“The Great River” p:3

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel ThursdayNight 14 Tevet 5773 

Page 3

9 lines from the end of the page – (line starts, 'tamid...') For text, click here.

The principle of the simple mashal/metaphor, provides an insight into the topic...

Do not be simplistic and construct a plumbing system up above! This is a mashal for the effect of the tzimzum/contraction.

There is a different manner of transfer – by the kav/line – a limitless resource comes in a measured manner. The mashal/metaphor is a river that is endless. More than a great lake, that has a limited amount, the river is limitless...

It flows and spreads. It expresses its limitlessness. Due to this nature and to draw water from it for a specific purpose, there must first be a tzimzum/contraction, to limit that limitless flow, and to serve it in a manageable manner.

The first point of the conduit is that there is no limit to the water, but that it is able to fill the vessels.

In order to facilitate the tzinor/minor conduit there has to be a restraint that precedes it.

There have to be levels of transformation – creating tributaries and smaller conduits for the vessels. If you open a faucet fully, the water will splash and not fill the vessel. The water must come through the narrow flow, in a restrained fashion.

You cannot conjure up a fully restrained flow from the river itself. The river and the restrained flow have nothing in common. And now think of this in a spiritual sense. A master who teaches a student, and needs to reach him with a measured sechel/perspective, but he at first cannot even imagine what the student does not know. The master/rav has to first step away from his wide view and see that there is a process of getting to know the topic.

The water in the river is the infinite constant resource (in our metaphor). But the conduit is different – the water is not its own – it comes from some place, and this gives it already a connection to worlds... this is the first step.

And then once there is the setting of 'there is no light and then it came', then you are able to subdivide down to smaller 'conduits' or 'channels', since the changes are now quantitative not qualitative.

The mishnah says, 'one who is embarassed cannot learn since he will not ask his question and a kabdan cannot teach, since he cannot relate to the question'. So the master/rav has to descend to the level of the student's mind...

The tzimzum left a reshimu/trace and this is what came to be identified by the tzimzum.

In principle it is 'impossible' to take someone elses property. If you perceive the truth that there is a 'First Being' and all creations represent Him, whether they be small or large, then violation of this is not possible! Not that you wouldn't dare, but just that its not possible. So when you are fully aware, like the master/rav is, then you cannot begin to talk about 'don't steal'. To get into 'don't steal' he has to reduce his own light and see the world which is just a trace/reshimu of the true view.

As a result of the tzimzum the infinite is exposed as being able to function in a limited setting. Even while infinite it had the features of finitude, but they were concealed.

As is known, the kav/line pierces through the tzimzum/contraction. It is a re-introduction of the ohr ein sof.