Likkutei Amarim Tanya - Chapter 37 - Part 11

00:03 In section 59, subsection 1, in the middle of the page, the line beginning “as is known to those familiar with the mystical teachings,” after the two dots. That’s the part. So look: continuing the question, after everything the Alter Rebbe explained in the last few chapters about the importance of action—that the main purpose of the soul’s descent, the purpose of creation, is to bring about action; that our work is the fulfillment of mitzvos—the Alter Rebbe explained that the purpose of creation lies specifically in fulfilling mitzvos. There is an advantage to fulfilling mitzvos even over studying Torah, because it is specifically through fulfilling mitzvos that we refine the body and the animal soul, and specifically through fulfilling mitzvos that we bring about a dwelling place for Hashem in the lower realms. That is the whole point of the revelations of the future, which depend on “our deeds and our work.” With Torah study, by contrast, the effect is only on the G-dly soul, on the spiritual garments, so it lacks the advantage of making a dwelling place in the lower realms. From that perspective, mitzvos are the main thing. There are also many, many teachings of our Sages that speak about the importance of mitzvos. First, the Zohar speaks of “good deeds,” saying that they, specifically, bring about the resting of the Shechinah. You also know what it says about tzedakah: that tzedakah is equal to all the mitzvos, and that tzedakah in particular brings the Geulah closer, because of the importance of action. Through it, we refine kelipas nogah, as the Alter Rebbe explained at length. So through all this will come all the revelations of the future, and “I will remove the spirit of impurity from the earth,” and “all flesh together will see that the mouth of Hashem has spoken.” So the Alter Rebbe asks: How does this fit with the teaching of our Sages that we say in the morning blessings, that “Torah study is equal to them all”? There they say

02:07 that Torah study is equal to all the mitzvos, including all the mitzvos connected even with physical action. So the Alter Rebbe has answered up to this point that Torah study has a special advantage not found in the other mitzvos. What is it? Through Torah study, we refine the more inward garments of the animal soul, something mitzvos cannot accomplish. And second, beyond that—and more importantly—Torah also refines the very essence of the animal soul, its fundamental nature. Thought, speech, and action, after all, are only garments of the animal soul. But its essence—its intellectual faculties and emotions—has not yet been transformed. When a person studies Torah, however, Torah study has the advantage of refining the intellect. Through Torah study, one refines the intellectual faculties of the animal soul. So there is a special advantage here. After all, everything we discussed earlier was about the advantage of refining the animal soul, taking what comes from kelipah and bringing it into holiness. Torah has a special advantage because through it we refine even the inner essence of the animal soul—its intellectual faculties—by engaging them in Torah and bringing them into holiness. That is why Torah has an advantage: “Torah study is equal to them all.” As for the emotions—we have reached the intellect; as for the emotions, one cannot yet transform them. As the Alter Rebbe said, yes, but the emotions are harder. For now, a person has no control over them. At least with regard to the intellect, though, he can have this advantage too: he brings about the refinement of the essence of the animal soul, at least the intellectual faculties of the animal soul. That was the main point of the explanation up to now. So according to this, what is the conclusion? What is the point? Both mitzvos

04:01 and Torah each have an advantage. Both advantages are in the same area, the refinement of the animal soul. Torah has an advantage, and mitzvos have an advantage. The advantage of mitzvos is that through them we refine the animal soul’s capacity for physical action, making a dwelling place in the lower realms. In the realm of physical action, as we said in chapter 36, making a dwelling place in the lower realms means precisely reaching what is lowest. On the other hand, Torah has an advantage: through it, we also refine the higher parts of the animal soul, its essential nature. Now the Alter Rebbe will add another explanation of this, a deeper explanation. Do you have the place? Section 59, in the middle of the page, “as is known to those familiar with the mystical teachings,” two dots. The Alter Rebbe continues: “And furthermore.” What does that mean? What we have discussed is one explanation. In terms of refinement, Torah has the advantage of refining the intellectual faculties of the animal soul and its spiritual garments, thought and speech. That is one explanation. “And furthermore”—now the Alter Rebbe is going to give another explanation, a second one, greater than all the others. Now the Alter Rebbe will add another explanation. This additional explanation is the second explanation. The Alter Rebbe writes that this explanation is even loftier. In what way? In the advantage of engaging in Torah study over all the mitzvos. There is a loftier explanation of the advantage Torah study has over all the mitzvos. What is it? It is based on what is written in the name of the Tikkunim: “The 248 commandments are the 248 limbs of the King.” Torah has a special advantage, but this explanation is no longer about refinement. The reason the Alter Rebbe is now giving for why Torah study is equal to them all is not its advantage in refinement, but something else. And the Alter Rebbe says this advantage is greater than all the others. It is

06:14 a very special advantage found specifically in Torah. Mitzvos do not have it, and in this respect Torah is loftier than mitzvos. What advantage does Torah have over mitzvos? The Alter Rebbe explains it based on what is written in the name of the Tikkunim: “The 248 commandments”—commandments here means mitzvos—“are the 248 limbs of the King.” A mitzvah corresponds to a limb, and there is no comparison whatsoever between the life-force in the 248 limbs and the life-force in the brain, which is the intellect divided into the faculties of Chochmah, Binah, and Daas. With a person, we see that the life-force in the limbs is in no way comparable to the life-force in the brain. In other words, what point is the Alter Rebbe explaining here? There is a fundamental difference between Torah and mitzvos: a mitzvah is one of the “limbs” of Hakadosh Boruch Hu, the limbs of the King, while Torah is the “mind” of Hakadosh Boruch Hu, His Chochmah, Binah, and Daas. What does that mean? Just as with the soul, everyone understands that the soul’s life-force, its light, its revelation in the intellect is incomparably loftier than its revelation in the limbs. In other words: we all understand that the soul and body join together. The body and soul unite to such an extent that the soul brings life into the body, connects with its limbs, gives them life, and makes them living limbs with vitality. Nevertheless, everyone understands that the limbs and the soul are incomparably different. The soul is spiritual. It is life-force and simplicity. It is something abstract, spiritual, and lofty. The body, in its essential nature, is dust and earth. The limbs and the soul are incomparably different. So what happens? Through His wondrous power, Hakadosh Boruch Hu makes the soul unite with the body. The soul and body connect to such an extent that they join and function together, with all the advantages that brings. But in the end

08:24 In their very essence, they are utterly incomparable. And when the soul is clothed in the body, because of that incomparability, the soul has to contract and take on a physical form, becoming measured and limited according to the limits of the organs. That is not the case with the intellect. The intellect is not the essence of the soul either. It, too, is incomparable to the soul; it is not the soul’s essence, but only an expression of the soul. Nevertheless, the intellect is spiritual. It is a revelation of the soul, not something separate. So it follows that the soul’s union with the intellect is far deeper, stronger, and more direct than its union with the organs. This is why, for example, Chassidus says, regarding the unity within Atzilus: “He and His lights are one; He and His vessels are one.” “His lights” refers to the mochin, or the lights, while “His vessels” refers to the vessels, to the middos. So we say, “He and His lights are one; He and His vessels are one.” Chassidus asks: Why say “one” twice? It is all one. “He and His lights, He and His vessels, are one.” The answer is that there is a fundamental difference. The union of the Infinite One with the vessels—the organs, “His vessels”—is not the same kind of unity as His union with the mochin, with the lights. It is an entirely different union, and that is why “one” is said twice, for the two distinct unions. This is readily understood, because ultimately mochin are characterized by closeness. For one thing, mochin are spiritual, not physical—even in the animal soul. All the more so Above, where we are speaking of the Divine Infinite: it is not a separate entity; it has no limit. And more generally, closeness is the very nature of mochin. Mochin, intellect—

10:17 What is intellect? Why is the faculty of intellect more closely bound to the soul? A middah, by contrast, has more of a sense of self, more of a sense of something other. Mochin are closer to the essence, more closely bound to it. So, with all these qualities, the union of the mochin with the soul is, of course, incomparably greater than the union of the organs with the soul. This is the difference between Torah and mitzvos: Torah is the mochin of Hakadosh Boruch Hu—His wisdom, understanding, and knowledge—whereas mitzvos are called “the limbs of the King.” So where is the Infinite revealed more fully? Where does a loftier light from Hakadosh Boruch Hu shine, with greater revelation? Certainly, the revelation of G-dliness that shines in Torah is incomparably loftier than the revelation of G-dliness that shines in mitzvos—to the point that the comparison is like that of the unlimited to the limited. In mitzvos, G-dliness shines in a limited, measured, and contracted way, clothed in the mitzvos as in organs. In Torah, by contrast, the revelation of G-dliness is not subject to the limits and measurements of vessels. So the relationship between Torah and mitzvos is, as it were, like the relationship between the unlimited and the limited: Torah has the character of the unlimited, and mitzvos have the character of the limited. Because of this, Torah study has a special, remarkable advantage that the performance of mitzvos does not. The Infinite shines there on a far loftier level, with a far greater expression and revelation, than in mitzvos. “And there is no comparison at all between the vitality in the 248 organs and the vitality in the mochin, which is the intellect divided into the faculties of Chochmah, Binah, and Daas. Precisely so—by way of analogy, though with countless and immeasurable distinctions—there is no comparison between the blessed Infinite Light clothed in practical mitzvos and the Infinite Light present in the Chochmah, Binah, and Daas of Torah wisdom, each person according to his intellect and comprehension.”

12:10 There is a quantitative difference in how much a person understands: one understands more, another less. That concerns quantity. But in terms of its nature, one reaches the essence of the matter. Torah, by its very nature, is mochin. Mitzvos, by contrast, are the limbs of the King, and limbs involve limitation and contraction. So here, in intellect, there is ultimately the character of the unlimited, of revelation; there, by contrast, is the character of contraction. So what emerges? What is this second explanation? It is an entirely different explanation, no longer connected to the matter of birurim that we have discussed until now. That is why there are two dots before the second explanation, and so on. Look, another explanation follows here. Generally speaking, two dots mark the beginning of a new subject. So it seems the Alter Rebbe separated them because these are two completely different explanations. Before the dots, the first explanation still continues everything we discussed in the recent chapters: the idea of a dwelling place in the lower realms, which is connected with refining the animal soul and kelipah. In that respect, mitzvos have an advantage, and Torah has an advantage. Mitzvos refine action, the lowest level, while Torah refines the soul’s garments and the nature of the animal soul. But both advantages concern birurim. Now, though, the discussion is no longer about birurim. The question is: Where is there greater comprehension of G-dliness? Where is there greater comprehension of G-dliness? In terms of revelation, Torah has the advantage. The purpose of a dwelling place specifically in the lower realms is not about revelation; it concerns the Essence, as we discussed in chapter 36. The idea of a dwelling place is connected with the Essence.

13:55 Within the Essence arose the desire for a dwelling place in the lower realms. So from the standpoint of that desire, of the Essence itself, it is specifically mitzvos—the more earthly things—that matter. Specifically, there is significance in the physical, in the work of birurim. But when we are speaking not about that desire of the Essence, but about revelations—where is there greater comprehension?—then we are speaking, ultimately, about a revelation of light. On the contrary, Torah has more of that than mitzvos. Torah has the Infinite, and, in practical terms, comprehension; that is the plain meaning of mochin. Mitzvos, by contrast, involve contraction and limitation. There is no contradiction; these are two different things. In terms of light, with the emphasis on revealed light, Torah has a greater revelation of light. Torah has more revelation, more of the Infinite. That does not contradict the fact that Hakadosh Boruch Hu Himself desires specifically the lower realms, expressed through mitzvos, because a desire is beyond reason and understanding. Someone might ask: How can it be that the Essence wants mitzvos, when Torah has greater revelation? But that is no question at all. Why? Because a dwelling place in the lower realms concerns the Essence, and the Essence is above every matter of light and revelation, above reason and intellect. It is rooted in desire; you cannot raise objections against it. So from that standpoint, this is what Hakadosh Boruch Hu wanted: He wanted mitzvos specifically, and it is specifically through them that we bring about a dwelling place in the lower realms. That is from the standpoint of desire. But from the standpoint of light and revelation, light and revelation follow an order of levels. The revelation in Torah is a loftier light: there, as we said, a comprehension of G-dliness shines more than it does in mitzvos. Mitzvos come through limbs. Torah, by contrast, remains in the form of light and revelation; it is unlimited, while mitzvos are limited. Of course, this still needs further explanation. After all, this...

15:47 How can both things be true? On the one hand, in terms of making a dwelling in the lower realms, the Essence is found specifically in mitzvos. On the other hand, Torah has an advantage. What is Torah’s advantage? Revelation. So why does the Mishnah say, “Torah study is equal to them all”? According to this, it is because there is more revelation there, more revelation of the Infinite. But if you show a person these two options and tell him to choose—here he has the Essence, and here he has revelations—what should he choose, the Essence or revelations? Surely the Essence is the main thing. Revelations are only revelations, only the light that comes from the Essence. So what is the answer here? That Torah has more revelation of the Infinite? As we’ll see, that is not the end of the discussion. We need to understand all its details. The point we’ll explain later is that revelation, the highest revelation, is also part of the purpose. There are two aspects to the purpose of making a dwelling in the lower realms: the Essence must be drawn down, but what Hakadosh Boruch Hu desired was not only that the Essence be drawn down, but that the Essence itself be revealed. In other words, the Essence must be drawn down, and it must be drawn down in a revealed way, not remain concealed. So yes, the Essence is drawn down more through mitzvos. But part of the purpose is that it not remain concealed, that it be revealed; for that, Torah in particular is also needed. That is why Torah study also serves

17:35 that purpose. This will become clear as we continue. Why? When a person has the option of having a mitzvah performed by others, we say that he should study Torah rather than perform the mitzvah himself, because Torah has an advantage that the mitzvah does not have. In any case, for now we’re only speaking briefly. The point is to understand the advantage of each. Mitzvos have an advantage because of the purpose of bringing about birurim even in the lower realms, and all that. Torah also has an advantage. For one thing, it has an advantage in birurim as well, as I said earlier: Torah refines the garments of the animal soul, including its higher garments. And second, Torah has far more revelation of the Infinite than mitzvos do. “Even though he grasps it only in physical terms.” How do we see the difference? We grasp Torah in physical terms. So what, seemingly, is Torah’s great advantage? We say that the Infinite is revealed there—but where is that revelation? In practice, when we study Torah, we grasp it through physical matters. So ultimately, what is the difference between a mitzvah, which is clothed in physical things, and Torah, which also discusses physical things? To this he explains that although one grasps it only in physical terms, Torah is likened to water that descends from a high place, and so on. Torah is like water. And as we said, just as water descends from a high place to a low place, so too Torah: the wisdom and will of Hakadosh Boruch Hu become clothed in a physical matter. What does that mean? In the analogy of water, we see that water does not remain above. Its nature is to descend

19:34 below, and that is the difference between water and light. Light, too, is a revelation, yet the analogy for Torah is water, not light. Why? Otherwise, we might not understand the distinction. Light also spreads everywhere, just as Torah spreads everywhere, down to the very lowest levels. But here is the difference: the source of light remains above even when its light spreads to a distant place. The source itself always remains above; only its light reaches below. But where is its primary place? Above. With water, the point is that it leaves the higher place. Those very waters that were above are now below. It is not merely the light of the thing, but the thing itself. And this is Torah’s unique advantage. Torah does not mean that the Torah itself remains above and a light from it descends into our understanding. No. “Torah is not in heaven” means that Hakadosh Boruch Hu took the Torah itself—His wisdom and His will—and placed that Torah into the laws of eruvin. In other words, when a Jew studies a halachah, it is not as people sometimes understand it: that the Torah itself is with Hakadosh Boruch Hu, in spiritual matters, while what we study is merely how it is clothed in the laws of the ox and the pit, the primary categories of damages, and the physical matters of damage caused by a horn, a tooth, or a foot. On the contrary: where is the very essence of Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s wisdom found? Just as the water itself is found below, so the very essence of His wisdom is found within the Torah you are studying. Consequently, when a Jew studies Torah, the essence and substance of Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s wisdom and will are right there. So the fact that

21:24 we see Torah clothed in physical matters does not conceal or detract from this: the Infinite is here; the wisdom and will of Hakadosh Boruch Hu, as they are in the Infinite, are here in the Torah we study. And the Rebbe brought all of this, incidentally, to explain the advantage of Torah study, returning to the comparison with water and to the statement that “Torah study is equal to them all.” This does not contradict what we said earlier about the advantage of mitzvos. Torah study also has an advantage, in two respects: its role in birurim, and, primarily, a special advantage unrelated to the work of birurim. That advantage is revelation: Torah has more revelation and a greater closeness. There are many sichos of the Rebbe on this passage. One of them is in Likkutei Sichos, volume eight or nine, Parshas Matos, where the Rebbe discusses the tribes of Gad and Reuven. They did not want to enter Eretz Yisroel. What distinguished them from the other tribes? The Rebbe explains the key question: how were they different from the spies? After all, the Rebbe places great emphasis throughout on the fact that entering Eretz Yisroel is connected with the advantage of mitzvos, the advantage of birurim. But the tribes of Gad and Reuven were devoted to Torah study, which also has an advantage. In the unity and attachment attained through Torah study, there is a greater closeness. With a mitzvah, because it involves a physical thing, there is more limitation. So from the perspective of the purpose of making a dwelling in the lower realms, the emphasis is on mitzvos. That is why most of the Jewish people are called upon specifically to engage in birurim and mitzvos. But there is also a minority who

23:23 They must specifically be matters of Torah, because Torah is what makes the difference. Now, this is precisely the point of distinction between someone who sits in the study hall and someone who works for a living. For a young man in yeshivah, the main thing is Torah study. That is what he needs to do, and that is what is expected of him. Then there is the person who works for a living. That comes, of course, after marriage, when he has “a millstone around his neck” and needs to go out into the world and make a dwelling for Hashem in the lower realms. This is what Moshe Rabbeinu told the tribes of Gad and Reuven: in order to live on the other side of the Jordan and devote themselves to spirituality and Torah, they first had to enter Eretz Yisroel and fight at the forefront. Why? So that a person’s Torah study would not come from his own desire—because he enjoys it more, because it makes him feel holier and more spiritual, like the spies—but because it is part of Hashem’s intention. Just as action in the physical world is needed to make a dwelling for Hashem in the lower realms, revelation is also needed, because that, too, is part of His intention. So first they had to go with mesiras nefesh, enter Eretz Yisroel, and fight for fourteen years. That shows that they were not doing these things for themselves, but because they wanted to fulfill Hashem’s will. It’s just that Hashem’s will for a particular person may be that his task is to study Torah. This is expressed among yeshivah students, too, when they go on mivtzoim on Fridays. The point is simple: by going on mivtzoim at least once a week, a student shows that, in essence, he is ready for mesiras nefesh. What is Hashem’s will? That is what he wants to do. But right now, what is wanted of him is to study Torah. That is the intention now: to study Torah so that

25:04 there will be a revelation of G-dliness. Yeshivah students are needed; they need to sit and learn. So all week he studies Torah diligently on his own, because that is Hashem’s will. And on Friday he goes on mivtzoim, showing that he does these things not because he wants to, but because that is Hashem’s will. There is also a sicha from the Rebbe there in volume eight. There are several other sichos along these lines, explaining this point: both elements are needed, Torah and action. Of course, everyone needs both. But some people are more oriented toward one, and others toward the other. In connection with all this, there is the point made here about the greatness of Torah, explaining the teaching of our Sages: “Torah study is equal to them all.” I just want to finish with a nice story told by Reb Mordechai Zeliger[?]. He said there was a Rebbe who had a study partner with whom he learned before assuming the leadership, before he became a Rebbe. They would learn together for several hours every day. Once, in the middle of their learning, he said he had to go somewhere. He left and returned a few hours later. His study partner asked him, “What happened? Why weren’t you here learning? You were gone for so long.” The Rebbe told him there had been a problem with shalom bayis in a family in the community. He had needed to go and sit with the husband and wife, sort things out, and restore peace in their home. His friend said, “But it says, ‘Torah study is equal to them all.’ What does it say before that? The Mishnah says, ‘These are the things’—well, can we fit in about a quarter of an hour? [unclear]—‘bringing peace between one person and another, and between husband and wife,’ and afterward it says, ‘Torah study is equal to them all.’ So how could you interrupt

26:49 your learning to go and bring about peace and shalom bayis?” The Rebbe told him, “I put the punctuation in a different place. You put the period before the words ‘and Torah study’: ‘And Torah study is equal to them all.’ I put the period a little earlier: ‘And bringing peace between one person and another and between husband and wife, and Torah study, are equal to them all.’ All these things—bringing peace between one person and another, and between husband and wife, and Torah study—are equal to them all, quite literally.” Of course, this is a vort, not the straightforward meaning of the Mishnah’s wording. But it is certainly a vort from a Rebbe. In other words, we see from here how important it is to bring peace, to bring peace between one person and another. Here, among the young men, thank G-d, we don’t have the problem of peace between husband and wife. But problems do arise between one person and another. Sometimes, in the dorm rooms, this one doesn’t want to be with that one, and the other doesn’t want to be with him. Someone doesn’t get along with so-and-so, and we need to bring peace between people in the yeshivah. So we are told that bringing peace between one person and another and between husband and wife, and Torah study, are equal to them all. So isn’t it a shame?