as bright as it is, is in contrast to darkness. Etzem, since it knows not darknes, its light is an essential light. We call it light, since it brings light to us, but to itself there is no darkness and it does not exist in contrast to darkness. This means it illuminates without the need for a place to illuminate.
In our terms: the sun is huge. The entire space that it occupies is illuminated not by virtue of light reaching it, but since the place itself is light. Ohr is reaching by extending. Inside the sun the area is “reached” by being itself.
The king reaches everywhere. He reaches outside himself and then there is reaching by being himself – since there is nothing outside of him. The inyan of elokus is present even where it is not present. Not because it reached there, but because it is everything.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/8/09 Thursday 20 Tishrei 5770 pg: pay bet
Line starts “sibat hazimzum” – 7 lines from the bottom.
Malchus ein sof has the aspect of romemus and hisnasus over the worlds – it provides the supremacy for the worlds.
This is an ohr that is before the tzimzum, yet it is a light that will fill the chalal/vacant spce. This is aspect of hisnasut al olam – ie it is over the world, not essential.
However in malchus there is also the aspect of atzmius/essential quality. Usually we say there is no king withoug a people, but here we say, yes, there is a level in malchus ein sof – hisnasus atzmi - where there is the king without a nation.
Yesterday we said that the king is of such a level that he is also present where he is not present. At this level of atzmius/essential there can be a kingship unto itself.
This can be seen in the existence of the world – seemingly to exist without a source – is possible since it is rooted in atzmus. The alte rebbe explains that He is alone and self contained it can be competely concealed from the outside since He doesn't depend on expression. This means he can be present and totally hidden. He is present and active, but completely present.
In our world light pushes darkness away, but if you remove the light the darness returns. Darkness is active. Atzmus is present actively present and not relating to the outside at all.
Darkness precedes light. Light was added. Why? If the basic state is light then there is no world. In the created world just as in a human there is sechel, midot and action. And the intellect is superior, this is like saying light is superior. The avodah is to go through light till you reach beyond the light, till sechel comprehends that which is above sechel. In the bigger picture, darkness is more representative of atzmus than light.
We say there is no king without a people and now we say yes, there is. That is because we have been talking about ohr that is drawn in from somewhere. So a king who does not have a people is only a potentially a king since we are talking of expression. But if you go above that then you are not talking about hamshacha, but about the etzem itself – it doesn't have to be drawn there – it is everywhere.
After the zimzumm there was a roshem/impression that remains. This roshem is higher than the light that was there before the tzimzum. The malchus is like this roshem and hence is being and actively being while being unobtrusive.
In our world there is an aspect of creation and theren there is a basis that is not a created entity – it is the G-dly presence itself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/7/09 Wednesday 19 Tishrei 5770 P:PayBeis
7 lines from the bottom.
We have been trying to explain the difference between the ohr/light and the malchus of that ohr. We gave a mashal of space – it is a primary presence that accepts any object, yet 2 objects cannot exist in the same space. If 2 objects can be in the same place at the same time, this is called the infinity of space.
We all stand and daven/pray. How many ears does He have? Each on of us approaches Him in total at the same time and there's no problem. This is like many objects in one space. This expains a difficult point in avodas hashem – is He looking at me or the whole world? He's paying attention to me exclusively, and to you exclusively. This is malchus.
This is like the Rambam's question. How can there be free choice and omniscience. He answers - “His thoughts are not like your thoughts”. The Raavad says why did you ask if you don't have an answer? But that is the answer.
The ohr doesn't have this quality. Ohr is a gilui. Malchus is essence.
Malchus of ein sof – from before the tzimzum is the desire of “ana emloch” - “I shall reign”. Even though it is before the tzimzum, this thought is the cause of the tzimzum. To reveal this matter there has to be a people. Malchus is everywhere – even where he is not – there too he is present.
After the tzimzum this is a matter of sovev haklali (atik le a'k) – ie it is represented by sovev haklali – this is the sovev that includes everything – it not only allows for everything, but is the source for everything – is is also called igul hagadol – the great sphere. Here gadol means infinite – there is none greater. If it is infinite, why is it called an igul/sphere?
It is called an igul since everything rests on it – is supported by it. That is to say everything has a direct relationship to the infinite. We saw with communist idea, that government would be an umbrella to take care of the citizens, but would remove their freedom – the state would presume to be the igul hagadol and tear them away from G-d.
Our relationship to Hashem is boundless – whatever we know there are levels beyond that. Whenever one says he has reached the solid platform he removes himself from G-d. Sadducees rejected this aspect of infinity – they tried to put hashem in a box.
The igul hagadol is a reflection of the ohr from before the tzimzum.
The tzimzum created a makom panui / vacant space and the light shone into the space – though this hamshacha/download into this finite space has an element of infinity.
This kav (line of light into the vacant space) brings with it the impression of the igul gadol. This is like sechel being rooted in the infinity of the nefesh, and explains why a sechel is never finite – there is always a level beyond it. This is the folly of scientific thought, to think they can put their finger on the sechel and say “this is it.” In contrast torah learning surpasses one level with another of wisdom without diminishing the previous level. In scientific thought the previous model/theory gets thrown out as useless.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aeter with R' Paltiel 10/2/09 Friday 14 Tishrei 5770 P:PayBeis
2/3rds down the page pay beis. Line starts “shchinta”.
Malchus of atzilus goes down and creates biya and facilitates its connection to atzilus itself – so too in the beginning of all the giluim.
Just as malchus of atzilus (malcus of ein sof) becomes atik for briah, so too malchus da atzilus de klalus becomes atik for adam de klalus.
Due to this the entire creation which begins with the tzimzum, and the state above tzimzum (etzem) relates to the creation itself.
We said that in contrast to our 4 worlds (biya), atzilus is in a category by itself. There the ohrot are atzmi'im – ie they have full cognizance of their source. Malchus element of this atzilus serves as atik for adam kadmon (a'k).
The difference of before and after the tzimzum is not a quantitative or even qualitative difference. The difference is a new creation – the situation of no ohr and then light brought into it. Before the zimzum there was no “not being”, no vacant space.
the light from before tzimzum is atik for adam kadmon. This gives ohrot of a'k a sense of reality, of essential presence.
Malchus before the tzimzum is the element of the primal thought (machshavah hakduma) of anah emloch (I shall reign), which is the whole cause of the tzimzum and creation, since there is “no king without a people” (ein melech b'lo am).
All the sephirot all the way down are manifestations at their level of that essential desire/ratzon of “I want to be king”.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
