“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. . .