[Avodah] ain Od Milvado v. Bechira

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Apr 28, 2011 at 10:10:22AM -0400, Hankman wrote:
: Frankly this is all as clear as mud to me (and I suspect to [most]
: everyone else as well)...

I think everyone else, including the Baal haTanya. At some point,
theological discussion resorts to invoking kavayakhol and using metaphor,
because human reason can only take you so far.

:                         The bigger question throughout this line
: of thought is not so much how do "you" have bechira, but even more
: troubling is who is the "you"?

IIUC, you are bothered by the same loop in reasoning as I am. I exist
through the illusion that I am distinct. But also I can have that
illusion only because I am distinct. It's a circular dependency -- the
illusion must preexist me, but I must preexist the illusion. But then,
time too is part of the illusion...

Another logical step in the Tanya I never "got" was his notion of the
relationship between physical objects and Or Ein Sof. The Tanya appears
to liken all of existence, including the physical, to the light emitted
from the Source. But, he also compares the physical to the circle of
light left when the beam hits the wall. The Shefa E-loki is described
as both being the beri'ah and being its cause. First, what's the "wall"
in this mashal -- it too is light. Second, what's the light -- it too
is the Source. Third, is a physical object the beam of light itself or
the spot it makes at its intersection with the wall?

All of which is really an elaboration of the kavayakhol-s one invokes
when saying the word "tzimtzum".

As I'm not a Chabad-nik, I haven't found these questions very pressing.
But they have been on my back-burner list of hashkafah questions for
many years.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 9th day, which is
micha at aishdas.org        1 week and 2 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Gevurah sheb'Gevurah: When is strict justice
Fax: (270) 514-1507                            most appropriate?