So imagine you never did any aveira worthy of death from beis din or being cut-off…The little things we ignore in our relationship to Hashem add up. The little fibers of the 613 strand rope connecting us with G-d become severed weakening the experience. Realizing that we have distanced ourselves from Hashem will motivate to move forward.
In the previous chapter, the Alter Rebbe explained to us that all of life receives its life from Hashem’s speech (more externally, the latter hei in Havaye), as opposed to us who receive life from Hashem’s breath (from a deeper place, the thorn on the yud). Today the Alter Rebbe explains how koreis (being cut off) works: how could anything separate us from Hashem? The answer, he explains is based on a few pessukim: 1. “He breathed into his nostrils the soul of…
So far the Alter Rebbe explained how Hashem has 10 faculties (sfiros) which He chose to create and manage all of existence. The Alter Rebbe also explained how these 10 faculties (sfiros) are manifest in the four letters of His name, Havaye. Today the Alter Rebbe explains: Since: a. Our soul was breathed into us by G-d (Havaye). b. One who exhales, does so from within. Then: c. Our soul contains the same 10 faculties that Havaye has (“hamavdil havdolos l’ein…
The Rebbe Rashab explains in the first ma’amer of Samach Vov, that there is a difference between r’usa d’liba (awakening of the heart, inspiration) and t’shuva (return). He explains that the difference lies in the approach. Inspiration is a result of realizing that one is in the presence of something greater, namely G-d, and wanting to be a part of this greater being. T’shuva on the other hand is a result of realizing how far one is from G-d followed…
Binah is usually translated as “understanding.” Binah is a type of cognition where limitation happened. Binah is analysis, breaking a creative idea (chochma) apart to get to the details while building a map. “Meyvin dovor mitoch dovor,” or “understanding one thing from something else,” is a characteristic of binah. Binah is also described in many places as “giluy hahellem,” or discovery. Binah is related to the first or higher hei of G-d’s name, Havaye. This is because it breaks apart…
Like the shape of it’s font implies, yud is a point, a seed. It usually, if not always, refers to chochma. Chochma is usually translated as wisdom, but in Chassidus, it is usually referring to creative thought, or openness of the mind. An example of a manifestation of chochma is how the Rabbeim describe it. They call it, “borok hamavrik,” the flash of lightening. In the language of the prophet, “Chochma me’ayin timotze,” in English, “from where does wisdom come?”…
This translation won’t cut it, but will have to do. Da’as elyon, or consciousness, is how existence is viewed pre-tzimtzum. Da’as tachton consciousness,is how we see the world, post-tzimtzum. For example in very small terms: da’as elyon is what you know and want to share, da’as tachton is what your friend hears you saying.
The right, left and center columns refer to a certain manner in which the sefiros relate to each other. The right column (chochma, chessed, netzach) are characterized by an outward expression, or hispashtus. The left column (binah, g’vura, hod) is characterized by limitation, discipline, and tzimtzum. The right column reflects masculinity. The left column reflects femininity. The middle column reflects the Infinite One who is the only one who can make opposites attract and remain united actually as one. See Z”a.
Kesser means “crown” and is defined as: 1. The initial revelation of light after the tzimtzum. This means, the initial point where we’re no longer in essence or core, but in expression or extraversion. It is the skull, or cranium (from the word crown) relative to the brain. 2.Kesser creates, so to speak, something from nothing. Kesser takes the initial expression which is beyond recognition and brings it into a recognizable state. Imagine your mind is blank cleared of all…
Hispashtus, from the word poshut, which means simple, minimalist, etc., means spread. This word refers to expression, “light,” sharing, and influence. The same is true of hashpo’oh (hashpo’eh, depending who’s teaching the class). Hashpo’oh is how light exits a vessel to enter a second vessel, i.e., the way your idea makes its way out of your head into the other person’s head. Being mashpia is the process of having hashpo’oh. For example, one who gives over an idea, is being…