והנה נודע ליודעי חכמה נסתרה

Now it is known to those familiar with the “Hidden Wisdom”23 (i.e., the Kabbalah)

כי דבר ה׳ נקרא בשם שכינה בלשון חז״ל, ואימא תתאה ומטרוניתא בלשון הזהר

that the “word of G‑d” is referred to as the Shechinah, in the terminology of the [Talmudic and Midrashic] Sages, of blessed memory, and as Imma Tataah (the “nether mother”) and Matrunita (the “Queen”) in the terminology of the Zohar,

ובפרט בריש פרשת וארא

especially at the beginning of Parshat Va’eira, where an analogy is drawn to G‑d’s speech from a princess,

לפי ששוכן ומתלבש בנבראים, להחיותם

because [the “word of G‑d”] dwells and vests itself in created beings, to give them life.

The word Shechinah (שכינה) derives from the root שכן — “to dwell.” The titles of “mother” and “queen” relate to their functions of caring for the lives of their children and subjects, respectively.

ובלשון המקובלים, נקרא בשם מלכות, על שם: דבר מלך שלטון, כי המלך מנהיג מלכותו בדיבורו, ועוד טעמים אחרים ידועים ליודעי חכמה נסתרה

In the terminology of the Kabbalists, [the “word of G‑d”] is called Malchut, for24 “the word of a king rules” — a king rules his kingdom through his speech; and also for other reasons known to those familiar with the “Hidden Wisdom” (i.e., the Kabbalah).

ומודעת זאת, כי יש בחינת ומדריגת מלכות דאצילות ובחינת מלכות דבריאה וכו׳

Now it is known that there is a rank and level of [the Sefirah of] Malchut of [the World of] Atzilut, and a rank of [the Sefirah of] Malchut of [the World of] Beriah, and so on. There are thus many degrees of “G‑d’s speech.”

ופירוש מלכות דאצילות, הוא דבר ה׳ המחיה ומהוה נשמות הגדולות, שהן מבחינת אצילות

Malchut of Atzilut means the “word of G‑d” which animates and brings into being the great souls that are of the rank of Atzilut,

כמו נשמת אדם הראשון, שנאמר בו: ויפח באפיו נשמת חיים כו׳, וכמו נשמות האבות והנביאים, וכיוצא בהן

such as the soul of Adam, of whom it is said,25 “And He blew into his nostrils the soul of life…” (i.e., a soul from the level of Atzilut); and such as the souls of the patriarchs and the prophets and the like

שהיו מרכבה לה׳ ממש, ובטלים ממש במציאות אליו

(26who were truly a “chariot” unto G‑d27 and in a state of total self-abnegation in relation to Him;

כמאמר רז״ל: שכינה מדברת מתוך גרונו של משה

as our Sages, of blessed memory, said,28 “The Shechinah speaks from the throat of Moses”;

Moses’ own personality was so translucent — he had so nullified himself to G‑d — that when he prophesied he did not relay what G‑d told him to say; rather, the Shechinah itself spoke directly through his mouth.

וכן כל הנביאים ובעלי רוח הקודש, היה קול ודבור העליון מתלבש בקולם ודבורם ממש, כמו שכתב האריז״ל

and likewise with all the prophets and those possessed of the Holy Spirit: the Supernal voice and speech vested itself in their actual voice and speech, as R. Isaac Luria, of blessed memory, wrote).

ומלכות דבריאה הוא דבר ה׳ המחיה ומהוה הנשמות והמלאכים שבעולם הבריאה

Malchut of Beriah is the “word of G‑d” which animates and brings into being the souls and angels in the World of Beriah,

שאין מעלתם כמעלת האצילות וכו׳

whose level is not like the level of Atzilut, and so on; i.e., Malchut of Yetzirah is the level of Divine speech that brings into being and animates the souls and angels in the World of Yetzirah.

ומלכות דעשיה הוא דבר ה׳ המחיה ומהוה את עולם הזה בכללו

And Malchut of Asiyah is the “word of G‑d” which animates and creates this world in its entirety,

עד יסוד העפר והמים אשר מתחת לארץ

up to and including the Element of Earth, and29 “the water that is below the earth.”

Now if the creation of all things derives from the Shechinah, from the revelation of Divine power, how do we account for those things that derive from kelipot, entities that “oppose” G‑dliness and holiness?

(אלא שבחוץ לארץ, החיות הוא על ידי התלבשות שרים החיצונים, הממונים על שבעים אומות)

(30However, outside the Land of Israel,31 the life-force is [bestowed] by [means of “the word of G‑d”] being invested within the extraneous patron-angels that are appointed over the seventy nations.

דהיינו, שיורד ניצוץ מדבר ה׳, הנקרא בשם מלכות דעשיה, ומאיר על השרים של מעלה, בבחינת מקיף מלמעלה

I.e., a [mere] spark from the “word of G‑d,” which is called Malchut of Asiyah, descends and radiates over the supernal patron-angels by encompassing them from above.

אך אינו מתלבש בהם ממש, אלא נמשך להם חיות מהארה זו, שמאיר עליהם מלמעלה בבחינת מקיף

I.e., it does not truly vest itself within them; rather, the life-force issues to them from this radiation which shines over them from above, in an encompassing manner.

ומהשרים נשפע חיות לאומות, ולבהמות חיות ועופות שבארצותיהם

And from the patron-angels, life-force issues to the nations, and to the cattle, beasts and fowl that are in their lands,

ולארץ הגשמית, ולשמים הגשמיים, שהם הגלגלים

and to the physical world, and the physical heavens, i.e., the spheres in which the stars orbit.32

(אלא ששמים וארץ ובהמות וחיות ועופות טהורים, נשפעים מקליפת נוגה

(33However, there are distinctions between the various categories of created beings: the heavens and the earth, and the cattle, beasts and fowl that are pure (i.e., kosher), are nurtured by kelipat nogah,

והטמאים ונפשות האומות, משאר קליפות)

whereas the impure [creatures] and the souls of the nations are [nurtured] by the other kelipot.)

Kelipat nogah represents a finely-balanced tension between potential good (which can also be misused) and potential evil (which can also be sublimated). The other three completely impure kelipot are entirely evil, as explained at length in Tanya, ch. 6.

והנה שמים וארץ וכל אשר בהם, בחוץ לארץ, כולם כלא ממש חשיבי, לגבי השרים שהם חיותם וקיומם

Now, outside the Land of Israel,34 the heavens and the earth and all they contain are all esteemed as truly nothing, in relation to the patron-angels which are [the conduits for] their life-force and continued existence.

והשרים כלא ממש חשיבי, לגבי החיות הנמשך להם מהניצוץ מדבר ה׳, המאיר עליהם מלמעלה

The patron-angels themselves are esteemed as truly nothing in relation to the life-force issuing to them from the spark of the “word of G‑d” which radiates over them from above, transcending them.

ואף על פי כן, החיות הנמשך לתוכם מהארה זו, הוא בבחינת גלות בתוכם

And even so, the life-force issuing to them from this radiation, is in a state of exile within them.

ולכן נקראים בשם אלקים אחרים, וקרו ליה: אלהא דאלהיא, שגם הם הן בבחינת אלקות

That is why they are called elohim acherim (“other gods”), while they call Him,35 “G‑d of the gods,” since they consider themselves as deities.

ולכן הגוים הנשפעים מהם, הם עובדי עבודה זרה ממש

Therefore, in view of their source, the nations which receive their life-force through [their patron-angels] are truly idolaters —

עד עת קץ, שיבולע המות והסטרא אחרא

[but only] until the time of the “end”, until the time of the imminent Redemption, when death and the sitra achra (i.e., the “other side,” the unholy aspect of the universe) will be swallowed up.

ואז אהפוך אל עמים כו׳, לקרוא כולם בשם ה׳

Of that time G‑d promises,36 “Then shall I make the nations [pure of speech] so that they will all call upon the Name of G‑d.”

The Alter Rebbe now returns to the theme of the Divine spark in exile:

ונקרא גם כן בשם גלות השכינה

This [sustenance of idolaters through the Divine spark] is also called “the exile of the Shechinah.”