“He Presents; Fool for You” p: 69

AyinBase with R' Paltiel TuesdayNight 7 Shvat 5772 

Page 69– 7th line from the top of the page (line starts, 'pnimit...')

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We have been trying to present the paradox of choice/bechirah. This is pure concept. There are no vessels for this. It is a concept that is totally based on non presence/metziut. It is based on matzei rishon – the First Being. This is the principle of essence. In this there is essential pleasure and that's where the choice takes place.

This morning it was asked – 'Hey, choice must be between alternatives!' The answer is that the choice is between the inner or external elements. 

The concept is the infinity that is evident in the creation is also a manifestation of the essence, and hence the deeds of the evil are also infinite! Practically speaking light is not a necessity. Except in the recognition of the non presence truth. And this is the bechirah/choice. This is the unique quality of the souls of Israel...

There was a philosopher from the nations who said to Rabah, 'you are a knee jerk nation' or 'you are a lowly nation' why, 'you preceded your mouth before your ear'. This is the unique quality of the souls of Isreal.

He showed them miracles, didn't Israel have reasons for choosing Him... But the accusation 'you preceded your mouth before your ear' is that you are going for the pure truth – before you hear it, before you have any personal experience you want Him. The work of the evil is about, 'my experience'. Israel wants Him for the truth, not for their experience.

Sight and light is that you identify the presence of an object not because you see it, but because of what the object itself is. You see due to the Presenter, rather than your experience.

This is choice – it is due to the truth of the Essence. The souls' essential connection is manifest by their bearing witness before they even experienced the revelation... They choose the truth, not due to any affect it has...

Before blowing the shofar we say, 'he will choose for us, His domain'. On Rosh Hashanah everything rises up, and this is the reason we say, 'HaMelech HaKodesh' – He is separate even from the essential pleasure. Remote from any kind of defining quality – even essential pleasure. This is where He says, 'my holiness is above your holiness'.

Due to this rising upwards, thus we plead, that He should choose us and be our King. And this we do by means of the shofar... Shofar represents the simple voice of the soul.

He chooses for us and He becomes our portion.

Shofar is an expression of desire, without any content... it cannot be put in thought...

the Baal Shem Tov is like the voice of the unrecognized prince. The king sent his son to a distant land to develop him and to affect his surrounding, but he was so distant and with the passage of time he became unrecognizable. He adapted himself to the customs/mores of the locals. He returned to his father's palace. The gate guard won't give him passage. They don't recognize him. Who are you? Nothing convinces the guards. Finally the prince screams. The father recognizes the scream of his son.

The scream represents the soul of his son. This is like the shofar – the scream of Israel to connect to Him not due to any qualities.

Their ability to receive their King is due to being rooted in essence.

To relate to something just because it is true, not because you can relate to it, is uniquely Jewish...! The souls of Israel have an element of essence in them.

The souls of Israel are rooted in, 'the Presence, that is not a presence'.

This is why they have pure kabalot ol malchut shamayim – the acceptance of the yoke of heaven, without any equivocation or deal making...

“Blown into You” p: 69

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Tuesday 7 Shvat 5772 

Page 69– 5th line from the top of the page (line starts, 'hi be-ofen...') 

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We will review; we presented the principles of choice/bechirah. It is a paradoxical/illogical phenomenon. It does not occur by means of a process. Choice comes due to the essence, and the essence is devoid of any coercion, and unaffected by anything, yet there is a choice – an exclusive choice.

To explore further; to focus at this level of choice, we have to refine our thinking to the utmost – our thinking is a process and we can relate fully to phenomenon that has a 'beginning, middle and end'. Thought is regarded as a levush/garment – it is not united with the soul, it is at the level of activity, and needs the 'yes and no qualities' of activity. This is why it is a challenge to us to think about 'what a nefesh/soul is', because thought does not relate to what is 'inherent'.

To rise above thought and get to the benefit of pure sechel we need to look at the Rambam's declaration, 'all is based on the First Being', who is prior to our thoughts. He is an essential reality. Our thoughts relate to Him, but cannot grasp Him. So choice/bechirah cannot be well explained in thought, and thus one needs to rise above the limits of our thinking. 'I know it because I know it' is above thought and pure sechel can relate to this.

Your nefesh/soul was blown into you. It does not exist on its own. It is the active representation of His presence. His blowing, also indicates that there is no interuption or obstacles. Ther reality of soul is not its experiences but the Blower. The experience of life also carries that element. This is like breathing – it is given to you. It is not your doing – it is given to you. The breathing is a metaphor/mashal for the soul. Realization of this pure level – and real Presence, means we can focus on bechirah/choice.

Bechirah/choice in this context is His wanting His inner will and pleasure. This follows from what was said above – there is nothing compelling yet it can only be one way! What can only be one way? His inner will and pleasure.

There are no alternatives. This inner will and pleasure exists by choice – He can be with it or without it.

There's a First Being. What does this mean? He is there because He is there – not because something makes him be. Why is he there? Because He is the primary being. He is primary. He is there for no reason. All else is caused by Him. Nothing causes Him. He defies all parameters we attribute to existence. We go into this not because we can grasp it

the point is for us to, for a moment, rise above our sechel/knowledge. And once you have a glimpse of this you have the invulnerable element in the person. That is the spark that carries us from the beginning till now.

Just as with a human being there is his space that he occupies and there is his presence – these 2 are interdependent. The space is the external level of the presence of the host. They go together. The space is the tangible and the host is the intangible aspect. So too above. The inner and outer are both infinite. Because He is endless. Where he is space is automatically present. This is the bechirah/choice – inner or outer space?

“Choice” p: 69

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Monday 6 Shvat 5772 

Page 69– second line from the top of the page (line starts, 'be-be-chinat...')

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It cannot be any other way that He chooses Israel, but it is not a choice that is compelled. The element of choice is made up of 2 poles – He is not compelled in a certain option, but He chooses, 'thus, and not any other way'.

The principle of compulsion is the principle of being 'grasped' by the thing... it is not being just oneself, there is himself and what he is grasped by...

Not to say that there is some topic/format that compels essence. Essence is not 'held' by anything – it is beyond being and not being. Still the choice is intentionally and specifically and exclusively thus – so if Essence is so undefined, what is the basis of the decision?

That He should choose and want – he chooses His essential ratzon/will and tynug/pleasure.

Choice is rooted in a level that precedes the statement, 'I choose this' – it is part of the Essence. One has to strip thinking of 'process' to see what this is about – here the 'beginning and the end occur at the same time – the cause and the result are concurrent – there is nothing compelling'.

Essence is not lifeless, but it is not enlivened from elsewhere. It is in itself.  

“Less Defined, but More True” p: 69

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Sunday 5 Shvat 5772 

Page 69– at the top of the page (line starts, 'acheret...')

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Is the souls are rooted in His pleasure, then how is it His choice? The answer is that essence is totally unaffected by the pleasure, and thus not compelled by it – thus essence can choose without compulsion. But the souls are rooted in that level of essence, that we just mentioned – this can only be expressed in the negative – 'it is impossible to substitute them for another...!'

Their root there is not a presence, like in oneg/pleasure, but there is the essential element of essence that it can only relate to the souls of Israel. So we are back to the question of, 'how is this His choice?' and we say He is not compelled in His choosing Israel.

Chassidus explains that negative mitzvoth have a higher root than the positive mitzvoth. The negative ones are beyond taking on any form. This is like the souls rooted in Essence. There is no way to make a positive statement – it is a level of knowledge that cannot be known. It is less defined, but more true.

Yes, indeed there is the negative, 'it is impossible to substitute for another', but still it is not a choice that is compelled. 

David Chaim with his barrels

This is the true principle of 'choice' on the one hand He is not compelled, yet still He chooses specifically and exclusively this way and not another way. If he is choosing and it makes not difference to him - 'I can drink from this cup or this cup', then it is not a choice. Choice here is involving deep reason. He says, “I choose this and I cannot choose anything else...”

The issue of being compelled/nitfas by an issue is not relevant to essence. A human being is a sichli – if not he's not really human. He is compelled by sechel. In atzmus there is nothing compelling so there no way to force yourself there... There is no way that anything can grasp essence and say 'it is primary and exists because of 'such and such''!  

The way essence exists, is 'existence that is not dependent on presence' – there is nothing that grasps Him – existing and not existing are identical for His perspective. The Rebbe explains that the physical is from essence – only essence can make something and completely absent Himself...

the Rebbe Rashab at a fagrengen said, 'G-dliness, can be seen with your eyes. Get me a plate....' and they ran to get him a plate... and then he said, 'no, I changed my mind...!' He had the concern that in what he showed them they would get the wrong focus and be attached to the physical.

Choice has both sides, it cannot be by compulsion, but it must be of importance.  

Nefesh/soul is from the level of ratzon/will – and there is a presence. Essence is above this and not limited to presence. He chooses what he desires, he is not compelled. He chooses to have pleasure from this and not that.

There is nothing that captures His attention. Pnimius hatynug and ratzon / inner pleasure and will don't drive Him.

On Rosh Hashannah we draw down Malchus – His Rulership. And we draw it down from a place where there is nothing – from Essence. We seek from the place where there should be His will and pleasure.

“Mah Anu?” p: 69

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Friday 3 Shvat 5772  

Page 68– last 3 lines of the page (line starts, 'bebano...')

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There is a host, a constant presence, to use our metaphor. He is here. This is what the Rambam is saying, “the foundation is to know that there is a First Being...” 

A difficulty in our days – a profound suffering, not to know who his father is, 'how come am I here?' if he becomes a ger/convert, then he can know, 'I was created today'.

In this world people are never satisfied with their possessions since they are wanting to express dominion over others so they are never satisfied. In reality sitting in possessions of you dalet ammos, you are a King – it is not comparitive or circumstantial.

The relationship between father and son is on both the level of qualities (mind and emotion) and also on the level of essence. The son reflects the qualities, but there is a different dimension – 'he exists, and he exists'. He has independence – the son comes from a reality – father – and hence he is an independent reality. In Holiness, the submission/bitul leads to independence. Independence based on the reality of his being, not based on any accomplishments.

“Just the Fact of the Presence” p: 69

AyinBase with R' Paltiel ThursdayNight 2 Shvat 5772 

Page 68– last 3 lines of the page (line starts, 'bebano...')

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There is no mashal/metaphor for essence. One can think of the host when you are a guest. His presence is beyond qualities and features. There is no transmission – just the fact of the presence is all it is.

The human being attests to the fact that this is His creation. He bears witness to His presence.

There is no way to measure a man – just his presence here supersedes anything. It there is a human life involved everything is done to save him. 

The souls of Israel are rooted in Essence. There is no way to express this except in the negative, by saying, 'it is impossible to substitute them for another!'

you can describe 'being rooted in the essence' – you can't explain or identify 'what the soul receives from being rooted in Essence'.

Just as the host provides a 'reality' element to a gathering, an aspect that cannot be identified, so too, but more so with Essence and the souls of Israel.

The father provides his son with total independence. There is no quality, it is his very presence that is provided.

This is where you see the difference between the father and the mother, with her the 'relationship' counts much more. The father provides the essential element. 

Inside the text: How is choice involved in the relationship between Essence and the souls of Israel? They represent His pleasure – so how is it choice? It is because Essence itself – is completely separate even from the essential pleasure. So at the level of essential pleasure 'choice' is not a factor – they have a relationship. At actual essence, which is completely removed from qualities and relationship and hence room for 'choice' seem to exist...

but in real truth... (which is outside the real of concept/understanding) even the Actual Essence is united with the souls of Israel.

So first we said actual essence is removed from pleasure and hence the element of 'choice' has a place...

But now we see a 'change of heart' – 'yes', says the Rebbe, 'what I told you does hold, but still in truth, also the actual element of essence is a place where the souls of Israel are rooted'.

And hence it is says, 'to substitute them with a different nation is impossible'. This cannot be understood.

All we can say is 'the souls of Israel are rooted in Essence, and this does not detract in any way from the pure unity of Essence...!'

We're having it both ways, it is His choice, and it is not based on qualities.

When we say in the negative, 'to substitute them with a different nation is impossible' it's because there is nothing there. This is different to what we have been discussing previously of being rooted in His pleasure.

This is a paradoxical presentation – at the level of nothingness, that's where the root of the souls exist.

Ownership is an extension of your own reality. Ownership does not make the human being. The human being makes ownership.

“You are His Child” p: 69

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Thursday 2 Shvat  

Page 69 – at about the lower quarter of the page (line starts, 'tynug ha-atzmi...')

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We have been introduced to a new dimension – atzmus mamash – 'actual' essence. This is separate from tynug ha-atzmi / the essential pleasure.

We will in some way point to atzmus mamash. And then point out that the souls of Israel are rooted there – 'to substitute them with others is not possible'. 

The analogy; if one is a guest in someone's home there are 2 distinct elements. One is the means by which one is welcomed – the meal, tea, and conversation. And then there is the host himself. The meal and the means of welcome are the tynug/pleasure. But the element that goes beyond expression is his very presence.

We say the child is rooted in actual essence and there can be no substitution. A person has a child because of his essence, not due to any other qualities. This is in contrast with friendship which is based on affinity. A father and son don't complement each other – they are each other. This is beyond tynug atzmi – essential pleasure. The only way to express it is, “it is impossible to substitute for another!” 

The son becomes 100% separate from the father and stands on his own feet – he seeks to 'reinvent' what he learned from his father. He needs to relate to what was taught to him – not just accept it.

The son's life and decisions are his, but what did he get from his father? He got the essential reality. It a child gets from his father the idea, 'life is good' without any explanation and based on his own (the father's) experience, then that will be the basis of the son's decisions. There is a reality that is the same for the father and the son.

A father has a child, because, 'life is real' – it goes beyond any experience. This is expressed in the independence of the son. The son also senses this reality.

The souls of Israel are rooted in G-dliness, but on top of this is a unique quality – the quality of bechirah/choice. This is rooted in the absolute reality of the entity. Where does a soul have this quality? Psychologists even say a person is just the sum of his experiences, and that he doesn't have choice! We say we have a soul that has total independence. Man has choice. This is akin to his Creator. This is like the son and the father. The son has all the elements of independence of his father – the son comes from the reality of his father, not the qualities.

The son gets the father's infinity, not his qualities.

“Perfect Affinity” p: 68

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Tuesday 29 Tevet 5772  

Page 68 – at about the lower quarter of the page (line starts, 'tynug ha-atzmi...')

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We have seen how osiot/letters are rooted higher than chochmah – they represent chochmah in its pristine level. Letters are indicative of the essential level in chochmah.

We have seen, 'You were a dwelling place for us' – meaning You are the dwelling place of our souls/neshamos.

The fathers are the root of the souls of Isreal and they are rooted in His essence preceding any process.

Essence has no definitions and no limit to what flows from it. And this is where Israel and Torah are rooted.

Israel and Torah are tied together with Him, since the souls of Israel and Torah represent the essential tynug/pleasure. There is a perfect affinity.

In the fact that the Jewish People have been able, through the exile, to still exist one sees the proof – a continuity based in essence. It makes no sense. It is above making sense. The thrashing that the people sustained has not diminished them. Bees make honey contained in cells in the hive. To extract the honey a centrifuge is uses to separate the honey from the wax - Jews have gone through this kind of spin and are fully identifiable.

The connection is like that the 'full desire of the father, from the essence of his soul, is exclusively for his son, since he is his essence'. It is an affinity not based on qualities.

How does bechirah/selection apply here? Choice implies selection from among various options. It would seem there is not competition in the relationship described! It applies because of the fact that Essence is completely separate even from essential tynug/pleasure.

We are saying the souls of Israel are rooted in the essential pleasure. And now we are saying that Essence is separate from this level?! It couldn't have been any other way, yet he was not compelled to make this choice!

“Infinite Expanse” p: 68

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Tuesday 29 Tevet  

Page 68 – about just above the mid point of the page (line starts, 'bechinat...')

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Shashuim – are 'toys' or playthings' – something one enjoys for no apparent reason, just that it suits him perfectly – an this is the level of affinity between Him and His Torah.

'Your mitzvahs are very broad' – indicating an infinity of essence. At the revealed level the higher something is the less expression is present. Till you get to the essence – there, there is 'merchav ha-atzmi' - 'the breadth of the essence' – it is not reduced to a point. It has limitless expansiveness and this does not detract from its essential power – this is the quality of Torah. 

Torah and Him are literally one at the concealed level. We think of Torah as a functional aspect, and we think of its application in the world. But here we are saying that just as He is beyond world so too the Torah.

So too the souls of Israel at their original state, in His pristine thought, so too they are bound with the essence/hidden element of Torah and Him.

This is the source from which they are carved.

The inanimate objects give silent testimony to Him. And the plant world, but their growth gives expression to His limitlessness. The animal kingdom is alluding to a word beyond itself – seeking nutrition and roaming in the open expansiveness. The human is called a medaber – 'speaker' and he is even more able to declare the G-dly truth. The others express it by their being, the humans give expression to Him knowingly – through his bitul. Sechel is very fine, but it is 'a thing', speech is different – one has to put himself completely aside and relate fully to the thought he is trying to express. . . ! And he has to relate to the thought, 'not as his thought' but how it is truthfully.

The fact that the thought can be expressed, shows on that fact that speech is rooted prior to the root of sechel. A human being's expression is not limited to his metziut. Israel is rooted in the letters that precede mind.

“Inside Story” p: 68

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Monday 28 Tevet 5772  

Page 68 – about a third from the top of the page (line starts, 've-atzmus...')

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The hidden Torah is Torah in its pristine state. There are hidden aspects that are only for Him and cannot be valued by man. Only G-d understands its. This is where Torah is one with Him and by knowing Himself he knows Torah.

Chochmah of Torah is the wisdom of Torah as it is included within Him. But chochmah is something that can come down and be known by us in this lower world. But from above it is 'knowing Himself'.

This is like sight – you observe something and it is real, but you don't see it unless you look – it is still external to you. Chochmah as it is in His essence is paradoxical. It is not sight that could not be seen. It is seen within the source itself. So if it is Him Himself, why is chochmah there?

This is the purist level, that cannot be not seen, and this is the real source of Torah.

One may think this is made for export. It is made for internal consumption. This inner knowledge is for Him.

Torah is not for His expression and revelation. Torah contains His inner story – ratzon/will and oneg/pleasure.

In essence there is no 'before and after' – knowledge is not acquired – truth exists. There is a primary reality. Reality is not coming into being. In our world 'real' means something made. In the real reality it is different. In our own experience, we can relate to the concept real reality. You build a house, but the space was always there, but still it can be measured. So in our little perception, space is the foundation of presence... it is a metaphor for fundamental reality...

“An Essential State of Who You Are” p: 68

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Sunday 27 Tevet 5772 

Page 68 – about 8 lines from the top of the page (line starts, 'gum mibechinat...')

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G-d chooses not by comparison.

How did the choice occur. There are 3 knots that are connected – Israel – Torah – G-d.

These attachments exists at all levels – the hidden and the revealed levels. If you have something hidden in your pocket – it is the same coin whether there or on the table. There are things that are His secrets – topics that find full presence in a hidden state. gilui/revealed is when something is recognized from outside - it has an external effect. Sosim is where it is entirely within itself – it cannot be known from the outside.

An example of this is that, 'a human being is a human being and different from all other creations, without even considering the question'... all feel it... what would the world be without humans? It would be nothing! This is an example of hidden knowledge.

There is a level that is hidden even from the primal thought. Susim is a hidden level that precedes thought. One may have a feeling (a feeling of the mind), and you are in touch with the source, and then it is a 'translation' to bring it down into thought... Emunah/faith so fine it is not known to us... it is revealed when challenged. Though is 'well defined' in contrast to susim. Even the thought which is a close companion to the soul and one's inner life, yet is has the element of knowing from the outside. In contrast to the chochmah or other midot, thought is like an external grasp.

There is an inherent awareness that is not conscious. This comes from an 'essential state of who he is and is not dependent on him' – this is how he was made. Some things are so fine that thought cannot hold them – the thoughts contain how that fine element is manifest...  

One cannot know the essence of your soul – if you pay attention you know the messages it sends, the effects of the soul. The very essence cannot be held in thought.

We contemplate something that is impossible to consider! When we received the Torah how did we do it? We said, 'we will do and understand!' This is because they knew they were getting into something that is beyond their ability to relate to it. 'Let Him define it for us'. 

We need to contemplate the principle that, as the Rambam says, 'the foundation of all foundations is to know that there is a First Being who is unprecedented and He is there not due to any functionality or reason. We know He is there not due to any proofs, but directly! Miraculously our souls have this knowledge. The phenomenon of being is a truth not an accident. This is a G-dly reality. The 'hidden of all hidden' it is 'truth in itself' and does not require anything. This is the most important and most difficult principle to relate to. But we know that everything that exists has a truth to it – it is not circumstantial. 

One can explain 'don't steal' at a very low physical level, but it is really rooted in a G-dly truth.

The only way not to be envious of other people's stuff is being connected to his G-dly source.

Know that there is truth in everything.

Essence is 'stimu de chol stimu' – 'hidden of the hidden' – and thus beyond function and any 'contribution' to the creation.

You may think that since it is so hidden and beyond functionality, that it has no content, but the Rebbe steers us right, “not correct at all, it has the most full content – it contains infinity, but not because it 'contains', it is infinite – one way we can relate is 'there's a first presence that brings all into being, from the truth of His presence, all are being created – 'from the truth of his presence', not from some 'creative element' and truth has no limit!” Truth is intentional and not there due to any circumstance.

This is why the Torah could not have been accepted in any other way! It had to be on the level of, 'we'll go for it, and then we'll understand!' 

“Exodus Inc.” p: 67

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Friday 25 Tevet 5772  

Page 67 – 2^nd paragraph, about 8 lines from the top of the page (line starts, 'bocher...')

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Israel is rooted in essence. His choice.

This selection and special affinity exists across time – in the best of times and in the worst of times. Like it says, 'I descended into a garden of nuts' – Song of Songs. Like the fruit is totally hidden by the shell that needs to be broken to get to the fruit. So too the souls of Israel, while sunk in impurity of the exile of Egypt, He Himself came down to break the shell with the 10^th plague, and to redeem Israel from there. And it says, “did any god ever try to come and take a nation out of another nation?!” and He Himself did it – and not by means of an angel or an emissary.

He did the redeeming... He himself by his malchus/kingship as it is in the essence itself. The Exodus is his project.

We were enslaved and surrounded by the klipa/shells till He redeemed us. This principle is evident in all the miracles and signs that occurred in Egypt. In each plague and sign the distinction was made between Israel and Egypt. 'I well make a gap between My nation and yours', say G-d.

Yet this choosing in Egypt was still in a 'small' way – it was a rescue, but at the giving of Torah the choosing was in a 'great' manner. Israel was selected to be the sole recipient of the Torah. Israel became an eternal chosen nation and this element is increasingly revealed.

At Sinai He showed and shared with Israel, 'face-to-face' – full observation, experience and recognition. As it says, 'the whole nation, see the voices' – meaning they see what is normally heard. And each voice/pronouncement had 2 faces. A face that produced life for Israel and demise for idolatry.

The choice is made at His essential level.