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This series is a continuation and should be read in order. If you are not familiar with previous posts you may have trouble understanding later ones.
And now Chapter 10.02
Now, after arriving at the conclusion that one must also perform a Hisbonenus on all of the details of G-d’s simple unity, the Mittler Rebbe will proceed to explain these details. In addition he will address the obvious question of how we can say that a simple unity can be understood in a manner of specifics, when a multitude of separate details is the direct opposite of a simple unity.
This simple unity of the Infinite Light is generally divided into three levels, each containing ten Sfiros, namely Yachid [Single], Echad [One], and Kadmoan [First or Preceding], all of which are within the level of the essence of the Infinite Light as it precedes the Tzimtzum, referring to the Tzimtzum that is called "The Empty Place," which is also called the first Tzimtzum, for though there are others that proceed it, it is the one that allowed for the light to begin the Hishtalshellus to actually create this world and so in regards to us it is called first. For this Tzimtzum is unique among all of the other Tzimtzumim in that it is the only one where the light was not merely lessened, but actually completely hidden and the light that was revealed after it is called a "new" light, for it has no comparison to the previous light, both quantitatively and qualitatively. This unique quality is what allowed for the vessels to be created, all the way down to the last vessel - physicality. On the other hand, this is not the case with all of the latter Tzimtzumim, where the light was only lessened and so the new light bears a resemblance to the previous light. It is therefore significant that we are discussing specifically the light before the Tzimtzum that is referred to as the "empty place," the only one that actually left a place that is so to speak completely empty of the original light, and therefore the light that preceded this Tzimtzum is unique. All of this about the idea of the Tzimtzum and its uniqueness, however, will be discussed later in the book.
The Mittler Rebbe will now proceed according to his style to outline the topic of this chapter in technical terms and then to explain them in simpler terms making use of various analogies so that these concepts may be understood.
The level of Yachid [Single] implies completely alone, which
is a higher level of unity than the unification of parts, which is called
Echad [One], as is known. The word Echad [
] being
related to the word Achdus [
], which means, for example, when many people are in
unity meaning that they remain separate entities only that they come together
to form a group that works together as a single entity for a common goal.
However, they remain essentially separate people. Similarly, a machine such as
one computer, can be spoken of as a single whole, yet, in truth it is composite
of many individual components, independent items that can exist without the
whole. So that, though an individual computer chip may be useless on its own
and the computer is not complete without it, still the computer is not an
elemental unit, meaning that it itself can be divided into separate components.
This is not a complete unity because divisions do exist and therefore the unity
can be broken.
On the other hand, the word Yachid implies a completely singular and elemental unity. A unity where nothing else exists besides this one thing whether another existence outside of the first, or a particular entity within the first. This level of unity is difficult to describe on physical terms, because physical matter is infinitely divisible, meaning that any object, no matter how small can always be divided into parts. Substances into molecules, molecules into atoms, atoms into sub-atomic particles such as electrons, protons, and neutrons, and those into even smaller particles many of which are just being discovered. However if we were to imagine that (as many scientists once believed) an atom could not be broken down into a smaller particle (this being the reason for calling them atoms for they were believed to be the indivisible particles about which the ancient philosopher Dalton theorized about, and which he named after himself calling them atoms). Then any elemental substance, like for example, oxygen could be described as a pure element and then a container full of oxygen could be said to contain only oxygen on this higher level of unity, because we are assuming that it has no parts this would be a completely simple, i.e. non-compounded unity.
In truth, however this level of unity necessarily exists only in G-d, for any created being is being created by various contracted forms of G-d’s light, which are called letters. These letters being specific revelations of the ten sfiros in different ways and as will be explained later in the book, the differences of these letters are what define each being creating it and making it different from every other being. These letters can always be spelled out in more particular ways until each being is made up of an infinite number of these letters. Now, however, is not the place for a full discussion of this and this will all be understood from further chapters in the book.
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The material in this series is copyrighted by Rabbi Yossi Markel