“It is What it Is” p:173

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Wednesday 14 Kislev 5772 

Page 173/קעג seventh line from the end of the page – (line starts, 'kmo shehu...') For text, see picture below.

We have seen how the light after the tzimzum is called 'essential form' – tzurah atzmis.

The principle of essence is that it is a 'truth unto itself' and not the result of a number of forces. It is what it is. It points to a Creator.

Inside the text: even the light after the tzimzum is of the essential form – as explained before, the tzimzum/contration is not a total interruption relative to the ohr/light.

The light after the contraction is directly connected to that which precedes the contraction.

We live in a physical world and deal with physical things that seem to be present in their 'own right'. These things don't point to any source. Each says, 'I am here'. And it is really a presence. Our experience does not relate us to the fact of things 'coming into being'.

This is our direct experience, and Avraham Avinu was able to detect a different truth. So when we are presented with the idea, 'no, the world is a creation!' we can readily relate to it.

How? We relate to it by virtue of the recognition of a contradiction – paradox – 'on the one hand the world is a tangible reality, on the other hand it is so finite and insignificant, so how can it be real...?!' So we can recognize that the element of truth we see in the world is not of the world itself – it is given to the world by its Creator...

For ages people bowed to idols of gold, silver and wood. This is worship of the tangible reality. Any who would not succumb to this would say, 'this is ridiculous!' and the others would say, 'what do you mean, don't you see it is real'. Their error is attributing reality to the wrong source.

Even when reality comes into a finite form, still it stands for essence/atzmi. And this is how people could get confused and bow down to it (because materiality continues to carry with it an element of essence).

And only a human being, and not an animal will bow to a tree. And this is because he has intelligence – human intelligence. He is real and sees reality in everything. And physicality denies any source and presents itself as reality. Animals don't have a recognition of this. The animal just sees things from a functional perspective. Only the human being sees the physical as a reality that cannot be ignored. He has intelligence and perceives reality.