והנה עיקר האהבה היא אתדבקות רוחא ברוחא
Ahavah, the love of G‑d, is primarily the cleaving of spirit to Spirit,3
כמו שכתוב: ישקני מנשיקות פיהו וגו’ כנודע
as the verse expresses it,4 “He kisses me with the kisses of his mouth….”
A physical kiss unites the inner breath or spirit of two individuals. Similarly, the internal aspects of the soul and G‑dliness are united through the “breath” or speech of Torah, through good deeds, and more specifically through the concentrated study of Torah, as explained in Part I, Chapter 45.
ועל זה נאמר: ובכל נפשך
With regard to this [cleaving of spirit to Spirit] the verse says5 [that “you shall love the L-rd your G‑d….] with all your soul,”
שהם הם כל חלקי הנפש, שכל ומדות ולבושיהם מחשבה דיבור ומעשה, לדבקה כולן בו יתברך
which means that the love is to be so intense that all aspects of the soul — intellect and emotions, and their garbs of thought, speech and deed — are to cleave to G‑d.
דהיינו: המדות במדותיו יתברך מה הוא רחום וכו’
This means that man’s emotive faculties are to be bound up with His6 — “As He is merciful [so should you be merciful]…”
Thus when a person acts kindly out of the attribute of compassion, for example. this emotive faculty of his is bound up with G‑d’s.
והשכל בשכלו וחכמתו יתברך
So, too, man’s intellect adheres to G‑d’s intellect and wisdom;
הוא עיון התורה דאורייתא מחכמה נפקא
this refers to the concentrated study of Torah, for7 “the Torah issues from Wisdom.”
וכן המחשבה במחשבתו יתברך
So, too, is man’s thought [to be united] with G‑d’s,
והדיבור בדבר ה’ זו הלכה
and his speech [is to be unified with]8 “the word of G‑d, which is the Halachah,”
וכמו שכתוב: ואשים דברי בפיך
as in the passages which speak of the Torah:9 “I have placed My word in your mouth,”
ודברי אשר שמתי בפיך
and10 “My words that I have placed in your mouth.”
והמעשה הוא מעשה הצדקה
Man’s deeds [shall likewise be united with His deeds] through works of charity,
להחיות רוח שפלים
to revive the spirit of the crestfallen,
Acting thus unites man with His Maker, for He too provides life and “revives the spirit” of created beings”,
כמו שכתוב: כי ששת ימים עשה ה’ וגו’ כנודע במקום אחר
as the verse states11 “For six days G‑d wrought….,” as is explained elsewhere.
The expression used concerning G‑d’s activity during the Six Days of Creation — a verb expressing action and doing — indicates that the Divine powers had to descend even to the nethermost level of mere action, in order to create and vitalize the inconsequential beings of creation.
וזו היא אתדבקות דרוחא ברוחא, בתכלית הדביקות ויחוד, כשהיא מחמת אהבה וכו’
This is the cleaving of spirit to Spirit — the ultimate attachment and union that result from love….
Ultimate union with G‑d through Torah study is attained only when it is the result of love. Thus, while it is true that when one studies Torah simply out of one’s acceptance of the Yoke of Heaven he also achieves a measure of the cleaving of spirit of Spirit, this cannot compare to the degree of attachment that is attained when the same study is motivated by a love of G‑d. Hence, since teshuvah ila’ah is a manifestation of the soul’s ultimate attachment with G‑d, it follows that “Teshuva ila’ah means engaging in the study of Torah in awe and love of the Holy One, blessed be He,” as the Zohar teaches.
