וכמו שכתוב: כי נשגב שמו לבדו

Thus it is written, 9 “For [even] His Name alone is exalt-ed”; i.e., G‑d’s Name is exalted “alone”, standing apart from all the worlds which it transcends,

רק זיוו והודו על ארץ ושמים וגו’

while only His reflection and 10 “His splendor are on the earth and the heavens.”

Thus, all of creation exists from but a radiation of G‑d’s Name, which, as previously mentioned, is itself merely a radia-tion.

והארה זו מתלבשת ממש בעליונים ותחתונים, להחיותם

This radiation actually vests itself in the upper and lower worlds in order to animate them.

At this level, the G‑dly life-force is not merely present in created beings and worlds, but actually vests itself in them: it contracts and adapts to the spiritual capacity of each particular world in which it is vested, and is integrated within it.

ונתפסת בתוכם על ידי ממוצעים רבים

It is contained in them by means of many intermediaries, i.e., levels that are related both to the levels above and below them, thereby enabling them to serve as conduits for the transference of the radiation,

וצמצומים רבים ועצומים

and by means of numerous and intense contractions,

“Numerous” describes the quantitative diminution of Divine light and life-force; “intense” alludes to their qualitative diminution, whereby the light that emerges after the contraction is entirely different from the light that originally emanated before being screened and contracted.

בהשתלשלות המדרגות, דרך עלה ועלול וכו׳

in a downward, chainlike progression through the levels of the various worlds, in a sequence of cause and effect, and so on.

Within every world the lower level develops from the higher level by way of cause and effect, the higher level serving as the cause and source of the lower.

After all these contractions and descents, then, the light manifests itself within the various worlds by becoming vested in them.



והנה הארה זו, אף שלמעלה היא מאירה ומתפשטת בבחינת בלי גבול ותכלית

Now although above, in the lofty worlds of infinitude, this illumination radiates and extends itself in unlimited and infinite fashion,

להחיות עולמות נעלמים לאין קץ ותכלית

to animate worlds that are infinitely concealed,

I.e., there are infinite kinds of worlds, each of which is of infinite degree,

כמו שכתוב באדרא רבא

as is written in the Idra Rabba, 11

אף על פי כן, ברדתה למטה על ידי צמצומים רבים

nevertheless, as [this radiation] descends by means of numerous contractions,

להחיות הנבראים והיצורים והנעשים

to animate the beings that have been created, formed and made,

In their Hebrew original, these three verbs allude respectively to the beings that inhabit the Worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah. Accordingly, we understand that previously reference was being made to the World of Atzilut and to those infinite worlds that are “higher” than Atzilut.

היא נחלקת דרך כלל למספר תרי״ג, כנגד תרי״ג מצות התורה

it is divided primarily into 613 [rays], corresponding to the 613 commandments of the Torah.

שהן הן תרי״ג מיני המשכות הארה זו, מאור אין סוף ברוך הוא

These [commandments] are in fact 613 kinds of conduits which transmit this radiation from the [infinite] Ein Sof-light,

להאיר לנשמת האדם, הכלולה מרמ״ח אברים ושס״ה גידים

[whose function is] to illumine man’s soul, which comprises 248 “organs” and 365 “sinews”, totalling 613 elements.

אשר בעבורה עיקר תכלית ירידת והמשכת הארה זו למטה

For it was mainly for the sake of [man’s soul] that this radiation was caused to flow down below

לכל הנבראים והיצורים והנעשים

to all those beings which have been created, formed and made, their respective locations in the Worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah being “below” the loftier worlds of infinite degree,

שתכלית כולן הוא האדם, כנודע

since the ultimate purpose of all these [beings], as is known, is man.

Thus, G‑d’s Being is indeed utterly uncompounded, so that there cannot possibly be any division into “parts”. Nevertheless, with regard to the radiation that descends below, (whose main purpose is that it permeate the Jewish soul,) the concept of “parts” does apply.

The above-mentioned rays are the 613 basic “parts” into which the radiance is diffused. More specifically, as the Alter Rebbe now goes on to say, each of these general “parts” subdivides into an infinite number of smaller “parts”.

והנה מספר זה הוא בדרך כלל

Now this number — i.e., the above division of the Divine radiance into 613 “parts”, corresponding to the 613 command-ments — is the primary, basic division.

אבל בדרך פרט, הנה כל מצוה ומצוה מתחלקת לפרטים רבים לאין קץ ותכלית

More specifically, however, every single commandment subdivides into infinite details.

והן הן גופי הלכות פרטיות שבכל מצוה, שאין להם מספר

These are the essentials of the detailed rulings of every commandment, which are without number,

כמו שכתוב: ששים המה מלכות, הן ס׳ מסכתות כו׳

as it is written, 12 “Sixty are the queens,” which [as our Sages 13 comment] alludes to the sixty tractates….

ועלמות אין מספר, הן ההלכות כו׳

[The same verse continues:] “…and maidens without number,” which [as our Sages comment] alludes to the innumerable rulings of the individual laws,

שהן המשכת רצון העליון כו׳

for they are a downward flow from the Supreme Will…, which is infinite.

The Alter Rebbe now goes on to say that just as the soul is made up of 248 “organs” and 365 “sinews” so that it may absorb the luminosity of the 613 general radiations, so, too, are souls further divisible, so that they may absorb the infinite degrees of the more differentiated radiations.

וכן הוא ממש בנשמת האדם

It is precisely so with man’s soul, which has the means to absorb the innumerable details of the downward flow of Divine radiance.

כי הנה כל הנשמות שבעולם היו כלולות באדם הראשון

For all the souls in the world were comprised in Adam. 14

ודרך כלל היתה נשמתו נחלקת למספר תרי״ג: רמ״ח אברים ושס״ה גידים

Basically, his soul was divisible into 613 elements, con-sisting of 248 “organs” and 365 “sinews”.

אך דרך פרט נחלקת לניצוצות אין מספר

More specifically, however, his soul was divisible into innumerable sparks,

שהן נשמות כל ישראל מימות האבות והשבטים, עד ביאת המשיח ועד בכלל

which are the souls of all of Israel from the days of the Patriarchs and the [founders of the Twelve] Tribes, up to and including the time of the coming of Mashiach,

שיקוים אז מה שכתוב: והיה מספר בני ישראל כחול הים, אשר לא ימד ולא יספר מרוב

when [the promise of] Scripture will be fulfilled: “And the number of the Children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, that cannot be measured nor counted,” 15 “because of its great quantity.” 16

We understand from the above that Adam’s soul (which comprised the innumerable sparks of individual souls) was capable of receiving the infinitely numerous detailed emanations from the radiance of the Supreme Will, which ultimately animates all of the individual Jewish souls.

* * *



At this point the Alter Rebbe resumes the thought begun earlier, where it was pointed out that Jacob referred to G‑d as “E‑l, G‑d of Israel,” for the soul of Jacob (otherwise known as Israel) was illumined with all the aspects of the Divine radiance, just as was the soul of Adam.

והנה שופריה דיעקב מעין שופריה דאדם הראשון

Now “The consummate beauty of Jacob resembles the consummate beauty of Adam,” 17

שתיקן חטא אדם הראשון

for he rectified the sin of Adam. 18

והיתה נשמתו גם כן כלולה מכל הנשמות שבישראל, מעולם עד עולם

His soul, too, comprised all the souls of Israel, “from world to world,” i.e., both those of the “Revealed World” as well as the “Concealed World.”

והיה מרכבה לתורה שלמעלה, שנקראת בשם אדם

Moreover, he was a vehicle for the Torah in its heavenly state, which is referred to as Adam,

This phrase reflects the wording of a verse which begins with the words, 19 זאת התורה אדם… — “This is the law: A man…” Interpreted on the level of derush, these words have been taken literally to mean: “This is the Torah — Adam.”

כמו שכתוב: ועל דמות הכסא דמות כמראה אדם וגו׳

as it is written, 20 “And on the likeness of the throne there was a likeness as the appearance of Adam” [lit., “of a man”], and the latter term, as is explained in the Kabbalah, 21 refers to the Torah.

וכמו שכתוב: וזאת לפנים בישראל גו׳

It is likewise written: 22 “And this (זאת) was the custom in former time in Israel…,”

That, at least, is the plain meaning of the phrase quoted. On the interpretative level of derush, however, each of the three Hebrew words is here construed as follows: זאת (as taught in the Zohar) connotes “Torah”; לפנים — “within”; בישראל — “in Israel the Patriarch.” At this level, the quoted phrase thus means that “the Torah is [implanted] within, in Israel the Patriarch.”

אין זאת אלא תורה

and “זאת refers only to the Torah.” 23

שהיתה כלולה ומלובשת בנשמת ישראל סבא, הכלולה מכל הנשמות

For the Torah was contained and vested within the soul of “Israel the Patriarch,” which compounded all the souls. (The quoted phrase refers both to Jacob in the mortal world and to his Supernal source, which is also known by this name.)

Now in addition, Jacob, or “Israel the Patriarch,” was a vessel capable of receiving the radiance of the Torah. Hence:

וזהו: ויקרא לו אל אלקי ישראל

This is the meaning [of the above-quoted phrase], “And he called Him E‑l, G‑d of Israel”:

אל: לשון המשכת הארה מאור אין סוף ברוך הוא מההעלם אל הגילוי

Since the Name E‑l denotes the Divine attribute of Chesed, which finds expression in G‑d’s desire to communicate His hidden light, [Jacob’s use of] the Name E‑l signifies [man’s] calling forth the radiation from the [infinite] Ein Sof-light, which is clothed in the Torah, from concealment to manifestation,

להאיר בבחינת גילוי בנשמתו

so that it should illumine manifestly in man’s soul.

וכמו שכתוב: אל הויה ויאר לנו

Thus, too, it is written: 24 “E‑l is the L‑rd, and He has given us light,” indicating likewise that the Divine Name E‑l connotes illumination.

Thus, when we say that Jacob called G‑d “E‑l,” we imply that he called forth and drew down into his soul an all-encom-passing revelation of the [infinite] Ein Sof-light that comprises all the particular details of the Torah and its mitzvot.

ואחריו כל ישרי לב, העוסקים בתורה ובמצות, מאיר אור ה׳ אין סוף ברוך הוא בבחינת גילוי בנשמתם

and after [Jacob], the [infinite] Ein Sof-light shines openly into the souls of all the upright of heart who engage in the Torah and the mitzvot.

“The upright of heart” 25 alludes to those individuals within whom the G‑dly illumination found in the intellect descends to the heart, where it inspires them with a love and an awe of G‑d. These spiritual emotions in turn add vitality to their study of Torah and their performance of the mitzvot.

The Divine radiation felt by these individuals is termed “our portion” (חלקנו, as in the quotation with which this epistle opened). This is the particular G‑dly illumination which permeates a Jew’s soul through his performance of each and every commandment, and which is a portion and part of the all-encompassing illumination comprising 613 “parts”.

וזמן גילוי זה ביתר שאת ויתר עז, ההארה במוחם ולבם

The most elevating and most powerful 26 manifestation of this [Divine] radiance in their mind and heart

הוא בשעת התפלה, כמו שכתוב במקום אחר

occurs at the time of prayer, as is explained else-where. 27

It is by means of the ladder of prayer that all of a man’s mitzvot ascend; this same ladder also serves as the conduit through which the resultant Divine radiance and revelation descend to this world.