Chapter 1 - Part 10 The 3 Types of Meditation

There are 3 forms of meditation, which will now be explained. Haamokas Hadaas or meditation of concept, Maamik or meditation of essence and Hisbonenus or analytical meditation, which is also called Iyun. Haamokas Hadaas and Maamik are (usually) the forms of meditation of the giver (teacher), whereas Hisbonenus, analyzation, is (usually) the meditative form of the receiver (student). Haamokas Hadaas and Maamik are reached through the faculty of Daas and this is why, as we said before Kesser (Daas) is the essential faculty of the teacher. Hisbonenus, however, which as we said before is the essential meditative form for he who wishes to receive (whether intellectual, spiritual or G-dly light), is reached through the faculty of comprehension, Binah. This is why, as we said, Binah is the important for us to understand.

Maamik or meditation of essence is when one completely ties his mind and connects directly with the essence of the concept, as it is in the Maskil, the intellectual potential in the soul. This means that he connects with the concept as it is before it even entered the physical mind and in truth is not yet even really a concept, but only a potential for a concept. The outcome of this connection to the Maskil is that the Maskil, the spiritual intellect, is awakened to reveal itself and give over a flash of intellect into its physical counterparts the Hokhma and the Binah (Maskil is the spiritual intellect, the intellect of the soul. Hokhma and Binah is the physical intellect, the intellect in the physical mind).

Haamokas Hadaas, like the Maamik, involves a total and complete connection, only in the case of the Haamokas Hadaas the connection is to the physical concept (in the Hokhma and Binah) instead of to the spiritual concept (in Maskil), which Maamik connects to. Haamokas Hadaas affects a complete focus and total concentration of the Hokhma and the Binah on the concept at hand, so that their full power is used to decipher the concept and bring it into letters (of explanation)

So basically, these 2 forms of meditation (Maamik and Haamokas Hadaas) work hand in hand. Through Maamik, the Maskil is awakened to reveal itself into the physical mind. Once it has been revealed in the physical mind, the connection of Haamokas Hadaas ensures full focus of the faculties on the concept, to make the most out of the revelation that was affected by the Maamik. These are the 2 levels of meditation of the giver (teacher)

What is the power that causes the complete connection of Maamik and Haamokas Hadaas? What is the power that causes the complete focus of the meditative forms of Daas? Remember what we said when we spoke of Professor A and Professor B? The power that causes the focus of Daas is Passion (the connection of the desire to the desired object). Due to Professor A’s passion for his project he was able to reach Maamik and Haamokas Hadaas and thus got maximal use of his intellect.

The 3rd type of meditation is Hisbonenus or analyzation. This is what Reb Hillel refers to as "the contraction of the something (existent) to become self-nullified to the nothing (non-existent). For through analyzation of the something- the revealed concept- one is able to reach the nothing, the hidden essence of the concept. A good example for this is when one looks at a ---- puzzle. One can concentrate and analyze on the color sequences for a time period without seeing anything and then, suddenly "Voila!" - there it is! Not gradually, but rather like a flash. You suddenly see the picture that’s been there all along.

This form of meditation is particularly relevant to the student or receiver. The student cannot use the other 2 forms of analyzation, because in order to benefit from them, one must first grasp the "point", the essence of the concept. The student, however, does not grasp the point, but rather is only presented with words, whether written or spoken. Just the outer explanation and allegories which the teacher created in order to bring the concept down to him (the student), or in other words, the length of Binah of the giver.

This is why, in order to realize the depth of a concept, one must start with Analyzation.

Part 10 a

(Analyzation is also a level of length of comprehension, which has 2 sides: ascending & descending. The descending aspect is that of the giver or teacher, whereas the ascending aspect is that of the receiver or student. The giver’s aspect of this level is the power of simplification through allegories and examples in order to bring a concept down to the lower intellect of the student. The receiver’s aspect of length of comprehension is the student’s ability to analyze the allegories, examples and explanations that the teacher has given.)

This is why there is a double letter nun in the word "hitbonen" (analyzation). The first nun is the regular bent nun which symbolizes the self nullification of the student in the level of analyzation. The second nun is the elongated straight final nun which symbolizes the length of the teacher (the descending aspect of comprehension within comprehension. The reason the bent nun comes before the elongated nun is because every teacher must first be a student. In addition the giver can only give as much as the receiver is willing to receive. Thus the ascending aspect of length of comprehension, analyzation, is the more important aspect in this level.

The 3 stages of meditation and how they interact with each other may be summarized as follows: Through analyzation (stage I) one reaches the depth of the concept (the depth of comprehension or the concept as it is revealed into the level of explanations from the level of intuition). Once the depth of the concept has been realized, meditation of concept (stage II) takes place. This is the complete focus on the depth of the concept, through which the essence of the concept (hidden within the depth of the concept) is reached. The essence of the concept is the connection of the conscious mind to the higher intellect, the infinite source of all intellect. When the essence of the concept is attained through meditation of concept, the mind has reached the point where one may now create new explanations on the concept. In other words, one may now bring out new levels of comprehension to expand knowledge of the original intuition.

Now, having attained the essence of the concept, the mind is ready for the next level of meditation. Through total focus on the essence of concept, Meditation of Essence is reached. This level of meditation is so great that it can formulate actual new concepts (not just new interpretations of old concepts achieved in stage II). This is because Meditation of Essence actually activates the higher intellect.

So this is the process used by the student or receiver who begins with no knowledge of the subject matter. Having only the outer explanations to study, he begins with analyzation, through which he reaches the depth of the concept. He then utilizes meditation of concept to achieve a mental grasp of the essence of the concept. Then, through meditation of essence, one reaches above and beyond the concept and into the levels of spiritual intellect.