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Crown Heights, NY, snow December 2010

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/31/2010 Friday 24 Tevet 5771

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Page 41 – 9 lines from the top of the page (line starts “hu...”)

Even in the light that is ohr chozer and without tzimzum it is still be-hagbalah/limited. The effect of this light/mentorship is very profound, but it doesn't give a vessel as much as open it up.

This ohr is be-ratzon and has a limit. This is in contrast to the hashpaa that brings about birth of an entity similar to the mashpia.

The hashpaa ruchniut, has to be received by an existing keili. The hashpaa that results in birth of a new presence is by means of hashpaas atzmius – essential hashpaa – it is a piece of the essence.

Even though it is hashpaa, yet it is of the essence. The initiator is the essence.

This hashpaa also seems to be by ratzon. And ratzon has the effect of tzimzum. We have to go beyond the apparent root of it. The ratzon is a means to get to the ikar. Here the ratzon arouses the hashpaa, but does not control it. It does not act as a gatekeeper.

Why is there the koach in the nefesh to give of itself? The answer is that it, itself is unlimited and thus automatically goes beyond itself. It is bigger than itself.

What makes a person get married? Beyond practical and superficial factors there is a real Torah view. Marriage is an inherent imperative in a human being. A person leaves his mother and father and cleaves to another. Why not stay with the father and mother? There is an element in a person that breaks through – it is bigger than the individual – he goes beyond what he can experience to what he can create...

Why get married? A person is bigger than just eating and drinking and doing good things – he has to create a new world. His essence is beyond limit.



A person may be a social, financial, and professional success, but if he were not married then all his accomplishment does not really mean anything to him since he is not for real – getting married makes him a real presence in the world. Now things are significant.

Marriage itself has an element of eternity. Because it has this eternal presence, if the couple merits, there will be children, that come from an eternal presence.

Constant coming into being

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/30/2010 ThursdayNight 23 Tevet 5771

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Page 40 – 2 lines from the end of the page (line starts “ha-etzem...”)

In our shiur we are taking away all structural elements and going straight for the essence.

We went beyond the light that dissipates, to the essential light, which is like the essence itself and is thus limitless. It is not worldly. It is counter intuitive. How can ohr be einsof/infinite?

Just as the tzimzum limits the light and reduces what it will reveal, so too it is limited in the manner that it will extend. You cannot know a person as he knows himself. He knows himself not by revelation of information, but by direct contact.

Every koach testifies to the existence of a living nefesh in a person. But each koach/faculty operates under certain circumstances. What controls this? This is the ratzon of the nefesh. The faculties function under the direction of the ratzon/will.

The real understanding – that is true to the sechel (beyond structural truth) – is because we want to understand. No two people think alike. This is because they have a ratzon in a certain direction.

This is a sensitive point since it sounds like, “I understand it this way, because I want to see it this way”(!) But really, this want is from the nefesh – there is a truth element to it.

Ratzon is like a gatekeeper. It creates a functioning koach/faculty. Faculties are the revelations of the nefesh/soul in a focused productive manner.



Practice makes a koach/faculty emanate from the nefesh. It allows the koach to show itself in a practical setting. It is rooted in the nefesh. Shlaymut hanefesh (completeness of the soul) means that all faculties are included there.

Because the will/ratzon is the gatekeeper, this means that the learning and developing of the koach is cumulative. This is the normal process of the development – this is the process of ohr yashar.

Standing – means you're not, not growing. The foundation is the same and you see further. But you don't move.

Walking – means you move from place to place. You take a step and leave the place where you were before. This is a real movement, but you can trace back how you got to the new place. The new place is in the proximity of the previous place. This is like sechel developing from sechel.

Jumping – is like a hop. There is an ein/nothing inbetween. I arrive and don't know how I got here. I fly and don't know where I will land. This is ohr chozer that is not based on a structure. It is just true. I don't see the basis. Like the rambam says, “he relates to truth, because it is the truth” - not based on any structure or other reasons. This is from etzem koach hasechel – the essence of sechel, straight from the nefesh.

This sechel is not by means of tzinor, tzimzum and ratzon. When there is this revelation there is no gatekeeper.

The constant gift of light

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/30/2010 Thursday 23 Tevet 5771

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Page 40 – 3 lines from the end of the page (line starts “tzimzum...”)

Ohr/light is a revelation, but it can be bechinat ein sof. It can have an aspect of the essence. Usually the light is a subset of the essence. If something is an essence, then it's gilui/revelation is automatic. Essence per se is not something we can conceptualize.

The fact that the light has a limit is because not the full aspect of the essence is revealed – it is coming through a tzimzum.

The light created on the first day had no limitation. A man could see with this light “from one end of the world to the other...” This light has been hidden for the time to come...



What does this light mean? What is the special gift of light? What would be lacking if there was not light? One can navigate a room by touch. But the difference between sight and touch is that touch relates you to the metzius, but sight relates you to the mehus/reality.

Through light you realize that the world is real. You actually relate to the reality, “it is real , in and of itself.” you cannot destroy things in the world since they represent a G-dly creation. This is recognized by sight, but not by touch.

The reality of the world is not created by virtue of their being light, but by virtue of it being a G-dly creation. It is infinite in itself – it is not defined by it's function.

Light reveals this reality. Through light we touch the reality of the world. If we could see the world as a G-dly creation, then it would be limitless.

Ultimately, in the time to come, the world will still be a world, but it will not misrepresent itself.

Light beyond function

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/29/2010 Wednesday 22 Tevet 5771

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Page 40 – 4 lines from the end of the page (line starts “hu...”)

The light/haarah/reflection is from the essence, but is different from it. There are 2 types of hashpaa – illumination of darkness (which is not done by the essential light of the sun). This is a haarah – it is taking from the sun the element that deals with darkness by illumination. This is an external effect and this haarah has a limit regarding how far it will extend.

This haarah does not extend beyond sechel. The tzimzum is the cause of the limit. Light that is of the element of the essence will be like the essence.



There is essence and Elokus in the world, but it is hidden to such an extent that everything seems circumstantial and relative.

Essence is not something we will fully grasp nor define. Anything that is there by virtue of being a presence is not an essence.

Even though it is something very true...

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/28/2010 Tuesday 21 Tevet 5771

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Page 40 – 5 lines from the end of the page (line starts “unifsak...”)

Haarah/reflection of the source is like when something from the essence is revealed “outside”. This is in contrast to when the light is in the source itself.

Hence the reflection/light does not have the full impact. Through the light, from outside the sun, one can know what the sun is. Hence the power of the light dissipates.

An essence is a reality itself and doesn't point to or depend on anything else.

The reflection/light, with the waning of the connection to it's source, dissipates. In the places where the light does reach there is an element of essence.

The limit of sechel is that it can only affect the vessel that is a proper receptacle for it. It does not create a new entity. Even though the sechel is representing something very true – it is a limited representation. All sechel is dependent on that which is higher than it.

Someone who does not concede that there is an overall principle/Creator to the world, then the sechel of “behave like a human being” lands up having no traction/foundation for him.



The reason sechel is limited is because it comes through a tzimzum. This means it does not reflect the full impact of the essence.

Speech does not reflect thought, it presents it. But light reflects the essence. Thought is contained in the brain and the brain is not totally permeated by the thought. Light on the other hand permeates the sun “through and through”.

Reality beyond intellect and constant thought

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/27/2010 Monday 20 Tevet 5771

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Page 40 – at the lower third of the page (line starts “maskil kemohu...”)

The koach of a haarah/reflection ends at some stage. What's the point?

We spoke in the past about the way that in the sun we have the phenomenon, that though it is only light that reaches us, but through the light there is an element of “sun” that comes to us. The light has an element of the illuminator.

When a person thinks, another person doesn't know what he's thinking. They are contained in the thinkers keili/vessel. The only way for it to be revealed is by speech. The thought does not permeate the entire keili.

This means that if there is such a thing as a light that comes right out and shows itself, there have to be prerequisites. There is no particular action, like there has to be speech to represent the thoughts. The light of the sun comes automatically – the light is not something it possesses – it is light in essence. The neshamah does not labor to produce life – it is life in essence. For an essence there is no vessel.



Ohr/light is representative of the etzem/essence. Thus light from the sun has also an element of sun in it. We also have a sense of light independent of the fact that it makes us see objects – like daylight. It becomes the primary state of the world – that is reflective of the sun itself – light “through and through”.

So if we have light itself, why are we saying it is limited? The haarah/reflection is limited.

This is the answer – haarah reflects the essence, but is not the essence. Hence it is limited. It does not carry the essence with it – it just reflects it. Our “daylight” appears to be the essence, but it is not actual sun. The rav by haarah has a profound effect, but it is still limited.

Implanting a new mind; The best kind of friends are like steel sharpening steel

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/26/2010 Sunday 19 Tevet 5771

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Page 40 – at the lower third of the page after the parenth. (line starts “maskil kemohu...”)

How does hashpaa come from etzem koach hasechel? The light that is spread from the sun is present in the sun itself. What is spread? Ohr that comes from the essence of the sun.

Ohr means something that is capable of illuminating and presenting itself. Without the light darkness is the default setting. On the other hand light is natural – it fits right into the world. We say, “a little light pushes off much darkness” - darkness dissipates automatically. Why? This is because light belongs in the world to the same extent that darkness belongs.

The world is an equal receptacle for light and dark. The meaning of world is that it is essentially dark, but it is an open recipient for light. Light is the revelation of the world's source and purpose.

The light in the world comes from the fact that at essence there is light and dark. So at source is His intention and His intention is not light. It is His intent that dark and light are both present in the world – and each has its time. They are of equal of reality.

The essence is higher than higher than function – beyond light and dark. This is like the etzem sechel hauli. The light comes from the etzem indirectly.



Sechel in a human being is not an “add-on”. Having sechel and being human are synonymous. Just like in the sun there are different level of light all the way back to the original intent before it became a luminary – so too sechel reaches back to the original intent. “Hiuli” means “before it happens” - there is no presence to it.

The mashpia creates sechel. He has the inyan at the level of inception. Before he mentors another he translates it downwards into koach ha maskil and restricts it so it will be understood by the recipient.

Sometimes there is an exception where the sechel comes directly from the sechel, without translation and it is really essence, not sechel. How does it do it? When something touches that essence, then it occurs. When something is said or done contrary to the essence – it is touched.

Then, since the sechel has been short circuited, one has to bring something direct from the essence.

We have been saying that sechel cannot create a new entity. When the hashpah comes from the essence of the koach ha sechel and the student is in a position outside the sechel, you have something akin to creation – the sechel is implanted into his sechel.

The teacher re formats the sechel of the student. He engraves, scratches his mind with something new.

Only R Akiva went into the garden/orchard/pardes came out whole. He could sense a broader perspective. This is being a keili/vessel for the light.

Allowing light to affect your essence

Cape Town Harbour, Table Mountain in the background

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/24/2010 Friday 17 Tevet 5771

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Page 40 – at the lower third of the page after the parenth. (line starts “hu be-ofen...”)

Previously we explained that you, “cannot put a head on someone's shoulders” - sechel can only be taught to one who is receptive on the level of sechel. Here we are talking about a light that comes from the essence. If the student has the bitul and relates to what his teacher/rav tells him then he receives it.

“Open your mouth and you will be filled”, is the verse about this situation. You have to allow the rav to direct you without the filter of bitul. The student has to be a vessel for the light. The light is not life on its own – the student has life and has to allow the light to affect his essence.

How is he a vessel for the light if not by sechel? He recognizes there is a light way beyond his grasp. He desires the truth, rather than what he can grasp. He recognizes in himself a truth element in sechel that is beyond sechel. How do you get it? You get it if you're given – it is from the rav.

There is a way to seek it. Through complete bitul. The student labors to the full extent, and he doesn't relent, till he hits the wall, and that's when he first gets it.



The rav also knows it not with sechel/mind, but because it is the essence.

The student receives a reflection of essence and on receiving it his mind opens up and he has a increase of light of sechel. The student works with the hashpah, the mentorship that he was given.

This is like a father lifting his child off the ground. He is lifted off his base and is held up by his father. At that time the lift is a great feeling and then he's able to focus to things differently. The son “plays with the beard of his father”.

Before we saw how the student learned to think like the rav, here we are talking about the student becoming “like” the rav. The rav has given him something that breaks through the filter of his sechel. Now the student can become like the rav. There is an actual affect of the rav on the talmid, since this is a transmission of essence.

Providing answers to questions from left field – simple, smart and dumb questions

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/23/2010 ThursdayNight 16 Tevet 5771

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Page 40 – below the middle of the page (line starts “hu beofen...”)

We're talking about sechel coming directly from it's source. That sechel, relative to that of ohr yashar, infinite.

Yet, in truth, that level also has a definition, though it is not readily evident.

Sechel creates a new view of reality and life. It is not something for figuring things out.

Sechel is what gives the world a truth existence.

The rav finds the talmid's question in his own essence and then finds a way to bring the talmid into where that essence becomes sechel.

When a woman comes and asks, “what is superior, a cat or a computer...” one cannot respond using sechel. The question comes from the dark and you have to appeal to the essential level to address it. The teacher has to access the essence to answer the question.

Soul and mind and the farmers' market

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/23/2010 Thursday 16 Tevet 5771


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Page 40 – at the middle of the page (line starts “kenaal...”)

Sechel and the nefesh of man are a perfect union.

When we teach a child to eat in a proper way, it is not done in order that he should eat, but in order that he should get a sense of the fact that there is a proper way. It is not for an extraneous purpose – it is for its own sake.

Sechel is an atzmi/essence - “part and parcel of the nefesh – everything in the nefesh goes through sechel”.

Sechel sees that anything superimposed on a person is not sechel – he feels he is not living his real self. When he sees things according to his sechel, which is according to his nefesh, then he feels that he is really living.

Showing and seeing it your own way

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/22/2010 Wednesday 15 Tevet 5771

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Page 40 – above the middle of the page (line starts “ha-utzmit...”)

An etzem does not create a subset, only a reflection.

Hispashtus would be if the derivative was intending to be a source. This is like reformating a personal intellectual experience into a format that can be communicated to others. This is done by koach hamaskil. The sechel itself is connected to the essence of the sechel, but it is intended for “export”.

This means that it is a reflection and not an essence.

When a student sees his teacher, he focuses on the material, but he also sees his teacher and has a sense of the essence from which the teaching originates.

Ohr yashar is sechel that is rooted in sechel. Ohr chozer results in sechel that is rooted in essence.

This sechel is unlimited, but on a higher level it is also limited. This is because the fact that it is sechel, even though it is from the essence, means that it does not represent the essence, but a revelation of light from the essence.

The Baal Shem Tov – his cup and his people

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/21/2010 Tuesday 14 Tevet 5771

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Page 40 – above the middle of the page (line starts “ha-utzmit...”)

An etzem sees everything through its own principles. It sees things in its own terms. Hence the nefesh elokis wants to rule the whole body and so too the nefesh habahamit.

An etzem is not mispashet. It recognizes only itself. The sun sees a place of darkness only as a place for light.

Sun cannot co-operate with darkness.

From the etzem is drawn a ha-arah. A reflection of the essence that stands for the same principle. It transforms the distant area into what the essence stands for. It says this is a universal principle, not my own.



The essence of the sun is not the body of the star itself – if it was it would burn up – the essence is the G-dly command that there should be a sun. This is the command that there should be light. So in this sense it is everywhere.

The Baal Shem used to let the simple people drink from his cup. The members of his inner circle wondered about this. He sensed their question and during Seudah Shlishis he had them place their hands on each others' shoulders – and the members of the inner circle were astounded by the beauty of the tehillim/psalms that were at that time being said by the simple guys.

The point is that the neshamah in the body can only comprehend that to which the body is partner. But the essence is that the neshamah reaches a much higher level by virtue of its work in the body.

The light and the sun

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/20/2010 Monday 13 Tevet 5771

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Page 40 – about a third from the top of the page (line starts “lesechel...”)

The koach hamaskil is the faculty that drives understanding. It demands sechel and becomes its source.

The nefesh of the human can only relate to that which is rooted in truth, rooted in G-dliness. Just because something forces itself upon me, does not make it real to the nefesh of man. Sechel asks, why is it there and what does it stand for?

This koach ha maskil is rooted in the higher elements of the soul. The nefesh says, “I can participate here if I find the sechel – the truth of the situation. This is the means by which I can be present in your world”.

An essence on the other hand is not downloaded. It cannot be outside of itself.



An essence is introverted and does not become a source for anything else.

On the other hand the sun is the source of the illumination in the world – the essence is the source of the ha-arah...

why does it create this hamshachah? So that it can be in this place too. For the soul to be present in the body, it needs that sechel should function and that the body be a vessel for it. If the soul has to be in the body, the vessel for it to be there is sechel.

Not bound by my experience

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/19/2010 Sunday 12 Tevet 5771

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Page 40 – 10 lines from the top of the page (line starts “she haray hu ...”)

the child is reflective of the essence of the father. This is in contras to in the area of sechel. There something becomes real due to the essence holding up the construct.

Imagine all the steps in building a house. Each part of building the house (eg the bricklaying) is not a mehus, with self-sustaining value. A sechel is not a mehus. The basis is the hidden essence.

Mehus means something that is real “in itself”. This is the difference between birth and sechel. The birth of a child is a mehus. The child has the essence and develops on his own.

When a child is shown how to eat at the table, he doesn't just mimic what he's shown. He feels how it fits with his sechel. The “why” it makes sense to him, is the essence.



Etzem is the source of the mehus. The mehus is the metziut that results from that etzem.

The whole concept that there is such a thing as an etzem is based on the realization that there is something that precedes the created thing.

The principle of communicating sechel is based on the idea that it is not my unique experience. This entices one to tell it to another. One senses that it is an universal truth.

The human presence is not limited

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/17/2010 Wednesday 10 Tevet 5771

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Page 39 – 3 lines from the end of the page (line starts “deleholid...”)

To give birth comes from a G-dly faculty.

Hashem added the letter Hay to Avram's name – it became Avraham and he could father Isaac. This Hay corresponds to binah which is connected to atik. This is the difference between procreation in humans and the rest of creation. In the humans the power of birth is imbued within the human. His soul is a vessel for this element.

The human seed is part of the essence. In the human there is the ultimate cognizance of the ein sof, which is drawn down from his nefesh in this physical form.

There is another difference between the influence of spirituality and that of physicality. Spiritual influence does not become a physical form.

Truth over love; love over gold

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/16/2010 ThursdayNight 9 Tevet 5771

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Page 39 – about 10 lines from the end of the page (line starts “she lematah...”)

Beyond intellect is the influence of a factor that causes birth. He is giving the essence – the infinity of his nefesh. This births a child, who stand on his own...

This phenomenon exists not only in humans, but in other creatures too.... so do animals have the idea of giving infinity?



Creatures have the ability to procreate and thus the species is eternal. What is represented by this eternality of species? This is not in the power of the creature itself. The same is true of angels – the angel is eternal, but this power is not invested in it.

The father supports his wife and children due to a sense of truth. Truth as opposed to...? Truth as opposed to love. The father perceives the truth of the child, which is endless.

We can abuse and misuse the aspect of truth in relationships, but there is a certain moment of reality that touches the human being – and this is the hashpah, influence of truth. This is a koach eloki (a G-dly faculty) that is part of the man's neshamah, and he is the one who imparts it.

Body and soul

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/16/2010 Thursday 9 Tevet 5771

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Page 39 – lower than the middle of the page (line starts “hamikaaymum...”)

We are pointing out that gashmiut (physicality) has a higher degree of infinity than ruchniut (spirituality).

The human presence is not limited

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/15/2010 Wednesday 8 Tevet 5771

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Page 39 – about the middle of the page (line starts “yiheyeah...”)

We have been looking at hashpah sichli – it has cognizance of an essential truth, but the hashpah, the sichli does not have the essence.

Hashpah gashmi is different. You may think it is less than that of sechel. Gashmi (physicality) seems like only a keili (vessel) for the ruchni (spiritual), yet within the gashmi is an element of ein sof. If one fathers one child it does not detract from his ability to give birth to more children – this ability comes from the essence of the moach.

The human being, by his existence represents an eternal presence.

Each has a sense of the eternality of his own life.

The value of the absence of personal involvement

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/14/2010 Tuesday 7 Tevet 5771

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Page 39 – a third from the top of the page (line starts “haba mizeh...”)

The rebbe is saying that in all sichlim and more so in the sechel hahuli ha-atzmi, there is a recognition of the essence of the thing itself. This is knowing something from its own reality as opposed to how it presents itself.

This is knowing an essential truth. An essential truth can never be fully expressed.

The Ari Zal said that he would have taken 80 years and still not have revealed the essence of what he saw.

Essence is by definition above sechel. Yet we say there is a koach that sees the essence (the koach ha hiuli ha atzmi). How can sechel see what is above it?! This is like physical sight – we don't see reality since we grasp and understand it – we see it due to the finesse and refinement of the eye. The eye is transparent – it allows for the light to come through – your activity is not needed. As soon as you try to express it then you are a participant talking about what you see, rather than what it is.

Through bitul sechel sees essence. Ultimately this bitul is the real value of sechel. This is where sechel is different from midot.

Chochmah is where it is all bitul – no personal participation. Binah is where you start to grasp it. Daas is where you relate it to yourself.

In our prayers (of Yom Kippur / Rosh Hashanah) we say that in the future “every creature will know that You are the Creator. And beyond this it will know that You created it – it will know the essence of what is created.” Comprehension in the future will be in a totally different manner. “There will be a knowing of Me.”

In the future we will know the Torah, by knowing Him. We will know it from inside out. The mitzvot will not have to be commanded – it will be obvious. There will be hasaga in mehus ha-davar.

A leaf turns, a tree falls...

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/13/2010 Monday 6 Tevet 5771  

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Page 39 – quarter from the top of the page (line starts “mitzad ha sichli...”)

There are 2 elements that come with a revelation of sechel – the level of sechel/intellect and the level of etzem/essence. Essence is only due to the thing being a G-dly creation. From the worldly perspective they ask, “if a tree fall in the forest and none is there to hear it, does it make a noise?” The Baal Shem Tov, by contrast, says that there is essence involved in a leaf turning over in a field...!

The Ari Zal saw in one hour what would take 80 years to describe and teach. He saw with his “inner eye”. During that hour he was not observing, he was experiencing the essence of the thing. Yet still there seems to be a limit - “80 years”...



The essence of what he saw was limitless. Actual limitlessness – he was seeing a true presence.

Etzem and mehus ha davar has no limit. It is a G-dly reality. It is a source without reason and limit. Thus it is bli gvul – limitless.

The revelations from that essence would take him 80 years to reveal, but what the Ari Zal saw was literally unlimited. He could reveal sechel, but the essence cannot be revealed.

Living with light

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/12/2010 Sunday 5 Tevet 5771

More than meets the eye

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/10/2010 Friday 3 Tevet 5771

At the end of page 38 – last 3 lines.

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The naked truth and “Who runs this place?”

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/9/2010 ThursdayNight 2 Tevet 5771

At the end of page 38 – last 3 lines.

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א The rebbe explained that the nefesh sees everything from the inside, but there is a defined way to grasp it and yet the concept itself leads to infinity.

The laws of physics can be instrumental in a person losing sense of a “living world”, but when he is misbonen/meditating on them it can bring one to a sense of a “living world”. This is the bottom – this is where we see physicality itself revealing Him. External sechel does not grasp this. Only the essence of sechel can grasp this. This is light coming out of dark.

This cannot be grasped in the garments of sechel.

truth is grasped in an instant. Yet the garments of mind break it down into a process. But this does not take away from the internal truth. This is binah - it does not grasp the truth of pnimiut of chochah, but must refer back to it.

One must go back to chochmah, to the essential truth of any matter.

Sechel is a G-dly gift and relates one to the truth of existence. One may ask, “where does the world come from?” yet this is not a question of the levushei ha sechel – this is the realm of imaginary logic.

The human has knowledge of more than meets the eye and thus asks, “what is going on here?” Sechel sees the truth, not what is presented to it. It only has an interest in pure truth. If one is bored, one can take a candy and divert the body, but the neshamah still says, “what is going on?”

The depth of sechel cannot be dressed up and revealed in garments. So why teach? This is the providing a form/hint that can enable one to get back to the essence.

World is too small for me – people are strange when you're a stranger

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/9/2010 Thursday 2 Tevet 5771

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We are looking at “there is no such thing as nothingness” in the sechel perspective. In a physical/secular world the movement of an object by inertia is nothing. We say it is indicative of the infinity of the Creator.

We you discover something outside the realm of natural sechel, then it is something that you are relating to something beyond world.

The human being does not fit into the world like a tree or an animal, since his perception is beyond world. The neshamah of the human being is something that comes directly from G-d, not like an animal that was made soul and body together. World is too small for man – it is an imprisonment.

He is also incapable of saying we evolved from monkeys. People rebel against this - “I cannot live like an animal...”

I need to live in reality, not just an explained reality. An animal fits easily into the world, but a human asks, “what is this all about?!” And to this question there are 2 responses - “I am an animal” or “I am a human in a G-dly world”.

One needs to hear one's inner voice – regarding marriage and our existence in the world. Marriage has a G-dly purpose...

Ways of seeing

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/8/2010 Wednesday 1 Tevet 5771

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Sechel ha atzmi is where you have the infinite. Any revealed sechel by definition has an element of gvul – limit.

The significance of this is that anything that is a limited sechel does not stand on its own. It is true when you focus on it and its support, but as you shift your attention one reverts to another orientation. In contrast to this, the atzmi level of sechel is beyond this. A revelation from the atzmi level that comes as a result of ohr chozer has an element of bli-gvul (infinity) and, that defines reality. This is where our cognizance of G-dliness is on par with our awareness of the world.

Inertia itself reveals an element of infinity. This is the G-dly presence in the world.



Usually sechel has a process and is limited. Here, using the example of intertia, is a physical phenomenon, that shows on infinity. The switch in seeing is the question, “what is the essence”. The animal mind says, “there is nothing there, so it continues on...” The sechel mind says, “there is no activity, it is not nothingness, it is G-dliness. It is an intended truth. Without G-dliness there is no nothingness...”

Review Session

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/6/2010 Monday 29 Kislev 5771
Review Session

Review Session

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 12/2/2010 Thursday 25 Kislev 5771