Chapter 5
Now, we need to explain the idea of the ‘Parsa-Dividing Curtain’ between Atzilus and Beriya, and between Beriya and Yetzira, etc.
The maamar previously discussed how Atzilus is a completely different category than the Infinite Light of Hashem. Therefore, it is impossible for Atzilus to come into being from the Infinite Light without a Tzimtzum, retraction of the Light, in a manner of a complete withdrawal, not leaving any of the original Light. Only afterwards could there be the Light of Kav entering the “void and empty space” to eventually come into Atzilus.
This is not the case, however, with the subsequent Tzimtzumim, concealments and limitations on the Light, between the various worlds. In that sense, the various worlds are in the same general category of Atzilus, in comparison of how far removed Atzilus is from the Infinite Light.
This will be understood by of the analogy of a teacher who wants to teach a difficult idea to his student, but the student will not fully understand the idea directly, due its depth.
Therefore, the teacher must create an analogy and give examples to explain the idea.
Such as the analogies taught by King Shlomo in the book of “Mishlei-Analogies,” for example, when he spoke about (Mishlei 7:5) “guarding you from a ‘foreign woman,’” this was an analogy for guarding you from ‘Avoda Zara-serving foreign deities,’ which is a service that is ‘foreign’ with respect to the Torah, that teaches us to serve Hashem.
Similarly, regarding other ideas, such as bringing an analogy from basic, physical things in order to explain “deep spiritual matters that stand at the greatest heights above the world.”
This idea of an analogy is that it draws upon other ideas that are not directly related to the idea that the teacher wants to teach.
Rather, by way of this analogy the intended idea can be understood.
Therefore, he separates from the idea he wishes to teach and explains it instead by other means, such as an analogy.
This is the idea of a ‘Parsa-dividing curtain’ that separates between Atzilus and Beriya.
It is a covering and separation, to “discuss,” i.e., create, matters that are not related to the world of Atzilus.
For there, in Atzilus, Chochma-Wisdom functions and exists completely differently, it is entirely different from the manner of function and being of Chochma in the world of Beriya.
And, therefore, Chochma of Beriya has no ability to directly receive even a ray of Chochma, as it exists in Atzilus.
However, by means of the ‘Parsa-Curtain,’ the analogy, that separates, it is possible for Chochma of Atzilus to also shine into Beriya according to its capacities and qualities.
This enables the ‘student,’ the world of Beriah, to understand the idea by way of the ‘analogy’ of the Parsa.
In this way, there can also come into being a new type of wisdom, that of “the student,” the creations, as they understand the concept of Hashem’s existence from their perspective.
Therefore, the creation of Beriya is also referred to as “Something-from nothing comparable,” since it occurs by means of the Parsa, which causes a “Second Generation Light.”
Meaning, that there is born a new Light of Chochma-Wisdom in Beriah that never existed before.
Thus, even though Beriah and Atzilus are both in the same general category relative to the Infinte Light of Hashem, nonetheless, the existence and wisdom of Beriah is called “something from nothing,” since that type of existence and understanding never existed in Atzilus, and it only through the Parsa that this new type of understanding come into existence.
This can be compared (by way of analogy) to the new type of understanding that the student attains from the analogy taught to him, since the student cannot grasp the abstract idea itself.
This is because the analogy discusses a different topic from which he can understand his teacher’s idea. Now, this type of knowledge is new to the student, and in fact, to the teacher as well, and it originates from the analogy taught by the teacher.
In the analogy of the analogy, the way the student understands the teacher’s idea through the analogy is a new perspective, that did not exist in the teacher himself, since he understood it from a very different perspective.
Similarly, the knowledge of Hashem that the creations have is something new, since this information was understood very differently in Atzilus.
This is because in Atzilus the knowledge that Hashem is the True Existence means something entirely differently from how the creations understand that concept.
In Atzilus, this is understood in the absolute sense, that there is no existence other than Hashem, period.
In Beriah, they understand that Hashem exists, and is the Creator and Director and King etc. However, they understand that they also exist.
Thus, their understanding of Hashem’s Oneness is completely different from how it is understood in Atzilus. This new perspective, new type of understanding, did not exist in Atzilus. In that sense, it is “something from nothing.”
In this way, this Light (awareness of Hashem) of Beriya is a new Light that originates by means of the Parsa-Curtain.
Now, a wise person can understand:
The concealment of the teacher’s intellect within the analogy that he teaches the student, is in such a manner that the entire depth of his wisdom is invested in this analogy, not only theoretically, but in actuality.
However, since the idea (analogy) that it is invested in is a different idea from the original concept in the mind of the teacher that he is trying to transmit, and instead he uses a seemingly unrelated concept to teach it (the original concept), therefore, the teacher’s understanding of the idea that he is hinting to through the analogy is such, that this idea cannot be seen and revealed to the student except by way of this analogy, which discusses a seemingly different idea and only hints to the actual concept.
Through this analogy, a new type of understanding is generated in the mind of the student, to the extent that it is considered a completely new idea.
Nevertheless, even though this idea is new to the student, this new idea essentially existed before (in the teacher’s mind), and is only being hinted to by way of the analogy.
And this is similar to the process of the concealment and investment of Chochma and the remaining nine sefiros of Atzilus through the Parsa-Curtain, which brings into existence Chochma of Beriya.
Since it is Chochma of Atzilus itself which actually descends through the Parsa-Curtain, effecting the creation of Chochma of Beriya, this means that Chochma of Beriah, despite being a “new” Light, still retains a certain relationship and connection to Chochma of Atzilus.
The maamar is bringing out a point: Even though we said that the wisdom in Beriah is called “something from nothing,” since it is a new perspective that didn’t exist in Atzilus, it is, in fact, not completely new. It is actually the same exact information, just from a different perspective. In that sense, it is not really “new” in the absolute sense.
This contrasts with how Atzilus is derived from the Infinite. Since Infinite and finite cannot exist in the same category at all, for finite to come into being from Infinite is absolutely new.
In that sense, the existence of Atzilus coming from the Infinite Light is a much greater novelty than the creation of finite creations from the world of Atzilus.
However, this is unlike the Tzimtzum on Hashem’s Infinite Light which enables the existence of Atzilus, meaning, the process of the concealment of the Infinite Light and its “removal” from being expressed, to the extent that it is not called by the name “Light” at all as it exists in its source in Hashem, as explained above, therefore, due to this tremendous “jump” between the Infinite Light and the relative limitation of Atzilus, we describe this process of how Atzilus is derived from the Infinite through Kesser by saying: “You are One, but not a one that is counted.”
Meaning, Hashem’s True Oneness, on an Infinite level, is not in the category of Atzilus at all, and even the levels of Hishtalshelus that are needed to bring about the existence of Atzilus are also not in the same category of Atzilus at all.
Only after Hashem brings into being the levels of Kesser, which transcend Atzilus, and are “One, but not that can be counted” in the category of Atzilus, only after this do we say “You are He who brought forth Ten Sefiros” of Atzilus.
The fact that these levels of Kesser are “not one that can be counted” is because they are not in the same category of Atzilus, as they reflect the Infinite Light that transcends the limitations of Ten Sefiros of Atzilus.
