Introduction: The Neshama’s three levels: 1) Etzem, 2) Kochos and 3) Levushim. Chapter 2 dealt with Etzem, Chapter 4 will deal with Levushim and our Perek will deal with Kochos. The idea of נשתלשלו מהם, that בצלמינו כדמותינו in חקירה means intelligence, but in קבלה it means that all the aspects that exist in אלקות...

Another idea associated with the Kochos is that it inhibits, limits, and gives finite expression to the infinite soul כחות הנפש מבטאים גילויי הנפש בהגבלה ובהתחלקות. This allows the Neshama and the person to operate in a finite world and to co-exist with other Neshamos and to even make compromise.

The ten S’firos. The idea that the human form is a Mashal to understand the ten supernal S’firos based on the principal of מבשרי אחזה אלוק. Chassidus explains the משל to us as well, so we can understand the ten כחות הנפש precisely.

A thought on current events. Review. Mind and heart, objective vs. subjective. Mind closer to Soul, Heart closer to actions.

Chochma. Two parts: 1) acknowledging one’s limit and surrendering to the unknown and transcendent. 2) This opens the person up to the enlightenment, intuition, or light, the flash of Chochma. But the two are based on the quality of the person and his prior preparedness as an intellectual.

Bina. Bina is everything Chochma is not. It analyzes and forfeits the light and pleasure of the “Flash of Chochma” for the sake of the credibility and discernment and clarity of Bina. Example from the Rebbe’s teaching a RaShI.

Bina cont. התבוננות (Class One). Emotions (אהבה ויראה) that come from the “father and mother” combination of Chochma and Bina. The idea of using the mind to arouse the heart. The רמב”ם בהלכות מלכים, about not being afraid on the war front by not thinking. This is the explanation found in Chassidus to explain the...

התבוננות (Class Two). In order to engage one’s mind there must be the אסורה מכאן להתקרב לשם in order to engage with Hashem they need a lot of time to get away from regular life in order to engage with and Daven to Him. התבוננות is not meditation. [I believe that התבודדות which is practiced...

התבוננות (Class Three). The point of the התבוננותו is וידעת היום so that it should bring to the והשבות אל לבבך. The Mitteler Rebbe writes that התבוננות must be in details so it should truly arouse the heart. Ironically the mind and heart contradict each other (unless one is on the level of פנימיות המוח...

התבוננות (Class Four). This class discusses the idea of self honesty when it comes to life in general and עבודה פנימית in particular. There are three levels in התבוננות and one caveat. 1) ממלא כל עלמין; כי הוא חייך the contemplation that starts with us and that He sustains US. 2) סובב כל עלמין; הכל...

מדות חג”ת נה”י והחושים. This Perek addresses all ten כחות, but he only explains the three מוחין חב”ד. The seven emotions חג”ת נהי”ם and the five חושים which are ראי’, שמיעה, ריח, טעם, מישוש. We will attempt to explain all these things over the next several classes. In general the emotions in קבלה are only...

This class explored נה”י. Here too, נצח is outer, הוד deeper, and יסוד deeper still. A) נצח is aggression and taking on an enemy by being forward thus: it is קו הימין. B) הוד is stubbornness, hunkering down against all comers without giving an inch, but it is passive not aggressive. C) יסוד is drawing...

נה”י continued. נצח and הוד fight with an opponent. יסוד does what needs to be done and has no opposition. The idea that the lower the level of the נפש, the higher its source, and in this case it is the idea that נה”י are connected to the עצם הנשמה more than חב”ד וחג”ת. This...

מלכות. It’s inner dimension is רוממות and it’s outer dimension is עשי’ה. Explanation.

מלכות (Class Two). מלכות is the lowest ספירה so it has the highest source. Two ideas: A) The רוממות of מלכות and its טבע להיות נמשך אל השפל must be from the deepest in עצומ”ה where the זולת is also included. B) קבלת עול מלכות שמים is rooted in עצמות, because only from there will...

חושים (One). חושים are not discuss in Tanya at all. A system that is very superficial on the one hand and it touches the essence on the other. The problem with no work. The difference between כחות and חושים. The difference between חוש and כשרון. The letters of the Frierdike Rebbe to his daughter הרבנית...

חושים (Two). Introduction thought for the convention. חושים help a person go from the most removed to the closest very quickly, but very fleetingly. Some חושים are quicker than others (like ראי’ה vs. שמיעה) but the quicker they are the more fleeting is the affect on the person.

חושים (Three). A) חושים not only take in, they give out very deep things. But in and of themselves they could be very deep and have no connection to the essence of what is real which is why they are called in קבלה with the name הבלים. B) חוש המישוש according to the רמב”ם is...

This class we began discussing דעת. דעת is התקשרות that what you are involved with matters and is personal. It is a tool that is ours to use at will just like חכמה ובינה etc.

Perek 3 Class 20 (50) This is the continuation of the discussion on Da’as. It’s the tool of personalization. Levels of Da’as. Meshalim for Da’as.