“Remember your soul!” p: 48

AyinBase with R' Paltiel p: 48 4/10/2011 Sunday 6 Nissan 5771

Page 48 - 6 lines from the top (line starts: tov...)

the shiur opened with a description of a mashal/metaphor for understanding how the level of ein/nothing can become a makor/source. Rabbi described the way water in the pipes is the source for the water that flows from the faucet. While the reservoir, though connected to the water in every house is not the local source. The element of flowing is the connection, but in the reservoir the water is passive and resting.

Movement is in the pipe not in the reservoir.

How does the sitra achra get power, if it is not His intent? This is because the kedusha is dressed in garments that conceal the ohr. So the other side get their life from the garments. Externality.

The light is dressed in the physical object it illuminates and makes it possible. Hence we can lose sight of the full impact of light. You begin to see not with your eyes, but with your hands.

The richness of light can be lost completely. It can start to be seen as a physical entity. This is due to the fact that the light is dressed in the object. It became part of it. It is almost like it became captured by it. This means you no longer see that light as separate from the object. If daylight is viewed as that which allows you to see across the street then you are missing the whole point – this can be a byproduct of hislabshut and the life can be lost and it can become sitra-achra/the other side.

In light this is not so serious even though very degrading. On the level of soul more is at stake. We see the soul through the body. And it is possible to view the body as life and forget about the soul altogether. This is the extent of the way there can a capture of holiness.

This problem exists in reflected light / ha-arah but not in essence, essential light. The phenomenon of world means that if light comes without a tzimzum/contraction, then 'world would ceasae to be world'. World per se means physicality.

There is an element of the soul called emunah. It has a completely different nature from the other soul faculties.

When we see light in the world though we experience it as it reflects off objects, we also have a sense of 'daylight' – the new situation that light provides.

This is also true on the soul level. Usually we relate to just physicality. Process and levush / enclothment are related. This is true in the nefesh too – up to the level of chochmah, which comes as a flash of light... So generally if anything we understand the nefesh as it is reflected in the body.

The exception is emunah. It is of a different caliber – emunah means steady/steadfast. It does not come through a process. It does not have give and take and proof – it is the presence of nefesh / soul itself. This is where we experience nefesh/soul per se.

it is not enclothed in the body. 'you know it, but you don't know it' – hence it does not have the limitations seen before. The other side / sitra achra cannot access it.

So the whole matter of the the tree of knowledge of good and bad, means that daas/knowledge is not the problem, is not evil, but that it comes to the level of hislabshut/formatting/enclothment, which can result in the other side gaining from it.

Torah itself came into formatting and hence one can use torah to come to a halacha that is contrary to the intent. But Torah in inherently/essence of the Tree of Life, which is the inner light...



life exists in the area of direct connection to elokus. daas/knowledge is already a process/obstruction. Torah is inherently direct from from Him – like the breath of His mouth. Torah is 'all good – kulo tov!' and there is no ra. Even the punishments in torah are not punishments per se. the act is for cleansing of the soul. Ra itself is not found in Torah.

Torah is the tree of life dressed in the tree of knowledge and this enclothment will be discussed.