KeyTerms

'10
'10

Bitesizetakeaway:
Themanylayersofdesire.Whatdoesanyone
really
want?

Summary
Thischapterexplainsthedetailsofthe
intermsofthe.

MainPoints:
Thesefertalksabout2differentaspectsofthe10andhowtheydiffer:
1. 10of
(circles)

inwhichthehighestofthemallisthemostpraiseworthy,andthe
innermostoneistheworst.
2. 10of
(upright)inwhichtheoppositeistruethehighestistheworstandthe
innermostisthemostpraiseworthy.

Thiscanbeunderstoodbylookingatthedifferentlevelsofdesire/,specificallywithinGds
creativeprocess:

1. (lit.TheSimpleDesire).Thisisthehighestformofdesire.Onthislevel,desire
andpleasureareoneandthesame.OnetermthatisgivenforGdspleasureonthislevelis
(lit.thekingsamusements).Evenonthislevel,Gddiddecidetonarrowdown
hisdesiretoaparticularthingnamelytobe(lit.bestowkindness)whichultimately
ledtothedecisiontocreateaworldsothatthisdesirecouldbeactualized(thisspecific
desireisillustratedinthestatement(lit.Ishallreign).Howeveronthislevel,this
desirewasverymuchsupraconsciousandevenGdhimselfwasnotconsciouslyawareof
it,sotospeak.Itisa(potential)desire.

2. (lit.PrimordialDesire).Thesourceofall
manifest
desires.ItisonthislevelthatGd
becomesconscious,sotospeak,ofHisdesires.Thedesireisstillverymuchinternal,
however,andnorevealedstepsaretakentobringthedesiretofruition.Itisfromthislevel
thatthe2differentaspectsofthe
10becomemanifest:
a. Thefirstaspectisthe10of
.Thisisthepathwaywherebyageneral
desirecreatesmoreparticulardesirestravelingviathepathwayofthe10
.
Desire,initsessence,hasnorhymeorreasontoit.Itjustis.Howeverthedesire
doescontainalloftheother
10
(inotherwordsreasons),albeitina
concealedway.Ultimatelyhowever,thesereasons/aresubservienttothe
desireitselfwhichinessencehasnoreason.Agoodillustrationofthis
phenomenoniswhenpeoplecomeupwithrationalizationsfortheirdesires.The

MittlerRebbegivestheexampleofajudgewhoacceptsabribe.Sohishighest
desireistoreceiveandderivepleasurefromthebribemoney.Howeverinorder
forthistohappen,heneedstocreateanewdesire,namelyforthejudgementto
beinfavorofthatwhichheisbeingbribedfor.Hecreatesthisnewdesirebyway
ofrationalization,iebycomingupwithreasonswhytheverdictshouldmatchup
tothatwhichhesbeingbribedfor.Wecanthusseehowthegeneraldesire(in
thisexamplethejudgesdesireforthebribemoney)ismostpraiseworthyinthe
sensethatitisclosesttohisessentialself,howeveritisalsonotveryspecific
i.ehehasnotyetsketchedouthowitisexactlythathewillobtainthebribe
money.Ontheotherhand,oncehetakesthisdesirethroughtherationalization
processandcreatesaspecificdesiretohavetheverdictcomeoutinaspecific
way(thisiscalledtheinnerlevelsincehehasnowinternalizedthedesirewhich
isnowforaspecificaction),itisconsideredworseasitisacompromised
desireinthesensethatitonlycameaboutduetotherationalizationsetc.andnot
astruetohisessence.

IntermsofGdandhowHecreatestheworld:
Thehighest/initialcircle,isthewillandpleasureGdgetsfromallofthe
(manifestations)thatarecontainedwithinHim.Andthishighestcircleencompassesallthe
worldswhicharelatermanifest.

b.Thesecondaspectisthe
10of
(upright):Thisisthepathwaywherebyaspecific
desiretravelsinordertobecomemanifest.Here,thehierarchygetsflipped.Inorderfora
specificdesiretobecomeactualized,itmustgothroughallofthestepsofrationalization,

emotionalinternalizationetc(i.ethe
10
),meaningthefinalresult(i.ethemanifest
action)containsallofthesepreviouslayerswithinit.

IntermsofGdandhowHecreatestheworld:
Thebeginningoftheisthepotentialforbeingdrawndownitslikethetransitionalstage
fromto(thefirststageinthisrationalizationoutlinedabove).