“Physicality Has the Highest Source” p: 64

AyinBase with R' Paltiel ThursdayNight 3 Tevet 5772 

Page 64 – at the last line of the page (line starts, 'tachtonah...')

See link (top right) for link to all pages of the text.

We are dealing with this topic till there is a means to relate to it...

we looked at the difference between physical and spiritual sight... sight gives us a sense of the reality of the world.

Wisdom/chochmah is called sight... it is very clear and there is no doubt. This sighting is due to the ability and sensitivity of the sechel.

In physical sight you see the object not because you have some relationship to it, but because it is its own reality...

Yet still we say there is advantage of sight of sechel over re-iyat ha-mehus...

Sight of chochmah/wisdom is spiritual and not as direct as that of prophesy, yet it is higher.

This is like it says in Tanya – 'physicality has the highest source – it points to essence – it has characteristics of essence – it speaks of itself without reference to a source...'

Physicality brings to life for us the topic of essence. It shows itself as an entity without a source. That that kind of presentation is sourced in atzmus/essence, because only Atzmus has that kind of quality. By denying its source it gives testimony of Him who has not source.

This is to point out that sechel which is not the mehus has a superiority – it relates you to a higher light. Physicality alludes to essence. While chochmah seeks essence and identifies it.

So too with kisses. The souls of Israel call for His kisses. The souls are an element of essence and kisses are only a ha-arah. So why the desire?

The union of chochmah and binah has a sense. Binah relates to chochmah – it understands it... there is a meaning to the relationship... they have an understanding... this is zivug/union ruchni/spiritual.

Zivug/union gufni/bodily is essence to essence. When the midah drives the hand to do kindness, the hand does not appreciate or understand. There is a transmission of the essence.

So how does the value of kisses pertain to souls which are the result of zivug gufni?

Middot come from sechel. And ther is an aspect of the effect of sechel on middot. There is such a thing a midot imbued with sechel. Israel is a compassionate nation. This compassion is 'natural'. But if we give it also a sechel level, and say, 'you and I were made by the same G-d and I feel for you', then this is getting to a higher level where the feeling of compassion itself is now imbued with truth – a G-dly truth...

The kisses are the intentional relationship not just the 'essential level', then the soul itself is elevated!