Allowing light to affect your essence

Friday, December 24, 2010

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

Click on the icon (in tool bar on the right) to see text.

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.

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The power of the name...

In everything there is how this thing pertains to itself and how it represents itself. This representation is really a secondary element in this presence – that it can be viewed from outside and that it represents itself. There is a deep element - you would think that we can represent ourselves any way we want – this is politics, but this is a perversion. Really there is an essential element in a person to represent himself. This is the power of a name – it is an external thing, but at the same time it touches his essence. A person has a body and soul – the purpose of the soul in the body is not for itself, but to express itself outside...! ~ Shiur Sunday 8.22.2010

Light Power

All that came into being...

...all the created worlds and all the ethereal entities that live in them, even the worlds that are mere emanations without tangible substance, even the worlds of thought and beyond to the realms of infinite light that preceded Creation...

--all this came to be only as a result of the thought of you, the earthly being, struggling in a world that only a infinitesimal glimmer of G-dliness has reached in its purity, bringing light where light could not be.

And so it follows, that with one simple act of beauty, all those worlds and realms of light find their purpose fulfilled, and so shine yet brighter--and reciprocate with a burst of illumination into our lowly world.

That is why the entire creation can be transformed with one simple, sincere deed.

Never underestimate the power of light.

From the wisdom of the Rebbe. Words by Tzvi Freeman

Tools of the trade (Glossary)

(… to be continued and developed…)

· Bechinat – aspect

· Keili – vessel/container

· Ohr – light (pl: Ohrot or Orot)

· Hitlabshut – enclothement

· Kodesh – holy (lit: removed)

· Shaichus - connection

· Madrega – level

· Etzem – essence

· Muvdal – removed/separated

· Koach – power (as in koach reiya – the power of sight. Pl: kochot)

· Dibur – speech

· Machshavah – thought

· Myseh – action

· Malchus – kingship

· Kesser – crown, encompassing level

· Etzem – essence

· Mekabel – recipient

· Mashpia – giver / mentor

· Misromem – exalted

· Oh ein sof – infinite light

· Melech – king

· Meturgeman – translator / intermediary

· Tammuz – a Hebrew month

· Rav – teacher

· Sechel – mind

In the world - Beyond the world - Exodus - Shattering and Refinement

Hayom Yom (25 Tevet):

"From my father's discourses we see that Exodus from Egypt means leaving limitations and bounds, and Chassidus is to enable man to leave the restrictions of the material world.

There is a difference: The Egyptian Exodus means shattering and then departure. We went away from Egypt.

The Chassidic Exodus means purification and correction, stepping out of worldly limitations and bounds while remaining in the the world.

This means, that while functioning within the world we must transcend its limitations. We are to remove the limitations and bounds, and perceive the truth - that the world per se is truly good, since, after all, the natural world is what G-d intended.

This is attained through the Avoda (work) of Chassidus."

Notes: When society and environment ("world" in chassidic usage) conflict with Torah, there may be a reaction of withdrawal from "world" and its affairs. Extreme monastic withdrawal is rejected by Torah.
Chassidus advocates being "within world," involvement in the normal routines of family and occupation for example, but refusing subservience to the values and principles of "world."

The Jew's values are to be Torah's while he functions in the marketplace or laboratory. He utilizes the opportunities and challenges of "world" to subordinate and use worldly affairs for Torah ideals, values and goals.

He will do this intellectually when confronting concepts that appear not to be consonant with Torah, and also by observing Mitzvot in inhospitable circumstances.

While functioning in this environment he is apart from it, refusing to be dominated or intimidated by it.

Stand, Walk and Jump - Daily Chassidus

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Friday, December 24, 2010

Allowing light to affect your essence

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