“Sightless Sight” p:174

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Wednesday 28 Kislev 5772   Fourth day of Channukah – Update: the Thursday Night class will be tonight, due to the Channukah Parade tomorrow night.

Page 174/קעד

4 lines from end of the second paragraph of the page – (line starts, 'de chol ze...') For text, see picture below.

Yesterday we reviewed the principle of the light and the vessel. This revealed to us how the light is affected by the vessel, while still remaining light and retaining its essential quality.

We began looking at chochmah/wisdom. The Alte Rebbe says the world is such a presence that it seems to denie any source. Only the human being sees such a depth and unquestioned presence in the physical world. An animal does not have this perception.

We went on to look at what gives human beings this perception. This is because only the human being has the sense that there is such a thing as an 'absolute truth'. Animals only know of relative situations – cause and effect. They lack conceptional experience.

At a deeper level this is an exclusively Jewish perception.

At a human level, truth without a prior cause, is sensed by chochmah – only chochmah/wisdom can perceive this..

This world reality can belie G-dliness – 'hey, I am so real that I run on my own momentum, and my physical presence created the human mind', says a worldy view. This is the focus on the vessel. This is sightless sight. The true perception is that there is a real source for this reality. This is but a presentation of reality on the lowest level. There is real light – ohr atzmi behind it, that it represents.

So in a deeper way the world, not only conceals, but it reveals G-dliness in the truest way possible. Physical matter cannot be destroyed – this is because it represents the spirity that is indestructible...

The vessel has to become sufficiently refined, till we can see the light that is in it and behind it...

The different level of light is due to light being enclothed in the vessels... and differences in the manner of the lights presentation. According to the level of the vessels, this is the degree to which the light is revealed...

There are different levels in light, yet it remains light, and even while in a vessel it retains its essential element. The essential element is that even while in a vessel it remains aloof and unto itself.

Thus we see that the light is in true enclothement in the vessel – the light is affected by the vessel, yet it remains holy and separate and aloof, representing a truth not a thing... and only a human being can perceive it...