Chapter 1 - Part 5 Depth, Width & Length of Hokhma

To understand the above in a more particular way, let us look at the level of depth within the intuitive faculty, depth of Hokhma. As we’ve just said, in order for a transfer to take place from a higher level to a lower, there must be present the level of depth - non-existence or self-nullification. Now even though Hokhma is higher than Binah (the comprehensive faculty), there are also levels above the Hokhma, namely, the Maskil (maskeel) - that is, the intellectual consciousness in the soul, i.e. the power of the soul to intellectualize (we will go into the level of Maskil in depth later on). The transfer between the Maskil and the Hokhma is an interesting process as well as one that is essential to understand if one is to understand how G-dly light comes down to create the mundane world. For here we have a situation where the Maskil, a purely spiritual power within the soul, can give something over to the Hokhma, a purely physical power within the physical human mind. This acts as a great allegory for the creation where the essential G-dly light of the Ein Sof can come through the Hishtalshelus (the chaining down process by which G-dly light descends) and affect creation of spiritual and even physical worlds.

The Maskil is revealed into the Hokhma as the tiny point of the essence of a concept that is revealed but for an instant, like a flash of lightning.

In order for the Maskil to reveal of itself into the Hokhma, there must be a tremendous reduction of intellectual light. For Maskil is by definition "the intellectual potential of the soul". As such, the Maskil is an infinite power, for it is the potential power for any possible thought that may ever pass through the mind. Therefore, a great lessening is needed if any practical thought will come of the infinite Maskil. Some boundaries or limitations must be put on the intellectual light so that it may be received in the limited human mind.

This lessening is the "self-nullification" that we spoke of before. Just like the teacher, so too the Maskil must "forget itself", forget its greatness so that it can give over just the very limited relevant idea or concept into the physical mind. The physical Hokhma too, like the student, must self nullify itself to be able to receive intellectual light from a much higher level than itself.

So we see that for any contribution to take place there must always be 2 "non-existences": the contributor’s and the receptor’s. The self-nullifications of teacher and student, parent and child, Maskil and Hokhma, the spiritual and physical, the G-dly and the mundane.

It should be noted, however, that it is actually the self-nullification of the receptor that is the more important, for it is the will of the student to learn that awakens the will of the teacher to teach.

The classic allegory that is given for the revelation of the Maskil in the Hokhma is that of the spring which flows forth from underground and is revealed on the surface. The source of the water is the water table , the huge underground reservoir. From the water table there are many veins, which reach up toward the surface, almost like underground rivers and streams. The point at which an underground vein breaks through the surface is what is known as a spring. The determining factor as to how strong the flow of the spring, how clear the water, etc. is how deep the veins extend. The deeper the veins extend, the stronger will be the eventual flow of the spring and the clearer will be the water.

Moving back to the analog, the source of the intellect is the Maskil, the infinite hidden potential to intellectualize (like the water table in the allegory). The revelation of the intellect (the spring) is in the Hokhma. This is the point of the essence of the concept, which flashes into the mind like a flash of lightning. In simpler terms, the flash of a thought, an idea hitting the mind, "aha! "that’s it!", "eureka!" This is the width of the Hokhma, the actual essential self of the Hokhma. What are the veins that connect the Maskil and the actual Hokhma? The depth of Hokhma; the tedious effort of concentrating and focusing the mind on the concept. The self-nullification to the concept. The "non-existence". As we said before, that depth is the non-existence that acts as a connection between one level and another. So, this then is the depth of Hokhma, also called Kesser of Hokhma (Kesser = Daas which is the self-same as the depth), the connection between the Maskil and the Hokhma. And just like by the spring, the deeper the veins go – the stronger the Kesser, the effort, the focus – so too will the spring, the intellect that is revealed into the Hokhma be stronger and clearer (of error and misconception, etc.).

Back to our 3 levels, the depth of Hokhma is its connection to and receptacle from the spiritual potential for intellect in the soul, the Maskil. The width, as we just said, is the self of the Hokhma level, so in this case, the width of Hokhma is the self of the Hokhma - the actual flash of intellect entering the physical mind. In other words, width is the essential point of this level. In this case (width of Hokhma, which is the essential point of the concept in the mind) it is the point of the point, so to speak, or in other words, Hokhma of Hokhma. So we see that depth is Kesser or Daas and width is Hokhma. And I think you may have guessed by now, that the level of length is Binah and if that was your guess, you will have been absolutely correct. Length of Hokhma is Binah of Hokhma. If you remember, the faculty of Binah is the spreading out of faculty of Hokhma, the coming down of the concept into an explanation that can be given over to another person. In the particular levels (the sub-divisions within the faculties), it works the same way. Length of a faculty or level is the coming down of that faculty or level so that it can be given over to a lower entity, a lower faculty or level. So length of Hokhma or Binah of Hokhma is the coming down of the Hokhma so that it can be given over to the faculty of Binah, where it will be received as an explanation (the self or width of Binah) through its connection and receptor – the depth or Kesser of Binah.