וממנה נכנס בהם רוח שטות לחטוא, כמאמר רז״ל: אין אדם חוטא כו׳
From the kelipah, there enters into them a “spirit of folly” which leads them to sin, as our Sages remark:13 “A person does not sin unless a spirit of folly enters into him.”
As the Alter Rebbe explains further, the foolishness consists of the self-delusion that one remains “a good Jew” in spite of his sins — an insensitivity to the serious breach that his sins create between himself and G‑d. If a Jew felt how each sinful act tore him away from G‑d, he would never sin; for after all, every Jew’s love of G‑d is so strong that he is prepared to sacrifice his very life for G‑d (as discussed in the previous chapter). It is only that the “spirit of folly” dulls his senses so that he does not feel the wrench caused by each sin.
However, if his senses are so dulled, why is it that even the worst sinner will willingly sacrifice his life for G‑d, when his faith is put to the test? In answer, the Alter Rebbe explains that the kelipah can obstruct only those matters that do not directly affect the G‑dly soul’s level of Chochmah. However, in such matters as faith — a derivative of Chochmah — kelipah can neither penetrate nor obstruct. Consequently, in such matters the Jew is aware that to succumb to sin would mean being torn away from G‑d, and therefore he will readily lay down his life rather than sin. This the Alter Rebbe now goes on to explain:
אלא שגלות הזה לבחינת חכמה אינו אלא לבחינה המתפשטת ממנה בנפש כולה להחיותה
But this exile of the faculty of Chochmah affects only that aspect of it which is diffused throughout the Nefesh and animates it [with Divine vitality].
Being in exile, it is unable to pervade the entire soul, and through it the entire body, with the feeling of self-nullification before G‑d characteristic of Chochmah; thus, in this state of exile, it is unable to prevent one from sinning.
אבל שרש ועיקר של בחינת חכמה שבנפש האלקית הוא במוחין, ואינה מתלבשת בלבוש שק דקליפה שבלב בחלל השמאלי בבחינת גלות ממש
Yet, the root and core of the Chochmah in the divine soul is in the brain, and does not clothe itself in the sackcloth of the kelipah in the left part of the heart, in a true state of exile, i.e., so that it be powerless to prevent one from sinning.
רק שהיא בבחינת שינה ברשעים ואינה פועלת פעולתה בהם, כל זמן שעסוקים בדעתם ובינתם בתאות העולם
It is merely dormant in the case of the wicked, not exercising its influence within them (i.e., not creating within the Jew the spirit of self-nullification before G‑d that it ought to create), as long as their knowledge and understanding are preoccupied with mundane pleasures.
The soul-faculties of “knowledge” (Daat) and “understanding” (Binah) are lower than Chochmah; yet the level of Chochmah is prevented from acting upon them (and upon the other, still lower, faculties) as long as they are immersed in mundane pleasures. Thus, the Chochmah of their divine soul is dormant, not dead. It has lost none of its potency, only its ability to exercise it; just as when one sleeps he retains full possession of his faculties though he cannot use them.
אך כשבאים לידי נסיון בדבר אמונה, שהיא למעלה מהדעת ונגעה עד הנפש לבחינת חכמה שבה
However, when they (the wicked) are confronted with a test of faith, which transcends knowledge, touching the very soul and the faculty of Chochmah within it — the source of faith,
אזי היא ניעורה משנתה ופועלת פעולתה בכח ה׳ המלובש בה
then it “arises from its sleep” (i.e., Chochmah reveals itself) and it exerts its influence with the Divine force that is clothed in it (its influence being to create a spirit of self-sacrifice for G‑d, as the Alter Rebbe states further).
וכמו שכתוב: ויקץ כישן ה׳
As it is written:14 “Then the L‑rd awakened as one out of sleep.”
This verse refers also to the level of Chochmah and the light of the Ein Sof clothed therein, which was previously in a state of “sleep” — inactive — but “arises” and exerts its influence when faced with a test of faith.
לעמוד בנסיון באמונת ה׳ בלי שום טעם ודעת ושכל מושג לו
The revelation of Chochmah leads even the sinner to withstand the test of faith in G‑d, without any reasoning or knowledge that he can comprehend which would motivate him to sacrifice his life,
להתגבר על הקליפות ותאוות עולם הזה בהיתר ובאיסור שהורגל בהם, ולמאוס בהם
and to prevail over the kelipot and over his desires toward worldly matters, both permitted and forbidden, which he was accustomed to indulge, and even to despise them,
I.e., in this state of readiness for martyrdom, the sinner not only overcomes his desires for worldly pleasures, but loses them entirely, and the objects of his past desires are now detestable to him,
ולבחור לו ה׳ לחלקו ולגורלו
and to choose G‑d as his portion and his lot,
I.e., he dedicates to G‑d both his internal faculties of intellect and emotion, referred to as one’s “portion”, and his higher transcendent faculties — his will and pleasure, which are called one’s “lot”,
למסור לו נפשו על קדושת שמו
so that he is prepared to offer his soul to G‑d in martyrdom for the sanctification of His Name.
ואף כי הקליפות גברו עליו כל ימיו ולא יכול להם, כמאמר רז״ל: שהרשעים הם ברשות לבם
Although the kelipot prevailed over him (over this sinner who is now prepared to accept martyrdom) all his life, and he was impotent against them, as the Rabbis have said that15 “The wicked are under the control of their heart,” i.e., the animal soul of the kelipah, situated in the left part of the heart,
מכל מקום כשבא לידי נסיון בדבר אמונה בה׳ אחד, שיסודתה בהררי קודש היא בחינת חכמה שבנפש האלקית, שבה מלובש אור אין סוף ברוך הוא
nevertheless, when he faces a test challenging his faith in the one G‑d, [a faith] whose foundation is in [that level of the divine soul called] “the heights of holiness,” namely, the faculty of Chochmah which is called קודש — the source of holiness — as previously explained, in which is clothed the light of Ein Sof, blessed be He,
הרי כל הקליפות בטלים ומבוטלים, והיו כלא היו ממש לפני ה׳
then all the kelipot become nullified, and they vanish as though they had never been, in the presence of the L‑rd.
כדכתיב: כל הגוים כאין נגדו וגו׳, וכתיב: כי הנה אויביך ה׳ כי הנה אויביך יאבדו יתפרדו וגו׳, וכתיב: כהמס דונג מפני אש יאבדו וגו׳, וכתיב: הרים כדונג נמסו
So it is written:16 “All the nations including also the kelipot are as nothing before Him”; and17 “For all Your enemies, O L‑rd, referring also to the kelipot, which are the ”enemies of G‑d,“ all Your enemies will perish, they will be scattered…”; and again,18 “As wax melts before fire, so shall the wicked perish”; and19 “The hills referring to the kelipot which are compared to hills by reason of their hauteur melted like wax.”
All these verses illustrate how the kelipot vanish when the light of G‑d found in the Chochmah of the divine soul reveals itself. Therefore, despite the fact that kelipot always had the upper hand over a sinner, he is able to overcome them when his faith is challenged. We thus see that every Jew has an inherent ability to overcome temptation by virtue of his soul’s “hidden love” of G‑d originating in its faculty of Chochmah. He need merely arouse it.
The Alter Rebbe now goes on to explain how this “hidden love” also comprises the fear of G‑d necessary in observing the prohibitive commandments.
והנה אור ה׳ אין סוף ברוך הוא המלובש בחכמה שבנפש, גדול ועצום כחו כל כך
The force of the Divine light of the Ein Sof that is clothed in the soul’s faculty of Chochmah is so intense
לגרש ולדחות הסטרא אחרא והקליפות שלא יוכלו יגעו אפילו בלבושיו, שהם מחשבה דבור ומעשה של אמונת ה׳ אחד
as to banish and repel the sitra achra and the kelipot so that they are unable to touch even its “garments”, namely the thought, speech, and action that express one’s faith in the unity of G‑d.
That is, not only can the kelipot not weaken one’s faith, but they cannot even prevent his faith from expressing itself in thought, speech and action.
דהיינו לעמוד בנסיון למסור נפשו אפילו שלא לעשות רק איזה מעשה לבד נגד אמונת ה׳ אחד, כגון להשתחוות לעבודה זרה אף שאינו מאמין בה כלל בלבו
This means that the Divine light vested in Chochmah enables him to withstand a test of self-sacrifice, to the extent of even refusing to do a mere (empty) act that is contrary to his belief in the one G‑d, e.g., to bow down before an idol, even without acknowledging it in his heart at all, in which case it is not his faith that is being challenged, but its expression in the act of prostrating oneself; and even for his expression of faith a Jew will give his life.
וכן שלא לדבר תועה חס ושלום על אחדות ה׳ אף שאין פיו ולבו שוין, רק לבו שלם באמונת ה׳
So too he will sacrifice his life so as not to speak falsely (G‑d forbid) concerning the unity of G‑d, even where his words do not reflect his true feelings, for his heart is perfect in its belief in G‑d.
This readiness for self-sacrifice is not an expression of one’s love of G‑d which reveals itself when confronted with a test of faith, for his love is not directly affected by such empty actions or words. Rather, it expresses the fear contained in the “hidden love,” the fear of being torn away from G‑d.
וזה נקרא דחילו הנכלל ברחימו, שהיא אהבה הטבעית שבנפש האלקית שבכללות ישראל, שחפצה ורצונה בטבעה לידבק בשרשה ומקורה אור אין סוף ברוך הוא
This is called “the fear contained in love,” meaning the natural love found in the divine soul of all Jews, whose intrinsic desire and will is to be attached to its origin and source — the light of the blessed Ein Sof.
שמפני אהבה זו ורצון זה היא יראה ומפחדת בטבעה מנגוע בקצה טומאת עבודה זרה חס ושלום, שהיא נגד אמונת ה׳ אחד
For by virtue of this love and this desire it instinctively recoils in fear and dread from touching (G‑d forbid) even the fringe of the impurity of idolatry, which denies the faith in G‑d’s unity,
אפילו בלבושיה החיצונים שהם דבור או מעשה, בלי אמונה בלב כלל
even where such contact involves only its outer garments, namely, (idolatrous) speech and action, without any faith whatever in the heart in the validity of the idol worship.
Even this the soul dreads; and this dread represents the fear contained in the “hidden love.”
When a Jew considers that he would willingly give up his life rather than be parted from G‑d, he will surely realize that: (a) he should certainly refrain from sin for the very same reason, since every sin tears one away from G‑d; and (b) he ought to fulfill all the commandments, for through them one achieves the objective of his “hidden love” — unity with G‑d. In this way one may utilize his “hidden love” and the fear of G‑d contained in it as a motivation for observing all the commandments, as will be explained at length in the coming chapters.
——— ● ———
Footnotes
1.Mishlei 20:27.
2.Yevamot 61a.
3.Tehillim 136:6.
4.In ch. 6.
5.Cf. ch. 1.
6.Mishlei 30:15.
7.Bereishit 25:30.
8.Berachot 18b.
9.Kohelet 7:12.
10.Iyov 4:21.
11.Berachot 18b.
12.In ch. 17.
13.Sotah 3a.
14.Tehillim 78:65.
15.Bereishit Rabbah 34:11.
16.Yeshayahu 40:17.
17.Tehillim 92:10.
18.Ibid. 68:3.
19.Ibid. 97:5.
