Original words by Aharon Moshe ben-Dovid AhMbDvd September 21, 2007. Erev Yom Kippor 5768.
Hashem's Creation is a concept that keeps coming back because we can only truly understand the will of Hashem by at least touching upon the purpose of Hashem's creation.
The inital problem with even discussing Hashem's creation is because the concept is so fundamental and everything else extends from it. For example how can understand the nature of the seed when we already know that it exists solely to create a tree. Can we even consider that the seed itself has some purpose other then the one that we immediately connect with it. The origin of the seed can be found within the fruit or the flower which contained the seed.
One can then get pulled into the purpose of the flower which actually serves as an accessory to the pupose of the seed. Finally one might even be so bold to state that the entire purpose of the tree is to create the seed. The seed (furthering an analogy using one of Hashems's creations) then needs to find a suitable surroundings so that it may develop roots leaves, and utlimately create seed as well.
Often the term consciousness gets invoked when discusssing living things. While we are invoking the seed and the tree analogy we should try to remember that we are discussing something more complex, and the tree is simply serving as a readily available example.
The "Ten Luminous Emanations" is a an extremely important Sefer which while I have had the occassion to learn from, I did not in fact go through it word by word. However by understanding at least one small aspect one might be able to get a glimpse of its entire meaning. Such is the power of the seed. At one point in my my life (perhaps a dozen or so years ago, I had the zechus to listen to a Rabbi's explanation of how the Sphierot of Binah is different from the Sphierot of Chochma.
The analogy invoked after several different expalnation were put forth was the only one that I was able to understand and have retained to this day:
An introduction to this Spierot system is:
The concept of the "Ten Sphierot" is that the mechanichics of creation consisted of ten individual utterances from G-d. These utterences created the intital aspect of (lets say energy/substance until a better word/term is found or developed). To gain an understanding of the nature of a lower level of sphierot one must climb the ladder of the sphierot system to get a a look at the sphirot immediatly above the given spierot.
Back to our example:
On the Chcohma is the spheirot (energy level) immediately above Binah. The spheirot of Chochma by definition is closer to the source of creation then is Binah. Therefore we can begin to develor a perfect understanding of Binah, by realizing that it a something less then Chochma. We further this logical explanation by realizing that the the spheirot of Chochma has within it a (plan/design/seed/piece) of Binah. Chochma is of a higher energy level then Binah, yet Chochma is not Binah. Binah is different then Chochma, definitely not better, and definitely not worse.
So here is what the Rabbi told us:
In order to become Binah as it own unique energy level the spierot has to let go of being Chochma. Or to use the anaology which rang so clearly :
In order to become a tree the seed has to first let go of being a seed!
(to be continued)...
Aharon Moshe ben-Dovid
Passaic NJ
http://alephtotav.blogspot.com/
