“The Word is Light” p:13

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Sunday 28 Adar 5773 

Page 13

Second line of the page – (Dalet, Mem, Mem...') For text, click: Here.

The stone thrown at the target, is going towards the trarget, but it does not have the intention. This is how the scientists see the world, self contained within its own context. They strive to justify the assumption that the world has not purpose nor aim... it is like saying, 'the stone is flying by itself and there is none that threw it'. 

The world per se does conceal its purpose. It is the job of Israel to bring the beginning/purpose into the world. In this way the way that the world is really light will be revealed.

The cleaving of light to the source is not like 2 things that are glued together. When the luminary is concealed there is no light. This is not the cleaving/devekut – this is dependency.

Cleaving is not dependency, but it is part and parcel of the description of the light – it points back to the luminary.

The true principle of light is on par with darkness. Just like darkness has not light. Light has no darkness. It is not there to counter darkness. That action is just a subset of light.

Devekut/cleaving means that the light is not an entity 'unto itself'. It represents the presence of the essence.

Why does an essence have light?  

Essence means, 'this truth' through and through. It cannot relate to or tolerate something that is not this truth, so by definition it is everywhere. This is ohr.

A human being has the quality of being an essence, and thus he can own property. Does he become bigger, if he adds a room to his home? No. He is automatically present everywhere in his home, because his presence is beyond functionality. He has a real presence.

The light brings the essence wherever it is.

This emanates even when you have a tzimzum/contraction. The light is concealed. So essence is not present. Then the light is re-introduced. That re-introduction is in a different manner. It is no longer a direct connect. It is via a narrow passage – a kav. So this light that came after the tzizmzum is seen to be just light not essence – but we say, 'no, even there this light remains davuk/cleaving to its source'...

When I am outdoors I can see the sun itself. What if I am inside and a ray of light comes through a gap in the curtains... we are saying that the light, even after the tzimzum and when coming in a functional way, it retains a level that is pure and connected to the essence. This is what the Rebbe set out to explain by saying there are 2 terms that are similar, 'ohr' and 'atzilus'.  

Atzilus means an emanation, which comes out because there is an essence. So atzilus is also ohr. So what is the distinction? This will be discussed. We will see that though atzilus is on a different level it retains its connection to the essence.