“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.