ולכן היו בטלים במציאות ממש, כמאמר רז״ל, שעל כל דיבור פרחה נשמתן כו׳
Therefore, they the Jews who stood at Sinai were nullified out of existence, as our Rabbis have said:14 “At every [divine] utterance their soul took flight from their body,
אלא שהחזירה הקדוש ברוך להן בטל שעתיד להחיות בו את המתים
but G‑d restored it to them with the dew with which He will revive the dead in the World to Come.“
והוא טל תורה שנקרא עוז
This is the “dew” of Torah which is called “might”; i.e., the Torah provides the strength that enables us to receive divine revelation without dissolving out of existence, as explained above in reference to the reward of tzaddikim in the World to Come.
כמאמר רז״ל: כל העוסק בתורה טל תורה מחייהו כו׳
Similarly, our Sages remark:15 “Whoever engages in the study of the Torah, the dew of Torah will revive him.”
The Torah is variously described as dew, rain, and so on, each figure denoting a different level within it. From the statement just paraphrased, we learn that “dew” refers to the Torah’s restorative power, and it was this “dew” by which G‑d restored the souls of the Jews which had taken flight upon experiencing a degree of divine revelation foreshadowing that of the Messianic era.
רק שאחר כך גרם החטא, ונתגשמו הם והעולם, עד עת קץ הימין
But afterwards after the Torah was given their sin caused both them and the world to become gross [again] — until the End of Days when G‑d’s “right hand” (ימין meaning both “days and ”right“), i.e., His power, will be revealed.
שאז יזדכך גשמיות הגוף והעולם, ויוכלו לקבל גילוי אור ה׳ שיאיר לישראל על ידי התורה שנקראת עוז
Then, the dross of the body and of the world will become purified, and they will be able to receive the revelation of G‑d’s light that will shine forth over Israel, by means of the Torah, which is called “might”.
ומיתרון ההארה לישראל, יגיה חשך האומות גם כן
Through the superabundance of light which will shine upon the Jewish people, the darkness of the nations will also be lit up,
כדכתיב: והלכו גוים לאורך וגו׳
as it is written:16 “And nations will walk by your (the Jewish people’s) light”;
וכתיב: בית יעקב לכו ונלכה באור ה׳
and it is also written17 that the nations will say to the Jewish people: “House of Jacob, go and we will walk along by the light of G‑d”;
וכתיב: ונגלה כבוד ה׳, וראו כל בשר יחדיו וגו׳
and again:18 “And the glory of G‑d shall be revealed, and all flesh will see…”;
וכתיב: לבוא בנקרות הצורים ובסעיפי הסלעים מפני פחד ה׳ והדר גאונו וגו׳
and:19 “to enter the holes of the rocks and the clefts of boulders, for fear of G‑d and of His majestic glory.”
This refers to the nations, who will be filled with the dread of G‑d; for it cannot be said of Israel, who will be one with G‑d, that they will seek refuge from Him.
וכמו שאומרים: והופע בהדר גאון עוזך על כל יושבי תבל ארצך וגו׳
So also do we pray:20 “Appear in the majestic splendor of Your might to all the inhabitants of the world,” including the other nations.
Thus we see that in the Messianic era G‑dliness will be revealed to all the nations of the world — and in this state lies the fulfillment of the purpose for which this world was created.
Footnotes
1.Midrash Tanchuma, Nasso 7:1.
2.Shmot 33:20.
3.Sifrei, end of Parshat Behaalotecha; Bamidbar Rabbah, end of Parshat Nasso.
4.The Rebbe explains why the Alter Rebbe adds the words, “than its radiance in the higher worlds,” and is not satisfied with simply stating that the ultimate purpose of creation is this world, “for such was His will — that He find it pleasurable….”
In doing so the Alter Rebbe answers a well-known question. How can we possibly say that the higher worlds, which are illuminated with such a revelation of G‑dliness, exist for the purpose of this world, where G‑dliness is so concealed? One does not create a significant thing to serve something insignificant. The Alter Rebbe therefore explains that through the transformation of darkness into light — a form of divine service which can be achieved only in this world — the world becomes so holy that it is illuminated with a degree of G‑dliness far superior to that which is manifest in the higher worlds.
5.Sanhedrin 100b.
6.Yeshayahu 30:20.
7.Parentheses are in the original text.
8.Yeshayahu 52:8.
9.Ibid. 60:19.
10.Devarim 4:35.
11.Shmot 20:15; and Mechilta (quoted in Rashi) on the verse.
12.See Shmot Rabbah 5:9.
13.Liturgy, Amidah prayer.
14.Shabbat 88b.
15.See Ketubbot 111b; see also Likkutei Sichot, Vol. 11, p. 193 (footnote).
16.Yeshayahu 60:3.
17.Ibid. 2:5.
18.Ibid. 40:5.
19.Ibid. 2:21.
20.Liturgy, Amidah, High Holidays.
