AiynBase with R' Paltiel 1/5/09 Tuesday 19 Tevet 5770
On page 8 – “resh samech vav”, at the middle.
It may be an overall presence, but it carries with it the idea that it needs further hishtalshalus. Total ein does not participate in hishtalshalus.
Sphirot represent an allusion to metzius davar and are hence not found in ein sof. Ein sof doesn't have even a vague sense of coming into being.
The fact that the 10 sphirot came into being is only in the aspect of revelation of the light of the ein sof, not in the aspect of essence of the ein sof.
In atzmus are 2 principles – the absolute truth and the level that it is true even outside itself (an universal truth that tends to be expressed).
The essence is completely concealed within itself, and the ohr represents the essence, but it is already a presence. It is reflective of the illuminator, but it is making a “statement” about etzem and is thus an aspect of meziut davar.
This is why from this light comes out sphirot, and sphirot have always (even at the level of ak) the element of metziut. If the ohr of ein sof was to be ein mamash, then sphirot would not have been applicable.
Bechinah means a test – creation is yesh me ein, and that itself is mind boggling – He created this and here is his presence as seen through his creation. We have full testimony and can witness his power, but when we say where is He – He is ein. Show me the power that rejuvenates the sun! You only know it by intellectual testing. In the days to come we will point at Him with a finger.
A big question in chassidus is why do we say yesh me ein. We should say the world is ein (nothing) and He is yesh! The whole thing is upside down. The answer is that is that chassidus teaches us in our language and for us the world is real.
AiynBase with R' Paltiel 1/4/09 Monday 18 Tevet 5770
On page 8 – “vegum bechinat”, just above middle.
She lo bechinat metziut davar – this means that something is there because the truth is there. It is not there because something was done to bring it about. Something that can be done can be undone.
We go all the way up to ak, which represents the ein sof, but it has bechinat davar, since it is there by virtue of some kind of intent, not due to a primary presence. We cannot conceptualize some thing that was not brought into existence, but this is the case with elokus – meziuto me-azmuso.
We relate to that which we cannot possible understand. This relates us to the primary truth.
In Ak there is no metziut of sphirot, they don't have boundries, there is no way to distinguish by means of their presence, or even at the conceptual level, but it is not devoid of hagdarah. Anything that represents some kind of action or intent is a metziut.
Only that which does not represent an intent has no metziut. The beginning of the kav is ak (Adam kadmon). Adam is a reference to the whole seder of hishtalshalus. This ohr is representative of the ohr from before the tzimzum. Nevertheless, since it went through the zimzum there is a certain level of definition applicable here.
When furnishing an empty home, each room calls forth various furnishings. The room is not a mashal for ak – it is a mashal for atzilus. You don't sense that the room is part of the cosmos, you feel you are standing on flat ground. This is showing how even infinite space has a connection to metziut davar. Space itself is a creation.
We say shma, Hashem echad – aleph, ches, and dalet – that all is bitul to the aleph – the One.
AiynBase with R' Paltiel 1/3/09 Sunday 17 Tevet 5770
A sphira has its unique domain or identity. This means it has a metziut.
Chochmah relates to what it sees by direct contact. This is like sight – it has the unique trait of direct contact. On the other hand if you have sight you don't automatically have hearing. Sight relates to a certain experience of reality and has its limit. It is not the whole truth.
Though cochmah is the highest koach is does not unite you with the ein sof. Each sphira has a geder me-uchad. It is a separate state/metziut from that which it recognizes.
Sphirot that are above atzilus don't have the same degree of separation, but still they don't leave their state.
Above atzilus, it is one level of ein sof, but you still have the inyan of nekudah and hispashtus (point and expansion), even though you recognize this matter in a different manner.
If you have a grasp of “part” of essence you have it all (says the Baal Shem Tov). This does not apply to ohr. Ohr lends itself to be recognized from various angles – from the perspective of nekudah and from that of hispashtus. He saw the light was good and he named it day. The very same light can be called light, seen from a functional perspective, or called day – seen from an essential perspective.
In general, the perspective since we are learning in the low/physical world and have a way of thinking, we need to renew our perspective that ein is higher than yesh.
To keep perspective it needs to be acknowledged that our world is one of relativity, without a true presence, even to the extent that one could imagine that a nuclear war could destroy the world, to which the Rebbe answered that the destruction of the world is impossible. Our world, as precarious as it is, has a foundation that is indestructible. We refresh out thinking to see that this word is a created being, but it has an indestructible truth behind it.
Primarily the indestructible part of the world is the Jewish people. At another level everything has a root in the truth. The sun by its presence represents the koach ein sof.
The principle of gilui (in contrast to essence) can be looked at. In everything we can identify two states – how it is unto itself and how it is outside itself. We discuss a concept with another since we see its basis as a universal truth. Each thing has this, truth unto itself and true universally. Gilui is the statement of what is true universally – this is a statement / a communication and thus has a metzius davar. That which I know unto myself is different. That which can be communicated has sphirot.
For video, click here.
AiynBase with R' Paltiel 12/31/09 ThursdayNight 14 Tevet 5770
Bottom third of page 7. Last line.
There is hamshacha/flow according to seder hishtalshalus, and one outside the ordered flow. The difference is understood my looking at mochin chadashin (new mind) – mochin/mind reflects that which is higher than world – conceptualization of the truth. Mochin relates to the essential truth. To explain to the world – “what is your essence and what are you here for” - mochin is gilui ha-elokus. That is why only human beings have mochin – animals are part of the world.
What is this mochin chadasha? This new mind? (When you eat a piece of bread, the experience (this is middot) of eating doesn't mind if it is your bread or stolen, but from the perspective of mochin it makes an enormous difference). When mochin comes into middot it is new there. Only mochin can make novel distinctions there.
Middot derive there life force from mochin. That seems to say there is already mochin. Yes, true, but there is a novelty – something added to the picture of the mochin that already exists in middot.
Even when there is flow from the essence of chochmah and binah it is still not considered hischadshut / novelty. It is known that there is essential mochin and mochin that relates to middot. Mochin be-etzem is the recognition of the essence of the inyan. This is an amazing thing – to have a grasp not according to one's own existence, but rather as it is to itself. Mochin that relates to middot relates to “what is so good about this thing”.
A bitul in the mochin keeps it from going off track. This is a sense of coming from kesser. Popular psychology on the other hand primarily focused on what makes one feel good. Externality of the mochin can be taken where the effect of kesser will not be sensed.
Here's a video of a song Chunah recorded after the shiur:
