והנה בזיו והארה זו, שהוא התפשטות החיות משמו יתברך להחיות עליונים ותחתונים

Now it is in this radiation and reflection, which is an extension of the life-giving energy [that flows] from [G‑d’s] blessed Name to animate the higher and lower beings,

הוא שיש הבדל והפרש בין עליונים לתחתונים

that there is a distinction and difference with respect to higher and lower beings,

שעולם הזה נברא בה׳ וכו׳

so that “this world was created through the letter hei,” and so on, while the higher worlds were created through the letter yud.

As explained in the previous epistle, this lowly corporeal world receives its vitality only from the “matter” or “body” of the letters of Supernal speech, which in turn derives from the letter hei of the Divine Name. The higher worlds, however, receive their vitality from the “form” or “soul” of these letters, and this derives from the level of Chochmah, represented by the yud of the Divine Name. However, these different modes in which the life-giving influence of the Divine Name is diffused to the upper and lower worlds respectively, relate only to the radiation and reflection of the Divine Name; they do not relate to G‑d’s Essence.

(Moreover, any name is a mere reflection of the essence of the entity named. A person’s name, for example, is not his essence: it merely reflects it; it is merely a means of relating to another person. In the same way, the Divine Name is merely a reflection of the essence of the Divine.)

Until now the Alter Rebbe has spoken in general terms of the differences between the higher and lower worlds.

וכן כל שינויי הפרטים שבכל עולם ועולם

Also, all the variety of details within each world

הוא לפי שינויי צירופי האותיות

is determined by differences in the combinations of the letters through which they were created.

וכן שינויי הזמנים בעבר, הוה ועתיד

So, too, the distinctions between the temporal dimensions of past, present and future,

ושינויי כל הקורות בחילופי הזמנים

and all the variety of events throughout the changing times, —

הכל משינויי צירופי האותיות

all of these, too, are determined by differences in the combinations of the letters.

שהן הן המשכת החיות ממדותיו, יתברך שמו

For [these combinations of letters] are the conduits of the life-giving force that proceeds from attributes of [G‑d] (Blessed be His Name),

(כמו שכתוב בלקוטי אמרים חלק ב׳, פרק י״א)

(7as explained in Likkutei Amarim, Part II, ch. 11).

All the above-mentioned differences are to be found only in the flow of vitality which emanates from G‑d’s attributes and which then descends through the letters of His creative speech.

אבל לגבי מהותו ועצמותו יתברך, כתיב: אני ה׳ לא שניתי

But as for His blessed Being and Essence, it is written:8 “I, G‑d, have not changed” as a result of creation —

בין בבחינת שינויי ההשתלשלות, מרום המעלות עד למטה מטה

neither (a) in terms of changes in the progression from the uppermost of levels to the nethermost,

שכמו שהוא יתברך מצוי בעליונים, כך הוא ממש בשוה בתחתונים

for just as He is present in the higher worlds, so [is He present] in precisely the same measure in the nether worlds, since from His perspective there is absolutely no difference between them: all are equally distant from Him, “for no thought can apprehend Him at all, even in the higher worlds,”

(וכמו שכתוב בלקוטי אמרים חלק א׳, פרק נ״א)

(9as is explained in Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 51),

The higher and lower worlds differ only in relation to the stream of life-giving energy that flows forth from Him: this vitality is more revealed in the higher worlds than in the lower.

ובין בבחינת שינויי הזמן

nor (b) in terms of temporal changes [is there any difference from G‑d’s perspective];

שכמו שהיה הוא לבדו הוא, יחיד ומיוחד, לפני ששת ימי בראשית, כך הוא עתה אחר הבריאה

for just as He was alone, one and unique, before the Six Days of Creation, so He is now after Creation.

But how can G‑d’s absolute unity remain unaltered, despite the advent of a whole created universe?

והיינו: משום שהכל כאין ואפס ממש, לגבי מהותו ועצמותו

This is so because everything is absolutely as nothing and naught in relation to His being and essence,

וכמו אות אחד מדבורו של אדם, או אפילו ממחשבתו, לגבי כללות מהות הנפש השכלית ועצמותה

just as a single letter of a man’s speech, or even of his thought, [is of absolutely no consequence] in relation to the entire being and essence of the rational soul,

I.e., this is true not only of a letter of speech but also of thought, even though the soul-garment of thought is more abstract and subtle than speech and is thus closer to the soul.

It is the intellect of the rational soul that causes the emergence of the emotions; this, in turn, leads to thought and speech. Thus, in comparison to the essence of the soul itself, which transcends even intellect by far, one letter of speech or even of thought is of absolutely no consequence.

(was not read during class)

However, the above analogy is merely offered:

על דרך משל, לשכך את האזן

metaphorically speaking, to appease the ear, in order to give finite mortals some inkling of the insignificance of creation in the eyes of the Creator,

ובאמת אין ערוך אליך, כתיב

while in fact, as it is written,10 “There is no comparison unto You.”

Unlike the single letter of thought or speech that bears some degree of comparison to the soul, albeit an infinitesimal one, creation stands in no proportion whatever to the Creator.

וכמו שכתוב במקום אחר (בלקוטי אמרים חלק ב׳, פרק ט׳,) עיין שם

This is explained elsewhere (11in Likkutei Amarim, Part II, ch. 9); see there.

וזהו שאומרים: המלך המרומם לבדו מאז

This underlies what we say in the daily prayers:12 “The King Who is exalted, alone from aforetime.”

פירוש: כמו מאז, קודם הבריאה, היה הוא לבדו הוא

This means that just as aforetime, before the creation, He was alone, and apart from Him nothing existed,

כך עתה הוא מרומם כו׳ ומתנשא מימות עולם

so now, too, He is exalted and elevated beyond “the days of the world.”

פירוש: שהוא רם ונשא למעלה מעלה מבחינת זמן, הנקרא בשם ימות עולם

This means that He is exalted and elevated, transcending the dimension of time, which is known as “the days of the world.”

והיינו: לפי שחיות כל ימות עולם הוא רק מבחינת המלך כו’

This is so because the life-force of all “the days of the world,” the life-force of the dimension of time, derives solely from the spiritual level known as “the King,” i.e., from the Sefirah of Malchut,

The axis of past, present and future — the element of time — relates only to the Sefirah of Malchut; concerning this level we may differentiate between the phrases, “He reigned,” “He reigns,” and “He shall reign.” However, the Sefirot and attributes that are above Malchut transcend the element of time,

וכמו שמבואר במקום אחר

as is explained elsewhere.13

Since G‑d utterly transcends creation, which is absolutely of no consequence in relation to His Essence: