Having spoken until now of the higher category in the love of G‑d called ahavah betaanugim, the Alter Rebbe now proceeds to consider the lesser love, ahavah zuta.

והשנית היא אהבה ותאוה, שהנפש מתאוה ואוהבת וחפיצה לדבקה בה׳

The second [category] is a love and desire in which the soul desires, loves and wishes to cleave to G‑d,

לצרור בצרור החיים

“to be bound up in the bond of life.”20

וקרבת אלקים טוב לה מאד, ובו תחפוץ

The proximity to G‑d is very dear to her, and that is what she desires.

ורע לה מאד להתרחק ממנו יתברך, חס ושלום

It is most grievous unto her to become, heaven forfend, distanced from Him, blessed be He,

להיות מחיצה של ברזל מהחיצונים מפסקת, חס ושלום

by having an iron partition of the chitzonim, the forces of kelipah and unholiness, separate her [from Him], heaven forfend.

Thus, inherent in the soul’s love for G‑d is its anxious fear of being alienated from Him by a partition resulting from those things that are opposite His will.

Likkutei Levi Yitzchak, authored by the father of the Rebbe, explains that the four terms used above — “desires”, “loves”, “wishes” and “cleaves” — refer respectively to the soul-levels within the Four Worlds: “desires” relates to the World of Asiyah, “loves” relates to the World of Yetzirah, and so on.

ואהבה זו היא מוסתרת בלב כלל ישראל, אפילו ברשעים

This love is latent in the heart of all Jews, even in the wicked, as explained at length in Part I, chs. 18 and 19,

וממנה באה להם החרטה

and from this [latent love] derives their remorse, as in the phrase,21 “The wicked are full of remorse.”