Likkutei Amarim Tanya - Chapter 46 - Part 9

00:01 The Alter Rebbe began explaining the blessing over a mitzvah here, based on everything we have learned about “as water reflects a face to a face.” The whole point we discussed—the love of Hakadosh Boruch Hu for the Jewish people—is alluded to in the wording of the blessing we say before performing a mitzvah: “Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us.” The Alter Rebbe explained that “sanctified us” is related to kiddushin, betrothal. And what is kiddushin? A man betroths a woman: he designates her, sanctifies her, sets her apart. For what purpose? So that afterward there can be the union of marriage. Similarly, with Hakadosh Boruch Hu: at the Giving of the Torah, Hakadosh Boruch Hu... Why is there room in the back? Huh? You can hear better in the back. One foot out the door—you have to stand that way so you can escape in the middle. I don’t care about my honor; this is the honor of the Tanya. A Tanya class is one of the most serious things, one of the essential things. In any case, the Alter Rebbe explains that there is a purpose here. Similarly, with Hakadosh Boruch Hu and the Jewish people, the kiddushin was when Hakadosh Boruch Hu betrothed the Jewish people at the Giving of the Torah. And what was the purpose of the kiddushin? Marriage: when a Jew performs the mitzvos, he unites with Hakadosh Boruch Hu. The Alter Rebbe continues and says: “And this is what we say...” Yes, on the page, the fourth line from the top. “And this is what we say: ‘Who has sanctified us with His commandments.’” Again, the Alter Rebbe repeats the same words he said earlier. He also said them three lines lower down on page 130: “And this is what we say: ‘Who has sanctified us with His commandments.’” And here the Alter Rebbe again repeats

02:48 the same thing. But what is different? He gives it another interpretation. “And this is what we say: ‘Who has sanctified us with His commandments’—that He has elevated us to the level of holiness above.” The Alter Rebbe asks: What does “Who has sanctified us with His commandments” mean? Here he adds a new interpretation. What does it mean? That Hakadosh Boruch Hu lifted us up, elevated us to a level called kodesh, holiness. In other words, there are two different interpretations of “Who has sanctified us with His commandments.” The earlier interpretation was that “sanctified us” means kiddushin, as when a man betroths a woman. Hakadosh Boruch Hu betrothed the Jewish people, and the purpose of betrothal is to reach a union. But what does “sanctified us” describe? What Hakadosh Boruch Hu did to us: kiddushin. In the second interpretation, the Alter Rebbe says something new: “sanctified us” refers to a lev— to a level. There is a level of G-dliness called kodesh, the holiness of Hakadosh Boruch Hu. “Who has sanctified us with His commandments” means that Hakadosh Boruch Hu elevated us to that level of kodesh, raised us up to holiness. The Alter Rebbe says He lifted us to that level. So what, plainly, is the difference between the first interpretation and the second? In the first, the Alter Rebbe is talking about the person—what Hakadosh Boruch Hu did to the person. “He sanctified us” means kiddushin: He took the person out of Egypt and brought him into the Land. He sanctified him, set him apart, designated him for the purpose of marriage. The second interpretation speaks about the level of G-dliness to which He brought us. So “sanctified us”—to what? To the lofty level called kodesh, the holiness of Hakadosh Boruch Hu. “Sanctified us” means He elevated us to Hakadosh Boruch Hu. In a moment we’ll see how the Alter Rebbe connects the two interpretations. We’ll explain more clearly what

05:01 the difference is between the two interpretations and how he connects them. First, let’s read a little from the text of the Tanya. “And this is what we say: ‘Who has sanctified us with His commandments’—that through the mitzvos He has elevated us to the level of the supernal holiness.” Hakadosh Boruch Hu elevated the person to the level of supernal holiness. What is this level called supernal holiness? “It is the holiness of Hakadosh Boruch Hu Himself, in His glory.” What is supernal holiness? The holiness of Hakadosh Boruch Hu Himself. “Holiness means separation: Hakadosh Boruch Hu is separate from all the worlds. It is the level of sovev kol almin, which cannot be enclothed within them.” Here the Alter Rebbe explains what supernal holiness means. Kodesh, he says, means separation. What kind of separation are we talking about? That Hakadosh Boruch Hu is separate from all the worlds. This is the level of sovev kol almin: G-dliness that is above the world, separate from it, and cannot be enclothed within it. It is to this level that Hakadosh Boruch Hu elevates a Jew when he performs a mitzvah. This is the holiness of Hakadosh Boruch Hu Himself. Let’s explain the matter in a little more detail. What is the Alter Rebbe saying here? It is like this: everyone knows that Chassidus explains at length, in many places, that there are two levels in the flow of G-dliness. Generally speaking, there is G-dliness that is enclothed within the world, known as the light of memalei kol almin. And there is G-dliness that is separate from the world, known as sovev kol almin. The difference between the light of memalei kol almin and the light of sovev kol almin is that memalei kol almin is a light enclothed within the world inwardly, so that the world can receive and sense this level as it is revealed within it, because it is revealed

07:05 according to the world’s parameters. In the words of our Sages, “Just as the soul fills the body, so Hakadosh Boruch Hu fills the world.” The soul is enclothed in the body, in each limb according to its capacity and its function. Intellect is enclothed in the brain, and the power of walking in the foot; each limb receives the influence of its corresponding faculty according to its own characteristics. The same applies to the light of memalei kol almin: it is enclothed in each world, each sefirah, and each created being according to its own parameters, and the created being grasps it inwardly. This is called inward enclothement, inward vitality. Sovev kol almin, by contrast, is described as holy and separate. What does that mean? It is a light the world cannot receive. It is beyond the world’s parameters. It is an unlimited light, so the world cannot grasp or receive it. Its revelation is therefore not inward, but encompassing. That is why it is called holy: holy and separate, remaining above the world rather than being enclothed within it inwardly. With Hashem’s help, we’ll learn chapter 48—a very special chapter—in which the Alter Rebbe explains at length and in detail the differences between memalei kol almin and sovev kol almin. So that is what it means. This is the meaning of “holiness”: a level that, because of its greatness and loftiness, is separate from the world. The world cannot absorb it inwardly; it remains holy and separate. When we call someone “a holy person,” what do we mean? He is set apart, a special, elevated person whom ordinary people cannot understand or grasp. He is on a different level. Similarly here, of course, there is a certain

08:54 Without end, an aspect of an end, and so on. So here the Alter Rebbe adds something further. The Alter Rebbe does not simply speak of Hashem’s holiness; he emphasizes in his wording that it is the holiness of Hashem Himself, in all His glory. What do the words “Himself, in all His glory” add? They mean that even within sovev kol almin—the Divine light that transcends all worlds—there can be several levels. Which level of sovev kol almin are we talking about here? Which level of holiness? The holiness of Hashem Himself, in all His glory. Earlier, on the previous page, the Alter Rebbe also used the words “Himself, in all His glory.” Right, you remember? It was in the previous chapter, on the previous page. The Alter Rebbe spoke about Hashem descending to Egypt, and there too he used the expression that Hashem Himself, in all His glory, descended there. Here too the Alter Rebbe emphasizes the words “Himself, in all His glory.” There he was speaking about the movement of the Exodus from Egypt: Hashem Himself, in all His glory, descended to Egypt—not through an angel or a messenger. And here he uses the same expression, “Himself, in all His glory,” regarding a Jew’s involvement in fulfilling mitzvos, through which he connects to Hashem. To what level does he rise? He rises to a level of supreme holiness. And which level of supreme holiness? Hashem Himself, in all His glory. This connects with the whole analogy we discussed earlier. Of course, we have already mentioned several times what the Alter Rebbe’s point is here with the chamber within a chamber. It is not only the connection between the king and the lowly, humble man. The Alter Rebbe’s whole point is that the king himself, in all his glory—as a great king, in the height of his greatness and amid his multitudes—descends to the simple man with all his own greatness. And where does he bring him? He takes the simple man and brings him into the inner chamber,

11:06 a chamber within a chamber, to his own place, where he himself is in all his glory. That is the deepest place, where no one comes or enters. That is the whole point of the Alter Rebbe’s analogy of the chamber within a chamber. The same applies to its meaning for us. So here too we say the same thing: on the one hand, Hashem descended to Egypt. Which aspect of Hashem? The aspect of “Himself, in all His glory,” the highest level of sovev kol almin. And to what level does Hashem raise us? To the level of sovev kol almin. But which level of sovev kol almin? The holiness of Hashem Himself, in all His glory. What is the precise meaning of “Himself, in all His glory”? It means reaching His holiness. So it is generally explained that there are two levels within sovev kol almin. There are more than that, but the source discusses two levels. There is what is called sovev kol almin, and there is what is called the true sovev. That is, there is a level that transcends and is above the world: “He is holy.” But it has a connection to the world. What did I tell you? It is holy and set apart, yet it still has a connection to matters of the world. But there is a level of holiness and separateness so utterly set apart that it is not even in the category of having a connection. When you say sovev kol almin, you are saying that it is above the world and encompasses it. But the very fact that you say “kol almin”—“all worlds”—means that it has some connection to the world, though it is above it. The very fact that you distinguish it from the reality of the world means that it has some relationship to the world, only it is above it. So there is a connection. But when we speak of the true sovev, we mean Himself: a degree of separateness entirely beyond any connection to these things. The Rebbe once spoke about this at a farbrengen. The Rebbe gave a very interesting analogy.

13:08 The Rebbe spoke about the difference between sovev kol almin and the true sovev. So, broadly speaking, what is sovev? Sovev is what is above limits. But something can be above limits and still have a connection to them. Right? It can be above limits yet connected to limits. Or it can be so far above limits that it is not in the category of limits at all. These are two ways of being without limit, two forms of sovev. The Rebbe gave a very concrete and very interesting analogy. The Rebbe spoke about tzedakah. He said there can be three ways of giving tzedakah. One way is that you take money you have received. You earned money. It is the end of the month, say. You received your wages, your salary. You earned a certain amount. Right? Let’s say a person earned a thousand dollars. He takes that thousand dollars, calculates a tenth or a fifth, sets aside the amount, and gives it to tzedakah. That is tzedakah within measure and limits, tzedakah according to what is required. There is an obligation to give a certain amount—a tenth, a fifth, in any case. He calculates how much he has and gives the percentage he needs to give according to halachah. There is a higher way: he does not look at the amount. He puts his... The Rebbe said he puts his hand in his pocket, pulls out however many bills come out, and gives them to the poor person. So what happens? There is no calculation here. He might pull out two hundred dollars. He might pull out five hundred dollars. He simply put his hand into his wallet and gave the person whatever came out. So what he gave already has an element of being beyond measure, an aspect of being without limit. But still, ultimately, it is

15:11 above calculation, yet it has a connection to calculation. Why? Because the person put his hand in his pocket. He knew there were a thousand dollars in his pocket, and he did not give all thousand dollars. He gave part of it. He just does not know whether that part was ten percent, twenty percent, thirty percent, or fifty percent. But at least he knows it was a part and not the whole thing—a part of what he had. So that is like sovev, but it still has a connection. There is no precise calculation; it is without limit, but it has a connection to limits. Then the Rebbe described another way. A person gives a check to the tzedakah administrator and tells him to write in the amount himself. “You write in as many zeros as you want.” Oh, that is hard. It is no simple matter. The tzedakah administrator might know how to take advantage of you and write in a lot of zeros. There was such a practice with the Rebbe. Quite a few chassidim would give the Rebbe a blank check for the Rebbe to fill in the amount. The Rebbe spoke about this. These were great, holy chassidim. It was not easy; it was a bit... There were once several chassidim who did this. Some checks the Rebbe accepted, and some the Rebbe returned to them. The Rebbe once said when he returned one, “I am not interested in being given a blank check.” It can be a bit of a way of showing that you are connected. Afterward, you will have to go to a doctor to have your heart checked, because you do not know what number will be written in. So the Rebbe knew who was capable of it and who was not. Some checks the Rebbe returned, and some he accepted. There was once such an incident. So the Rebbe explained that giving a blank check is

17:00 A movement of boundlessness—that, that shows it is sovev. It is completely outside the bounds of limitation; you cannot know where its limit is. Check what kind it is, at any rate. That is the analogy the Rebbe gave. Now let’s get to our point. The same is true here. When the Rebbe speaks here about the tremendous greatness of a mitzvah—that a mitzvah connects you with the spark—what does “Who sanctified us with His mitzvos” mean? “Sanctified us” means that He sanctified us, that He raised us to His own level, to Hakadosh Boruch Hu. Through a mitzvah, He raises a Jew to His own level, to holiness. Which level of supreme holiness does the Rebbe mean here? In other words, which level of sovev? Which level of holiness? The Essence. Not holiness, not a level of sovev that has a connection to the worlds, but His very Essence, at a level of sovev entirely beyond any connection to the worlds. That is the whole innovation of Matan Torah: to reveal the level of mitzvos as they belong to the Essence, mitzvos as they are above the level of sovev kol almin, mitzvos as they are connected with His very Essence. And Jews reach that level by fulfilling the mitzvos. So that is the point the Rebbe is explaining here with the two meanings of “Who sanctified us with His mitzvos.” We have spent quite a while on this, but briefly, at any rate: What is the difference between the two meanings here? If we look carefully, we can see that in his explanation of the verse, the Rebbe writes about the three elements we discussed. We’ll get to that point, at any rate. We mentioned in the previous class that there are three parts to this. There is the Exodus from Egypt, when Hakadosh Boruch Hu took us out of exile. There is Matan Torah, when Hakadosh Boruch Hu—

19:20 Hakadosh Boruch Hu connected with the Jewish people. We can call that betrothal. And there is the fulfillment of a mitzvah, when the actual union of Jews with Hakadosh Boruch Hu takes place. It is like the analogy of the king: he takes the man out of his lowly state, then brings him into chamber after chamber, and then comes the union, the connection, the marriage. These three elements are found here in both of the meanings he gives. He also says: when a man betroths a woman, there are two aspects to it. There is the idea that he makes her forbidden to everyone else, like consecrated property—as the young men here learn in the Gemara in Kiddushin. That is the idea of separation, corresponding to the Exodus from Egypt: taking him out of exile. He separated us from all the nations. That is the first point of betrothal. Then there is Matan Torah, the betrothal and the union with Him. That is the point of bringing him into chamber after chamber. That is what happened at Matan Torah—those are the two parts of the first interpretation. And then, when a man betroths a woman so that she will be united with him—what is the purpose of betrothal? To reach the ultimate union. After that, the Rebbe discusses a third aspect of “Who sanctified us with His mitzvos”: He raises us above, to a higher holiness. That is the deeper point, at any rate: the king takes the simple man and embraces him, like the embrace between a man and a woman. Then He raises him to His own level of holiness. There is much more to explain about this. We’ll explain it, with Hashem’s help, inshallah.