Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah 1 The theme of this treatise, as the Rebbe notes, is stated in its subtitle:”

עד שמשתלשל מעשרה מאמרות ונמשך מהן צירוף שם אבןso that ultimately the combination of letters [that forms] the name -heb” descends from the Ten Utterances, and is derived from them,

In his opening chapter the Alter Rebbe explained that the Divine life-force which brings all creatures into existence must constantly be present within them, in order to recreate and revivify them on an ongoing basis. Were this life-force to forsake any created being for even one brief moment, it

והן הן בחינת אותיות הדבור מעשרה מאמרות שבהם נבראו[Activating forces such as the above] are the selfsame letters of speech [that constitute] the Ten Utterances by which [all beings] were created. This is why the above-quoted

The Alter Rebbe has explained that the activating force of the Creator must constantly be vested within creation, ceaselessly recreating and reanimating created beings ex nihilo. This force consists of the creative “letters” which emanate from the five supernal organs of verbal articulation.

Since the Divine activating force responsible for the existence of created things must continuously be present within them, they are completely nullified in their source. This means, as the Alter Rebbe explained in the previous chapter, that in reality they do not “exist”.Why

Since the capacity for tzimtzum emanates from the Divine attribute of Gevurah, one might erroneously infer that it actually serves to create an independently existing entity; i.e., not only does the created being regard itself as such, but the Creator views it so as well.

(והנה בחינת הצמצום והסתר החיות נקרא בשם כלים, והחיות עצמו נקרא 10 (The tzimtzum and concealing of the life-force is called in kabbalistic terminology kelim

Thanks to G‑d’s attribute of Gevurah and His capacity for tzimtzum — so the Alter Rebbe explained in the foregoing chapter — created beings live in the illusion that they possess an independent

It was stated in the previous chapter that both the expansive and creative attribute of Chesed and the concealing and constrictive attribute of Gevurah transcend the grasp of created beings. Here the Alter Rebbe adds that these attributes transcend even the comprehension