The stream and the river

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 12/22/09 Tuesday 5 Tevet 5770

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Looking at the difference between the level of atzilus and the level of achdus.


One mashal we have of the kav, is of a pipe, coming out of the river. Compare a river to a creek/brook. It runs between its banks, and the creek follows the contours of the land/banks.

There is a constant risk that the water will jump its banks – it is not perfectly natural that it will follow, by nature it can go anywhere. In an open lake or river, the water does not seem separate from the area that it fills. This is like atzilus – no two separate things. There is no notice of the difference between the water an its container.

The flowing creek, that is held in place by its banks is different. In halacha we have mayim chaim – water that comes from a spring – it the source dries up once in 7 years then it is not mayim chaim – it is not the natural abode of water.

The last hay in hashem's name is the malchus of atzilus. The hay is an expansion, but it is part of the same name. The world has sea and land and the sea is part of the definition of earth – like being part of the name. The creek is at a different level – be-achdus not be-atzilus.

Why does the water follow the contours of the creek? It cannot leave the earth and fly up. It must follow. Throughout the system, at each level, there is the sense that there is one overall reality, they are part of one earth and cannot separate, but the effect of this unity differs. Even though it cannot separate itself, the water still makes the point that it is its own entity.

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