Lesson 6: The Essence

On the foundation of the previous lessons’ exploration of hishtalshelut, we discuss Atzmut, the Divine essence that transcends the qualities attributed to the Or Ein Sof. We examine Atzmut’s lack of definition as aligning with the

Jewish philosophical conviction that G-d can possess no defined qualities. We explore how G-d’s transcendence of moral categories corresponds to the human quality of free choice.

We study the Sefer Yetzirah’s formula that “the end is wedged in the beginning,” and see how it feeds the Hasidic philosophy, as articulated in

Tanya, that the ultimate purpose is in tikkun olam and cultivating Asiyah into a G-dly abode.