Video Audio Text ואפילו נפש דעשיה, היא באה מזיווג ז״א ונוקבא דעשיה For even a Nefesh (i.e., a soul of the lowest grade) of Asiyah (i.e., the lowest world) derives from the union of Za (ז״א: the initials of זעיר אנפין, i.e., the bracket of six masculine middot, or emotive attributes) with nukva (i.e., the […]

Video Audio Text The Alter Rebbe now goes on to make it perfectly clear that the Sefirot are, however, infinitely higher than the corresponding faculties within the soul. Indeed, even Abraham’s attribute of Chesed could in no way compare to the Chesed of the Sefirot, notwithstanding the fact that Abraham was considered a “chariot” to […]

Video Audio Text והנה כללות היו״ד ספירות שבנשמת האדם Now, as regards the totality of the Ten Sefirot [as they appear] in the soul of man, נודע לכל שהמדות נחלקות בדרך כלל לז׳ מדות It is known to all25 that the emotive attributes divide into seven general categories,26 וכל פרטי המדות שבאדם באות מאחת מז׳ […]

Video Audio Text והנה מדות אלו, הן בחינות חיצוניות שבנפש Now, these emotive attributes — those involved in imparting enlightenment, and the like — are the external aspects of the soul. ובתוכן מלובשות מדות פנימיות Within them are vested the inner attributes, which bring about the external attributes involved in the actual imparting of knowledge, […]

Video Audio Text והנה כל זה הוא רק על דרך משל לבד Now all this — the above-mentioned effect of the emotive traits upon the resultant teaching or influence — is only by way of allegory, and does not provide a completely true picture of the Sefirot as they exist within man’s soul, כי כל […]

Video Audio Text וכן לפאר את ה׳ ותורתו בכל מיני פאר Likewise, by exercising the attribute of Tiferet (lit., “beauty”), [a man seeks] to glorify G‑d and His Torah in all ways possible, such as by possessing a beautiful sefer Torah, beautiful tefillin and the like, ולדבקה בשבחיו בכל בחינות נפשו and to cleave to […]

Video Audio Text Up to this point the Alter Rebbe has explained how the seven middot exist within the Jew’s G‑dly soul. These emotive attributes are activated by the three intellective faculties — the Sefirot of ChaBaD (Chochmah, Binah and Daat), which are now to be explained. ומקור ושורש כל המדות הן מחב״ד Now, the […]

Video Audio Text לאנשי קהילת To the members of the community of . . . It has already been noted that the Alter Rebbe devoted many of the letters that comprise Iggeret HaKodesh to the theme of tzedakah, particularly when dedicated to the support of those who engage in Torah study and divine service in […]

Video Audio Text נודע דבאתערותא דלתתא, שהאדם מעורר בלבו מדת החסד ורחמנות על כל הצריכים לרחמים It is well known1 that in response to an arousal from below, when a man arouses in his heart the attribute of lovingkindness and compassion for all those in need of compassion, אתערותא דלעילא, לעורר עליו רחמים רבים ממקור […]

Video Audio Text לפי שההארה והגילוי שבגן עדן היא בחינת ממלא כל עלמין For the manifestation and the radiation in Gan Eden are of the level called Memaleh Kol Almin13 — the light which “permeates all worlds”; i.e., the muted Divine life-force that contracts, descends and diminishes according to the receptive capacity of the particular […]