“What This is About” p:15

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Wednesday 30 Nissan 5773 

Photo: Batya David of Mitzpe Rimon

^{At about middle} of the page 15 – (line begins: 'bechinat...') For text, click: Here.

We need to bear in mind – the Alte Rebbe says, 'if one sits and learns for several hours, every hour or so he should stop to remind himself he is learning Torah because God asks him to.'

There needs to be a constant reminder of 'what this is about'. This is because we act with our faculties/kochot. And a faculty has an active function. The external level of mind/sechel is plain dry logic and this really does nothing for the person, since it does not represent the living soul/nefesh. That is reactive mind. The real principle of the human mind and soul is not reactive – he affects the world. He tells the world, 'what it should be'. Adam named all the animals. He assigned them their function.

There is the expression of 'live and let live'. Sounds great. But what are you contributing. Torah says, 'you were made in God's image to rule the world'. Don't just be there and let the world run. Be of positive impact.

It is a soul quality that allows for this stance. Your soul was put into a body so it can act in the world. Your action should be based on how the soul views the world. Not based on how the world imposes itself on you.

Sechel/mind that is captured by the world, is slave mentality. This is not free human sechel/mind. You have to live up to real free human soul/neshamah mind.

One may ask what is accomplished by going into this depth of purity? How is anything contributed to the world? The answer is the same as for the question, why does man need a will/ratzon, let him just have hands and feet? Because he provides the world with its vitality.

Through torah and mitzvoth we reveal Him, like for example Shabbat – you take a day to say the world is about Him and not functionality...