Likkutei Amarim Tanya - Chapter 40 - Part 4

00:00 Speaker 1 We’ll study page 108, at the top, the fourth line. The Alter Rebbe explained the distinction here. We’ve just discussed three kinds of Torah study and mitzvah observance: lishmah, for their own sake; simply doing them, without any particular intent; and shelo lishmah, not for their own sake. When Torah and mitzvos are done lishmah, we say they ascend and become united with the ten sefiros, where the infinite light of Hashem—G-dliness—is also revealed. The sefiros are G-dliness; they are united with the infinite light of Hashem. But that is specifically when a person studies Torah and performs mitzvos lishmah, meaning with love and awe. When he does them without any particular intent, they ascend to the worlds and their chambers, and even angels are created from them. Although he has no love and awe, he is still studying Torah and performing mitzvos. So they ascend, and the bodies and souls of angels are formed from them. But they do not become united with the ten sefiros, with G-dliness. Why? Because they lacked love and awe. Then there is Torah study and mitzvah observance that are shelo lishmah. What does that mean—truly not for their own sake? It means he studies in order to become a Torah scholar and the like. In that case, we say his Torah study does not ascend to the higher worlds at all. The self-serving thought he has, a thought originating in kelipah, keeps the Torah down here in the world of Asiyah and prevents it from ascending. That is why teshuvah is needed, as we discussed in the previous chapter. Now we continue with the Alter Rebbe, on the fourth line from the top of page 108. Here the Alter Rebbe asks a question. What we have covered so far leads up to this question. It is really the foundation for the explanation with which the Rebbe concludes this chapter: the final explanation reconciling all the apparent contradictions. Is the deed the main thing, or is the intent the main thing? In what respect is the deed primary, and in what respect is the intent primary? This is where all the details begin. But the Rebbe starts first

02:31 Speaker 1 with a question. Let’s look at it in the text. After the period: “Although the Torah and Hakadosh Boruch Hu are entirely one.” Why are you saying that when a person studies Torah and performs mitzvos without love and awe—simply doing so, not with an intent rooted in kelipah, G-d forbid, but out of habit, as we said—the Torah he studies does not ascend and become united with G-dliness? The Alter Rebbe asks: “But aren’t the Torah and Hakadosh Boruch Hu entirely one?” Already at the beginning of Tanya, in chapter 4, the Alter Rebbe cites the Zohar, which says that the Torah is essentially one with Hakadosh Boruch Hu. That is the nature of Torah: the Torah and Hakadosh Boruch Hu are entirely one. The Rebbe explained this in chapter 4. Then the Alter Rebbe explained it at length in chapter 23, and again in chapter 35. The entire distinction of Torah is that it is entirely one with Hakadosh Boruch Hu, one with Hakadosh Boruch Hu Himself. So what difference does it make whether a person has love and awe or not? He is studying Torah, and Torah itself is entirely one with Hakadosh Boruch Hu. Torah, on its own, is one with Hakadosh Boruch Hu. So what difference does it make what a person feels or doesn’t feel? How does the person’s feeling matter here? Now, if someone studies Torah with an intent rooted in kelipah, with an improper intent—he studies out of self-importance, to become a Torah scholar, and has a negative thought while studying—then he is taking the Torah itself and using it for the opposite purpose. So we can understand why it does not ascend, right?

04:22 Speaker 1 Because his thought is contrary to its purpose. He studies Torah, but takes the Torah for himself, using it for the opposite purpose. Even there, the Torah itself is still Torah. But we can at least understand that, because he has this contrary thought, it prevents the Torah from ascending. When he simply studies Torah, though, he has no contrary intent—quite the opposite, right? He just lacks love and awe. So what difference does it make whether he has love and awe or not? Torah itself is entirely one with Hakadosh Boruch Hu. Of course, the question becomes much stronger after everything we learned in the previous chapters. The Alter Rebbe explained in chapter 35 that, on the contrary, love and awe are ultimately limited. Love and awe are attributes. As the Alter Rebbe said in chapter 35, no matter how much love and awe a person has, he can never become united with Hakadosh Boruch Hu in the way he can through Torah and mitzvos. After all, the Alter Rebbe states explicitly in chapter 35 that even a completely righteous person who serves Hashem with love, awe and delight cannot become united with G-dliness as one can through Torah and mitzvos. Why? Because he remains a separate entity. Love and awe are part of his own being, whereas the way to become united with G-dliness is through Torah and mitzvos, because Torah and mitzvos are G-dliness. So the question arises here: Granted, if you study for a purpose rooted in kelipah, well—but if you simply study, you are studying Torah, and the Torah is entirely one with Hakadosh Boruch Hu. Why isn’t the Torah itself enough for it to become united with G-dliness? Let’s look inside. “Although the Torah and Hakadosh Boruch Hu are entirely one, for He and His will are one.” The Alter Rebbe explains what it means that the Torah

05:59 Speaker 1 and Hakadosh Boruch Hu are entirely one. The Torah is the will of Hakadosh Boruch Hu, so it is one with Hakadosh Boruch Hu Himself. That raises the question: If the Torah itself is one with Him, shouldn’t the very act of studying Torah connect me with Hakadosh Boruch Hu Himself, even without studying lishmah, even without intent? Some also add here—and why does the Alter Rebbe add the words “He and His will are one”? Because the Alter Rebbe wants to emphasize that Torah is will. Will is above the sefiros. We are discussing—and we will get to this further on—how, by studying Torah and performing mitzvos lishmah, you raise them to where? To the ten sefiros. They may be the sefiros of Yetzirah, the sefiros of Beriah, or the sefiros of Atzilus, depending on whether the intent involves natural love and awe, intellectually generated love and awe, a “chariot,” and all these matters. But how far do you raise them? To the ten sefiros. The ten sefiros include Chochmah, Binah and Daas. Torah is will, and will is even higher than Chochmah. So the question is twofold: Why do we need love and awe at all? Torah itself is inherently G-dliness, and not just G-dliness at any level, but G-dliness at the highest level. It is the will of Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and He and His will are one. So why should intent be relevant? That makes the question even stronger. The Alter Rebbe answers here: “For Hakadosh Boruch Hu fills all worlds equally.” The Alter Rebbe now offers an answer that he develops at length. The answer takes a page and a half, right? Its central point is what the Alter Rebbe explains here. Now let’s look at—yes. The central point of the answer is that, indeed, the Torah and Hakadosh Boruch Hu are entirely one, for He and His will are one—with all that this means, even in the case of Torah.

07:42 Speaker 1 But all of that is from Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s perspective. The fact that “the Torah and Hakadosh Boruch Hu are entirely one” is from His perspective. But when it comes to revelation—meaning, how it is for the recipient, how it is revealed down here—then it depends, and there can be a problem. It may well be true that the Torah is one with Hakadosh Boruch Hu. The Torah is the Torah; it is His wisdom. It is one with Him. All well and good—but what happens when it comes to revelation? What does “revelation” mean? It means in relation to the recipient, to the person learning Torah. If he lacks love and awe, then the Torah remains concealed, and his connection with Hakadosh Boruch Hu lacks open revelation. For his connection with G-dliness to be revealed, there must specifically be love and awe. So there is a distinction, but that is the point. There are two aspects here: the essence of Torah, which is that the Torah and Hakadosh Boruch Hu are entirely one. In that respect, it truly makes no difference whether you learn with love and awe or without them. Torah is one with Hakadosh Boruch Hu, so the moment you learn Torah, you connect with Him—and the same applies when you come to a mitzvah. But that is the essence of the matter. It remains concealed, because the Torah’s oneness with Hakadosh Boruch Hu is from His perspective; the recipients do not feel it. From the recipient’s perspective, he is simply learning Torah and does not feel love and awe. He will also explain why in a moment. So for the recipient, there is no revelation of G-dliness here. The G-dliness in the Torah does not shine within him.

09:16 Speaker 1 And therefore it cannot ascend above. He is going to explain this whole matter now. By contrast, when one learns with love and awe, that causes the G-dliness in the Torah to shine openly as well, and that is why it ascends in the sefiros specifically then. That is the point. Let’s look inside at all the details, but that is the point. Let’s look inside. The Alter Rebbe says: “For Hakadosh Boruch Hu Himself fills all worlds equally.” We see that Hakadosh Boruch Hu is present in all the worlds—not just with regard to Torah, but in general. This concerns His relationship with the world as a whole. There, too, we see the same thing, and it seems to me that this is about His relationship with the world. On the one hand, Hakadosh Boruch Hu is present in all the worlds, and equally so. When we say this, the intent is not the level of memalei kol almin; the emphasis is on the word “Himself”—He is present in all the worlds. He is referring to the level of memalei; he is referring to the concept. In essence, Hakadosh Boruch Hu is present in all the worlds and fills them all equally. In other words, as far as His presence is concerned, you cannot say that He is present in Atzilus more than He is in Asiyah. He is present in Atzilus and Asiyah absolutely equally. That is from His own perspective. “For Hakadosh Boruch Hu Himself fills all worlds equally.” Nevertheless, the world of Asiyah is not equal in stature to the world of Atzilus. Even though we say that Hakadosh Boruch Hu is entirely one with it, Asiyah is still not equal in stature. No, Atzilus is not the same as Asiyah. Each world is different. So what really creates the difference between one world and another? On the one hand, then, we say that Hakadosh Boruch Hu

11:02 Speaker 1 is equally present in all the worlds. There is no less of Hakadosh Boruch Hu in the world of Asiyah and no more of Him in the world of Atzilus. From His perspective, He is equally present in Atzilus, in Asiyah, and in all the worlds. Nevertheless, we say that Atzilus is a higher world. In what way is Atzilus higher than Asiyah? Let me explain. “Nevertheless, the world of Asiyah is not equal in stature to Atzilus. And the difference lies with the recipient.” The difference between one world and another is on the recipient’s side—that is, on the side of the worlds. From His own perspective, from the perspective of the Infinite, of Hakadosh Boruch Hu, we say that He is equally present above and below. He is present everywhere in the same way. But from the recipients’ perspective—what does “the recipients” mean? It means how He is perceived within their parameters, how He is felt within those parameters. In that respect, there is a difference in how much each world receives of Him. And what is the difference between the recipients? The Alter Rebbe says: “In two respects.” There are two differences between the higher and lower worlds. “Higher” means higher in stature, and “lower” means lower in stature—in terms of G-dliness. What do the higher worlds have more of? In relation to Hakadosh Boruch Hu, there is more or less G-dliness here. We just said that He is equally present in all the worlds. But look: there are two differences on the recipients’ side, two differences between the higher and lower worlds. What are they? “First, the higher worlds receive an infinitely greater radiance than the lower worlds.” The Alter Rebbe says, first of all, that the higher worlds have a greater light than the lower worlds. The G-dly light shines in the higher worlds in a more elevated way, while in the lower worlds it is more restricted. “And second, they receive it without as many garments and screens as in the lower worlds.” So the second point is that in the higher worlds it shines without so many garments. There are some garments, yes, but

13:05 Speaker 1 not so many. So there are two differences here between the higher and lower worlds. One has to do with restriction and revelation: here it shines in a restricted way, and here it is revealed. The second is that here it shines through garments, while here it shines without a garment—or with fewer garments. What does that mean? Let’s explain a little of what the Alter Rebbe is saying. There are two concepts. Actually, we spoke about this a little in chapter 39 as well, if you remember chapter 39. The Alter Rebbe mentioned this point there too. There are two concepts. One is called revelation and concealment, and the other is called tzimtzum, restriction. Revelation and restriction. There are two things: there is restriction, and there is concealment. Restriction means there is light here. The question is how much light there is—a lot or a little. In other words, there is some light here; the question is its quantity. No one disputes that it is here. For example, let’s take a tzaddik for whom G-dliness shines, who sees the G-dliness in the world. Think of a consummate tzaddik. It is brought in the maamarim, and there is also the vision of Moshiach, that some tzaddikim can see. They see the word of Hashem in each and every thing. They see the G-dliness in every kind of thing. They look at an inanimate object and see the G-dliness in it. For example, the Tzemach Tzedek said before his passing that he did not see the Tzemach Tzedek. There are also several versions of exactly what the Alter Rebbe said. He said that he did not see the ceiling or the walls. Rather, he saw the word of Hashem within them. Yes, that is a tzaddik. So

15:06 Speaker 1 They see G-dliness in every single thing. So he sees the G-dliness in the inanimate, the G-dliness in plants, and so on and so forth. He sees G-dliness in everything. On the one hand, then, there is G-dliness in all things. But of course, the G-dliness that shines in the inanimate is not the same revelation as in plants, and the G-dliness in plants is not like that in living creatures. There is a revelation of G-dliness everywhere. How much G-dliness is revealed here? That certainly differs. The G-dliness revealed in a human being is far greater than the G-dliness revealed in plants and animals; more is revealed in animals than in plants, and more in plants than in the inanimate. But that is not the difference we are talking about. There is G-dliness in all these things; the question is tzimtzum, constriction. Here it is more constricted, and here less. That is what tzimtzum means. Then there is something called concealment. That is what he says here: not just tzimtzum, but concealment, a garment. A garment means that you see the garment. You do not see anything else; you see only the garment. For example, take the difference between a tzaddik and an ordinary person. The tzaddik looks at a stone, an animal, or a tree, and sees a higher life-force within it. An ordinary person looks at a tree—what does he see? A tree. Why? Because its physicality covers over the G-dliness and does not let him see it. So this is not just tzimtzum. Here there is concealment, a garment. These are two different things. The first is tzimtzum. To illustrate what we are discussing, we can give all kinds of examples, simple examples. Broadly speaking, the difference is like this: sunlight enters through a window. The sunlight coming through the window is tzimtzum. Has the quality of the light changed? No. The difference is in quantity. Outside the window, in the street, there is a lot of

16:57 Speaker 1 sunlight. Inside the room there is a little sunlight. That is tzimtzum. In other words, the sunlight is present here too. The difference is not in what it is—both places have light. The difference is how much: more here, less there. That is tzimtzum. Concealment means something else: there is a partition, like a screen, a sheet of plastic. There is a partition, and that is it. No light gets through. The garment conceals. Now, among garments themselves, some conceal completely and some do not conceal completely. But the very idea of a garment means that this is not merely a change in the quantity of something, in how much will be revealed here. It is a change in the thing itself. What was there before comes to an end; it no longer extends here. It is cut off, there is an interruption, and what comes through afterward—is that still light? It is something entirely different. A screen. So the Alter Rebbe says that the difference between the higher and lower worlds, as far as the recipients are concerned, has two aspects: both tzimtzum and concealment. As for tzimtzum, we say that in the higher worlds, G-dly light shines openly. In the lower worlds, G-dly light shines too, but in a constricted way. In other words, if a person could see G-dliness—if Hakadosh Boruch Hu opened our eyes and we saw G-dliness as the tzaddikim do, seeing a revelation of G-dliness even now, in this world—then he would see G-dliness both in Atzilus and in Asiyah. The difference is that the G-dliness he would see in Atzilus would be far greater than what he would see in Asiyah. Why? Because, in terms of revelation, the revelation of G-dliness in Atzilus is higher than in Asiyah. That is the matter of revelation and tzimtzum. In other words, the lower the world, the greater the tzimtzum. So that is one difference between the higher and lower worlds: less tzimtzum here and more tzimtzum there. Then you see another distinction: here the light shines without garments, and here it

18:42 Speaker 1 shines through garments—or here the garments do not conceal so much. In other words, some garments let you see what is within them. They are still garments, but they do not conceal. Then there is a concealing garment: you look at the thing and see nothing at all beyond it. That is concealment, not merely tzimtzum. You look at the thing and see no revelation of G-dliness whatsoever; you see only an independent existence. And that is the second difference between the higher and lower worlds. In the higher worlds, you see G-dliness in them. In the lower worlds, because of the many garments, you see the world; you do not see any revelation of G-dliness here. It follows that from the perspective of the Ein Sof, if you are speaking from the perspective of the Ein Sof, all the worlds are equally exalted. What does Hakadosh Boruch Hu say here from the perspective of “I,” of the essence? The higher worlds do not have more of the essence in them than the lower worlds. For example, the Alter Rebbe says that the luminary itself is everywhere. From the perspective of the luminary itself, it is everywhere. In fact, we do not even need to speak of the essence. Even from the perspective of the Ein Sof, without getting as far as the essence, tzimtzum is not to be understood literally, as it is written. Therefore, from the perspective of the Ein Sof, the boundless light is everywhere equally. All the tzimtzum is only in relation to the recipient. From the perspective of the Ein Sof, the Ein Sof is everywhere. Since tzimtzum is not literal, it is here below just as it is in the highest realms. In that respect, all are equal. Even with regard to the Ein Sof, Atzilus is no higher than Asiyah. “He humbles Himself to behold the heavens and the earth.” To Hakadosh Boruch Hu, heaven and earth are equal. Both involve the same

20:14 Speaker 1 descent, the same utter lack of comparison. But that is from the perspective of the Ein Sof. As for how it is received by those below, from the perspective of the recipient—how G-dliness is revealed to the recipients—we speak of two distinctions: one in tzimtzum and one in concealment. And this world is a lowly world. In this sense, this world is called the lowly world. First, let me finish explaining the lower worlds in general. Now, among the lower worlds themselves there is this world. This world is called the lowly world. In other words, even among the lower worlds, this world is the lowest. That is its defining character. It is the very, very lowest world. As you see in

24:15 Speaker 2 some kelipos that can be elevated and others that cannot be elevated. But from the standpoint of G-dliness versus its absence, from the standpoint of the light of the Ein Sof, G-dliness is something that is utterly nullified. Something in which the light of the Ein Sof shines is G-dliness; something that is not nullified to G-dliness is the sitra achra. Consequently, kelipas nogah is not nullified to G-dliness. When you look at it, what do you see? You do not see the light of the Ein Sof; you see an independent existence. That is what comes about in this physical world. Because of the screens, the partition, the garments, there comes to be an existence of kelipah, an existence of this world, the opposite of G-dliness. And this is found even in things that are permissible. That is why Rabbah said it. Even a person speaking, a person uttering words—even a person... His body belongs to kelipas nogah; it is kelipah, which conceals G-dliness. So what does the Rebbe say about this? He does not even count the life-force of the speaker within it here. The power of speech in itself, then, in this physical world—what is it? Kelipah. In other words, when a person speaks, his power of speech down here has two aspects. On the one hand, there is tzimtzum: the light is constricted. Why? Because this is the world of Asiyah. The higher light has been constricted all the way down. And besides tzimtzum, there is also concealment here, because it belongs to kelipas nogah. He speaks idle words, as I said; he speaks of matters belonging to kelipah. So there is concealment here too. But not so when he speaks words of Torah and prayer without intent. What happens when a person speaks words of Torah and prayer without intent, without understanding? Although he does not [unclear], the holiness of kelipas nogah of

25:59 Speaker 2 The vital soul is a separating screen that conceals and covers the holiness of the speech invested in it, just as there is a concealment of the Divine countenance through the aspect of kelipas nogah in the vital soul when a person speaks permissible idle words, as mentioned above. So as far as concealment is concerned, there is no concealment here, but as far as contraction is concerned, there is contraction. That is what the Rebbe is saying here now. But now, based on what we said—that there are two things, two shortcomings in this physical world—let me give you the main point. This is the key to the explanation. There are two shortcomings in this physical world. One shortcoming, we said, is contraction: the supernal light is contracted through successive contractions. That is one shortcoming. The second shortcoming is concealment: the light is clothed in a garment of nogah. So when a person uses his physical mouth to speak idle words, both shortcomings are present. There is contraction. The supernal life-force in the power of speech is a contracted life-force, and there is also concealment. Why? Because he is speaking idle words. He is speaking words—even permissible idle words. As it says in chapter 7, there are certain times when a person is permitted to speak idle words, when he could otherwise speak words of Torah, or when a person cannot speak words of Torah. These are things that are not an impure kelipah; they are kelipas nogah, but it is still a kelipah. So both shortcomings are present. There is supernal light contracted to the utmost: the supernal life-force that gives life to speech is a contracted life-force. And besides that, there is a garment of kelipah; there is concealment. But if I speak words of Torah, even without the proper intention—just words of Torah, a person speaking words of Torah without intention—then what happens? If we look at it in terms of garments, in terms of concealment, we cannot say there is a concealing garment here. He

27:57 Speaker 2 is speaking words of Torah. Torah is holiness; it is not nogah. So in terms of concealment, there is no concealment here, because he is speaking the letters of Torah. He is speaking the letters of Torah and prayer, so this is holiness. It is not nogah; it is holiness. That is true from that perspective. But if we look at the question of contraction, the life-force here is contracted. That is because the power of speech is a contracted power. The power of speech is physical, material speech. What makes speech physical and material? On what account? You saw in the previous chapter what makes speech material. What is the reason? The many contractions: there are so many contractions that the speech becomes material and physical. So that is present here too. And that is the difference when a person speaks words of Torah without intention, without love and awe. In terms of concealing garments, there are no concealing garments here; this is holiness. But in terms of the light, it is contracted, because the speaker—the person—is speaking words of Torah with his physical power of speech. And since there is no love and awe here, it is physical speech and remains on the physical plane. That is why it does not connect with the ten sefiros of the middos. By contrast, when he speaks words of Torah with love and awe, both advantages are present. They are words of Torah, so there is no kelipas nogah here; it is holiness, only holiness and blessing. And besides that, he is speaking words of Torah with love and awe, and love and awe are also something Divine, a revelation. Love and awe are connected with that; they are spiritual. There the Divine light shines openly. Love and awe are connected with the higher worlds. Love and awe come from the world of Beriah, the world of Asiyah, and the world of Yetzirah, depending on the level of love

29:38 Speaker 2 and awe. So both advantages are present here. There are no concealing screens, because these are words of Torah; and the Divine light here is not contracted, because this is Torah and mitzvos connected with love and awe. That is what the Rebbe goes on to explain here: the difference between Torah and mitzvos without love and awe and Torah and mitzvos with love and awe.