“For Real” p: 171

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Wednesday 15 Cheshvan 5772 

Page 171 – about 6 lines from the end of the page – (line starts, 'lehavin davar...') For text, see picture below.

The world has accepted a view that, 'all is interested in 'self-preservation' and upon this concept different structures are based'.

On the side of holiness there is something similar. Any insight is based on a basic foundation. A human being needs a view of how his life should be conducted. This is because a human being is 'for real'.

The sechel/mind recognizes this – that there is fundamental reality. A ha-arah / reflection may be beautiful, but it is not the reality.

We say things belong in the world. A secularist will say, every thing fights for its survival. This is because if you explain things from the level of 'reflection' you are left with no reality, no light.

We say there is reality in a person. A surrounding light – ohr ha sovev. This gives reality to each person and down to the inanimate level – every object has its message.

Our basis of well being in the world is not a structure that cannot be destroyed.

You have a job and think you can pay your bills next year. This is not based on the job, but on your sense that He is for real and will be here next year too...

“No Consequence” p: 171 AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Monday 13 Cheshvan 5772

Page 171 – about 11 lines from the end of the page – (line starts, 'ha-muflah...') For text, see picture below.

We are saying that due to the light that has a 'worldly form' (so worldly that it just seems 'practical'), you sense the light that is a foundation for this. We sense the reality of the human presence and this is the basis for the 'practical' rules of living like, 'don't steal'.

You see this in the Declaration of Independence, 'every human being has the inalienable right for happiness'.

Thru the 'local light' you come to sense the light

that is remote from world.

You sense that every person has a reality. This is an essential element. This is like a 'surrounding light' – a sovev element, since it cannot be explained in worldly terms.

“This Peace Element” p: 171

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Sunday 12 Cheshvan 5772 

Page 171 – about a third from the end of the page – (line starts, 'be-biyah...') For text, see picture below.

We are looking at the principle that 'even as there cannot be any understanding in Essence, so too, there cannot be any understanding/hasaga in the light'.

By knowing the light that is vested in world, we know too the light that is removed from the world... it doesn't connect us to it directly, but we deduce 'if there is a light here so there must be a source...'

And there are different levels of knowing – 'yediah / knowing that it exists with a degree of relationship' and 'grasping it / hasaga / fully relating to it'.

Chochmah is very bright, profound and revealing – but it is a spark, that we don't 'grasp'. Binah is an expansion of this perception and a 'grasp' of it. Daas is integration into the person – this is affecting the emotions and 'who the person is'.

So, knowledge of the source – 'sovev kol almin' is at the level of daas, but it is knowing that 'it exists'.

“I Go Because I Want to Go” p: 171 AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Friday 10 Cheshvan 5772 

Page 171 – about a third from the end of the page – (line starts, 'biyah...') For text, see picture below.

We are discussing, what aspect of G-dliness can be comprehended. We got into this by the statement that light has an essential element and that just as essence cannot be known, so too, the light cannot be known. And then we got into a discussion of what can be known.

What can be known is the light that is in a vessel – ohr that is mispashet – this is the functional element of light and this we can know... and it is still a G-dly phenomenon.

And there are 2 levels of knowing – knowing the essence element (yediat hamehus) and knowing the presence/existence (yediat hametziut).

There are 4 general levels in the world. 1. domim – inanimate; 2. tzomeach – vegetative; 3. chai – animal; and 4. medaber – human (lit: 'speaker'). We can see and study how plants grow. We cannot understand the spirit of growth and thus it tends to be discounted.

Even the stones (inanimate) have a spirit!

At the medaber – human level, which corresponds to the world of atzilus – although we perceive him at a physical level we cannot fully grasp his import.

The Rebbe sang Shemil's niggun for the first time. Rabbi Teleshevsky said, 'it was with the voice of an expert opera singer – effortlessly' and we know the Rebbe never took a single voice lesson. From where is this voice? From the essence of the life of the medaber-human level. Meaning, if you live at this level, then automatically you will produce this voice. It does not depend on vocal cords and training – it comes from a different source.

At each level there is an ohr/light. We are able to identify the functional level.

The human has something unique and different from the rest of the world. His orientation is primarily on a soul level, rather than body. He senses the reality of his neshamah/soul.

We see the functionality of the soul. It is not knowing remotely. This is the level of memaale kol almin – G-dliness vested in world and creation.

And from the knowledge of Him 'filling all worlds' we know that there is too a level of Him that is 'sovev kol almin' – encompassing and beyond anything to do with worlds.

So if it a level beyond world, so what do we know about it?

We have a knowledge about it, but no grasp of what it is.

“True Being” p: 171

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel ThursdayNight 9 Cheshvan 5772 

Page 171 – just below middle of the page – (line starts, 'al yaday...' [at the end of the line -'im']) For text, see picture below.

Ratzon/will is not another name for atzmus/essence. But neither is it an 'addition' to essence. So what is it? Essence/atzmus is an impossible thing for us to understand. From many angles. Even when it has identified itself - 'like atzmus had a ratzon'. How can it be something without being something?

The Rambam says, 'the basis of knowledge and everything is to know that there is a First Being'. How do things appear to us? What is first for us, being or non being? For us non-being comes first. The Rambam is saying the first is being, not non-being.

We are not the True Being, so non-being comes first. Sechel allows us to begin to relate to the truth. Only sechel can speak of that type of vantage point – that the beginning of all is Being. A Being that is true in-and-of-itself.

He is not a being that is created. He is primary. And we can relate to this. Absence did not precede Him (lo kadmo ha-heder).

So, if being is first (not absence), thus the First Being has everything as part of the truth of His being.

The first is 'Yes' being. But if we say it is devoid of ratzon it is not a being. We cannot understand Him, we cannot grasp Essence.

If you can't handle paradox you can't begin to look at these topics. We are looking at what we don't understand and we handle self-contradictory statements. We are not looking at things we can grasp with our hands.

You have to open your mind and understand exclusively with your mind. And this is not imaginary. If there is not a First Being, where does everything come from?!

Earlier we looked at why the mashpia/master reduces the light of his mind, and identifies what he can teach the student. But then he teaches not from this limited perspective, but rather using all the illumination and reality. This is what he teaches. He wants to give this full reality to the student. This is like G-d's reduction of the light and then the re-introduction of reality. The human being is re-introduction of full reality. The human stands for His reality in the world and this was the purpose of creation.

There is a revelation of Him that is knowable. This is called 'memaale kol olmin' – He is filling he world. It is His light that has a relation to the world.

So where is the G-dly element to this?

It is yes and no in the same moment... memaale means filling an area and many items... and so we think of sequence and an incremental process... and thus not the whole thing... yet here we say 'all the worlds' – which is whole.

Now we are discussing what is understandable and knowable. Something that is revealed.

Memaale kol almin is a knowable element.  

“Presenting Essence” p: 171

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Thursday 9 Cheshvan 5772 

Page 171 – above middle of the page – (line starts, 'ha-atzmus...') For text, see picture below.

We said that the light pocesses the element of essence. It is a representation of essence rather than of light. It is a volitional presentation from Essence. It cleaves to the esence.

The light does not want to project light, but rather to project the essence.

The real element of the light, which can be taken from an external perspective and can be misunderstood, is the essence.

Think of the mentor and the mentee. The mentor contracts himself to identify that which he can present to the recipient. But after that he has to re-introduce his own original light in order to do his mentorship. Why does he not just give a trace of the light? Why work with the original light? The reason is because the mentor wants to work with the mentee not to tell him, 'which way to go,' but because he has a profound, very valuable reality that he wants to share with the recipient. Anything less is short-change. He wants to give the real thing! “I want you to know the real thing, otherwise you are wasting my time!”

The analog is that G-d Himself wants to be presented in the light. He does not just want to present light. 'what's the point of that?!'

Chochmah/wisdom is the experience of the ratzon/will. But of the external element of the ratzon.

'The soul has delight in that which it has delight', says the Tanya. There is no explanation.

The Zohar says, 'the world was created in order that the creatures know Him'. The creation was to reveal His perfection.

“Functioning Soul” p: 171

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Wednesday 8 Cheshvan 5772 

Page 171 – about a third from top of the page – (line starts, 'devekut...') For text, see picture below.

The light before the tzimzum/contraction has an essential quality, but in Essence there is no light – the light is created by the will of atzmus/essence.

There is no light except for His will/ratzon to make it.

What is will/ratzon? What is the difference between light and His will.

Ratzon/will has a very specific meaning.

This is not like our will, where we say continually, 'I want this, I don't want this...'

Here we are talking about will that is above the highest faculties of mind/sechel.

We usually identifiy faculties from wisdom/chochmah on down... but above them are oneg/pleasure and ratzon/will, though we don't count them.

Oneg/pleasure and ratzon/will are not really kochot/faculties... the definition of a koach/faculty is the functioning of the nefesh/soul outside of itself. But oneg and ratzon are not really outside the soul. They are more united with the soul than is light.

Light is a representation of Essence, not of itself. Vessels are representative of themselves.

“Soul, Light and Essence” p: 171 AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Tuesday 7 Cheshvan 5772 

Page 171 – 7 lines from top of the page – (line starts, 'haray hu...') For text, see picture below.

We have been saying light cleaves to the essence and has the koach/power of the essence. Why does essence produce light? Only an essence produces light. What is etzem/essence? The sun is a metaphor for 'essence'. Compare the sun and a candle. A candle gives light by burning, yet we don't say it is essence – the light it gives is manufactured by burning. It is not light, 'through-and-through'.

The sun is called an essence for light. It is super worldly. It produces light and only appears to consume fuel. It was made to give light (not fire). And it gives a pure light. There is no wick that is the origin of the light in the sun. Light in the sun is as darkness in our world.

We cannot describe essence. Like we cannot define life. It is a G-dly miracle. And the way for you to relate to it is as such.

An essence is a presence that does not recognize non presence. How does the soul relate to non presence? How does the soul relate to the body? And this is the principle of light. Essence goes to the place where it is not present by means of its light.

The light represents the essence. Fire consumes the essence of physicality and thus it has a certain essential power and hence light results. There is a profound resistance to fire, it is overcomes this and light results.

Light is connected to its source and bring the source with it.

Light from Him is volitional. In Essence there is not presence. There is nothing like 'light' in Essence, yet the light by definition cleaves to essence.

“Wanting to Give Everything He's Got” p: 171

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Monday 6 Cheshvan 5772  

Page 171 – top of the page – (line starts, 'pratiut...') 

Essence is beyond 'functional value'. Something 'essential' is created, 'just that it should be'. This is Israel. This breaks the rules of nature. This is indicative of the source of the world in His Essence. Israel brings a G-dly presence, not because of his qualities, but because of his presence.

In the case of the mentor and student there is the element of 'closeness'. There is a force behind the mentorship.

The mentor hides the light that he experiences and then brings it back so it will be on a level acceptable to the student. Think of a parent teaching the aleph – beis. He starts with a few letters, but his goal is to transmit the whole Torah. He's wanting to give everything he's got. But he starts with a piece of reality that the child can grasp.

This is like the light of creation being the means by which He presents Himself.

And this continues even after the tzimzum/contraction. It is a return of the light that was there before.

Thus we see that the creation of the light is not similar to other creations. Dissimilar from the creation of vessels for example.

The light also has an element of 'something from nothing', yet it has the quality of cleaving – an intrinsic connection to its source.

It is of the essential reality and has the quality of Essence.

Light is a statement from its source saying that even though the source has it parameters, yet it is really present everywhere – this is a feature of essence.

“Original Reality” p: 170

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Sunday 5 Cheshvan 5772 

Page 170 – 2nd paragraph of the page – (line starts, 'vehadugmah...') For text, see picture below.

After the contraction there is a point that says, 'something was here'. And it attests to this significance. But it only attests to it, without telling what it is. To reveal what this trace contains you have to bring back the original light to illuminate and now the light is focussed and limited.

The revelation of the line/kav from the point is by means of the process of the return of the light that was present before the contraction.

The light reflects the Source from which it comes. Everything is alive! 

The limited light, has a purity similar to the light that preceded the tzimzum. This is on account of the kiruv/closeness. The revelation at this level is cleaving to the infinite. And has an element of this infinity.

Think of any process: an invention, an engine, a company – it seems to have its own process – it seems to run on its own. But understand this, 'the initial force that started it is what it all represents'. The initiator, here in the analogue, the Creator, follows through the entire process, and all His creations have this aspect.

Every invention/product in the world is based of 'the human spirit' that brings it into being and maintains it.

And this is the motivation behind every revelation. His spirit.

Infinity does not beg the question of, 'where is it coming from?'

the initiator of the kav/line is Infinity, and thus there is never the question of, 'what are you doing here?'

In the palace, no one asks the little prince what he is doing there – all his disturbances are sweetnesses – he is there because the king is there.

Yet still the tzimzum means things come in a limited and finite manner. And yet they retain an element of infinity. How can these opposite elements co-exist? Because it is a creation.

“You are the one who links and unifies opposites.”

“Inner Orientation” p: 170

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Friday  3 Cheshvan 5772 

Page 170 – 2 lines from end of top paragraph of the page – (line starts, 'hu-me-ayin...') For text, see picture below.

“Keep Your Sense of Shame” p: 170

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel ThursdayNight 2 Cheshvan 5772  

Page 170 – about 7 lines from end of top paragraph of the page – (line starts, 'u-bah bechinat...') For text, see picture below.

We are giving a metaphor for the phenomenon of the contraction/tzimzum and then the re-introduction of the light. The tzimzum removes the light/revelation, but not the reality behind the light.

The mashpia/mentor reveals sechel/new mind to the student. This is a revelation. Real sechel is not, 'to figure out how things are' but rather that, 'the way things are is the correct way to go' – it brings the perception 'that this is the truth itself'.

When there is a contraction, the full view of the truth is removed and only the reality itself, the statement remains.

The light after the tzimzum is removed and you are left with a general point (nekudah klalit), that defines and gives a general definition and limit to what the hashpaah/mentorship shall be.

The recipient needs something limited and specific. And that becomes the conduit for exposure to the light of sechel/mind in general.

To reveal and produce the light from the general point, the rav/master should see the aspects appropriate for the student.

To build understanding you start with something limited. Take the example of 'don't steal' – it fits into our world, but from the Torah perspective that's not what it is about.

To really 'get it' one has to go back to 'where this is all coming from'. 'Don't steal' represens the G-dly presence in the world. To get a grasp of this you have to go through 'chozer u-may-ir / return and illuminate'. And for the student you don't start with the light, you start with the simple decree, 'don't steal'.

Sechel is not to 'figure things out'. Real sechel/mind is not deductive. It is a statement that, 'that which has been figured out carries the power of truth and should be pursued'. Sechel develops with age. The first requirement is to realize your human stature.

Sechel relates to something totally intangible. It says, 'there is truth behind this and you should follow through'. For the student the light of sechel is not fully realized. The mentor needs to present to him at his level.

“Hey, This Guy Has no Idea of Where he is” p: 170

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Wednesday 2 Cheshvan 5772 

Page 170 – about middle of the top paragraph of the page – (line starts, 'she-chozer u-mayir...') For text, see picture below.

The mind of the mashpia is on a different level from that of the recipient.

The mashpia draws from his contact with the 'source' of the material/concept. In order to reach the recipient he has to hide the light of his mind internally... as if he loses perspective and never really understood.

In other words the mashpia/mentor puts himself in the same situation as the recipient. 'He starts from darkness, and so do I'. And in this way is recognized the the level of light (ohr sechel) that is accessible to the recipient.

If the mashpia did not undergo this process, and just gave him 'the conclusion' it wouldn't be effective. He presents him with light – light is connected to the source, and nevertheless he presents a level of light that is acceptable to the recipient.

The mashpia gets the light from the reality itself.

Think of a person giving directions to a visitor. The local person sees the whole neighborhood from above! He cannot get lost. All is inter-related. Now to explain to the visitor he has to put himself in the position of 'Hey, this guy has no idea of where he is'. And he puts his big overview aside.

The overview is not the reality. But he has it 'in his bones'. The overview itself is a revelation/representation. So the local person talks to the visitor, from the perspective of reality itself – this is real to him.

The mashpia knows, 'this can be known'. The recipient has no idea.

This is the difference in the 'not knowing' of each of them. The mentor 'stands in this reality – he lives there' even when he hides the light for the sake of presenting something acceptable to the recipient.

The view of the mashpia/mentor is not based on proofs and deduction. He has the entire reality of this sechel/perception. This is like the local resident who knows that you can go from here to there this way, even if he does not walk that way...

And by means of this the mashpia has access to the light of mind (ohr sechel) that is relevant to the student/recipient.

“He Wants to be There” p: 170

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Tuesday 30 Tishrei 5772 

Page 170 – about10 lines from the top of the page – (line starts, 'she-le-ztorech ha-olamot...') For text, see picture below.

A point has been made: the light after the tzimzum/contraction, is still representative of the light from before and comes with an element of 'closeness'.

The essence retracts back into Himself. And He forms a new light, with closeness.

You may think that the vacuum solicits light and then there is a response. But really there is an intent from above, that, 'I want to reveal light into this vacuum'. And these two processes are entirely different even though you may think the results are the same. When the light is initiated from above, it has te power of the Giver – He wants to be there – and this is the meaning of kiruv/closeness.

By means of the tzimzum, the inner/pnimiut and external/chitzonitut levels are identified.

The inner level is there due to the source. And the recipient can only relate to the external level – 'if he's not aware that he's getting it, its not knowledge'. Life means you are participating and aware of what is happening.

The external level is the presentation and the sensation. It results in being a 'general point' that contains the light in general. It says, 'there is something here'. This is the first presentation. This is what is called the nekudat ha reshimah.

For light to come from this point, it is only by means of the process of bringing back the original light (chozer u-may-ir) to illuminate this point. You have to come to it from the perspective of its source, rather than what you have here. Without that approach, you just know 'how this operates within its own parameter', without knowing what it represents.

This is seen in the metaphor of mashpia/mentor and mekabel/mentee. The mentor has a different thought process. He's not 'working things out, by a deductive process'.

The mentor has to conceal his perspective and see things from the perspective of the recipient.

And by means of this will surface the light of mind that is suitable for presentation to the recipient. The perspective that can be grasped from a perspective of absence.

“What I am Trying to Show you is the Infinite” p: 170 AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Tuesday 29 Tishrei 5772

Page 170 – 8 lines from the top of the page – (line starts, 'tzimzum atzum...') For text, see picture below.

There had to be a profound contraction/tzimzum of the light, so that only a point remains. A point stripped of the primary element. Before the tzimzum there was just eternity – no worldly orientation.

The kav, brings the light. This sequence of the kav retains a closeness to the light that was before the tzimzum. The closeness means that even if what is given is finite, yet it still is representative of the infinite – it says, 'what I am trying to show you is the infinite'.

When a king issues a decree it is very brief and the full richness behind it is concealed. It is representative of him and it is the presence of the king. G-d puts himself in the middle of our presence by means of His decrees/mitzvoth. This is the nekudat hareshimu. A finite statement containing the entire infinity in a point.

For the nekudah to become a kav/line there has to be a re-introduction of the ohr ein sof – infinite light.

The infinite light returns, shines, and re-introduces itself after the retraction/tzimzum.

The tzimzum results in a differentiation between the levels of pnimiut/interior and chitzoniut/exterior.

Your soul is real and contains everything. Anything you will ever understand is due to the reality of this soul. You come to understand and use things on the external level, but this is possible because on an internal level the entire reality is always present.

“A Powerful Contraction” p: 170

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Monday 29 Tishrei  

Page 170 – 4 lines from the top of the page – (line starts, 'harishimu...') For text, see picture below.

We are seeing on the one hand that light does not change, but continues to represent its source and the essence. On the other hand it goes through a tzimzum/contraction and becomes 'relevant' to the worlds. It has to be concealed and then drawn forth again. This process allows it to relate to the phenomenon of 'worlds'.

A world is 'developmental'. It is an entity in time and space and hence things are sequential.

The reshimu is a point (nekudah) and a trace. It is a narrow element. A narrow principle or point that contains all.

Before the tzimzum all was of the infinite aspect and the element of finitude was completely concealed. Then came the tzizum/contraction, which reveal the faculty/koach of finitude and limit. And even the infinite should reveal itself in the context of finitude.

This is the exact opposite of the way things were before. For this to occur there had to be a powerful tzimzum / tzimzum atzum.

This denotes that this retraction obliviates what was there before, in order to create something different. And if anything of the previous order remained it would have hindered the creation of a new order.

In the time to come it is said, 'one man will not learn from another', because, 'they will all know Me'.

The pre-occupation of everyone will be 'exclusively to know G-d'. Everything will be directly known through Him.

This is the opposite of how it is today, where we start from a 'dark position' and start from the perception of 'world'.

By making the world, the element of finitude in the infinity is revealed. By work/avodah the element of infinity will be revealed in a finite context.

“A Sense of the Truth Itself” p: 169-70

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Sunday 28 Tishrei 5772 

Page 169 – 4 lines from end of the page – (line starts, 'be-ohr ein sof...') For text, see picture below.

We are working on the principle that on our level, when we talk of chochmah/wisdom, it represents a paradox of great significance. On the one hand there is a 'something'/metziut that is known. There is 'knowledge' that is separate, yet its presence depends completely on its connection to its source.

So there is in chochmah the combination of yesh/something and ein/nothing, and hence there is a sense of the truth itself. And similarly it has a feel that relative to this truth, all else is a non-entity. All this other stuff exists due to its presentation/effect and chochmah is relating to the truth itself.

Due to our souls we have and experience a sense of reality that is not 'learned'. It is not due to external effect. It is a primary sense of reality. Truth is present everywhere. Breathing is the experience of life on a physical level. We don't pull it in. The air comes in automatically. It is there. It is the truth.

A human being can recognize a certain intangible reality and nothing can substitute for it. 

If the tzizum does not affect the light, so what is its effect? The principle effect is regarding the vessels/keilim.

Let's talk about keilim/vessels: even though we grasp things by means of a vessel, there is a light in the vessel and we should relate to this light primarily. A vessel is a means by which something is grasped. Think of water in a cup. It has not changed by being in the vessel.

You fill a cup from the ocean. This is an identification of an element of limit from the limitless sea. The water in the cup is limited. This is like the effect of the tzimzum on the light. It let's light 'trickle' in... but it is the same light.

The vessel is what gives a real presence/metziut to the water or light. The point is not to limit the light, but to bring it into the level of world, and to do this it must come via a vessel. And then the orientation must be to focus on the reality of the light, not on the vessel.

The light itself is not affected by the tzimzum, and it originates from the ohr ein sof.

There is a fine quality in light. We can see this in sechel/mind. There are different ways to explain things – context, logic etc. You can learn one thing and it will help you understand an unrelated topic. This is because all sechel is rooted in the infinite light that precedes the tzimzum. This is like the light. No limited how much it is reduced is is based on and representative of the infinite light that precedes the tzimzum (37min 15 sec of video).

If not for the tzimzum/contraction the light would not be able to relate to the worlds.

And when the light is re-introduced after the contraction it is by means of the 'trace'/reshimu. This gives the light a power of finitude. 

All sechel/mind is rooted in the ratzon/will and all levels of real knowledge are inter-related. The only way we can draw a spark of wisdom/chochmah, is if you focus in on a very specific principle. There is not a spark that does not carry with it a specific message. It addresses a certain question that is the initial focus.

This is explaining how the general light comes through the 'point of a trace'/nekudah reshimu.

This points our the fallacy of trying, 'to find yourself' by contemplating nothing. The point of all thinking is to bring wisdom into the human faculties.

There are people who see Judaism as too narrow and dry, and that is because they don't realize that the way to the ocean is via a specific stream...