“Knowing and Not Knowing” p: 171-2 AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Thursday 16 Cheshvan 5772 

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

It is possible to know that there is a ohr ha sovev – surrounding light, but to also see and recognize the superior qualities in it.

This is done by focusing on the light that 'fills all worlds' and realizing that this does not apply to the higher light... this is understanding 'one thing from inside another' – 'davar mi toch davar'.

There is not the possibility of comprehension of 'etzem ha-ohr' – the essence of light, which brings the essence with it.

The worldly experience is all about things that 'come into being' – these are things we can know and even comprehend to a certain degree. But essence is above this. For essence, presence, precedes non-presence!

This is like where it says in gemara, 'I don't know the reason', because it is source in the essence. Or as the Zohar says, 'there is no knowing inside or outside'.

This 'lo yada' / 'not knowing', is because essence is not of an aspect that is known or has any relationship to the realm of 'knowing'. Knowledge applies only to things that can be known and not known. Essence is beyond this.

Torah is sourced not in knowledge but in essence.

In the realm of knowledge there are 2 levels.

“You are wise, but not with a knowable wisdom” - there is knowable and unknowable wisdom. There is positive knowledge – knowing something directly; and then there is knowledge from negation – 'what this is not...'