"... I have received from my Master, that there (are) {exists} within (a) {every} person ten Sepheres' as man is a Microcosm (Oylom Koton)"
The following understanding of this concept, whether by the Besht himself or by his disciple Reb Yaakov Yosef of Polneh, is important to understanding the practical application of the general Beshtian teachings:
"and the last level that is in man such as pain, poverty and suffering and the like (this) is {what is} known as Malchus which is the last attribute, as "Her feet go down to death" {prov. 5:5}.
and Netzach and Hod- that is in man, are the pillars that hold up {within a person it is expressed when} (that) a person believes the faith of the Creator in its truthfulness {1}.
and the attribute of Yesod is when a person experiences (the ultimate) pleasure in the service of god {2} more than (experienced) {in} all other sources of pleasure.
for "through my body I see ({god})" that the organ of sex {3} (is) {grants one} the finest (mivchar) of pleasures as it is Union, for {it is caused by} the connection of male and female.
and from the physical {pleasure} one could conceive{4} of the spiritual pleasure {to be experienced} when one connects oneself to His Oneness, blessed be, since it is the root of all pleasures etc. {5}
"let the wise hear and increase wisdom"
Toldos Yaakov Yosef, Koretz 1780, 16c
Here only three of the {minimally} Ten planes of existence are discussed and explained, starting with life on planet Malchus. Malchus, incidentally the world that we all start off at, which -according to the Besht- offers little other than "pain, poverty and suffering and the like."
One could stay there if one so desires. Beshtian teachings are reserved for only those who wish to escape and believe it to be possible, for those who simply desire to know how its done.
Here the Besht discusses two escape routes, both heading in the same direction: upwards, AKA inward.
So, from Malchus, the place of endless useless suffering, one could find refuge in either faith (here code-named: Nezach and Hod) or pleasure (Yesod) {6}.
Faith can provide one with temporary relief. knowing that all that "pain, poverty and suffering and the like" - forever present in our hitherto Malchus existence- are only there temporarily for a specific reason, directed by an almighty, merciful and kind god, does sweeten the bitter pill of existence.
But if one persists and climbs higher, when one gets to a state of mind beyond yesterday and tomorrow, one could begin tapping into an alternate enjoyable universe, the Yesod/Pleasure zone. When one allows the magical energy of life to enter, one could find pleasures that are sure to wipe out any trace of discomfort. It is the pleasure of being in the now, beyond past/future, good/evil or any other concept. There never was any problem here in the now.
Footnotes:
1 This is also brought in the name of the Besht in DMA, prurim; Toldos, 86a, 170a; BPY, Pieterkov, (17a;) 56a and 116a where the Besht equates these two pillars as the "two thighs' of Z"A"; Zophnas Paaneach, Koretz 1782, 94d where Netzach and Hod become faith and Deveikus
2 see also Toldos, V'eschanon, 170a where the Besht defines a Zaddik as "one who has great pleasure in the service of god"; MDL,Brooklyn 1972 (Kehos), para. 179, "and the main thing is the pleasure {that one experiences} while doing {mitzves}.
3 also referred to, by the Besht {or the Toldos}, as "the organ of pleasure" see BPY 17a.
4 here only understanding is discussed, elsewhere it is also described as a practical path of arriving to the spiritual; spiritual pleasure experienced through the physical pleasure perceived by its five senses, see MDL paras. 20, 37, 70, and 107 (true, in para. 83 he does mention R' Yehuda Ha'Nossi who doesnt have pleasure even during sex, but that maybe more on the level of Moshe that is discussed in para. 232).
5 noteworthy is the Besht, quoted in Zophnas Pane'ach, Koretz 1782, 1c: "...in every physical pleasure, is (physically) pleasurable because it has a spiritual spark of celestial pleasure, as I have heard from my Master that the pleasure of sin -godforbid- is channeled through the mystery of the breaking {of the vessels} in it from the spark of a spiritual pleasure, and enough {said} with this." The Toldos (on his own, ZP 14d) has the following to say: "…that one should take pleasure in the pure by the impure pleasure of sin, which is amazing bliss, while it’s not one in the oneness of holiness, but rather in the husks {and yet} one experiences such amazing pleasure, how much more so one would {find} pleasure while doing good, especially when {done} in holiness etc. and through this one {the bad} becomes a seat for the other {the good} and it becomes one…"
6 here nothing is hinted to as to whether one has to work ones way up in the particular reverse order of the Sephiros or if it's possible to go from Malchus directly into any desired sphere.
