“It is What It is Unto Itself” p: 70

AyinBase with R' Paltiel ThursdayNight 16 Shvat 5772 

Page 70 – just below the the middle of the page (line starts, 'me-od...')

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In essence the inner level is hidden. This is the hidden essence – meaning that its presence is not at all dependent on being expressed. It is what it is unto itself.

Because it reaches above without limit. And hence the excess and fringes that come with pleasure have no limit down below. The external level corresponds to the inner level. It too has an element of infinity.

This morning we talked about how the human being is an illustration and metaphor for the highest elements in G-dliness. Within the limits of the world, man represents and element of this essential hiddeness. Something that is completely 'stand alone'. The whole creation of the world would we insignificant if it were not for the human being, for the Yid.

He adds this profound element of truth. The profound reality that makes the world a significant place.

At Seagate Rabbi talked with a student encountering obstacles. The goal was to get a sense of, 'what the human being is'. We have three levels of creations. We have the sea creatures – suspended in their medium – in the water – in a constant state of rest. Weightless. Floating. Supported. The fish are part of the water according to halacha. 

The animals on the land have to hold themselves up. They have an element of 'self'. They hold themselves by relating to the ground. Their stance is relative to the ground. This is what we call an ha-arah/reflection of theground. Their stance is not independent.

The stance of a human being is independent. He does not stand relative to the ground. His feet touch the ground because he acts on earth, but he balances not against the ground, but against himself. 

Functionally he needs gravity of earth, but he's independent at a physical and mental level.

He has an essential presence. It is behelem. He is contained within himself. A real human being is capable of being completely dedicated to divine service, rather than fitting into the world. The human beings to the wold that principle of reality. 

The human being represents the pnimius. He has a focus.

We have looked at the metaphor of the way we cannot perceive the end of space. Even though space is a composite of units of space. The reason for this perception is because we cannot perceive a place where 'He is not present'.

Man stands independently, but he is a finite entity. What is his independence. It is based on his soul. And it is based on his recognition of the presence of Atzmus. This is like having the host at the table where you are a guest and this gives it reality. 

Ownership too, has to do with this essential quality of the human being.

In the future time the external level will be re-incorporated in the inner level. Now you see space and the owner as separate – you will see them unified. There will be no dimensions and yet there will be dimensions. 

Everything is included in Israel and Torah which is the core of existence. “If not for my covenant, I would not established my laws of heaven and earth”, says G-d. All of the rules of nature are secondary to the essence – to the core.

“Not a Smart and Pleasant Companion” p: 70

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Thursday 16 Shvat 5772 

Page 70 – at about the middle of the page (line starts, 'hi belev...')

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The inner level carries the external level with it. The inner level is the intention in the creation – torah and israel, and the outer level is the world.

This world represents just the infinity of Elokus rather than the intent.

There is a simple will to create the world. And there is an increasing amount of revelation.  

The inner level has the external elements and the inner level has no measure and goes 'upwards to no end' (meaning in essence it is hidden and not defined by revelation). This is the difference between the inner and outer levels. The outer level is defined by revelation and expression. The inner level is essentially hidden and contained in essence.

Torah has no presence – it is representative of the truth of atzmi/Essence.

Torah has an element where it give practical benefit and directives. Then there is another level that shows on its infinity – that is the essence of Torah. The fact that it descends to the physical world and gives directives is not a compromise, it is indicative of its greatness. It has the power to overcome the helem/concealment of physicality. It has rulings that 'pierce the mountain'. Torah creates the world. It reaches upwards without limit.

And up above it is hidden – it is not revelation dependent. No matter how much expression it finds it is essentially hidden/be-helem. When you are a guest at a table, your host is not a smart and pleasant companion, he is there in his full helem/hiddeness – his full presence. The reason we can take this human experience as a metaphor for the most sublime matters is the unique human gift – we have been made in His image. We have a real presence – malchus – depth of truth because we are representatives of malchus shamayim. This is the real depth of human perception. We see the world differently from all other 'creatures' – we are capable of seeing it 'from above', from a G-dly perspective.

'My truth exists only in recognition of the presence of the Host', says man.

A man came to the Rebbe and said, 'I came to get to know the Rebbe'. 'Nu, so you know me now?' answered the Rebbe. A Rebbe is essence in a body. And so too every human has this hidden level... 

“The Fringe of Revelation” p: 70

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Wednesday 15 Shvat 5772   

Page 70 – at about the middle of the page (line starts, 'hi belev...')

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Note: see Rabbi Groner tell a Tu B'Shvat story at the end of the video

We are talking of the fringe of revelation that comes are a result of the level of pnimi/internal.

What is internal/pnimius? And what is chitzonius/external? A king has a huge palace. What is it? Is the building and the rooms inner or outer? It is a chitzoni/external expression. The structure of the palace is based on the space it occupies – this is the way the presence of the king takes form on the outside. Pnimius/internal is something that would be exclusively representative of the king.

Anything that is composite is external.

Chitzoni/externality can devolve to a very low level.

Oneg/pleasure is internal and stays within. ratzon/will faces the outside and is an expression of 'what he want'.

This is an oversimplification. ratzon/will is on equal standing with oneg/pleasure with regards to the etzem/essence. This can be seen by the way that will can have power over pleasure. Both pleasure and will are very tightly connected to etzem/essence, but their natures are different.

If someone wants a big house, one could say it is for comfort, or for honor, or a means for entertainment... This is like saying, 'he wants it for 'outside reasons'. But though this is an external desire, for a house, there is an underlying reality with a different messaage. We said, the world is made with chesed/kindness. We usually think of chesed as kindness. But what is behind it? The root of this emotion is in the essence, like all other qualities, and the root of this kindness is the limitlessness and the lack of reason for restraint... Now on the level of the human being there is a level of this gedulah/greatness that he senses in his soul. He relates to greatness (and here we're not talking of a shallow 'show-off').

There is in the soul of man – he is a real presence in the world and he occupies an entire area. So there can be an external expression that is based on the will of the soul. Now he has a big house because of his inherent greatness.

When He said, 'I will build the world with chesed', this is a simple will that represents his greatness, and it is above chochmah/sechel/mind. It is simple and incorporates everything. The fact that this simple desire arose, without any particular intent, means that it can devolve all the way down to this lowly world.

“The Reach of the Heart” p: 70

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Tuesday 14 Shvat 5772 

Page 70 – just above the middle of the page (line starts, 'ach bechol pnimi...')

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Bechira/choice is rooted in the very essence. The choice in that which represents his essence is also a choice – he is not compelled.

He chooses that which is his essence – pnimiut ratzono.

In every pnimi/inner reality there is also the external and excess... The principle is what we discussed, that the pnimi element is a focused element. The bli gvul/inifnite has no limit, and that is the external excess of the pnimi.

Thought is reflective of nefesh/soul, and there, there is no limit. Thought is a constant presence. It represents the fact that the soul/neshamah is in the guf/body. Speech already has definition.

'Thought cannot grasp Him' and this is not just the thought in comparison to speech. Even the level of mind that is chochmah, cannot grasp Him. Why is sechel called machshavah/thought? There is a similarity – machshavha is awareness and in an aware state it is impossible to grasp Him. As pure as sechel is, it has the limit of consciousness, 'I am aware of it'.

So sechel cannot grasp Him, but the Zohar says, 'He can be grasped in the arousal of the heart!' And the heart is lower than the mind, but its grasp is not my conscious means and thus it reaches higher. The knowledge of the heart is different.

In the mind the 'will to live' is contrasted with something else. In the heart there is just one thing – one arousal.

When He speaks with a definitive voice it is from the heart. This is from ratzon/will. This is a simple will that is above mind/chochmah. It comes directly from the essence.   

“Come Inside” p: 70

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Monday 13 Shvat 5772  

Page 70 – 8 lines from the top of the page (line starts, 'shefach...')

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Yesterday we talked about the mashal/metaphor. We talked about a simcha/wedding feast. The point of the metaphor is the distinction between inner and exterior originates at the essential level. This is where it is fully identified, though on the surface the difference is less identifiable. The point of the celebration is to experience the intensity of the joy. But the way the celebration is held, it goes way beyond the central point – way beyond the inner circle... it incorporates 'without limit' including those that are 'distant'...

The joy extends beyond its nucleus.

We see this after the celebration. A moment of focus after the whole event – the joy returns to the nucleus and the inner circle.

This is all to say that inner and external are identifiable way back in their source.

This tell us something about the way things are above. Soul of Israel originate in the essence. And at that level were already identifiable with having the essential pleasure invested in them exclusively. The essential intent of the Essence is focused on them specifically.

And this is what He chooses to want. He is not compelled.

Pnimius/interior remains always connected to the essence. The exterior/chitzonius comes out into the world and has a quality and can be expressed as chessed that has a 'stand-alone' quality.

Why does essence come also with the external level? Wanting this and not that is already a limit, but there is no limit in essence. Why does the wedding feast also include those distant? This is because he does not want to impose a limit on his simcha/joy. Limit does not express the true nature of essence. In the time to come, after the birurim, the level of pnimi will incorporate the entire existence.

In truth He choses Isreal and His Torah and that is the complete reality because it is His inner desire. At the outset if it is revealed in contrast to something else and this is not the final reality. Later the external levels will be brought inside...

In thought things are not defined, 'I said to my self...' is already a clearly defined level.