Even in darkness, there is also ohr

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.