ולהודיע לבני אדם גבורתה של תורה שבעל פה וכחה עוז
and make known to mankind the might of the Oral Torah13 and its power which is great.
The might (Gevurah) of Torah relates specifically to the Oral Law. For with regard to the source of the Torah in the Supernal Sefirot, the Written Torah derives from the Sefirah of Chochmah, which is aligned with the “right side” of the universe — the attribute of Chesed, kindness and benevolence; the Oral Torah derives from the Sefirah of Binah,14 which is aligned with the “left side” of the universe — the attribute of Gevurah, stern judgment and severity.15 (This relationship between Binah and Gevurah is alluded to in the verse,16 “I am Binah, Gevurah is mine.”)
פירש שלמה המלך, עליו השלום: חגרה בעוז מתניה גו׳
On the strength that the Oral Law gives the soul of a Jew, King Solomon (peace be to him) explained:17 “She girds her loins with strength.”
The “woman of valor” lauded by King Solomon at the opening of the relevant chapter is an allegorical allusion to Knesset Yisrael — the Congregation of Israel, which comprises all Jewish souls. In the verse quoted, she “girds her loins with strength.” “Strength” refers to the Torah,18 as in the teaching,19 “There is no strength other than the Torah.” Thus, the Torah strengthens the loins of the soul, just as a warrior girds his loins to gather maximal strength. But what is meant by “girding the loins of the soul”?
מתנים הם בחינת דבר המעמיד כל הגוף, עם הראש הנצב ועומד עליהם
The loins are the underframe that supports the whole body, including the head that is positioned over them;
והם המוליכים ומביאים אותו למחוז חפצו
it is they that lead and bring [the body] to its desired destination.
וכמו שהוא בגשמיות הגוף, כך הוא בבחינת רוחניות הנפש האלקית
And just as it is with the corporeality of the body, so it is with the spirituality of the Divine soul.
Just as the loins support the corporeal body and head, so do the soul’s loins support and lead the “body” and “head” of the soul to its desired spiritual destination.
האמונה האמיתית בה׳ אחד, אין סוף ברוך הוא
[The soul’s loins are] the true belief in the One G‑d, the blessed Ein Sof,
דאיהו ממלא כל עלמין וסובב כל עלמין
Who permeates all worlds with a vitality which is indwelling (pnimi), a vitality which is contracted and tailored to the capacity of each individual creature, and Who encompasses all worlds with a vitality that is transcendent (makkif), and which cannot therefore clothe itself within created beings in an indwelling manner,
ולית אתר פנוי מיניה
there being no place or level of existence void of Him,
למעלה עד אין קץ
above to no end, for there is no end to the degree of His exalted transcendence beyond all worlds,
ולמטה עד אין תכלית
and below to no limit, for there is no limit to His ability to descend to the very lowest levels of creation and clothe Himself within the world even to the point that the world conceals the G‑dliness that is within it,
וכן לד׳ סטרין, בבחינת אין סוף ממש
and likewise in all four directions — east, west, north and south — truly in a state of infinitude.
All the above refers to the dimension of space.
וכן בבחינת שנה ונפש, כנודע
The same applies to the dimensions of “year” and “soul”, as is known.
Creation embraces the three dimensions known as “world”, “year” and “soul”, as is explained in Sefer Yetzirah.20 “World” alludes to space, “year” refers to time, and “soul” denotes life. Just as G‑d is one and infinite within the realm of space, so too is He one and infinite within the realms of time and life.
