ואף דאורייתא וקודשא בריך הוא כולא חד, שהוא ורצונו אחד

Although the Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are altogether one, for He and His Will are one, and the Torah represents His Will, nevertheless the Torah will not ascend on high without kavanah.

The reason (presently stated) in brief:

The words of Torah that one speaks are physical, as are all things in this material world. True, they are holy words; the divine life-force within them is not concealed and veiled, as it is in other material beings. Yet, being physical, the words of Torah share with all physical existence a divine life-force that is greatly contracted and limited.

Therefore they cannot ascend to the G‑dly Sefirot unless they are impelled by kavanah, i.e., a spiritual intention generated by love and fear of G‑d, which elevate the words of Torah and cause the Divine Will to be revealed in them.

In the Alter Rebbe’s words:

הרי קודשא בריך הוא איהו ממלא כל עלמין בשוה, ואף על פי כן אין העולמות שוים במעלתם

The Holy One, blessed be He, fills all the worlds alike, yet the worlds are not equal in rank.

והשינוי הוא מהמקבלים בב׳ בחינות

The difference [between one world and another] is due to the recipients [of the divine life force], and is twofold:

האחת: שהעליונים מקבלים הארה יותר גדולה לאין קץ מהתחתונים

(a) The higher [worlds and beings] receive an illumination infinitely greater than [the illumination received by] the lower;

והשנית: שמקבלים בלי לבושים ומסכים רבים כל כך כהתחתונים

b) The higher ones receive [this illumination] without as many garments and veils as the lower ones.

ועולם הזה הוא עולם השפל בב׳ בחינות

This world is the lowest of worlds in both respects.

כי ההארה שבו מצומצמת מאד, עד קצה האחרון, ולכן הוא חומרי וגשמי

For (a) the illumination [of divine life-force] within it is greatly contracted, to the furthest degree; it is therefore corporeal and material.

וגם זאת היא בלבושים ומסכים רבים

Furthermore, (b) even this [contracted illumination] is clothed in many garments and veils,

עד שנתלבשה בקליפת נוגה, להחיות כל דברים הטהורים שבעולם הזה, ובכללם הוא נפש החיונית המדברת שבאדם

until it is clothed in kelipat nogah, to give life to all clean permitted things of this world, including the animating intelligent soul in man.

As mentioned in earlier chapters, all permitted objects receive their vitality via kelipat nogah, and can therefore serve either a good or an evil purpose.

ולכן כשמדברת דברי תורה ותפלה בלא כוונה

Therefore, when the animating soul speaks words of Torah or prayer without kavanah, the concealment characteristic of this world is absent, yet the contraction still applies, as follows:

אף שהן אותיות קדושות, ואין קליפת נוגה שבנפש החיונית מסך מבדיל כלל להסתיר ולכסות על קדושתו יתברך המלובשת בהן

Though these are holy letters and thus, in this case, the kelipat nogah of the animating soul does not constitute a veil of separation, concealing or covering the divine holiness clothed in these letters,

כמו שהיא מסתרת ומכסה על קדושתו יתברך שבנפש החיונית כשמדברת דברים בטלים

as [kelipat nogah] conceals and covers the divine holiness in the animating soul when it utters idle chatter,

ושבנפש החיונית שבשאר בעלי חיים הטהורים

and [the divine holiness] in the animating souls of other ritually clean living creatures, where kelipat nogah likewise conceals the divine life-force,

דאף דלית אתר פנוי מיניה

for although4 “no place is devoid of Him,” and His presence is found in man’s animating soul even when he engages in idle talk, and in the soul of all living creatures —

-מכל מקום איהו סתימו דכל סתימין, ונקרא אל מסתתר

yet, He is the5 “Most Hidden One of all the hidden,” and is called6 “a hidden G‑d,” for He is hidden from his creations.

וגם ההארה והתפשטות החיות ממנו יתברך מסתתרת בלבושים ומסכים רבים ועצומים

Similarly, the illumination and extension of vitality from Him is hidden in many dense garments and veils,

עד שנתלבשה ונסתתרה בלבוש נוגה

and is finally clothed and hidden in the garment of nogah, which completely conceals man’s divine life-force when he engages in idle talk, and the life-force in other animals, as stated.

מה שאין כן באותיות הקדושות של דברי תורה ותפלה

It is different, however, with the holy letters in words of Torah and prayer:

דאדרבה, קליפת נוגה מתהפכת לטוב, ונכללת בקדושה זו, כנ״ל

Here,not only does kelipat nogah not obscure G‑dliness, but on the contrary, kelipat nogah is transformed to good and is absorbed into this holiness, as explained above.7

Thus, the second of the two aforementioned traits that make this world the lowest of worlds — namely, the complete concealment of divine life-force in the garment of kelipat nogah — is absent in words of Torah and prayer. But the first trait, the Alter Rebbe will now state, is present even in these holy words: they are physical, as are all things of this world, so that the contraction of divine life-force that characterizes physical matter in general, applies to these words as well.

מכל מקום, ההארה שבהן מקדושתו יתברך הוא בבחינת צמצום עד קצה האחרון, מאחר שהקול והדבור הוא גשמי

Nevertheless, the illumination from His holiness that [these words] contain is contracted to the furthest degree, since the voice and speech uttering words of Torah and prayer are material.

Therefore, although Torah is one with G‑d, words of Torah will not ascend to the Sefirot without kavanah, since the G‑dliness within them is so greatly contracted.

אבל בתפלה בכוונה ותורה בכוונה לשמה

But in the case of prayer [recited] with kavanah and Torah [studied] with kavanah lishmah,

הרי הכוונה מתלבשת באותיות הדבור, הואיל והיא מקור ושרש להן

the kavanah is clothed in (i.e., permeates) the letters of speech, since it is their source and root,

שמחמתה ובסיבתה הוא מדבר אותיות אלו

for he speaks these words for, and because of, this kavanah.

לכן היא מעלה אותן עד מקומה

Therefore, the kavanah elevates the words to its own level,

בי׳ ספירות דיצירה או דבריאה

meaning to the Ten Sefirot of either Yetzirah or Beriah,

לפי מה שהיא הכוונה, בדחילו ורחימו שכליים או טבעיים כו׳, כנ״ל

depending on the type of kavanah — whether a kavanah of intellectual fear and love, in which case they ascend to Beriah, or natural fear and love, which elevates them to Yetzirah, as explained above.

At any rate, the kavanah which is spiritual elevates the material words to the Sefirot of Yetzirah or Beriah.

ושם מאיר ומתגלה אור אין סוף ברוך הוא

There, in the Sefirot, the Ein Sof-light shines forth and is revealed,

שהוא רצון העליון ברוך הוא המלובש באותיות התורה שלומד ובכוונתן, או בתפלה בכוונתה, או במצוה ובכוונתה

meaning the blessed Divine Will vested in the letters and in the kavanah of the Torah that one studies, or the Divine Will in prayer and in its kavanah or in a mitzvah and in its kavanah.

One’s kavanah, too, expresses the Divine Will, for G‑d desires that man cleave to Him with love and fear.

בהארה גדולה לאין קץ , מה שלא יכול להאיר ולהתגלות כלל בעוד האותיות והמצוה בעולם הזה הגשמי

This Ein Sof-light of the Divine Will radiates in the Sefirot with an infinitely great brightness, that can by no means shine forth and be revealed while the letters of Torah and prayer and the mitzvah are still in this physical world.

The Torah and the mitzvot contain the radiance of Divine Will even as they are in this physical world. But this radiance is altogether incomparable to the radiance of Divine Will that Torah and mitzvot contain when they ascend to the Sefirot of Yetzirah or Beriah, for —

לא מינה ולא מקצתה

neither the radiance itself that shines forth in the Sefirot nor any part of it can be revealed in this physical world.

עד עת קץ הימין, שיתעלה העולם מגשמיותו, ונגלה כבוד ה׳ וגומר, כנ״ל באריכות

This disparity between the respective levels of radiance of the Divine Will in the Sefirot and in this world, will remain until the era of the End of Days, when the world will rise out of its materiality, and8 “The glory of G‑d will be revealed…for all flesh to behold,” as explained above9 at length.*

At that time the Divine Will contained in the Torah and mitzvot of this world will shine forth in all its splendor. Until then, however, this radiance is incomparable to that of the Divine Will contained in the Torah and mitzvot insofar as they ascend to the Sefirot.

*NOTE

In the following note the Alter Rebbe states that the revelation of Divine Will in a particular World, caused by the ascent of Torah and mitzvot thereto — a revelation which he describes as “an hour of ‘(Divine) Will,’ or ‘(Divine) Favor’” — produces a reaction in the middot of that World: With the revelation of Divine Will the middot fuse, and the attributes of Severity are “sweetened”, or tempered, with Kindness. This in turn results in an increased flow of Divine Kindness into our world.

This effect of the mitzvot is felt primarily in the fusion of the middot of Atzilut.

הגהה

ושם מאיר ומתגלה גם כן היחוד העליון הנעשה בכל מצוה ותלמוד תורה

There in the higher Worlds, there also shines forth and is revealed the Supernal union effected by every mitzvah and by Torah study,

שהוא יחוד מדותיו ית’

namely, the union of G‑d’s middot.

שנכללות זו בזו ונמתקות הגבורות בחסדים

These middot fuse with each other, and the Gevurot (the attributes of “Severity”) are “sweetened” by Chassadim (the attributes of “Kindness”)

ע”י עת רצון העליון א”ס ב”ה המאיר ומתגלה בבחי’ גילוי רב ועצום

through the ‘Hour of Will (favor) of the blessed Ein Sof,’ i.e., the revelation of the Will of the Ein Sof, which shines forth and reveals itself in abundant and intense revelation,

באתערותא דלתתא היא עשיית המצוה או עסק התורה שבהן מלובש רצון העליון א”ס ב”ה

by reason of the “arousal (of man) below,” consisting of the performance of a mitzvah or occupation in Torah in which the Supernal Will of the blessed Ein Sof is clothed.

The revelation of Divine Will (i.e., the Will clothed in Torah and mitzvot) produces a fusion of the middot and a “sweetening” of Gevurot in whatever World the Torah and mitzvot ascend to.

אך עיקר היחוד הוא למעלה מעלה, בעולם האצילות

But the main unity caused by Torah and mitzvot takes place far higher, in the World of Atzilut,

ששם הוא מהות ועצמות מדותיו ית’ מיוחדו’ במאצילן א”ס ב”ה

where the core and essence of G‑d’s middot are united with their Emanator, the Ein Sof, blessed be He,

ושם הוא מהות ועצמות רצון העליון א”ס ב”ה

and there is found the core and essence of the Supernal Will of the blessed Ein Sof,

והארתן לבד היא מאירה בבי”ע בכל עולם מהן לפי מעלתו

of which a mere glimmer radiates in Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah — in each of these Worlds according to its rank.

ואף שנפש האדם העוסק בתורה ומצוה זו אינה מאצילות

Now, although the soul of the person engaging in this Torah study or mitzvah does not stem from Atzilut,

מ”מ הרי רצון העליון המלובש במצוה זו והוא הוא עצמו הדבר הלכה והתורה שעוסק בה

nevertheless he is able to effect unity in the middot of Atzilut because the Supernal Will, which is clothed in this mitzvah, and in the case of Torah it is not merely “clothed” in it, but furthermore — it is indeed the very halachah and Torah that he is studying, —

הוא אלהות ואור א”ס המאציל ב”ה שהוא ורצונו אחד

this Supernal Will is G‑dliness, and is the Ein Sof-light of the Emanator [of the Sefirot of Atzilut], since He and His Will are one;

וברצונו ית’ האציל מדותיו המיוחדות בו ית’

and this Supernal Will is actually the source of the middot, since it was by His Will that He emanated His middot, which are united with Himself.

וע”י גילוי רצונו המתגלה ע”י עסק תורה ומצוה זו הן נכללות זו בזו

Therefore, by means of the revelation of His Will caused by one’s engaging in Torah or in a particular mitzvah, the middot fuse with each other,

ונמתקות הגבורות בחסדים בעת רצון זו

and the Gevurot are sweetened by Chassadim at this “hour of revealed, favorable Will.”

END OF NOTE