ולא התפשטות והתלבשות החיות, להחיותם ולהוותם מאין ליש
As to the presence in the worlds of the very essence and nature of the [infinite] Ein Sof-light, this is not by way of an extension and investment of the life-force, thereby animating them and bringing them into being from ayin to yesh.
For even creation ex nihilo, though it involves a concealed power of the Ein Sof-light, is by definition an act of revelation and expansion that takes place by means of the Sefirot and spiritual levels that draw down and reveal this concealed power. This cannot result directly from the essence of the Ein Sof-light that is utterly concealed within creation.
כי אם על ידי הארה דהארה דהארה וכו׳ מהקו, כנזכר לעיל
Rather, [this extension of life-force and creative power emanates] only by means of a radiation from a radiation of the radiation, etc., from the Kav, as discussed above.
וגם מאור הסובב ומקיף לארבע עולמות, אצילות בריאה יצירה עשיה, בשוה
Also, from the [transcendent Ein Sof-] light that “encircles” and “encompasses” the Four Worlds — Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah — uniformly,
מאיר אל הקו הפנימי, דרך הכלים דיו״ד ספירות דבי״ע
there is a radiation to the inner Kav, by way of the kelim of the Ten Sefirot of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah. The kelim thus encompass and transcend the light that is vested within them.
ובהארתו תוך הכלים, נותן בהם כח ועוז לברוא יש מאין
By its radiation within the kelim, it endows them with power and strength to create yesh from ayin.
It has already been explained that the creation of the respective beings of each of the Four Worlds comes about through the kelim of the Sefirot of that particular world. Their ability to create yesh from ayin (which can come about only from the essence of the Ein Sof-light that encompasses all worlds) results from the radiation of the encompassing light within them.
ומאחר שהבריאה היא על ידי הכלים
Now, because creation takes place by means of the kelim, which are finite and diverse, and the infinite light radiates within and through them,
לזאת הם הנבראים בבחינת ריבוי והתחלקות וגבול ותכלית
created beings are numerous and diverse, limited and finite,
ובפרט על ידי האותיות, כנזכר לעיל
especially since [the Divine radiation which brought them into being is revealed] by means of the letters, as explained above, for these letters (of speech) are even more finite and more diverse than the kelim.
To summarize: Both the indwelling aspect (the Kav) and the transcendent (“encompassing”) aspect of the [infinite] Ein Sof-light are present not only within the Sefirot, the Neshamah, Nefesh-Ruach and the kelim, of each of the worlds, but also within all the created beings of these worlds. The difference lies only in the degree of manifestation — whether it be a “radiation”, a “radiation of a radiation,” or a “radiation of a radiation of a radiation.”
When the creative light is present at the first and most direct level (“radiation”), though it is not the essence of the [infinite] Ein Sof-light that is manifest, the light will still be of the same nature; it retains the same mahut. When it manifests as a “radiation of a radiation,” the creative light will be essentially different, and merely bear some external resemblance to its source in the manner of its manifestation; only its metziut remains Divine. When, however, it is manifest as a “radiation of a radiation of a radiation,” as is the case with all created beings, it does not retain even the metziut of the original radiation; the Divine radiation merely descends into the metziut of the created being.
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The Alter Rebbe now goes on to say that when the radiation descends in the third manner, it is manifest only in creatures of the lowest order, those deriving from the Element of Earth, this Element being lower than the other Elements of Fire, Air and Water. And it is mainly within the physical earth that the Divine power of creating yesh from ayin is revealed. This power derives from the essence of the Ein Sof-light; it is primarily found in the encompassing light, and is revealed through the Kav, the inner light.
This becomes apparent in the ability of the earth to make things grow: the physical growth of vegetative matter from the spiritual power of growth found in the earth is a clear demonstration of yesh resulting from ayin. Furthermore, the earth reveals this power constantly: it constantly produces vegetation as yesh from ayin. In this it differs from all living things that were created during the Six Days of Creation. Unlike all living things which, once created, simply reproduce, the earth consistently continues to reveal its creative power of yesh from ayin.
Thus, though the radiation within the earth is merely a “radiation of a radiation of a radiation,” it nevertheless demonstrates G‑d’s creative power — because it comprises both the encompassing light, and the light of the Kav which activates the power of the encompassing light to create and animate created beings.
The Alter Rebbe also explains that the distinctive power described above was revealed specifically within the earth, because Earth is the lowest Element of all. For, as explained above, it is specifically at the lowliest level of creation that the “rebounding light” manifests the essence of the original illumination with superior intensity.
ועוד זאת, יתר על כן, על כל הנ״ל
Furthermore, in addition to all that was mentioned above,51
הארה דהארה דהארה
the radiation of the radiation of the radiation, which descends into a created being utterly concealed, being then neither the mahut nor the metziut of Divinity, and nevertheless containing both the inner illumination of the Kav and the encompassing light,
וכל הנ״ל
and all the above, i.e., the manner in which both these levels of illumination ultimately radiate within created beings,
היא מראה כחה ויכלתה ביסוד העפר הגשמי, בגילוי עצום
demonstrates its power and ability, inasmuch as it is a G‑d-ly radiation descending from Malchut of Atzilut, in the Element of the physical Earth in an immense manifestation
ביתר עז מיסודות העליונים ממנו, וגם מצבא השמים
surpassing [that of] the elements (viz., Fire, Air and Water) that transcend it, and even the heavenly hosts.
שאין בכחם ויכלתם להוציא יש מאין תמיד
For they do not have it in their power and ability to constantly bring forth something from nothing (yesh me’ayin),
כיסוד העפר, המצמיח תמיד יש מאין, הם עשבים ואילנות
like the Element of Earth that constantly makes something (yesh) sprout from nothing (ayin), namely the herbs and trees that constantly grow from the earth’s vegetative power.
Even those plants that result from sowing and planting are produced in a manner that resembles yesh me’ayin, for the seed or seedling disintegrates, and serves merely to arouse the vegetative power.
(והמזל המכה ואומר: גדל
(52As for the mazal, the individual angel of destiny, “that strikes [each herb] and says, ‘Grow!’” —
Our Sages teach that53“There is no blade of grass below that does not have a mazal above that strikes it and says to it, ‘Grow!’” Would it not seem, then, that in addition to the earth’s vegetative power there is another factor in growth?
היינו, לאחר שכבר צמח העשב
this takes place [only] after the plant has already sprouted.
Once the plant exists as a created entity, it merely has to grow taller, the tree has to produce fruit with a certain taste, and so on — and these stages relate to the mazal.
ואינו אומר לו לצמוח מאין ליש, אלא מקוטן לגודל, ולשאת פרי, כל מין ומין בפרטי פרטיות
The mazal does not tell it to sprout ex nihilo into substantiality, but only to grow from being small to being large, or to bear fruit of its own particular species.
In Or HaTorah,54 the Tzemach Tzedek explains that the mazal sends forth an arousal to the power of growth that is found within the grass or tree, causing it to grow. The basic cause of growth, however, lies in the above-mentioned vegetative power.
Elsewhere,55 the Tzemach Tzedek explains that the above-quoted “smiting” means that the mazal illumines the particular tree or grass with which it is connected, causing it to be drawn to its source and hence to grow ever larger.
