Concepts in Chassidus - Part 7

00:00 Speaker 1 But we’ll leave that for another time. We’ll come back to it later. Today we’ll talk a little about Kesser, because that’s where we are. We’ve moved on to the subject of Kesser, so let’s talk about it. We discussed iggulim and yosher—circles and straight lines. You remember? We had a class about iggulim. The entire seder hishtalshelus has iggulim and yosher. There are encompassing lights—iggulim, levels that are in the category of makif—and there are levels that are internal, at every stage and level. In this framework they’re called iggulim and yosher. We said that the great circle represents Adam Kadmon, or A”K, which encompasses the entire seder hishtalshelus. In the teachings of Kabbalah, A”K is always called the general Kesser, because it is the Kesser of the entire seder hishtalshelus. It is the general Kesser, the general encompassing level that includes the entire seder hishtalshelus. But that isn’t the Kesser we generally mean when discussing these teachings. When it says “Kesser,” it doesn’t mean... Usually, when we speak simply of Kesser—not the general Kesser—we mean Kesser of Atzilus. Yes, Kesser of Atzilus. You could say there’s another Kesser associated with Atzilus: Kesser of Atzilus. First of all, why is it called Kesser? We’ll discuss the details afterward. What does Kesser contain? Why is it called by that name? The word kesser in Lashon Hakodesh means a crown. A crown is on the king’s head; it surrounds his head. So on the one hand, the crown is above the king’s head, something that rests on and surrounds it. And the crown expresses the king’s desire to be king. How do we know that the king has agreed to accept the kingship, that he wants to be king? He has a crown. As long as he has no crown—even if he has the qualities of a king—it makes no difference. A person could have been an ordinary person until the age of

03:39 Speaker 1 thirty, forty, or fifty. He may always have had the qualities of a king, but as long as he hasn’t put on the crown, it means he hasn’t wanted to be king. The moment he puts on the crown, his desire for kingship is revealed. In other words, the crown expresses desire—in our case, the desire for kingship. That is the connection between Kesser and ratzon, will. A crown is above the head and surrounds it. The faculty of will is also an encompassing faculty. That is the difference between will and chochmah. Chochmah is an internal faculty. Chochmah, binah, and daas are internal faculties, each situated in a particular organ. Intellect is in the brain, emotions in the heart, and so on. Sight and hearing, too—each faculty has a place where it is vested. But Kesser, will, surrounds the head. It is above the intellectual faculties and encompasses them. As our Sages say, “A person studies Torah only in a place that his heart desires.” What does that mean? You don’t study with your will; you study with your intellect. But if you want to study, that gives you the enthusiasm to do it. So will is the encompassing force, the drive behind the intellect, the motivation that gives you the desire to study. It is an encompassing faculty that gives strength to the internal faculty. That is one reason it is called Kesser: it encompasses something. Will encompasses it, and that is what brings it about. It is the source from which everything else subsequently comes. That is one explanation for the name Kesser. Another reason it is called Kesser is that in Kabbalistic terminology, kesser is also related to koteres, a heading. The first meaning is a crown in the literal sense—a crown

05:43 Speaker 1 on the head, connected with will, as we discussed. But the second meaning is a heading. What is a heading? A title. When you write a maamar or an article and give it a title—the subject you’re going to discuss—that is called a heading. This also describes Kesser. The sefirah of Kesser does not yet contain the details, but it does contain the title: the subject, the central point, the root, the original cause from which all the details flow. That is another reason it is called Kesser. It is like the point at the top of a dome, the foundation on which all the walls of the building are then built. That is what Kesser means. Then there is a third interpretation: kesser is related to “katar,” meaning to wait. It appears in the Gemara or in a verse—I don’t know where they cite it from. There is such a passage. I don’t know whether it is a verse or a teaching of our Sages: “Wait for me a little.” One person said to another, “Wait for me. Be patient. Stay; wait.” So he uses the word “katar.” It means silence and waiting. [unclear]. That is a description of Kesser. It means silence, bittul, and waiting. This too is explained in connection with the sefirah of Kesser: at that level, it is not yet a distinct entity. It is still on a level of bittul, silence, and spirituality. It expresses bittul, rather than a sense of separate existence; it is in a state of silence and bittul. So that is another explanation of the word Kesser. Those are three interpretations. The first is a crown in the literal sense, and also the act of crowning someone. It is the crown on the head, but the word is also used in Hebrew when you say that someone was crowned king of Israel. That is connected to the first interpretation—the idea of

08:12 Speaker 1 will and an encompassing level. So there are three interpretations of Kesser. Anyone who wants to examine the subject in greater detail can find it in the first maamar of B’Shaah Shehikdimu 5672, the well-known series of the Rebbe Rashab, Hemshech 5672. It begins with the maamar B’Shaah Shehikdimu, and in that first maamar he explains the three interpretations of Kesser. Seemingly, these are three levels, three details, three concepts. But we won’t go into those details here; we’re only describing and explaining the meaning of the name Kesser. Now, what exactly is the function of Kesser of Atzilus? We said that we’re now speaking about the Kesser of Atzilus, the Kesser usually discussed in Chassidus. What is its function? Chassidus explains—this is how most maamarim describe it—that the essential point of Kesser of Atzilus is that it is an intermediary between the Emanator and the emanated beings. That is how Chassidus defines Kesser. Kesser of Atzilus is called an intermediary between the Emanator and the emanated beings. What does that mean? “The Emanator” is a general term for Ein Sof. It does not necessarily refer to one particular level. When we say “the Emanator,” we mean the source, the cause of everything, of all the existence that follows. The Emanator could mean Ein Sof before the tzimtzum; it could also mean Arich, which is also considered an Emanator. “The Emanator” is a general name for the light that is the cause and source of all the sefiros that emerge from it, while it has not yet taken on any defined form. So by “light” we may mean Ein Sof, or we may mean Arich. Arich, too, is essentially a simple light. That is what “the Emanator” means. “The emanated beings” refers to the world of Atzilus. In the world of Atzilus there are already ten sefiros—ten and not nine, ten and not eleven—ten as distinct vessels. There is already a structure of ten sefiros.

10:37 Speaker 1 Each one has its own light and vessel within its limits. Yes, those are the emanated beings. Between the Emanator and the emanated beings, there has to be an intermediary. What does that mean? Since the Emanator is utterly simple, beyond any form or limitation, while the emanated beings already have the reality of sefiros, with light and vessel, and are already within limitations, there has to be something in between. It has to be able to bring the flow down from the Emanator, from the simplicity of the Ein Sof, to limit it and bring it within what the vessel can receive. Something that can bring it down from the simplicity of the Ein Sof and connect with the emanated beings. To understand this idea of an intermediary, they taught and explained it through an analogy. The classic, well-known analogy of Rav Saadia is that of the meturgeman, the interpreter. What was the interpreter’s role? In the past there was such a role. If you look at the maamar of R.N.T. [unclear], R.N.T. [unclear] explains it very nicely. There was a rabbi who was an exceptionally great sage, but when he spoke, people could not understand him; they did not have the capacity to take it in. So there was someone between the rabbi and the students. “Interpreter” does not mean that he simply repeated it in Spanish or Aramaic. His job was not just to translate the language. The interpreter had a much deeper, much harder role. He was someone with a special ability, someone close to the rabbi’s level. That is, he had a special ability to grasp the rabbi’s words as they were. Not everyone can grasp the rabbi’s words. Ordinary people do not have the capacity to hear

12:32 Speaker 1 the rabbi’s words and set themselves aside. On the one hand, he had that ability, that... as R.N.T. [unclear] explains there, he had the bittul needed to take in the words the rabbi said without interpreting them, to take them as they were. Yes, he had that ability to grasp the rabbi’s words as they were. On the other hand, he also had the ability to bring them down. He was closer to the world; he understood the language of the world, the way people spoke. So he could bring the ideas down in a way they would understand. In other words, the interpreter had, so to speak, two sides to him. On one side, he had this point of bittul. He was not on the rabbi’s level. If he were the rabbi, he would not be an interpreter; he would be the rabbi. But he had bittul toward the rabbi, and through that bittul he could grasp the rabbi’s words as they were. Of course, if we think more deeply about it, this is already a certain descent from the rabbi’s own level. The interpreter receives what the rabbi says; he is not the rabbi himself. He himself has his own understanding, but through his bittul he could set himself aside completely and take the rabbi’s words as they were, without changing them, so to speak. Perhaps I can give an example of this. I don’t know; I’m not sure. I don’t want to misuse my words and say something inappropriate, but perhaps this is the idea. It is like the role of a chozer by the Rebbe, yes,

14:14 Speaker 1 those chozrim who had the ability to grasp the Rebbe’s words as they were, without adding anything of their own. There is a difference, but that is one part of it. That still does not make someone an interpreter. It is only the first part: being able to grasp the rabbi’s words. After that, the interpreter also needs the ability to bring the rabbi’s words down, to put them into words that even an ordinary person can understand. Those two parts are what make an intermediary. What does that mean? On the one hand, he takes the rabbi’s words and brings them down to his own level. That is the first stage of the intermediary: its upper part, where it receives the rabbi’s words. Its lower part is where it conveys the ideas to the people and gives them an understanding they can receive. So there are two parts to an intermediary. Chassidim say that the same applies to Kesser, to Kesser of Atzilus. Because Kesser of Atzilus is an intermediary between the Emanator and the emanated beings, it has two aspects. There is the upper part of Kesser, the part that is a vessel, that is in a state of bittul and receives from the Emanator. There is the... what is it called? The upper aspect of Kesser, the upper part of the intermediary, where a lower aspect of the Emanator shines. Yes, that is, it receives from the one who bestows—the Emanator shines into it. And there is the lower part of Kesser, which is the source of the emanated beings. So Kesser itself is divided into two parts: the upper part, as we said, is what it receives from the Emanator, and the lower part is its being the source of the emanated beings. The upper part is called Atik Yomin. In Chassidus it is called Atik Yomin, or

16:26 Speaker 1 the inner dimension of Kesser. And the lower part is called Arich Anpin. Yes, Arich Anpin is the outer dimension of Kesser. So what is the difference between Atik Yomin and Arich Anpin? Atik Yomin is... that is the whole point. Atik Yomin and Arich Anpin are, how do you say it, two concepts within the intermediary. It is just that, as we said, an intermediary has two aspects: it receives from the one who bestows, and it is a source for the recipient. So it divides into two parts. Atik Yomin is the upper part of Kesser, and Arich Anpin... Why are they called by these names, Atik Yomin and Arich Anpin? What is the reason for the names? Chassidus explains it this way. The word yomin means “days.” Days refers to the middos; the middos are called days. Six days, six middos. As the Gemara says regarding the mitzvos. Or all the sefiros are called days. The plain translation of Atik Yomin is an old man. Yes, that is the simple translation. It means someone who is old, who has lived through many days. Chassidus also explains why this aspect is called Atik Yomin. The name comes from a verse in Tanach: “The Ancient of Days sat; the hair of His head was like pure wool.” There is a verse in Tanach that calls Him Atik Yomin, and there is an explanation for that too. The simple meaning is an old man, someone who has passed through time. It is as though the point being emphasized about this aspect of Atik Yomin is that it is old, meaning it is not something newly brought into being. Everything from Arich Anpin onward already involves something new. That is, it is already connected with the world. Arich Anpin is already a lofty source and the source of the emanated beings. So it is already an aspect that has been brought into being, an aspect connected with the world, and therefore something new. Whereas

18:53 Speaker 1 Yes, Atik Yomin: the Emanator shines there, so it is as though this level is not something new. The essence of the Emanator, or the essence of the Ein Sof, is present there without change, and so it is above time. In the way the term is used in Tanach, Atik Yomin means that it has existed from time immemorial; it is not something that came into being. It is ancient, something that has always been there. That is the simple meaning of Atik Yomin in Tanach. But Chassidus offers a beautiful interpretation. In Chassidus, atik means “removed.” The meaning here is deeper. Why is it called Atik Yomin? Atik is like taking a mountain from one place and moving it to another. It has been removed and is separate from where it was before. So Atik Yomin means that this level remains separate from the yomin. Yomin are the sefiros. Atik Yomin means that it is removed and detached from the sefiros, above the sefiros. Chassidus gives another explanation for the name atik: it is like copying from one book into another. What is written in one book is copied into the second. That, too, is called atik, yes? The point is that the Emanator, as He is in Atik, does not change. The emphasis is that when the light of the Ein Sof enters the inner dimension of Kesser, it enters without change. It is copied over just as it was there. In other words, it descends and truly becomes enclothed in Kesser, but without changing. So there are three interpretations of atik. Why do we call the inner dimension of Kesser Atik Yomin? There are three meanings here.

20:57 Speaker 1 First, it means ancient: it is not something new. Second, it means removed and separate from the yomin, separate from the sefiros. And the third meaning comes from copying—sorry, copying from one book into another. The idea is that the Ein Sof, as it is... No, I don’t remember if that is how it is presented. Yes, just as it is there, so it becomes enclothed in Atik without any change. Those are the three explanations of Atik. Now let’s get to Arich Anpin. How much time do we have? What time is it now? Hm? That was Atik Yomin. Arich Anpin, as we said, is the lower aspect of Kesser. In Chassidus it is also sometimes called the root of the emanated beings. Arich Anpin is already the root of the emanated beings; we are already at their threshold. Why is it called Arich Anpin? Again, anpin refers to the sefiros. The sefiros are sometimes called anpin, meaning “faces,” because a face is a complete configuration: it has eyes and a nose and so on. The sefiros are also called “faces” because they turn toward one another and are all interincluded in one another. So the sefiros are called anpin. What does Arich Anpin mean? It is the counterpart—I’m not sure how to put it—of Zeir Anpin: a large face and a small face. Arich Anpin means a long face, a large face. Zeir Anpin is already in Atzilus; it is an aspect of Atzilus called Zeir Anpin, a small face. What is the difference between a large face and a small face? What do those terms mean? There is [unclear]—he gives an analogy there for the difference between a large face and a small face.

23:28 Speaker 1 His example is the difference between the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch and the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch. The Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch contains all the laws together with their reasons, the various opinions and explanations. The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch gives only the final ruling, without the reasons or all the discussion—just the conclusion. So when someone studies the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, they study it with the entire discussion and all the reasons. It has a “long face,” so to speak. You have the food, but you also have its flavor and the reasoning behind the different opinions. You have the full picture, in all its detail. When you study the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, you have only the conclusions. The whole matter is there, but not all its flavor, its explanations and its depth. That, he says, is the difference between Arich Anpin and Zeir Anpin. Since Arich Anpin is the root of the emanated beings, it is the sefiros as they exist in the root of will. In the will, the sefiros exist without limit: the will for chessed, the will for gevurah, the will for chochmah. In Kesser there is the will for everything; all the sefiros are there as they exist within will. When a sefirah exists within will, it shines without limit, with all its breadth and quality, with all its light and the full intensity of that light. When it descends into Atzilus and into vessels, the light is contracted. It no longer has the full intensity of the light. The light is contracted, and it becomes Zeir Anpin: only the sefirah remains—chessed, for example—but without all the depth, all the breadth

25:02 Speaker 1 and all the quality it has in Kesser. That is why this level is called Arich Anpin.

25:13 Speaker 2 It’s not just an arbitrary term.

25:15 Speaker 1 What? All the sefiros. All ten sefiros. All ten sefiros. Why only—[unclear] all ten sefiros? Now, Atik Yomin and Arich Anpin are the two aspects of Kesser as an intermediary. When Chassidus explains this through an analogy from the powers of the soul, it always gives the example that Atik Yomin corresponds to pleasure, while Arich Anpin corresponds to will. These two powers, these two aspects of the intermediary—the higher and lower dimensions of the encompassing level of Kesser—are like pleasure and will in the soul. Pleasure is an analogy for Atik because it is the most essential power of the soul. Pleasure is the soul in itself; it is not defined by its relationship to things outside itself. Will means that I want something. Will, too, is an encompassing power, but it already relates to things. I want to eat. I want to sleep. I want to daven, to dance, to learn. Will is above the thing and is its cause, but it already has a connection to it. That is the lower aspect of the intermediary. Pleasure, by contrast, is what happens within the soul. It is not about the thing or how I relate to it; it is a movement within the soul itself. So pleasure is an inner, essential power of the soul, and that is why it is an analogy for Atik Yomin. These are the two aspects of the intermediary. Sometimes they are also given another set of names [unclear]: the distant encompassing level and the near encompassing level. Atik is the distant encompassing level, and Arich is the near encompassing level. All right, G-d willing, in the next class we will talk about Kesser itself. There are more aspects to discuss, and that will be the next class, G-d willing. But this was meant to give us an overall picture

27:40 Speaker 1 of the general concept of Kesser.