“Into Actual Living” p: 174

AyinBase with R' Paltiel ThursdayNight19 Elul 5772  

Page 174 – 5^rd line from top of the page (line starts, 'misakev...') For text, see picture below.

We are talking about the tzimzum versus the parsa. The tzimzum deals with before the whole creation. The tzimzum removes the light and allows for it to be re-introduced in an orderly fashion.

Atzilus is much lower. It is a 'world', but a G-dly world. Atzilus is like chochmah. In binah things are understood by virtue of process and structure. Chochmah is a direct recognition. This is like a direct sight.

From there it comes into a created world – briyah. Between atzilus and briyah is a parsa.

Binah is like briyah. Binah relates to chochmah and draws information from it. But it does not relate by being overwhelmed. It says, 'the reason I know it is because I understand it and found it – I found it in chochmah.

Human perception recognizes that to steal is not good. One knows this intuitively. This is chochmah at a low level – sechel enushi – human mind. But this is not enough to guide a person in life – a more practical direct explanation is needed at the time of challenge.

Between chochmah and binah is a gap. A parsa. The gap is important – it provides the means to relate to something above and overcome a temptation.

The light via the tzimzum is of a higher quality than that of the parsa. Even though the light via the parsa seems to have a more active relationship etc...

The light from atzilus to briyah is via the parsa.

Think of a teacher and student. Before the teacher begins he thinks, 'wait a second, how will I give it to him? How do I present it to him, so that he relates to it?' - this process is called a parsa. It is a stop and then a presentation in terms that are meaningful to the recipient.  

And the Rebbe is saying that in this there is an advantage and a lacking.

An advantage is that the light is backed-up so it will relate to the recipient. There is an interuption/transformation that takes place.

The light measures itself to the recipient.

Think of investment/enclothement. The soul is dressed in the body. We are conscious of it. When we think of an idea/sechel, we attribute to it a form or physicality.

For us to understand it has to hit us. Hit us in a way we can relate. We have to be hit by it.

Chochmah is phenomenal. It is part of our sechel/mind. We know it. But we do not require a basis for 'how come I know it'. For example, even as a child, I knew I should eat neatly. Why? I don't know. The real reason – the brain senses the neshamah and what it wants. And the soul says, 'you are a human being, not an animal...!'

chochmah is thus touched by the soul/neshamah. It is touched by the ratzon/will of the human being.

So, it is the soul having an affect in the physical world.

Chochmah will say to binah, 'there's a right and a wrong. You have to find out what is right and wrong. You know things are pleasant and unpleasant. And not everything that is pleasant is necessarily good'.

The light that comes after the parsa is called a deflected ohr. This is a different entity compared to the light that preceded the parsa.

The tzimzum, though it is great interruption in terms of concealment of the light, but the light that follows it is from the 'chozer and mayir' – 'return and illuminate', in an aspect of closeness, not like the akavah/holding back manner of the parsa.

And coming back down to earth, 'all of this is saying that regardless of how worldly and physical our experience becomes, it all flows from a living soul/neshamah. From a soul that comes and embraces us with its oneg/pleasure and ratzon/will. The whole concept of pleasure is spiritual. A computer can never have pleasure...! Through the faculties of the soul, we become functioning human beings representing a living soul... we live up to this soul view...'