והיינו על ידי תגבורת יסוד האש אלקי שבנפש האלקית This results from the predominance of the element of divine Fire that is in the divine soul, unlike other forms of love which derive from the element of Water in the divine soul. ומזה באה לידי צמאון, וכמו שכתוב: צמאה לך נפשי From this, the soul […]

The Alter Rebbe will now explain that since this love of G‑d is such that the soul is on the verge of expiring, it cannot inspire one directly to serve G‑d through Torah and mitzvot. והנה סדר העבודה בעסק התורה והמצות, הנמשכת מבחינת אהבה עזה זו, היא בבחינת שוב לבד The order of one’s divine […]

The title-page of Tanya tells us that the entire work is based upon the verse (Devarim 30:14), “For this thing (the Torah) is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” And the concluding phrase (“that you may do it”) implies that the ultimate purpose of the […]

שכמו שנשמת האדם היא ממלאה כל רמ״ח אברי הגוף, מראשו ועד רגלו By way of analogy: The human soul2 pervades all 248 organs of the body, from head (the highest part of the body) to foot (the lowest part of the body); The soul pervades the body to the extent that no organ or portion […]

The manner in which the organ receives the latter life-force and functional power can be explained in two ways. One is that the life-force emanating from the soul to the organ is utterly “plain” and uncompounded, possessing none of the diverse qualities and powers of the various organs. According to this explanation, the various functional […]

והנה על המשכת כל התרי״ג מיני כוחות וחיות מהעלם הנשמה אל הגוף להחיותו Now, concerning the flow of all the 613 kinds of functional powers and vital forces which are drawn from the concealment of the soul, where they are previously hidden, and from where they are now drawn to the body to animate it, […]

וככה ממש, על דרך משל, אין סוף ברוך הוא ממלא כל עלמין להחיותם In a truly similar manner, figuratively speaking, does the blessed Ein Sof fill all worlds so as to animate them. There is a marked similarity between the soul pervading the body and Ein Sof permeating all the worlds: Just as in the […]

Were there merely to be a vast quantity of ethereal garments, the Divine life-force would only be capable of creating spiritual beings and not physical ones; in order for this physical world with its corporeal creatures to be created, much denser garments were necessary. It is this that the Alter Rebbe now goes on to […]

In the previous chapter the Alter Rebbe began to expound upon the theme of the indwelling of the Shechinah, which resided in the Holy of Holies and likewise in other places. He asked: “Is not the whole world filled with His glory?” Since there is no place void of Him, what do we mean when […]

וכולן אינן רק מהתפשטות החיות והאור מהמקור הזה, הנקרא שכינה all of them — all the Worlds, creatures and souls — being derived only from the extension of the vitality and light which extends and streams forth from this source which is called Shechinah, כהתפשטות האור מהשמש in a manner resembling the radiation of light […]