Page 50 – at the middle of the page, at the end of the line (line starts: she hen...)
We were in the middle of explaining how neshamot/souls, in summary, are a true presence.
Neshamas/souls have an element of G-dlinesss.
The soul is a true and essential entity.
the wise man says, 'I choose the king' and yet he has no interaction with the king. From a minister you can take care of your interests. With a king there is no familiarity. But the king represents the essential truth of this nation – an essential truth is not visible. Being that the wise man relates to the king himself, he now becomes a real and true entity.
This is in contrast to relationship. The wise man has no overt contact with the king. The king says, 'accept my reign and then you will get my commands. You won't know me. The way you will relate to me is to know you have a king. You are not a presence in nothingness, you are a presence with a source.' Their acceptance is not on a sechel/mind level – it is on an essential level.
The king has no interest in being in the world, but when he is accepted willingly then he consents to being present. This creates the king's domain. On Rosh Hashanah we accept again on ourselves His rule.
P50 AyinBase, Rebbe Rashab, right click to enlarge...
When the wise man accepts the pure reign (not the decrees) then he becomes real and can go anywhere. Moshe says, 'do not imagine your King in one form or another!'
You stand on your own feet and create your own environment – on what basis? On the consciousness that there is a King.
Page 50 – about 10th line of the page (line starts: bechol olam...)
Souls, though undergoing an incredible descent, remain the same. They are infinite and never stop.
If a human being lacks purpose he loses the ability to move around physically, because the soul is essentially the same and if one loses purpose his connection to his soul is concealed.
In real truth the souls are all identical. There is one Father for all of them. Beyond having one source, they are also equivalent. In the world of tikkun all goes through the chochmah and hence there is unity. In tohu there is fragmentation and division. Above all is equal in source. The novelty here is that even in their extension into the world the still share a common language and represent the same thing – thus they are equal.
It is just that the bodies divide and separate, but the souls fit together like twins. The souls are continually looking back at their origin – the unity of Hashem. What enables even human action on the lower level is the intention behind it – though he may not be able to articulate it, it is the sense of purpose/unity that motivates his action.
The souls are eternal and don't dissipate.
Souls are essential, in contrast to world. And an essence does not end nor interrupt nor dissipate ever.
If we think about the situation of tohu and tikkun: in tohu each sphirah has its own source in etzem, but in tikkun all comes through chochmah. In tikun for example each sphirah needs the support and direction of chochmah. In tohu the absolute power of each sphirah is represented the way it is in essence.
In essence/etzem everything is represented equally. This is in contrast to our functional world. In our world we conceptualize a table – and the various parts – and materials and tools to make it. Is the table an afterthought? Or a true concept? The world itself, and the depth it has provides for every kind of different function.
The Rebbe says that the way radio waves work may be technical, but the reason it works is because there is a perfect unity in the world. If that unity didn't exist then we couldn't possibly create it.
We perceive the world as one entity and thus feel comfortable using technology that connects people in an instant.
Page 50 – end of the 4th line of the page (line starts: mitbalim...)
Neshamahs/souls are alive, since they represent the living G-d. They will not be nullified by the revelation of an essential light. The soul can receive the light. The soul is a true thing and does not get phased by any revelation.
The soul is also unlimited – bli gvul. The physical body is like the infinite limitation of life – it lacks life and the soul is able to be enclothed there. The soul doesn't change from what it is in essence, even in the state of descent into the lower worlds. This is the bli gvul – unlimited aspect. Wherever it goes it remains G-dly through and through.
The wise man says, “I choose the king”. This is the chochmah. Chochmah reflects as closely as possible its source. So 'ana nasiv malka' - 'I choose the king' means what? Why not choose the minister most relevant to you and your interests? What is the place of the king and who needs him? On a practical level – the king is not relevant.
Without a king all can funtion, but on the yesh level.
The king brings a truth that is not dependent on the yesh and consequence and identifiable result!
Without the king it is just a matter of 'checks and balances'. The king provides the truth. He provides a real value – a real presence. The wise man chooses the king. He is chochmah and reflects what nefesh is. And nefesh is the fact of elokus/G-dliness without limited.
On a higher level you don't have to 'choose' the king. In this lower world you have to choose. Does the wise man see to 'survive' or to keep the king in sight. He just wants to be conscious of the king at all times. The soul does not lose for an instant its connecton to Him/Truth. 'I live here to keep the King in awareness', says the wise man.
When Adam was created, the world received its purpose. The creation of man is the presence of the King in this world.
And a man can come to the end of a successful life, and be unsatisfied, since his soul wants connection to the King. The soul is not circumstance dependent. It 'is what it is'.
Bli gvul – unlimited – means it is not dependent on its metzius. It is not dependent on existence or any feature.
The serpent was punished. It came to Chava/Eve and said, 'this tree will make you like G-d Himself'. He went in competition with G-d. His punishment was that he was dropped to his belly and he eats dust. You may say 'it's a blessing, he can't fall and he has unlimited food'. But it is a curse, since he is completely severed from G-d - he was completely thrown into the world – yes, you can survive, but you have nothing. You are not connected to the truth.
If you sever your connection to the Creator, you have nothing.
At the soul level the mahus/essence is its presence. There is no metziut/separate entity. The king is hidden in his palace and is the spirit behind everything that happens in his country.
P 50 R' Rashab, AyinBase, right click to enlarge
You may think the soul is proud of the fact that she can make a person walk and talk! But that is not her pride. The soul gives the person his essence.
The soul gets involved on the functional level. It is the soul that enables every step. Everything ultimately, all function of the body have a G-dly power behind it.
Yet the soul remains a G-dly essence. This in contrast to the 'reflections'/ha aras that come down to create the world. Every world has a defined element and when the ha arah/reflection comes here it is completely different.
Everything in the world is made for man and for his use. But we are warders. You cannot destroy anything. We have recognition that this is His creation, but it becomes real when used properly for humans.
We don't deduce G-d from the existence of the world – we see him in every blade of grass, in the rising and setting of the sun. We see Elokus directly.
Amalek rebelled against G-d and attacked Israel. Pharoah of Egyps also denied G-d but torah says after 3 generations they can convert and become Jews. But amalek is to be pushed off and hated till the end! Why the difference?
Egypt saw miracles – miracles indicate and point to G-d, but they are not His presence.
Amalek was at a different level – he 'korcha be derech'. This was after crossing the sea and on the way to mount Sinai, and every soul was ablaze with anticipation. This was G-dliness itself - not a miracle. And he went against that. He saw Him and he opposed. There's no turning back.
The word is a sign for G-dliness, but a Jew is G-dliness.
Page 50 – end of the 4th line of the page (line starts: mivatbalim...)
The expression, shem dava emiti – they are a real thing, means that the souls are real and can never be nullified and can relate to whatever they receive.
All faculties are rooted in the soul. It has chochmah, not as an 'add-on'. Sechel is a soul factor, but its source remains obscure. You can have sechel and not see any connection to a true matter. The truth factor comes out when you put pressure on a sechel. This is like if you 'picture to yourself ahavat hashem – love of G-d' and it will become your habit, and though one doesn't fully understand it, and one may think, 'I am tricking myself', he should not be concerned, since this is the real truth, even though he doesn't have the capacity to recognise it.
This is our form of avodah/service. This is how we say shmoneh esrei – 'you stand as if before a king' – who are you fooling?! But it is not fooling – it represents the soul more than anything else, except the coarseness of the body and distractions of sechel hide it, but it is the real truth...
The physical world is 'an equal contender' since it also represents atzmi – essence, and can hence conceal.
The souls have the element of 'bli-gvul' – infinity. Davar emiti – the truth quality is the inner aspect and their infinity is the revelation of this. Souls descended from world to world. Till the lowest world, till they are enclothed in a physical body. To do this one has to limit the soul and show only the aspect that relates to the external.
You have sackcloth and silk. They are in different categories. But the body identifies first that they are both physical material. The soul comes down to a level where it can relate to pure physicality. And from this starting point it can bring more refined aspects.
Page 49 – lower third of the page, about 10 lines from the end (line starts: aleph, vav, peah...)
We are looking at how souls are essential and can hence contain essential lights. The light as it is unto itself, not how it is on a functional level.
Souls are different from everything else. A soul is essential. It can receive anything without being disrupted. Hence they can receive the G-dly revelation in all its glory – something angels cannot do!
Souls will be able to receive the full revelation of G-d in the time to come.
Even now souls have a revelation of G-dly light, that is beyond the established norm of the lower world.
The rebbe once told the story of a group of chassidim in Russia, who had a deep Fabrengen. They were walking home, in the opressive atmosphere of communist rule. A police officer shouted, 'who goes there?!' They shouted back, 'bitul/nullity goes here!' the point is that one can have a revelation in avodah/service/work that is beyond the limits of the world.
Angels cannot receive a revelation beyond their norm. The soul in the body, can receive more than their norm.
in truth the souls can actually absorb the light of torah which is totally independent of the world. This is like we mentioned this morning, that, 'it is a mitzvah to return the money owed'. It seems just logical – hey, its not yours – you have to return it! But torah comes and says, 'its a G-dly reality that you have to makek the payment!'
in the world the payment is not an ideal – it is a debt. But the truth shines in the souls that it is a G-dly matter.
Thus we say, even if one learns torah for the wrong reasons, or in impurity, the light that is contained in it affects a transformation of the soul.
The souls can handle more light than the norm. for us in the world more light blinds us! Seeing is a functional element and works according to the rules of that function. Souls relate not based on function and hence can handle light beyond function.
Too much weight on the table make it collapse. The soul can exceed predefined norms.
All this is due to the fact that the soul/neshamah is not a reflection, but rather it is an essence.
Thus it can receive all revelations. Even essential lights.
A soul comes into this world, where everything is a ha-arah/reflection – a function of certain activities.
Even life. A man lives. And his body seems to be alive. But is it? It takes effort and it has a limited number of years! It is not real life! Eliyahu the navi/prophet, had complete transformation into a state where the soul transformed the body.
And the things we see. Sometimes we are oblivious to its significance – the soul element in this word is precarious. The soul is concealed in the body. It takes effort to become sensitive to the soul qualities.
Yet the neshamah/soul is able to receive unlimited light. In essence it is unlimited. The possibility for growth is unlimited.
It is very significant to say it can receive also essential light. Light as we know it comes from the sun and reflects off objects. There is activity. This light does not allow one to see 'from one end of the world to the other'. This light comes by an activity and you can only see that which is in your line of vision. Essential light is not functional. Essence is the truth itself. If it is true, then the neshamah/soul can see it.
The intellect gets to know things by question and answer. It is a long process. We come some kind of a conclusion based on the process. Then there are essential lights. This means I see it not due to a process, rather, 'if its true, then I know it!'
chochmah is a perceptions, but still sechel. Essential light is emunah/faith. I know it because its true - it is reality itself.
Rambam says, 'the foundation of wisdom is to know that there is a first Being' – I know it before knowledge.
Can anyone explain what life is? Absolutely not! But we can relate to it!
The soul is able to accept and process essential lights, which is way beyond its functional element which is to enliven the body.
This is the meaning of saying the soul is a true thing. The soul is a real thing. Truth itself.
Emunah/faith is that element that you cannot close your eyes to – it is the truth of the soul itself.
A true thing, when tested, shows more of its inner nature. This is seen in Jewish history. In Babylon we withstood every kind of pressure. But in Jerusalem we had idolatry. We can slip, but when the core is touched the essential element wakes and it cannot be broken.
The life of the body is only a subset – it is all on an active level, not on an essential level. The body has to be active to keep its strength. Why is the body called alive if it is not really alive? Because it has certain similarities to real life – it can rejuvenate, heal. This represents something more than the physical state.
Any weakening is due to the body, not due to shortcomings of the soul.
