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Text-Based Tanya Class—Week #7
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End of Chapter 2. How to reconnect with your own G-dly essence. The role of having a relationship with a tzaddik. This class is recorded live at Chabad of the Five Towns. For more classes from Rabbi Shais Taub visit https://www.soulwords.org/ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rabbi_shais_taub Support our work at: https://www.soulwords.org/donate/
Categories:Torah/Chassidus
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Transcript
Auto-generated transcript. Not time-synced to the video.
Okay, we're continuing now chapter 2. If
you remember,
we left off with a question and if you
hadn't asked it, I would have but it
organically came up in our discussion
which was if it is true
that every Jew
possesses this inner identity which is
godly.
Then how is it that we see so many
different levels and different kinds of
Jews as far as their
discernably what what appears to be
their spiritual capacity? In other
words, why isn't there just one uh
spiritual level which is exhibited by
all Jews uniformly?
So we're going to get to that question,
but before we do, we have to settle one
other thing. So just remember that's
where we're going to get back to. It'll
probably take us about 5 minutes, but we
have a another point that is on the
table has to be dealt with. If you
recall last week we were speaking about
the idea of this godly soul being one
with God. We used a couple of metaphors
or allegorories. One was about breath.
How breath comes from deep within the
person. So Hashem's breath is the godly
soul which comes from deep within him.
The other metaphor or allegory we used
was that of a father and a child. The
biological reproduction that the uh we
said that the brain of the father
becomes the seinal drop which then
builds the entire child. And we spoke a
little bit. I'm not going to do this
again in going through the going through
the the biology of it.
But we have an issue right now to
address
which is that we basically said that if
the Jewish people meaning the souls come
from the level of Hashem's
Hashem's wisdom then that means that
it's synonymous with Hashem himself.
Well, that needs to be addressed because
without getting into a whole long
background discussion.
This is actually the subject of a heated
debate between the Rambam and the Maral.
No, they were not contemporaneous to
each other, but Jewish debates are like
that. Sometimes they can transcend the
centuries.
So the Rambam says that Hashem and his
wisdom are one. The Mal says you cannot
say about Hashem that he and any
attribute are one because Hashem
transcends attributes. That's why it's
called
means, transcendent, separate, aloof
from all attributes. So let's just deal
with that really quickly. Um
yeah, where do we get up to?
We said that I believe
says that Hashem is not like us where
there are three components to any
acquisition of knowledge. There is the
knower, the knowledge itself and the
known. But with Hashem, it's all
happening internally. He is the knower,
the knowledge, and the known.
This is not a concept that we could wrap
our heads around. There's no analog in
human experience. Like it says,
if you probe Hashem, will you find?
Meaning, you think you'll get to the
bottom of this intellectually, you won't
because it's a it's a concept that's
beyond us. And it says
my thoughts are not like your thoughts
meaning not just he has different
thoughts but they are categorically a
different kind of thinking. Okay,
the here's the here's the uh
the reconciliation of the debate.
The cabalists agree with this position
that we just said that we just cited in
the name of the that Hashem and his
wisdom are oneb
quotes one of the chief
cababalists
and also according to the who's the
other chief cabalist and says things a
little bit differently than the ramach.
But the alter says not only according to
the ramach but we got you both the
ramach and theela
the matter stands. It can be
corroborated by kabala. How so? How do
we explain that hashem who is
transcendent of all descriptions can be
said to be synonymous with one of his
qualities namely hisma his wisdom.
When the infinite is invested within the
vessels of the intellectual faculties of
the world ofos,
in other words, in what we call
means the orderly progression of world
building where Hashem creates finite
plains of reality and the first of them
is the most flimsy. I mean that in a
good way only in the best possible way.
Flimsy meaning it's not such a crass
course creation. It's more transparent.
It's almost part with uh part of the
creator. Well, everything's really
honestly part of the creator, but as far
as even on a revealed level in atus,
which means the world of emanation, it's
just an emanation. It's like um
the creation does not mask the creator.
You know the the word for for world in
the holy tongue is ulum which is the
etmological comes from the etmological
root in len which means concealment like
the word helum. So world is a
concealment and each of these worlds
compound concealment upon concealment
but the highest world sort of sort of a
proto world because it's hardly a world
it's hardly a concealment. It's called
the world of emanation. So in that proto
world which is composed of 10 spheros
configuration of 10 spheres. So the
infinite invests itself into through
tinsum through compression and
condensation. The infinite invests
itself so to speak into these vessels
which we call the tens and specifically
the first three of the ten spheres
meaning the vessels of kabad. And so
there on that level you can say that
hashem is united with his wisdom.
If you are not following I'll keep it
very simple. There are levels
on the highest level of world building
that's where it starts and everything on
down where it starts the idea that the
infinite can be united with a particular
attribute. However, a however
not above obviously if you want to go
above worlds
then you wouldn't say that Hashem is
synonymous
with any of his qualities because Hashem
would be transcendent of any qualities
even the qualities of the sphero
like it's written elsewhere
the infinite is ultimately transcendent
above any kind of categorization
way above even God's own wisdom
understanding and knowledge
until you could even say that
which are the highest qualities
are from Hashem's perspective
equivalent to action which is the lowest
coarsest quality
like it's written it's hinted to in the
verse
you have made them all with wisdom the
verse equates with assa the highest
quality the most rarified and abstract
quality with assa the lowest quality
okay so anyways we address the fact that
we are
sourcing the godly soul in Hashem's and
thereby concluding that the godly soul
is synonymous with God himself. Well,
hold on a second. Even Hashem's is not
synonymous with God himself. And we're
saying, hold on, it's the and the and
the cabalists make sense of it. And
we're talking about within worlds.
Obviously, if you go higher than worlds,
even the the the most lofty spiritual
worlds, then we wouldn't make this
statement. But down here, for all
practical purposes, it is completely
understood to say that if we say that
something comes from Hashem's level of
it is as good as saying that it comes
from the essence of Hashem himself, even
though on higher levels that we're not
dealing with, obviously, Hashem
transcends even his own attribute of
wisdom. Understood.
More or less. Yeah.
Where are we?
We just finished the note. Just finished
the note.
Everyone understands
well enough.
Is it going to keep you up at night?
It will.
Probably.
Yeah.
Is this a way to resolve gas? Yes,
it's a resolution. Yes,
he made an assertion. The godly soul
comes from Hashem's wisdom. That means
it's one with God. Why? Because Hashem's
wisdom is one with him. Like the Raam
says, he and his wisdom are one. Oh, but
hold on. That's just an attribute of
Hashem, not Hashem himself. We said,
relax. The coalists already resolved
this. From down, Hashem and his wisdom
are one. from Matsilas on up. Obviously,
Hashem transcends even his own
attributes.
Okay. Okay. All right. Now, back to that
question that came up in our discussion
last week. Remember we were wondering if
we have just asserted that all Jews have
this godly soul which has this uh this
certain quality of being one with God
then how come we see doesn't look like
every single Jew has the same degree of
that there's so many different levels
apparent levels of spirituality among
Jews so we have to address that yeah
yeah
DNA right
we call it DNA. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean
I call it DNA as like a modern uh
metaphor for it. Yeah. He calls it the
essence. He also uses genetics. He says
tip the the the drop from from the brain
which becomes the the seinal drop. So he
also uses he also uses genetics as the
as the metaphor. Obviously didn't have
the term DNA in the 1790s but
I'm I'm comfortable using that that term
here. Okay.
So, let's address why we see different
levels of Jews. Yeah. Everyone
understands what the Okay. All right.
The rea
and although we see myriads of different
levels of souls,
that's the question. How come? Why do we
see that? Explain that phenomenon. If
you're saying that the godly soul is of
a certain quality and that every Jew has
this quality, then how come we see such
diversity?
Further building the question
for instance
when you talk about the historical
timeline you have souls of the
patriarchs and Moses and then you have
souls of our generation and you compare
them you're like whoa that's totally
different that's a totally different
level they were just a total different
they were in a different category,
different ballpark.
You're telling me that me and Mishenu
both have an
me and the both have an but we seem like
we're so different
if you look from generation to
generation.
And he he further says about our
generation that our generation is called
we are like the heels of the Jewish
history of the if the Jewish people
throughout history are like one body.
Then those early generations of great
sadikim are like the head of the body
and we are like the heels.
of a also if you even look in one
generation people who are all alive at
the same time forget about comparing
to us let's talk about
people who are all alive at the same
time in one generation
you have the leaders of the thousands of
Jews big leaders big makers
who they are relatively speaking the
head and the brain
It's compared to the souls of the masses
and the uneducated people, the
furthermore,
there's another factor here. When you
compare souls to souls,
we've been oversimplifying. We're just
calling it, but really there are
subsets. There's nish, there's ru,
there's nish.
And different Jews have different levels
of these
call them uh various manifestations of
the soul. So we see the bottom line is
we see a lot of diversity throughout
history. We see a lot of diversity even
of people who live contemporaneously to
each other.
What's up with that? How are we supposed
to account for that?
Nevertheless,
here's what you got to know.
the source of every single soul
whether it's from the very highest level
or the very lowest
amitum
which is invested in the body of the
unlettered or ignorant person or the
kalsha column how should we uh translate
that the lightheaded people the people
who are not into the serious stuff in
life. So every single soul in its
source, whether it came down into the
body of some big spiritual leader or
whether it came down to the body of
someone who is not very into
spirituality,
they all have the same source.
They all come from the same level which
is called
or the superal brain
meaning
is Hashem's attribute of wisdom not
knowable wisdom not wisdom in the sense
that we mean it but the source of wisdom
godly wisdom and it is the highest of
the spherois
And not only is it
the highest of the qualities or
attributes in the highest of the worlds
that is the source of every single soul,
Jewish soul, nephis, second soul of the
Jew that we referred to in the beginning
of chapter 2. They all come from the
same source.
Like the metaphor that we've already
given earlier in the chapter of the
seinal drop that comes from the brain of
the father.
If you look at the sun, all of the son's
parts come from the father's seinal
drop. both the sun's brain and the sun's
toenails.
So think of it like that. Think of
an organism which is complex and has
various different levels and qualities
of parts to it. Very sophisticated parts
like brain cells and very let's say
low-level parts like toenail cells. And
yet brain cells and toenail cells all
have the same DNA.
They all come from the same genetic
code from the same seinal drop of the
same father.
Continuing the allegory,
how this differentiation takes place. A
little bit of biology where babies come
from al through how does this happen
that there's differentiation between the
brain cells and the toenail cells
through
by incubating 9 months in the mother's
womb.
So these souls they come down level
after level
to change
or rather no we're still talking about
the analogy not the the the analog that
this this cell this reproductive cell
develops in the mother and he calls it
descending because it's it's it's going
to I mean it depends what you call
descent in lower levels
But uh when it starts off as one simple
cell and then it becomes differentiated
or articulated into different body parts
with different cells. So we're calling
that a descent after a fashion at least
in this context.
So then that baby that fetus develops
that it has brain cells has toenail
cells.
But not withstanding that change that it
undergoes
It still remains the organism. This
child still remains united in a wondrous
way with the essence with it with its
with its original essence which is the
seinal drop from the father.
And even now when the son is born and
he's an independent being
his his own toenails are getting their
sustenance from his brain from his
brain.
Like it says in theorid,
the white parts of the of the child
which are the the senus and the bones
and the fingernails come from the the
white cell which is from the father.
Or like it says there that when had
clothing, Hashem made them an
exoskeleton sort of a like shell like
fingernail covering their entire body
which comes from the Anyways, the point
is just it establishes a relationship
between the nails which is considered
something very low and uh and and the
and the brain which is obviously the
loftiest part of the body.
You understand what we're saying here?
We're saying that you look at the child
and the child has all different parts
and they're of different qualities,
but all of these different parts of
different qualities originate
from one simple origin.
so to speak. We say because we're
speaking about hem, so it's nothing we
say really does it justice. But if you
allow for the inaccuracies of metaphor,
if you talk about the source of every
single Jewish soul, irregardless of the
way this soul presents itself down here,
but the source above of every single
Jewish soul,
as as these souls descend through the
world from
to
again we quote that verse but we use it
differently this time
that from comes all the way down to
so that's how You get the souls of what
we call the unlettered or ignorant
masses.
They descended further. That's what
we're saying. They all originate from
the same source, but some
descended further away from their
source. But if you trace them back
again to use the metaphor, the toenail
traveled further from the original
genetic code of the father, so to speak,
than the brain. But both the toenail of
the child and the brain of the child are
both from the same
genetic code of the father.
So you have Jews who down here quote
unquote traveled further from the from
the source, meaning the way that they
present down here in this world in a
body
is more of a more of a descent. But if
you trace their origins, and that means
even looking at their essence right now,
you'll find that it's identical with
even that of the loftiest Jew.
So they come down, these souls come down
into these low-level people. The in see,
you understand, we're not pretending
that everyone's the same. We don't have
to do that. We don't have to erase
boundaries and pretend we're all the
same. everyone's has the same level of
spiritual aptitude. We're not pretending
everyone's the same. We're acknowledging
clearly there are differences and what
just like there's a difference between a
brain cell and a toenail cell and we're
saying that even that notwithstanding
that they have the same they have the
same genetic code. Yeah.
So first of all it's not always a like a
choice to follow through. I feel like
it's also
who said it's a choice
saying like
you said it's not always a choice. It's
never a choice.
Sometimes the choice I'm ungar No, no,
no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm so glad
you said this. I'm so glad you said
this. I'm so glad you said this. I'm so
glad you said this. This is not a
choice.
I'm so glad you said this. Everyone,
please listen to me. Please listen to
me.
We are not talking about whether
somebody is religious or not.
Okay?
To the contrary, that can be quite
misleading because call me
Like the like I say just say
translate
anyone who is greater than his fellow
his inclination is greater than his
fellow.
Okay.
So what does that mean?
Oh Asa's a good example.
You catch a guy on the wrong day.
You say he's a low he's very spiritually
low. No he's spiritually high.
Let me explain. I know that we like to
take false comfort in the idea that if
you're Orthodox, then you're of a high
spiritual level.
Once you learn the time, you realize
we're all
it ain't. So, this jiggling here is
making me nuts.
No, let me let me explain something.
Let me explain something to you.
We're talking about capacities and
potentials right here.
There are people who are very
spiritually talented.
He may not be from maybe he's a shish
but maybe he didn't grow up religious.
Okay. Or maybe he did grow up religious
but he's got such a big then he he went
off. But the point is he's got spiritual
potential. Then you have people show
them simple Jews. Simple Jews. He's very
firm. He says tell them all day. But
let's be honest, he's not a big ham.
He's not a big der. He's not a big
anything. He's just a nice simple Jew.
When we're talking about levels, we're
not talking about how somebody is. We're
talking about levels. We're talking
about spiritual capacities.
Okay? And and and some people are using
their spiritual capacity to its fullest.
Some people are not. Some people are
squandering their spiritual capacities.
We're talking about spiritual
capacities. We're not talking about not
talking about how fume somebody is.
You can have somebody with enormous
spiritual capacities who presently
at this time currently is really messing
up big morally and hopefully they'll do
chuva. They will do chuva
but that's not a person on a low level.
That's a person on a high level who's
messing up. Then you get a person who's
very religious but not to sound like
snobby but there's nothing stellar about
their spirituality. Just simple ju just
a simple Jew. Isn't the ultimate
learning? Isn't that what you hope to
be? That's the ultimate goal, right?
To become a simple Jew.
Right. That's
you're confusing everybody.
There's nothing wrong. We're not judging
anybody. I hate the fact that anytime
you make qualitative statements in a
fume environment, everybody has to
explain how it's not a judgment. I
didn't imply it was a judgment. So why
are we defending that it's not a
judgment? I'm making statements here.
There are people that have greater
spiritual capacities, people with lesser
spiritual capacities. That's all I'm
saying. It's just it's it's not a
judgment. It's just a it's just a fact.
Now, the only reason we're even talking
about that is because we were curious
how that plays into our assertion from
the beginning of the chapter that every
single Jew has this
they have this second soul which is
mal mameish a literal part of God above
or part of God above even when it's
physically in a body and you're saying
hold on then why don't we see every
single Jew has the identical spiritual
capacity we said okay so we have to
address that how do we account for that
look you look at a body and all the
parts of that body from the brain cell
down to the toenail cell come from the
same father
so too think about the Jewish people in
that way you have People are like brain
cells. People are like toenail cells.
But if you check the genetic code, it's
the same in the brain cell as it is in
the toenail cell. So if you look at two
Jews, one who has a great spiritual
capacity, one who has a diminished
spiritual capacity. If you check out
their essence, if you check out their
origins, you'll find that it's
identical.
So it's just a matter of what you
develop.
It's not about what you develop. No,
it's not about what you develop. This is
not about developing. No,
someone someone who has a lesser
spiritual capacity doesn't matter what
they develop. There's a ceiling. They
will not break through.
Got it?
But let's say
they each had their own.
And then that's another thing. Let's not
even get because now you're complicating
even more that then there are
qualitative differences. Forget about
quantitative differences. Someone who's
superior to another. There are also
qualitative differences where it's not
superior or inferior. It's just
different styles which you're alluding
to. I don't want to get into that
because we're confused already.
How do you define spiritual capacity?
Spiritual capacity the the ability to to
discern to know to understand godliness
to be sensitive to godly things
obviously requires uh certain uh
capacity to think abstractly. A person
who thinks only concretely is not
capable of that.
Is the statement everyone can reach to
the level of Moshe coming with this or
not?
The question is how can you know um
everyone can reach the level of or like
it says in uh ino that everybody should
say when am I going to reach the level
of the a
simple answer is what it says there is
when will my deeds reach the level of
the
moai
when will my deeds reach the the
o in other words when it comes deeds.
When it comes to behaviors, behaviors
are behaviors. Behaviors are objective.
But when it comes to internal stuff like
spiritual sensitivity, like
understanding stuff, feeling it, come
on, be realistic. You're going to feel
what Misha felt. I'm not going to feel
what Misha felt. My deeds can be stellar
deeds, which is by the one of the
focuses of Tanya is that we can all
pursue behavioral perfection. But you
want to talk about internally my
emotional experience, my cognitive
experience of God, it's not going to
rival my shouldeno.
Okay, let's continue here.
You see where we are?
The nurture. Unika means the nurture or
like
the the the connection or the pipeline,
the hookup
for the life of the souls even of these
low-level people whom
comes from the spiritual makers of their
generation.
Interesting concept here.
It's saying that although
certainly there are different levels of
spiritual capacity that different Jews
possess,
even if you're on that lower tier where
you have a lower level capacity,
you are hooked into your origin
through your connection to
those
Jews. Yeah. The Yeah. You don't have to
I didn't say it through
thoseim
who were unaffected by their descent
into a body. So basically it's saying
like this everyone was affected more or
less by their descent into a body cuz in
in our origin we're all identical. We're
all the same. And some people that
process of embodiment took more of a
toll meaning they traveled further.
Obviously, we're not talking, you know,
close and far. These are all spiritual
terms. But there was more of a uh wear
and tear through the the shipping
process,
metaphorically speaking. And then there
are those who entered embodiment
supply chain crisis.
The supply chain. Ah, that's good.
That's good. That's right.
So, there are those who Yeah. their soul
sat in a warehouse somewhere in Bria and
got all stale before it ended up
like they took you know this one got got
knocked around in Bria and this one uh
got misouted in Yeets
and by the time they come down here so
they don't look so aya they're not so
impressive okay no problem but if you
track the shipping back to the warehouse
they're all from the same warehouse
or you know it's like Amazon.
They're all from Amazon. Yeah.
All from China.
Here we go.
Don't worry about the flashing thing.
Yeah.
So, even though they don't come from the
same place, it doesn't mean that we'll
get the same amount.
Correct. Correct. That's what we're
saying.
We all We're acknowledging that by the
time a soul is embodied, there are going
to be different levels of capacity.
Is it capacity?
Capacity.
the synonymous capacity and input.
Somebody is if the vessel is big, we
could get more but we're only getting a
drop. Or is it that somebody gets?
It's both. It's both. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. And then there's another factor
which if we finish the chapter we'll
talk about again which
exacerbates the whole situation. But
yes, it it it's it's only going to be
able to accomplish so much down here.
Okay. But if you trace it to its source,
it's identical with even the loftiest
souls,
their source, right? And he explains the
mechanics of it that down here the souls
even of the lowest members of the Jewish
people receive their
their their life force through or by way
of the sadikim of their generation who
were unaffected by embodiment.
So,
are you saying that you have ceilings? I
mean, a person has a cap, unless they
attach themselves inside it, then they
can reach over that cap.
I didn't say that yet, but
how do you how you hear what you said?
If you're attached to a sadic, you could
supersede your own capacity. Well,
here's what I would say.
If you Yes, but let me explain. By by
attaching to a sadic, you get back your
original potency.
So it's yours. It's not the sadic. It's
you. But you are sort of divorced from
yourself. But then through the saddic,
you get back to yourself. So it's not
some foreign person, some hero worship.
Oh, this sadic. No, it's the real me
that I'm reattaching to through this
relationship. So now he says
and now we can understand the saying of
the sages
to say you should cleave to attach
yourself to glue yourself to Hashem.
And uh
our sages ask how is that done? How do
you attach yourself to Hashem? So the
sages say
anyone who cleaves to
it's like he cleaves to the now we
understand that saying of the sages much
better what are we saying we're saying
basically get back to your own godly
essence
how through the relationship with those
whose identity hasn't been diminished
through the process of embodiment
but you're reconnecting to your essence
Beautiful.
One of my favorite stories, there was a
Yid from London, Freddy Hager, All of
Shalom, and he went into Yiddis, I think
he was 23 years old, 3:00 a.m. He went
to the Reb, and he said, "I was prepared
all wrong for Yiddis. I went in thinking
I was going to meet a great man,
and I left realizing that I had met my
true self."
That's that's what this is saying. that
his conscious to the sadic is not about
exalting somebody that they're so great.
Well, first of all, we have any grasp
how great a sadic is? We have no grasp.
The point is that the sadic clues you in
on how great you are,
how great you are in your origin, in
your source. So, I may be limited in
terms of embodiment, but I have a lot
more. You know, it's like how much cash
am I h am I carrying in my wallet? Okay,
but I have more in the bank. Well, what
if it's not my bank? What if it's my
father's bank? But if I have access and
it's mine, ultimately it's mine. So now
I can use it. So this is how we can be
greater than ourselves. And that's why a
relationship with that sadic is always
about giving you a giving reminding of
your mission and your purpose and
empowering you to do something greater
than you could have done on your own
because it's the real you that you were
estranged from through the process of
embodiment. Let's continue here
through cleaving to the sages.
The souls of the low-level people are
connected
and reunited
to their original essence. Catch that.
Very important. Not saying you're you're
united to the essence of the tadic. No.
through the Tadic you're you're united
with your original essence
and their own
source which is namely
the level of in the world of meaning the
highest in the highest world the highest
level in world building and that is the
source of the souls even if we became
estranged from our own source but
through the relationship with the saddic
we get back in touch with ourselves
Like we said already, Hashem and his
wisdom are one. So when we're
reconnecting to our source and Hashem's
wisdom, we are re reconnecting with
Hashem himself, so to speak. Okay?
Because the is close to Hashem's wisdom
as you can possibly be. Correct?
Everyone is. Why are you saying the
Tadic? We all are. The isn't that the
Tadadic is close to Hashem. The kesh is
that the tadic
wasn't wasn't
tap into you
tap into you the kdesh is that sadic
wasn't affected by embodiment
came down without any
he wasn't affected by embodiment. So you
are going to transcend your own your
your own embodiment trauma.
You are going to heal your own
embodiment trauma through your
relationship with the sadic.
Now he addresses a question.
What about those who rebel against? We
just made an assertion
that they that everyone even the low
level the lowest level the receive their
their sustenance through a relationship
with what about people who actively
reject the relationship with. So he says
they get it from
means behind the back,
right? Like here, take it. Do whatever
the hell you want.
Right.
Passive aggressive.
Yeah.
Meaning they won't have a frontal
relationship with the sadic. They still
get their connection through the sadic.
It's now just they've chosen to get it
in a less than warm way. Yeah.
What does it mean to have a relationship
with a sadic?
Well, let's go back to what we were
speaking about in the uh hakdma in the
hakdma samalakit in the compilers
forward of this book. We said that the
premise of this book, the proper usage
of this book is that the alterba is a
soul scientist, somebody who understands
Jews and understands me, and I'm going
to trust him to tell me what I can
accomplish and how to accomplish it. So
that's what it means, a relationship.
Relationship means I'm ready to be given
guidance on how to maximize my potential
and how to be the best me that I can be.
That's really the ultimate relationship
with the sadic. Anything else is
maybe superfluous to that.
I don't know how else it would manifest
itself. I mean, I do know culturally how
it manifests itself. But if you're
talking you know uh authentic mystical
not just mystical mystical andic
relationships with sadikim it's
basically the idea of taking guidance
and uh
allowing them to mentor you.
That's what it means.
So if the saddic says it's good for your
soul to go to Antarctica, you go. That's
what it means.
Okay,
let's
take we have just a few minutes here,
but let's just address Oh, I told you
there's another factor that exacerbates
things. Okay, so it's not so simple
because there is another factor here and
that is something called the nephaslas.
Okay. So in the whole Tanya he never
really speaks about but there is yeah um
is a third soul
is
the godly soul. It just wants to be one
with God is the animal soul. It wants
self-preservation
is the philosophical soul or the
rational soul. It just wants meaning.
Wants meaning. And it's open to both
souls. And that's why it's a mediator
between the two.
Over here, he doesn't call it the
neflas, but his grandson, the al's
grandson, the says this is what he's
talking about over here. He's talking
about the neflas
is a filter. It's an interface.
Basically, all the spiritual influences
that come down to a person in in
embodiment have to go through that
interface. All the mitzvah that he puts
out, all of his output goes through that
interface. So it has a a huge amount of
influence on a person's spiritual
standing.
So we're going to address this issue
right now by way of answering an
unspoken question. Um he says like this
we know that in Kabala it says inadesh
it says that the main influence on a
child's spirituality is the intent
that the parents have during conception
it's not so meaning they do not do this
properly the the unlettered masses.
Let me spell out what the question is.
The question is, you just told me that
basically everyone's spirituality has to
do with their level of soul.
But now you're telling me there's
another
factor that affects somebody's
spirituality and that is the purity of
thoughts that the parents have while
they're conceiving the child. So he
says, "Yeah, that's a separate thing.
It's a separate issue." He says
the soul, every soul has a lavush, has a
garment that comes from the essence of
the parents.
And this garment, this interface, let's
call it, what does it do? He says
all the mitzvah the person does down
here
it all comes out through that garment
that interface
also all the spiritual flow that comes
down to him from heaven
it goes through that interface.
So if the father, it's mostly the
father, um will have the proper intent
during conception,
the son will get a lofty garment.
But that's not the same as describing
the soul level. See, there's two factors
here. There's the soul level and there's
the garment. Therefore, he says
even if let's say in theory you have a
highlevel soul,
it's still going to need the father to
have a good intent during conception
because that is going to determine what
kind of interface the soul has. In other
words, and Kabala says Rabaka was such
an example. That's why he couldn't learn
for 40 years, but once he did, wow, you
couldn't stop him. He had a lofty soul
with a very crass interface that he got
from his father who was an amma audits.
So there are two different factors.
There's the soul itself and its capacity
like we spoke about at length earlier in
this year and then there's the interface
which we call the nepheshless or the
lavush and that is determined by the
intent of the parents at the time of
conception.
However, the soul itself
sometimes a lofty soul because Hashem is
the one who chooses the souls and it's
all sort of like based on some divine
algorithm that we don't understand.
Sometimes a lofty soul will come down to
be born as the son of an amha audits.
Now obviously that person because his
father was an ammo audit his father
didn't have deep intentions while he was
conceiving the child. So the child will
get a lowlevel garment lavush interface
but the soul could still be a very very
lofty soul.
Like the says
if you want to look it up it's in
parasitz
or you can look initious
there he explains it more at length. So
you got a question? I was saying David
was also an example though of like if
his parents were
David is also yeah an interesting story
of his conception. Yeah. Um yeah so
everyone understands
the basic idea here.
Let's just review really quickly because
we we talked about some lofty stuff. The
assertion of chapter 2 is that every Jew
has an which is mamish. We asked how it
is possible then
well let's review the whole chapter.
Every single has a second soul which is
called
Malish a portion of God above. We use
two metaphors to bring out what that
means. the metaphor of breath, metaphor
of uh the uh the the brain and the
genetic code turning into the the child
and we addressed also the idea of Hashem
being equivalent with his own wisdom and
we said yeah that's from
then we asked the question how is it
possible for there to be v various
different levels of spiritual status and
capacities we said well that is because
there's different wear and tear that the
souls undergo through the process of
embodiment
But there's a there's a hack. There's a
workaround. Find a sadic. In other
words, find someone who was not affected
by the embodiment. They will reintroduce
you to you. And what about those who
don't want a relationship? Okay, so then
they'll have a passive aggressive
relationship. Um, but they still have a
relationship. And what about the fact
that we know that we do affect our
spirit that our children's spiritual
status by uh our intent during
conception? Yeah, that's not the actual
soul level. That's just the interface
that the soul has to work through. Okay,
that's the whole chapter two.
Okay,
everyone solid, steady,
good, good closing off place. We're
having
We have a class next Monday, Khan,
Thursday.
Uh, yeah, why not? Okay.
Yeah, I'm okay.