We are going to post a part of Ch 3 and Ch 7 before we
skip to Ch 10
where the description of the Hishtalshelus (chaining down of
the Worlds) begins.
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The first two chapters discussed the mechanics of thought in general, applying equally to the study of any subject. Now the Mittler Rebbe will begin to explain how these stages in the process of learning apply specifically in the study of G-dliness.
Based on all of this that has been explained in the previous two chapters about the mechanics of thought in general and about the two levels of Binah and Tvunah, specifically, in the previous chapter, it is understood that the concept of Hisbonenus-meditation in the understanding of G-dliness, there are two levels Binah and Tvunah, just like in any other concept.
The level of Binah within the study of G-dliness is the essence of the G-dly understanding; that one analyzes every detail of each subject, considering how it is and what it is. ‘How it is’ being the study of the cold dry facts and ‘what it is’ being the conclusion of the sum of these facts. These correspond to metzius - existence and mehus (whatness) - nature or purpose. So that if I give you an object to analyze and you report back that careful laboratory study indicates that it is plastic, blue, four inches high and four wide, cylindrical, hollow in the center - opening to the top, with a uniform thickness of one eighth of an inch. This technical description is ‘how it is’ or its metzius - existence. This a computer could tell me, for it requires only objective facts. Then if I would ask you "well that’s all very nice, but so what is it?" To that you would reply "well it appears to be a cup." This is ‘what it is’ or its mehus - essential nature or purpose and is independent of its technical analysis (so that a cup can just as easily be made of glass or whatever). ‘How it is’ is only a matter of how its purpose is accomplished or manifested and it is formed according to functionality, so that it is secondary to the purpose that it serves. And standing over the concept, greatly analyzing all of its particular parts etc., as mentioned previously.
As with, for example, the specific understanding of ‘Memaleh Kol Almin,’ which is the concept of creation something from nothing, which is termed the force of the G-dly cause in the effected beings etc. It is also represented by the divine name ADNa"Y (h"bst) or the name ELOKI"M (ohekt) ADNa"Y referring to the external aspect of Malchus - i.e. how the G-dly power descends to relate to the worlds lower than it (usually how Malchus of Atzilus descends to BY"A - Briyah, Yitzirah, Asiyah) therefore this manifestation of G-dliness is referred to as a Master ruling over the lower worlds. While ELOKI"M refers to the power within Malchus before it descends - E"L meaning strength or power - and it is in the plural form representing that it becomes enclothed specifically within each being individually. Regardless both of these names are terms of power as is known.
Within this specific concept within the study of divinity there are many separate details of the external manifestations of this concept to study.
Meditation is the concentration and strong connection of the mind to a subject matter. However it is just a vessel to contain the actual light of the subject matter. One can meditate on all kinds of things - money, sports, food, love, hate etc. One also must concentrate in the learning process. Meditation/contemplation/concentration is a function of Daas.
What we have said in these previous posts is that Kabbalistic Hisbonenus or Iyun is a learning process which is a function of Binah rather than a meditative process which is a function of Daas. Hisbonenus is the analytical explanatory learning process of going over a subject matter and analyzing it in fine detail into its particulars over and over until one knows it well in a particular rather than general way. The contemplation of Daas is a vessel for the learning.
After the learning, the meditative process of contemplating what one has learned serves to get a deeper insight into the concept as it is in Chochmah or even higher.
This contemplation is also called Hisbonenus by the Kabbalists.
This is in order to stress that the contemplation is to be done specifically on the subject matter of the Iyun/Hisbonenus/Learning
The above process is relevant to any subject matter.
However Kabbalistic Hisbonenus is on the subject matter of Kabbalah which is Hishtalshelus Haolamos - the Chaining Down of the Worlds from the Infinite Light through various Lessenings down to this world. This must be known in a detailed manner with all the worlds and all the Sefiros of each world, Lights and Vessels and Enclothments and with the particular Sefiros of each Sefirah in particular detail. This is known in Kabbala as the Secret of the Torah.
There is a deeper level which is usually called Chassidus or Razei deRazin - Secrets of the Secrets. This is the study of the Infinite light before the Lessening all the way up to the Atzmus - The selfness of G-d Himself.
When one learns and then contemplates by an act of will until the intellectual apprehension comes into his heart and becomes a part of him and affects his character, this is called the service of the heart.
When one learns and learns and learns until the contemplation arises automatically and the character is affected automatically, this is called the service of the mind.
The term Hisbonenus is used as a "shem hamushal", a borrowed term, i.e. a coloquialism for Meditation. The actual name for Meditation should be Haamokas HaDaas - Concentrative Focusing of the Mind.
Hisbonenus is root Binah and literally means "the process of making oneself understand. That is Studying. This has nothing to do with Meditation, which is a process of Daas - the strong connection of the entire attention span to a single focus.
The Kabbalists use the colloquialism rather than the proper name on purpose. The reason is that they want to get across that a Haamokas Hadaas is only valid when it is preceded by Hisbonenus and the meditation is on the various points of the Iyun. The meditation is just a vessel to hold the Hisbonenus. That is, we disagree with meditative systems that use a sound or form etc. as a focus as being a Vessel without contents.
Also, many people mistake what it was that the kabbalists meditated on. For instance the meditation on the Tetragramaton, People think it means they should imagine the letters YKVK (k=h) and just concentrate on that in a meditative manner. However OS, besides meaning letter also means sign Like tying a string to your finger to remember something. The letters represent vast amounts of Iyun.
This will be discussed later in the series.
Hisbonenus (repetitive analytic study) followed by Haamakas Hadaas (concentration) is the Method used by the Kabbalists. This is why Hisbonenus has two Nuns.
In order to do the Hisbonenus properly the material must be reread over and over. In the Olden Days The Kabbalists would study each Chapter at least 100 times.
In our days a beginner is recommended 5 times.
There is a story of a Chassidic Kabbalistic Student who was told to study the Maamars (kabalistic treatises repeated by one of the Masters) 60 times.
The subject of this Hisbonenus is the Hishtalshelus - The Chaining down of the Something from the Nothing This will be covered in later sections
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The material in this series is copyrighted by Rabbi Yossi Markel