Ayin Beis: Existence Unplugged

Existential Impact of Transcendence (1) The Adam Kadmon Effect (1)  Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 16, Ki Tovo, Chapter 60 p. 112-113 What impact does the macro-cosmic transcendent energy (makif ha'kloli) have on existence? And what difference in impact is there between the two levels of transcendent energy, the one before the tzimtzum (tehiru Il'aah) and the one after the tzimtzum (tehiru ta'...

Anatomy of Transcendence (3) Transcendence Meets Immanence Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 15, Ki Teitzei, Chapter 59 p. 109-111 Short Summary: Transcendence has a relationship with immanence. Thus there are levels in transcendent energy commensurate to the immanent energy. Yet, from the perspective of transcendence even the immanent (which is shefa from its own persective and ours below) is like li...

Anatomy of Transcendence (2) Transcendence: Everywhere -- But Concealed Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 15, Ki Teitzei, Chapter 58 p. 106-109 Short Summary: Transcendent energy is within all of existence. It actually is the primary force of creation, and the source of all revelations, even of the immanent energy. Yet, it remains concealed as it is not manifest and enclothed in the parameters of exis...

Anatomy of Transcendence Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 15, Ki Teitzei, Chapter 57 p. 104-106 Short Summary: Transcendent energy has two dimensions: 1) Its essence only expresses its source and is thus utterly seamless without any relationship to anything but the source, and therefore has no name (unlike the immanent energy which has a function to perform in existence, and thus has defined substanc...

Ohr and Shefa (4) Transcendence and Immanence Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 14, Shoftim, Chapter 56 p. 101-104 Short Summary: Uncontained sunlight is a better example than the soul which is bound by the body it occupies; the soul's energy is a better example in so far that it is emanates by will. Ohr and shefa are an example for the transcendent and immanent divine energy.

Ohr and Shefa (3) Ohr: Dispassionate Energy Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 14, Shoftim, Chapter 55 p. 99-101 Short Summary: Emission in the form of ohr, by contrast to shefa, is merely a reflection and expression of the source, without any substance of its own. It therefore has no impact on the transmitter and requires no effort, application and exertion to transmit. Like sunlight and the soul's li...

Ohr and Shefa (2) Shefa: Invested Energy Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 14, Shoftim, Chapter 54 p. 96-98 Short Summary: Shefa emits something of substance, which manifests, is contained and confined to the object that it transmits to, and thus the transmitter is effected by the flow and must invest himself in the process. Like a teacher who has to apply and exert himself to convey teachings to his...

Ohr Ein Sof: Infinite Light Shefa and Ohr (1) Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 14, Shoftim, Chapter 53 p. 94-96 Short Summary: Ohr ein sof means that the energy itself is infinite. We can understand this by examining the difference between shefa (flow) and ohr (light), with shefa being an emission of substance that creates a change and effects its source, and requires investment.

Faculties and Desire (4): Indivisible Will - Impacting Without Being Impacted Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 13, Chapter 52 p. 91-93 Short Summary: Desire fundamentally impacts the faculties but is not impacted by them. Similarly, the transcendent energy impacts everything equally, but is not impacted in return. Long Summary: All this is because the essential power of desire transmits and impacts e...

Faculties and Desire (3): Will Power Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 13, Chapter 51 p. 89-91 Short Summary: The essential power of desire transmits to the faculties and organs. It thus authoritatively controls them and their movement. Long Summary: Unlike the faculties which transmit only a diminished reflection of themselves to the other faculties (the mind itself rests in the brain; only its outer...

Faculties and Desire (2): Process vs. No Process Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 13, Chapter 50 p. 88-89 Short Summary: Unlike the internal faculties which manifest each in its respective container, and thus require time, training and conditioning to communicate with each other and to grow, develop and mature, desire does not occupy any container, and thus instantly effects the entire organism, and...

Faculties and Desire Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 13, Chapter 49 p. 85-88 Short Summary: The difference between the immanent energy, which is only a reflection that manifests differently in each level, and the transcendent energy, which is an essential force that is equal everywhere, is like the difference between the faculties and desire: the faculties are defined entities outside of the essenti...

Immanent and Transcendent Energy Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 12, Chapter 48 p. 83-85 Short Summary: The purpose of the internal energy (pnimn) is to serve existence: the emotional sefirot are needed for creation; the intellectual ones bring about revelation. However the transcendent energy (makif) does not serve any purpose other than reflecting its source.

Purpose of Atzilus: The Cognitive Spheres Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 12, Chapter 47 p. 81-83 Short Summary: The purpose of the intellectual attributes is also to serve existence. The purpose of all the sefirot of Atzilus -- including the intellect -- is to serve existence.

Purpose of the Spheres Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 12, Chapter 46 p. 80-81 Short Summary: Integrated energy -- the sefirot -- are needed only for existence. Long Summary: All the above is about the integrated energy (ohr pnimi), which manifests in containers, in order to permeate the structure of existence (the "worlds"). Because these defined energies as they are rooted in the pre-tzimtzum boun...

Structure of the Worlds: Atzilus, Beriya, Yetzira, Asiya Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 12, Chapter 45 (2) p. 79-80 Short Summary: The structure of the worlds is also defined by a hierarchy of higher and lower. Long Summary: We can say that the comprehension of Beriyah (binah) is like the intellect that relates to the emotions (the subjective value of the idea), mochin d'yenikah, in contrast to the...

Structure of the Worlds: Atzilus, Beriyah Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 12, Chapter 45 (1) p. 77-79 Short Summary: The structure of the worlds is also defined by a hierarchy of higher and lower. Long Summary: Just as the specific sefirot are defined by a spiritually structured hierarchy (higher and lower in conceptual/ethereal space), so too are the worlds structured in a hierarchy of levels, and...

Spherical Structure: Measure, Parameter, Boundary Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 11, Chapter 44 p. 75-77 Short Summary: The structure of the sefirot and the cosmic order -- the fundamental identity of each dimension, its form of expression and degree of energy, and its diminishment through the containers -- is shaped by the kav, which is rooted in the ten hidden sefirot. Long Summary: [This chapter...

Hierarchy of the Spheres Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 11, Chapter 43, p. 74-75 Short Summary: The "spatial" structure of the sefirot is defined by both the intensity of their energy and their fundamental personalities, with chochma being the "closest," i.e. the highest level of divine awareness, emotions more distant and apart, and malchut the "lowest" level with the least revealed energy. Long S...

Short Summary: Though chochma is cognitive intelligence, it is primarily the resonating conviction that is beyond comprehension, thus rendering it as a fundamentally different entity than binah. Long Summary: In truth, chochma primarily is not comprehension but the resonating conviction (hanocha b'nefesh) that is beyond cognitive intelligence (this is lower that the visual dimension of chochma). T...

Dissecting Intelligence Is Chochma Beyond Intelligence? Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 11, Chapter 41, p. 70-71 Short Summary: Though chochma is cognitive intelligence, within it radiates an essential resonance that is beyond comprehension, thus rendering it as a fundamentally different entity than binah. Long Summary: Question: Chochma after all (at least in its lower levels) is cognitive intellig...

Vows and their Absolution Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 10, Chapter 40, p. 68-70 Short Summary: Explanation of the chapter on vows in this Torah portion based on the difference between chochma and binah. Long Summary: Based on the above explanation of chochma and binah we can understand the chapter of vows (in this week's Torah portion): Everything material is under the control of kelipat nogeh --...

Chochma: Essential Wisdom (2) Cause and Effect Type II: Intellectual Transmission Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 10, Chapter 40, p. 67 Short Summary: The progression of cause and effect (both types) are not applicable to chochma, which experiences the essence (like sight) and is thus higher than the cosmic progression. Long Summary: The second type of cause and effect is that both are the same enti...

Chochma: Essential Wisdom (1) Cause and Effect Type I: Intellect and Emotions Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 10, Chapter 39, p. 66-67 Short Summary: Chochma grasps the essence of the subject; binah just its expression. Chochma is higher than the cosmic progression, which is possible only on the expressive level. Two types of progression of cause and effect: 1) The cause and the effect are two diffe...

Cause and Effect  Ayin Beis Volume 1, Discourse 10, Chapter 38, p. 64-66 Short Summary: The vertical structure of the spheres-- with one being higher than the other -- is due to the unique personality of each level and its inherent and essential qualities. Long Summary: [In the previous chapters we discussed the hierarchy of the spheres and worlds based on their relationship with each other -...