כדי לקרבם אליו בקירוב ויחוד אמיתי, בהתקשרות הנפש ממש

in order to bring them near to Him in true closeness and unity, with a real attachment of soul — so that the Jew’s soul will be truly bound up with the Almighty,

This is also so regarding the Torah, concerning which G‑d says: “I have written and given My ’soul‘” to the Jewish people, by giving them the Torah. Thus, not only is the Jew’s soul truly bound up with G‑d, but G‑d’s “soul”, too, is united with the Jew.

בבחינת נשיקין פה לפה, לדבר דבר ה׳, זו הלכה

on the level of “kisses” of mouth to mouth, so that the Jew’s mouth be united with the “mouth” and speech of G‑d, by uttering “the word of G‑d, namely, the Halachah,”

When a Jew speaks and studies the words of the Torah his speech is united with Supernal speech in a manner of “kisses” of mouth to mouth. This unity, however, is external in comparison with the deeper and more inward “union of spirit and spirit,” as explained in the previous chapter. This deeper level of unity is also attained through Torah study:

ואתדבקות רוחא ברוחא, היא השגת התורה, וידיעת רצונו וחכמתו

and the fusion of “spirit” of man with “spirit” of G‑d, namely, the comprehension of the Torah and the knowledge of His Will and wisdom,

When Torah is studied with comprehension, the person knows both G‑d’s Will and wisdom. Knowing the halachah, the law that determines that an object is (say) either kosher or non-kosher, constitutes the knowledge of G‑d’s Will, while comprehending the reason for the halachah relates to G‑d’s wisdom.

דכולא חד ממש

which are truly one; G‑d’s Will and wisdom are truly one with Him. Hence, through Torah study, Jews become united with G‑d in a manner of “union of spirit and spirit”;

וגם בבחינת חיבוק

also with a form of “embrace”, for Torah and mitzvot also effect the unity of an “embrace”, similar to a person embracing his friend with his body and arms,

הוא קיום המצות מעשיות ברמ״ח אברים

namely, the fulfillment of the positive precepts with the 248 organs which the human being possesses. Performance of the 248 positive commandments brings about a state of “embrace” wherein G‑d’s 248 “organs” embrace man’s,

דרמ״ח פיקודין הן רמ״ח אברין דמלכא, כנזכר לעיל

for the 248 ordinances are the 248 “organs” of the King, as mentioned earlier, in ch. 23.

Each organ of the body is an appropriate vessel for the particular faculty of the soul that resides therein, such as the eye for the faculty of sight, the ear for the faculty of hearing, and so on. So too, each mitzvah is an appropriate vessel for the specific emanation of the Divine Will that desires the Jew to perform the particular commandment.

ודרך כלל נחלקין לשלש בחינות: ימין ושמאל ואמצע, שהן חסד דין רחמים

In a general manner, these 248 positive mitzvot are divided into three categories — right, left, and center — namely, Chesed (“kindness”), Din (“stern justice”), and Rachamim (“mercy”).

There are mitzvot which are in the category of the “right side” — Chesed; others in the category of the “left side” — Din; still others, in the category of the “center” — Rachamim. These are:

תרין דרועין וגופא וכו׳

the two arms and the body.

Chesed is the right arm; Gevurah, or Din, is the left; and Rachamim represents the body (the center). Just as when a person embraces another he does so with both arms and his body, so too, do the “two arms” and “body” of the mitzvot embrace the Jew who performs them.

וזהו שאומרים: אשר קדשנו במצותיו

This is the meaning of the text of the various blessings pronounced before one fulfills a mitzvah: “[Blessed be He] Who has betrothed us by His commandments”:

The Hebrew word kidshanu — generally rendered, “Who has sanctified us” — is here rendered, “Who has betrothed us,” from the Hebrew word kiddushin (“betrothal”). For mitzvot too, are:

כאדם המקדש אשה, להיות מיוחדת עמו ביחוד גמור, כמו שכתוב: ודבק באשתו והיו לבשר אחד

like a man who betrothes a wife, so that she be united with him in a perfect bond, as it is written:11 “And he shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be one flesh.”