“Water and Ice; More to the Picture than Meets the Eye” p:56

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel Sunday 7 Adar II, 5774 

Page 56

At 1st line from the top of page – (line begins: "hu...”) For text, click: Here.

Something that comes about intentionally is preceded by the 'intent'. There is a process from the source that is in place before the thing is manifest. In chochmah the thing is present without yet being a revealed presence.

In chochmah all is present, due to the intent. But not yet firmly revealed.

Take water. When frozen it becomes a rock. When it is flowing you see no rock. That rock exists in the flowing water too!

And the water is not a great metaphor because you may say it is a presence that is different under different conditions. Chochmah is different to this. Everything in chochmah has a message.

Thinks of money. You may say it is potentially a building. But not in a million years will money build a house. Only in the hand of a human being can it be used to make a building. This is chochmah.

The word 'potential' is not accurate since it indicates the next stage exists in that very entity. And that is not so.

We are looking at how the real process of creation (hishtalshalus) begins at binah. But really there cannot be midot/emotions in binah unless they are preceded by those of chochmah...

Looking at a perfect picture vs looking at an actual vista is totally different. The difference is hard to express.

Sense the difference.

You come into a home an a clock is on the wall. What do you see? You see the human being behind it. You don't just see the clock. You see the person behind it. In a picture you see a rendition, not the life itself.

Chochmah sees not 'what it sees' – it sees the whole reality behind it. An idiot or a camera captures a picture. A human being doesn't capture a picture – he sees there is a soul here – the First Being making everything...

You don't just see the panorama, you see the reality behind it.

In chochmah the whole reality is there, including the emotions, but not as distinct entities...

At top of p 56: the Rebbe gives the example of the moving waters (in Genesis/Beraysht), from which the firmament is created. It created a separation in the waters. This is like the division between pleasure and the wisdom/chochmah below it.

The firmament is made of water, but it is solid and creates a division between the upper and lower waters...

Chochmah is like the flowing water. Binah is like the solidified water... so in chochmah there are also midot/emotions, but not in a state that can be identified. In binah the emotions can be identified.

We walk not on the earth, but in God's domain. If you are on the earth you can crawl on all fours, but if you are in God's world you are in a different realm...

There is nothing but, what He is giving at this moment.

This is like being a guest in someone's home and a chair is prepared for you. Is this your chair? And as a guest you have the audacity to start making re-arrangements! But his is not your house! Find comfort in the host's domain the way he has set it up. Find comfort in God's domain. We gave up our worldly presence and then Hashem gave us His mitzvoth/commandments.