Were there merely to be a vast quantity of ethereal garments, the Divine life-force would only be capable of creating spiritual beings and not physical ones; in order for this physical world with its corporeal creatures to be created, much denser garments were necessary. It is this that the Alter Rebbe now goes on to explain:

וכל כך עצמו וגברו הלבושים אשר אין סוף ברוך הוא מלביש ומסתיר בהם האור והחיות

These garments, wherein the blessed Ein Sof invests and conceals the light and vitality, are so strong and powerful

I.e., the garments are not only numerous in quantity, but they are also of such a type that their ability to conceal is greater than that of ordinary garments,

עד אשר ברא בו עולם הזה החומרי והגשמי ממש

that thereby, with this life-force and light, He created this world that is verily corporeal and physical,6

ומהווהו ומחייהו בחיות ואור אשר ממשיך ומאיר לו

and [G‑d] creates and animates it by the vitality and light which He draws down and shines forth unto it.

אור המלובש ומכוסה ומוסתר בתוך הלבושים הרבים והעצומים המעלימים ומסתירים האור והחיות

This illumination is a light that is clothed, hidden and concealed within the numerous and powerful garments, which hide and conceal the light and vitality,

עד שאין נראה ונגלה שום אור וחיות, רק דברים חומריים וגשמיים ונראים מתים

so that no light or vitality whatever is visibly revealed, but only corporeal and physical things that appear lifeless.

Gazing at corporeal things, such as at the physical orb of Earth, can cause a person to imagine them as utterly lifeless — totally devoid of any spiritual vitality.

אך בתוכם יש אור וחיות המהוה אותם מאין ליש תמיד, שלא יחזרו להיות אין ואפס כשהיו

Yet they contain light and vitality which constantly creates them ex nihilo, so that they shall not revert to nothing and naught as they had been prior to their creation.

Creation ex nihilo must be constant: the fact that the world and its creatures were already once created during the Six Days of Creation does not suffice. Rather, there must be a constant renewal of creation from its source. Thus, the G‑dly light and vitality that is responsible for creation is constantly found within created beings, albeit in a concealed fashion.

ואור זה הוא מאין סוף ברוך הוא, רק שנתלבש בלבושים רבים

This light comes from the blessed Ein Sof, except that it is clothed in many garments,

וכמו שכתוב בעץ חיים, שאור וחיות כדור הארץ החומרי הנראה לעיני בשר הוא ממלכות דמלכות דעשיה

as is written in Etz Chayim, that the light and vitality of the physical orb of Earth, which is seen by mortal eyes, is derived from Malchut of Malchut of Asiyah,

Malchut of Asiyah is the lowest Sefirah of the World of Asiyah, the lowest of the Four Worlds. Malchut itself is composed of all Ten Sefirot, the lowest of which is Malchut. Thus, Malchut of Malchut of Asiyah represents the lowest degree of the lowest level of Asiyah.

ובתוכה מלכות דיצירה וכו׳

and in it is contained Malchut of the next highest World, the World of Yetzirah, and so on; i.e., within Malchut of Yetzirah, in turn, there is contained Malchut of Beriah, and so on,

עד שבתוך כולן י׳ ספירות דאצילות

so that in all of them — within the level of Malchut of all Worlds, including the level of Malchut of Asiyah — are contained the Ten Sefirot of the loftiest World, the World of Atzilut,7

המיוחדות במאצילן אין סוף ברוך הוא

which are united with their Emanator, the blessed Ein Sof.

Thus, even the physical orb of Earth contains G‑dly light and vitality. This results from the light passing through the Sefirot of the various worlds — the Sefirot being the G‑dliness of each world — as well as through numerous and powerfully dense garments that serve to conceal this vitality.

The difference between the higher and lower worlds will be understood accordingly: The divine light and life-force is revealed to a greater extent in the higher worlds than in the lower, and within this physical world the light and life-force is completely concealed. However, this is the case merely in relation to the illumination of G‑dliness. With regard to the core and essence of the Ein Sof, there truly exists no difference between the higher and lower worlds; He is equally concealed from all and He is equally found in them all.

Footnotes

1.Iyov 19:26.

2.“Regarding the text that follows, note Zohar III, 257b.” (- Note of the Rebbe.)

3.The Rebbe writes that the Alter Rebbe specifically chose the four faculties of seeing, hearing, speaking and walking, because these powers correspond to the activities alluded to in the opening verse: “…in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it” — namely, thought, speech and action.

Vision and hearing arouse thought. More specifically: vision arouses the aspect of Chochmah and hearing arouses Binah. “The mouth for speaking” refers to speech; “the feet for walking” — action. Within action itself, walking is the lowest form of action. Thus the example given here is action as it descends even to its lowest level (and hence the example of the hand’s action is not given).

4.The Rebbe notes that the Alter Rebbe goes on to use seemingly repetitive expressions, since each one refers to a different level of incorporation within the brain. This is explained in the Maamarim, Az Yashir 5670; UvaChodesh HaShevi‘i 5663; and in Hemshech Rosh HaShanah 5708, ch. 7.

5.Parentheses are in the original text.

6.The Rebbe comments that the Alter Rebbe writes “this world that is verily corporeal and physical,” because this world exists on a spiritual plane as well, and the Alter Rebbe is referring to the inanimate aspect of this world in which no vitality is revealed. However, those aspects of this world, such as the vegetative and animal, in which some measure of vitality is revealed, derive their life-force in a different and more revealed manner. This is so notwithstanding the fact that these levels, too, receive their vitality from Malchut of Malchut of Asiyah, as stated later on in Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle 20 (p. 264 in the standard edition of Tanya, Vilna, 1899).

Accordingly we can also understand (a) why the Alter Rebbe goes on to state that they receive their existence ex nihilo, after having previously stated that reference is being made here to this physical and corporeal world — a world whose creation must perforce be ex nihilo; (b) the expression “which is seen by mortal eyes”; and (c) a number of other intentionally specific phrases.

The reason for all the above is that the Alter Rebbe is speaking particularly of the inanimate aspect of this world. Concerning this he soon goes on to quote the Etz Chayim, which says that this vitality emanates from Malchut of Malchut of Asiyah. However, with regard to the World of Asiyah as a whole, which also includes the spiritual World of Asiyah, the Alter Rebbe will say in ch. 52 and 53 that they derive their life-force from Malchut of Asiyah and not from Malchut of Malchut of Asiyah.

7.“See further, p. ק”מ: א. [p. 279 in the standard edition; Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle 25]: ’The radiation that is in Atzilut pierces…and in this material world.‘” (- Note of the Rebbe.)