The Spiritual Nature of Reality I know quite well that your heart is still doubtful. You believe somewhat, but then you doubt that you could reach a state from which you will see spirit and holiness in the entire world: that you will not merely understand conceptually, but that you will actually perceive holiness, souls and holy Names.
But what makes you so sure that your senses are telling you the truth? It is not my intent to enter into disputations. But it will be worthwhile to do so in order to shake your mind free of its assurance regarding your senses, which you trust even as you reject any possibility of a non-sensory perception of tangible objects.
You are sure that when you look at water and feel it, you are seeing and feeling the actual water, not merely some image of water. But if you are perceiving the essence of water, how is it that it changes form, trans-forming itself into snow, ice and mist, and then back again to water?
Or let us take straw. Straw is gathered and becomes fertilizer. It is spread in the field, where it improves the grain—meaning that it is absorbed into the grain. After this, a person eats the grain and it turns into his flesh and blood. But what are these things intrinsically: the water, straw, grain and flesh? How does one essence turn into another, then into a third, and then return to itself? You might argue that many elements exist within one element. But that is neither possible nor true.
The essence of each one of these things is invisible to you. You see merely transient shapes and states of being. Your senses have led you astray and falsely led you to believe that the world we see and feel stands clearly before us, constituting the essence of reality. But our senses cannot reach this essence. Instead, like a blind man, we grope along the outer forms that envelop the hidden essence.
This being the case, why should it be difficult for you to accept that the Kabbalist perceives the essence of true being within all things of the world as divine Names and souls? By what authority do you reject his vision with your own misleading senses, challenging him that you see only a physical world? If in truth there is no water and no straw, then there is likewise no world and no essence before you.
When I say that the Kabbalist perceives the essence of the world in the form of divine Names and souls, I am speaking about a Kabbalist who is a Hasid. What differentiates him from a person who is merely a Kabbalist?
Once a Hasid has learned to meditate and has developed an elevated sight with which he sees the entire world as souls and spirit, then he learns Kabbalah in order to ascertain the states of these souls and their names in the world, what categories they belong to and how they devolved, each according to its type.
This is not the case with someone who is not a Hasid, but rather a dry person with dry senses. When he comes to learn Kabbalah, he arouses only confusion and contradictions within himself. He sees physical bread that a person eats and is satiated with, and reads in Kabbalah sources that it is called by three names of “Havayah,” indicating that it devolved from that level of reality—i.e., that this supernal state of being devolved and coalesced before his eyes.
And he questions this: This is just bread. How did it change from a level of non-physicality to become physical? At best, he answers that the masters of Kabbalah are merely alluding to the divine Names by associating them with bread. But why did they connect the name of the King with a lowly, trivial thing? And the whole matter remains a problem and contradiction for him.
יָדַעְנוּ גַּם יָדַעְנוּ שֶׁעוֹד גַּם אַתָּה לִבְּךָ מִסְתַּפֵּק, מַאֲמִין וְאֵינוֹ מַאֲמִין שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לְךָ לַעֲלוֹת לְמַצָּב כָּזֶה שֶׁתִּרְאֶה בְּכָל הָעוֹלָם רוּחָנִיּוֹת וּקְדֻשָּׁה, הַיְנוּ לֹא שֶׁתָּבִין בַּשֵּׂכֶל בִּלְבַד רַק שֶׁבֶּאֱמֶת תִּרְאֶה קְדֻשָּׁה, נְשָׁמוֹת וְשֵׁמוֹת.
The Spiritual Nature of Reality
I know quite well that your heart is still doubtful. You believe somewhat, but then you doubt that you could reach a state from which you will see spirit and holiness in the entire world: that you will not merely understand conceptually, but that you will actually perceive holiness, souls and holy Names.
בְּאָמְרְךָ: הֲלֹא עוֹלָם גּוּפָנִי אֲנִי רוֹאֶה בַּעֲלִיל, וּמִי יָכוֹל לְהַכְחִישׁ אֶת הַוַּדָּאוּת שֶׁל רְאִיַּת וּשְׁמִיעַת חוּשַׁי.
You protest, “In truth, don’t I see a world that is physical? Who can deny the certainty of my senses, such as my sight and hearing?”
אֵבֶל מֵאִין אַתָּה בָּטוּחַ כָּל כָּךְ בִּרְאִיַּת חוּשֶׁיךָ שֶׁאֲמִתִּיּוֹת הֵן, הֲגַם שֶׁאֵין אָנוּ רוֹצִים לְהַעֲמִיק בְּפִלְפּוּלִים כָּאֵלּוּ, אֲבָל כְּדֵי לְהָזִיז אֶת דַּעְתְּךָ מִן וַדָּאוּת וּבְטִיחוּת חוּשֶׁיךָ שֶׁבָּהֶם אַתָּה בּוֹטֵחַ וְדוֹחֶה אֶת כָּל יְכֹלֶת רְאִיָּה עִלָּאָה לְהַבִּיט בִּרְאִיָּה בִּלְתִּי חוּשִׁית עַל דְּבָרִים מוּחָשִׁים.
But what makes you so sure that your senses are telling you the truth? It is not my intent to enter into disputations. But it will be worthwhile to do so in order to shake your mind free of its assurance regarding your senses, which you trust even as you reject any possibility of a non-sensory perception of tangible objects.
לָכֵן הִנְנִי שׁוֹאַלְךָ שְׁאֵלָה פְּשׁוּטָה זוֹ, מָה זֶה מַיִם?
Therefore, allow me to ask you a simple question: What is water?
כְּלוֹמַר בָּטוּחַ אַתָּה שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאַתָּה מַבִּיט וּמְמַשְׁמֵשׁ בַּמַּיִם בְּעֶצֶם הַמַּיִם אַתָּה רוֹאֶה וּמְמַשְׁמֵשׁ, לֹא אֵיזֶה צוּרָה מֵהֶם בִּלְבַד, וְאִם כֵּן לָמָּה הַמַּיִם הַלָּלוּ בְּעַצְמָם מִתְהַפְּכִים לְשֶׁלֶג לִכְפוֹר לְאֵד, וְשׁוּב לְמַיִם.
You are sure that when you look at water and feel it, you are seeing and feeling the actual water, not merely some image of water. But if you are perceiving the essence of water, how is it that it changes form, trans-forming itself into snow, ice and mist, and then back again to water?
אֶת הַקַּשׁ למָּשָׁל גּוֹבְלִים וְנַעֲשָׂה זֶבֶל וְנוֹתְנִים אוֹתוֹ בַּשָּׂדֶה וּמַשְׁבַּחַת הִיא אֶת הַתְּבוּאָה זֹאת אוֹמֶרֶת שֶׁנִּתְוַסְּפָה עַל הַתְּבוּאָה, וְהַזֶּבֶל נִתְהַפֵּךְ לִתְבוּאָה וְהָאָדָם אוֹכְלָהּ וּמִתְהַפֶּכֶת לְבָשָׂר וָדָם הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ וּבִדְמוּתוֹ, הַיְנוּ שֶׁהַקַּשׁ נִתְהַפֵּךְ לְזֶבֶל, לִתְבוּאָה וּלְבָשָׂר הָאָדָם. וּמֶה הֵמָּה עַצְמָם, עֶצֶם מַיִם וְעֶצֶם קַשׁ, עֶצֶם תְּבוּאָה וְעֶצֶם בָּשָׂר, אֵיךְ עֶצֶם אֶחָד מִתְהַפֵּךְ לְשֵׁנִי וְלַשְּׁלִישִׁי וְשׁוּב חוֹזֵר לְעַצְמוֹ, אוֹ הַאִם אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁהַרְבֵּה עַצמים נִמְצָאִים בְּעֶצֶם אֶחָד, לֹא זֶה אֶפְשָׁר וְלֹא זֶה אֱמֶת.
Or let us take straw. Straw is gathered and becomes fertilizer. It is spread in the field, where it improves the grain—meaning that it is absorbed into the grain. After this, a person eats the grain and it turns into his flesh and blood. But what are these things intrinsically: the water, straw, grain and flesh? How does one essence turn into another, then into a third, and then return to itself? You might argue that many elements exist within one element. But that is neither possible nor true.
הִנְּךָ רוֹאֶה אֵיפה שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶם, הוּא דָּבָר בִּלְתִּי נִרְאֶה לְךָ, וְרַק גְּוָנִים וְצוּרוֹת מִתְחַלְּפוֹת אַתָּה רוֹאֶה בְּכָל דָּבָר. בְּשֶׁקֶר יְפַתּוּךָ חוּשֶׁיךָ לֵאמֹר אֶת הָעוֹלָם אָנוּ רוֹאִים וּמְמַשְׁמְשִׁים, עֶצֶם כָּל דָּבָר עוֹמֵד בְּעֵינוֹ, חוּשֶׁיךָ לֹא יַגִּיעוּ אֵלָיו וְרַק כְּעִוֵּר הֵם מְמַשְׁמְשִׁים בְּגַוְנֵי הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁמִּתְרָאִים עַל עֶצֶם הַדְּבָרִים.
The essence of each one of these things is invisible to you. You see merely transient shapes and states of being. Your senses have led you astray and falsely led you to believe that the world we see and feel stands clearly before us, constituting the essence of reality. But our senses cannot reach this essence. Instead, like a blind man, we grope along the outer forms that envelop the hidden essence.
וְלָמָּה יִקְשֶׁה לְךָ לְהָבִין שֶׁהַמְּקֻבָּל רוֹאֶה בְּכָל דָּבָר מִדִּבְרֵי הָעוֹלָם אֶת עַצְמָם וַאֲמִתּוּתָם, שֶׁכֻּלָּם שֵׁמוֹת וּנְשָׁמוֹת, וּבַמֶּה כּוֹחֲךָ גָּדוֹל לִדְחוֹת בְּחוּשֶׁיךָ הַמַּתְעִים אֶת רְאָיָתוֹ, וּלְהַקְשׁוֹת הֲלֹא עוֹלָם גּוּפָנִי אֲנִי רוֹאֶה, אִם בֶּאֱמֶת אֵין מַיִם וְאֵין קַשׁ, אֵין עוֹלָם וְאֵין עֶצֶם לְפָנֶיךָ.
This being the case, why should it be difficult for you to accept that the Kabbalist perceives the essence of true being within all things of the world as divine Names and souls? By what authority do you reject his vision with your own misleading senses, challenging him that you see only a physical world? If in truth there is no water and no straw, then there is likewise no world and no essence before you.
וְהִנֵּה כְּשֶׁאָמַרְנוּ שֶׁהַמְּקֻבָּל רוֹאֶה אֶת עֶצֶם הָעוֹלָם, שֵׁמוֹת וּנְשָׁמוֹת, כַּוָּנָתֵנוּ רַק עַל חָסִיד מְקֻבָּל, וְזֶה הַחִלּוּק.
When I say that the Kabbalist perceives the essence of the world in the form of divine Names and souls, I am speaking about a Kabbalist who is a Hasid. What differentiates him from a person who is merely a Kabbalist?
הֶחָסִיד כְּשֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בַּעַל מַחֲשָׁבָה, וּמוֹצִיא מִקִּרְבּוֹ רְאִיָּה עִלָּאָה זוֹ שֶׁיִּרְאֶה אֶת כָּל עוֹלָם לַנְּשָׁמוֹת וְרוּחַ, אָז לוֹמֵד הוּא קַבָּלָה כְּדֵי לָדַעַת אֶת מַצְּבֵי הַנְּשָׁמוֹת וּשְׁמוֹתֵיהֶן שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם בְּחִינוֹתֵיהֶן וְהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּתֵיהֶן, כָּל אֶחָד אֶחָד לְמִינוֹ.
Once a Hasid has learned to meditate and has developed an elevated sight with which he sees the entire world as souls and spirit, then he learns Kabbalah in order to ascertain the states of these souls and their names in the world, what categories they belong to and how they devolved, each according to its type.
אֶת נִשְׁמוֹת הַלֶּחֶם רָאָה מִקֹּדֶם, וְעַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁיְּסוֹדוֹ ג' הויו"ת כַּנּוֹדָע.
For instance, he has already seen the souls of bread. Now he learns that its essence consists of the three divine names, “Havayah” (as is known).
מַה שֶׁאֵין כֵּן מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ חָסִיד, אִישׁ יָבֵשׁ בְּחוּשִׁים יְבֵשִׁים וּבָא לִלְמֹד קַבָּלָה, אָז רַק עִרְבּוּבְיָא וּסְתִירוֹת מְסַבֵּב בְּקִרְבּוֹ, הוּא רוֹאֶה לֶחֶם גַּשְׁמִי לֶאֱכֹל וְלִשְׂבֹּעַ, וּבְקַבָּלָה נִקְרָא ג' הויו"ת שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּלְשֵׁל מִבְּחִינה זוֹ, כְּלוֹמַר בְּחִינָה זוֹ עִלָּאָה הִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלָה וְהִתְרַקְּמָה לְנֶגֶד עֵינָיו.
This is not the case with someone who is not a Hasid, but rather a dry person with dry senses. When he comes to learn Kabbalah, he arouses only confusion and contradictions within himself. He sees physical bread that a person eats and is satiated with, and reads in Kabbalah sources that it is called by three names of “Havayah,” indicating that it devolved from that level of reality—i.e., that this supernal state of being devolved and coalesced before his eyes.
וּמַקְשֶׁה הֲלֹא לֶחֶם גּוּפָנִי הוּא, וְאֵיךְ נִתְגַּשֵּׁם, לְכָל הַיּוֹתֵר מְתָרֵץ לוֹ לְעַצְמוֹ רַק רֶמֶז רָמְזוּ בַּעֲלֵי הַקַּבָּלָה, וְלָמָּה רָמְזוּ דְּבָרִים עֶלְיוֹנִים בִּדְבָרִים גּוּפָנִיִּים וְלָמָּה צִיְּנוּ אֶת שֵׁם הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּדָבָר נָמוּךְ וּבָזוּי, קֻשְׁיָא וּסְתִירָה לְפָנָיו.
And he questions this: This is just bread. How did it change from a level of non-physicality to become physical? At best, he answers that the masters of Kabbalah are merely alluding to the divine Names by associating them with bread. But why did they connect the name of the King with a lowly, trivial thing? And the whole matter remains a problem and contradiction for him.