Even before the Tzimtzum

00:02 The Rebbe writes, in 5741—the maamar is “HaChodesh Hazeh,” but it is not in the maamar of “Or HaSiddur.” The Rebbe explicitly writes “Parshas Tetzaveh 5741.” What does he mean? What point is the Rebbe referring to in “Parshas Tetzaveh 5741”? The maamar in question does not discuss 5741 at all. The Rebbe says: [unclear], this is the first tzimtzum. It is a tzimtzum of complete withdrawal. But it was said earlier—there it says that there are tzimtzumim before the first tzimtzum. It says that from the light included in His Essence comes the light included in the Luminary; that, too, is a tzimtzum. And from one level to the next, before the tzimtzum, there is a tzimtzum there too. [unclear], but that is not complete withdrawal. [unclear], by the first tzimtzum we mean the tzimtzum in the world, which is complete withdrawal. But there, among the hidden tzimtzumim, it says there are tzimtzumim, not the first tzimtzum. The Rebbe says—I’m looking here a little in [unclear], Parshas Yisro—he says, what does it say here? There are hidden tzimtzumim; there are concealments. [unclear]. If so, “Or HaSiddur” is not of this world, and then the question arises: What is the novelty?

01:36 What is novel about there being tzimtzumim? Seemingly, one level leads to the next; that’s straightforward, isn’t it? [unclear]. “Or HaSiddur” already writes [unclear]. What do we mean? What are we trying to say? What do we mean? What are we trying to say? I’ll explain the answer to the question of what is novel in a moment. And the Rebbe, in Parshas Tetzaveh [unclear], until four in the afternoon there, [unclear] asked questions, [unclear]. What is novel about there being tzimtzumim before the first tzimtzum? The Rebbe says this follows from the fact that [unclear]. The Rebbe [unclear] puts it this way: Who says the intention was that, with Hashem, every level must come from a higher level? After the tzimtzum, as the Rebbe already said, that is the order of hishtalshelus: one level leads to the next, [unclear], through a tzimtzum. But any level can come from Hashem without a level above it. It doesn’t have to follow that order. So what is the novelty? [unclear]. Rather, what is the proof here that there was a process of hishtalshelus? From the two [unclear], between the light included in the Luminary, and from there it comes with the—

03:16 [unclear]. The Rebbe doesn’t just say this without a basis; how do we establish that there was light included in the Luminary? What proof is there that this is how it was? The Rebbe says the proof is from Igeres Hakodesh. In Igeres Hakodesh 20, the Rebbe says that the source of yesh is Atzmus. After all, this applies only to yesh. Physical yesh comes directly from Atzmus, without a level above it. When it says here that its source comes from a higher level, the Rebbe means [unclear] the content within the physical yesh—the content it receives from a higher level. But the very existence of the yesh, the yesh itself, comes from the True Yesh without [unclear]. And since the Rebbe says it comes from Atzmus, isn’t that this world? Things that are not fully yesh come through hishtalshelus from others [unclear]. The Rebbe says, [unclear]. If the Rebbe takes the position that the light comes into being directly from Atzmus, and not through [unclear], then it isn’t only physical yesh that comes from Atzmus; other things come from Atzmus too. Seemingly, someone could say: Physical yesh comes from Atzmus because only He can create physical yesh. [unclear]. But when He creates physical yesh, that does not mean it comes directly from Atzmus; everything comes through—

04:55 hishtalshelus. [unclear]. And the Rebbe says that everything comes through [unclear]. And the Rebbe once said—this interested me—where did the Rebbe get that from? Was it from [unclear], was it from Atzmus? [unclear]. So how would I know where it came from? He doesn’t need sources, and he doesn’t need the Ramak, and [unclear]. That is [unclear], and one can even make a distinction. [unclear].