1

Basi L'Gani
Defining Our Purpose on Earth

About the 10th day of Shevat

The 10th day of Shevat

The 10th day of Shvat marks the day of the ascendancy to leadership of the
Lubavitcher Rebbe Shlita, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson.
The Previous Rebbe of Saintly memory wrote a four-part series of chassidic
discourses (a hemshech of maamarim) based on the verse from Shir Hashirim, "I
have come into My garden, My sister, My bride."
Its first part, comprising five chapters, was released in advance with the intention
that it be studied on Yud Shvat, to mark the anniversary of the passing of his saintly
grandmother.
As it transpired, this was to be the date of his own passing.
Since "all the effort of man for which his soul toiled during his lifetime...becomes
revealed...at the time of his passing," it is clear that this series encapsulates the
parting message of the Previous Rebbe's life-work.
Indeed, less than a year later the Rebbe Shlita said: "I would like to suggest that we
all commit to memory the maamar entitled Basi LeGani, in its entirety or in part.... In
times of confusion or of doubt,...we should think it through. It is not the quantity that
counts. What matters...is that we connect ourselves to the source.... Mastering the
maamar will nourish our soul-connection (hiskashrus) with its author not only when
we recite it, but at other times too our minds will be suffused thereby with the
[Previous] Rebbe's teachings."
Part II of the series was intended by the author to be studied on the Thirteenth of
Shvat, to mark the anniversary of the passing of his saintly mother.
Part III was to have been released in time for study on Purim, and Part IV was
intended for Beis Nissan, the anniversary of the passing of the author's father, the
Rebbe Rashab, of blessed memory.
The introductions, conclusions and chapter summaries of the last two Parts were
never composed; the Rebbe Shlita released them for publication in the form in
which they left their author's hand.
Year by year, it has been the custom of the Rebbe Shlita to expound another
chapter of the series in a discourse of his own.
(The first twenty such maamarim first appeared in 5737 in a Hebrew volume entitled
Sefer HaMaamarim Basi LeGani.)
The first of the series, delivered on the first anniversary of the passing of the
Previous Rebbe, is particularly noteworthy: it was the first maamar delivered by the
Rebbe Shlita after he had taken up the mantle of leadership.
Kehot Publication Society published these two works in one English- language
volume: "Basi LeGani 5710"
It consists of the abovementioned series of maamarim of the Previous Rebbe, and
Basi LeGani 5711, the first maamar of the Rebbe Shlita.
Translations were done by Rabbi Eliyahu Touger and by Rabbi Sholom Ber
Wineberg and edited by Uri Kaploun.

A Word from the Editor

The original Hebrew texts were intended to read like transcripts of oral
presentations.
The translation only partly attempts to convert this structure into the more familiar
essay style, while adding phrases where needed - to clarify obscurities and to
maintain a free flow of ideas.
The original text and the [bracketed] additions are intended to be read as one
interwoven continuum.
(Parentheses appear as used in the original.)
All the unbracketed footnotes were written by the Rebbe Shlita for the original
Hebrew editions.
It is our hope that the publication of this translation will in some measure help this
"seventh generation" to accomplish its task - of completing the historic process of
drawing the Divine Presence back into this material world.
Sichos In English
Motzaei Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh Shvat, 5750

Editor's Note
In a tiny Australian townlet called Shepparton, which was to carry the seed of
today's thriving empire of Chabad-Lubavitch activity that spans the entire continent,
an elderly chassid woke up suddenly one Friday night.
This was my late grandfather, Reb Moishe Zalman Feiglin of blessed memory, a
chassid who for decades had been bound with every thread of his noble soul to the
Previous Rebbe, of saintly memory, even though during their time in this world they
had never met.
As he was then recently widowed, his twelve-year-old grandson (the editor of this
volume) slept in his house to keep him company.
On that Friday night he hurried anxiously into the dining-room, where I followed him,
to discover what had woken him: a framed photograph of the Previous Rebbe,
which for years had occupied pride of place on a sideboard at the head of the room,
had fallen to the floor.
Pointing at the shattered glass he said quietly, "Something has happened!"
I did my best to reassure him that there must have been a draft or perhaps a tremor,
but to no avail.
On Shabbos morning he shared his concern with our learned neighbor Reb Bezalel
Wilschansky, the first of the Previous Rebbe's emissaries to Australia, who had
come by as always to say Gut Shabbos, and to accompany my grandfather and my
father of blessed memory to shul. He too sought to reassure my grandfather.
Now my zeide was a man who had never been known to be shocked out of his
tranquil faith and equanimity. This Shabbos, the only time in my recollection, he
could find no peace.
Finally, some time after Shabbos, the ominous telegram arrived from Brooklyn. The
date of that Shabbos was the Tenth of Shvat 5710 (1950).
May his everlasting merit protect us. U.K.

Customs for Yud Shvat

By the Grace of G-d Rosh Chodesh Shvat, 5711 Brooklyn, N.Y.
To Anash, to the students of Tomchei Tmimim, and to those who have a bond or a
relationship with my revered father-in-law the saintly Rebbe, of blessed memory:
G-d bless you all.
Greeting and blessings:
In reply to the many questions that have been asked about a detailed schedule for
the Tenth of Shvat, the yahrzeit of my revered father-in- law, the Rebbe, I would
hereby suggest the following:
1. On the Shabbos before the yahrzeit [each chassid] should attempt to be
called for an aliyah to the Torah.
1. If there are not enough aliyos the Torah should be read [a number of times] in
different rooms. However, no additions should be made to the number of
aliyos [at each reading].
1. The congregation should see to it that the Maftir should be the most
respected member of the congregation, as determined by the majority of the
congregation; alternatively, the choice should be determined by lot.
1. The congregation should choose someone to lead the prayers on the day of
the yahrzeit. It is proper to divide [the honor, choosing] one person to lead
Maariv, a second to lead Shacharis, and a third -- Minchah. In this way a
greater number of Anash will have the privilege.
1. A [yahrzeit] candle should be lit that will burn throughout the twenty-four
hours. If possible, the candle should be of beeswax.
1. Five candles should burn during the prayer services.
1. After each prayer service (and in the morning, [this means] after the reading
of Tehillim), the sheliach tzibbur should study (or at least conclude the study
of) chapter 24 of Mishnayos Keilim and chapter 7 of Mishnayos Mikvaos. He
should then recite the mishnah beginning "Rabbi Chananyah ben
Akashyah...," followed silently by a few lines of Tanya, and Kaddish
deRabbanan.
1. After Maariv, part of the maamar (Basi LeGani) that was released for the day
of the demise should be recited from memory. If there is no one to do this
from memory, it should be studied from the text. This should also be done
after Shacharis, and the maamar should be concluded after Minchah.
1. Before Shacharis, a chapter of Tanya should be studied. This should also be
done after Minchah.
1. In the morning, before prayer, charity should be given to those institutions
that are related to our Nassi, my revered father-in-law, of sainted memory.
Donations should be made on behalf of oneself and on behalf of each
member of one's family. The same should be done before Minchah.
1. After Shacharis and the recitation of the maamar, each individual should read
a pidyon nefesh. (It goes without saying that a gartl is worn during the
reading.) Those who had the privilege of entering [the saintly Rebbe's study]
for yechidus, or at least of seeing his face, should -- while reading the pidyon
nefesh -- picture themselves as standing before him. The pidyon nefesh
should then be placed between the pages of a maamar or kuntreis, etc., of
his teachings, and sent, if possible on the same day, to be read at his

graveside.
1. In the course of the day one should study chapters of Mishnayos that begin
with the letters of his name.
1. In the course of the day one should participate in a farbrengen.
1. In the course of the day one should set aside a time during which to tell one's
family about the saintly Rebbe, and about the spiritual tasks at which he
toiled throughout all the days of his life.
1. In the course of the day, people (to whom this task is appropriate) should visit
synagogues and houses of study in their cities and cite a statement or an
adage drawn from the teachings of the saintly Rebbe. They should explain
how he loved every Jew. [Furthermore,] they should make known and explain
the practice that he instituted of reciting Tehillim every day, studying the daily
portion of Chumash with the commentary of Rashi, and, where appropriate,
studying the Tanya as he divided it into daily readings throughout the year. If
possible this should all be done in the course of a farbrengen.
9475.
In the course of the day, people (who are fit for the task) should visit
centers of observant youth -- and, in a neighborly spirit, should make every
endeavor to also visit centers for the young people who are not yet observant
-- in order to explain to them the warm love that the saintly Rebbe constantly
had for them. It should be explained to these people what he expected of
them; they should be told of the hope and the trust that he placed in them -that they would ultimately fulfill their task of strengthening the observance of
Judaism and disseminating the study of Torah with all the energy, warmth and
vitality that characterize youth.
If prevailing conditions allow, all the above should of course be continued during the
days following the yahrzeit, and particularly on the following Shabbos.
May G-d hasten the coming of our Redeemer, and then "those who lie in the dust
will awaken and sing joyful praises." And our Nassi among them will give us
wondrous tidings, and lead us along the path that leads up to the House of G-d.
[Signed:] Menachem Mendel Schneerson

Chapter 1
The following maamar, comprising chapters 1-5 (i.e. Part I) of the series of discourses
with the general title of Basi LeGani, was released in advance for study on Shabbos,
Parshas Bo, Yud Shvat 5710 (1950), in honor of the yahrzeit of the author's grandmother,
the saintly Rebbitzin Rivkah.
Part I

Basi L'Gani
"I have come into My garden, My sister, My bride." [Shir HaShirim 5:1.]
[Shir HaShirim, the Midrash explains, is not to be taken at face value: it is a
metaphor describing the ongoing relationship between G-d and His bride, the
Jewish people.
The above verse, for example, refers to the time of the construction of the
Sanctuary, when the Shechinah came into His garden -- for it was then that the
Divine Presence, distant for a time, was again revealed in this world.]
[The Hebrew word that means "to My garden" is now discussed.]

Midrash Rabbah (on the above verse) observes that the word used is not L'Gan
[which would mean "to the garden"], but L'Gani [which means "to My garden"] - and
this implies L'Gnuni [which means "to My bridal chamber."
For, as the commentaries on the Midrash explain, this possessive form implies a
private place, such as the chamber in which the spiritual union of groom and bride is
consummated.
The Divine Presence is thus saying:] "I have come into My bridal chamber, into the
place in which My essence was originally revealed."
The Midrash continues: "In the beginning, the essence of the Shechinah was
apparent in this lowly world.
However, in the wake of the [cosmic] sin of the Tree of Knowledge, the Shechinah
departed from the earth and rose into the heavens.
Later, on account of the sin of Cain and then of Enosh, the Shechinah withdrew
even further from this world, rising from the nearest heaven to the second, and then
to the third.
Later yet, the sins of the generation of the Deluge caused it to recede from the third
heaven to the fourth, and so on.
This progressive recession of the revealed Divine Presence is alluded to in the
wording of the verse that relates that Adam and Eve `heard the sound of G-d
walking about in the garden.' [Bereishis 3:8.]
R. Abba notes: `The verse does not use the expected form of the verb, Mehalech,
but rather Mithalech, which suggests that they heard the Divine Presence springing
back in successive stages of withdrawal.'"
The Midrash proceeds to explain that [after the sins of seven generations had
caused the Divine Presence to withdraw seven spiritual levels from its initial
manifestation in this world], seven tzaddikim arose whose divine service drew the
Divine Presence down once more into this world below.
Through the merit of Avraham the Shechinah was brought down from the seventh
heaven to the sixth, through the merit of Yitzchak the Shechinah was brought down
from the sixth heaven to the fifth, and so on - until Moshe, the seventh of these
tzaddikim (and "all those who are seventh are cherished"), drew the revelation of
the Shechinah down once again into this world below.
Divinity was primarily revealed in the Beis HaMikdash, as it is written, "And they
shall make Me a sanctuary and I shall dwell within them."
Significantly, the last Hebrew word of the verse is not, as expected, betocho [which
would mean "within it"], but betocham, which means "within them" - for G-d craves a
dwelling place within each individual Jew.
This concept can grant us an insight into the verse, - "The righteous will inherit the
land and dwell forever upon it."
Now the word le-ad, here translated "forever", recalls the word "ad" in the phrase, "He Who dwells forever, exalted and holy is His Name."
Our verse may thus be understood as follows:
The righteous will inherit the land, which is an allusion to Gan Eden, because they
cause "Him Who dwells forever, exalted and holy is His Name," to dwell and be
revealed in this physical world below.
With this in mind [namely, the revelation of the Divine Presence in the Sanctuary,
and more particularly, the revelation of the divine dimension within himself which
each individual secures through the construction of his personal sanctuary], we can
better understand the interpretation of the verse, "I have come into My garden," as

"I have come into My bridal chamber"; i.e., the Shechinah here speaks of its return
to the original location of its essential abode - in the midst of the nether beings.
Now the ultimate purpose for the creation of the [spiritual and physical] worlds was
that "G-d desired to have a dwelling place in the lower worlds":
He desired that Divinity be revealed [even on the material plane] below - by means
of man's divine service of subordinating and transforming his physical nature; He
desired that the divine soul descend from its spiritual heights and become enclothed
in a body with an animal soul, which would conceal and obscure the divine soul's
light; and despite all this, [through the study of Torah and the observance of the
commandments], the divine soul would refine and purify the body and the animal
soul, as well as its portion in the world, i.e., its environment.
This, then, is the meaning of the above-quoted verse, "And they shall make Me a
Sanctuary and I shall dwell within them" - within each individual Jew.
The individual brings about this [revelation of the Divine Presence within his
personal sanctuary] through his divine service of sifting and refining materiality, by
subordinating and transforming his physical nature.
In this spirit it is written, "When the sitra achra [lit., `the other side'; i.e., the cosmic
force opposing holiness] is subdued, the glory of G-d rises thereby [and is diffused]
throughout all the worlds."
When the phrase "throughout all the worlds" is used [by the Zohar], it intends to
describe a level of Divine light that is diffused equally in all worlds -- i.e., [the
transcendent order of Divine illumination that the Kabbalah calls] sovev kol almin.
[The light of sovev kol almin is unique.]
The [spiritual] worlds exist at various levels: in the higher realms the Divine light
shines forth in overt revelation, while in the lower realms the revelation is not as
apparent. At certain levels, the light is [even] hidden and obscured.
The Midrash refers to this variety of levels in its comment on the verse, - "My hand
established the earth, and My right hand spanned the heavens."
It declares: "He stretched out His right hand and created the heavens; He stretched
out His left hand and created the earth."
As is known, the right hand signifies a greater light and more overt revelation [than
does the left]. And this right hand created "the heavens," signifying the higher
spiritual realms, where the Divine light is both more intense and more revealed.
The left hand, by contrast, created "the earth," signifying the lower spiritual realms,
where the Divine light is both less intense and more concealed.
[This concept can be grasped more completely through comprehension of] the
differences between the four spiritual realms alluded to in the verse, - "All that is
called by My Name, it is for My glory that I created it, formed it, and indeed made it."
These words allude [in descending order] to the Four Worlds [i.e., to the four stages
in the creative process] - Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah.
The manner of illumination in Atzilus differs from that in the other three Worlds, for
in Atzilus that [Divine energy] which had been concealed becomes revealed.
Significantly, the root (otzal) of the Hebrew word Atzilus has two very different
meanings:
2. "next to," and
3. "separate."
On the one hand, Atzilus is separate enough from its Source to be categorized as a
World; on the other hand, it never ceases to be one of the [infinite] worlds of the Ein
Sof.

This is not the case with the World of Beriah.

There we see the beginnings of [seemingly] independent existence: the creation of
something from nothing.
In the above-quoted verse, the phrases "My Name" and "My glory" signify a state of
being that is still at one with its Divine Source.
They thus refer to the World of Atzilus, which is still integrally united with its Source
-- a World in which the Divine light shines forth in utter revelation.
The Divine revelation in the other three Worlds is very different [inasmuch as they
are creations, and hence perceive themselves as having an identity distinct from
that of their Source].
Moreover, as their separate names indicate -- Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah - there are
differences in the degree of light received by each.
This differentiation, however, [which varies with the absorptive capacity of each
realm], is true only of that manner of Divine illumination that animates the various
Worlds immanently.
This kind of light is called memaleh kol almin [lit., "that which fills all the worlds"].
But there is another kind of light, a light that is oblivious to the particular limitations
of the various realms. Transcending them all, it illumines them equally. This kind of
light is called sovev kol almin [lit., "that which encompasses all the worlds"].
When the above-mentioned quotation spoke of the glory of G-d rising and being
diffused "throughout all the worlds," it was speaking of this kind of light, which is
absorbed by all worlds equally.
If this light is to be elicited and drawn into all the worlds, man must labor at his task
of beirurim, sifting and refining materiality, by subordinating and transforming his
physical nature.
This is what is meant by the above statement from the Zohar.
"When the sitra achra is subdued" - i.e., when by laboring at his divine service a
Jew subjugates the forces of unholiness and darkness is transformed into light - the
ensuing light is superior because it issues from the darkness.
When darkness itself is thus transformed into light, this light is superior in that its
illumination is manifest even in this physical world below: it is drawn equally into all
worlds.
In these terms we can understand the above-quoted statement of the Zohar: "When
the sitra achra is subdued, the glory of G-d rises thereby [and is diffused]
throughout all the worlds."
This refers to the transcendent level of Divine light, that which is sovev kol almin,
whose diffusion equally encompasses all worlds below and above.
This, as explained above, is what is meant by the verse: "And they shall make Me a
sanctuary and I shall dwell within them" - within each individual Jew, through his
labors in the divine service of subjugating his physical nature and transmuting
darkness into light.
In this way the resultant light is enhanced and "the glory of G-d rises [and is
diffused] throughout all the worlds," for the transcendent light of sovev kol almin is
thereby revealed.

Summary
The essence of the Shechinah was apparent in the lower worlds. The chapter
explains that the ultimate purpose for the world's creation is G-d's desire for a
dwelling place in the lower worlds.

This terrestrial abode is constructed through man's divine service - subduing and
transforming his physical nature.
In this manner he causes the transcendent light of sovev kol almin, which
illuminates all worlds equally, to be revealed.

Chapter 2
The divine service in the Mishkan and in the Beis HaMikdash centered around the
task of beirurim, the refining of materiality -- through the subduing of man's physical
nature, which brings one to the yet loftier goal of transforming darkness into light.
For this reason, one of the modes of divine service in the Sanctuary was the offering
of sacrifices.
This was not merely a physical act; the participation of the Kohanim and Levi'im,
who accompanied the offerings with their hymns and musical instruments,
demonstrates that these sacrifices were a spiritual mode of divine service taking
place in a man's soul.
In the personal sphere of a man's service of G-d, the theme of a sacrificial offering
is alluded to in the verse, [Vayikra 1:2.] "A man who shall bring from you an offering
to G-d, -- of the cattle, of the herd and of the flock, shall you bring your offering."
The order of the opening words here is problematic.
If the intention of the verse was simply to describe the laws of offering a sacrifice, it
would have said, "A man of you who shall bring,"and so on. As is well known,
however, the transposition ("A man who shall bring from you...") shows that the
verse intended to teach a fundamental principle of the sacrifices, insofar as they are
carried over into every man's personal service of G-d.
The opening phrase should thus be understood as follows.
The verb used here for "bringing an offering" is Yakriv, which shares a common root
with the verb meaning Karev "to draw near."
And indeed, the function of the sacrifices was to bring one's spiritual faculties and
sensibilities closer to G-d.
The opening Hebrew phrase can thus be understood to speak of a man who seeks
to draw near to G-d.
And the irregular order of the words in the verse now allows it to be interpreted as
follows: "If a man wants to bring an offering, i.e., if he wants to draw near to G-d,
then this is from you, dependent on you."
[The possibility and responsibility for the closeness of a man's connection with G-d
lies within himself.]
Let no man say, "How shall I approach G-d?" He may well know his essential
lowliness; he may well realize to what degree he has tainted his soul through
improper conduct; he may well grasp the prodigious distance that he has thereby
imposed between himself and G-d. But in answer to his question, the Torah assures
him: "Your nearness to G-d is all from you; it depends only on yourself."
For it is within the reach of every Jew to say, "When will my deeds approach the
deeds of my forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov?"
No bounds, blocks or obstacles whatever can prevent a Jew from elevating himself
and attaining a closeness to G-d.
Moreover, "G-d does not confront His creatures with unfair demands," but bestows
His revelation and His light upon each individual according to his capacity.

In the words of Midrash Rabbah, "When I make demands upon them, I do not
demand according to My capacity, but according to theirs" -- according to each
individual's personal potential.
Hence no hindrances can prevent one from rising to attain a closeness to G-d.
The first lesson, then, that the verse about sacrifices teaches a man who seeks to
draw near to G-d is that the capacity to do so is m-kem "from you," dependent upon
himself alone.
The same word, however, holds another implication.
The sacrificial object to be offered is not only an actual animal; rather, as three
words of our verse teach: m-kem korban L'Hashem - "From * you * shall there be a
sacrifice to G-d."
The object that needs to be sacrificed is the animal within a man's heart, viz., his
animal soul.
After stating in general terms that the offering to G-d is to be brought "of the cattle,"
the verse proceeds to enumerate the detailed categories of animal that need to be
sacrificed: "of the herd and of the flock shall you bring your offering." For every man
has his own distinctive task of self-refinement.
One man has to sacrifice an animal nature that is as gross as a goring ox; another
has to cope with an animal nature that resembles a sheep - - albeit an animal, but at
least more docile.
(The meaning of each of these categories in a man's personal divine service is
discussed at length in Kuntreis HaTefillah, 5660 [by the Rebbe RaShaB].)
The verse closes on the same lines: Takrivu Es Korbanchem --"you (plural) shall
bring your offering." For each individual has his unique challenge of self-refinement.
When the offering of an actual animal was brought in the Beis HaMikdash, it was
sacrificed on the altar.
The Talmud (Yoma 21b) relates that it was consumed by a divine fire that crouched
there like a lion.
(Rashi explains that a fiery coal fell from heaven during the time of Solomon.)
So too the Zohar speaks of "a lion that would consume the sacrifices."
This heavenly fire has its counterpart in the divine service that takes place within
each man; this is the flame that flares in his divine soul.
This is alluded to in Shir HaShirim: -- "Its coals are coals of fire, the flame of G-d."
Midrash Rabbah (cited in Yalkut) likens this fire to fire from heaven: it does not
consume water, nor is it quenched by water.
Similarly, the fiery love of G-d in the divine soul of a Jew cannot be quenched. This
is alluded to in the next verse in Shir HaShirim: "Great waters cannot quench the
love, nor can rivers drown it."
The turbulent waters are the worries of making a living and the other confusing
disturbances that distract a person from his divine service, from the study of Torah
and the observance of the mitzvos.
Despite all these disturbances, rivers cannot drown this fiery love of G-d, for it
resembles heavenly fire that nothing can extinguish.
[Just as a physical offering was consumed by the divine fire on the altar, similarly, in
the personal sphere], the offering, which is each individual's animal soul, has to be
consumed by his personal divine fire.
In this way the animal soul too will be taught to develop a love for G-d.
This is hinted at in the wording of a phrase from Shema: "You shall love the L-rd
your G-d with all your heart."

10

[The word used for "your heart" is not libcha, but Levavcha.]
The doubling of the middle letter [suggests a plural form, and] is thus interpreted by
the Talmud to mean [that a man is commanded to love G-d] "with the whole of your
dual heart; i.e., with both your desires," so that the animal soul too will love Divinity.
This comes about through the enclothement of the divine soul within the animal
soul.
For initially, the animal soul has no knowledge of Divinity nor any sensitivity for it
whatever.
Nevertheless, when the G-dly soul -- which is enclothed in it -- meditates on spiritual
concepts in a manner in which the animal soul can also comprehend, the animal
soul also draws nearer to them.
(As is explained elsewhere, a pervasive impression is thereby made upon it that
Divinity is comprehensible.)
This continues to the point that the animal soul is transformed from its bestiality; it is
elevated and consumed by the fiery coals of the divine soul's yearning for G-d [just
as an animal offered in the Beis HaMikdash was consumed by the fire of the altar].
[This is the sublimation spoken of in the verse:] "There are many harvests in the
strength of an ox."
[I.e., a man can harness the power of his animal soul to the service of G-d.]
[In the Beis HaMikdash, one of the purposes of the offerings was the refinement of
the world.]
The offering of a physical sacrifice caused the G-dly sparks invested within the
mineral, vegetable and animal components of the world to be refined and elevated.
Similarly, the offering of a spiritual sacrifice [within oneself] refines and elevates the
animal soul and transforms its darkness into light.
In this manner, "They shall make Me a sanctuary, and I shall dwell within them" -within each individual.
This is accomplished through his divine service of subordinating his animal nature,
particularly in a manner that leads to its transformation.
For then, as the Zohar states, "When the sitra achra is subdued, the glory of G-d
rises thereby [and is diffused] throughout all the worlds."
This refers to the revelation of the transcendent light which is called sovev kol
almin.

Summary
This chapter explains the parallels between the offering of a sacrifice in the Beis
HaMikdash and an individual's divine service of self-refinement.
It emphasizes that drawing near to G-d depends on one's sacrificing something from
within himself.
It discusses the fire from above; i.e., the way in which the G-dly soul, enclothed as it
is within the animal soul, teaches it to share in its love of G-d.

Chapter 3
Through the above explanation, we can appreciate why the Mishkan, the Sanctuary
in the wilderness, was built of acacia wood.
As we have seen, the primary function of the divine service in the Mishkan and in
the Beis HaMikdash was the transformation of darkness into light -- by means of the

11

sacrificial offerings (and particularly through the incense offering).

This service revealed the light of G-d in the world.
The word used in the Torah for "acacia" is Shita, the root of which implies deviation
in either direction, higher or lower, from a middle path.
The same root also implies foolishness, for foolishness (Shtus) is a deviation from
the middle path of knowledge and wisdom.
There is a foolishness that stems from the unholy side of the universe.
The Torah therefore uses a derivative of the same root (Tisteh) when speaking of
the unfaithful wife who "turns aside," for, as Rashi explains there, "she deviated
from the paths of modesty."
The same root appears again in the name of the location (Shitim) in which the
Jewish people encamped [on their way out of Egypt, and where they sinned through
idolatry and licentiousness].
Their conduct there is another instance of foolishness that stems from unholiness.
In this vein our Sages comment on the above-mentioned wife who "turns aside"
(Tisteh): `No human commits a sin unless a spirit of folly (Shtus) enters him."
This spirit of folly derives from the kelipah, from the unholy side of creation, and it
covers over the truth.
It is advisedly called a spirit of foolishness, just as the Evil Inclination is called "an
old and foolish king."
This unholy spirit of folly veils the revelation of Divine light; it obscures the truth and
the vitality of G-dliness.
For G-dliness is both truth and life, as in the verse, "HaShem is the true G-d, the
living G-d."
For this reason, the evil spirit of folly is called [by the Kabbalists] kelipah, for like a
peel or shell that covers the fruit within, it obscures and conceals the revelation of
Divine light.
For otherwise, how could a person ever sin?
Indeed, this is possible only because he lacks the sensitivity to realize that he
thereby separates himself from G-d; it seems to him that his Jewishness remains
intact.
If he would only realize the plain truth, that by sinning he becomes separate from Gd, then on no account would he sin.
For by his very nature, a Jew neither wants to be separate from G-d, nor can he be
separate from G-d. The proof of that statement is seen when a Jew is put to the trial
of being forced to deny his faith. Then, when there is no room for the mistaken
thought that he will not be separated thereby from G-d, he is willing to risk his life, to
undergo suffering and pain, and to give up his very life in Sanctification of the Divine
Name.
This phenomenon is observable even at the lowest levels of spiritual attainment,
even among the most lightminded and most sinful of Jews.
Why? -- Because they know and sense that in such a case compliance would sever
them from the G-d of Israel, and this no Jew can tolerate.
In the case of other sins, however, people lack the awareness and the sensitivity
that these too separate them from G-d; they imagine that they are still as fully
Jewish as they were before they sinned.
This delusion emanates from the spirit of folly described above, that obscures the
light and revelation of G-dliness to the point that they are not felt.
This spirit of folly deadens one's sensitivity.

12

The power of one's physical drives and the burning urgency of the animal soul's
desires cool one's ardor and numb one's sensitivity for spiritual things. A person can
become so bound up and excited by his passions and material desires that his
awareness of spiritual feelings becomes utterly hidden to the point of total
insensitivity. He no longer feels the pleasant sweetness and the goodly value of
fulfilling the mitzvos.
Likewise, he no longer senses the lowliness of his distance from G-d, which has
been brought on by his misdeeds. And the underlying cause of this entire process is
the animal soul, which covers up and obscures the light of the G-dly soul.
Now the fundamental nature of the G-dly soul is G-dliness.
This is especially true of the unique spark of G-d that is related to the body of any
particular individual.
By means of this spark, the soul appreciates all G-dly things, and is keenly aware of
anything that opposes G-dliness.
It wants no part of anything in which G-dliness is not manifest; when faced with
something that actually opposes G-dliness, he flees as if from danger or from death.
Indeed, it is clear to the G-dly soul that spiritual death is much worse that physical
death.
Its only desire is to connect with G-dliness and to make vessels for G-dliness.
However, the gross materiality and the self-assertiveness of the animal soul, muzzle
the spiritual tastes of the G-dly soul.
This is self-evident: pleasure-seeking worldly enjoyment obscures one's sensitivity
to G-dliness.
Indeed, in the Holy Tongue, the very word for "world" (Olam is related to the word
for "obscurity" (He'elem).
This situation is the very opposite of the ultimate purpose for which the universe
was created, for "G-d desired to have a dwelling place in the lower worlds" by
means of man's labor of refining his body and animal soul, his physical nature.
Man was placed in this world in order to sift it and refine it.
Instead, the very opposite can occur.
The world covers up the light of truth within him, to the point where he becomes so
coarse and so materially oriented that he loses every trace of spiritual
perceptiveness.
This contrary course of behavior is brought about when a person is dominated by
his animal soul, which is firmly fixed and rooted in worldly desires.
That is its nature and its goal.
That is what such a person ponders on and thinks about and talks about with zest.
Exercise of these feelings, and in particular the enjoyment of worldly things, negates
the divine soul's sensitivity to G-dliness.
This happens mainly because the animal soul is intrinsically frigid with respect to
spiritual matters.
That is how the animal soul is constituted.
Its very name, the animal soul, describes it.
All its vigor and all its feelings are directed only toward things that are animal in
nature. This is what we in fact observe in people who are dominated by their animal
nature: not only are they devoid of the Torah's wisdom and of upright character, but
they moreover act like animals, trampling and scorning spiritual matters of which
they have no conception.
Like an animal that lacks the sensitivity or the discernment to know whether it is

13

trampling on the ground or on plants or on men, these people scoff at the Torah and
the mitzvos.
(Some of these people choose their own paths: one mitzvah they decide to observe,
another mitzvah they spurn, and so on.)
This behavior results from the brazenness and cold insensitivity of the animal soul
and the spirit of folly that it induces.
They can cover the light of truth to the degree where a person will sin, thus
achieving the very opposite of the divine plan for creation.
For G-d desired that the world be created in order that it be refined, thus becoming
a vessel for His presence.
Instead, the animal soul effects the exact opposite.
The world is not only left unrefined and unpurified, but it serves moreover to cover
the light of truth. Thus, the spirit of folly of the animal soul causes the truth to be
hidden.

Summary
This chapter explains how the spirit of folly and one's powerful desires -- and the
animal soul in its entirety -- obscure the truth, thus dulling one's sensitivity to Gdliness, one's appreciation of the value of the mitzvos, and one's awareness of the
lowliness of being separate from the mitzvos.

Chapter 4
Though, as stated above, the world obscures G-dliness -- i.e., the spirit of folly
stemming from the animal soul can obscure the light and truth of the G-dly soul -this affects only the middos, the emotive attributes of the G-dly soul, but not its
essence.
The bond of the soul with its Divine Source is alluded to in the phrase, "Yaakov is
the cord of His inheritance."
The connection of the soul to G-d is compared to a cord comprising 613 strands.
The cord is the soul itself: it is the soul that connects a Jew to G-d. The 613 strands
are the 613 faculties of the soul that are spoken of in Tanya, chapter 51.
This metaphor can be better understood in terms of the teaching of our Sages
(Sanhedrin 4:5): "Every man is obligated to say, `For me was the world created.'"
As we have seen, the word in the Holy Tongue for "world" has the same root as the
word for "obscurity", for the very existence of the world conceals G-dliness.
Perceived from this perspective, the above statement teaches that "every man is
obligated to say, `For me was G-d's initial self-concealment and self-limitation
created'" -- so that I should seek out the Divine element within the world and elevate
it.
Man is so structured that he has 248 organs and 365 sinews, a total of 613
components.
The universe, which is a macrocosm of man, therefore parallels this structure
throughout all its spiritual realms, throughout all the stages in the progressive
descent and self-concealment of the Divine light.
For this reason, too, [since it is the soul that connects a man's body and
environment to G-d,] the soul likewise has 613 faculties, and there are 613 mitzvos
dependent on them.

14

[These 613 faculties of the soul are the 613 strands] of the cord connecting man to
G-d and establishing unity between them, just as the body of a cord that is
suspended from above connects both ends.
Similarly, with the cord of the soul, the upper extremity is connected to G-d; i.e., [in
Kabbalistic terms,] the final letter hei of the Four-Letter Name of G-d is connected to
the first three letters.
The lower extremity of the cord of the soul is bound below; i.e., the lower reaches of
the soul, that are known as the "reflection" of the soul, are enclothed in the body
and give it life.
Through this explanation we can understand the above-mentioned verse, "Yaakov is
the cord of His inheritance." [The name Yaakov is not only the name of the Patriarch
but also refers to his descendants, the Jewish people.
This name comprises two elements: the letter yud stands for the Name of G-d; the
remaining three letters (ayin kuf and beis) mean ekev - "a heel."]
Through the cord of the soul, even those individuals who are at the humblest of
levels -- even the heels, so to speak, of the Jewish people -- are firmly bound to the
very Essence of G-d, and are able to realize their potential as part of His
inheritance.
When a Jew denies G-d or commits a sin punishable by kares (excision), he affects
the totality of his connection; he touches the very essence of the soul.
This is alluded to in the verse, "Your sins have made a separation between
yourselves and your G-d," i.e., between yourselves and the G-dliness within your
specific soul.
As is well known, nothing can obscure the connection of the essence of the soul.
For this reason, when the totality of a soul's connection is threatened [by certain
categories of sin], the individual concerned senses that he would thereby become
separate from G-dliness -- and, as has been said above, no Jew is willing or able to
be thus severed from G-d. He therefore stands up staunchly for his Jewishness.
Other sins, however, such as those not punishable by excision, affect only particular
strands of the cord in the above metaphor; when the same individual is confronted
by such sins, they do not arouse as powerful a response within him.
When one transgresses one of G-d's commandments, whether a positive or a
prohibitive mitzvah, one strand of the connecting cord is snapped, (robbing that
particular faculty of the soul of its connection with G-d, and) weakening the entire
connection.
However, since only particular strands are cut, the individual will not react as
strongly.
In these matters, the emotions of the animal soul conceal the emotions of the G-dly
soul, to the point where one cannot perceive the Divine light.
Thus they can bring an individual to sin.
This is the work of the spirit of folly that derives from the sitra achra, from the unholy
side of the universe. It conceals the light of spiritual truth from a man until he is no
longer light-sensitive; he sinks lower and lower until he transgresses the prohibitions
of the Torah.
All this stems from the spirit of folly, as explained above.

Summary
The above chapter explains how the spirit of folly can cover only the emotions of the
G-dly soul; it cannot conceal its essence nor its essential connection with G-d.

15

Chapter 5
As we have seen, man has a potential for deviating from the middle path, lower than
reason and understanding; this deviation [by which he sinks to the level of an
animal] is called the folly of unholiness.
Similarly he has a potential for a deviation above reason and understanding [and by
means of this deviation he can approach self-transcendence].
This level of conduct is also called folly, the folly of holiness.
Thus we read (Kesubbos 17a) that "it was said of R. Yehudah the son of R. Ilai that
at weddings he would twirl a sprig of myrtle as he danced before the bride."
The Talmud goes on to say that "as Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak danced, he would
juggle three (`twigs of myrtle' -- Rashi). Said R. Zeira: `This venerable sage is
embarrassing us' (`by making light of the respect due to Torah scholars through his
undignified behavior' -- Rashi).
When Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak passed away, a pillar of fire appeared,
separating him from all those who were near him."
R. Zeira thereupon retracted his previous remark.
[Three versions of his retraction are recorded in the Talmud.]
The first:
"The venerable sage has been well served by his sprig" (Shot-ie-ah), `the sprig of myrtle
with which he used to dance' Rashi).
The second version:
"The venerable sage has been well served by his folly" (Shtusay), `for he clowned like a
fool' -- Rashi).
The third version:
"The venerable sage has been well served by his policy" (Shitosay), `by his customary
course of conduct' (Rashi).
Folly of this kind transcends understanding, and thus represents a wondrously
superior mode of conduct.
[The following citation from the Talmud throws light on the nonrational -- i.e.,
superrational -- conduct of the above-named Sages at weddings.]
"If a man (Ish) and a woman (Isha) are found worthy, the Divine Presence abides
between them.
For Ish is composed of Esh (`fire') and the letter Yud; Isha is composed of Esh and
the letter Heh.
When a man and a woman are found worthy, [i.e., when they approach marriage in
a G-dly way], the letters yud and heh combine to spell the Name of G-d: the
Shechinah dwells in their midst." (Moreover, the Divine Presence then becomes
manifest in the kind of marriage that is called -- "an everlasting edifice.")
Because a marriage thus elicits such prodigious spiritual power, the joy of the Sages
at weddings would burst the conventional bounds of propriety.
Indeed, in the wake of the dancing of Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak, he was granted
a sublime revelation of Divine favor: "a pillar of fire appeared, separating him from
all those who were near him" -- a true revelation of Divine light.
The explanation [for the necessity for this folly of holiness, for this pattern of
behavior that transcends reason,] lies in the following teaching regarding the infinite

16

Ein-Sof light:
"No thought can grasp Him at all."
For G-d transcends the very category of understanding.
The subtlest of spiritual concepts is still within the reach of the mortal mind, but that
which transcends the very category of understanding is beyond the grasp of mortal
thought.
The Tanya (chapter 18) expresses the concept as follows:
"In relation to the Almighty, Who is beyond intelligence and knowledge, and Who can in
no way be comprehended by any thought -- all men are like fools before Him. As it is
written, `I am foolish and ignorant, I am as a beast before You -- and I am constantly
with You...,' meaning that `because I approach You as a fool and a beast [i.e., through the
irrational power of faith] -- precisely therefore and thereby am I constantly with You.'"
In order to relate to G-d's Essence one must make a self-effacing commitment that
transcends the bounds of reason. Hence this level of spiritual attainment is also
called folly.
Similarly, we find a prophet referred to as a madman, as in the verse, "Why did this
madman come?"
For during the revelation of prophecy a person has to divest himself of materiality;
he has to step beyond his understanding and emotions, and to attain a level of selfnullification beyond all limits of reason.
For this reason too prophets would remove their clothing during prophetic
revelation.
Thus we find, "Shaul also removed his clothes and prophesied."
The need for clothes first came about as a result of the sin of the Tree of Knowledge
of Good and Evil.
Before the sin "[Adam and his wife] were naked, and they were not ashamed."
After the sin, man's feelings [hitherto instinctively good] comprised both good and
evil -- indeed, this is the core of their sin -- as is implied in a later verse, "They knew
that they were naked." At this point they first felt the need for clothes.
The ultimate source for the experience of feelings comprising both good and evil is
one's awareness of his own intellect and emotions.
Prophecy thus demands "divesting oneself of one's clothes," i.e., divesting oneself
of this awareness of one's own intellect and emotions, and nullifying one's own
faculties and sensibilities.
Thus Rambam writes in Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah:
"It is one of the fundamental tenets of the faith to know that G-d grants prophecy to
men. Prophecy will rest only on a man who is wise and courageous, who overcomes
his desires, and whose desires never overcome him in any matter."
Such conduct, which entails a deviation that transcends the accepted norms of
reason and understanding, is called folly.
Having now understood the two levels of folly (shtus), we can now revert to the
explanation of why the Mishkan had to be built specifically of acacia wood (shitim).
As stated above, the intent of the divine service in the Mishkan and Beis HaMikdash
was to transform darkness into light to the degree where the darkness itself would
be luminous; i.e., to transform the spirit of folly that stems from "the Other Side" into
the folly of holiness.
The Mishkan was therefore made of acacia wood, whose very name in the Holy
Tongue (shitim) echoes the word for folly (shtus).

17

For it thus embodied the principle that conduct which is folly -- in the sense that it is
lower than reason -- ought to be transformed into conduct which is folly in the sense
that it transcends reason.
We may now more fully appreciate the teaching, "And they shall make Me a
sanctuary and I shall dwell within them."
G-d dwells "within each individual" through his divine service of personal refinement
which transforms darkness into light, and through his efforts at turning the subrational elements of the world into the superrational.
[On a practical level]:
There are things that people do only because everyone does them.
Certain folkways that are conventionally held to be proper, for example, crystallize
into unalterable laws.
Such unreasonable habits ought to be transformed through one's own endeavors:
instead of remaining below reason, they should be elevated above reason.
Business commitments, for example, pressing as they may be, do not generally
overrule the times that convention prescribes for eating and sleeping.
They do, however, sometimes set aside (or even cancel) the fixed times that should
be regularly scheduled for Torah study and prayer.
A man who feels accountable to his soul should ask himself: "Is there any wisdom in
such conduct?"
For who is the man who knows when his time will come? In the words of Midrash
Rabbah, "It is not given to man to tell [the Angel of Death]: `Wait until I have settled
my accounts and arranged my household...'" How, then, can a man expend his
soul's energy on goals that have no substance, and utterly forget the purpose for
which his soul descended to this world?
Let him realize that this possibility comes only from the spirit of folly, which he was
given to elevate and transform.
With that realization, he will stand fast and fix times for the study of Torah. And then
"I will dwell within each one of them" -- Divine light will be revealed within his soul
and illuminate it.
This is the meaning of the above-quoted statement of the Zohar.
"When the sitra achra is subdued" -- i.e., when the foolishness of the animal soul
and the excitement of worldly pleasure have been transformed into holiness through
the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvos -- then "the glory of G-d rises thereby [and is
diffused] throughout all the worlds": the transcendent light of sovev kol almin will
shine forth in lustrous revelation.

Summary
The above chapter explains that [just as there is a folly that derives from the unholy
side of the universe, so too] there is a folly of holiness, a deviation above the
bounds of reason.
An example of this is the fact that prophecy requires that one first divest himself of
the awareness of his own mind and emotion [i.e., that one transcend one's own
mind and emotion].
The fact that the Mishkan was made of acacia wood (shitim) is a reminder of how in
one's daily life one can transform the folly of evil (shtus) into the folly of holiness.

Chapter 6

18

Prologue
The following maamar, comprising chapters 6-10 (i.e. Part II) of the series of discourses
with the general title of Basi LeGani, was released in advance for study on 13 Shvat 5710
(1950), in honor of the yahrzeit of the Previous Rebbe's mother, the saintly Rebbitzin
Shterna Sarah.
Part II

HaYosheves BaGanim
Hayoshevt Baganim....-- "You who dwell in the gardens, friends listen to your voice;
let me hear it."
As Rashi amplifies the metaphor, G-d is here addressing the House of Israel:
"Though you are dispersed in exile, pasturing in alien gardens, you abide
nevertheless in places of worship and in houses of Torah study.
Friends are listening: the ministering angels who are your friends, children of G-d as
you are, come to hear your voice in the houses of worship."
This interpretation is based on the Midrash Rabbah: "Whenever you, the Children of
Israel, sit in your synagogues and houses of study, reading the Shema and
engaging in the study of the Torah, `friends are listening' -- I [says G-d] and My
retinue of angels go there to hear your voice."
The Midrash goes on to say that "friends" refers to angels, since between them
there is neither envy nor hatred nor competition.
Therefore it is granted to those who abide in gardens -- in the synagogues and
houses of Torah study -- that angelic companions listen to their voice.
To understand the above concept, we must first reexamine the explanation in the
previous maamar -- that the divine service in the Mishkan and Beis HaMikdash
involved the transformation of darkness into light to the point that the darkness itself
grows luminous; moreover, that the Mishkan was therefore made of acacia wood
(shitim) for in this Sanctuary the folly (shtus) of unholiness was transformed into the
folly of holiness.
And, as we have seen, through this service G-d fulfills His promise -- that "I will
dwell among them," and the transcendent light of sovev kol almin will be revealed.

Chapter 6
The above teaching will allow us to understand why the boards of which the
Mishkan was constructed are called Krashim, as in the verse, -- "And you shall
make upright boards for the Mishkan of acacia wood."
This may be understood by way of the Introduction to the Zohar, which describes
the nature of the letters that constitute the alphabet of the Holy Tongue:
"When G-d came to create the world, all the letters presented themselves in turn before
Him" [in the hope that He would begin the creation with them].
The Zohar goes on to say that the letters kuf and reish belong to the evil side of the
universe.
In order to ensure their continued existence, they place the letter shin between
themselves, together forming a bond [for the Hebrew word for "bond" is spelled

19

kesher].
Earlier on, the Zohar gives the Creator's reply to the letter shin in these words:
"Since the letters of falsehood take you as a companion [for shin and kuf and reish
together spell sheker, which means `falsehood'], I do not want to begin creating the
world with you, in order that falsehood should not be maintained."
The Zohar concludes: "From this we learn that whoever wants to lie should first
base himself on an element of truth [as with the initial letter shin of sheker] so that
his lie can be maintained.
For shin is a letter of truth, the letter of truth with which our forefathers communed."
The letters kuf and reish [which the Zohar describes as evil letters] correspond to
the letters daled and heh [that are holy letters], (for reish resembles daled and kuf
resembles heh).
In fact daled and reish are similar not only in their form but also in their meaning.
The letter daled is related to the word daloot, which means "poverty".
In the spiritual realms it refers to the Sefirah of Malchus, "that has nothing (d'les lah)
of its own" [i.e., it merely receives and transmits the downward flow of Divine
beneficence].
In the realm of the soul, this state [of poverty] is reflected in the power of speech,
that merely receives and articulates [lit., "enclothes"] the spiritual faculties that are
above it.
For example, in the expression of intellect or emotion [speech contributes nothing].
The letter reish is similarly related to the state of poverty, as is evident from the
verse that says (Mishlei 10:15), -- "The ruin of the poor is their poverty." Likewise, -"[Give me neither] poverty nor riches."
Yet despite their similarity of meaning, the two letters are distinct.
Indeed, if one substitutes one for the other one can destroy worlds.
Thus our Sages teach: "Whoever prolongs the pronunciation of the word Echad
[when reciting the Shema] will have his days and years prolonged."
This only applies "if he clearly enunciates the final letter Daled."
If, however, he were to substitute a reish [thereby producing the word acher
("other"), and thus declaring his faith in another god], he would be "destroying
worlds."
Likewise [in the reverse situation] in the verse, --"Do not bow down to another god."
Here, too, "the final letter reish must be clearly enunciated, for if he were to
substitute a daled [thereby producing the word echad (`one'), and thus making this
prohibition refer to the One G-d], he would be destroying worlds."
Thus, though daled and reish have resemblances in form and meaning, they are still
far apart: daled is a holy letter, while reish belongs to the evil side of the universe.
The difference in appearance between them consists of the appended letter yud
(yud) at the back of the daled.
The letter yud reflects the quality of self-nullification and self- diminishment.
In the spiritual realms, [the letter daled] refers to the Sefirah called Malchus in the
World of Atzilus, "that has nothing of its own" for [including, as it does, the letter
yud,] it represents the ultimate state of self-nullification and humility.
The Sefirah of Malchus in the World of Atzilus thus becomes a point [i.e., it retracts
all self-expression] below the Sefirah of Yesod.
In this it reflects an approach of self-negation and selflessness in relation to the
other Sefiros.
This quality enables it to become a capacious vessel, for, as our Sages express it,

20

"an empty vessel can contain, a full vessel cannot."

If, by way of analogy, a disciple is to become a vessel capable of receiving the
teachings of his master in full measure, he must first attain the ultimate in selfnullification and humility. He must do more than forgo his awareness of self; he must
attain a level of self- nullification and self-negation.
Indeed, the more he contracts himself in self-nullification, the more will he be able to
receive.
Likewise, no preparation is needed before one lifts a light burden.
If the burden is heavy, however, the more one concentrates one's efforts in
preparation, the more readily will he be able to lift even a heavy burden.
[Speaking of self-nullification as a precondition to the study of the Torah, the Sages
declare that] "it cannot be found among the arrogant" nor among "those who are as
full of self-esteem as the sea." It goes without saying that an arrogant person, who
is utterly lacking in self-nullification, is no fit vessel for receiving the Torah. But
neither is the "one who is full of self-esteem."
This phrase refers to a student who in the course of his study has not attained total
self-nullification; he is still unduly aware of his own personality.
A student who ponders over his master's teachings while they are being delivered,
for example, would do better to simply listen, and only thereafter to concentrate on
deepening his grasp of them.
Otherwise he will absorb them [only] according to the dictates of his own
understanding, because he is still lacking in self-nullification.
The true disciple, by contrast, having internalized the dictates of holiness, has
totally negated his individual existence.
This state is the goal of all divine service, and it is epitomized by the selfnullification of the above-mentioned attribute of Malchus.
Hence all revelations of Divine light are elicited by the humility and self-nullification
represented by this attribute.
This concept grants us an insight into the verse, (Tefila L'David) -- "A prayer of
David: G-d, incline Your ear and answer me, for I am poor and needy."
[The first word (tefila -- "prayer") also signifies connection.]
The "prayer of [King] David" thus alludes to the process of connection and selfnullification of the attribute of Malchus - "sovereignty"].
Indeed, the request ("incline Your ear and answer me") gains force for the very
reason that the supplicant is poor and needy: he has attained the self-nullification
that characterizes the attribute of Malchus.
This state of mind is expressed by the self-effacing letter daled.
The letter reish, by contrast, is not supplemented by the self- nullifying letter yud.
On the contrary, it represents self-centered arrogance, for which reason it is "one of
the letters that belong to the evil side [of the universe]."
[If it is filled with selfishness, how can it be described as poor?]
The forces of evil are poor in that they have no [direct] connection with G-d.
And in turn, this very state of poverty and severance inflates their self-centered
perception of their own identity.

Summary
Both the letters daled and reish represent a state of poverty.
The letter daled is holy by virtue of the fact that at its back it has an appended letter
yud, signifying self-nullification.

21

This is the attribute that enables one to become a recipient; a disciple, for example,
ought to negate his sense of personal identity while he is receiving his master's
teachings.
The letter reish represents the opposite frame of mind.

Chapter 7
The letter yud which differentiates between these two letters is appended behind the
letter daled.
Though yud is the smallest of all the letters, it is the head of them all, in the sense
that [the writing of] each letter begins with it.
Indeed, "The World to Come was created with the letter yud."
This concept is alluded to in the phrase, -- "For all that is in heaven and on earth [is
Yours]."
The Aramaic translation [of the word kol ("all"), cited in the Zohar] means "united in
heaven and earth."
This refers to the Sefirah of Yesod through which Malchus receives the flow of
Divine light.
The next word in the verse, shmayim ("heaven"), comprises two elements -- esh
("fire") and mayim ("water").
Fire stands for the attribute of Gevurah ("severity") and water for the attribute of
Chesed ("lovingkindness").
[These two attributes in turn serve as the source of all the other Divine emotive
attributes.]
The final word, eretz ("earth"), stands for the attribute of Malchus.
The verse thus teaches that by means of the Sefirah of Yesod, Chesed and
Gevurah unite with Malchus.
[Evil, however, lacks this quality; as implied by the verse,] -- "And the poor man had
nothing" [lit., "...lacked all"].
[The word rash ("poor man") is related to the letter reish, and the word kol ("all") is
related to the above-mentioned Sefirah of Yesod, which in turn is related to the letter
yud.]
The verse can thus be understood to mean that the letter reish lacks [the unity
alluded to in the verse that speaks of] "all in heaven and on earth," since it lacks the
attribute of Yesod that brings about the above-described union [of the attributes that
are represented by heaven and earth].
This situation leads to the concealment of the power of speech, [which is a
metaphor for the spiritual energy emitted by the Sefirah of Malchus].
This is hinted at in the verse that begins, -- "I was dumb with silence, I held my
peace."
The Divine power of speech is thus silenced because the light and life-force that
animates the forces of evil is merely a reflection of a ray from a Divine source which
is (so to speak) outward [i.e., "reluctant"].
[This concealment allows for the existence of evil.]
[The contrast between the unity that is generated by holiness and the fragmentation
that characterizes evil is highlighted when one compares the way in which Yaakov
and Eisav each described their wealth.]
Yaakov said, yesh li kol -- "I have all"; Eisav said, yesh li rav --"I have much."
Holiness, which is personified by Yaakov, has kol, the element that "unites heaven

22

and earth."
The forces of evil, which are embodied in Eisav, lack the uniting element of kol;
instead, they have rav -- "much", implying a multiplicity of physical blessings.
Explaining this concept further, the Zohar cites a teaching of the Master of the
Heavenly Academy:
"He who is small is great, and he who is great is small."
For that which is holy is "small" in the sense that it possesses the capacity for selfdiminishment.
In this spirit it is written, -- "How shall Yaakov stand? -- For he is small."
Nevertheless he is "great", in the sense that the unifying element of kol is revealed
within him.
By contrast, he who describes himself as having rav --i.e., as being great, as a man
characterized by multiplicity -- is "small".
Of him it may be said, l'rosh ein kol -- "The poor man [in this context: `the evil man']
lacks all (kol)."
Being unable to benefit from the unifying quality of kol, the only blessings he enjoys
are physical ones.
[The latter conception of poverty reappears in the interpretation of the Zohar on the
phrase,] -- "Young lions are in need, and go hungry."
[Utilizing the similarity between kefirim ("young lions") and parim ("bulls"),] the Zohar
understands this verse as alluding to the seventy bulls that were sacrificed in the
Beis HaMikdash during Sukkos.
Like the seventy patron angels of the nations that they represent, the number of
these bulls diminished daily.
Being blessed with nothing richer than material bounty, they are described as being
"in need," and "poor".
Speaking likewise of these seventy bulls, the [Kabbalistic text entitled] Mikdash
Melech understands them to be referring to the forces of evil.
Both interpretations are valid.
Since the spiritual life-force that animates them is merely a reflection of a ray from a
(so to speak) outward radiation of Divinity, it is invested in them in an exceedingly
tenuous manner.
This very obscuring of the spiritual life-force in turn increases their gross selfassertiveness.
Pharaoh, for example, boasted, "The Nile is mine, and I made it."
This claim is the very opposite of the truth.
[Pharaoh made this statement because the river used to rise at his approach.
In fact, however,] this phenomenon resulted from the blessing that Yaakov gave him
(as Rashi notes in his comment on the verse, -- "And Yaakov blessed Pharaoh").
In fact, Pharaoh's very name hints at his stiffnecked insensitivity to G-dliness.
For the letters that constitute the name Pharaoh can be rearranged to spell he'eref
("the back of the neck"), which is a metaphor for stubbornness.
In boasting that "the Nile is mine," he was thus ungrateful enough to deny [the
source of his blessings]. The life-giving influence that he received from Above
served only to bloat his ego.

Summary
The chapter continues to explain that the yud appended at the back of the daled
signifies the unifying element that is known as kol, as in the verse, kol yesh li (lit., "I

23

have all").
This element is lacking in the spiritually poor man who is described as rash a word
that is cognate with the name of the letter reish.
When the forces of evil claim, yesh li rav (lit., "I have much") -- signifying a
multiplicity of blessings, though merely material ones -- this merely increases their
self-centeredness.

Chapter 8
In the realm of holiness, the letter heh is formed from the letter daled [by the
addition of an inverted letter yud in the lower left corner].
Likewise, in the realm of evil, the letter kuf is formed from the letter reish [by the
addition of a long descending line in the corresponding corner].
[Just as the letter daled incorporates a letter yud, by virtue of which it is included in
the realm of holiness,] so too the letter heh incorporates a letter yud -- in front, as its
left leg.
The letter daled, by contrast, has its letter yud appended to its back.
This difference in position reflects the difference between the respective modes of
union [of the spiritual spheres that these letters represent].
The letter daled receives its spiritual sustenance from the letter gimel that precedes
it, thus exemplifying the [imperfect] mode of union that is called (lit., "back to back").
In the case of the letter heh, whose letter yud is in front, the union is of the [perfect]
mode that is called (lit., "face to face").
This union [with its consequent flow of life-supporting spiritual energy] is effected
through the giving of tzedakah ("charity").
As is noted in the writings of the AriZal, the word Tzedakah is comprised of the word
Tzedek and the letter heh: charity raises the daled [from its poor state] and turns it
into a heh.
Our Sages taught a similar leson when they observed that the names of the letters
gimel and daled can be read as a phrase: gomel da-lim -- "Show kindness to the
poor."
[Understood in the light of the above, this means that] the letter daled receives its
spiritual sustenance from the letter gimel, and this process produces [the state of
completion represented by] the letter heh.
[The above process takes place in the realm of holiness.
By contrast,] the letter kuf is formed from the letter reish.
The kuf is similar in shape to the letter heh, except that while the two legs of the heh
descend to the same point, the left leg of the kuf continues below.
This shaft is alluded to in the verse,-- "Her feet descend to death."
It is further alluded to in the statement of the Sages, that "Gavriel descended and
implanted a shaft [or: reed] in the sea.
It gathered a bank around it on which was built a mighty city" (Rashi adds: "which
harasses the Jewish people").
This is the shaft of the letter kuf that is formed in the realm of evil, and that harasses
the Jewish people.
In the terms of Chassidus this may be explained as follows:
The three lines that form the letter heh stand for the three "garments" [i.e., means of
expression] of the soul -- thought, speech and action.
The left line is thus separate from the other two, in order to point out the distinction

24

between action as against speech and thought.

It is true that thought is known as the garment that is connected [to the individual
concerned], and is therefore perceived only by himself.
It is true too that speech [differs in that it] is known as the separate garment, for it
relates to an additional individual.
Yet thought is comparable to speech, while action retains an incomparably more
separate existence from the individual.
A similar pattern may be seen in the order of the spiritual realms.
A verse was quoted [above in chapter 1, alluding to each of the spiritual worlds in
turn]: --"All that is called by My Name, it is for My glory that I created it, formed it,
and indeed made it."
The verb berativ - (created it) refers to the World of Beriah, which is the world of
thought; the following verb, yetzartiv (formed it), refers to the World of Yetzirah,
which is the world of speech.
At this point, however, the flow of the verse is interrupted by the word "af" ("indeed")
-- in order to indicate a separation between these worlds and that signified by the
final verb, asitiv; viz., the World of Asiyah, the world of action, which is represented
by the left leg of the letter heh.
In the realm of holiness, the letter heh depicts someone whose three soul-garments
-- his thought, speech and action -- are filled with the light of the -- his thought,
speech and action -- are filled with the light of the Torah, with its wisdom, and with
the character traits [that it extols].
Thus, with his faculty of thought he thinks Torah thoughts.
Likewise, with his power of speech he utters the words of the Torah.
Even if he lacks the sophistication and the intellectuality to understand [all the texts
that he reads], he nevertheless makes a point of speaking of Torah subjects, and
repeating phrases from the Torah and the prayers.
Likewise, he exercises his faculty of action in the fulfillment of the mitzvos.
Moreover, in his material affairs he implements the injunction, "Let all your deeds be
for the sake of heaven."
This rule obtains in all the mundane matters that are [not mitzvos, but are] permitted
by the Torah.
Concerning business, for example, the Torah states, --"Six days you shall work."
Its intention, however, is that one's profit should enable him to fulfill, observe and
practice mitzvos, such as tzedakah and deeds of kindness.
Likewise, [a certain measure of success in business relaxes financial worries and]
frees one's mind and heart for Torah study -- so that he can learn, teach, observe
and practice throughout the fixed times that he sets aside for Torah study, and for
the "service of the heart," i.e., prayer.
When one conducts his life in this manner, not only does he gain his times of study
and thus actually bring life to his soul, illuminating it with the light of Torah and
prayer; he also sees to it that his business itself is carried out (while being directed
for the sake of heaven) as it should be.
This means that he is scrupulously careful not to deceive, steal, delude or lie, for he
knows that G-d detests such behavior -- and could he possibly do something that is
opposed to His will?
Moreover, his heart is clearly lit up with the simple belief that is implanted in the
heart of every Jew, that -- "It is the blessing of G-d that brings wealth."
Furthermore, he believes that this blessing will come only when his business is a

25

fitting vessel for it.

His other activities, such as eating and drinking, are similarly carried out for the
sake of heaven, so that with a healthy body he will be able to study and pray, and
serve G-d through the fulfillment of the mitzvos -- each man according to his level
and according to his spiritual metabolism.
For some men are masters of Torah; some are masters of prayer; some are masters
of good deeds, of tzedakah and acts of kindness -- which means that they sustain
the poor and the Torah scholars, both with their personal exertion and with their
contributions.
When one's intention is for the sake of heaven, it goes without saying that his
activities themselves are carried out as they ought to be.
Within the realm of permitted things, for example, he will be careful not to
overindulge in eating and drinking, since his intention is not to pamper himself but to
maintain his health.
In other fields, too, a person who (for example) administers a charitable fund will
speak gently and warmly. Even though at times he will [find it necessary to] adopt a
forceful stance and to be adamant so that a particular matter will be settled in the
best way possible, he will still speak in a relaxed and reasonable manner, and will
do his utmost to spurn pride.
For what matters to him is the essence of the matter -- [that he is occupying his
position only in order] to carry out the will of G-d.
The above describes [the course of conduct signified by] the letter heh of the holy
side of the universe.
The letter kuf, by contrast, represents thought, speech and action that are motivated
by the forces of evil.
It is formed from the letter reish, which represents thought and speech that derive
from "the Other Side."
Hence, when a man's mind is filled with alien [i.e., unworthy] thoughts and
imaginings, and when his mouth is filled with unG-dly words -- not necessarily
forbidden talk, such as slander and gossip and the like, but even an excess of idle
prattle -- he thereby constructs the shaft of the letter kuf, that represents action.
His unworthy thoughts and speech cause him to fall into unworthy deeds, which in
turn draw him, like the descending shaft of the letter kuf, down to ever-increasing
depths.
This concept may be understood in terms of an interpretation of the verse, -- "The
pit was empty: there was no water in it."
The difference between be'er ("well") and bor ("pit") lies only in the middle letter of
each.
The former word, spelled with an aleph, refers to the soul, as in the phrase, -- "A
spring of gardens, a well of living waters."
Well-waters spring forth from below, and thus bring an abundance of water. The soul
likewise is obliged to descend into the body which is described as a deep pit, but
through its involvement in Torah and mitzvos it can rise to ever loftier levels.
In this way it becomes "a spring of gardens," a wellspring that gushes forth
revelations of G-dliness, through its divine service in refining and elevating the body
and the animal soul.
The term "gardens" refers to Gan Eden, the Garden of Eden, as in the verse, -"And [G-d] planted a garden in Eden."
The plural form of the word refers to the two levels -- the Higher Garden of Eden

26

and the Lower Garden of Eden.

[This service generates] a stream of water, a brook of pleasure for the souls in Gan
Eden when they ascend there.
[The above discussion refers only to a "well").]
A pit, by contrast, is empty, as in the above-quoted verse, "The pit was empty: there
was no water in it."
On this the Sages comment: "If the verse states that `the pit was empty,' do I not
understand `that there was no water in it'?!
These words do however appear -- in order to tell us that though it contained no
water, it did contain snakes and scorpions" (Shabbos 22b).
The pit refers to the animal soul: it contains no water [which is a metaphor for the
Torah], but it does harbor snakes and scorpions -- extraneous thoughts.
The above describes the letter kuf.
[The unholy lifestyle that it represents is a wretched] imitation of man, like the
comparison of a monkey (kof in Hebrew) to a man.
For the very word adam ("man") comprises letters in the Holy Tongue that stand for
thought, speech and action: the letter aleph represents thought; the letter daled is
the initial letter of dibur ("speech"); and mem is the initial letter of ma'aseh
("action").
In the realm of holiness, a man's thought, speech and action are filled with the light
of holiness; in the realm of evil, they are filled with alien thoughts.
We are now better able to understand the statement from the Zohar [cited in chapter
6 above], that since kuf and reish are evil letters, they take the shin [as an ally]: they
appropriate a reflection of a reflection from the life-force that radiates from the holy
side of the universe, and thereby ensure their continued existence.

Summary
In the realm of holiness, from the letter daled the letter heh is formed: one's
thoughts and words bring one to deeds -- all three soul- garments surging with the
Torah and its commandments.
Correspondingly, in the unholy realm, from the letter reish the letter kuf is formed: by
harboring thoughts and words spawned by "the Other Side," one falls into
undesirable deeds.

Chapter 9
The goal of the divine service in the Mishkan and in the Beis HaMikdash was to
transform darkness into light through the refinement of the material world, by means
of the sacrifices.
[Related to this is the spiritual role of the vertical beams of the Mishkan -- the
krashim, a word whose spelling was discussed in chapter 6.]
Concerning this the Torah states, -- "And you shall make upright boards for the
Sanctuary of acacia wood."
The fact that these boards are referred to as "omdim" - standing is related [and not
only etymologically] to the fact that the mitzvos are referred to as "amudim" - pillars.
The 613 mitzvos of the Torah and the seven mitzvos ordained by the Sages are
known as the 620 pillars of light.
[This total is the numerical equivalent of the letters that spell the word keser,

27

signifying a state of being in which G-d's transcendent light is revealed.]

Just as a pillar connects a roof to the floor below, so do the mitzvos draw down Gd's infinite light and connect it with the worlds below.
For this reason the acacia boards of the Mishkan stood upright: they were pillars
that connected the infinite light with the nether worlds.
This can be further understood through the interpretation of the Zohar on the verse,
-- "Destroy [lit., `rebuke'] the wild beast of the reeds."
[The word koneh means both "reed" and "shaft".]
The "reed" is the male element of evil; the "wild beast of the reeds" is the female
element of evil.
To "destroy the wild beast of the reeds" means that one should cut short the
descending shaft of the letter kuf, whereupon it becomes a heh.
This is hinted at in the verse, -- "The reeds and rushes shall wilt."
And when the kuf is turned into a heh, the word koneh becomes hineh ("behold"), a
word that connotes revelation, as in the verse, --"And it will be said on that day,
`Behold, this is our G-d.'"
This verse refers to the revelation of light in the Messianic era, a revelation that
depends on our divine service in the present.
For this reason, in the Messianic era the transcendent light of sovev kol almin
(which illumines all worlds equally) will be revealed chiefly in the body.
This revelation will come about as a result of our present labors in the refinement of
the materiality of this world.
For a divine soul descends below, where it is enclothed in a body and an animal
soul.
Numerous hindrances and obstacles here confront the individual in whom this divine
soul abides, obstructing the path of his Torah study and his observance of the
mitzvos.
In this lowest of worlds, moreover, evil prevails.
Undaunted, he perseveres nevertheless in his divine service, studying the Torah
and fulfilling its commands.
Indeed, the challenge rallies him to the prodigious exertion of a warrior.
(For, as is well known, victory goes to the side that is forceful and energetic.)
And, as a result of his labors, such an individual generates the superior light that
shines forth from the refinement and elevation of darkness.
We are now in a position to better understand the prophecy that speaks of
Mashiach: -- "And his feet shall stand [that day on the Mount of Olives]."
He shall stand firm on both feet -- unlike the letter kuf, which stands only on its
shaft, as unstable on its sole support as the falsehood that it symbolizes.
Mashiach will stand on both feet as does the letter heh, as stable as the truth that it
symbolizes.
And this state depends in turn on man's divine service -- in transforming the evil of
the letter kuf (which had been formed from the letter reish) into the heh of holiness.
The above concept explains the command that the boards of acacia had to stand
upright, for this position represents unalterable endurance.
This stance will reveal [the ultimate source for such potential, viz.,] G-d, as in the
verse, -- "I am G-d: I do not change."
And at that time we will palpably see that the world and everything in it derives its
life-energy from G-d.

28

Summary
The upright boards of the Mishkan are pillars that connect G-d's infinite light to the
lower worlds.
The above chapter explains how through man's divine service below, the shaft
(koneh) of the letter kuf is cut short, transforming koneh into hin-eh, which implies a
revelation of light, the revelation of G-d, Who is unchanging.

Chapter 10
The whole of the above is implicit in the teaching of our Sages on the verse, -- "And
they shall make Me a sanctuary and I shall dwell within them": not "within it," but
within each individual Jew.
For when each individual transforms darkness into light, "the glory of G-d rises [and
is diffused] throughout all the worlds," and a superior form of light is revealed.
[In the Mishkan, the transformation of darkness into light is hinted at in] the use of
acacia wood, whose name in the Holy Tongue (atzei shitim) echoes the evil-based
folly (shtus) that needs to be refined and transmuted to serve holy ends.
This wood was used for the vertical boards, whose name (krashim) likewise hints at
their elevation of two similar combinations of letters -- sheker ("falsehood") and
kesher ("bond").
In terms of the personal spiritual tasks that are collectively termed avodah, the
above processes entail transforming one's pleasurable attraction to worldly things
into a warm sensitivity to G-dly things.
One's attraction to worldly things derives from sources that are lower than
intellectual; by means of the Torah and the mitzvos one can convert it into light, so
that one is enabled to appreciate the pleasant sweetness that is to be found in the
fulfillment of the Divine commandments and the study of the Torah.
[This manner of avodah reflects the interpretation of the verse,]: "I have come into
My garden," implying G-d's return "into My bridal chamber."
This is a metaphor for the place where G-d first chose to focus His Presence.
For G-d's primary intention in creating the worlds was His desire to have a dwelling
place in this lowly world.
And this dwelling is built through man's endeavors in the subjugation and
transformation of materiality.
When a man conducts himself in this manner, [both possible interpretations of the
above-quoted opening verse materialize in his life].
That verse reads: "You who dwell in the gardens, friends listen to your voice; let me
hear it."
[According to the first interpretation,] the voice of the mortals who engage in the
study of the Torah and the observance of the mitzvos is listened to by "those who
dwell in the gardens" -- by the souls who dwell in the Higher and the Lower Garden
of Eden, where each is accorded its abode according to the level of its divine
service during its stay on earth.
Because of their bond with each other, these souls are called "friends"; indeed, "at
times one soul emanates from another."
Each such soul Above addresses the Jewish people on earth: "Let me hear your
voice," for the Torah and mitzvos below elevate the souls Above to ever more
exalted levels of spiritual perception.

29

[According to the second interpretation of the same verse,] it is G-d Who is

addressing the House of Israel: "You are dispersed in exile, pasturing in alien
gardens. It is of you that the prophet speaks when he says, -- `Like the four winds of
heaven have I spread you abroad.' Nevertheless, you abide in places of worship
and in houses of study, where you dedicate fixed hours for the public study of the
Torah. And there you are visited by the angels, who are called friends because
`between them there is neither envy nor hatred nor competition,' and they `listen to
your voice.'"
By virtue of their deeds, the people of Israel are called -- "the hosts of G-d," as in
the verse, -- "It was on that very day that all the hosts of G-d left the land of Egypt."
The reference to Israel here is explicit.
So too in the verse, -- "It was on that very day that G-d brought the Children of
Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts."
Now why are Israel called by this name, when the word [though it sometimes serves
as one of the Names of G-d] never appears as a Divine Name in the Torah?
On another occasion, too, the same term clearly applies to Israel: -- "On this very
day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt."
[An analysis of this word will throw light on our subject.]
The word tzava (the letters "tzadi bet aleph") allows for three different
interpretations: (a) an army; (b) a set time, as in the verse, -- "Has not a man a fixed
time on earth?" (c) varied beauty, as a derivative of tzivyon.
This term appears in a comment of the Sages (Rosh HaShanah 11a) on the verse,
-- "And the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their host."
Interpreting the final word tzva'am as implying tzivyonam, they read: "And the
heavens and the earth were completed in all their varied beauty."
The third meaning alludes to the various levels of Jewish souls.
Some are intellectuals -- masters of Torah, masters of sublime mysteries, masters of
wisdom.
Some are simple folk -- merely masters of good deeds, who observe the Torah and
its commandments with artless faith, and who support the Torah, each to the best of
his ability, through personal and financial effort.
For the ultimate in beauty cannot be attained by one color alone; beauty lies in the
harmony of many hues, as in the combined endeavors at divine service of these
varied souls, who in unison draw down to this world a revelation of G-dliness.
This third meaning of Tzeva is connected to the second and to the first.
There is a verse that states, -- "Days were created, and [lit.:] for him one of them."
For "a man has a fixed time on earth": every man is apportioned the fixed span of
"the days that were created."
And when he fills those days with the divine service of refining materiality, through
subjugating and sublimating the unholy element within it, he is worthy indeed of
being counted among the "hosts of G-d" -- which was the first meaning of the term.
All the above teachings underlie the above-quoted verse:
"It was on that very day that all the hosts of G-d left the land of Egypt."
The hosts of G-d are the people of Israel, who through the above- described divine
service of refining materiality purify and elevate the world.
They explode the delusion that makes worldly existence appear to be a meaningful
entity.
They lay bare that lie (sheker); in its place they reveal the Divine energy that in fact
animates the world. Moreover, they transpose the letters of kesher [which is a

30

mystical allusion to evil] into keresh.

Their involvement in the Torah and its commandments constructs [within their
personal Sanctuary] the upright beams of acacia wood, that stand like pillars to
connect G-d's infinite light [with the finite world below]. And it is by virtue of this that
the people of Israel are called the hosts of G-d.
But tzava also implies a limited time.
It is the life-task of every man, during the "days that were created" for him, to realize
within his life the continuation of that verse: velo echad ba'hem -- so that his divine
service should reveal within himself the illumination of echad, the One G-d.

Summary
The chapter continues to explain how the kesher (implying evil) and sheker
(falsehood) of the world can be transformed into keresh (one of the wooden
columns in the Sanctuary that connect the infinite light with the world below).
Thereby G-d is (so to speak) enabled to say, "I have come back to My garden -- to
My bridal chamber"; i.e., G-dliness becomes manifest in this world.
"Friends" (who are the angels or souls in Gan Eden) "listen to the voice" of the
Torah and prayer of the House of Israel. By virtue of this divine service the people of
Israel are called the "hosts of G-d."
The chapter concludes by explaining the three interrelated meanings of the word
tzava: an army; a fixed time; varied beauty.

Chapter 11
The following maamar, comprising chapters 11-15 (i.e., Part III) of the series of
discourses with the general title of Basi LeGani, was released in advance for study on
Purim 5710 (1950).
Let us examine from a deeper perspective why the Jewish people are called Tzivos
Hashem "the hosts of G-d".
The word Tzva-os is one of the seven holy Names of G-d that may not be erased.
It was first revealed as such by the Prophets, for in the Torah it is used only in
reference to the Jewish people.
Let us now seek to understand what particular quality of the Jewish people earned
them the title of "the hosts of G-d," and why it was first accorded them when they
left Egypt.
[Concerning the unique significance of each of the Divine Names,] the Midrash
Rabbah (Shmos 3:[6]) writes:
"Do you desire to know My Name? -- I am named according to My deeds.... When I
wage war against the wicked I am called Tzva-os." It is clear, then, that this is a
name of war. So too we read in Shaarei Orah of R. Yosef Gikatilla: "The Name Tzvaos relates to the Sefiros of Netzach and Hod [lit., `victory' and `glory'], and from
there evolve all the wars in the world."
The attribute of [seeking] victory is to be found only in a great man.
If someone speaks up in defiance of a lesser man, he may retort boldly, but he will
not overrule him.
A great man, however, will endeavor to vanquish anyone who speaks or acts
contrary to his will, and will seek to establish the truth of his position.

31

Indeed, the Sages teach that "any scholar who does not bear a grudge and seek
revenge like a snake is not a scholar" (Yoma 23a).
Rashi explains that the scholar will seek revenge and maintain a bitter grudge in his
heart as a snake does.
(The reason that the snake is used as a metaphor is explained there.)
The Talmud questions the above-quoted teaching of the Sages, noting that the
Torah commands: -- "You shall not avenge nor bear a grudge."
And the Talmud itself answers that a sage is permitted such conduct, for the
vengeance and the grudge allowed him (and indeed required of him) are not (G-d
forbid) of the kinds forbidden in the Torah, which are related to money [or other
material matters].
He who is permitted such conduct must be a sage of unquestioned integrity.
Indeed, the Talmudic term for "sage" -- implies one who is a self-effacing disciple of
wisdom; it is for the sake of wisdom that he directs all his actions and affairs.
This attitude lies at the root of [a true desire for] victory, and it applies only to a man
of stature.
Moreover, the greater the individual, the greater this desire.
A king, for example, is chosen from his entire nation on account of his superior
stature.
Thus we read of Shaul HaMelech: "There was no better man than he among the
Children of Israel; from his shoulders and upwards he was taller than any of the
people" (I Shmuel 9:2).
Such a king has a greater tendency to express his desire for victory, even to go to
war, and to triumph.
A war may be motivated by the desire for spoil, or -- more basically -- by the desire
to win in a battle of conflicting wills.
In the former case, a war is merely a test of strength and courage.
A war of the latter kind will be a battle of wits, if the king is to achieve the kind of
victory that will satisfy his will.
The desire for victory will be aroused only when the king is opposed by a formidable
obstacle; without it, he rules his domain as he pleases.
Once his wishes are challenged, however, then in order to secure victory he will
squander all the rare treasures that have been collected year after year, generation
after generation, precious resources that have never been used for any other
purpose, and that have been hidden and sealed from all eyes.
The reason:
A man's desire for victory is rooted higher in the soul than his will or his desire for
pleasure.
Hence the most intense delight that he could ever have from his rarest treasures is
meaningless when weighed against his desire for victory.
In fact he will even risk his very life and take up his position in the thick of battle,
because his drive to win is rooted in the very essence of his soul, higher than the
soul's consciously revealed faculties, its spiritual light and life-force.
When war breaks out the royal treasure vaults are thrown open.
Their resources are entrusted to the commanding officers in order that they should
reach the rank and file soldiers, for it is they who will secure victory.
This parable describes the spiritual worlds.
There, too, there are sealed and hidden treasures, like those of which the Torah
speaks: -- "G-d will open His goodly treasure house for you."

32

In the prayers, likewise, we ask: -- "Open for us Your goodly treasure house."
And elsewhere: -- "Graciously grant us Your gift from the storehouse of unearned
bounty."
In time of war, these sealed treasures too are entrusted to officers, who distribute
them among the simple soldiers, for it is they who will secure the victory.
This, then, is why the people of Israel are called the hosts of G-d, for it is they who
do G-d's will, standing their ground in the cosmic campaign against the opposing
forces. And it is for them, therefore, that the vaults of heavenly treasures are thrown
open.

Chapter 12
We can understand what is meant by the heavenly treasure house in terms of a
statement in Tikkunei Zohar:
"G-d's infinite light extends upward without bounds and downward without end."
The latter phrase means that the revelation and diffusion of this light are utterly
infinite.
Hence the name "Or ein Sof", which indicates [not merely a light that emanates from
G-d Who is infinite, but] that the light itself is infinite, because it resembles its
Luminary.
This represents the unique quality of light, for though it is merely a ray [from a
source] and not the essence [of the source], it nevertheless resembles its source.
Hence, since [G-d's] essence is uncompounded and infinite, the light that resembles
it is likewise infinite.
Now light of this kind would bring into being worlds and Sefiros without number or
end, worlds utterly different [than those we know].
Their infinity not only in number but also in nature is implied in the [Kabbalistic]
expression "Sefiros without end."
The Idra Zuta compares such a Sefirah to "a candle whose light is diffused to all
sides and corners [and hence may appear to be many lights], but when you look at
it in order to know it, you will find only one candle."
Because the light [of such a Sefirah] is essentially simple, it can find expression in a
limitless multiplicity of diverse levels: its "light is diffused to all sides and corners."
In truth, however, there is only one candle; [i.e., the light is the multiple expression
of an essential unity].
This is the unity spoken of in the statement, -- "You are One, but not in the
numerical sense."
Since G-d is essentially one, He transcends numeration when He reveals Himself;
He is essentially One, even though His revelation is multifaceted.
[In view of this apparent multiplicity,] why did exactly ten Sefiros emanate from
Above?
"Ten Sefiros," declares Sefer Yetzirah; "ten and not nine, ten and not eleven."
This state was brought about by the [self-limiting, self-screening] tzimtzum of the
infinite light.
Thanks to it, G-d's infinite light and revelation appear in finite categories.
Accordingly, the Sefiros are ten in number.
Nevertheless, even after the tzimtzum, unbounded and numberless worlds have
come into existence.

33

A hint of this may be found in the verse, -- "And maidens without number."
Said the Sages: "Do not read alamot (maidens), but olamot (worlds)," for there are
worlds without number.
In Idra Rabbah we likewise read: "At [the Supernal level that is termed] `the skull'
there are 12,000 worlds."
This number is appropriate to the specific concept discussed there.
In fact, however, the worlds are numberless.
Even the lowest level of the World of Atzilus, namely, Malchus, gives rise to creation
of innumerable multiplicity, as it is written, --"How manifold are Your works!"
Or, in another verse, --"How great are Your works!"
This multitude of creations and greatness of creations are discussed in the maamar
beginning Vaeira.
All this is possible because the light is infinite; hence, in spite of the tzimtzum, it
gives rise to an infinite multiplicity of creations.

Chapter 13
Thus the above-quoted phrase -- "G-d's infinite light extends ... downward without
end" -- refers to its revelation and utterly boundless diffusion even as it is revealed
at the lowest levels of creation.
The infinite worlds that precede the tzimtzum, and [even] the World of Atzilus, where
the infinite light shines overtly, are vessels [i.e., have the capacity] for receiving the
infinite light, for the vessels themselves are G-dly.
No wonder, therefore, that the infinite light shines there overtly, or that they are able
to receive it.
The [more limited] Worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, however, are lower.
For the vessels of the World of Atzilus are as the body to the soul, while the vessels
of these three Worlds are like garments.
As it is written in Pasach Eliyahu, "You have made garments for them" -- a reference
to these three Worlds, which are only garments enclothing the light of the vessels of
Atzilus (which are described as bodies).
It is similarly written, -- "The Supernal Mother (i.e., the attribute of Binah in the
World of Atzilus) nests in the realm of the throne (i.e., the World of Beriah); the Six
Sefiros [i.e., Ze'eir Anpin, the Divine `emotive' attributes] are situated in the World of
Yetzirah; and Ofan [i.e, the Sefirah of Malchus] in the World of Asiyah."
Since these three Worlds are only garments for the light of Atzilus, they are called
the lower realms.
The above-quoted statement [from Pasach Eliyahu] about the garments of these
three Worlds continues: "From them souls issue forth to man."
Most souls emanate from these worlds.
Only one soul in a generation, [and then, only] in the early generations, derived from
Atzilus.
In fact there are three levels of emanation from these three Worlds: souls emanate
from their innermost aspect; angels from their outer aspect; and worlds from their
outermost aspect.
By means of the successive stages in the chainlike scheme of spiritual descent that
is called hishtalshelus, the light of these three Worlds becomes increasingly
obscured. When it reaches the realm of the Galgalim and Mazalos it becomes
dense and more material.

34

This descent allows the Galgalim and Mazalos to monitor the influence and
revelation of the Divine light in this lowly, material world.
This function is alluded to in the verse, --"From the rich harvests brought out by the
sun and the rich produce hastened forth by the moon."
Another reference to this subject is to be found in the statement of the Sages, -- "No
blade of grass below is without its Mazal Above that strikes it with the command:
Grow!"
[The world, then, is animated] by the G-dly light and life-energy that flows through
the Galgalim and Mazalos. It is a far-reaching condescension for G-dliness to
appear in such a concealed manner, through the many downward stages
represented by the worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, to the point that it is
expressed in external, material influences.
This is particularly true as G-dliness descends through many tzimtzumim and many
stages of concealment until it [becomes enclothed in a creation that outwardly] is
the very opposite of G-dliness. There are beings [of the physical realm] that can (Gd forbid) entirely forget G-dliness.
This we see in the forces of evil [whose approach is epitomized in Pharaoh's boast],
"The Nile is mine, and I have made it."
This was the very opposite of the truth. For it was Yaakov who blessed Pharaoh,
and (as is stated in Midrash Tanchuma and cited by Rashi on the appropriate verse)
his blessing was that the Nile should rise at Pharaoh's approach -- an instance of
the Divine good being drawn down to this world.
Pharaoh, however, was the King of Mitzrayim -- a word which means "Egypt" when
vocalized one way, and which means "constriction" when vocalized differently.
[Being thus the very archetype of a limited, nonspiritual conception of the universe,]
Pharaoh was not only ungrateful, but claimed furthermore, "The Nile is mine, and I
have made it."
Parallels to this attitude may be detected in the divine service of every man,
whether he be a businessman or a scholar.
In the world of business a man may incline to think, -- "My strength and the might of
my hand have made me this wealth."
Even though the same man knows and believes that [in the words of the following
verse] "it is [G-d] Who gives [him] the power to accumulate wealth"; even though he
knows and believes that "it is the blessing of G-d that grants wealth"; even though
he mentions the Name of G-d at every stage in his business dealings; -nevertheless, he may still think that it is the might of his hand, his own intellectual
superiority, that is responsible for his prosperity.
When success smiles upon him, therefore, he is prone to "grow bold in his
wickedness," becoming inflated with pride in the fruits of his wisdom.
On the other hand, when his fortunes are bleak, such a man's spirits will fall, and he
will become depressed. In fact, however, both these reactions are unjustified.
For since "it is the blessing of G-d that grants wealth," he should experience
equanimity in the face of both situations. And if his affairs have not succeeded, let
him seek a fault in himself.
Similarly with one of those who "dwell in the tents" of scholarship.
Even though while he is at his books he keeps in mind that this is G-d's Torah that
he is studying, it is always possible that in the name of the Torah he will render a
legal decision that contradicts it.
In this he resembles the above businessman who, even though he believes with

35

simple faith that "it is [G-d] Who gives [him] the power to accumulate wealth," and
even though he believes that "it is the blessing of G-d that grants wealth,"
nevertheless grows buoyant and opinionated when his affairs are doing well...and
bothered and crestfallen when times are hard.
The reason for these feelings is that his business stands on a mistaken foundation.
His belief that "it is [G-d] Who gives [him] the power to accumulate wealth" is [not
internalized, but rather] left at the level of simple faith; the principles guiding his
business transactions, however, do not conform to the standards set by the Torah.
And this explains the untoward results described above.
In similar fashion, though a scholar knows that what he is studying is G-d's Torah,
the very essence of his study and his knowledge may be faulty.
Even while studying the Torah he may forget the Giver of the Torah.
His study can become a mere intellectual exercise, so that even though he may well
know what he has mastered, he may later follow the dictates of his independent
intellect and arrive at conclusions that contradict what he has studied.
The same pattern may be observed on a wider scale.
Though a person may receive his life-energy from G-d Himself, it is possible for him
[to conduct his life in a manner that] contradicts G-dliness -- because the light filters
down to him through an abundance of tzimtzumim and stages of concealment.
In the Holy Tongue this is hinted at in the very word for "nature" (teva), which shares
a root with the verb "to sink," as in the phrase, -- "sank in the Sea of Reeds."
Like something that sinks out of sight, the descending G-dly light becomes
increasingly obscured until it reaches even the lowliest levels of creation.

Chapter 14
Nevertheless, [despite all this concealment,] it is written, "You give life to them all."
The reflection of G-dly light is drawn down and brings all creations into being from
nothing to something, giving them life.
This concept is expressed [in Tanya,] in Iggeres HaKodesh, Epistle 20: "A ray of a
reflection of the radiation [of G-d's light is found] in all beings that were created,
formed and made...."
This is a reference to the G-dly light and life-energy that is drawn down into all
creations.
In the words [of the Talmud], "He feeds [the whole world,] from the horned buffalo to
a brood of vermin."
This light and life-energy radiates and is drawn down to even the lowest of levels,
as it is written, -- "If I soar up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the
abyss, behold, You are there."
[This awareness should lead to] a profound meditation on the greatness of G-d, on
how He is drawn down level by level through all the stages of the downward
progression of spiritual worlds, down to the level of the lowliest of creatures.
It is within the reach of every man, including the simplest of men, to comprehend
this concept, as he beholds the greatness of the Creator.
(The perception of the greatness of G-d by thus meditating on the multitude of His
creations is explained in the above-mentioned maamar [in Torah Or] beginning
Vaeira, in the course of an exposition of the verse, -- "G-d is great...in the city of our
G-d.")
Such meditation arouses a tumultuous reaction in one's soul, for it springs from

36

one's own direct observation.

This [descent and enclothement at many levels] comes about because G-d's light is
essentially infinite; hence its unlimited power of expression.
It can descend to the lowest of levels.
Furthermore, wherever it is drawn down and diffused it is not affected nor changed.
Accordingly, [the way in which it animates creations is different] from the manner in
which the soul animates the body, for the soul is affected by what happens to the
body in which it resides. By contrast, the only aspect of the G-dly light that can be
affected by its enclothement in creatures is that [lower] level of life-energy called koach [lit., "power"].
This stems from the vessels of the Worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, and these
vessels, as is cited in the above-mentioned Epistle [20] of Iggeres HaKodesh,
represent "the beginnings of [seemingly independent] existence."
Hence it is possible for them to be changed and affected [by their enclothement in
creation].
This is not the case with [that aspect of G-dly emanation called] "or" - the life-giving
light, - because it remains transcendent.
This concept is expressed in a comment of the Zohar on the verse, -- "There is none
holy as G-d."
"There are many levels of holiness," says the Zohar, "but none as holy as G-d."
His manner of holiness differs from the holiness that is found within the order of
creation.
Though the latter manifestations of holiness are separate, their holiness lies in the
fact that they are not enclothed in creations.
When, however, they are enclothed in creations, they are "grasped" within them -and this causes change.
The holiness of G-d, i.e., the above-mentioned Or, is different in that it does not
[generally] enclothe itself in creations; and when it does, it is not "grasped" [i.e.,
limited] by them, for it is essentially transcendent.
Physical light provides an apt analogy: it illuminates, while remaining uninvolved in
the space it reaches. The light that shines through a red, green or white glass, for
example, assumes a different appearance in each case, yet the light itself remains
uncompounded and colorless.
Even when it appears to be "enclothed" in the glass, it is not "grasped" by it, but
retains its transcendent independence.
In like manner, the Divine light and life-energy that animates creation is not changed
or affected. Since the light is by nature infinite, its expression is also infinite: it is
drawn down to the last and lowliest of creatures, everywhere remaining
uncompounded and unchanged, its very simplicity making possible its endless
manifestations.
This is what is meant by the above-quoted statement that "G-d's infinite light
extends...downward without end": it is expressed and revealed even in the lowliest
nward without end": it is expressed and revealed even in the lowliest of the lowest
levels of creation.

Chapter 15
Just as G-d's infinite light extends downward, with innumerable expressions and
unlimited revelation, so, too, it "extends upward without bounds"; i.e., [it becomes

37

united with its Source to the point that] it becomes hidden.

[These levels proceed], concealment after concealment, elevation after elevation,
causing an absence of light and revelation.
This, in general terms, is the [self-limiting] process of tzimtzum, whereby the G-dly
light becomes concealed and incorporated within G-d's essence, His Atzmus.
Before the tzimtzum, G-d's infinite light was overtly revealed.
As stated in Etz Chayim, "Before the emanation of any being, there was a sublime,
simple light pervading the whole of existence."
That is to say that there was a boundless revelation of G-d's infinite light: the [first
and clearest] perception was of this light, while independent existence and identity
were not perceptible at all.
A statement of Avodas HaKodesh will help clarify this subject:
"Just as the Infinite One possesses power with an infinite dimension, so too does
He possess power with a finite dimension. For if you were to say that He possesses
infinite power but not finite power, you would detract from His perfection [for there
would be an area, the realm of finitude, that would remain outside the context of Gdliness -- which is impossible], for G-d is the ultimate perfection."
G-d's perfection is thus reflected by His capacity to encompass both potentials.
Before the tzimtzum, the unlimited aspects of G-d's infinite light were revealed and
His power of limitation was concealed.
The above quotation from Etz Chayim refers to this state when it speaks of "a
sublime, simple light" (i.e., G-d's infinite light) "pervading the whole of existence";
i.e., it alone was perceptible, while His power of limitation, which allows for a
sensation of independent existence and identity, was not at all perceptible.
Through the process of tzimtzum, the infinite light was concealed, and the [first and
clearest] perception was of independent identity and existence.
G-d's infinite light was not [openly] perceived.
[Even after the tzimtzum G-d is still one with creation, in the spirit of the verse:] -"Do I not fill heaven and earth?"
The tzimtzum applies only from our perspective; in regard to G-d, it does not
conceal at all.
Indeed, His light diffuses after the tzimtzum just as before.
As we say [in prayer], "You were [the same] before the world was created; You are
[the same] since the world was created."
Both states are absolutely identical, since for G-d the tzimtzum conceals nothing.
By way of analogy:
When a teacher communicates a concept to his disciple, he desires that his
saplings [i.e., his disciples] share his conception of it.
However, in order to enable his student to cope with and internalize the concept, he
may first have to entirely deflect the [overpowering] light of his own thought
processes, and conceive an intellectual light that is filtered to suit the more limited
capacity of the recipient.
However, though the veils and tzimtzumim by which he does this are real from the
student's perspective, they do not affect the teacher at all [for he still sees the full
depth and breadth of his concept even as he presents it in its less dazzling form].
In the spiritual realms likewise, the limiting aspects of the tzimtzum affect only
ourselves, while concealing nothing from their Initiator. Furthermore, even in regard
to ourselves, the initial tzimtzum and so too the later ones are all intended for the
ultimate purpose of revelation.

38

As with the teacher, therefore, whose whole intent was that the recipient be enabled
to receive, the tzimtzum does not really conceal at all.
Nevertheless, [it is because of the tzimtzum that] G-d's infinite light is not overtly
perceived.
Even with regard to Or Pnimi -- that light and life-force which is enclothed within all
existence, granting it life -- there are some creations that do not perceive their lifeforce as being of G-dly origin.
Even though every man feels that there is a life-force that animates him, and clearly
realizes that this life-force -- and certainly not his body -- is the core of his
existence, nevertheless not everyone perceives this life-energy as being G-dly.
This is particularly true in the wake of the many degrees of progressive concealment
that even reach the stage at which a man can say, "The Nile is mine, and I made it";
or, "My strength and the might of my hand have made me this wealth."
Such a stance results from the extreme obscuring of the light; indeed, a person's
mind can thereby become so grossly insensitive that it will neither know nor feel that
nature is G-dliness.
It is G-d's infinite power that brings about this obscurity. Just as the extension of the
light until the lowest levels comes about only through G-d's infinite power, so too it is
His infinite power that conceals.
This is implied in the wording of the verse, -- "It is indeed You, G-d, Who hides." The
multiple concealment is effected by "You", by G-d Himself.
Corresponding to this concealment, there is a verse that speaks of G-d's revelation:
"G-d's kindness endures throughout the day."
The word "day" signifies revelation.
That is to say, G-d's revelation stems from His attribute of Chesed as expressed
through the Divine Name E-l. [His revelation thus derives from G-d Himself.]
In the same way, the fact that G-d conceals Himself derives from "You", from G-d
Himself.
This is the dual dynamic spoken of in Sefer Yetzirah:
Omek room and Omek tachat -- "the ultimate height and the ultimate depth."
Just as "the ultimate depth" (i.e., the revelation and diffusion of Divine light even in
the lowliest of levels) is an expression of G-d's infinite power, so too is "the ultimate
height" (i.e., the progressive ascent and withdrawal of the Divine light in the
direction of self-concealment [within its Source]) an expression of His infinite power.
And it is this self-obscuring ascent that is intended in the above-quoted statement
[of Tikkunei Zohar]: "G-d's infinite light extends upward without bounds."

Chapter 16
The following maamar, comprising chapters 16-20 (i.e., Part IV) of the series of
discourses with the general title of Basi LeGani, was released in advance for study
on Beis Nissan 5710 (1950), in honor of the yahrzeit of the Previos Rebbe's father,
the Rebbe RaShaB of Saintly memory.
Two very different levels of G-d's infinite light are represented in the above-quoted
teaching of Tikkunei Zohar: "G-d's infinite light extends upward without bounds and
downward without end."
The light that "extends upward without bounds" is a hidden and sealed light that
transcends -- and will never enter -- the realm of descent into worldly revelation.
This is the light referred to in the classic statement: "You are exalted above all the

39

exalted ones, hidden from all the hidden ones."

This light is by nature sealed.
The kind of light that "extends downward without end" can come within the realm of
revelation and is related to the worlds.
In general terms, it is a light that is revealed to G-d Himself (to His Atzmus): within
His Essence it is revealed to Himself, so to speak. In this it differs from the former
kind of light, which is not revealed even within His Essence, but remains sealed.
These two kinds of light represent two kinds of G-d's transcendent light (or makkif;
lit., "encompassing light"): the transcendent spiritual influence known as or yashar
(lit., "direct light"), and the transcendent spiritual influence known as or chozer (lit.,
"reflected light").
[The term "transcendent" or "encompassing" describes a light too intense to be
internalized within a limited recipient; "direct light" signifies light enclothed within
creation; "reflected light" signifies light that cannot be enclothed and hence is
"reflected" back to its source.]
The makkif of "direct light" is known as the "near makkif," inasmuch as it can
become revealed; the makkif of "reflected light" is known as the "distant makkif,"
because it cannot be revealed.
An analogy from intellectual influence: When a teacher communicates an idea to his
student, those [limited] aspects of the idea and their underlying rationale that the
student can receive and soundly integrate may be called or pnimi, an internalized
light. The profundity that now remains beyond his reach may be described as a light
that "encompasses" his mind, impinging upon it in subtle and unseen ways.
Nevertheless, this profundity is close to him: there will come a time when it will
become accessible.
In the words of our Sages, "No man understands his Rebbe's teachings in all their
depth until the passage of forty years."
His time will come.
Another analogy for this kind of potential closeness: If a person sees or senses that
a profound idea lies hidden, still quite unknown, in the subject of his study, then
despite his temporary ignorance that idea may be said to be close to him. His
wisdom too will ripen one day.
These analogies describe the encompassing light of or yashar: though it
encompasses [the limitations of its recipients] it is still close to their inner selves
[because it is ultimately accessible]. For a glimmer of it is already perceptible, and
that which is hidden will eventually be revealed.
However, there are also concepts that are so profound that they are by definition
hidden: no glimmer of them is revealed. Shlomo HaMelech, for example, was
granted a sublime understanding that utterly surpasses the grasp of created beings.
As it is written, "And G-d gave wisdom to Shlomo as He had promised him." No
aspect of this wisdom was revealed or will ever be revealed.
Wisdom of this order is presented by means of garments that hide it, such as
parables and riddles whose apparent superficiality is deceptive.
This is true of the parables of Shlomo HaMelech, the depth of which can be gauged
in limited measure through the study of the Midrash, i.e., only insofar as it was
revealed to our Sages through Ruach HaKodesh, divine inspiration. In the parables
themselves, however, one does not detect the light of intellect.
Similarly, the narratives of the Torah embody secrets and sublime mysteries to a
higher degree than do the Torah's laws. However, they are not at all recognizable,

40

for the essence of their light is a sealed secret, and is revealed only [as with
parables] by means of concealment. Since by nature this light stands apart, even
when revealed it remains separate and obscure, something closed off and hidden
even from its mashpia, its [intellectual or spiritual] fountainhead. As a rule,
intellectual exertion elicits an increase in the revelation of light. But when, in the
case of this kind of light, its mashpia applies his intellect to it, though he will in fact
experience an enhanced illumination, it will become hidden in his inner essence.
By contrast, in the case of intellectual light which is appropriate to a recipient, even
when its mashpia delves deeply into it [without considering how to communicate it],
it may be said to be close to the recipient.
Though he will catch only a glimpse of the fresh insights that his teacher has
unlocked (and even that glimpse will be attenuated to his measure), light of this kind
is by definition close and accessible; it can be drawn downward. Since it is
characterized by a thrust towards descent and revelation, the more that is revealed
to the mashpia, no matter how deep his independent thinking may be, the more will
be drawn down and revealed.
By contrast, the natural thrust of the deeper concepts that are innately sealed from
any relation to a recipient, is towards self-concealment.
In the case of such concepts, even when the mashpia applies his intellect to them
and masters them, their light remains separate, and becomes hidden in his inner
essence.

Chapter 17
We can now apply the above in order to understand the analogue in the spiritual
realms, where, simultaneously, "G-d's infinite light extends upward without bounds
and downward without end."
The latter light is that which is related to the created worlds.
In general terms, it represents a revelation within the Essence of G-d.
This can be understood in the light of a statement in Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer: "Before
the world was created, only He and His Name existed."
The word "Hu" (He) refers to the essence of the light, and [this third- person
pronoun, this indirect indicator] is used because it implies concealment; the essence
of this light is not revealed even within itself.
The word "shemo" ("His Name") refers to the revelation and diffusion of light. Within
the category of "His Name" there are two levels: Shemot ("Names") and Shem
("Name").
The plural form refers to the Ten Sefiros that are concealed in the Source of their
emanation: G-d's own estimate, so to speak, of all the potential [energy] that would
ultimately be realized.
The singular form refers to a spiritual level at which the Sefiros are without number.
Both these levels are revealed within G-d's Essence, and are also revealed in the
worlds as or pnimi [i.e., an immanent light] and or makkif [i.e., a transcendent light].
I.e., these levels are the source for the two kinds of light -- memaleh kol almin [i.e.,
the immanent light that "fills all the worlds"] and sovev kol almin [i.e., the
transcendent light that "encompasses all the worlds"].
The term "hu", however, stands entirely above these levels.
It refers to the essence of the light that is not at all related to revelation and is not
drawn down within the worlds.

41

On the contrary, it is hidden and incorporated within G-d's Essence. This level of
light is called otzar ("treasure house"). For just as a treasure house is sealed and
hidden from view, so too the essence of this light is sealed and hidden: "no thought
can grasp it at all." It is the level of Divine Essence that "no eye has seen."
This store of heavenly treasures is drawn down and revealed only for the sake of
securing victory and overcoming the enemy. The parable cited above described how
for this reason treasure houses that have been locked away and kept secret from
generation to generation are thrown open.
The spiritual analogue to this is alluded to in two adjoining phrases: -- "He brings
forth the wind from His treasure houses"; and, in the following verse, -- "He struck
down the firstborn of Egypt."
In order to strike down the most powerful exponents ("the firstborn") of the unholy
evil of Egypt (Mitzrayim/Meitzarim), "He brings forth the wind from His treasure
houses."
Tikkunei Zohar (Tikkun 69) comments: "The wind of G-d" refers to the primordial
ether. [This reference to the inner aspects of the Sefirah of Keser is reinforced by
the Kabbalistic interpretation of the phrase,] -- "For He is most exalted."
The Targum understands that phrase to mean that "He is exalted over the exalted."
As is well known, this phrase [likewise] refers to the inner aspects of Keser, whose
source is the inner aspects and essence of G-d's infinity.
[The Targum of the verse continues:] "He is exalted because `He cast the horse with
its rider into the sea.'" I.e., the attribute of pursuing victory in time of war is rooted in
the innermost reaches of Keser.
This corresponds to the above-mentioned analogy, which illustrated how the
attribute of seeking victory is rooted in the core of the soul, at a point that surpasses
the soul's revealed faculties.

Chapter 18
This idea can be explained in terms of the verse, --"Moreover, the Eternal One of
Israel will not lie nor change His mind, for He is not a man that He should change
His mind."
A change of mind is possible only in [the spiritual composition of] a man.
Man's [conscious] faculties comprise intellect and emotion, the emotions being
governed by the intellect and the intellect being related to the emotions.
On this level, a change of mind is possible, such as -- in the realm of emotions -- a
change from kindness to severity or from severity to kindness.
If at first one's understanding dictates that one experience feelings of love, then love
will result; if one's understanding then dictates otherwise, one will then change
one's attitude from love and closeness to distance.
A similar change is imaginable in the opposite direction.
At any rate, we see that a change of feelings results from a change in
understanding.
In the spiritual realm, change is likewise possible in the Divine emotive attributes.
[Regarding the generation of the Flood, for example,] it is written, --"And it grieved
Him at His heart, and G-d said, `I will destroy [man].'"
This is an expression of stern judgment.
Later, however, there was a change to the attribute of mercy, as it is written, -- "I
shall never more curse [the earth...] nor shall I ever again smite [every living thing]."

42

This change from strict justice to kindness came about through reason, which first
determined guilt and then determined innocence.
Change is also possible in the Divine intellectual attributes.
[In the first instance, G-d brought on the Flood for a reason:] -- "All the impulse of
the thoughts of his heart was only evil."
This reason necessitated a reaction in the Divine emotive attributes: it activated the
attribute of strict justice.
Afterwards, the reason changed: -- "For the impulse of man's heart is evil from his
birth."
This change dictated that the attribute of mercy be applied.
This change [in intellect] was brought about by a change in will.
The will itself also includes an emotive element, the emotions of the will.
The hidden reason that motivated the intellect to change from one reason to another
on the same grounds (as is explained elsewhere) is dependent on the will.
In the meantime, --"G-d smelled the pleasing smell," and a new will was drawn
down, for "the mystery of the sacrifices ascends to the mystery of the Ein Sof."
A change of will and regret thus became possible.
This, however, is possible only in a spiritual structure resembling that of man [i.e.,
only in those levels of Divine light that have descended and become enclothed, as
in man], in intellect and emotions, with a transcendent light encompassing the
intellect.
Concerning the innermost aspects of Keser, however, it is written, --"There is no left
side in Atik."
At this level of Divinity there are no emotive attributes and no hidden reason; this
level transcends any comparison to the spiritual structure of man. Of this level it is
written, "He is not a man that He should change His mind." Here, change of mind
and regret do not apply.

Chapter 19
The attribute of seeking victory, then, is rooted in the very core of the soul which
transcends the revealed [i.e., conscious] faculties of revealed will and of intellect.
Through this attribute, therefore, one can reach the storehouse of heavenly
treasures; i.e., it is this attribute that reveals and draws down the heavenly store of
treasures. Because of it, the storehouses are opened in time of war, the kernel of
which is victory.
In order to overcome the enemy even secret vaults are opened.
Though the distribution must be entrusted to ministers and officers, the ultimate
intent is that all the priceless wealth be handed over to the rank and file soldiers, for
it is they who will actually secure the victory. This concept is alluded to in the
phrase, Netzach Yisrael [which can be translated either "the Eternal One of Israel"
or "the victory of Israel"].
The victory is for Israel and by Israel.
Since it is they who are called the "hosts of G-d," the treasure houses of heaven are
opened up for them, to enable them to vanquish the enemy and to secure "the
victory of Israel." Because the attribute of seeking victory is found in Israel, they are
called the "hosts of G-d."
On the verse, -- "Make known to me the way of life," there is a related teaching of
Midrash Shocher Tov.

43

"David HaMelech asked of G-d: `Master of the Universe, make known to me the way
of life!'
"Said G-d to David: `Is it life that you want? Look inside the Torah!
For concerning the Torah it is written, -- It is a tree of life for those who hold fast to
it.'"
[The verse quoted above from Tehillim continues:] -- "There is fullness of joy in Your
presence [lit., `with Your countenance']."
On this there is a comment in Midrash Rabbah (Vayikra 30:[2], which for sova,
meaning "fullness", reads sheva, meaning "seven", for there are seven degrees of
joy among those who gaze upon the Divine Countenance): "These are the seven
groups of tzaddikim who are destined to welcome the Countenance of the Divine
Presence."
[The verse continues:] Ne-imot B'yemincha Netzach --"Bliss is at Your right hand
forever." [The word netzach, as mentioned earlier, can mean either "forever" or
"victory".]
The Midrash asks: "Who will tell us which of these groups is the most cherished, the
most blissful?"
And the Midrash continues by saying, "One answers: `Those who come with the
power of the Torah and the power of the mitzvos.' Another answers:
`These are the teachers who teach little children in the path of truth, and who are
destined to stand at the right hand of G-d.'"
The Midrash concludes: "This is what is contained in the phrase, `Bliss is at Your
right hand forever.'"
All the above comes about because the attribute of securing victory is related to
Israel.
For there is a verse [concerning the festival of Sukkos] that states: "And you shall
take for yourselves on the first day [...branches of palm trees]."
And the [above-quoted] Midrash connects the lulav with netzach Israel, interpreting
this phrase as a reference to the victory of Israel. For when one sees a lulav in a
man's right hand, one can tell that he is victorious, in the spirit of the verse, "Victory
is in your right hand."
The same Midrash illustrates its meaning:
"Two men appeared before a judge, but we do not know who was victorious. But
when one of them appears holding cuttings from [lulav and hadas] trees, we know
that he was victorious. Similarly, the Jewish people [and their adversaries state their
claims before G-d; when the Jewish people later appear with their lulavim in hand],
we know they were victorious."
In general terms, the victory described is the victory of the G-dly soul over the
animal soul. When a man overcomes his animal soul through his divine service in
Torah, mitzvos and prayer, he causes a victory Above -- the conquest on a cosmic
scale of the forces of evil.
And it is for the sake of this conquest that the treasure houses of heaven are thrown
open.
[We have been discussing the soul's life-tasks.]
The soul did not descend into the body for its own sake: as for itself, it is in no need
of correction.
The entire purpose of its descent is to correct, refine and elevate the body and the
natural soul.
Before its descent into the body and the natural soul it was in the ultimate state of

44

dveikus, truly and constantly cleaving to its source in the living G-d without any
separation whatever. As it is written, "The sublime image of each and every soul
used to stand before the Holy King." At that level the soul had one wish -- for G-d
alone and none other.
It descended from that state to enclothe itself in the body and natural soul in order
to refine and elevate them, and in order to bring light into its environment, its portion
of the world. This is the entire intent of the soul's descent below. To this end, "days
were formed."
Every individual has been allocated a certain number of days to carry out his divine
service through the refinement and restitution of the body and the natural soul, and
to bring light into his portion of the world through the light of the Torah and the light
of prayer.
The real place for this labor is here below.
For when the soul is in the spiritual worlds, as we have said, it enjoys the ultimate
state of dveikus. However, it descends into a body that is filled with alien wishes and
physical and material desires that prevent it from expressing itself in G-dly service.
This challenge eventually calls for strenuous exertion in a most formidable battle,
which can be won only by a determined desire for victory.
This determination allows a man to stand firm and fortify his involvement in Torah
and in his service of G-d. For the animal soul seeks to overwhelm him, to cause him
to sin, and to vex him, heaven forbid, with alien thoughts and all kinds of concerns,
and to confuse him with the yoke of earning a livelihood and the bothers of
business, or with other matters that disturb him until he is robbed of his peace of
mind.
It can be patently observed that a man's evil inclination endeavors to disturb and
confuse him precisely when he is involved in the service of G-d.
Precisely when the Divine soul is aroused in the love and awe of G-d, the animal
soul too is aroused, doing its best to disturb and confuse him in various ways.
Sometimes it will burden him with dread or terror for reasons that have no
substance. All this takes place particularly during his divine service through Torah
study of prayer, or while he is fulfilling some mitzvah, for example, during the fixed
times that he has set aside for study, at moments when he feels motivated to pray,
or while he is engaged in a mitzvah or neighborly deed.
The animal soul makes it appear to him that this is precisely the moment that he
must leave or hurry through his prayer.
In truth this is nothing more than a means of distracting the G-dly soul.
The proof of this lies in the fact that when he is strolling through the streets and
market places in his spare time, these thoughts do not come to him.
Realizing this, one must stand firm and reinforce his determination to observe his
times of Torah study and prayer, to overcome the animal soul, and not to heed it.
The attribute of striving for victory has the power to thereby overmaster the animal
soul, for this attribute is rooted in the very core of the soul, at a point higher than the
source of the soul's revealed faculties.
This enables it to overpower and thrust aside all of man's bothersome worries to the
point where no blocks or obstacles obstruct his study of the Torah and his fulfillment
of the mitzvos.
Then ultimately, when a man conquers his own animal soul, he causes the forces of
holiness on high to vanquish the forces of evil.
Moreover, he causes the sublime treasures of the spiritual realms to be drawn down

45

to this world below: he brings about the revelation of the innermost essence of G-d's
infinity.

Basi L'Gani - 5711

The following maamar, amplifies Chapter 1 of the maamar Basi L'Gani 5710.
This Mammar was delivered by the Rebbe Shlita on 10 Shevat 5711 (1951) in honor of
the first Yahrzeit of the Previous Rebbe, the Rebbe Rayatz of Saintly memory.

Chapter 1
My father-in-law, the Rebbe, of blessed memory, writes as follows in the maamar
that he released for the day of his passing, the tenth of Shvat, 5710:
"I have come into My garden, My sister, My bride."
Midrash Rabbah (on this verse) observes that the word used is not L'Gan [which
would mean "to the garden"], but L'Gani [which means "to My garden"] -- and this
implies L'Gnuni [which means "to My bridal chamber."
The Divine Presence is thus saying:] "I have come into My bridal chamber, into the
place in which My essence was originally revealed."
The Midrash continues: "...for the essence of the Shechinah was originally apparent
in this lowly world."
Let us understand why the Midrash uses the expression "the essence of the
Shechinah."
Discussing the meaning of [the level of Divinity termed] Shechinah, the Alter Rebbe
explains that the Divine Presence is thus named "because it dwells and is enclothed
[in all worlds],"..."as in the Scriptural phrase, Veshachanti Betocham -- `that I may
dwell within them,' for [the Shechinah] is the initial revelation of the [infinite] Ein Soflight."
From the Alter Rebbe's statement that "the initial revelation of the [infinite] Ein Soflight" is called Shechinah, we understand that the Shechinah transcends by far even
[the loftiest of the Four Worlds, the World of] Atzilus, [and that the Shechinah is to
be found] even in the Divine light that precedes the [initial self-imposed contraction
of Divine revelation that is known as the] tzimtzum, for revelation first occurs in the
[infinite] Ein Sof-light that precedes the tzimtzum.
As the Mitteler Rebbe writes: "The luminescence of the Kav and Chut [i.e., the
narrow band of Divine illumination that shone forth following the tzimtzum] in
relation to the essence of the Ein Sof- light is termed Shechinah."
For the meaning of the term Shechinah varies according to the spiritual level of its
context. In relation to Atzilus, [for example,] it is Malchus [lit., "sovereignty", the
lowest of the Supernal Sefiros,] that is termed Shechinah.
Even with regard to this use of the term, the Tzemach Tzedek explains that it
applies only when Malchus becomes the level of Atik [i.e., when it serves as the
fountainhead] for the World of Beriah.
However, when Malchus is still in Atzilus it is unit ed with them (i.e., with the Sefiros
of Atzilus), and the term Shechinah cannot be applied to it.
Nevertheless, this does not contradict the earlier statement that [even so lofty a
level as] the kav [which is spiritually superior by far to Atzilus] is termed Shechinah,
for the term Shechinah as used by our Sages refers to the level of Malchus of
Atzilus, and even then, only insofar as it becomes the level of Atik for the World of
Beriah.

46

In its source, however, i.e., in the state in which it exists in relation to the Ein Soflight, even the kav is termed Shechinah.
The Rebbe Maharash writes that one of the reasons why the kav is called
Shechinah in relation to the Ein Sof-light, is that the kav is drawn down in order to
become enclothed in the worlds and in Jewish souls. It is therefore termed
Shechinah even at its outset.
The Rebbe Rashab explains that on an even higher level the first source of
Shechinah precedes the tzimtzum, for the revelation of Divine light prior to the
tzimtzum is termed Shechinah.
In general, there are three levels of G-dly illumination that precede the tzimtzum:
[(a)] the essence of the [Divine] light (etzem haor), and
[(b) and (c)] the two sub-categories within its diffusion (hispashtus haor).
The first of these is the revelation of light insofar as it is revealed for G-d Himself, this
revelation being the source of the light of sovev kol almin [the light that transcends (lit.:
"encompasses") all worlds];
The second is the revelation of light as revealed for Himself that bears a relation to the
worlds, this revelation being the source of the light of memaleh kol almin [the light that is
immanent in all worlds].
It is this [latter] illumination that is termed Shechinah.
Although this light precedes tzimtzum and thus cannot possibly serve as a source
for [the creation of] worlds -- for which reason it was necessary that there be
tzimtzum [in the first place] -- and, moreover, this first tzimtzum was [not a mere
diminution of Divine light, but] an act of withdrawal, nevertheless, this [latter level of
illumination] is termed Shechinah.
We may now appreciate the precise wording of the Midrash, which taught that "the
essence of the Shechinah was originally found in this lowly world."
It informs us that the revelation of the Shechinah in this world is not of the level of
Malchus, i.e., the Shechinah in relation to Atzilus, nor is it the level of the kav, i.e.,
the Shechinah in relation to the Ein Sof-light; rather, what was present specifically in
this lowly world was the essential and innermost degree [i.e., the most
transcendental and consequently non-manifest degree] of Shechinah.
[The reason why the Midrash must refer to the essential level of Shechinah is as
follows:]
For the [Divine] illumination clothed within the worlds descends in an orderly and
progressive manner, so that the loftier the world, the greater the degree of
illumination; the lower the world within the progressive chain of descent [of worlds],
the lesser the illumination.
This is generally so regarding the illumination found within progressively descending
levels.
[Consequently, with regard to the lower levels of Shechinah, i.e., the illumination
clothed within the worlds, this revelation is found to a greater degree in the higher
worlds than in this physical world.]
Although it is true that before the sin [of the "Tree of Knowledge"] the illumination
was revealed in this world as well, nevertheless, even then the illumination was
revealed to a greater extent in the higher worlds.
In the words of our Sages, "He extended His right hand and created heaven; He
extended His left hand and created earth."
We must perforce say that the above statement [that "the essence of the Shechinah

47

was originally found in this lowly world"] refers to the [Divine] illumination that
transcends all worlds; this is what is meant by the essence of the Shechinah.

Chapter 2
It is evident that when the [above-mentioned] Midrash says that "the essence of the
Shechinah was originally found in this lowly world," it refers to this physical world;
indeed, the Midrash goes on to explain that through the sin of the "Tree of
Knowledge" the Shechinah departed from earth to heaven, and by giving the Torah
on Mt. Sinai G-d "returned to [His] garden -- to [His] bridal chamber."
Just as the sin itself of the "Tree of Knowledge" made possible sin in general, for it
precipitated and brought about the sins of Cain and Enosh as well as later sins, so
too, with regard to the effect of sin, which is the banishment of the Divine Presence:
it was the sin of the "Tree of Knowledge" that was responsible for the most
significant stage in the departure of the Shechinah -- its ascent specifically from this
physical world.
For just as "the essence of the Shechinah was originally found in this lowly world,"
i.e., in this physical world, so too, the most significant stage in its departure was
specifically the move from this world to heaven -- and this move was brought about
by the sin of the "Tree of Knowledge."
This also explains why [the Rebbe, of blessed memory] does not include the sin of
the "Tree of Knowledge" together with the other sins [that caused the further
departure of the Shechinah], but lists it separately.
For the sins of Cain and Enosh [as well as the later sins] caused the Shechinah to
depart from one heaven to the next, whereas the sin of the "Tree of Knowledge"
caused its departure from earth to heaven.
Apart from the fact that this stage in the distancing of the Divine is the one that most
affects us [in this world], this stage is also [objectively] the most significant.
[The Rebbe, of blessed memory] continues his discourse [by quoting the conclusion
of the Midrash]:
"Thereafter, seven tzaddikim arose whose divine service drew the Divine Presence
down once more into this world below.
"Through the merit of Avraham the Shechinah was brought down from the seventh
heaven to the sixth...." (And after abridging the continuation of the Midrash the
Rebbe concludes:) "...until, Moshe, the seventh of these tzaddikim (and `all those
who are seventh are cherished'), drew the revelation of the Shechinah down once
again into this world below."
The main step in the drawing down [of the Shechinah] was thus taken by Moshe, for
it was he who returned the Shechinah to this world.
Just as the principal stage in its withdrawal and ascent was the departure from this
world caused by the sin of the "Tree of Knowledge," so too, the principal stage in
the descent and return of the Shechinah was accomplished when it was drawn
down into this world.
Apart from the fact that this stage in the drawing down of the Divine is the one that
most affects us [in this world], this stage is also [objectively] the most significant.
And it was specifically through Moshe that the Shechinah was drawn down, the
reason being -- as explained parenthetically in the maamar, that "all those who are
seventh are cherished."

48

Chapter 3
The fact that our Sages say that "all those who are seventh are cherished" rather
than "all those who are cherished are seventh," indicates that the seventh's primary
quality lies in his being seventh.
In other words, he is cherished not on account of his choice, desire, or spiritual
service, but because he is seventh -- and this is something that he is born into.
Yet the fact remains that "all those who are seventh are cherished."
It was for this reason that it was Moshe who was privileged to have the Torah given
through him.
The Rebbe, of blessed memory, explained (soon after arriving in America) that even
when we refer to the seventh of a series as being the most cherished, the special
quality of the first is apparent.
For the whole meaning of "seventh" is "seventh from the first."
The Rebbe then explained the qualities that the first -- our forefather Avraham -attained through his spiritual service, which was performed with self-sacrificing
devotion, with mesirus nefesh.
Not content with the above, the Rebbe adds (though this is seemingly not relevant
to his central theme) that Avraham did not actively pursue mesirus nefesh.
In this, his service was unlike that of Rabbi Akiva who did actively seek it, [saying]:
"When will I be afforded the opportunity [for mesirus nefesh], so that I may actualize
it."
Avraham's mesirus nefesh, by contrast, was incidental [to his actual service]. He
knew that the main object of divine service was [that defined by the Sages'
interpretation of the verse], --"He proclaimed there the Name of G-d, L-rd of the
world."
[For our Sages say,] "Do not read vayikra -- `he proclaimed,' but vayakrei --`he
made others proclaim.'"
I.e., let another man likewise proclaim [G-d's Name].
And if in the course of this service mesirus nefesh was called for, he could supply
that too.
Indeed, so estimable was Avraham's divine service and mesirus nefesh that even
Moshe was privileged to have the Torah given through him because he was the
beloved seventh -- the seventh to the first.
[It is to this relationship between them that the Sages apply the verse:] -- "G-d told
Moshe (referring to Avraham), `Do not stand in the place of the greats.'"
It is true that the seventh of a series is very much loved and that this status comes
not as a result of choice nor as a result of one's divine service, but as a finished
product, merely as a result of birth.
Nevertheless, there are no inherent limitations that should cause an individual to
say that this status is beyond him and that it is accessible only to a select few.
On the contrary, this is a situation similar to that which is explained in Tanna dvei
Eliyahu (chs. 9 and 25) and quoted in Chassidus, that every Jew, even a slave and
handmaiden can attain the inspiration of the Divine Spirit.
[Similarly,] each and every Jew is obligated to say, "When will my actions equal
those of my forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov?"
At the same time we should not delude ourselves: we must know that we should
"not stand in the place of the greats," and that the merit of the seventh of a series
consists of his being seventh to the first.
I.e., he is capable of doing the divine service and fulfilling the mission of the first:

49

"Do not read `he proclaimed,' but `he made others proclaim.'"
This, then, is why the seventh is so cherished: it is he who draws down the
Shechinah, in fact -- the essence of the Shechinah; moreover, he draws it down into
this lowly world.
It is this that is demanded of each and every one of us of the seventh generation -and "all those that are seventh are cherished":
Although the fact that we are in the seventh generation is not the result of our own
choosing and our own service, and indeed in certain ways perhaps contrary to our
will, nevertheless "all those who are seventh are cherished."
We are now very near the approaching footsteps of Mashiach, indeed, we are at the
conclusion of this period, and our spiritual task is to complete the process of
drawing down the Shechinah -- moreover, the essence of the Shechinah -- within
specifically our lowly world.

Chapter 4
Having explained that the essence of the Shechinah was originally apparent in this
lowly world and that in addition Moshe (the seventh) later drew it down specifically
into this world, [the Rebbe, of blessed memory] goes on to say:
"Divinity was primarily revealed within the Beis HaMikdash, (and the Rebbe
supports this statement with Scripture,) as it is written, `And they shall make Me a
Sanctuary and I shall dwell within them.'"
[Concerning this verse the Sages comment:] "The verse does not state `within it,'
but `within them,' [thus implying that G-d dwells] `within each individual Jew.'"
[The Rebbe continues:] "This concept can grant us an insight into the verse, `The
righteous shall inherit the land and forever dwell upon it.' This means that the
righteous shall inherit `the earth,' which is an allusion to Gan Eden, because they ca
use `Him Who dwells forever, exalted and holy is His Name,' to dwell and be
revealed in this physical world below."
(The Rebbe does not explain "Him Who dwells forever" in the maamar; the concept
is explained in Likkutei Torah in accordance with a teaching of the Zohar.)
[The discourse of the Previous Rebbe continues:]
"With this in mind, we can better understand the interpretation of the verse, `I have
come into My garden,' as `I have come into My bridal chamber'; i.e., the Shechinah
here speaks of its return to the original location of its essential abode -- in the midst
of the nether beings.'
"The matter (i.e., the explanation as to why the essence of the Shechinah was
specifically found in this world) is as follows:
`The ultimate purpose for the creation and progressive descent of the worlds is that
`G-d desired to have a dwelling place in the lower worlds.'"
The Alter Rebbe explains this [in the following manner]:
"The ultimate intent of the progressive chainlike descent of the worlds is not the
loftier worlds, since for them this constitutes a descent from the light of G-d's
Countenance."
The ultimate purpose cannot possibly be remoteness from G-d.
As is well known, creation derives solely from the power of G-d's Essence, as is
stated in Iggeres HaKodesh, in the Epistle beginning Ihu VeChayohi: As to G-d's
very Being and Essence, Whose being derives from His own self and Who has no
cause preceding Him, He alone has the power and ability to create something out of

50

absolute naught and nothingness.

Thus, creation does not result from G-dly revelation, rather from G-d's Essence.
Hence it is impossible to state that the ultimate intent of creation was for the sake of
the higher worlds, for even [the loftiest of them,] the World of Atzilus, is [merely] a
revelation of that which had previously been concealed.
It therefore constitutes a descent from the light of the Divine Countenance, for when
the luminous emanations of Atzilus were in a state of concealment [within their
source] they were on a much loftier plane.
In addition, since these are merely degrees of revelation [i.e., glimmerings of G-d's
Essence], we cannot possibly say that Essence exists for the sake of such
revelations.
We must therefore say that the ultimate goal is this physical world, wherein -- as the
Mitteler Rebbe explains on this week's Torah reading (Parshas Beshalach), while
comparing the higher worlds and this world -- it is felt that its being derives from its
own self.
(This is as explained in the series of maamarim of Rosh HaShanah this year, in
connection with the difference between created beings and [Divine] light: Light
proves that there is a luminary; when we observe light, its very existence indicates
and reveals that there is a luminary [from whence it emanates].
By contrast, [physical] created beings not only fail to reveal [their] Creator, they
actually hide and conceal their source; moreover, they feel that their being derives
from themselves, (and only reason dictates that this cannot possibly be so)).
Although this [perception of a physical creation that its being derives from its own
self] is but its own [false] impression, nevertheless, the very fact that it is able to
imagine that it derives from its own self results from its being rooted in G-d's
Essence -- and His Being derives from His Essence.
It is thus understandable that the intent of creation is not the higher worlds whose
purpose is revelation, but this lowly world -- that imagines itself to be not a [mere]
revelation (gilui) but a self- sufficient entity (atzmi), whose being derives from its
own self.
Through man's spiritual service in this world, subduing and transforming [the
physical into holiness], G-d's Essence is revealed [in this world], in the world for the
sake of which the worlds at large were created and for the sake of which they
progressively descended.

Chapter 5
It goes without saying that according to the opinion -- cited by the Tzemach Tzedek
-- that even the vessels of Atzilus are [but] a level of revelation of that which was
previously concealed, that the ultimate purpose surely does not rest in them, for
they are in a state of descent and mere revelation.
But even according to the second opinion cited there, that the vessels are creations
ex nihilo, it is explained in various sources that they are not truly creations ex nihilo;
they are only considered so in relation to the light [that illuminates them].
[The vessels of Atzilus are considered as creations ex nihilo relative to the lights of
Atzilus] because the source of the vessels is from the Reshimah, [the Divine power
of limitation and finitude,] which is a state of concealment.
The vessels therefore exist in such a way that their source is hidden from them.
Thus, relative to the illumination they are considered to have been created ex nihilo.

51

However, in relation to [their source,] the Reshimah, they are indeed revelations of
that which was previously concealed.
It is thus clear that the ultimate [Divine] objective is not the higher worlds, but rather
man's spiritual service of subduing and transforming this world [into holiness].
Since presently the performance of mitzvos increases illumination within Atzilus, [so
that it is not this world that currently benefits therefrom,] how can we then say that
even now the ultimate objective of man's divine service is specifically this world?
The Rebbe Maharash [answers this question when he] explains that these
illuminations in Atzilus are there as if in storage; i.e., they are not revealed there, for
they are intended not for that world but for this lowly world, [where they will be
revealed with the arrival of Mashiach].
It is in this context that the Rebbe Rashab considers the above quotation [from
Tanya] as to why it is impossible to argue that "the ultimate intent [of the
progressive, chainlike descent of the worlds] is not the loftier worlds, since for them
this constitutes a descent from the light of G-d's Countenance."
He explains as follows: The higher worlds are characterized by revelation, which
implies descent.
[It entails withdrawing from oneself and concealing the profundity contained within,
in order to reveal a mere glimmer of that which exists within its source.]
Moreover, G-d's Essence is entirely removed from the quality of revelation.
The ultimate objective, then, is this lowly physical world, for so the idea arose in
blessed G-d's will that He experience delight "when the forces of evil are subdued
and darkness is converted into light."
This is as explained in the maamar, that man's service consists wholly of
transforming the folly of the forces of evil to the folly of holiness.
This brings about the Divine satisfaction expressed by the phrase, "I derive pleasure
from the fact that I spoke, and My will was executed."
This manner of service results in providing G-d with a dwelling in the worlds below.
And just as a person's entire essence and being dwells in his home, so too with
regard to [our spiritual task of] making this lowly world a dwelling for G-d: It results
in drawing down not only manifestations of Divinity, but also the infinite Essence of
G-d.
And this is the ultimate purpose of the creation and downward progression of all
worlds.

Chapter 6
At the conclusion of the maamar [in chapter 5] the Rebbe explains that the Beis
HaMikdash was the principal place wherein the Essence of the Shechinah was
revealed within this world.
[He goes on to explain that] this was why the Mishkan was made of acacia wood
[since shitim ("acacia") is related to shtus ("folly")].
For man's goal is to transform the folly of unholiness and the animal soul's passions
[i.e., a folly that is lower than reason] into the folly of holiness [i.e., a folly that
transcends even the rationality of holiness].
As our Sages said [concerning a certain instance of such conduct], "The venerable
sage has been well served by his folly" -- for this was a degree of self-effacing
divine service that transcended [even holy] intellect.
Whatever was demanded of us by the Rebbe, of blessed memory, and by all the

52

Rebbe'im, they demanded of themselves.

This recalls the Sages' interpretation of the verse, --"He tells His words to Yaakov,
His statutes and ordinances to Yisrael."
The Sages comment: "That which He does, He tells the Jewish people to do and
observe."
So, too, that which He commands the Jewish people to do, He Himself does.
The same is true regarding the conduct of our mentors, the Rebbe'im: whatever
they demanded of their chassidim and followers they themselves fulfilled as well.
The reason that they revealed to us that they too performed these things, was in
order to make it easier for us to perform them.
Accordingly, there are many stories regarding the love of a fellow Jew involving
each of the Rebbe'im.
The Alter Rebbe, for example, once interrupted his prayers in order to go and chop
wood, cook a soup and feed it to a woman who had just given birth, because there
was nobody else to do it.
Likewise, at Yechidus with the Mitteler Rebbe, a certain young man once lamented
about those things that young men lament about. The Mitteler Rebbe uncovered his
forearm and said: "Observe how my skin clings to my bones.... And all this is from
your `sins of youth.'"
The stupendous spiritual stature of the Mitteler Rebbe needs no describing -- by any
standards, and all the more so in comparison to those who are subject to such
things. Nevertheless, his spiritual bond with them was so strong that their
unsatisfactory spiritual state affected his physical health -- to the point that his skin
shriveled and clung to his bones.
The Tzemach Tzedek once went out of his way before prayers in order to lend
money to a very simple person who was in need.
Then there is the story of how the Rebbe Maharash once traveled from a healingspa to Paris, solely for the purpose of meeting with a young man, to whom he said:
"Young man, forbidden wine stupefies the mind and heart; become a [practicing]
Jew."
The young man returned home and found no rest until he returned to the Rebbe
Maharash and repented.
Eventually, he became the head of a G-d-fearing and observant family.
It is well known that time was extremely precious to the Rebbe Maharash, to the
extent that even his recital of maamarim was brief.
There were times when at eight in the morning he had already concluded his
prayers.
Nonetheless, he traveled to a distant city and stayed there a considerable amount of
time -- for the sake of one young man.
When the Rebbe Rashab first became Rebbe, he was about to embark on a journey
to Moscow because of a new [anti-Semitic] decree [which he sought to nullify]. His
older brother, [R. Zalman Aharon, known by his acronym as] the Raza, said to him:
"Time is very precious to you and you do not speak Russian well. (The Raza was a
linguist.) You also have to make the necessary acquaintances. I will travel to take
care of this matter and will follow your instructions."
However, the Rebbe Rashab did not agree: he went himself and was successful.
Similarly, there are many stories of how the Rebbe, of blessed memory, went out of
his way to do material and spiritual favors, even to individuals.
He selflessly set himself aside in order to do so, setting aside not only his

53

physicality [i.e., his own physical needs], but also his spirituality [i.e., his spiritual
needs], even though the person to whom he was benevolent was not only not in the
category of his "equal in Torah and mitzvos," but did not compare to him at all.

Chapter 7
Through the subjugation and transformation [of the folly of unholiness] into the folly
of holiness the objective of creation is accomplished -- to provide a dwelling place
for G-d in this nether world.
Indeed, the dwelling made for G-d in this world through the subordination and
transformation of materiality -- [so that the Creator can say,] "I have returned to My
garden" -- is superior to [that which existed] before the sin [of the "Tree of
Knowledge"].
Just as when one razes a building in order to replace it with a new one, the new
building must obviously be better than the old, so too must we say that the
subordination and transformation of materiality build a superior dwelling [to that
which existed before the sin of the "Tree of Knowledge"].
And so too does it state in the maamar, that "through the subordination of the forces
of evil, the glory of G-d rises [and is diffused] throughout all the worlds" -- a
reference to a degree of illumination that is found equally in all worlds.
While it is true that the expression used in the maamar is that of a light that
"encompasses" all worlds, the intention cannot possibly be that there is drawn down
a level of illumination that falls within the category of worlds, but nevertheless only
encompasses them.
Rather the intent [of the maamar] is that there is drawn down a degree of
illumination that utterly transcends the category of worlds. This revelation is
therefore described by the verb istaleik [lit. "rises"].
This also explains why the demise of tzaddikim is termed histalkus, for this term
suggests the revelation of an exceedingly brilliant light, [such as that brought about
by the passing of a tzaddik.]
There are two epistles in Iggeres HaKodesh that explain [the kind of demise that is
described by the term] histalkus.
In the second, it is explained in terms of its relationship to the sin-offering of the Red
Heifer [which was offered outside the three camps].
Those offerings that are made inside [the precincts of the Sanctuary] are unable to
purify and elevate the three completely unholy kelipos.
This can be accomplished only through an offering that is made outside it -- such as
the Red Heifer, which was offered outside. It is to this that the passing of tzaddikim
is likened.
At present we lack the [expiation of the] Red Heifer, for our sins demanded that we
be exiled from our land. But there has transpired the demise of tzaddikim.
Concerning the passing of tzaddikim we find two Rabbinic comments: "The demise
of tzaddikim is equivalent to the burning of the House of our L-rd"; and: "The demise
of tzaddikim is even harsher than the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash."
Through all the above there comes about the prodigious degree of G-dly revelation
that is described by the verb istaleik.
Concerning the word histalkus all the Rebbe'im --the Alter Rebbe, the Mitteler
Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, the Rebbe Maharash, the Rebbe Rashab, and the
Rebbe, of blessed memory -- have explained that it does not mean (G-d forbid)

54

ascending on high [i.e., that the person who was nistaleik has left our midst], but
rather that he is still found [with us] below, though in a transcendentally lofty
manner.
This, then, is what is demanded of us, the seventh generation from the Alter Rebbe
-- "all those who are seventh are most beloved":
Although we have not earned it and have not toiled for it, nevertheless, "All those
who are seventh are most beloved."
The spiritual task of the seventh generation is to draw down the Shechinah truly
below: transforming the folly of the animal soul -- which every man knows only too
well that he possesses -- and the passions, if not worse, of his animal soul,
converting and transforming them into the folly of holiness.

Chapter 8
This, then, is the significance of the "departure of a tzaddik:"
Although there has already been considerable concealment and cloaking [of
holiness], and there have also been many questions and inexplicable occurrences,
nevertheless, all this did not suffice; in order for there to be the tremendous degree
of revelation (istaleik) of the glory of G-d throughout all the worlds, there was also
the demise of tzaddikim -- something not only as harsh as the destruction [of the
Beis HaMikdash], but more so.
And the ultimate objective of all of this is that "the glory of G-d rise [and be
diffused]."
This is demanded of each of us: To know that we find ourselves in the seventh
generation, the quality of the seventh of a series merely being that he is seventh to
the first.
The conduct of the first was that he sought nothing for himself, not even mesirus
nefesh, for he knew that his whole existence was for the sake of "proclaiming there
the Name of G-d, L-rd of the world."
This kind of divine service resembles that of Avraham: arriving in places where
nothing was known of G-dliness, nothing was known of Judaism, nothing was even
known of the alef beis, and while there setting oneself completely aside [and
proclaiming G-d's Name] in the spirit of the teaching of the Sages, "Do not read `he
proclaimed,' but `he made others proclaim.'"
It is well known that when expounding by means of the principle, "Do not read...,"
both the former and the latter readings maintain their validity. Here, too, the Torah
specifically states that "he proclaimed."
Nonetheless, it must be known that if a person desires to succeed in enjoying his
own "proclamation", he must see to it that others not only know but "proclaim" as
well.
And although until now one's fellowman was utterly ignorant, one is now obliged to
see to it that he too vociferously proclaim joining "G-d" and "world" together, and not
-- "G-d of the world."
For the latter phrase would imply that G-d is an entity unto Himself and the world is
a separate entity unto itself, except that G-d governs and rules the world; rather, Gdliness and the world are wholly one.

Chapter 9
Although there exists no man who has the temerity to say, "I shall serve like our
forefather Avraham," nevertheless, some small measure of service in a similar vein

55

can -- and must -- be performed by each and every one of us.

The power to do so has been granted to us through the conduct of the first [of the
Rebbe'im], and from thence onwards, up to and including the conduct displayed by
the Rebbe, of blessed memory.
They have paved the way and granted us the necessary powers [that we may follow
in their footsteps].
This in itself indicates the dearness of the seventh generation: so much power has
been given and revealed for our sakes.
Serving in this fashion will draw down the Essence of the Shechinah into this
physical and material world to an even greater extent than was revealed prior to the
sin [of the "Tree of Knowledge"].
This accords with what is written concerning Mashiach: --"And he shall be exalted
greatly...": even more than was Adam before the sin [of the "Tree of Knowledge"].
And my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, of blessed memory, who "bore the
ailments and carried our pains," who was "anguished by our sins and ground down
by our transgressions," -- just as he saw us in our affliction, so will he speedily in
our days and rapidly in our times, redeem the sheep of his flock simultaneously both
from the spiritual and physical exile, and uplift us to [a state where we shall be
suffused with] rays of light.
The above, however, is the enjoyment of [mere] manifestations of G-dliness.
Beyond this, the Rebbe will bind and unite us with the infinite Essence of G-d.
It is this that constitutes the inner objective of the progressive descent of all the
worlds; [the inner purpose] of sin and its rectification; [the inner meaning] of the
demise of tzaddikim: that through all this "the glory of G-d rise [and be powerfully
diffused]."
When he redeems us from the exile with an uplifted hand and the dwelling places of
all Jews shall be filled with light, "Then will Moshe and the Children of Israel sing...,
`G-d will reign forever and ever,'" (in accordance with the text of the prayers [that
concludes the Song of the Sea with the verse, "G-d will reign...,"]) and also as
expressed in Targum [Onkelos], "The sovereignty of the L-rd is established forever
and to all eternity."
We conclude [the above-mentioned prayer]: "G-d will be King..., G-d will be One and
His Name One" -- no difference will exist between G-d and His Name.
All the above is accomplished through the passing (histalkus) of tzaddikim, that is
even harsher than the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash.
Since we have already experienced all these things, everything now depends only
on us -- the seventh generation.
May we be privileged to see and meet with the Rebbe here is this world, in a
physical body, in this earthy domain -- and he will redeem us.