“Body and Soul” p:24

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Friday 22 Sivan 5773

Page 23 (chuf dalet). About 10 from the top of the page – (line begins: 'hazulus...') For text, click: Here.

The body is a perfect representation of what a human being is.

Above this form is called Torah. Torah comes from chochmah.

And we focused on what is chochmah. We looked at the difference between mind and emotions.

A human being is not a reaction to external effects. He is an essential presence. Without him the world has no significance. He provides reality. How does the moach/brain sense the neshamah? It is the pure sensitivity to life itself. It is not a response to a stimulus. It is close to its source – atzilus. It is soul at the bodily level.

“Life In A Body” p:24

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel ThursdayNight 21 Sivan 5773

Page 23 (chuf dalet). Five lines from the top of the page – (line begins: 'aval...') For text, click: Here.

Tzelem is a form – a form that is exactly the essence/etzem itself.

God said, 'let's make man in Our image' – and this 'image' is Torah.

Torah comes from His chochmah/wisdom.

The root of Torah is chochmah/wisdom. What is so special about chochmah? It says the chochmah of man illuminates his face. And we know the difference between mochin/mind and midot/emotions – and the principle of mind is chochmah/wisdom.

And the difference between mind and emotions... the midot/emotions are only a revelation of a reflection of the person, and that's why emotions are focused on relating to others. But mochin/mind is the essence of the person and hence it can be 'unto itself'.

Both mind and emotions are faculties of the soul.

This means that in both cases there is a functional element.

Life is the essence of the person, but we are not aware of it. Why? All the faculties are functional and are dressed in the body of the person. The eye sees. But we do not say the 'body lives'. This is the presence of the neshamah/soul. Sight, touch etc are body experiences. Life is not a body experience.

The human being is life in a body. The animal is a living body.

Man exists on a different plane. The animal lives in the physical plane. Man is essentially soul.

Thus when we talk of faculties, we are describing how they are part and parcel of the body.

And this applies to all the faculties. Starting with chochmah. And this is where our 'awareness' begins.

Mochin is the first place where you are aware you have a soul. Emotions too, carry this awareness. But there is a difference between them. A person acts in the world, but he is not really in the world. His awareness is above this. It is in the mochin/mind. The mind demands respect, decency, truth...etc

Chochmah is a reflection of the essence.

What is this essence that is reflected? He is beyond world. He is essence, in a body. The human being represents an essence.

The human emotions contain an element of 'this is the right way to behave'. This means, that just as mind represents that a human being is not bound by anything in the world, so too on the emotional level. He may have an inclination towards chesed/kindness, but he is above it. There is an element of mind or independence in the emotions.

Real human self respect cannot be bought or argued about, only acknowledged.

“The Real Thing” p:23-24

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Thursday 21 Sivan 5773 

Page 23 (chuf gimmel). Lower third of the page – (line begins: 'aval...') For text, click: Here.

We are focusing on an essential form, that is more than engraved on the material, but rather is truly representative of the essence.

Think of a roadway. You stand on the blacktop, but really you are standing on the ground.  

“Simple Reality” p:23

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Wednesday 20 Sivan 5773

Page 23 (chuf gimmel). A few lines below the middle of the page – (line begins: 'atzmiut...') For text, click: Here.

The letters of ink, are 'like something added to the parchment' – sure the ink is on top of the parchment... but that is not the meaning of something 'added'. When the ink is applied to the paper then that reveals how the letters are in the parchment.

We look at the letters that are on the paper. The letters call our attention. But the reality is the paper. The truth is omnipresent. But often our attention is taken elsewhere.

Really we live with the simple reality.

The simple presence is the paper. This is what provides for the letters to be written. The letter is real because it is given reality and presence by the paper. The room gives the table a presence.

The ink reveals something from the paper by hiding part of the surface. This concealing is accomplished by the ink. This is in contrast to engraving. There the form is directly in the stone. You see them not due to concealment, but due to a revelation of the form in the stone.

Secularists see things as fighting for survival and trying to exist in empty space. This is the halal (vacuum) perspective that does not relate back to its source.

We see things existing in 'available space' (makom panui) – this means that there is a provision for things. The space 'holds' what is put into it. And you have been given the right to occupy this space. There is real ownership. This is our inner reality. Things are not precarious.

Thus we see the letter is provided for by the paper and parchment that holds it. It does not fear that it will be pushed away. The letters reveal the reality that the parchment provides...

We are going to look at an even deeper way to understand tzurah atzmiut (essential form). We are looking for a form that represents the essence. How can a form describe a fundamental reality?

This is different from letters written on, or even engraved in a material. The letters are a revelation of the essence, but not the essence itself (etzem mamash).

“Before Anything” p:23

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Tuesday 19 Sivan 5773

“Revelation by Concealment” p:23

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R'

Paltiel Monday 18 Sivan 5773

Page 23 (chuf gimmel). A few lines above the middle of the page – (line begins: 'u kmo she...') For text, click: Here.

We are talking about letters written on the parchment. We say they are united with it and reveal what the parchment contains. Yet they are not of the essence.

We reveal the letters by covering parts of the parchment with ink... thus the revelation that comes is not a direct revelation from the essence... so the letters seem to be added on to the essence...

Something added on lacks the fundamental nature of the essence. The letters of ink are like something added to the parchment. This is because its revelation comes by the process of concealing the parchment, rather than a direct expression.

But letters that are engraved are different. There is no aspect that conceal the material. They are a revelation of the essence. They are not adding anything to the essence. It is an expression from the essence. This is 'bezalmaynu' – 'in our image'.

“What You Read; What's Written” p:23

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Sunday 17 Sivan 5773 

Page 23 (chuf bet). 4 lines from the top of the page – (line begins: 'ukmoshekatuv...') For text, click: Here.

We are talking about chomer pashut (simple material) and the revelations that come from it. One revelation is the tzurah atzmis (essential form).

One example is when the letters are engraved in the stone, another is when the word is written on the parchment.

We think that the letters are added to and written on the parchment. But the Rebbe explains that the letters are revelations from the parchment.

A revelation that comes by means of the ink that conceals part of the parchment, means that the revelation is not like the essence itself. But still the revelation is still from the parchment itself and not from the ink.

The letter on the parchment is not a different entity from the essence (it is not a mehus acher).

The Gemara says the home is central to the human being. It is not that it just serves a functional role... In what way is a person's home his? The home is not to be viewed as just providing certain comforts. What makes it a home? The house is made into a person's home because he owns or rents it.

In what way is it his place?

During the time that he owns it there is a fundamental relationship. We see the world as a Godly creation, given to the human being. It is God that gives him the right to own and rent a place...

So his relationship to the house has a Godly truth to it. It is not a convention.

The human being too is a real presence in the world.

And when a man steps into his home, his presence is everywhere in the home, no matter how big it is. This is what we call ohr atzmi – essential light. Light from the essence. All the furnishings represent that this is a human home – this is called giluim – revelations.

The verse says, 'fill the earth and conquer it' – 'being there' is filling it and 'conquering' is bringing the human element, and revealing the human element.

“Truth is Reality” p:23 AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Friday

Photo Batya David, Israel

15 Sivan 5773

Page 22 (chuf bet). 4 lines from the top of the page – (line begins: 'ukmoshekatuv...') For text, click: Here.

We are going a step further. We are going beyond the materialistic presentation of reality. We have a soul and a body. We have intellect and emotion; and we have sight and touch. Which one of these is our primary source of information and perspective?

An animal is also alive. But it is a living body. It finds out about the world via the body. It does not deal with the level of purpose or meaning at all. The physical is the basic presence. For the human being it is exactly opposite. His soul and intellect is the primary source of his information and orientation. If he leaves this perception he is being idiotic, seeing just the surface and not the life behind it.

Man knows truth is reality not existence.

Then he can say, 'there is something', because he knows there is truth.

He knows there is a Creator, not due to bumping up against the creation. It is his soul that tells him he is alive, not his body.

“Simple Reality: The Real Thing” p:22 - 23

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

 

Prospect Park, The Boat House, Brooklyn, New York

Page 22 (chuf bet). 7 lines from the end of the page – (line begins: 'hayesodot...') For text, click: Here.

We have been discussing chomer/material. We have been going for a true perspective.

From a true perspective all must be viewed as a Godly creation. That is what its true presence is. It is here because he makes it. So too all that develops on the earth is part of that creation.

Thus when we say 'chomer' and we are used to thinking of a piece of clay, without any value, but if we look at it and say, 'oh, this was provided by the Creator to allow for all the limitless forms it can take', then we are looking at it correctly. And whatever we do with it, or make from is merely revealing what He has put into it...!

There is a simple reality. And from it forms are revealed. The tzurah is gilui.

Think of space. We perceive it as infinite. On the other hand, 'how can that be? It is composed from measurable units and anything composed of finite pieces cannot be infinite'.

And yet we perceive it does not end. The infinity is not really based on the perception of space, but rather on our perception of God... His will is infinite... Space is a manifestation of this will.

This is limitless presence.

He Himself is limitless, but beyond presence.

Essence is beyond being described as 'simple' because it is beyond 'presence' and beyond providing for creation. Chomer hapashut (simple reality) by contrast is the basis for all kinds of presences.

Only essence, He that is beyond being an entity can create a Chomer pashut (simple reality).

4 lines from the end of the page.
  

Think of parchment – it is like the chomer pashut and it is an entity made to reveal letters... it is a real presence, but it is 'simple' in that there is no definition what can be revealed from this parchment/klaf.

The presence of the letters is provided to the letters by the parchment. The letters reveal what the parchment is about.

“Fundamental Reality” p:22

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Thursday 14 Sivan 5773 

Page 22 (chuf bet). Middle of the second paragraph of the page – (line begins: 'hadavar...') For text, click: Here.

We have been looking at chomer and tzurah.

Tzurah/form is a specific aspect or statement that comes from a more pristine or simple level that is called chomer. Usually we think of chomer as lowly – and literally it means material.

We relate to the world via 'discovery'. But we need to understand that this is only half of the story. The human being didn't start from being a vulnerable creature. He was created by a Creator. Behind the human being is a full fledged reality. It is a big mistake to say a human being became 'smart' due to circumstances... The human principle is inherent – given by his Creator and it just needs to be revealed.

So when we see things from this Godly perspective then we understand that thinks are coming out of fundamental reality.

The tzurah/form is drawn forth from the chomer/material.

What brings the revelation of the form out of the material? It is that both of them have a source. And if we relate to the chomer/material per se we can miss the source.

The world and the space of the world does not exist except for the fact that He created it.

Take a table. Made by man. You may say it is a human creation. But not so. 'if God does not build the house it will not stand'. It is the Godly element that gives an entity a real presence. Man does not create anything – he reveals what has been planted in the world – he reveals what is in the material.

The form is only the revelation of the fundamental elements. It is not creating anything. It is based on the simplicity of the material.

Godliness is not even a presence. It is truth itself. And the chomer ha pashut – the fundamental reality is the first revelation of this. This is the revelation of the Creator at the wordly level.

We percieve space as infinite. On the other hand it is a measurable entity. We recognize that no matter how much of a finite count you have it will never be infinite. So how do we perceive it as infinite. This is because we see it as being continually provided. It has no limit.  

“Your Stance” p:22

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Wednesday 13 Sivan 5773

Page 22 (chuf bet). 5 lines into the second paragraph of the page – (line begins: 'bechinat...') For text, click: Here.

Yesterday we looked at the way Godliness is in creation and in the human form is a manifestation of Godliness, not Godliness itself...

We started to introduce the tzura atzmi – the essential form... we are saying that the soul and body are in different categories. The body never becomes soul, yet it receives the soul and allows it to function at the body level. Thus intelligence is a soul element working in a physical/body context...

We say the human being is on the earth, but he stands upright, he is not sunk into the earth... and its parameters...

So we asked why does the soul require a body of a certain form... it is a Godly miracle that the soul functions in a body, so what does it matter what form of body it uses...? The answer is that despite the fact that the body is not the soul it is a representation of the soul at the body/tzurah level.

The uniqueness of the human being is that the brain is the nerve center for everything. This means that the principle of the human being is 'what is above him' and what he stands for.

The soul is an essence, and the body is not. But the body is a representation of the soul on its level.

Any form is the aspect of expression and revelation, as opposed to the essence as it is unto itself. It is the presentation of the essence.

Take the example of a table in the dining room. The kitchen table belongs there and the dining room table in the dining room. This décor and location and significance of the room calls for a dining room table.

A gold ring. A ring can be made from plastic or from gold. The plastic is not meant for the finger. The ring, to decorate the hand calls for gold, not plastic.

“No Substitute” p:22 AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Tuesday 12 Sivan 5773

Page 22 (chuf bet). At the second paragraph of the page – (line begins: 'ulehavin...') For text, click: Here.

Adam/man is not a creature like all other creatures. All creatures are based on worldly parameters. Man represents his Creator in the world. This is to say that man is outside of the world and represents a G-dly presence.

Man is not a substitute for God. World and Godliness are not interchangeable. World is a creation, and man is the presentation of Godliness in the world – this is tzurah/form and dmus/likeness.

In the world all is know by means of its presentation or tzurah. The human being has 10 sphirahs – from chochmah/wisdom on down. And why don't we start higher than that in oneg/pleasure? This is because oneg/pleasure and ratzon/will are not in the world – they are above world. They are not worldly experiences.

Pleasure and will are absolutely constant, and they don't have a specific locale of funciton – they are equally in the foot and in the brain. This is what unites a human being. They are not worldly elements.

The creationist perspective says that what happens in the world, is according to His plan. We do things that are due to a Godly imprint, and have no worldly explanation. 'Life' itself is a Godly factor. The animal represents a living body, the human being has an independent spiritual element – he is entirely different – his primary statement is 'life'. He asks, 'what does life say about this?' Not 'what does body say?'

Man can see world, but from a Godly perspective.

“Review Session” p:22-23

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Sunday 10 Sivan 5773

Page 22 (chuf bet). 4 lines from the end of the page – (line begins: 'who ha gilui...') For text, click: Here.

Chomer is the material that provides for all objects. This is like the dining room of a home before the furniture arrives. The empty room calls for the furnishings that will be included there.

“Review Session” p:22-23

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Friday 8 Sivan 5773

“Letters, Material and Wisdom” p:22-23

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Monday 4 Sivan 5773 

Page 22 (chuf bet). 5 lines from the end of the page – (line begins: 'yotzer...') For text, click: Here.

We are looking at how the human being is in His form/tzelem and likeness/dmus.

We said that both terms above refer to the form... different aspects of the form. Tzelem is the essential form – tzurah atzmis.

Tzurah is formed in a chomer/material. The material has no form, but provides for every form. Every form has an origin in the simplicity/pshitus that is in the chomer/material.

The tzurah is the form that is revealed from the material.

“Material and Form” p:22

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Sunday 3 Sivan 5773 

Page 22 (chuf bet). 3rd line of second paragraph of the page – (line begins: 'she-beTorah...') For text, click: Here.

We are looking at the question of not blowing shofar on Rosh Hashanah if it falls on Shabbat, but we do say the verses that relate to the blowing of the shofar.

To get into this question we are looking at the difference between tzelem/form and dmus/likeness. Tzelem is that aspect that refers to the tzurah atzmis/essential form.

And this relates to the mehus... mehus is like essence, but it is like different levels of essence. Mehus, comes from 'mah hu?' which means, 'what is this?' And when you ask, what is something you may think of how it affects others things, but in the world there is no such thing as an essential truth... there is essence only because the world is a Godly creation, and by virtue of representing a Godly truth it has an essence...

The special thing the human being brings to the world is representing God.

“The Right To Be” p:22

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Friday 1 Sivan 5773

  

Page 22 (chuf bet). 5^th line of the page – (line begins: 'ulekachtem...') For text, click: Here.

At the start of this meimar/discourse the Rebbe is discussing the 4 kinds of vegetation that are taken on the holiday of Sukkot. And the way they are held and shaken etc...

The human being has a G-d like presence...

Essence does not speak of what it stands for. Mehus speaks of what the essence stands for... literally, 'mah hu?' 'what is it?'

You could say mahus is 'what provides to the existence of the thing', but in the world you just have space and an object in the space, and thus have a tough time defining origins... The world lacks essence and hence begs the question, 'why is it here?'

“Pleasure Beyond Sense” p:21-22

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel ThursdayNight 29 Iyar 5773

Page 21 (chuf aleph). 8^th line of the page – (line begins: 'ha-atzmi...') For text, click: Here.

We are dealing with Kabbalah idioms that will be followed by chassidus.

The term essence is totally illusive. There is not an essence/etzem quality within worldly parameters. The world is past present and future and front, back, left, right and up and down – meaning it is an assembly of different parts and dimensions.

So to get a sense of this, we draw attention to the life element that is in the world... think of recognition of a person – it relates not to any of their features, but to their essential life... it is like a glimpse of essence within a worldy setting...

Everything wants to be what it is... not to out do the next guy, but he just relates to who he is... this is an essential element... a Godly spark within him. And we cannot define it and correlate it to any functionality... and this essential element carries its own sense of oneg/pleasure. There is not an external cause for the pleasure – it has a Godly truth itself.

And it is for this reason that each thing, 'wants to be what it is'.

There is a pleasure that can be sensed. And a deeper level that cannot be sensed.

Mind – chochmah and binah – is a level of which we are aware. In the external world the topic of sechel/mind and reasoning has been stripped of any meaning and life element. They will even say any sechel that has an element of soul is false. They work on the deductive level without working on the level of 'what is this all about'.

Real sechel/mind actually carries the neshamah with it. The advantage of sechel/mind over midot/emotions is tht is nullifies itself before the truth... it allows itself to be a vessel for truth.

Our sechel/mind is based on the principle that there is a First Being, and thus it has a source. The sechel relates to this primary being. External sechel, says that mind itself creates the whole reality, without a primary reality...!

Real sechel is not nullified to nothing, but rather to primary reality. It reflects the truth of the neshamah/soul.

Chochmah/wisdom is where the tynug/pleasure is sensed.

The question is 'what is the primary reality'. For kedusha, He is the first reality. In klipa, the physical is the first reality!

Fortunately since you have a soul, no matter how much external sechel/mind is pushed on you, you keep it at arm's length and say, 'hey, something doesn't jive!', and hence he is able to venture out of it...!

At the new paragraph on p21 (chaf aleph). On Yom Kippur it is like Shabbat, so why don't we eat. Yom Kippur is the actualization of the Godly influence from above... and in the King's throne room one doesn't eat.

God says 'I will appear in a cloud'. This is the could of incense... and incense relatues to tshuvah/return.

In summary: the principle that was identified in the last couple of page – 'to understand the principle of ohr elyon/higher light. Despite that fact that we are in the world and have our outlook based on this, but this does not constrain us to worldly definitions... there is a drawing down of essence, an essential intent...

If awareness were to be attributed to our experiences then our differences could not be bridged. But due to the fact that the real presence is the essence – and that all is based on the First Being and is based on his doing, then there is a drawing down of the ohr elyon / higher light that is able to unite all different aspects.

Go into anyone's home – there's a variety of furnishings – but what what brought them together is the human spirit, not their function. And if we go to the level of the human spirit of the home then all the objects are equal since they are there for one purpose.

This is the metaphor and it is the same in the analog. 

“Poor Man's Prayer” p:20 - 21

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Thursday 29 Iyar 5773

Page 20 (chuf). A third into the page – (line begins: 'atik she be binah...') For text, click: Here.

We are looking at the levels of Torah.

In binah there are 50 gateways.

Binah in contrast to chochmah/wisdom has a structure.

Although binah is a direct recipient from chochmah and it has a recognition of the highest things, it is recognition based on the view of a full structure.

Sechel/mind leads to the emotions. It is said that sechel is cold. Cold here means that it does not compel you to action. In sechel you relate to the material at 'arm's length'.

In midot/emotions by contrast, even if they are lower than sechel, they have lead to action, reality and actualization. They have this compeling nature since they reflect atik and the ratzon/will of the nefesh/soul.

So binah has 49 gateways based on iterations of the 7 midot/emotions (7x7). But the ultimate reality is first recognized at the 50^th gate. It is the recognition of the actual reality.

This is why the sound of the shofar comes from a narrow place – contrition. This place of contrition/narrowness relates to essence. Binah cannot relate to it since it is beyond the 49 levels and beyond structure.

The sound of the shofar is the voice of essence being revealed.

And the shofar is the ram's horn – the ram of Yitzchak, who was placed on the alter on the wood, 'above the tree of life and the tree of good and evil'.

Essence and essential pleasure/tynug: essence is a non-presence. Presence must have the quality of expression. Essence is more primary than expression. Tynug atzmi – essential pleasure, seems to be a contradiction since pleasure seems to be an experience... but there is pleasure which is sensed and a higher level that is not even sensed. . .