“Reality & Perception; A Tree Grows” p:72(15)

AyinBase / Ayin Beis with R' Paltiel 15 Kislev 5775 (Today's Extra: See poem and original artwork below)

Page 72(15)

Near top of the page – about 7^th line – (line begins: 'be-etzem...') For text see below.

The Rebbe is explaining that although there is a process that allows us to get to know that which is above being dressed in the world... it is applicable only in the 'spreading light' and not in the 'essence of the light'.

There are things we sense that defy understanding.

Essence can be recognized, but never understood.

The light as dressed in vessels can be understood.

We can understand that part of the human being that comes to expression. And we can recognize a reality in a human being that is beyond understanding.

In essence there is no 'knowing', since 'knowing' is applicable only to that which has limits.

The world may claim that the human being comes from a monkey. But ask any man, “do you really think you came from a monkey?” and you will find none that answers in the affirmative, even though he may have long given up in identifying in what a human being is in a positive way... this is like negative knowledge, he does not know what a human being is in a positive way, but he says he is not an animal.

We have been robbed of our initial truth. We have been taught not to trust our initial truth... The simple truth of man and the world is that they don't exist, except for the fact that they are created, yet for us it is a whole struggle to sense this. You have to rise to chochmah and extricate yourself from physical constraint, but in essence our simple truth is chochmah/wisdom, which tells you, “you and this world are the ongoing creation of the King.”

We see it and refuse to accept it.

Detail from a Persian Minature done by Yitzchak Bloom, using charcoal

Chochma is a faculty of the soul. It cannot be perverted. It sees the world and sees it is His palace – a reality. A tree grows because it is part of the whole reality, not due to a struggle to survive... Chochmah sees this is a creation and thus everything has its place and mission.

This chochmah, as pure as it is can only perceive hispashtus ha-or (the spreading light) and not the essence of light.

The way out: reflect on this, 'everything is where it should be, where it is to fulfill a Godly mission. Things are where they belong... so too with the natural forces. This is a first step in extricating one self from chochmah chitzonius (superficial mind).

Here's a short poem written and read by Yitzchak Bloom, with preliminary comments by Shmuel Graybar:

And here's the text of the poem...

THE PHYSICAL HAS BLINDED US

The physical has blinded us

To what behind it really lies

For, faced with what is obvious, 

We only see what meets the eyes

But miss the fact that there is more

Than meets the eyes; it lies behind

The surface—what its face is for, 

So as to seek what’s deep to find.