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Wishing You Chasiva v' Chasima Tova - Written and Sealed for a Good Year!


We plan to have our regular daily shiur/class/post on Monday! 

“Reality and Function“ p: 56

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 9/27/11 Tuesday 28 Elul 5771  

Page 56 – about a third from the top of the page (line starts: “de-ikar...”).

We are looking at how chochmah relative to binah is similar to the comparison between malchus and briah. This is all to say that the start of creation process is from briah. Chochmah is ein/nothing and thus cannot be viewed as the head of hishtalshalus/download.

There are 2 distinct elements in terms of creating something. There is that which allows for the subject and there is that which pushes for it. That which 'allows' for it, is not not considered the head/source of that entity.

We have the space demarcated, by the rooms in a house. This is exactly the same space that existed before the house was built. Yet one cannot say the space called for the furniture – the space is like ein/nothing. The house and the rooms are the defining factor. The house demands rooms, but the space does not demand a house. The rashit/head/source is binah and not chochmah. Chochmah does not have the element of being the instigator. Binah does have this aspect, as in our metaphor it already has a 'view of the rooms'.

Even though chochmah is the ein for this process and it is a key participant, it cannot be the rashit/source of the process.

Chochmah is also a ha-arah. It is not the space itself – it is the announcement of the space. It is the start of the functionality. The land is reality itself, not function. An observed area inherently has a functionality to it. 

“Making it Real“ p: 56

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 9/26/11 Monday 27 Elul 5771  

Page 56 – about a third from the top of the page (line starts: “de-ikar...”).

Truth refers to the element of an object that is not part of its own structure. Like the space it occupies, that is the fundamental reality.

This is the difference between chochmah and binah. Binah argues and substantiates. Chochmah simply perceives it from a reality perspective – 'that is the way it should be'. This is why it is called ein/nothing. It is nothing, but it is the real yesh – the most real. Not the yeshus of binah, but the quality that makes things real.

Everything comes from above. Things don't make themselves. We think 'we made this canister from a piece of metal – wrong. This form existed before the metal was found...'

Chochmah has the concept but on the ein/nothing level.

We have ein of malchus relative to the yesh of briah. The nothing of malchus provides for the yesh of binah.  

“The World Hangs on Nothing“ p: 56

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 9/25/11 Sunday 26 Elul 5771 

Page 56 – about a third from the top of the page (line starts: “de-ikar...”).

In general we need to understand, that if we try to identify the difference between chochmah and that which is above it, we see that tynug and ratzon have an essential pressence. But from chochmah on down it is ha-arah. Ha-arah means the way neshamah/soul affects that which is not soul...  

So too the vitality of the soul in the body. It brings the body to life – to the extent that it can even relate to intellect, but the body does not become 'life'. The body is lifeless and the soul is the essence of life. The brain is the most sensitive, yet it reaches only to the level of 'recognizing what the soul wants', not that it becomes soul itself.

The soul directs the body how to heal. The body can be damaged and the soul directs it's healing. 

Ha-arah is the illumination from the soul. The earth remains dark though the sun's light reaches it. The earth is illuminated, but does not become transformed to a light body. There has to be a purpose to the light that reaches it.

Midot is where the transformation occurs. The effect of the nefesh becomes true and far reaching. This still does not compare to the level of ratzon and oneg. For midot to be real they need a very definitive framework.

“I meet many people, sometimes someone says, 'I have trouble getting up in the morning' and I tell him, when you get up with the sun you are part of reality – a participant...”

Chochmah is a participant in the creation of entities, it gives a key ingredient – the ein/nothingness and hence provides the sense of reality to the created entities.

Chochmah bechinat/aspect of ein/nothingness. And the Hebrew word bechinah means 'test' – implying that by delving into it you see the element of ein/nothingness. This nothingness is not at first apparent. Sunlight illuminates our earth. While the light is 'in transit' between sun and earth it is not seen at all. Only when striking an object is the light seen. It is only recognized when it hits something. It exists before it hits something, but in the ein/nothing form. Light does not interfere with what it shows you.

Chochmah is the ein of the his-havut/creation process. Chochmah is the ein of the binah – it provides for it the entire, pure truth, without any reduction; the only limit is what binah can cull from it...

The truth, the element that is most real, we are calling ein/nothing! This is yehudah's comment. Rabbi explained, there are 3 points in this: from our perspective, as it pertains to the factor itself, and as it pertains to the source. From our perspective it is unaffected by our actions – it is there automatically and hence ein – its presence does not depend on our acceptance of it. There is a real Source and comared to that it is called ein/nothing. And from its own activity, the ein is unobtrusive and can be easily ignored.

“The Same Project“ p: 56

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 9/23/11 Friday 24 Elul 5771  

Page 56 – about 10 lines from the top of the page (line starts: “lo yesh...”). 

The principle starting point of hishtalshalus/download is from binah/understanding and not from chochmah/wisdom.

Hishtalshalus/download implies as seen in the human experience. Each has their own perspective and nature and yet each of them represents the point that 'this is a full fledged human being'. A human relates to a higher element – 'the spirit of man rises...' The way it plays out is infinite. Once his soul comes into the body, the expression is one way or another.

The reason it goes down is that in binah there is already the beginning of definition and continues to make a defines midah/measure. Chochmah doesn't initiate the revelation of midot/measures.

“The World in which You Participate!“ p: 56

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 9/22/11 ThursdayNight 23 Elul 5771 

Page 56 – at the top of the page. 

We have come upon an element that we have not previously discussed. That element is the 2 aspects within chochmah itself.

The haskalah, when it is as it is contained in chochmah, that level can be turned in any direction he wants. But then when it comes into binah and haskallah it become solidified and cannot be turned. The metaphor for this is water and firmament.

Let's look at 'haskalah she hu be chochmah' – it would seem redundant. In the chochmah there is haskalah and they are not synonyms. This morning we started to look at these 2 elements in chochmah.  

p 56, AyinBase, Rebbe Rashab (right click to open in new window ete...)

We need first to get past our first impression of sechel, 'that it makes things work', rather it is more alive and primary than that.

Rabbi related, that he spoke with a man today who says he 'feels dry and insensitive'. Rabbi said, 'I tried various ways to get to him. The sun was shining. I said look out the window. Now what would your reaction be if I told you 'you are looking at a painting'. He reacted slightly that this would be a loss. I explained to him that the painting is just an observation, the real thing is announcing the world in which you participate! You didn't make this world. He put you here. Your realization of this world is chochmah. Realization of a truth that does not come to you via any kind of experience.' in the chochmah there are 2 parts – 1. the truth and 2. what it means to you – this is the haskalah of it.

The value of the beauty of reality in contrast to that of a painting is the significance. The painting is a reflection of a point of view. The initial impression and the haskala occur concurrently.   

Yes, the chochmah is like ratzon/will in that is is the truth, but it is the observation mode rather than the essential level.

In chochmah there is the additional element of 'it makes sense'. This is already the haskalah level of the chochmah.

Once some thing comes down to hasagah it becomes 'your knowledge' and there it is not possible to turn it around since it is either one way or another.

This is like The Flood at the time of Noah – 'man's thoughts are continually evil' and this was the cause for destruction, but later this exact argument was used to his merit. 'He's evil from his youth' and thus needs special dispensation/patience. Hence sechel that is based on reason can change. So why did we say binah is solid and cannot change?

In all sechel up to daas can always be changed.

When it comes to hasagah there is already a form. A sense of ramification. Merit or accusation.   

“Sweet and Sour“ p: 56

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 9/22/11 Thursday 23 Elul 5771 

Page 56 – at the top of the page.  

There is a reason the soul spills over into chochmah and binah, and that is to have some effect in the external world – this is done via midot/measures/emotions.

At the top of the page the Rebbe is telling us that in chochmah the midot are not yet a metziut. To explain this we are looking at the situation of water and firmament.

The firmaments were expanding and Hashem froze it in place – this represents that the concept as it is in chochmah can be turned in any direction. But when it is in binah, which is the state of hasagah/understanting it is not possible to divert it or turn it in another direction.

Chochmah is a point. So what is the meaning that it can be turned in different direction? Chochmah is how it comes from the soul. haskalah/binah is the impression that is made on one's conscious thinking. Sight has these 2 elements. You can see things at a glance – this it the 'truth itself', along with that is the impression it makes on you. Hashem place a human being in the world – it is the reality, not circumstantial – this is the fundamental/chochmah element of our relationship with the world. This initial truth is the G-dly element and His declaration of what a human being is.

The second element of sight is the hasagah/binah/understanding. The hasagah that comes is already the effect. How it is being viewed, recognized and experienced in the person.

So how can the 'truth/point' of chochmah be turned? The answer is that the point cannot be moved, but the element that is an external message can be shifted.

A person alive in a body has pleasant and unpleasant experiences. You may think that these are predefined – that sweet is pleasant and sour is unpleasant. But the truth is it varies – sometimes sour is refreshing and sweet unpleasant. Thus this element of life can be experienced in many ways – nothing definitive. This illustrates that though the point of life is the same, the effect (haskalah in our discussion) varies.  

“A Faithful Report“ p: 56

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 9/21/11 Wednesday 22 Elul 5771 www.dailychassidus.blogspot.com

Page 56 – at the top of the page. 

We are looking at 2 levels of mind. chochmah/wisdom and binah/understanding. Sechel/mind is at the level of revelation, which is very different from ratzon/will and oneg/pleasure. Sechel is also nefesh/soul, but it is what it sees, not the means by which it sees. Sechel is a report of the soul situation. The soul makes a report and this is sechel – nevertheless it is a description – this makes it a metziut/entity and not 'part of parcel' of the soul itself.

P 56, AyinBase, Rebbe Rashab

Chochmah and binah are in this category of sechel/mind/report. These are high levels. This is the distinction between humans and animals. Animals have 'feelings' but don't have sechel. The soul makes the report not 'because I enjoy expressing it' but because it is the truth.

Sight is not like touch – you aren't physically affected – sight is a report of 'what is there'. This is like sechel with the emphasis on 'what is the truth'.

Within sechel/mind there are the 2 levels – chochmah deals on a level where midot are not yet in an element of existence. That binah has midot is not by accident – there is a direct relationship. In the world there is no experience without ramification – there are results – cause and effect. Same is true of chochma and binah. The soul is the soul. Chochmah has a message, but without the message it is nil – it is not a real presence like a soul and it is not real at the world level. Since it is a revelation it has to have a function, and what provides for this are the 'as yet undefined' midot. This is what allows the soul to see itself in the world. It sees how it's chochmah is impacting the world. So now we see how the midot in binah are a further expression of the nefesh/soul in the world.

If not for the view of the truth, people would fight in the street, but since we have sechel, that tells us, 'we both were made by the same Creator who wants co-operation' thus we can co-ordinate our efforts. Chochmah is the statement that 'this world belongs to Hashem' and inclueded there in an undefined form are the midot/measures/emotions.  

“The Soul and Real Estate” p: 55-6

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 9/20/11 Tuesday 21 Elul 5771 

Page 55 – about 3 lines from the end of the page. Line starts, 'ukmo...'

You may think of 'don't steal' or 'love your neighbor as yourself' as being based on communal life – the one harming and the other benefiting 'civil life'. But the truth is that these are based on a soul truth – a higher reality. They are not created on a practical level – there is something real behind it. At source it is not really a mitzvah since all is one. This is to understand the principle that above there are no midot/measures/emotions.

This is like the embryo while still in the seed – it does not yet have the aspect of 'entity'. There is no sign of an entity, though all is present there.

There is the desire in a person for a home. This is a soul desire. What does it mean that the soul should care of such a thing? This is like one's name being significant to the person. The essence of the soul in the human is represented by his name, even though a name is added to a person after he is born. The name is what establishes the human being as an entity among others – to be in the world.

To function and be effective on a broader scale is part of his essence, not an 'add-on'. This is why, 'be fruitful and multiply' and establishing a home is so essential.

The name is not for convenience. So too in the soul is the will for a house. The soul has a mission in the world, and the mission is not to hover, but to participate and be a building block, to build and own a piece of the world – this is the home.

This impulse takes different forms on each level – ratzon, chochmah and binah. When something is materialized (the house is built) one has to take care to keep the purpose in mind.   

“The Heart and the Pet Rock” p: 55

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 9/19/11 Monday 20 Elul 5771 

Page 55 – about 5 lines from the end of the page. Line starts, 'mikol makom...'

What is the significance of saying the midot/emotions are present, but fine and spiritual? The principle is that what gives them this quality is due to their bitul. And they have bitul due to the ohr hasechel / light of intellect that is present.

You're told to 'love your neighbor as yourself'. And we are told that at the soul level we are really one entity.

What would be needed for one to see things from a 'soul perspective'? This would be an avodah, till one recognizes the real truth of one existence is not 'what he makes of himself' but was is give from G-d, the elokus element that makes his life worth living.

The main difference between man and animal is because he relates to his Creator and thus has an element of truth in him. Man goes beyond the creation and cleaves to the Creator, thus giving him a total different significance. It takes effort to break through the obstacles and sense this.

 It is only in this lowly world where we need to be told to love. At a higher level it is a given reality. This is the meaning of the fine nature of the midot/emotions at the level of binah. It is a novel perception that there are midot in binah. The subtlety is that they are all included in one yet there is a element of metziut/separate entities, but they don't demand attention.

Chochmah is not soul itself – is a revelation of the soul. It enables the soul to be expressed in our conscious practical world.

“A Beautiful World” p: 55

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 9/18/11 Sunday 19 Elul 5771 

Page 55 – about 7 lines from the end of the page. Line starts, 'bechochmah...'

Malchus is close to us, yet is very elusive. Because it is so 'all encompassing' it is difficult to define what we mean by malchus.

On the one hand the king is above and aloof, on the other hand he is present in everything. The supremacy of the king is such that it knows no bounds and spreads everywhere – not just in terms of space, but actually relating to everything. Like for example the principles of justice and conduct in the kingdom, even if petty, concern the king.

Chochmah sees how something is at essence, rather than one's own response to it. And there is a unification with the topic itself. Chochmah connects you to the essence, yet it is still a faculty.

Metziut/physical entities are not truth. Take the soul out of a body and you have nothing. The soul continually enlivens the body and faculties. You can see the nation Rome and be impressed, but there is no reality. One spark of Jacob can consume all the hosts of Esau.

To see text, right click here.

A person thinks constantly – and this is the constant activation of the body from the soul. The body does not have life of its own. Thinking is the pathway of life into the person.

Chochmah is not the matter of arrousal/how it affects me, but rather the connection to the truth itself. 

Just as when we observe something – a panorama – we are involved in the observation and not the analysis – if you are analyzing this is not sight. The idea of chochmah is to give you the truth in order to translate it later into binah. This is the transformation of the middot/emotions and the state of the world.

The cleaving is to get the pure truth not to rise up and be nullified.

In chochmah the fact that there is a physically observable world does not disturb at all – it is all absorbed in the truth that is being viewed. Metziut is not interfering with viewing the reality. 

In binah there is a new effect. An important aspect to be understood by a mashal. When you come into this room and see this table, it does not distract, the table is nullified to the overall view, and then you get to the details and see 'this table' and you see – 'it belongs here because it serves the function of the room'. This is hasagah, you take ohr hachochmah and you bring it down and see that metziut itself is giving the same message!  

You have the world and the sun – from chochmah perspective, we say, 'wow! It is a bright beautiful world' – and then we start examining and you could say, 'the sun doesn't care about illuminating the world – it just chance' - but the hasagah from the chochma is that the initial observation is true – one entity that represents a beautiful world and the sun was made to play a role here. Hasaga is to retain the truth that you observed in chochmah. The truth that this is one beautiful world, one harmonious scene.

How do I know there is truth? Because I am true. My soul is true.

The world got inverted, knowledge and understanding has become, 'how can I convince you' – 'quotable quotes' and it has become base on metziut of the world. This is a losing sight of G-d, because G-d is an internal thing, I cannot show it to you. And you want to accept only what can be shown!?

Sechel is relating to the truth, not to what I am experiencing. The truth is preeminent and the hispielus/arousal is secondary.

In the level of binah, the midot/emotions are so refined that they say, 'don't look at me!' because at that level it is permeated with the light of chochmah. They are in a state of 'bechinat heder hamitziut/absence of existence'. 'This mountain is big? But look at the One who provides for it – the mountain calls attention to the Real Thing...'

“Something to do with You” p: 55

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 9/16/11 Friday 17 Elul 5771 

Page 55 – about 10 linesfrom the end of the page. Line starts, 'ahvah ve gevurah...'

Any leaning to kindness or severity – a personal attitude is from hasagah – when the topic is comprehended. Hasagah means that 'you understand the subject personally' – and that's where midot/emotions begin to surface.

Thus in binah there is the aspect of incorporation of midot. This is the principle of leaning to chesed or gevurah. There is a mind arousal (hispoylut).

Chochmah is knowing the point of truth and binah is the recognition of it in a broader sense.

There is a mind arousal (hispoylut) – this is not the purity of mind – it is a level of midot/emotions in binah.

“Building the House” p: 55

The Twins from France, with their Lag B'Omer Parade T shirts

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 9/15/11 ThursdayNight 16 Elul 5771 

Page 55 – about a third from the end of the page. Line starts, 'ha-haskalah...'

the principle beginning of the download creating the actual world is from binah. This morning we talked over how midot are a presence. They are not just and inclination of fear or love. It has an object of the love or fear. They are both based on a reality way beyond them, that does not birth them.

If one has the will to build a large house. A small house may be a necessity, but a big house reflects his nefesh, will and broadness – and in order for the house to be built properly that will has to be brought down into sechel. The point is that the ratzon has to devolve into the sechel, so that 'this ratzon makes sense on the sechel level'. Should he build directly from the raton it will not happen properly. Not due to lack of skill, but due to a lack of definition.

The ratzon is a full presence, but the way the house exists there is like imaginary, and the ratzon wants that it should be in the world. The sechel can grasp this, not the ratzon. 

The sechel derives from the ratzon and from the sechel are derived the midot.

The love between twins is inherent. So too the love between man and G-d – it is inherent.

And this is the basis of all reality. He holds up the world. On this we base our lives. We relate to this greater truth. On what basis do we have children? Look life is a struggle! Struggle or no struggle, it is a blessing – it is beyond the practical level. When one reflects on this it brings out love and fear for it brings a person to a new level. It brings him out of his worldly concerns and gives him a reality beyond imagination. 'I want to live up to the purity and reality of this G-dly presence!'

love and fear of G-d is not due to pain or benefit. The reality is an experience of a richness – it is not reactive – it is the elevation of my life to a sense of reality.

“The Basis of The Love” p: 55

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 9/15/11 Tuesday 16 Elul 5771 


Page 55 – about a third from the end of the page. Line starts, 'ha-haskalah...'


Both chochmah and binah are responsible for hishtalshalus, but chochmah is more distant.


The middot/emotions come into being, not from the point of mind, but from the expanse... How does this relate? We need a more general perspective. Where do chochmah and binah come from? We tend to see things through chochmah chitzoni / external mind and not with the inner chochmah which is the living nefesh/soul perspective. Middot come from chochmah and binah and not from that which precedes them. There is a great emphasis on sechel because it is the distinction between the human being and all other creations. The human reaches up to the source of existence and life.




At that source he finds chochmah and binah. Both of them are expressions of the nefesh/soul – they are not the soul itself. Chochmah is expressed as a point and binah expands it to an actual presence. Middot are the actual experience of a worldly presence. Even in terms of human interaction chesed/love and gevurah/severity are found... The basis of the love is a 'fundamental relationship and participation in a bigger truth...'


Love for a dog and love for a pet rock are closer than any human relationship. Among human beings there is a fundamental truth to their relationship. It is base on a fundamental unity and includes all the midot/emotions. Love for a dog is on the surface and on the surface only.


So when we talk of love and fear we must know that it is derived from something fundamental.


On the level of chochmah there is already the distinction of entities – above that 'all is unified'. Above chochmah there are no separate entities. Awareness has to do with multiplicity. The human beings recognize the fundamental relationship with each other.

“The Point and the Expanse” p: 55

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 9/14/11 Tuesday 15 Elul 5771   

Page 55 – about a third from the end of the page. Line starts, 'ku... ukmo al derech mashal...'

We discussed the principle of the relationship between malchus and binah.

Baruch had a question, 'we said that hishtalshalus starts with binah, but didn't we say in the past that chochmah is the source of histalshalus?'

The answer was that chochmah level doesn't compel a level of concretization, whereas binah pushes for a more concrete level. Binah here is the hidden level and the midot/emotions are the revealed world.

Midot/emotions are not objective. They are subjective and result from personal involvement. The point of intellect is impersonal. The hasagah/understanding is like an intermediate level. 'To personally recognize its true'. From the point of truth emotions don't directly result – it is in a different world. There is the sense of 'this is true independent of myself'.

There is a level of truth – yachid – you glance this and see 'what is truth – what makes it true'.

There is a level of truth – echad – you see this and see, 'what truth makes'. And this level can be the source of what develops from it. It is a manifestation and yeshus/entities can follow. Binah recognizes the manifestation level from the chochmah and has something to define. Binah remains connected to the chochmah, to the point.

The human being starts from chochmah not binah. Chochmah is already a metziut that binah can relate to. But it is a metziut in a nekudah/point form. It tells you there is a truth, but is not giving truth in it's own abode – that is the domain of tynug/pleasure and ratzon/will.

“Ownership and Activity” p: 55

AyinBase with R' Paltiel 9/13/11 Tuesday 14 Elul 5771 

Page 55 – about a third from the end of the page. Line starts,  'ku...'

Binah and malchus are both called melech/king. One above and one below. Binah is the start of hishtalshalus – the download/downward flow starts with binah. Although chochmah is also involved it is not called the head of hishtalshalus, since it influences from a distance.


Our text: right click here

Malchus as we have discussed, is really very illusive. In our world this is not easily understood. We are leery of one ruling over another and ask what is so significant of a ruler. Malchus is seen in each person. The home is not the storehouse of equipment he needs for life – home is the place where his effect is felt – even space is affected and becomes his domain.

Man has things that fall under his ownership – he needs and uses these items – but this an active state. An active claim. Deeper than that is another reality, that is not based on an active claim. The very presence of the person is a reality, not just his activity – this is because he is made by G-d and this is independent of his activities.

This level of truth of the person is reflected not just in his body, but in his domain – in his place in the world. There is a place where he puts things and they are not disturbed. You cannot enter his home uninvited – this would be like treading on someone. The home is much more than a storage place, they are so to speak, 'secluded in a holy domain' – a private domain. This is the malchus element – a sense of reality.

In malchus 'all is there' but not due to an active presence. By virtue of the man coming into the world, there is a piece of the world that is 'by definition his'.

Calling someone's name brings him back from a faint. This is true only because he is a G-dly creation – everything was made by G-d, but he is a 'direct G-dly creation'. Like man has a name that is a reality, so too his a domain. Man doesn't have to fight for his right to be in the world – 'it is provided to him by his Creator'. (Here we see the poverty of saying, man is based on evolution/competition – the depth and richness of man is lost).

Binah is higher kingship – the head of hishtalshalus. Malchus is the lower kingship.

The element of malchus in sechel gives one a sense of a universal truth to a concept and thus it moves from one level to another. Although binah is subjective, yet, 'the reason I understand it is because of the truth content'.