הנה אמונה זו נקראת בשם בחינת מתנים, דבר המעמיד ומקיים את הראש
Now this faith, this belief in G‑d as outlined above, is referred to as the “loins” which uphold and sustain the “head”,
הוא השכל המתבונן ומעמיק דעת בגדולת אין סוף ברוך הוא, בבחינת עולם שנה נפש
meaning the intellect that contemplates and concentrates on the greatness of the blessed Ein Sof in the dimensions of “world”, “year” and “soul”,
Thus, this faith sustains the “head”, for the foundation of one’s comprehension of G‑d’s greatness is one’s belief in His unity.
וברוב חסדו ונפלאותיו עמנו
and [that meditates] on the magnitude of His loving-kindness and His wonders with us,
להיות עם קרובו, ולדבקה בו ממש
making of us21 “a people near unto Him” who can truly22 “cleave unto Him.”
וכנודע ממאמר: יפה שעה אחת בתשובה ומעשים טובים בעולם הזה מכל חיי עולם הבא
Thus it is known from the teaching,23 “One hour of repentance and good deeds in this world surpasses all the life of the World to Come.”
שהוא רק זיו והארה מבחינה הנקראת שכינה
For [the World to Come] is a mere gleam and reflection of the level [of Divinity] called Shechinah,
השוכן כו׳
which is so called because it is the Shechinah (שכינה) “Who dwells”(השוכן) within created beings, and so on,
Since the Shechinah bears a certain relationship to created beings, it is therefore this level of Divinity that is revealed in Gan Eden — the World to Come, which is but a pale reflection of the Shechinah.
ונברא ביו״ד אחד משמו יתברך כו׳
and [the World to Come] was created by the single letter yud of [G‑d’s] blessed Name, and so on, as explained by the Sages24 in their exposition of the verse,25 ביה ה׳ צור עולמים.
אבל תשובה ומעשים טובים מקרבין ישראל לאביהם שבשמים ממש
Repentance and good deeds, however, truly bring Israel near to their Father in Heaven,
למהותו ועצמותו כביכול, בחינת אין סוף ממש
unto (as it were) the very Being and Essence of Him Who is absolute infinitude.
וכמו שכתוב: הודו על ארץ ושמים, וירם קרן לעמו גו׳
As it is written,26 “His radiance is upon earth and heaven”: heaven and earth derive their life-force from a mere glimmer or gleam of G‑d’s Essence; not so the Jewish people, of whom the following verse27 continues: “He raises glory upon His nation.”
The word קרן, here translated “glory”, signifies a thing’s essence.28 The verse thus implies that the Jewish people derive their life-force from G‑d’s infinite Essence.
אשר קדשנו במצותיו וציונו כו׳
Similarly, before fulfilling many of the mitzvot, we say:29 “Who has sanctified us [unto Himself] through His commandments, and commanded us [to perform the mitzvah at hand].”
By granting us the ability to perform His commandments, G‑d elevates us to His level — to the encompassing level of holiness that utterly transcends the degree of holiness that permeates the worlds.
וכמים הפנים גו׳
And reflecting upon G‑d’s infinite kindness to us, in that He chose us to be “His nation, the people close to Him,” will result in a reaction of “waters reflecting the face.”30
להוליד מתבונה זו דחילו ורחימו שכליים או טבעיים
From this contemplation are born the intellectually-generated or the natural awe and love — the awe and love of G‑d that are naturally found within the heart of all Jews and need but be revealed through contemplation,31
להיות בחינת צעק לבם אל ה׳
giving rise [either] to (a) a mode of love in which32 “their heart cried out unto G‑d” in its yearning to cleave to Him,
או בחינת רשפי אש ושלהבת עזה
or to (b) a mode of love characterized by33 “flashes of fire, a mighty flame.”
בבחינת רצוא
The latter mode of love is the first stage of a dual dynamic34 — ratzo (“advance”), loving G‑d so fiercely and rapturously that the soul almost flees the body;
ואחר כך בבחינת שוב
this longing to expire, to lose one’s independent identity in G‑d’s all-encompassing unity, [must be] followed by the second stage — shov (“retreat”), a sober and self-effacing return to the Divinely-ordained reality of living as a soul enclothed in a body,
להיות פחד ה׳ בלבו
so that there be the fear of G‑d in one’s heart,
וליבוש מגדולתו כו׳
specifically, the superior order of fear whereby [the individual] is abashed by His greatness.
This abashedness restrains him from doing anything that G‑d finds displeasing.
והוא בחינת שמאל דוחה
This level of awe, fear and shame [results from]35 “the left hand that parries,”
The Divine “left hand” represents Gevurah, the Supernal attribute of severity. It holds the worshiper at arm’s length, so to speak, curbing the intense love that would result from his sensation of G‑d’s nearness as represented in the phrase,36 viyemino techabkeini — “His right hand embraces me.”
כמו שכתוב במתן תורה: וירא העם וינועו, ויעמדו מרחוק
as it is written concerning the Giving of the Torah:37 “The people saw and they trembled, and they stood from afar.”
The Divine revelation at the Giving of the Torah produced a feeling of awe and self-nullification which found expression in the Jews’ “standing from afar,” fearing as they did to draw close to G‑d.
והן בחינת הזרועות והגוף שבנפש
And these [faculties] — love and fear — are the arms and the body of the soul; love and kindness are the “right arm,” fear and severity are the “left arm.”38
* * *
