“Essential Plaything” p:25

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel ThursdayNight 28 Sivan 5773 

Photo: Batya David, Israel

Page 25 (chuf hay). Top of the page – (line begins: 'atzmut...') For text, click: Here.

Building on our discussion this morning about knowledge and chochmah... We need to understand chassidus on its own terms.

Think of koach atzmi (essential faculty) – you may think it is a faculty that is improved through training. We think of 'thought' as the faculty of wisdom.

But really the thought is only a garment. Yet in the physical arena it is seen as wisdom per se. and because of this misunderstanding people are at a loss to distinguish to between humans and animals – they say, 'animals can also be trained'.

Actually the koach of chochmah is sensitive to what the soul is saying. It makes us aware of a truth that is higher than world. A soul/nefesh truth. Faith/אֱמוּנָה is not 'training yourself to think in a specific way'. Faith/emunah is the originating tip – beyond understanding – full sensitivity to the truth of the soul.

And the Rambam says, before we start thinking with sechel, we already know there is a first being. As an infant we look out at the world and see one world, and that is on the basis of the one reality behind it.

Chochmah completely reflects that which shines upon it. It is completely self-effacing.

Chochmah/wisdom is the tzelem/form of Godliness.

Torah is called 'in Our image' since it is rooted in the essential chochmah of Him.

This is the essential form that is above expression.

This can be understood by the fact that a human being is a human being irrespective of the extent his chochmah has been developed.

It you see things from a truth perspective you will see things completely differently...

Truth here means going beyond the created element. It precedes even primal/pristine wisdom.

The soul has oneg/pleasure due to the truth of what it is. There is the personal element and then there is the truth/Godly element to this pleasure.

Chochmah is a receptacle for the truth of the essence. It relates to the entire truth and does not seek or need personal experience. Chochmah is similar to sight. You see an object not by virtue of a translation - you see it due to the truth of the object – the eye is a clear channel...

An animal also has sight. Is animal and human vision the same?! No. An animal sees the tangible element – it sees can I eat this or will it hit me? A human being sees the truth of the object. When you touch something in the dark you project what it looks like. When an animal sees something in the light it projects what it feels like...

Man sees and the sight is pure. But it is his soul that tells him that the object is true, not the sight. This knowledge of the First Being is deeper than the experience of sight – this knowledge is oneg... chochmah/wisdom is reflective of the man's oneg/pleasure...

And the truth is your enjoyment of cake is a derivative of the pleasure of your soul...

the rock doesn't feel it exists. It has no pleasure/tynug in its existence. It is insensitive to its existence. This is not true presence.