The truth can only be know personally

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/26/10 Friday 12 Adar 5770

Page 12 – the third line from the end of the page.


Last night we learned that the sechel comes to the student, “according to the manner it is in the essence.”


when the teacher has to bring it down from a personal experience of the truth he has to bring something that can be shown externally. The universality is the external presentation, the truth can only be know personally – you have to actually be there. Here universality is almost on par with chitzoni (external).


Depth of sechel, a person has a question, because he senses already the answer and the depth. The Rebbe's sichas are built on questions that most people don't notice and wouldn't bother with if they did notice it. From these questions the Rebbe builds a whole new view. The Rebbe goes beyond explaining away a contradiction to reveal a new perfect perspective.

The life of the soul

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/25/10 Thursday 11 Adar 5770

Page 12 – a third from the end “mugdar u mutar”.


We are making a distinction between a relationship of shefa and ohr.


Ohr does not produce a “stand alone presence”, that can function without representing the source.


Secondly it does not preoccupy the illuminator.


The nefesh is not occupied or concerned by giving life. The sun is compelled to give off light, meaning that this revelation is an element of sun and thus a true presence, even though it is only a reflection, and does not cause any change in the sun at all. When you take water from a reservoir on the other hand there is a change in the source – the amount of water that remains is reduced.


The nefesh is similar to the sun in that it is not reduced by what it gives, but in contrast to the sun it is not compelled to provide this ohr. So the light that the nefesh provides is a reflection of the soul, but not it's exclusive product. The nefesh does not consist of life – life is not all that it is.


Ohr ein sof is also only a reflection. It is not something that contains an etzem – it is merely a reflection. For this reason it is called ein sof and not ein lo techilah. Indeed it does have a beginning. It has a beginning and this is part of the definition of the light.


Ohr is only a reflection and not independent. It is representing a source and not itself. In shefa you get a piece of it, but nothing of the essence of the source.


This is the advantage of ohr over shefa – the ohr is united with its source, and if not for this connection there would be no ohr. But shefa is not in this state of unity of being connected to its source, while the light is like its source the shefa is not like the mashpia.

Life is doing its job

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/24/10 Wednesday 10 Adar 5770

Page 12 – a third from the end “she kol ze”.


Sechel flows from the ratzon and life that is flowing into man from his soul.

The nefesh has a continual flow and illumination that feeds the sechel. Sechel is an ha-arah.

The teacher is mashpia sechel to the student. This is different from the example of water from the resevoir. The second example was the throwing of the stone – the hand moves and creates the movement of the stone. The stone flies, since an element of the power of throwing has joined it – this is shefa – and a new situation was created.


The third and most subtle element is hashpah of sechel – it is a reflection of sechel. The mashpia understands it from an essential level, not on the basis of the logic he gives to the student – what he gives is a reflection of something (the essential level) that cannot be given over.


If it is a reflection, why is it called shefa? That is because he is giving the “essence of the reflection”. It is almost like capturing a ray of the sun. the teacher is giving a real presence. The student has to work with the reflection that he was given and bring it back to his own source of sechel to open up his own mind.


Shefa engages the mashpia, who becomes involved in producing and giving this hashpaah.


Function of the sechel is to “translate” the life of the nefesh into time and space. Beyond chochmah, which “makes sense” is hodaa. Chochmah is able to take truth and make sense of it – to bring truth to a level where we can “think about it”.


So the haarah of sechel is really a sub-set of the real truth. Because it has dimensions it has to be given over with intention. The teacher has to give it over with dimensions. This is guf ha-arah – the “body” of the reflection.


This is in contrast to ohr, which is given over only as a reflection, without dimensions. The luminary says “I'm here”. He is not given an independent entity, he gives the truth, there is not a transmission of discrete entity.

For video, click here.

Light from the sun; life from the soul

AyinBase with R' Paltiel - in Paris. Monday 2 22 10


For audio, click here.

Water, stone, mind

AyinBase with R' Paltiel - in Paris. Sunday 2 21 10


For audio, click here.

Water carriers

AyinBase with R' Paltilel in Paris (via Skype) 2 19 10 Friday Page 12


For audio, click here.

Needing something to burn

Ayinbase with R' Paltiel in Paris (via Skype) 2.18.10 4Shvat5770  Page 12.


For Audio, click here.

Like the beating of the heart

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/15/10 Tuesday 2 Adar 5770

Page 12 – first line. 


Torah is called derech havaya, and also a narrow lane...


We are going back to page 12 to review this section – looking again at ratzu and shuv.


The angels have a constant running out and returning back – and this is an allusion to the G-dly life force, that is in a constant state of “back and forth”. This is similar to the way that the life of the nefesh enlivens the body.


Just as the body is totally separate from the nefesh and body itself does not relate to this life, so too the life flowing into the worlds.


The name of a person is external to him, and seemingly he can live without it. Yet we also know that the name goes on the connection between the body and the nefesh. Call a man in a faint and you wake him up. The name represents his present in the world, which represents his shlichus – this why he is here is his whole chayut. Without this purpose his body may be fine, but he loses vitality.


Ratzu and shuv consists of two movements, of rising away and coming and expressing itself. This is like the beating of the heart – if it had just one movement it would not be life.


The chayut that enlivens the body is very contracted, so that the body can relate to it – this is the functional level of living. The essence of life cannot be captured. Even thought and sechel are not the essence of life. The ratzon / will is the essence of life – the nefesh itself. This functional chayut must constantly have the sense that it comes from an essential chayut.


Without the sense and relating to essential life, man loses his spirit and vitality.


A person cannot be robotic – he has to have a sense of how it connects to the essence of chayut. Essence is constantly new and provides chayut.


G-dly light is also in a state of ratzu and shuv. The lower light arouses constantly the higher light. The 10 shirot are likened to a flame attached to a burning coal, constantly attached to its source.

This reality, not my reality

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/15/10 MondayNight 1 Adar 5770


Page 13 – about 9th line, at the end of the line starting, “achar ha tzimzum”.


We're aware of space without seeing it – we are aware of reality without seeing it.


Movement is a sign of life, but only a sign – life itself is much superiour to movement. The reason movement gives a sign of life is due to our knowledge of life itself. These are mashalim for an ha-arah (manifestation) of the etzem.


If not for connection to the essence the movement would not indicate life.


You have the real thing represented, since it is connected to its source.


In our world we tend to mistake movement for life itself.


One learns a new field by first finding out the facts, and on this develops a full sense, and beyond that is that it is reality itself - “Aha that is what it is” - “I knew it all along and couldn't put my finger on it.” The fact wants to know, “Why am I a fact?” It wants to be there at a more essential level. This is strictly due to intellect. Intellect tends to truth – since the top of intellect is chochmah, which is privy to ratzon it is wanting to go further.


Then it realizes that the will of the ohr ein sof is that there be gilui ohr, and so realizes it can go down and stay united above. Ohr ein sof wants a gilui at the level of metziut.


On account of this back and forth (ratzu and shuv) above, the same occurs down below.


First comes ol malchut shamayim, then come the mitzvoth. Without first the ol malchut shamayim, the mitzvoth would become a metziut. Ratzu is the kabalat ol malchut shamayim, since it is the bitul to the baal haratzon (the Master of the Will). This is not a blind following, it is a profound recognition of a truth beyond grasp.


Taking on the mitzvot is the shuv – return to metziut. He goes back to metziut, since he was told to go there.

Video

A new day

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/15/10 Monday 1 Adar 5770

Page 13 – about 9th line “achar ha tzimzum”. 


The light is drawn back to its source, since it feels a lick of reality. Think of sight versus touch. Touch gives you a real feel. Sight gives you the reality of the object. When you touch you feel its reality, but its not really the object, it is the affect of the object on you. Then you touch and you see it, then you say it's really here. You have the experience of reality because you see/saw it.


The sunlight in the sun is different from the light made to illuminate. The light made to see objects is like touch. The real light makes for “day”. The reason an object, seen with deflected light is realized as real, is because we experience the reality of day.


The real experience of sight is not based on individual objects, but on day. We said a tzaddik fall 7 times and gets up. We saw he gets back up based on his childhood learning. Why does the learning he attained later leave him. This is because it is acquired learning, that does not completely unite with the person. That which is part of you cannot be lost.


This is showing that anything that is based on acquired knowledge is not real. So when we say “i see the object”, this is acquired knowledge – it is coming to me. For it to be fully real it has to be with me without it coming to me – that is in day time. Day says everything is there – this is essence – if the object is part of day it is real. You experience the reality when it doesn't come to you by means of a connection – in day everything is there and present.


Day here corresponds to ratzon and oneg. The light to illuminate is chochmah.


This explains the ratzu and shuv of the ohr. When you see an object you see it specifically and then you want to see the panorama – this is the ratzu and shuv.


This is like seeing something and then seeing nothing (because it is part of reality).

Video

You cannot seize the day

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/14/10 Sunday 30 Shevat 5770

Page 13 – about 9th line “achar hatzimzum”.


The real level that is called ohr / light is that which is revealed within the essence itself. Not the revelation that is intended to come out and affect something, it is within and, so to speak, complements the etzem. Essence / etzem, has ohr – it is true 100% - it is not a mixture.


It is not like a fire burning wood and giving off light, it is light through and through. It is true everywhere, and this is its revelation, but this is “automatic”. The sun makes light that becomes part of our world.


This light is not the essence of light, but in that light it is obvious that is it is coming from somewhere – this is what makes shadows and shade.


Day on the other hand does not change with the movement of the sun – it is called “day” while the sun in in the sky – this represents not light, but the presence of the sun. This is like the representation of essence.


Day is an essence and therefore cannot be grasped. We don't understand its coming and we don't understand its going – this is like life – we cannot grasp it.


Etzem is something that exists because of itself – not like a fire gives light as it burns something elsle.

Video

 

Opiate of the masses

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/12/10 Friday 28 Shevat 5770

Page 13 – top of the page – about 8th line “bitul be tachlis”.


Saying shma with closed eyes - “He's one above and below and in the 4 directions”, but who are you to tell the world? I close my eyes in order to see the world from my perspective, and it's so real it extends itself to the world too.


Because I can see the universality of it I say too “baruch shem...”


Before the tzimzum the ohr is there because the essence is there. Makom panui of the tzimzum was vacant and into this was drawn ohr – this light is also unified with the source, but aware of the outside.

Sun rules the day

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/11/10 ThursdayNight 27 Shevat 5770

Page 13 – top of the page – 4th line.


Looking at the difference between ohr and shefa. The purpose of bringing out the difference is to show that the ohr is unified with the source and like the essence. It is like the ein sof. Ein sof is a qualitative aspect. In sechel we cannot grasp the essential property of essence, since sechel grasps things from the outside.


The nefesh wants what it wants, without external influence, it is essence itself. Ohr on the other hand has a beginning, but is unified with the source. Ohr has a beginning – meaning even in its state of revelation it is complete.


There is a difference between ohr and atzilus. Atzilus is also ohr, but ohr itself is unified in its essence. Even though ohr is a gilui it is “from and of itself” - the ohr has no external influence – it is of and from the essence itself. Imagine describing a sechel you have to another person, you have it on the basis of your soul, but in the sechel is an element of universality, and thus can grasped by others. This is because one recognizes the universality – the ohr hasechel.


Atzilus is also ohr, not keli, but it is an ohr that is revealed beyond the essence, so to speak. The outside does not have the ohr in, and of itself.


This is like where, Moshe our teacher, gathered elders and his spirit was on them and they were raised to the level of prophets. This influence from Moshe did not diminish him at all. This is like a flame lighting other candles, without diminishing itself. Atzilus is the word used – showing that it has the meaning of something taking effect externally – this being outside the etzem, takes place after the tzimzum.

It is true to itself and true beyond itself

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/11/10 Thursday 27 Shevat 5770

Page 13 – top of the page – first line. 


The light cleaves to its source and thus has the quality of ein sof, because it is like the essence. Ein sof here means, being without a parameter, and beyond grasp.


This is true of the ohr even after the tzimzum. You may think it loses this quality because it was contracted and reintroduced, but no, it still has this element and still touches and is unified with its source.


The essence of light is cleaving to its source. There is light inside the sun, because the ohr of the sun is essential to it. It is light from inception.


Before the tzimzum the ohr ein sof “filled the entire space” - there was no vacancy or possibility – the reality of elokus was present at inception, not by introduction. For this reason, at that level worlds could not exist. The principle of malchus is that it encompasses all. The king is not limited to what he is unto himself – so even if there is no outside, there is still the quality of the king that, if there was an outside he would incorporate that too.


This is the nature of essence, it is true to itself and true beyond itself.


The real inyan of light is as it is included in its source. Ohr emanates exclusively from an essence – it can only come from something that has that thing at an essential level, not at an acquired level.


Atzilus is in contrast to ohr, it is like chochmah – it is a recipient and has a sense of receiving, and this is how the light is revealed exernal to the essence.

Double of your spirit

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/10/10 Wednesday 26 Shevat 5770

Page 12 – three lines from the end of the page - “yesh lomar”.


Correction: towards the end of the class on Monday – the view that we have that the world is yesh mi ein is not just a means of explaining the inexplicable – it is the actual view of the nefesh.


Chochmah is an intermediate stage between ohr and shefa. Chochmah becomes a metzius, but one that reflects the ratzon. Ohr is like the etzem / essence itself. Because the light is in a state of true connection to the etzem, it is different from chochmah, which sees it from outside – it is not seeing in a devekus / cleaving manner.


Chochmah means wisdom – this that comes into chochmah, has an element of “making senses” - and this is a quality of sechel. This is the reason chochmah does not come easily – you have to work and purify yourself – this is so you will be a vessel for the light that is coming and being transformed. The observation is ohr, but how you receive it is chochmah.


So too above – the light has the element of cleaving to the luminary – it does not present itself as ohr, but rather as representing the luminary.


The ohr ein sof is infinite, not because of its eternal nature, or infinite range, rather it is infinite due to its connection with its source.

Video

And here are notes from yesterday (by Yehuda):

B”H

2.9.2010 (Tuesday, 25 Shevat) p.12 (3 lines from bottom)

If seichel was like ohr, you would see exactly how the rav was thinking. Seichel is not like this. It is shefa -a transmission of the etzm and not the etzm itself.

Ohr – In the example the light of the sun, although it would seem that the light that reaches us does not represent the light of the sun in its pure state and seemingly the sunlight is not a good mashal for ohr – however, this is not the case. Light of the sun that reaches us is a light that can illuminate darkness (and lets us see darkness), not a pure ohr that lets us see ohr. The shemesh itself doesn’t know darkness at all. It is the etzm of ohr. It would seem that we do not get this inyan of etzm of ohr, but we do.

“Day” is an essential state. Day does not recognize that there is night. The reason there is such a thing as day is b/c of the sun. Sun is exclusively light. We cannot recreate such a light. In our world, light only comes from darkness (i.e. burning a wick). Sunlight is a light that comes from light. Sunlight is the very same light that comes from the sun.

Definition of ohr is that it points to its source not itself.

Light of the sun is like darkness to us. Darkness to us is the fundamental state. Light is the fundamental state of the sun.

Only an essence can be ain sof. Anything that is a composite cannot be ain sof. Any accumulation cannot be ain sof. Ohr is ain sof b/c it is really representative of the etzm.

Functional aspect of the light translates into the mekabbel’s kalim. But the aspect of “day” cannot be translated into kalim. He doesn’t know what to do with it. The significance of his getting this ohr is the revelation of the presence of the etzm.

Avraham Avinu discovered who created the world. His conclusion was that we have to serve Him. World doesn’t represent itself, it represents the Creator – therefore whole significance of being in the world is to serve the Creator.

Flow and light

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/8/10 Monday 24 Shevat 5770

Page 12 – about a third from end of the page - “she kol ze”. 


We saw there are two kinds of hashpah – ohr and shefa. With shefa there is an actual transfer – giving of the actual understanding – so the recipient has it on his own. Ohr is only a reflection from the real thing – the essence is not given over. The sun is not affected at all that it is giving off light.


Similarly in ohr ein sof, baruch hu, that is only haarah levad – there is no essence in it. For this reason it is called “ein sof – no end” and not “ein techilah – no beginning” since it does have a beginning. The beginning is the etzem from which the ohr is coming. Even as it exists outside the source, it still functions because it is attached to the source.


But there is also a superior quality in ohr over shefa – the ohr cleaves to the source, and without the connection it would not exist. But shefa does not have this connection to the source. Like in throwing a stone, the koach is separated from the hand, which means that when the koach carries the stone, the hand is at rest. Because ohr stays connected it is like the essence of the illuminator, but in shefa the hashpaa is not like the mashpia himself.


In the case of shefa, the sechel still started with the mashpiah – the sechel is reflective of the etzem. In secular thought you have the idea of evolution and the big bang – woldly explanations for the world – in contrast to this we say the world is rooted above world, made and sustained by the Creator. How did these opposing views originate? Each presented kfi ofen ha etzem – as is the essence – when one sees himself as a metziut then he sees the world that way and explains it as such. Evolution says each thing is trying to enhance its own metzius.


As opposed to this you have a sechel based on the nefesh elokis – which is ein / nothing. Thus all that is encountered is reflective of this. Thus all is elokus. And if there is a metziut it is because elokus is concealed.


Since the sechel is according to its etzem there is difficulty since the idea of evolutions seems to grasp the world – the nefesh ha bahamit attests to its truth.


Shefa presents it the way etzem would think of it, but not as the etzem is itself.

The pulse of life

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/7/10 Sunday 23 Shevat 5770

Page 12 – top of the page. 


The angels were running back and forth – this refers to the G-dly life that comes into the worlds.


This means that it has this aspect of “back and forth”. This is also the case of the nefesh enlivening the body. It is a constant pulse – rising upward and spreading forward. This is like the pulse of the heart with its two movements. This is how the life flows. It rises to its source and becomes rejuvenated and then brings down new life into the body/world.


Also the ohr eloki is constantly in the state of ratzu ve shuv / back and forth as it gives life to the world.


Malchus is constantly in a state of ratzu / running back – not to be in a state of metziut.


The 10 sphirot are compared to a flame attached to a coal.


The root of the light speaks to them in a manner of ratzu ve shuv.


The cause of the ratzu is understood by first looking at ohr ein sof. The fact that it is call ein sof / without end, rather than “without beginning” which seems like greater praise, as it says all kadmon / primordial is nitzchi / eternal, and not every nitzchi / eternal is necessarily kadmon / primordial.


This seems to show that it is nitzchi / eternal, without being kadmon / original.

Video

So why is it called “ein sof”? This is because it is just an haarah, ie it does not have an essential presence. It is called ohr since it is only a reflection. There is a difference between ohr and shefa – both are bestowal, but shefa is where the essence / etzem is comes along.


The same is the case in kochot ruchni – it gives in the form of shefa not ohr. An actual source is being exerted to cause the effect. This is like throwing a stone – the koach of the hand drives the stone onward, overcoming its nature to fall down.


With giving of sechel the rav can give only the haarah, not the essence. He can give however the etzem of this level, so it is a shefah, not ohr and this occupies the rav at this time.


The ray of light in contrast to the haarat ha sechel, takes up no space in the sun. the haarat ha sechel, “takes up space” in the mind.


Ratzon in contrast to sechel, takes up no time. Sechel has to be vested in the mind. In this way sechel is not an etzem / essence, like ratzon is. Chochmah is the inception of the sechel, as it comes from ratzon. Then there is a glimmer of this that can be translated as a metziut.

Life in the garden

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/5/10 Friday 21 Shevat 5770


Page 11 – about a third from the end of the page - “de gan edan”.


The rebbe is saying that the bitual hayesh, achieved by torah from below is more phenomenal than the bitul that occurs under intellectual influence, since it is not limited to keilim.


He starts out by using mind to find the truth, and then goes beyond this and becomes aware of what is underlying this bitul and relates to the truth itself – this is bitul hayesh. He realizes the yesh and all its ramifications is only what the Creator makes. Now he's a real metziut. The yesh realizes that his presence is due to the Creator and not due to its own efforts / structure. Now the yesh can directly relate to its creator.


In the Garden of Eden there is a revelation that is not limited to the seder hishtalshalus – you recognize it not by the parameters of your world, but in terms of what is created above.


This is like the third temple – it will be built by human effort and into it will descend the G-dly structure. The yesh itself is not self supporting and the yesh is no longer oriented to himself – he becomes light – the vessel becomes like the ohr that it contains.


“All the ways of torah are pleasant and the alleyways are of peace” - the way is wide and the alley is narrow – this is like the public thoroughfare and walking along a narrow plank – a river comes from from Edan to water the garden. The ways / derech is Edan itself and the alleyway is the water come out to the garden. This can be understood by looking first at “the angels are running forward and back.” This is explaining the back-and-forth manner of life coming to the worlds.


The life of the nefesh in vivifying the body is in a constant state of rising and returning to the body. This is also represented by the beating of the heart – with its two movements.

Video

In the garden of Edan... and on earth

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/4/10 ThursdayNight 21 Shevat 5770


Page 11 – about a third from the end of the page - “ohr she lemayla mibechinat hakli”.


Looking at how the principle of bitul, at all levels are in a deep way related – birur / bitul of shem ban is a bitul where the nefesh habahamit recognizes there is a better way. This better way is still engaging its own metziut, thus at this point even though he is a keili to receive hashpaah, it is based on his level – for example being a vessel for the chochmah the wiser man will teach him.


This is wonderful, but it is not yet reaching the point that he will receive an ohr that is not dressed in a keli. He has the bitul to receive the wisdom that is above him, but it is in a keili.

The Alte Rebbe was being escorted by Avraham hamalach said to the wagon driver, “you have to hit the horse till it ceases to be a horse” or “you have to hit the horse till it knows its a horse”. This is like clearing the way for the nefesh habahmit to start dealing with nefesh haenushi – the level of sechel. This is like raising a child – the child's raising opens his mind to right and wrong and brings him out of himself. 

First there is the training of the animal soul that it should be interested in sechel at all. But why should he give up what he is? How do you train him? Why give in to higher sechel? He submits to the truth. Sechel enushi says, behave like a human, not like an animal – there is a truth that man has been made to be human. The animal soul begins to recognize there is a truth. So there is a higher level of bitul / birur. The bitul ha yesh is effected by Torah – the animal soul is made to recognize and relate not jus the sechel, but to the source of the sechel – a recognition of the truth itself. The first birur leads on to this second level. The nefesh ha bahamit of man has sechel and can thus have a birur / refinement. 


A building is based on a foundation, based on rules of engineering, using human sechel, but based on the principle that the earth is a solid base – the solidity of the earth is based on a G-dly will. So now we see “this structure stands because He wants it to stand”. If not for the fact that He builds a house, then the builders are engaged for naught. - Psalms.

 Video  

            

 

This is birur of Torah – rules of how to behave in the world, but not base on the world – based rather on a G-dly will.


The keili becomes like the ohr – the same will that holds the world in mid space is what holds up the building – everything is a miracle.


Torah brings worldly rulings that are not based on world at all. Two are walking in the street, one with a beam and one with a glass jar – if the one with the jar stopped suddenly, you may think the beam carrier is exempt. If he stopped to rest – then yes, but if you stop to adjust the load then no the beam carrier is responsible. If the man with the beam was in front and the glass carrier behind, same applies.


What is behind the rulings, is not who broke what, but who did wrong. What's wrong with doing a wrong thing? The responsibility is not on the incident, but on the human – a human is under obligation to behave responsibly. Not being responsible is like a hillul hashem.

The earth is suspended from nothing

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/4/10 Thursday 20 Shevat 5770


Page 11 – about a third from the end of the page - “bechinat bitul hayesh”.


Looking at the pathway of Torah from below to above how the keli becomes like the ohr.


What does it mean, that the keili becomes like the ohr? This is done through bitul. Bitul can come like that of a chocham katan (a novice) in the presence of the chocham gadol (wise man). Why is he affected? Why is the novice not just interested in his chochmah? It shows that the whole basis of chochmah is based on elements of truth. The novice realizes that the chochmah of the wise man relates to the truth in a more profound way – and because he is seeking the truth and is affected in a profound way (if he was not seeking the truth he would not want to be in the presence of the wise man, since it would diminish his own chochmah).


What is the element of truth? That it does not represent itself – that it represents it's Creator. When one realizes that his whole presence is provided to him from above, this is the level of ohr. Through bitul ha yesh it is possible for the keili to reach the level of ohr – this is done through Torah. Torah gives directives, that are expressed on the level of the world, yet their basis is not at all based on world. This rises even the nefesh habahamit (the animal soul).


The keli becomes like the ohr, but they are different. Keli still recognizes metziut, but knows that it is sourced above. “not only is it not of my making, but its significance is that I recognize and serve the Maker with this thing.” “Lehiyot hakeilim kmo ha-ohr” - connection of the keili to it's Maker is what makes it significant.


A simple recitation of Psalms, by a simple man, not even knowing the meaning of the words, may be greater than that of the great scholar. This is a teaching of chassidus. “I don't know anything, I just know I am speaking to the One who lives forever.” Sometimes knowing the meaning of the words can interfere with the purity. This is the second kind of bitul – bitul before the truth, not because of his chochmah, but an essential recognition.


The keili then is able to receive a light that is beyond the level of relating to keili. Since “my grasp of it” is not important, then he can receive an ohr that is not graspable in a keli. He relates to the source itself. He knows his value is not what he is, but the presence of the Creator.

 

The fruit and the wood

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/3/10 Wednesay 19 Shevat 5770

Page 11 – about a third from the end of the page (see toolbar on the right for text) - starting with the word, “havay-ah”.


The nefesh ha bahamit does not volunteer to be purified, it has to be affected by the sechel.


We have an animal and a human being. The human tells the animal to behave, and the animal starts to restrain itself, till it becames habitual and it becomes more refined. After some refinement it can develop a sense of why things are inappropriate and it becomes eligible to really sense the G-dly soul. The keilim become eligible to actually sense the ohr – binah becomes like chochmah.


This occurs as a process from below. The keilim become like the ohr. This is what torah brings about. This is a level where the animal soul has been guided in doing a mitzvah, not just restraining itself.


This is like the wood of the tree having the taste of the fruit – this is accomplished by the path of torah from below to above. This is in the way of bitul hayesh – the keili becomes like the ohr.


Bitul hayesh (nullification of self); there are two ways to purify the midot, one is through debate and contemplation, this is the effect of sechel on the midot. The other way is that sechel gives a directive of how to proceed and the midot are controlled by this decree – this is bitul hayesh.


A human has the ability to guide himself according to torah even though it goes against his desire.


The difference between these approaches is that initially the first approach seems more effective, but here the behayma is not affected, it is just put aside, there isn't a bitul hayesh. There is great value in bitul hayesh since the goal is not just to behave well, but to behave well, due to the G-dly presence. Yesh and Elokus don't fit together.


The behayma (animal soul) gets more “full of itself” if it gets its own way – if it gets a gift it builds its own arrogance – it rejects the sense of a G-dly gift.


When the nefesh habahmit accepts a decree unwillingly, it breaks it, allowing for G-dly presence.

Video

New mind

B”H
2.2.10 (Tuesday, 18 Shevat) p.11 (few lines above middle) - Notes from Yehudah


Neshamos /souls are rooted in kalim (vessels) of atzilus and come down into this world, in order to rise up to a higher level (to the oros of atzilus).


Nefesh ha behamis (the animal soul) – can only relate to chumrius and gashmious (physicality).


Without avodah, the Nefesh ha behamis is drawn to chumri and gashmi and considers it the only reality. It is completely complacent in this. Doesn’t ask what am I here for? What do I accomplish when I eat this cake?


If he had any sense of bittel (self nullification), he would say yes I am chumri and gashmi, but it is meaningless.


Without avodah, he is drawn to chumri and gashmi and he justifies it. He only relates to his own presence.


Bittel ha yesh – Nefesh Elokis (G-dly soul) forces the Nefesh ha behamis to recognize that his mitzeus is not the end of the story. Nefesh ha behamis has seichel. Seichel is that he can understand things that are not of his own experience.


This is why the Nefesh ha behamis can understand that you are an entity that needed to be made (i.e. it was created) – without recognizing that someone made you and why you were made, you are not relating to the truth of your existence.


This is who I am, but this is not the full story. I want to relate to that which complements my story. Nefesh ha behamis of an animal couldn’t care less – can’t explain to it what it is. Human Nefesh ha behamis can act against its own preferences – an animal is not able to do this.


Difference between gashmi and chumri. Gashmi is the fact of gashmious. Chumri is the satisfaction of being gashmi – the disinterest in anything else – the coarseness of it.

“More than meets the eye”

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 2/1/10 Monday 16 Shevat 5770

Page 11 - 11 lines from top of the page - “kuli”.


As discussed yesterday, there is a depth to chochmah, which means that even the keli of chochmah is light / life.


The keli does not have an aspect of metziut. It does not have a presence outside of its presentation of the ohr. It does not have an outside presentation of itself.


This is the truth / light as it is unto itself.


Like sight – we see “more than meets the eye” - we see the reality of why it is here, beyond just what is here. This is like seeing the object as it is contained in it's inception. This is the essence, not the presentation.


Ein is the way chochmah perceives chochmah, it cannot understand it. But the inyan of chochmah, koach mah, perceives beyond that – to perceive what the kesser / crown is. This gives us a recognition / knowledge of the reality itself – we can actually know the reality of creation – the world is real to us since we know it from it's inception. Is the world real? As just a presence, no, but as a creation that He made, then it becomes very real.


This is the principle of the hamshacha mochin chadashim. This is a different level of mind. It is a flow of the essential shem mah.


This is by means of the Torah. Torah comes from chochmah and through it flows shem mah itself. This is the way / derech of Torah. It is a pathway by means of which there is a flow from above to below – it bypasses the whole seder hishtalshalus. It provides an increase that defies the seder hishtalshalus, which works according to light in vessels. Torah on the other hand reveals the essence of the crown. At the same time this chochmah is called a koach, since it is not a gilui of ratzon itself, which would not allow for existence of the world at all.


Torah is a new way. It brings the essence of kesser, but it does not defy world. It comes to us in pathways, instructing us how to treat everything in the world, but don't necessarily make sense in the world – they are above world.

For video, click here.

Something's going on...

AiynBase with R' Paltiel 1/31/10 Sunday 16 Shevat 5770

Page 11 - 9 lines from top of the page - “kati malkah”.


After the birurim affected by the light of shem mah, the shem ban are excited to rise up.


In the birur of shem mah there is not “excitement” - there is the presence of the King, and a still silent voice.


Bitul of metziut, is without excitement since you are unified with it.


But still why is there a quiet voice? There is an experience, since this on the level of chochmah.


Ratzon itself comes from the nefesh, but chochmah is already to the outside – to reveal the ratzon on the outside – it is a koach not an etzem. Chochmah is called koach mah – an expression of two seemingly opposite aspects – a faculty and a undefined ability. It is a koach in a state of bitul be metziut.


Things come to us by experience, so without chochmah everything would be by an external process. Chochmah does not eliminate the fact that it is still by knowledge, but here it is a direct connection – an inner knowledge.

Chochmah is called chayohi – inner life / light (ohr doesn't have an existence of its own). In our world things have an existence / separate presence, first and then we discern their meaning – this is the keili. Chochmah also has a keili, since it is outside the nefesh, but here the keili is completely butul, and united with the ohr that it represents, to the point that it is not at all an interference at all.

For video, click here.

The kleli of chochmah is also called choyohi. The vessel is so fine it is not interference. This means the ohr is in essence above being able to be dressed in a keili. What ohr can be dressed in a vessel? Only one that has an element of presence – thus you can give it a keili and a presentation. Water comes from a river by means of a conduit or from the river itself – it you put a keili into a river, the water is not held in the cup, the cup is submerged in the river.

The ohr is from a level above being held in a keli. The water in the river is in settled form, but the water in the faucet it needs a vessel to hold it, though it is identitcal water. What do these different states tell you? When you have mehus ha ohr you can have it so to speak without a keili, but when you have just gilui, you need a keili to hold it.


There is an hamshacha, that can be called mehus, it is ohr, but it has a pnimius / inner quality that relates to the ohr as it is essentially, in its source. There is an element of this in our experience of sight – all other kochot, prove the presence of the object from the moment it is sensed. In sight there is an element that what is see, pre-existed my seeing it. This is a connection to the reality itself. This is like chochmah that can relate to essence.