בְּ׳רַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא׳ פָּרָשַׁת נָשֹׂא

In Raya Meheimna , Parashat Naso: In Raya Meheimna ("The Loyal Shepherd" or "The Shepherd of Faith"), Parashat Naso. The quoted section appears in the Zohar, Parashat Naso [Zohar 3:124b]. The passage quoted here is part of a very lengthy section that describes the exile, and the struggles that will take place during its final phase. The purpose of these struggles will be to differentiate between the righteous, who will be redeemed, and the evildoers, etc. (analogous to the test and challenge of the sota, an allegedly adulterous woman, to assess whether or not she had, in fact, committed adultery). However – and this is the point of the quoted section – there will be some who will not need to undergo such a test at all. These are the people who immerse themselves in the Zohar, meaning, in the innermost aspect of the Torah.

״וְהַמַּשְׂכִּילִים יַזְהִירוּ כְּזֹהַר הָרָקִיעַ״ (דניאל יב,ג)

"The wise will shine like the radiance of the firmament" (Dan. 12:3), This verse is the biblical source for the name of the book of the Zohar. The verse also serves as the opening for several passages in the Zohar. It states that those who study the words of the Zohar that appear in the particular section, and the Torah secrets that are mentioned within it, will shine and illuminate "like the radiance of the firmament" as a result. This refers to the illumination of the higher spheres, as opposed to the illumination of this world, which emanates from the revealed Torah.

בְּהַאי חִבּוּרָא דִּילָךְ דְּאִיהוּ סֵפֶר הַזֹּהַר מִן זָהֳרָא דְּאִימָּא עִילָּאָה

with that composition of yours, of Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai, which is the book of the Zohar from the splendor [zohar ] of the supernal mother, The light and intellectual perspective that are revealed in the Zohar come from the light that is the level of the supernal "mother," referring to Bina that is found in the world of Atzilut.

תְּשׁוּבָה

repentance. For Bina is referred to as repentance. As is explained elsewhere, repentance is the returning and elevation of elements of holiness that had descended into the lower worlds and kelippot back to their roots in Atzilut. It is explained there (based on the statement in the Zohar ) that the word teshuva (repentance) is comprised of "tashuv " (return) and the letter heh, representing the four-letter name of Havaya. Just as the letter heh appears twice the four-letter name, so are there two levels of repentance: lower repentance and higher repentance. Lower repentance is the returning (teshuva ) to the latter heh in the name of Havaya, which is the Malkhut of the world of Atzilut. Higher repentance is the upper, first heh, which is the Bina of Atzilut. The service of higher repentance is, therefore, through Bina. In this repentance, not only the person's actions and speech, but also his spiritual attributes, ascend to the place in his soul which, according to his understanding, is worthy and perfected. Bina, in this sense, is the place in his soul within which aspects of himself are increasingly perfected. It is not simply a static state of being a righteous person, with holy and perfected traits. Rather, it is an ongoing process of contemplation, service, and improvement upon prior states. This is the Bina that is referred to as "higher repentance."

בְּאִילֵּין לָא צְרִיךְ נִסָּיוֹן וּבְגִין דַּעֲתִידִין יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִטְעַם מֵאִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי דְּאִיהוּ הַאי סֵפֶר הַזֹּהַר יִפְּקוּן בֵּיהּ מִן גָּלוּתָא בְּרַחֲמִים

No test is required for these. And since in the future Israel will taste from the tree of life, which is this book of the Zohar , they will emerge through it from the exile with mercy, Those who study the Zohar, and immerse themselves in the inner aspect of Torah, will not need any tests or purification for the future redemption. Engaging in the inner aspect of Torah reveals the "Tree of Life." Although the entire Torah is a tree of life, as will be elucidated below, it is through the inner aspect of Torah that this facet, the facet of life and light, is revealed, isolated from and unconnected with evil and the kelippa. This revelation and experience themselves represent one's personal emergence from exile, within his awareness and sensibility. It prepares him so that his general emergence from exile is experienced without hardship, but rather mercifully.

וְיִתְקַיַּים בְּהוֹן: ״ה׳ בָּדָד יַנְחֶנּוּ וְאֵין עִמּוֹ אֵל נֵכָר״ (דברים לב,יב).

and the verse will be fulfilled in them: "The Lord alone would lead him, and there was no foreign god with Him" (Deut. 32:12). This means that God Himself will take them out of exile. "Foreign god" refers to the perspectives of the other nations and their angelic ministers, through which God executes judgment against the people of Israel when they are culpable. "The Lord alone would lead him" refers to when God will redeem them, and that the redemption will not be effected through judgments and reckonings, but with simple mercy.

וְאִילָנָא דְּטוֹב וְרַע דְּאִיהוּ אִיסּוּר וְהֶיתֵּר טוּמְאָה וְטָהֳרָה לֹא יִשְׁלְטוּ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל יַתִּיר

And the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which is related to the topics of prohibited and permitted matters and impurity and purity, will no longer rule over Israel. This is the part of Torah (the revealed Torah) that relates to this world, which is the reality of the kelippat noga. In this world, there is good and evil, which the Torah categorizes as prohibited and permitted, pure and impure. They will no longer rule over Israel. For Israel will receive their life force directly from a level that is both higher and deeper, and not through the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

דְּהָא פַּרְנָסָה דִּלְּהוֹן לָא לֶהֱוֵי אֶלָּא מִסִּטְרָא דְּאִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי, דְּלֵית תַּמָּן לָא קַשְׁיָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּרַע וְלָא מַחֲלוֹקֶת מֵרוּחַ הַטּוּמְאָה,(זכריה יג,ב)

For their sustenance will come only from the side of the tree of life, where there are neither difficulties raised by the evil side nor disputes emerging from the spirit of impurity, as it is written: "I will remove the spirit of impurity from the land" (Zech. 13:2),

דְּלָא יִתְפַּרְנְסוּן תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים מֵ׳עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ׳, אֶלָּא מִסִּטְרָא דְּטוֹב דְּאָכְלִין טָהֳרָה כָּשֵׁר הֶיתֵּר, וְלָא מֵ׳עֵרֶב רַב׳ דְּאָכְלִין טוּמְאָה פָּסוּל אָסוּר וכו׳

The result will be that Torah scholars will not receive their sustenance from "the ignorant," but from the good side, as they will eat in purity kosher, permitted food, nor from the "mixed multitude [eirev rav ]," who eat impure, disqualified, prohibited food….

וּבְזִמְנָא דְּאִילָנָא דְּטוֹב וְרַע שָׁלְטָא כו׳,

But during the time when the tree of knowledge of good and evil rules…, those scholars, who resemble Shabbatot and festivals, have only what is given to them by these weekdays, like the day of Shabbat, which has only that which is prepared for it on the weekdays. This can be paraphrased as follows: But during the time when the tree of knowledge of good and evil rules etc., meaning, this time period of the exile of the Divine Presence in kelippat noga, those scholars, who resemble Shabbatot and festivals, have only what is given to them by the weekdays, which refers to the ignorant who are compared to the days of the week. Like the day of Shabbat, which has only that which is prepared for it on the weekdays. The Zohar expresses a harsh contrast between two types of people, scholars and the ignorant. These two types are parallel to two phases of time, the days of the week, contrasted with the Shabbatot and festivals. During the exile, one prepares for Shabbat during the weekdays, so that he cannot eat anything on Shabbat except that which was prepared during the week. Similarly, during the exile, scholars receive their sustenance from the ignorant.

וּבְזִמְנָא דְּשָׁלְטָא אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי אִתְכַּפְיָיא אִילָנָא דְּטוֹב וָרָע וְלֹא יְהֵא לְעַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ אֶלָּא מַה דְּיָהֲבִין לְהוֹן תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים וְאִתְכַּפְיָין תְּחוֹתַיְיהוּ, כְּאִלּוּ לָא הָווּ בְּעָלְמָא

And during the time when the tree of life rules, the tree of knowledge of good and evil is subjugated, and the ignorant will have only that which the Torah scholars will give them, and they will be subjugated to them, as though they did not exist in the world. At the time of redemption, the situation will reverse. The ignorant will receive from the scholars both their physical needs as well as their spiritual perspectives. They will see the direct flow of the path of holiness, so that all boundaries and distortions of the kelippot of this world will not be an obstacle, and it will be as if they do not exist.

וְהָכֵי אִיסּוּר הֶיתֵּר טוּמְאָה וְטָהֳרָה לָא אִתְעַבַּר מֵעַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ דְּמִסִּטְרַיְיהוּ לֵית בֵּין גָּלוּתָא לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ אֶלָּא שִׁעְבּוּד מַלְכֻיּוֹת בִּלְבַד

And thus, the topics of prohibited and permitted matters and impurity and purity will not be removed from the ignorant, as from their perspective there is no difference between the exile and the days of the Messiah, other than the subordination to the gentile kingdoms alone. Here, the statement relates to two opinions found in the Talmud (Berakhot 35b, and elsewhere) regarding the nature of the messianic era. One opinion is that there will be a completely different reality at that time. The other opinion (which is the opinion of Shmuel in the Talmud, and the Rambam rules that the halakha is in accordance with Shmuel) is that there will be no difference between this time period and the messianic era except for subordination to the rule of other nations. This means that, other than Israel no longer being subjugated to the other nations, which will allow them to fulfill the Torah and commandments without interference, the world will continue as it was before. Here, the Zohar allows space for both opinions and distinguishes instead between types of people. It posits that a complete change in the nature of reality will take place, but only for the scholars, while the ignorant will continue to experience this world as unchanged, except for the subjugation to other nations. The perspective here is that the nature of the change will depend on those experiencing it. Whoever is not prepared for it, and lacks the tools and words to think about it, will not sense and experience the qualitative, internal change of the redemption. For such a person, apart from the fact that there is no longer any subjugation, including subjugation to the evil inclination, this world will continue to exist as it is now, even during the messianic era.

דְּאִינּוּן לָא טַעֲמֵי מֵאִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי וּצְרִיךְ לוֹן מַתְנִיתִין

For they did not taste from the tree of life, and they require the teachings of prohibited and permitted matters and impurity and purity. Since their world will remain, in some way, as it is now, including prohibited and permitted matters, and purity and impurity, they will need to continue learning halakha as it is today, in order to live with these things.

עַד כָּאן בְּרַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא.

Here ends the citation from the Raya Meheimna . This is the conclusion of the quote from the Zohar. The author of the Tanya only cites an excerpt from that passage in the Zohar because it is not his intention to explain the entire text. Rather, he only intends to address certain ideas mentioned in the excerpt. It appears that the Zohar depicts a situation of two worlds as being at opposite extremes from each other: The world of the hidden Torah, which is entirely good and pure, in opposition to the world of revealed Torah, which is its opposite. In the following sections, by negating this perspective and clarifying the meaning and intent of the Zohar, the author of the Tanya will reconstruct the relationship between revealed and hidden Torah, according to both the revealed and hidden traditions. First, he will state what one should not understand from the words of the Zohar. He will also prove that this approach and its conclusions are incorrect.

וְהִנֵּה הַמּוּבָן מֵהַשְׁקָפָה רִאשׁוֹנָה לִכְאוֹרָה מִלְּשׁוֹן זֶה הַמַּאֲמָר לַחֲסֵירֵי מַדָּע

Now, on first reflection, the meaning of this passage to those who lack understanding There are two negations here. This understanding is only that of a "first reflection," and anyone who delves further will understand differently. Additionally, this understanding is that of those who lack understanding. The phrase "those who lack understanding" refers not only to those lacking knowledge, but also to those who lack understanding, "da'at, " in the deep sense of the word. Da'at, as is well known, is located on the middle line, and the middle line always includes the two extremes and is constituted from this inclusion. This is true in the intellect, in emotions, and in the practical behaviors of a person. Only a person who can accommodate the revealed and the hidden aspects of Torah, love and fear, the nuanced details of practice together with the abstract depth of the inner side of Torah, can correctly understand the meaning of this statement of the Zohar, and other similar statements. Such a person will thus avoid being in the category of "those who lack understanding."

שֶׁלִּימּוּד אִיסּוּר וְהֶיתֵּר וְסֵדֶר טָהֳרוֹת הוּא מֵאִילָנָא דְּטוֹב וָרָע.

is that the study of prohibited and permitted matters and the order of purities is from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This is the incorrect understanding. It is referring to the tree of knowledge of good and evil that is mentioned in Parashat Bereshit (Gen. 2:9), and which has symbolized evil and the kelippa ever since Adam sinned through it. The tree of knowledge is not intrinsically evil (for the tree was not evil; the actions of man in eating of its prohibited fruit were), but it carries the possibility of evil. As a result, it is the doorway and beginning for the existence of evil and the kelippa in this world within which we live. The connection that those who lack understanding make is this: Since the Torah of prohibited and permitted touches the low level of existence in which there is good and evil, and relates to it, it must therefore be a part of that reality, which began through the consumption of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

מִלְּבַד שֶׁהוּא פֶּלֶא גָּדוֹל מֵחֲמַת עַצְמוֹ וְסוֹתֵר פְּשָׁטֵי הַכְּתוּבִים וּמִדְרְשֵׁי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל, שֶׁכָּל הַתּוֹרָה: ״עֵץ חַיִּים לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ״, וְלֹא סֵפֶר הַזֹּהַר לְבַד.

First of all, such an idea is astonishing in and of itself and it contradicts the plain meaning of sayings and expositions of our Sages, that the entire Torah that was revealed to us and our children is called "a tree of life for those who hold on to it," not only the book of the Zohar . The contradiction is internal: The Torah is holy, and it is the essence of the definition and instruction of that which is good. How can one say that some aspect of the Torah is from the tree of knowledge of good and evil," which represents the reality of the profane, and the kelippat noga?! It also contradicts the plain meaning of sayings and expositions of our Sages, that the entire Torah, including that which was revealed to us and our children, is called in the language of the Torah "a tree of life for those who hold on to it" (based on Prov. 10:8), not only the book of the Zohar, as one might have misconstrued from this statement of the Zohar. In any case, it is clear that the intent of the phrase "tree of life" is referring not only to the Zohar, but to the Torah in its entirety.

וּבִפְרָט שֶׁהָיָה גָּנוּז בִּימֵיהֶם, וְגַּם כָּל חָכְמַת הַקַּבָּלָה הָיְתָה נִסְתָּרָה בִּימֵיהֶם וְנֶעֱלָמָה מִכָּל תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים כִּי אִם לִיחִידֵי סְגוּלָּה, וְאַף גַּם זֹאת בְּהַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת וְלֹא בָּרַבִּים, כִּדְאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא (חגיגה יא,ב. יג,א).

This is especially the case as it, the Zohar, was secreted in their days, and indeed, all the wisdom of Kabbala was concealed in their days and hidden from all Torah scholars, apart from singular individuals, and even then, only in private settings, not in public, as stated in the Gemara (Ḥagiga 11b, 13a). The Talmud discusses the study of the hidden side of Torah, the Act of Creation and the Act of the Chariot. It is thus possible to see the role and standing of this type of Torah study in Jewish society. The approach was that since these concepts are not enclothed in our world, in our shared environment, but only within the eye of man's inner spirit, it is difficult, and nearly impossible, to pass this knowledge from one person to another. As a result, in the Gemara there, it is taught that one does not teach the Act of Creation to two people, and the Act of the Chariot to one person, etc. That is to say that these ideas are not taught except to individuals, and only if those individuals are wise and learned, able to understand these matters on their own. Only the introductory ideas are taught to those people, in a general direction, and the individual conceptual constructs should be developed personally by each person. Regardless, it appears that during those times, just like in later generations, it was not thought that every person should study the hidden aspect of Torah. Practically speaking, only select individuals studied it, and they did not do so openly. Most of the Torah scholars studied the revealed Torah, and how is it possible to say regarding their Torah, from which we all live, that it is not a "tree of life"?

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב הָאֲרִיזַ״ל דְּדַוְקָא בְּדוֹרוֹת אֵלּוּ הָאַחֲרוֹנִים מוּתָּר וּמִצְוָה לְגַלּוֹת זֹאת הַחָכְמָה, וְלֹא בַּדּוֹרוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים וְגַם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר יוֹחַאי אָמַר בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ, שֶׁלֹּא נִיתַּן רְשׁוּת לְגַלּוֹת רַק לוֹ וְלַחֲבֵירָיו לְבַדָּם.

As the Arizal wrote, it is specifically in these later generations that it is permitted – and in fact a mitzva – to reveal this wisdom, but not in the earlier generations. And Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai also said in the holy Zohar that permission was granted solely to him and his colleagues to reveal it. The Arizal emphasizes that specifically in these final generations it is permitted and is a commandment to study and reveal the wisdom of the Kabbala. But in the "first generations," there was no commandment to study it like the revealed Torah, and so only a select few studied it, and in a private way.

וְאַף גַּם זֹאת פְּלִיאָה נִשְׂגָּבָה, דִּלְפִי זֶה לֹא הָיָה לִימּוּד אִיסּוּר וְהֶיתֵּר,

Moreover, it is a great marvel, since according to this claim, that only the Zohar is called the "Tree of Life," the study of what is prohibited and permitted, and all the more so monetary law, would not override the mitzva of prayer, According to this claim, that only the Zohar is called the "Tree of Life," and the study of halakha derives from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the study of what is prohibited and permitted, which focuses on defining permitted and prohibited items, mainly foods, and all the more so monetary law, the main laws governing transactions between individuals, involving matters of this world, including cheating, lying, etc., would not override the mitzva of prayer. With regard to the laws of the prohibited and permitted (that is, legal, rather than ritual laws), there is still an observable connection between the laws and God, who commands them. In monetary law, even this connection is not visible, and all that apparently remains are the procedures that regulate commercial relationships between people, that they should not cheat or harm each other. As he says, if these matters were derived from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they would not, in some cases, override the commandment of prayer. Not all Torah study overrides the commandment of prayer, since prayer is like all positive commandments that cannot be fulfilled through the actions of another person. This is why prayer generally overrides Torah study. However, since there is a case (such as a person who studies Torah as his primary daily activity) in which Torah study does override prayer, this illustrates that if we compare these two areas, there is no clear preference toward prayer over Torah study.

שֶׁנִּתְקְנָה עַל פִּי סוֹדוֹת הַזֹּהַר וְיִחוּדִים עֶלְיוֹנִים לַיּוֹדְעִים, כְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר יוֹחַאי וַחֲבֵירָיו.

which was enacted on the basis of the secrets of the Zohar and lofty unifications, to those who know them, such as Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai and his colleagues. The text of prayer that we use, even in terms of its level of basic intent, was assembled in accordance with the concepts of the hidden aspect of Torah. Prayer is fundamentally an elevation of the soul from this world to a unification with the divine, and this is the purview of the hidden Torah.

וְזֶה אֵינוֹ, כִּדְאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא (שבת יא,א) דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי וַחֲבֵירָיו, וְכָל מִי שֶׁתּוֹרָתוֹ אוּמָּנֻתוֹ, אֵין מַפְסִיקִין לִתְפִלָּה.

And yet that is not the case, as it is stated in the Gemara (Shabbat 11a) that Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai and his colleagues, and anyone whose Torah is their vocation, do not stop for prayer. "One whose Torah is his vocation" implies that this is how he spends his time. His whole life, including his physical life, are spent learning Torah. Therefore, just as he does not cease from learning in order to do other things, he also does not stop for prayer. It is interesting that these things were said specifically regarding Rabbi Shimon and his colleagues, who certainly knew the secrets of prayer and immersed themselves in those secrets during their prayers.

וַאֲפִילּוּ כְּשֶׁעוֹסֵק בְּדִינֵי מָמוֹנוֹת,

And this applies even when dealing with monetary law, as related about Rav Yehuda, that his entire study was focused on the Order of Nezikin [Damages], and even so, he would pray only once every thirty days, when he reviewed his studies, as stated in the Gemara. This means that he would not stop his study of Nezikin in order to pray. Rather, he would pray once a month, after he had finished reviewing his studies, and before beginning to review them again.

וּבַיְרוּשַׁלְמִי פֶּרֶק קַמָּא

And in the Jerusalem Talmud, the first chapter of Berakhot , Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai maintains that even for the recitation of Shema one stops only from the study of the Bible, not of the Mishna, which is more important than the Bible, according to Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai. The Sages there disagree regarding the question of whether it is only for prayer that one should not stop learning (since the liturgy and times of prayer are only ordained by the Sages, not the Torah), or whether this is also true regarding the recitation of Shema, which is a commandment from the Torah. The opinion of Rabbi Shimon there is that one should stop learning the Written Torah in order to recite the Shema, but the study of Mishna (Oral Torah) should not be paused to recite the Shema. His reason is that the study of the Oral Torah, such as Mishna, is more important than the study of the Written Torah. He says this despite the fact that presumably the Written Torah is holier. The Oral Torah is more stringent with regard to the precedence of Torah study, because it has a relationship with and descent into this world and real life. Therefore, one should not stop studying the Oral Torah even for recitation of the Shema, despite Shema being a commandment from the Torah.

וְלֹא חִילֵּק בֵּין סֵדֶר זְרָעִים וּמוֹעֵד וְקָדָשִׁים טָהֳרוֹת לִנְזִיקִין

And he did not differentiate between the Orders of Zera'im , Mo'ed , Kodashim, and Taharot as opposed to Nezikin The Orders of Zera'im, Mo'ed, Kodashim, and Taharot are the orders that mainly focus on the commandments between a person and God. In contrast, the Order of Nezikin (and Nashim ) is focused primarily on commandments between one person and another, and on the framework of relationships between human beings. In other words, a large part of the Order of Nezikin is not at all concerned with the relationship with God, but only with the relationships between people. It includes issues like how to deal with people who cheat, steal, or harm each other. Despite this, there is no difference between the orders in terms of their importance, or the holiness of studying their Torah, which takes precedence even over the supernal unification of the recitation of Shema.

(וְסוֹתֵר דַּעַת עַצְמוֹ בְּרַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא בְּכַמָּה מְקוֹמוֹת דְּמִשְׁנָה אִיהִי שִׁפְחָה כו׳ וְהַמִּקְרָא, שֶׁהוּא תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה, וַדַּאי עֲדִיפָא מִקַּבָּלָה, דְּאִיהִי מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, בְּרַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא שָׁם, וְתוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב הוּא מַלְכָּא

(and in this regard Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai contradicts his own opinion in several places in Raya Meheimna , that the Mishna is a handmaid…, and the Bible, which is the Torah of Moses, is certainly more important than Kabbala, as it is the queen – as stated in Raya Meheimna there – whereas the Written Law is the king The Written Torah is the king, the Kabbala is the queen, and the Mishna is the handmaid. This indicates that Kabbala, and the study of Kabbala, is more important than, and elevated above, the study of the Mishna.

[דְּהַיְינוּ יְסוֹד אַבָּא הַמְלוּבָּשׁ בִּזְעֵיר אַנְפִּין, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכּוֹתֵב הָאֲרִ״י ז״ל]).

[that is, the foundation [yesod ] of the father that is enclothed in Zeir Anpin , as the Arizal writes]). The author comments here parenthetically on the words of the Zohar, that the Written Torah is the "king." The focal point of the Written Torah is "the foundation [yesod ] of the father that is enclothed in Zeir Anpin." The "foundation [yesod ] of the father" is the bestowal of wisdom, for the father is the sefira of Ḥokhma, and yesod is the attribute of connection and bestowal. When it states that he is enclothed in Zeir Anpin, meaning in the yesod of Zeir Anpin, it signifies that the sefira of Ḥokhma is bestowing, through yesod of the mother, and yesod of Zeir Anpin, to the sefira of Malkhut, and the one who bestows to Malkhut is the king. In other words, the king that bestows to Malkhut is not only Zeir Anpin, but rather, Zeir Anpin is a garment to the bestower, which is Ḥokhma. The direct connection between Ḥokhma and Malkhut is along the lines of the verse (Prov. 3:19) "The Lord founded the earth with wisdom," as well as the language of the Zohar (part 3, 248b, and elsewhere): "The father founded [yasad ] the daughter." This expresses the direct connection between Ḥokhma and Malkhut, of the bestowal of wisdom that reaches so low.

וְגַם פִּלְפּוּל הַקּוּשְׁיוֹת וְתֵירוּצִים, דְּמִסִּטְרָא דְּרַע וְרוּחַ הַטּוּמְאָה

Also, regarding the analysis of the difficulties and resolutions, which are from the side of evil and the spirit of impurity, The difficulties and resolutions are not evil, but they still derive from the existence of evil, and of the concealment. When the inner substance of things is unclear, when the one speaking of them is not clear in his understanding of them, there are questions. Those studying them must then engage in the process of questioning and answering in order to uncover the truths concealed within. On the contrary, it is specifically the difficulties and resolutions that clarify and reveal the holy truth. This is the way that truth is uncovered from the place of concealment, evil, and impurity. Nevertheless, this entire process relates to the side of concealment, to evil and impurity, and the very fact of this struggle with them testifies to their existence.

אַשְׁכְּחַן בְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר יוֹחַי דְּעָסַק בֵּיהּ טוּבָא גַּם בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בַּמְּעָרָה.

we find that Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai dealt with them a great deal, even when he was in the cave. Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai is known not only from the Zohar. He is one of the most respected tanna'im, involved in all the various issues of the revealed Torah. Even when he presumably had no reason to involve himself in the revealed Torah, since his lifestyle in that setting did not raise any questions of halakha, and no people came to ask him questions or to judge cases involving damage, his main area of study remained the revealed Torah. The cave was a type of self-contained world, within which Torah study was not engaged in according to the needs of the moment or of the outside world, but only for its own worth. The fact that Rabbi Shimon engaged there in the study of the revealed Torah illustrates that this study has intrinsic holiness and value, which is not clearly understood from the words of the Zohar, as will be explained further.

וְאַדְּרַבָּה, בִּזְכוּת צַעַר הַמְּעָרָה זָכָה לָזֶה, כִּדְאִיתָא(שבת לג,ב) דְּאָמַר לְר׳ פִּנְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר אַכָּל קוּשְׁיָה כ״ד פֵּירוּקֵי, וְאָמַר לוֹ: אִילּוּ לֹא רְאִיתַנִּי בְּכָךְ כו׳

On the contrary, he merited this by virtue of his suffering in the cave, as it is stated in the Gemara (Shabbat 32b) that he responded with twenty-four answers to each difficulty of Rabbi Pineḥas ben Ya'ir, and he said to him: Had you not seen me in this state…. The Talmud relates the story of how Rabbi Shimon and his son hid from the Romans, who had decreed death upon them. Over the course of thirteen years, they sat in one cave, eating the fruit of a carob tree and drinking water from a stream, both of which had been created for them. During the day, they would remove their clothing (so that they would not become worn out) and cover themselves with sand. Then, they would study Torah, and only get dressed in order to engage in prayer. When the decree against them was annulled, they emerged from the cave. Rabbi Pineḥas ben Ya'ir (who was the father-in-law of Rabbi Shimon) took them to a bathhouse. When he saw Rabbi Shimon's skin that was cracked from the sand and heat, he said, "Woe is me that I have seen you in this state!" Rabbi Shimon answered, "You are blessed that you have seen me in this state, for if you had not seen me thus (enduring these types of suffering), you would not have found me thus (with this greatness in Torah)." As is further told there, before the cave, when Rabbi Shimon would ask a question, Rabbi Pineḥas ben Ya'ir would answer with him twelve answers. After their time in the cave, Rabbi Pineḥas ben Ya'ir would ask the questions, and Rabbi Shimon would answer with twenty-four answers. Regardless, it is clear that in the cave, they immersed themselves in the difficulties and resolutions of the revealed Torah.

(וְגַם בֶּאֱמֶת עַל כָּרְחָךְ עִיקַּר עִסְקֵיהֶם בַּמְּעָרָה הָיָה תּוֹרַת הַמִּשְׁנָיוֹת ת״ר סִדְרֵי שֶׁהָיָה בִּימֵיהֶם עַד רַבֵּינוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ

(and in truth, it is necessarily the case that their main preoccupation in the cave was the law of the mishnayot , the six hundred orders that were extant in their days, until our holy Rabbi, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi's great achievement when he organized the Mishna was to clarify one approach out of the numerous approaches that had accumulated over many generations. But before Rabbi Shimon, in the generation prior to that of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, all of this multitude of approaches and opinions served as material for study.

דְּאִילּוּ סֵפֶר הַזֹּהַר וְהַתִּיקּוּנִים הָיָה יָכוֹל לִגְמוֹר בב׳ וג׳ חֳדָשִׁים, כִּי בְּוַדַּאי לֹא אָמַר דָּבָר אֶחָד ב׳ פְּעָמִים).

For he could have completed the book of the Zohar and the Tikkunei Zohar in two or three months, as he certainly did not recite anything twice). The book of the Zohar, which comprises in concentrated form the hidden Torah studied by Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai, is not a large work, in terms of its size. Over the course of later generations, sages would sit and recite one passage of the Zohar over a period of months or years, in order to grasp the secrets within. But Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai certainly did not say these things more than once. When a person expresses to himself those things that he knows and thinks internally, in a way that it is simply a description of the basic reality of his life, he has no need to review those expressions. Just as a person does not forget the basic truths of his life, and has no uncertainty regarding them, so it is with someone like Rabbi Shimon, who had no uncertainty and no need to review these things a second time in order to clarify and memorize what is written in the Zohar. This is different from a person who comes from the outside, who reads these things and attempts to understand them, especially given that these are the secrets of the Torah. He will need to review them repeatedly, in order to fully understand them, if at all.

גַּם אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל (ברכות ח,ב): מִיּוֹם שֶׁחָרַב בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ אֵין לוֹ להקב״ה אֶלָּא ד׳ אַמּוֹת שֶׁל הֲלָכָה בִּלְבַד.

Our Sages also stated (Berakhot 8b): Since the day the Temple was destroyed, the Holy One, Blessed be He, has only the four cubits of halakha alone. As a result, it is specifically in the study of halakha that the Divine Presence dwells. And that which is said, that "since the day the Temple was destroyed," will be explained shortly, as these points are primarily referring to the time of exile. "The four cubits of halakha " is a definition that connects the Torah to a place. The four cubits of halakha are not merely a place where one learns Torah, but rather the place in which Torah is enclothed, and that is repaired by the Torah. This Torah that is enclothed in a particular place, in the material existence of this world, and which impacts and changes this place, is the conclusive halakha. As long as the intentions and reasons for different approaches are under discussion, the Torah is still on the levels of the spirit and the soul. Only after the halakha is decided, to do or not to do a particular action, does the Torah penetrate into the physical space.

וְעוֹד יֵשׁ לְהַפְלִיא הַפְלֵא וָפֶלֶא: אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁלִּימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ לֹא יִצְטָרְכוּ לֵידַע הִלְכוֹת אִיסּוּר וְהֶיתֵּר וְטוּמְאָה וְטָהֳרָה?

Furthermore, there is an even greater cause for astonishment: How is it possible that in the days of the Messiah they will not have to know the laws of prohibited and permitted matters and impurity and purity? According to this incorrect understanding of the Zohar, in the messianic era they will no longer study the laws of prohibited and permitted matters. This cannot be, for they will still need to have knowledge of these issues.

כִּי אֵיךְ יִשְׁחֲטוּ הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת, וְגַם חוּלִּין, אִם לֹא יֵדְעוּ הִלְכוֹת דְּרָסָה וַחֲלָדָה וּשְׁהִיָּה הַפּוֹסְלִים הַשְּׁחִיטָה וּפְגִימַת הַסַּכִּין?

For how will they slaughter the sacrifices, or even non-consecrated animals, if they do not know the laws of pressing the knife, concealing the knife under the windpipe or the gullet, and interrupting the act of slaughter, which invalidate a slaughter, or the laws governing the notches on a knife? These laws form the main body of the laws of slaughtering, and it is impossible to slaughter without knowing them.

וְכִי יִוָּלֵד אִישׁ בְּטִבְעוֹ שֶׁיְּהֵא שׁוֹחֵט בְּלִי שְׁהִיָּה וּדְרָסָה? וְגַם הַסַּכִּין תִּהְיֶה בְּרִיאָה וְעוֹמֶדֶת בְּלִי פְּגִימָה לְעוֹלָם? וְעוֹד הַרְבֵּה הֲלָכוֹת, חֵלֶב וְדָם וּשְׁאָר אִיסּוּרִין

Is anybody born with the natural ability to slaughter without interrupting or pressing? And also the knife, how will they ensure that it will remain forever in the proper state, without a notch? There are also many similar laws, such as prohibited fat, and blood, and the other prohibitions, Is anybody born with the natural ability to slaughter without interrupting or pressing? In the messianic era, people will be no different than they are now, and they will not have a new nature. When they will fulfill one of the commandments at that time, it will still be the result of a learning process, not an instinctive physical response. The laws of nature will not change, and a knife naturally becomes notched through use over time. One must know these matters in order to avoid them, whether they apply to consecrated or unconsecrated animals.

וְגַם טוּמְאַת הַמֵּת יִהְיוּ צְרִיכִין לֵידַע, כְּדִכְתִיב: ״הַנַּעַר בֶּן מֵאָה שָׁנָה יָמוּת״ (ישעיה סה,כ).

as well as the impurity of the dead, which they will have to know, as it is written: "The youth will die when he is one hundred years old" (Isa. 65:20). This illustrates that fundamentally the world will not change. People will live for longer, in a healthy and youthful state, but there will still be death, and the impurity of death. Thus, in order to fulfill the laws of the Torah in general, and the service of the Temple specifically, they will need to know the laws of the impurity of the dead.

וְגַם טוּמְאַת יוֹלֶדֶת צָרִיךְ לֵידַע, כְּדִכְתִיב: ״הָרָה וְיוֹלֶדֶת יַחְדָּיו״ (ירמיה לא,ז) אִם תֵּלֵד אִשָּׁה בְּכָל יוֹם מִבִּיאָה אַחַת

Knowledge of the impurity of a woman after childbirth is also necessary, as it is written: "Women with child and women in childbirth together" (Jer. 31:7). Even if a woman will give birth every day from a single act of intercourse, In the messianic era, a woman will give birth naturally, and according to the Torah, she will be impure following childbirth. Even if a woman will give birth every day (see Shabbat 30b), as this is the explanation of "women with child and women in childbirth together," that on the same day she becomes pregnant, she will give birth, from a single act of intercourse, that is, she will give birth every day from one previous act of intercourse.

אַף עַל פִּי כֵן, דִּין אִיסּוּר טוּמְאָתָהּ לֹא יִשְׁתַּנֶּה.

even so, the law of the prohibition of her impurity will not change. Relationships will change, durations will change, as there will no longer be a need for nine months of pregnancy, and a woman will be able to give birth multiple times from one act of intercourse. Still, the law of the prohibition of her impurity will not change. Since there will be births, impurity of birth will still exist, and the laws of purity and impurity of a woman who gives birth will still need to be known.

וְאֵין לְהַאֲרִיךְ בְּדָבָר הַפָּשׁוּט, וּמְפוּרְסָם הֶפְכּוֹ בְּכָל הַשַּׁ"ס וּמִדְרָשִׁים, דְּפָרֵיךְ ‘הִלְכְתָא

There is no need to elaborate on such a simple matter, as the opposite of the claim is evident from the entire Talmud and the midrashim, such as when

לִמְשִׁיחָא'?

לִמְשִׁיחָא'? they ask: "Does one issue a halakha for the messianic era?" In the future the laws of the Torah will not be nullified, and there will be a need to assess each situation according to the laws and principles of the Oral Law in the form in which we currently possess it. This is like what the Sages are saying when they ask: "Does one issue a halakha for the messianic era?" This means: "Do we issue a halakhic ruling regarding that which will only be true in the messianic era?" This illustrates that even according to those who think that nowadays we should not issue rulings relating to the messianic era (for there are some halakhic authorities who did issue such rulings, like the Rambam and other Torah leaders who followed in his path), nevertheless, in the messianic era, they will certainly need to issue rulings and know the halakha.

וְ׳אֵלִיָּהוּ בָּא לִפְשׁוֹט כָּל הַסְּפֵיקוֹת׳, וּ'פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ עָתִיד אֵלִיָּהוּ לְדוֹרְשָׁהּ כו׳׳

and "Elijah is coming to resolve all uncertainties," and "Elijah will interpret this passage…." These expressions are from the Talmud: "Elijah is coming to resolve all uncertainties," and "Elijah will interpret this passage." Elijah will arrive in the messianic era and resolve uncertainties in halakha. From this we can understand that we will continue to engage in halakha, both to study it, as will be explained, and also in order to know how to act in practice.

וְעוֹד אֵינוֹ מוּבָן מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר דְּלָא יִתְפַּרְנְסוּן תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים מֵעַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ כו' וְלָא מֵעֵרֶב רַב דְּאָכְלִין

In addition, the meaning of the statement cited above from the Zohar, that Torah scholars will not receive their sustenance from the ignorant…, nor from the mixed multitude, who eat disqualified, impure, and prohibited food, God forbid, is unclear. The implication is that apparently, in the future, the Torah scholars will not receive their sustenance from the ignorant, but rather they will sustain themselves from the side of holiness alone. "God forbid" is an addition by the author of the Tanya that relates to the "first impression" presented here, as if impure and prohibited things are actually eaten, which is certainly a reprehensible thing to say.

שֶׁהֲרֵי תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים שֶׁבִּזְמַן בַּיִת שֵׁנִי לֹא הָיוּ מִתְפַּרְנְסִין מֵעַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ דְּאָכְלִין פָּסוּל אָסוּר חַס וְשָׁלוֹם. שֶׁהָיָה לָהֶם שָׂדוֹת וּכְרָמִים כְּעַמֵּי הָאֲרָצוֹת

For Torah scholars in the times of the Second Temple did not receive their sustenance from the ignorant, who would eat disqualified and prohibited food, God forbid, as they owned fields and vineyards like the ignorant did, It appears that at that time there was no separation between Torah scholars and the ignorant in the sense that the ignorant would provide the sustenance while Torah scholars only studied. Rather, even the scholars would support themselves through their own efforts like the ignorant.

וַאֲפִילּוּ הָכֵי

and even so, all the Pairs from the times of the Second Temple were engaged in the study of prohibited and permitted matters and impurity and purity, and they established thousands and myriads of disciples, Even though the scholars did not depend on the ignorant for their physical needs, all the Pairs, the scholars listed at the beginning of Mishna Avot, from the times of the Second Temple were engaged in the study of prohibited and permitted matters and impurity and purity, and they established thousands and myriads of disciples in the study of the revealed Torah. This illustrates that study of this kind was not only appropriate for the ignorant, but was equally relevant to the scholars themselves.

וְלִימּוּד הַנִּסְתָּר בְּהֶסְתֵּר כו׳.

and yet the study of esoteric matters was conducted in secret…. It was in the days of the Second Temple and onward, which were the times of the tanna'im and amora'im, that the Oral Torah in the format with which we are familiar was formed. As is explained here, the main focus of Torah study at that time was the revealed Torah – prohibited and permitted matters, impurity and purity, etc. Study of the hidden Torah was conducted in secret, and this activity was not discussed, nor perpetuated for future generations. Until this point, the author of the Tanya has been illustrating in a simple manner, without delving into any deeper meaning, that there is no basis whatsoever to the notion that the study of the hidden aspect of Torah opposes that of the revealed Torah, as the tree of life opposes the tree of knowledge. Such an idea is inconsistent with historical reality, as well as the most fundamental perspectives regarding Torah and its study. After the author of the Tanya explained at length what is not claimed in the Raya Meheimna, he discusses what is stated there. For these ideas, the author will provide an inner explanation of the nature of these things: the nature of the revealed Torah, the hidden Torah, and Torah study. He will begin his explanation with an implication gleaned from the language of the Raya Meheimna.

אַךְ בֶּאֱמֶת כְּשֶׁתְּדַקְדֵּק בִּלְשׁוֹן רַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא דִּלְעֵיל,

However, in truth, when you examine closely the language of the above citation from Raya Meheimna : "And the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which is the topics of prohibited and permitted matters…," you will see that it does not state "the Torah of prohibited and permitted" or "the laws of prohibited and permitted." Rather, it means that the prohibited item itself – and the permitted item – is from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, When the Zohar states that prohibited and permitted things belong to the tree of knowledge of good and evil, it is not relating to the Torah that analyzes such prohibited and permitted things. Rather, it relates to the real existence of things that are prohibited or permitted. Certainly, the Torah instructs us as to what is prohibited and permitted, but the Torah itself is not part of the realm of the prohibited and permitted. The Torah relates to one thing only: to the will and wisdom of God. Just as these are holy, so is the Torah holy, no matter what subject the Torah is discussing. The Torah which says "permitted" is holy, and the Torah which says "prohibited" is holy, just like the Torah that says "God is one" is holy. Given this, the Torah is not from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, because a holy reality is separated from evil. In contrast, the tree of knowledge of good and evil is, in its very definition, a reality that is not separated from evil. If this is so, then what is that reality in which evil exists, if not always in actuality, at least in potential? What is this reality of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Does it have another side? The answer to this question, based on the writings of the Arizal, is the key to the continuation of this letter.

שֶׁהוּא ‘קְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ׳ כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּעֵץ חַיִּים.

which is kelippat noga , as is written in Etz Ḥayyim . Etz Ḥayyim speaks of the kelippat noga as the reality that exists between holiness and the kelippot. It is explained there that there is such a kelippa in all the worlds. But in Atzilut, it is a reality that is wholly good, while the other worlds contain a mix of good and evil, which is the tree of knowledge of good and evil. After an explanation has been given that this realm of the tree of knowledge is the realm of the kelippat noga and about the struggle to separate out good from evil, the meaning of what was said, that it is "prohibited and permitted," is clear, for this is the reality of this world, that it contains that which is prohibited and that which is permitted.

וְזֶהוּ לְשׁוֹן ‘אָסוּר׳, שֶׁהַקְּלִיפָּה שׁוֹרָה עָלָיו וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַעֲלוֹת לְמַעְלָה כַּדָּבָר הַמּוּתָּר, דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁאֵינוֹ קָשׁוּר וְאָסוּר בַּקְּלִיפָּה

And this is the meaning of the term asur , "prohibited," that the kelippa resides over it, and it cannot ascend upward like the permitted item, namely that which is not tied and bound [ asur ] to the kelippa , "Prohibited" and "permitted" are meant here in their semantic sense. "Asur " (bound) means to be tied to the kelippa with no way to separate from it. "Mutar " (released) refers to that which is not tied, or that the shackles imprisoning the being were opened so that it could ascend.

וְיוּכַל לַעֲלוֹת עַל יְדֵי הָאָדָם

but can ascend by means of the person As explained previously, forbidden (asur ) and permitted (mutar ) are not adjectives to describe something, but definitions attributed to a person. They describe whether a person is able to elevate something to holiness in a particular situation or not. The distinction between prohibited and permitted is the distinction between kelippat noga and the impure kelippot. Prohibited things are part of the impure kelippa because they are confined (asur ) in their concealment, and a person is unable to repair them. Permitted things are the kelippat noga, not holy, but a person can elevate them to holiness. Despite this, here the definitions of asur and mutar are actually both of kelippat noga. They both express the concept of optionality, and the option to be prohibited or permitted is the meaning of kelippat noga. It is specifically within this reality of kelippat noga, since it is not an objective reality but is subjectively related to a person, that a person can accomplish something. The prohibited is the option to descend into the kelippa of impurity, and the permitted is the option to ascend to holiness.

הָאוֹכְלוֹ בְּכַוָּונָה לה׳

who eats it with the intention of serving God, The example of prohibited and permitted presented here is that of eating. There are foods that are prohibited to eat and those that are permitted to eat. The prohibited ones cannot be elevated, and therefore they are not to be consumed. But even with regard to the permitted ones, it is not sufficient to just casually consume them. The rule is that in order to elevate something spiritually, the one raising (the person differentiating the holiness from the mundane) must be higher than the entity being raised (differentiated). When a person eats in order to eat, without any deeper intent or connection to higher spiritual realities, then he is like the very food which he eats, and he will not elevate anything to higher states. Spiritual ascent begins when a person places himself in a higher place with his intentions, thoughts, and actions. There are two main levels to this. The first, the more ideal, is one who "eats it with the intention of serving God." This means that the person has no personal intent or desire in the eating, only that the existence of the food should be elevated and connected to God, each food item according to its place and level in the spiritual worlds.

וְגַם בִּסְתָם כָּל אָדָם הָעוֹבֵד ה׳

or through any person who is simply serving God, This refers to the second level, at which a person is not spiritually capable of attaining the first level. This level applies to any person at any time, even when he is not able to think about God directly and about connecting to God, like when he is tired or hungry, or distracted by the issues and events of the world. In such situations, his mental space is constricted, and unable to relate to the Divine. But even such a person, if generally in his life he is a "servant of God," seeing himself as a servant, and striving to live accordingly, has another path.

שֶׁבְּכֹחַ הָאֲכִילָה הַהִיא לוֹמֵד וּמִתְפַּלֵּל לה׳

as through the strength of that consumption he studies and prays to God. Although currently he is not able to directly focus his intentions toward serving God, as this requires mental clarity that is not always available, nevertheless he can still say to himself: I am weak, and I am eating now in order that I will have strength afterward to study Torah and pray to God. The conception is that the studying and praying are holy. When he links his eating to them, even if he is not directly eating to serve God, he is still elevating his eating and the food to holiness. Additionally, even when he eats with no intention at all, even if he forgot that he ate, but if he later studies Torah and prays, and he does so as a result of the strength he derived from that eating, it retroactively indicates that the eating was linked to the side of holiness, and when his Torah and prayers ascend, so will the eating and the food.

וְנִמְצָא שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה אוֹתִיּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה וְהַתְּפִלָּה הָעוֹלָה לה׳ מִכֹּחַ הַנִּבְרָר מֵהַמַּאֲכָל הַהוּא.

It thus turns out that the letters of the Torah and prayer, which ascend to God, are formed from the strength that is extracted from that food. Torah and prayer are enclothed in letters. We learn Torah and pray using letters, and in general, we think and speak in that same way as well. These letters serve to connect prayer and Torah not only to the soul, which feels and thinks using the letters, but also to the body, which speaks and thinks using the letters. Additionally, there is the aspect of the world that the body employs in order to express the letters, like the food which it eats in order to gain strength to articulate the letters. Since the letters are letters of Torah and prayer, they relate to that which is above, and ascend upward, with the person and the food he consumes.

וְזֶהוּ בַּחוֹל

That is the case on weekdays. Weekdays are the time of labor, in contrast to the Sabbath, which is the time for rest. On the wider scope, weekdays represent the time of this world, which is the phase of "to do them," the actions of extracting the sparks from the world of tohu, as opposed to the future time which will be to "receive their reward." Therefore, the eating referenced until now, of service and refinement, is the eating of the weekdays.

אֲבָל בְּשַׁבָּת, שֶׁיֵּשׁ עֲלִיָּה לִקְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ בְּעַצְמָהּ עִם הַחִיצוֹנִיּוֹת שֶׁבְּכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת

However, on Shabbat, the kelippat noga itself ascends, together with the externality which is in all the worlds. On Shabbat, when borer (separating and differentiating mixed objects) is prohibited, there is no spiritual differentiating either. Borer is one of the primary forms of labor prohibited on the Sabbath, even in the spiritual form, and the Sabbath is a time of rest in which one may not engage in forms of creative labor. The inner, spiritual reason for the prohibition of borer on the Sabbath, is that these things are not necessary. The days of the week, the days of this world, the mundane days, are the reality of the kelippat noga. During these days, the permitted entity, when left alone, resides down below, in this world, in the kelippat noga. In order to connect it to holiness, it must be differentiated, and then elevated from the kelippa. But on the Sabbath, the kelippat noga itself ascends, together with the externality which is in all the worlds. This means that the whole level of kelippat noga ascends to holiness through the holiness of the Sabbath, and therefore, there is no need for the labor of differentiation and elevation of things from within the kelippat noga.

לָכֵן מִצְוָה לֶאֱכוֹל כָּל תַּעֲנוּגִים בְּשַׁבָּת וּלְהַרְבּוֹת בְּבָשָׂר וְיַיִן אַף שֶׁבַּחוֹל נִקְרָא זוֹלֵל וְסוֹבֵא.

It is therefore a mitzva to eat all delights on Shabbat, and to increase one's consumption of meat and wine, even though one who did this on a weekday would be called a glutton and a drunkard. Things that are only "permitted" during the week are "commandments" on the Sabbath. The difference is that during the week, the permitted can be elevated to higher levels, through our efforts of thoughts and intent at the time of consumption. If someone fails to have this intent, the eating remains in the realm of the kelippa (called "a glutton and a drunkard"). On the Sabbath, the eating is itself a commandment, and not of kelippat noga. The commandment is intrinsically holy, and there is no need to differentiate it from the kelippa. All that is required is that we do the action, and in this example, that just means to eat. Despite this distinction, in a commandment there is still room for intent, to have the intent toward heaven, not in order to differentiate the eating from the kelippa, but for the ascent. As is explained elsewhere, a commandment, and even the Torah, without love and fear [deḥilu ureḥimu ], which are the essence of intent, does not ascend upward. The higher the intent, and the underlying thoughts and connections to the soul, the higher the commandment ascends. After the explanation of the idea of that which is permitted, and how to differentiate it and raise it from the kelippa, the concept of the prohibited will now be explained.

מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בִּדְבַר אִיסּוּר, שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַעֲלוֹת לֹא בְּשַׁבָּת וְלֹא בַּחוֹל גַּם כְּשֶׁמִּתְפַּלֵּל וְלוֹמֵד בַּכֹּחַ הַהוּא

This is not the case with regard to a prohibited item, which cannot ascend either on Shabbat or on a weekday, even if one prays and studies through that strength, The prohibited entity, in contrast to the permitted, is not part of the kelippat noga, so that it can ascend. Rather, it is part of the impure kelippa, so that the holiness within it is bound up, and cannot be released to ascend at all. Even if one prays and studies through that strength. In contrast to that which is permitted, whose consignment to good or evil is dependent on the person's relationship with it, the prohibited is the essence of kelippa, which cannot be changed irrespective of the relationship and intentions of a person toward it. Even if a person intends, in consuming something prohibited, that it should be for the sake of Heaven, even if a person then studies Torah through the strength gained from the prohibited sustenance – the prohibited entity remains prohibited and embedded in the kelippa. As was explained, the elevation of a permitted action is through the power of the soul. When a soul is attached at a very high point, both in intent and feeling, this soul then raises up the actions of the person to this level as well. This is not the case regarding a prohibited action, on which the soul's relationship to a person has no impact. This is comparable to trying to convince and emotionally move stones. In fact, it is even worse than this, for the prohibited thing will not only remain prohibited, but it will also ultimately impact and taint the intent of the person engaging with it, as well as the "benefits" of the Torah study and prayer that are powered by it.

אִם לֹא שֶׁאָכַל לְפִיקּוּחַ נֶפֶשׁ שֶׁהִתִּירוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל וְנַעֲשָׂה הֶיתֵּר [גָּמוּר].

unless he ate it due to a life-threatening circumstance that was permitted by our Rabbis and thus turned into a [completely] permitted food. What does this observation add to our discussion? Firstly, it teaches that the idea of something being prohibited is not some kind of rigid divine decree regarding some entity, so that it can never be raised to holiness. As was explained, prohibited and permitted are, to some extent, a function of the specific situation. In many situations, the prohibited cannot be elevated, but situations can change. We do not always know how or when, and these kinds of changes may not always be under our control. However, times do arise in which such things happen.

אֲבָל הַלִּימּוּד בַּתּוֹרָה, אַף הִלְכוֹת אִיסּוּר וְהֶיתֵּר טוּמְאָה וְטָהֳרָה, שֶׁהֵם הַמִּשְׁנָיוֹת וּבָרַיְיתוֹת שֶׁבַּגְּמָרָא וּפוֹסְקִים הַמְבָאֲרִים וּמְבָרְרִים דִּבְרֵיהֶם לַהֲלָכָה לְמַעֲשֶׂה

However, the study of Torah, including the laws of prohibited and permitted matters and impurity and purity, which are the mishnayot and baraitot that are discussed in the Gemara, and the authorities who explain and clarify their statements for the purpose of practical rulings, However, the study of Torah, not only of the book of the Zohar and other kabbalistic works, is not included in the category of the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil." When studying halakha in order to practice it, the Torah penetrates in the world of physical, practical application, touching things that are prohibited and permitted. Therefore, the author emphasizes here that when studying the laws that deal with the prohibited and permitted, there is no mixing together of good and evil.

הֵן הֵן, גּוּפֵי תוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה

these are themselves the essence of the Oral Law, Moreover, these halakhot are not merely an addendum to the Torah, implied outgrowths of its concepts in the world of action, but rather, it is specifically these that are themselves the essence of the Oral Law. It is specifically these laws, which are the main parts of the Oral Torah, that touch the physical world. The essence of the Oral Law is the idea of bringing the Torah into the world: How does it appear there? What is the image, the physical, tangible form taken by the divine will and wisdom? The practical halakha is the primary method of constructing this, taking form in the lowest parts of existence, the thoughts and actions of this physical world. It is only from here, from the edge, that a projection of this finite reality can be transmitted to all the worlds, of the ideal relationship with Torah and holiness. Therefore, it is specifically the practical halakha that is the essential part of the Oral Law. The Oral Torah is divine essence that is unified with the Divine, yet is able to descend to any place. It reaches the material realm, and even the prohibited and impure. Despite this, it always remains divine, holy. In order to understand this, the author will relate to another principle, one which comes from a different aspect of the Oral Law.

שֶׁהִיא סְפִירַת מַלְכוּת דַּאֲצִילוּת כִּדְאִיתָא

which is the sefira of Malkhut of Atzilut , as stated in innumerable places in the holy Zohar , and at the beginning of Tikkunei Zohar: The Malkhut that is mouth [peh; speech], we call it the Oral Law [Torah shebe'al peh ]. Generally, the Torah is, in a certain way, like the sefirot of the world of Atzilut: It is a force and revelation of pure and whole divinity, completely transparent and subservient to the Divine. Of all the sefirot, Malkhut is unique in that it not only transmits the divine abundance flowing through, it also expresses that which is received from this divine abundance. This is similar to the difference between the Written and Oral Torah. The Written Torah expresses the will and wisdom of God, what He thinks, and what He wants to say to us. The Oral Torah, like the sefira of Malkhut, expresses that which we and the world hear and understand, at any particular time or place: what so-and-so manages to understand, what moves him, drives him. The novelty of the Oral Torah and, in a certain way, of all of Judaism, is that the Oral Torah is also holy Torah! In order to understand this connection between the Oral Torah and the sefira of Malkhut, the author will further explain the nature of the sefira of Malkhut of Atzilut and its connection with the sefirot above it.

וּבַאֲצִילוּת אִיהוּ וְגַרְמוֹהִי חַד בְּהוֹן דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִתְיַיחֵד בַּאֲצִילוּת בְּתַכְלִית הַיִּחוּד

And in Atzilut , He and His attributes are one in them. That is, that the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, is unified in Atzilut , in the ultimate union, The meaning of the statement, "in Atzilut, He and His attributes are one in them," is that the light of Ein Sof, blessed be He, is unified in Atzilut, in the ultimate union. The world of Atzilut is not like the other worlds. It is not really a world in the normal sense, because God, Ein Sof, is not concealed there. Additionally, there is a certain amount of revelation of the Divine (in the ten sefirot ). How is this possible? It is because the vessels (the sefirot ) of the world of Atzilut are unified completely with the Divine that is revealed through them. They have no independent existence, no other revelation, neither in light nor in vessel, other than the revelation of the divine Self.

שֶׁהוּא וּרְצוֹנוֹ וְחָכְמָתוֹ הַמְלוּבָּשִׁים בְּדִבּוּרוֹ שֶׁנִּקְרָא מַלְכוּת – הַכֹּל אֶחָד.

such that He and His will and His wisdom are enclothed in His speech that is called Malkhut – all is one. The ultimate unification of Atzilut takes place in Malkhut, the sefira that receives all the divine lights. This is because it is only when the receiver is as one with the sources of bestowal that there is the complete unification in which there is nothing other than Him. Here, three things are mentioned: "He, His will, His wisdom." "He" refers to Himself. His illumination into the worlds splits into two: the encompassing light and the inner light. "His will," which is the sefira of Keter, is the encompassing light and "His wisdom" is the sefira of Ḥokhma, the initial inner light. The goal of the unification is that both God's Self, and His illumination in the encompassing and inner forms, are unified in Malkhut. The sefira of Malkhut is, seemingly, of a different nature than the lights that bestow, since Malkhut is the one receiving, limiting, and concealing the light. However, in the world of Atzilut, and in the Malkhut of Atzilut, Malkhut does not express something different, but rather it expresses the other side of the thing itself, which, according to the divine wisdom and will, it is. Just as it is in the sefirot, so it is in the Torah. "He, His will, and His wisdom" are the Written Torah, which reveals the will and wisdom of God that descends and is enclothed in "His speech," the vessels (reality) of this world, without losing its holiness. Not only does this divine flow of God remain a clean and unified expression of God, enclothed in this world of separation without being fragmented, it even repairs and unifies this world through the Divine. The concepts of God's will and wisdom are enclothed in our limited understanding and are actualized in the world through our limited capability. Yet, our limited understanding and capability do not limit or distort the supernal will; they only serve to draw it in and complete it, as this outcome is exactly the goal of the divine will and wisdom. As a result, it is not only that the Oral Torah does not conceal and limit the divine will and wisdom; it is actually the method through which they reach their completion.

וּמַה שֶּׁאוֹמֵר הָאֲרִ"י ז״ל שֶׁהַמִּשְׁנָיוֹת הֵן בְּמַלְכוּת דִּיצִירָה

And as for what the Arizal says, that the mishnayot are in Malkhut of Yetzira , It is explained in the teachings of Hasidism that the Mishna belongs to the world of Yetzira, the world of attributes, all generally included within the two attributes of love and fear. The Mishna presents the halakhic rulings: what is permitted, what is prohibited, what is pure, what is impure. These rulings are expressions of love and fear, that which we love and do, and that which fear and refrain from doing; what draws us closer, and distances us. Presumably, that perspective of the Mishna is different from what is said here, that the Mishna is in Malkhut of Atzilut.

רְצוֹנוֹ לוֹמַר לְבוּשׁ מַלְכוּת דִּיצִירָה שֶׁנִּתְלַבְּשָׁה בָּהּ מַלְכוּת דַּאֲצִילוּת

the Arizal means the clothing of Malkhut of Yetzira , in which Malkhut of Atzilut is enclothed, In truth, there is no contradiction between these two opinions. There is a process through which the Malkhut of Atzilut descends into the lower worlds. Every descent (in spiritual matters) is an enclothing of the upper reality within the lower realm. Atzilut represents being subsumed in the Divine. Malkhut of Atzilut, upon descending into the lower worlds, is that subsummation now enclothed in each lower world according to its nature. In the world of Yetzira, which is the world of attributes that determine the relationships between different entities, both negative and positive, that subsummation in the Divine is enclothed in physical expression (Malkhut ) of the attributes of Yetzira: Do this, and do not do that.

וּמַלְכוּת דִּיצִירָה נִקְרָא ‘שִׁפְחָה׳ לְגַבֵּי מַלְכוּת דַּאֲצִילוּת

and Malkhut of Yetzira is called a "maidservant" in relation to Malkhut of Atzilut , The relationship between the clothing and the entity being enclothed is like the relationship between a maid and her mistress. The directing entity, which determines how everything below it should be conducted, is the Malkhut of Atzilut. Its clothing serves as its accompaniment, transporting and revealing this Malkhut to the external reality (the lower worlds). This clothing is the Malkhut of Yetzira.

וּמַלְכוּת דִּבְרִיאָה נִקְרָא ‘אָמָה׳.

while Malkhut of Beria is called "Jewish maidservant." Between the worlds of Yetzira and Atzilut lies the world of Beria. Accordingly, the order is that Malkhut of Yetzira enclothes the Malkhut of Beria, which in turn enclothes the Malkhut of Atzilut. This means that the more inner garment of Malkhut of Atzilut is the Malkhut of Beria, which is called "maidservant" in relation to the Malkhut of Atzilut. In the halakhic perspective, the difference between an ama (Jewish maidservant) and a shifḥa (maidservant) is that the latter is of Canaanite descent (like a male Canaanite servant). Such a person is not fully non-Jewish, but is also not yet fully Jewish. An ama, in contrast, is a Jewish maidservant, and is fully Jewish in every way. This illustrates clearly that a Jewish maidservant is more fully a member of the inner circle of closeness and service to her mistress, while the Canaanite maidservant remains at a greater distance. In other contexts, an analogy is presented as possibly providing a deeper explanation of these relationships: The Jewish maidservant and the Canaanite maidservant are akin to the relationship between a servant who works in the house and a servant who works out in the fields. A servant of the house serves the master himself, caring for his personal life and needs. A servant of the field looks after the master's property and fields. The servant who works in the home knows his master, his thoughts and feelings, and even begins to identify with them, thinking and feeling like his master (within the servant's own capacity). In contrast, the servant in the field does not see the master and does not know him. His connection to the master is expressed only through his actions, serving merely as an external expression of love or fear. In this sense, the Canaanite maid, the Malkhut of Yetzira, is like the Mishna, which is the practical halakha, expressing how things are meant to be performed practically. The Jewish maidservant, like the Talmud, expresses the more internal layer of the will of the King, and the underlying reasoning as to how the divine will reached its conclusions.

וְתֵדַע

Know that this is so from the Arizal's statement that the Bible, that is, the Written Law, is in Asiya , This is extrapolated from the Arizal's statement that the Bible is in Asiya. The perspective that the Written Law is in Asiya means that the Written Torah is revealed in the clothing of the world of Asiya. This refers to the form of the words as they are written physically, as well as the act of reading them. This is in contrast to their underlying meaning and reasoning, which relate to the feelings and thoughts of the soul, yet are not revealed.

וַהֲרֵי מְפוֹרָשׁ בַּזֹּהַר וּבְכִתְבֵי הָאֲרִ״י ז״ל מְקוֹמוֹת אֵין מִסְפָּר שֶׁהִיא

and yet is it not explicitly stated in innumerable places in the Zohar and the writings of the Arizal that it is Tiferet , which is Zeir Anpin of Atzilut ? Given this, the question must be asked: Yet is it not explicitly stated in innumerable places in the Zohar and the writings of the Arizal that the Written Torah is Tiferet, which is the partzuf of Zeir Anpin of Atzilut? (The sefira of Tiferet is the main one representing the partzuf of Zeir Anpin, which includes all six sefirot, and it is sometimes referred to by the name Atzilut.) As was explained, Malkhut is the Oral Torah, and Zeir Anpin is the Written Torah, the male aspect and the bestower with respect to Malkhut. All things are found in the Written Torah, all the concepts and halakhot, but only in the form of seeds. It is the Oral Torah in which their details are developed within the context of reality. This illustrates that the Written Torah is above the Oral Torah of Atzilut. If this is so, then how can we understand that which is said here, that the Written Torah is within the world of Asiya?

אֶלָּא שֶׁמִּתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בַּעֲשִׂיָּה וְכֵן הוּא בְּהֶדְיָא בְּסֵפֶר הַכַּוָּונוֹת, שֶׁמִּקְרָא וּמִשְׁנָה וְתַלְמוּד וְקַבָּלָה כּוּלָּם בַּאֲצִילוּת, אֶלָּא שֶׁמִּקְרָא מִתְלַבֵּשׁ עַד עֲשִׂיָּה וּמִשְׁנָה עַד הַיְּצִירָה וְתַלְמוּד בִּבְרִיאָה.

Rather, it means that the Written Law is enclothed in Asiya , and it is similarly stated expressly in Sefer HaKavanot that the Bible, Mishna, Talmud, and Kabbala are all in Atzilut , only that the Bible is enclothed until Asiya , and the Mishna until Yetzira , and the Talmud in Beria . "The Written Torah is in Asiya " means that the Written Torah is enclothed in Asiya, that it illuminates and is revealed within Asiya, even though its origin in Atzilut is even above the Oral Torah of Atzilut. And it is similarly stated expressly in Sefer HaKavanot, where all four parts of the Torah are mentioned: the Bible, Mishna, Talmud, and Kabbala are all in Atzilut, only that the Bible is enclothed until Asiya, and the Mishna until Yetzira, and the Talmud in Beria. It appears that in the writings of the Arizal that are in our possession, these things are written slightly differently. (It says there that all parts of the Torah are found in Atzilut, while in Beria, Kabbala is missing, in Yetzira, Talmud is missing, and in Asiya, Mishna is missing.) The language of the author of the Tanya here provides further elucidation: Kabbala is in Atzilut – this means solely in Atzilut, for Kabbala is not enclothed at all in the lower worlds of the created beings. Talmud is in Beria, because it is enclothed until Beria, but is not enclosed within Yetzira, etc.

וְהִנֵּה

Now, when the Malkhut is enclothed in kelippat noga , in order to extract the sparks that fell with the sin of Adam, and also the two hundred and eighty-eight sparks that fell with the breaking of the vessels, Now, after this introduction regarding the Torah and its enclothing in the worlds, the author returns to the main topic of this letter, in explaining the statement of the Zohar. The Malkhut of Atzilut, which is the Oral Torah, is enclothed, as was explained, in the kelippat noga, in the halakhot and definitions of prohibited and permitted, pure and impure. It is enclothed in kelippat noga in order to extract the sparks that fell with the sin of Adam, and also to extract the two hundred and eighty-eight sparks that fell with the breaking of the vessels. In our world, the world of kelippat noga, there are hidden sparks of holiness. These sparks did not descend into the layer of existence of the kelippot in an organized, directed way (a process like the unfolding of the layers of worlds, which always leaves a connection between higher and lower worlds); rather, the way they fell there was as if it was not by divine design, not intellectually or emotionally planned (a way that left no connection with the divine root, which is the meaning of the concealment and the existence of the kelippa that is below). This kind of fall took place because of the sin of Adam, and even before the creation of the world, in the cosmic "breaking of the vessels" mentioned in the Kabbala. The kelippot conceal these sparks, blocking their existence, despite the fact that the whole existence of the kelippa only derives from those very sparks. The kelippa does not have life force or sustenance of its own (to remain a kelippa ). It does not recognize holiness and its Divine Presence as the root of all life and therefore is not subsumed within that holiness. As a result, the kelippa receives nothing from holiness. All its life sustenance derives from the sparks of holiness that are concealed within it. It continues to exist because of those sparks, and for their sake, in order conceal them for a time, and then to ultimately reveal them at the proper time, as will be explained. For now, they remain hidden within the kelippa (which is the reason for the kelippa ). This is the intent behind the descent and enclothing of Malkhut, which is the Oral Torah, into the kelippa: It is to seek and extract these sparks, to reveal and elevate them, and ultimately, to nullify the existence of the kelippa and concealment in the worlds.

אֲזַי גַּם הַמַּלְכוּת דַּאֲצִילוּת נִקְרָא בְּשֵׁם ‘עֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע׳ לְגַבֵּי ז״א דַּאֲצִילוּת, שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹרֵד שָׁם וְנִקְרָא ‘עֵץ חַיִּים׳.

then the Malkhut of Atzilut is also called by the name "the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil," in relation to Zeir Anpin of Atzilut , which does not descend there and is called the "Tree of Life." The Malkhut of Atzilut descended only in order to extract these sparks. But in the meantime, since it is enclothed in this lower reality of kelippat noga, the Malkhut of Atzilut is also called by the name the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil," in relation to Zeir Anpin of Atzilut, which does not descend there and is called the "Tree of Life." The Malkhut of Atzilut is the Oral Torah, referred to by the Zohar as the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil." This is not because the Oral Torah is actually this tree, but because it descends to the place of this tree, to the dense, material worlds, and the kelippot, that contain good and evil within them. This is in contrast to Zeir Anpin of Atzilut, and the parts of the Torah that do not descend to become enclothed in the lower worlds, which are accordingly called the "Tree of Life." In the following sections, the author will explain the implications and purpose of this descent and enclothing:

וְהִנֵּה הִתְלַבְּשׁוּת הַמַּלְכוּת בִּקְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ הוּא סוֹד גָּלוּת הַשְּׁכִינָה, ״אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַט הָאָדָם בְּאָדָם כו׳״ (קהלת י,ט)

Now, the enclothing of the Malkhut in kelippat noga is the secret of the exile of the Divine Presence; "whenever man controlled man, it was to his detriment" (Eccles. 8:9). The secret of the exile of the Divine Presence is explained extensively in other contexts in kabbalistic writings. In short, it is a situation in which the Divine Presence (the Malkhut ) and the sparks of the Divine Presence sustain the reality of the kelippat noga, even though that reality conceals holiness and even denies its existence. The "secret of the exile of the Divine Presence" is the statement that there is a secret here, that there is a hidden explanation for this that is not currently evident. That which we see, comprising concealment, confusion, and evil, is only a piece of a larger process, described in this verse: "Whenever man controlled," referring to the man of the kelippa, "man," referring to the man of holiness, and the purpose of this power was "to his detriment," of the man of the kelippa. This is because the dominion over and exploitation of the Divine Presence by the kelippa, the depletion of all its powers, will ultimately be used primarily against the kelippa. The kelippa lacks any life force of its own and when it drains the power of the Divine Presence and the holiness deriving from it, it is the kelippa that will first be damaged. The Divine Presence is itself the source of life, and therefore it is always alive, existing, and sustaining. The kelippa, in contrast, only relates to a certain "back" part of holiness from which it draws its sustenance, and therefore the kelippa will no longer exist once it drains this. To explain in greater depth: "to his detriment," to the man of the kelippa, meaning, to the benefit of the man of holiness. The good which brings out the holiness from this exile is the "very good" that comprises the advantage of the light over the darkness. This is like the true understanding of an answer that can be reached only after a question has been elucidated, or like an act of joining things together, which can be done only if they had previously been separate. Nevertheless, during the time of the exile of the Divine Presence, the apparent situation is of the power and domination of the kelippat noga and of the tree of knowledge of good and evil over holiness. Here, the author returns to the statement of the Zohar (from the Raya Meheimna ) that was cited initially, in order to explain what was stated there.

וְזֶה שֶׁאָמַר בְּרַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא: וּבְזִמְנָא דְּאִילָנָא דְּטוֹב וְרַע שָׁלְטָא כו׳ אִינּוּן כו׳

And this is the meaning of the statement in Raya Meheimna : But during the time when the tree of knowledge of good and evil rules…, those… The Torah scholars, who are comparable to the Sabbath and holidays, are sustained only through that which is given to them by the ignorant, who are comparable to the weekdays.

דְּהַיְינוּ בִּזְמַן גָּלוּת הַשְּׁכִינָה, שֶׁמַּשְׁפַּעַת לַחִיצוֹנִים

That is, during the time of the exile of the Divine Presence, which bestows life to the external forces of impurity During the period of the exile of the Divine Presence, which is the Malkhut of Atzilut, the Divine Presence bestows life to the external forces of impurity, and not the internal divine intent, only its external aspect. This external aspect is not even cognizant of the internal aspect. The bestowal of life from the Divine Presence during the period of exile is not upon something completely foreign to the inner essence of the Presence. Rather, it is bestowed upon the external aspect of itself. All things in existence, both physical and spiritual, possess an internal and external aspect. The only differences lie in the variable distance between internal and external aspects. When the distance is so great that the two aspects are completely alienated, the external aspect transforms into a kelippa. These external aspects are the means by which to reach a particular end. It is impossible to achieve that end without these aspects, but when they become an end in themselves, they turn into kelippot.

שֶׁהֵם בִּקְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ, שֶׁהָ'עֵרֶב רַב' יוֹנְקִים מִשָּׁם

that are in kelippat noga , from where the "mixed multitude [eirev rav ]" suckles, Those external forces of impurity are in kelippat noga, which is the intermediate kelippa in which there can be an elevation from the kelippa to holiness, as well as a descent of holiness into the kelippa. The transfer of life force to the kelippa is through the external forces of impurity of the holiness that reach the kelippa. From where the "mixed multitude [eirev rav ]" suckles. The term "mixed multitude" relates to what is said further in the "Raya Meheimna, " that Torah scholars should not support themselves from the ignorant and from "the mixed multitude that eats impure, invalidated, or prohibited things, etc." This means that the "mixed multitude" suckles and receives its life force from the external aspects of holiness that reach the kelippa, not the internal aspects. Therefore, they "eat impure, invalid, etc."

וּמִתַּמְצִיתָן נִיזּוֹנִין תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים בַּגָּלוּת

and from whose inner essence the Torah scholars are sustained in exile, During the time of exile, the flow of Malkhut of Atzilut is upon the kelippat noga, sustaining the external aspects of existence which contain both good and evil, as well as much futility. The nations of the world and the mixed multitude, who themselves are composed of these external aspects, connect well with this world, and succeed, materially as well as spiritually to a certain degree. Even so, as was explained, each external aspect has an internal essence of good and holiness, such that even if that internal side is not visible, it sustains all the futility of the outer layer. Even when that external aspect eventually vanishes, the internal side remains, and it is from there that Torah scholars are sustained. These righteous scholars live in holiness even in the world of exile and kelippat noga. They do not live in a separate time or world, nor is the sustenance they receive any different. They live here, in exile, with the rest of the people of this world, subject to the laws of nature, economics, and politics of this world. Through their efforts to only partake of the inner essence of good and holiness in this world, they are able to extract and elevate this world of kelippat noga to holiness.

וְאָז עִיקַּר עֲבוֹדַת הָאָדָם וְעִיקַּר עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת הוּא לְבָרֵר הַנִּיצוֹצוֹת כַּנּוֹדָע מֵהָאֲרִ"י ז"ל.

the main service of man and the main engagement in Torah and mitzvot is then to extract the sparks, as is known from the teachings of the Arizal. The Divine service during the time of exile is to extract sparks. There is divine service that does not consist of extracting sparks, and that kind of service belongs to other times, that are not the time of the exile of the Divine Presence. There is divine service within a reality in which there is no evil or impurities to extract, which is the service of elevation and unifications, expanding good and elevating holiness to ever-greater heights (as will be explained further in the letter). But during the time of the exile of the Divine Presence, of kelippat noga and the mixing of good and evil, when it is almost impossible to differentiate that there is holiness here, the main divine service is to perform this differentiation. This means to extract the holy sparks from within the evil and futility that abound in life, and to elevate and gather those sparks into a holy edifice. This service of extraction from the kelippa is mainly from within the world of action, through the performance of commandments and Torah study that relates to that performance.

לָכֵן עִיקַּר עִנְיַן הַלִּימּוּד

Therefore, the main focus of learning is through inquiry and analysis of halakha , on the topics of prohibited and permitted matters and impurity and purity, in order to distinguish the permitted and the pure from the prohibited and the impure, by means of inquiry and analysis of halakha with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, This refers to the practical application of Torah study: to clarify exactly what is prohibited and what is permitted, what to do and how to do it, as well as what not to do, etc. This study is the main purpose of the Oral Torah, the Torah that many contemplate, scrutinize, and analyze, using human intellect, an intellect that operates within this world. These matters are not inscribed, and indeed cannot be inscribed, in the Written Torah, since they relate to the complex and ever-changing reality of the kelippa and the concealment. Therefore, it would be insufficient to simply transmit traditions of what do from one generation to another. The only way is to try to attain this understanding through inquiry and analysis, using the three powers of the mind, which are wisdom, understanding and knowledge, which are also part of this world.

כַּנּוֹדַע דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא מֵחָכְמָה נָפְקַת וּבְחָכְמָה דַּיְּיקָא אִתְבְּרִירוּ.

as is known, that the Torah emerges from Ḥokhma (wisdom), and the sparks are extracted specifically in Ḥokhma . Although the Torah at its source is above the level of Ḥokhma, nevertheless, in the lofty Keter, the way that it emerges and is revealed in the world is through Ḥokhma. Elsewhere it is said: And the sparks are extracted specifically in Ḥokhma, and the good is separated from the bad. The power of Torah to clarify the world stems from its origin in the level of Ḥokhma, and it is the level of Ḥokhma specifically that clarifies and allows for extraction. The level of Ḥokhma, in this world as well, differentiates between good and evil, between false and true. Accordingly, it is through Ḥokhma specifically that there can be extracting of holiness from the kelippot, etc. This is especially true when a person immerses himself in Torah with Ḥokhma (wisdom), understanding, and knowledge, as was mentioned, enclothing his own Ḥokhma in the supernal Ḥokhma (and the supernal Ḥokhma in his own, as is explained in Likkutei Amarim, chap. 3). This allows him to draw the supernal Ḥokhma, the revelation of the light of Ein Sof Himself, into this world. By way of analogy, when a world of vague shapes and shadows is suddenly flooded with powerful light, everything becomes clarified, each entity and situation understood.

וְהַיְינוּ חָכְמָה עִילָּאָה דַּאֲצִילוּת הַמְלוּבֶּשֶׁת בְּמַלְכוּת דַּאֲצִילוּת.

That is, the supernal Ḥokhma of Atzilut , which is enclothed in Malkhut of Atzilut . For even with the descent of this Ḥokhma to the lower levels of Ḥokhma (including that of a person studying Torah), it remains supernal Ḥokhma. This is the essence of Torah, which descends below and appears in lower and smaller forms at lower levels, yet remains supernal Ḥokhma, retaining the true relationships between the levels, just as it does at higher levels. It is this that allows supernal Ḥokhma to descend into the worlds in order to perform extractions. This descent does not follow the unfolding succession of the worlds, for if it did, the supernal Ḥokhma would not retain its higher level, but instead become a product of the world to which it was connected. Further on, the author will explain the process of supernal Ḥokhma descending in the Torah. Which is enclothed in Malkhut of Atzilut. Although there is a full structure of sefirot for Atzilut, from the intellectual ones through those of the attributes in between Ḥokhma and Malkhut, in the Torah there is a skipping of Ḥokhma over the order of the middle sefirot and directly enclothing in the Malkhut (which becomes enclothed in the worlds).

סוֹד תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה

This is the secret of the Oral Law When the supernal Ḥokhma itself is enclothed in the level of Ḥokhma in each world, even the lowest one, the realm of kelippa and falsehood, this is the "secret of the Oral Law." The meaning of this enclothing is that a person, who dwells below and functions through an intellect and understanding that is a product of the reality in which he lives, can still understand the supernal Ḥokhma that is enclothed in that level. Moreover, it is specifically through the understanding that belongs to that lower world, according to the ability of the person's Ḥokhma and understanding, that he can attain a comprehension of the higher, supernal Ḥokhma.

(בְְּסוֹד ‘אַבָּא יְסַד בְּרַתָּא׳)

(in the secret of "the father that founded the daughter") "Father" is the term for the sefira of Ḥokhma, and the "daughter" refers to Malkhut. These terms have multiple layers of meaning. The main one is that a father and daughter, like Ḥokhma and Malkhut, share a unique relationship. On the internal plane, there is more than just a direct flow from one to the other. As was mentioned above, there is a connection of imagination, and even of an essential identity, between a father and daughter. Malkhut perhaps reveals Ḥokhma more than the other sefirot, because it is truly linked with Ḥokhma in its essence more than with any other sefira.

הַמְלוּבֶּשֶׁת בְּמַלְכוּת דִּיצִירָה

that is enclothed in Malkhut of Yetzira , The Malkhut of Atzilut is not the end of the road. In order to extract the sparks that are in the lower worlds, that Malkhut must enclothe itself in the lower worlds, which are, for these purposes, Yetzira and Asiya. The author of the Tanya mentions specifically Yetzira here because that is where the extraction begins. It was already explained that in the world of Atzilut, the breaking of the vessels primarily touches the attributes, and not the sefirot of the intellect. The attributes are drawn in and enclothed in the world of Yetzira. The world of Yetzira, which is the "world of attributes," is, therefore, the world in which the extracting begins. Different terminology is used in other places: The world of Atzilut is entirely good and holy. The world of Beria is mostly good, with small amounts of evil. The world of Yetzira is half good and half evil. The world of Asiya is mostly evil, etc. Given this, the world of Atzilut clearly does not need extracting. Neither does the world of Beria, as its default state is to continue the process of rectification. Only from the world of Yetzira and below must effort be employed to divert the reality to extraction and rectification.

(וְסוֹד) [סוֹד] הַמִּשְׁנָיוֹת וּבָרַיְיתוֹת

(and) Malkhut of Yetzira in the secret of the mishnayot and baraitot This enclothing is the secret, the hidden meaning, that is within the mishnayot and baraitot. Externally, mishnayot only reveal relationships: This is permitted, this is prohibited, this is what you should do, this is what you shouldn't do, etc. They do not reveal the underlying reasoning, neither human reasoning (as appears in the Talmud) and certainly nothing above human reasoning. But it is specifically this fact that contains a big secret, a momentous secret, that it is the divine supernal Ḥokhma itself that is embedded in these distinctions: this is prohibited and that is permitted, etc. There are no natural reasons, like those that descend and appear through the unfolding succession of the worlds. Rather it is the inner divine Ḥokhma, in its pristine form, that cannot be revealed in the intellect of any world, yet is revealed in those practical outcomes in the worlds of Yetzira and Asiya.

הַמְלוּבָּשׁוֹת בִּקְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ שֶׁכְּנֶגֶד עוֹלָם הַיְּצִירָה, שֶׁשָּׁם מַתְחִיל בְּחִינַת הַדַּעַת [נוּסָּח אַחֵר: הָרַע] שֶׁבְּנוֹגַהּ

that are enclothed in the kelippat noga that corresponds to the world of Yetzira , as the knowledge [alternative version: the evil ] that is in noga begins there The meaning of these words, which is captured by both versions to some degree, is that the world of Yetzira enters into the realm of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. As was explained, this is the mixing of good and evil that allows for the existence of the kelippat noga in the world of Asiya. The knowledge of good and evil exists in higher worlds as well. There, the knowledge exists in the theoretical, intellectual form, that there are evil things with which we have no connection. But in the world of Yetzira, the world of attributes, which has no independent intellectual reality, all that exists is one's awareness is part of me and I am part of it. If one knows evil, that means one knows it through direct personal experience, with the same feelings that a person feels himself. This feeling, when it descends lower, into the world of Asiya, where it can no longer see its supernal source, forms into a kelippa. These halakhot, that this is prohibited or permitted, are exactly what the worlds of Yetzira (and Asiya ) need for their rectification: clear definitions that differentiate and separate out the mixture, delineating that which is good and that which is evil.

[נוּסָּח אַחֵר: וְהַבָּרַיְיתוֹת הַמְלוּבָּשׁוֹת בִּקְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ שֶׁכְּנֶגֶד עוֹלָם הָעֲשִׂיָּה שֶׁשָּׁם מַתְחִיל בְּחִינַת הָרַע שֶׁבְּנוֹגַהּ] כַּנּוֹדַע מֵהָאֲרִ״י ז״ל.

[alternative version: and the baraitot that are enclothed in the kelippat noga that corresponds to the world of Asiya , as the evil that is in noga begins there] as is known from the teachings of the Arizal. The difference between the versions is whether the mishnayot and baraitot are enclothed in the kelippat noga that is parallel to the world of Yetzira or to the world of Asiya. It appears that they are both correct, for the Torah is certainly enclothed in parallel to all the levels. The difference is one of emphasis: whether we are discussing the knowledge and feeling of evil, which begins in Yetzira, or the evil that is actualized practically, which begins in Asiya. In both of these, there is the essence of kelippat noga, a kelippa that has light and is not a purely evil kelippa. In Yetzira, it is potentially further away from the actualization of evil, and in Asiya, it is closer. In Yetzira, there are multiple steps required for the materialization of evil (in feeling and thought), but in Asiya, all that remains is the last step, of the practical commission of the evil (and in this sense, complete evil and darkness do not exist independently in our reality, but only as a possibility and threat). An essential aspect of kelippat noga, whether in Yetzira or Asiya, is that it has light (which is more revealed in Yetzira ). The revelation of the light within the kelippa, and in its world, is through the enclothing of the Torah within it. The Torah enclothed in the worlds generates a structure that is parallel to the worlds. Because this structure is rectified and extracted independently, it contains all the answers and clarifications for all the confusions, uncertainties, and threats that arise from the worlds. While it is true that we may not see a direct answer to every person and for every situation, but through delving into and analyzing the relationship of words to other words, of written to oral texts, of the Torah to people, and among people, it is possible to extract the truth, revealing the divine holy sparks and elevating them. Until this point, the discussion focused on the Torah as a means for us to extract sparks, and how to do so. In the next sections, the discussion turns to the inner side of the Torah, illustrating how Torah study is intrinsically a value.

וְהַמַּשְׂכִּיל יָבִין עִנְיָן פֶּלֶא גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה מְאֹד מַה נַּעֲשָׂה בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל

An intelligent person will understand the meaning of a far more wondrous concept – of what occurs in the heavens above Until this point, we also understood a wondrous matter, called a "secret": what takes place in the world when the supernal Ḥokhma descends into it. Now we will understand a greater wonder: of what occurs in the heavens above through the study of Torah in the earthy, lower intellect of man. This second wonder is truly greater than the first, as is explained in several places regarding the virtues of light that ascends from below compared to light which descends from above. It is more understandable that it is within the power of Ein Sof to animate and inhabit all things. It is more incredible that the lower, limited reality is able to ascend upward, to influence the higher spheres. This is what will be explained here: What is the study below that has an impact and rejuvenating influence above?

עַל יְדֵי עִיּוּן וּבֵירוּר הֲלָכָה פְּסוּקָה מִן הַגְּמָרָא וּפוֹסְקִים רִאשׁוֹנִים וְאַחֲרוֹנִים, מַה שֶּׁהָיָה בְּהֶעְלֵם דָּבָר קוֹדֶם הָעִיּוּן הַלָּז

through the in-depth study and the clarification of halakhic rulings from the Gemara and the early and later halakhic authorities, which were hidden matters before that in-depth study. Here, he discusses the study of only revealed Torah, for even in this study he can reveal things which were hidden matters even in the Torah before that in-depth study. There are things that are written in the Written Torah, and there are things that are explained and detailed in the tradition of the Oral Torah, which are revealed even before a person examines them. But there are also things in the Torah that seemingly were not in it. They were hidden until people, through their study, revealed these new ideas that were never mentioned, neither in the Written Torah, nor in the Mishna, nor in the baraita, things that were never known before. This idea is wondrous in every sense, from the practical, halakhic sense, that halakhot are revealed and established for new situations, to the sense of extracting abstract principles of halakha and its reasoning, both revealed and hidden, on the earth and in the heavens above. This wonder occurs when Torah study is directed not only at knowing what actions to take, but also at knowing the divine Ḥokhma that is enclothed in the Torah at all levels of reality. There is a basic perspective here regarding the essence of Torah, and Oral Torah. As we see, the Written Torah, and to a certain extent, the Oral Torah that has been written down (the Mishna, etc.), mainly present details, scenarios, conceptual connections, and sometimes principles. But they cannot, due to their essential limitations, present understandings and ideas in abstract form. It is understood, however, that Torah is absolute truth that has descended from above, and it cannot descend into the world except in the form of a story (or like a photograph) relating to the things and situations that are within it. The picture beyond those details, the connections, principles, and implications, can only be generated through our understanding and acceptance of the written ideas, understandings that change and adjust themselves, that relate to us differently every time and according to our own individual capabilities, efforts, and opportunities. In other words, this is the Oral Torah, in which people learn, examine, and clarify within their souls that which they have received.

כִּי עַל יְדֵי זֶה מַעֲלֶה הֲלָכָה זוֹ מֵהַקְּלִיפּוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ מַעְלִימִים וּמְכַסִּים אוֹתָהּ, שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה יְדוּעָה כְּלָל אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה מוּבֶנֶת הֵיטֵב בְּטַעֲמָהּ שֶׁהַטַּעַם הוּא סוֹד הַסְּפִירָה חָכְמָה עִילָּאָה

For he thereby elevates this halakha from the kelippot that were hiding and covering it, so that it was not known at all or so that it was not thoroughly understood in accordance with its reason, as the reason is the secret of the sefira of the supernal Ḥokhma Halakha is the revelation of Ḥokhma within the practical world. As always, the kelippot of the physical world conceal and distort the light of supernal Ḥokhma, and that which reaches below is either not seen or is not clear. Yet, through the study and clarification of halakha, a person can open the channel of Ḥokhma from above to below and reveal the existence of halakha that was not known, and even clarify its definitions and reasons. As the reason is the secret of the sefira of the supernal Ḥokhma. "Reason" (ta'am ) here is meant both in the sense of an internal, causal reason (not an external influencing reason), as well as in the sense of the pleasure of a taste (ta'am ), like that experienced by a person in food. This reason is the beginning of the reality of each thing, that at its inner core is the pleasure of the one who created it, and in its external dimension, it is the way that it emerges from its inner essence into an external reality. This is the definition of Ḥokhma: the reason and beginning of each thing. The reason is the secret of the sefira of the supernal Ḥokhma: It is explained in kabbalistic writings that there are four levels of the written letters of the Torah which are expressed in the acronym TNT"A. This stands for ta'amim (the melody of a word), nekudot (the vowelizing of the word), tagim (the written crowns attached to certain letters), and otiyot (the bodies of the letters themselves). These four levels are parallel to the four worlds and four partzufim of Atzilut. The level of the ta'amim, according to this, is that of the secret of the supernal Ḥokhma.

שֶׁנָּפְלוּ מִמֶּנָּה נִיצּוֹצִים בַּקְּלִיפּוֹת בִּשְׁבִירַת הַכֵּלִים.

from which sparks fell into the kelippot at the breaking of the vessels. The falling of the sparks of supernal Ḥokhma to the kelippot is linked to that which is described in the language of Kabbala as "the breaking of the vessels." The breaking of the vessels is a fundamental concept in the worldview of the Kabbala (mentioned in many places, and this is not the context for explaining it). For our purposes, it suffices to say that the breaking of the vessels was a catastrophic event (as its name suggests), an event in which the manifested results lost their (visible) connection with the underlying causes. Therefore, when discussing the breaking of the vessels, we speak of the sparks having "fallen," not "descended." Descent implies the idea of the light descending through the unfolding succession, in which there is incrementally less light, but not necessarily distortion, and certainly not a total darkening of the divine light. Falling is different: When something occurs that was presumably not planned, the connection with the root is lost. This is what is written here regarding the sparks of supernal Hohkma which fell to the kelippot.

וְהֵם שָׁם בִּבְחִינַת גָּלוּת, שֶׁהַקְּלִיפּוֹת שׁוֹלְטִים עֲלֵיהֶם וּמַעֲלִימִים חָכְמַת הַתּוֹרָה מֵעֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים.

They are there in exile, as the kelippot rule over them and conceal the wisdom of the Torah from higher and lower beings. The sparks that fell to the kelippot are there in a state of "exile." This means that those sparks of divine revelation and life force are dominated and covered over by the kelippot, so that what is seen is the kelippot – the natural and material aspect of the worlds – while the Ḥokhma of the Torah, which is the divine revelation of life force and meaning everywhere, is not visible. From higher and lower beings. The new idea here is that this concealment also derives from the higher realities, the angels and souls that are above (and there are few people who live through their souls and not their bodies). Concealment deriving from the lower beings makes sense, since that is where the sparks are, concealed within the kelippot in this world, in the body and animal soul. But the concealment is also from the higher beings, for this concealment of the kelippot is a concealing of the Ḥokhma of the Torah itself, not just from those who receive it. There are things we cannot grasp because of our own limitations, because we haven't studied, or we lack the intellectual capacity. In those situations, the more we free ourselves from the kelippot, the more we are able to understand. But then there are things that we cannot grasp because they are themselves locked away in a box, and one who lacks the key to this box cannot reveal what lies within. Additionally, as will explained, there is even a certain advantage for the lower realities in the elevation of the sparks. Since the sparks themselves are found below, and the elevated stages of reality only have a faint remnant of them, it is specifically the lower realities that possess this advantage since they interact directly with the sparks. This advantage is both in terms of that which is elevated, which is endlessly more valuable than that which is above, as well as in the power they can receive from the spark itself below for the purposes of their service, which is more powerful than what the elevated stages receive.

וְזֶה שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּרַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא

This is the meaning of the statement in Raya Meheimna, cited at the beginning of this letter, that a difficulty is raised by the evil side. It is written there that in the inner, hidden side of the Torah, which will be studied in the future and which derives from the side of the tree of life, there will be no difficulties from the side of evil, and no disputes from the side of the impure spirit. Even though it was explained there that it was not implying that the revealed Torah derives from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, nevertheless it does indicate that difficulties and disputes arise from the side of evil. But according to that which is explained here, this difficulty is not part of the Torah, but rather part of the concealment of the kelippa upon the Ḥokhma of the Torah. The Torah is holy, but a context in which there is a difficulty means a situation where information is missing, where there is a concealment, which comes from the side of evil and kelippa. If the side of evil did not exist, there would be no difficulties, as everything would be clear and revealed. However, there is a difficulty that is a part of the clarification of truth and construction of holiness, but it also begins from the fact that we lack information, from a place of difficulty and lack of clarity, in which we do not see the halakha or its reasoning. Through examination and clarification of the halakha, specifically here, down below, in the place where there is difficulty, we reveal the Ḥokhma of Torah to the lower beings as well as the higher ones.

וְהִנֵּה הָעֶלְיוֹנִים אֵין בָּהֶם כֹּחַ לְבָרֵר וּלְהַעֲלוֹת מֵהַשְּׁבִירָה שֶׁבִּקְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ אֶלָּא הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים לְבַד

Now, the higher beings have the power to extract and elevate, from the breaking in the kelippat noga , only the lower beings, These sparks of Ḥokhma are locked inside of the kelippa, in exile. The kelippa enclothes them, and they can only be revealed through the garments and ways of the kelippa. Therefore, the higher holy angels, who lack anything like a kelippa, like difficulty, concealment, lies, and willful sin in their world, are unable to relate to such a reality. Since they don't have this, they cannot arrive at such contexts in order to elevate the holy sparks from there.

לְפִי שֶׁהֵם מְלוּבָּשִׁים בְּגוּף חוֹמְרִי ‘מָשְׁכָא דְּחִוְיָא׳ מִקְּלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ

because they , the people of the lower world, are enclothed in material bodies, "the skin of a serpent" from the kelippat noga . The "skin of the serpent" is the external kelippa of the primordial snake, symbolizing evil and the impure kelippot. Its outer kelippa is the kelippat noga that is above the three kelippot of impurity, and it stands between the impure kelippot and the world of holiness.

וְהֵם מַתִּישִׁים כֹּחָהּ בִּשְׁבִירַת הַתַּאֲווֹת וְאִתְכַּפְיָא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא וְ״יִתְפָּרְדוּ כָּל פּוֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן״ (תהלים צב,י).

They sap its strength through breaking lusts and subduing the sitra aḥara , and "all evildoers are scattered" (Ps. 92:10). They close off and conceal the Ḥokhma of the Torah, and thereby cause evil acts to appear in the world. Through the breaking of lusts, etc., the kelippot will be separated, and the Ḥokhma of Torah will be revealed in the world. In order to win a war, there must be soldiers on the battlefield, willing to struggle, to endanger themselves. An enemy cannot be vanquished without touching him, making contact with him. This is true of the soul as well. There is a kelippa in the world, and the only place where one can damage it, exhausting, breaking, and ultimately removing it, is in the one place where a person meets it, in the personal kelippa within his soul. This path always begins with a small detail, but from there it grows immeasurably.

וְלָכֵן בָּאִים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים לִשְׁמוֹעַ חִידּוּשֵׁי תוֹרָה מֵהַתַּחְתּוֹנִים מַה שֶּׁמְּחַדְּשִׁים וּמְגַלִּים תַּעֲלוּמוֹת הַחָכְמָה שֶׁהָיוּ כְּבוּשִׁים בַּגּוֹלָה עַד עַתָּה.

Therefore, the higher beings come to hear novel Torah ideas from the lower beings, when they formulate new ideas and discover the mysteries of wisdom that until then were suppressed in exile. As was explained, these new ideas of Torah were not only concealed from the lower beings, who are found within the kelippot and concealment and therefore cannot see, but also from the higher beings. Here, the intent is that only the lower beings can reveal these things, because the keys to do so are with them, down below, and therefore, the higher beings come to listen to the lower ones.

וְכָל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל יוּכַל לְגַלּוֹת תַּעֲלוּמוֹת חָכְמָה, (לְגַלּוֹת) וּלְחַדֵּשׁ שֵׂכֶל חָדָשׁ

And every Jew can discover the mysteries of wisdom, (to reveal) and to innovate new insights, in the Torah, Every Jew, whether he is a great scholar, or has little scholarship, or is someone who is not a scholar at all, can uncover new insights in the Torah. This appears to be a difficult concept. It is accepted thinking that innovative ideas of Torah are only the purview of great scholars, for only they can penetrate beneath all that has been said before and reconstruct the ideas in a novel way. However, this is not precisely true (and this applies to other fields as well): The capability to generate new ideas belongs to anyone who is able to perceive the subject in a different way, and sometimes this capacity exists specifically in a person who lacks knowledge.

הֵן בַּהֲלָכוֹת הֵן בְּאַגָּדוֹת הֵן בְּנִגְלֶה הֵן בְּנִסְתָּר, כְּפִי בְּחִינַת שֹׁרֶשׁ נִשְׁמָתוֹ

involving halakhot , aggadot , the revealed Torah, or the esoteric teachings of the Torah, in accordance with the root of his soul. The root of the soul of each person belongs to a certain spark and part of the Torah. In general, the Torah can be divided into categories of halakha and aggada which is, to a certain degree, the division between revealed and hidden aspects of Torah. Just as the Torah can be divided into these two categories of revealed and hidden, so too the souls can be divided. There are those that, like the revealed Torah, are enclothed in the world of Asiya and in the revealed Torah that descends into it, and it is there that such souls experience vibrancy and life. Then there are those that, like the hidden Torah, are tied to the higher worlds. These souls are also present within a body in this world, eating and drinking, walking the earth. But their root, their drive, is found above, in the underlying hidden reasons of reality and the lofty meanings and connections. While every soul is a complete structure, and interacts with every aspect of the Torah, nevertheless, the innovative insight that is unique to a particular soul is only manifested in specific circumstances.

וּמְחוּיָּיב בַּדָּבָר

This is imperative, in order to complete his soul through the elevation of all the sparks that fell into its portion and lot, as is known A person – every person – not only can innovate in Torah, he is obligated to do so. It is more than a role that is assigned to him. It is an internal, personal necessity that the soul requires in order to bring itself to wholeness. It is just as the author of the Tanya writes in his Hilkhot Talmud Torah in the name of the scholars of the Kabbala: If a soul does not succeed in perfecting itself by revealing its unique insights, it must return as a further reincarnation, etc. Since this is an internal personal responsibility, it is impossible to be satisfied with only partial success. This role cannot be given over to another to complete, for it is the portion and lot of this soul, and only this soul can achieve it.

(וְכָל דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה וּבִפְרָט דְּבַר הֲלָכָה הִיא נִיצוֹץ מֵהַשְּׁכִינָה, שֶׁהִיא הִיא דְּבַר ה׳ כִּדְאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא: דְּבַר ה׳ זוֹ הֲלָכָה

(all words of Torah, and especially a matter of halakha , is a spark from the Divine Presence, which is the very word of God, as stated in the Gemara: "The word of God, this is halakha " (Shabbat 138b), These points have already been made, but here the author reviews them for the purposes of summary and emphasis (and this is, perhaps, why they are in parentheses). Sparks of holiness that fell from above into this world are elevated through the halakhot (more than any other aspect of Torah) that descend into the physical context, including even into the kelippot. The spark of the Divine Presence is the word of God, for just as speech emerges from the soul, so does the spark of the Divine Presence emerge in order to dwell and live in the separated worlds. Such is the case for the commanded halakhot below that emerge from the inner divine reality. This emergence creates a situation in which the inner reasoning of the halakhot is not visible, and they appear only as the commands of the King: Do this and do not do that.

סוֹד מַלְכוּת דַּאֲצִילוּת הַמַּלְבֶּשֶׁת לְחָכְמָה דַּאֲצִילוּת

the secret of Malkhut of Atzilut that enclothes the Ḥokhma of Atzilut In the language of Kabbala, this descent is the secret of Malkhut of Atzilut that enclothes the Ḥokhma of Atzilut. As was explained, Malkhut is expressed through the commands of halakha. But these commands and the distinctions between permitted and prohibited are garments for the supernal Ḥokhma, points of divine revelation in the world. This indicates that it is as if God Himself is clothed and revealed within the halakhot.

וּמְלוּבָּשִׁים בְּמַלְכוּת דִּיצִירָה, וְיָרְדוּ בִּקְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ בִּשְׁבִירַת הַכֵּלִים).

and which are enclothed in Malkhut of Yetzira and descended into kelippat noga at the breaking of the vessels). In the breaking of the vessels, holy sparks descended and were enclothed in the halakhot into the kelippa itself. In these short phrases, there is an emphasis and even a small addition to what was said previously. Before, the discussion was about sparks that fell and the extraction that is performed through the study of halakha. Here, the author adds that these sparks, seemingly aspects of divinity in exile, are themselves the "word of God is halakha." If this is the case, the in-depth study of halakha and the insights and innovations that are revealed through study, are not merely vessels that allow for the extraction of the sparks, but rather they are the sparks themselves. The halakha that is clarified and innovated in its details and reasonings is itself the spark that is being unlocked from within the kelippa. This is a perspective of Torah study as not just a preparatory tool to attain practical extraction of the sparks, but rather it is the essence of the redemption of the sparks themselves.

וְזֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּגְּמָרָא: כָּל הָעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה אָמַר הקב״ה מַעֲלֶה אֲנִי עָלָיו כְּאִלּוּ פְּדָאַנִי וְאֶת בָּנַי מִבֵּין הָאוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם.

This is the meaning of the statement in the Gemara: Whoever engages in the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, says about him, "I ascribe credit to him as though he redeemed Me and My children from among the nations of the world." As was explained, engagement in Torah, especially in the innovative revelation of the details and reasons for halakhot that were not known previously, is the redemption of the Divine Presence from exile. When a person breaks the kelippa and forces it (similar to the breaking of desires for things of this world), and involves himself in the exploration of Torah, he extracts and frees the Divine Presence from the kelippa that he broke. The Divine Presence then ascends and unites with God and through this unification, it is as if the person has redeemed God Himself from among the nations of the world (the kelippot ). "My children" refers to the souls of Israel that ascend, together with the novel Torah concepts they revealed. This is because the innovated concept of Torah a person reveals is a spark of his own soul. This spark ascends with the spark of the Divine Presence, for when it redeems the Divine Presence, it also redeems itself from exile. Until this point, the author explained the essence and virtue of studying the revealed Torah, based on the passage he initially cited from the Zohar, which is nearly the opposite of the superficial meaning of the phrase "those who lack knowledge." It does not refer to Torah study that is flawed in its holiness, embedded in the kelippa. Rather, it is study that is so lofty in its holiness that it is capable of descending to incredibly low levels in order to raise up holiness from the kelippot. Given this, it is this kind of Torah study that applies especially to the time of exile, during which good and evil are mixed together and must be separated. In this phase, holiness is not visible and gives its strength to the sustaining of a world of lies and evil. It is only Torah study that can relate to these different areas that is capable of elevating them. From this point onward in this letter, the author will explain the main point of the Zohar, in relation to the study of the hidden Torah. If study of the revealed Torah, the Mishna, etc., belongs primarily to the time of exile, as was explained, then the study of the hidden Torah belongs primarily to the time of redemption.

אֲבָל בְּצֵאת הַשְּׁכִינָה מִקְּלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ [נוּסָּח אַחֵר: מֵהַקְּלִיפּוֹת], אַחַר שֶׁיּוּשְׁלַם בֵּירוּר הַנִּיצוֹצוֹת וְיוּפְרַד הָרַע מֵהַטּוֹב, וְיִתְפָּרְדוּ כָּל פּוֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן, וְלָא שָׁלְטָא אִילָנָא דְּטוֹב וְרַע.

However, when the Divine Presence will emerge from the kelippat noga [alternative version: from the kelippot ], after the extraction of the sparks has been completed and the evil has been separated from the good, and all evildoers will be scattered, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil will not rule. The time of exile is the time when the Divine Presence is here, ruled over by the kelippat noga and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This means that the dominant perspective in this reality is that of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, a perspective of hidden divine light and lack of clarity as to what is good and what is evil, what is a commandment and what is a sin. In this reality, as was explained, the service of man is to clarify and extract sparks of holiness, to clarify good and evil. This service has an endpoint, when all the sparks are extracted and evil is separated from good, etc. It is explained in Kabbala writings that there are a finite number of sparks that fell during the breaking of the vessels, and a time will come when this extraction process is complete.

בְּצֵאת הַטּוֹב מִמֶּנָּה, אֲזַי לֹא יִהְיֶה עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת לְבָרֵר בֵּירוּרִין

Then, when the good is extracted from it, the engagement in Torah and the mitzvot will not be for the purpose of performing the extractions, When this service has concluded, when the good is extracted from it, the engagement in Torah and the mitzvot will not be for the purpose of performing the extractions. After the extraction of good from evil is complete, there will be a different purpose for the study of Torah and performance of commandments.

כִּי אִם לְיַחֵד יִחוּדִים עֶלְיוֹנִים יוֹתֵר, לְהַמְשִׁיךְ אוֹרוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים יוֹתֵר מֵהָאֲצִילוּת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב הָאֲרִ״י ז״ל.

but for uniting loftier unifications, to draw down loftier lights than Atzilut , as the Arizal wrote. But for uniting loftier unifications, to draw down loftier lights than Atzilut, as the Arizal wrote, the change of state in the future will not be, as some might think, that there will no longer be divine service (and all divine service is, in one form or another, through Torah and commandments). Rather, it will take a different form. If currently the form is the necessity of extracting good from the kelippa and repairing the world, in the next phase it will be service directly with good and the divine light. The Torah and its commandments are the divine will of God. There is an external aspect to them that relates to the world and its problems. When these problems are solved, the inner aspect will come to expression. This is the aspect of His wisdom itself, its true inner nature. As an analogy, like a project in any other field, there is an initial phase of differentiation. From the mixture of this world, of opinions, desires, needs, and falsehoods, one must clarify what kind of work is going to be done. The materials to be used in this work must be selected, as well as the methods that will be employed. When these choices are being made, while the different possibilities may all seem equivalent, they are not. There are good and bad options, possible and impossible routes to take. This important first phase is the establishment of basic infrastructure. More advanced phases follow in which the structure is built upward toward its purpose. In these more advanced phases, there is also clarification and choice, but it is not a choice and differentiation between "yes and no," or "good and evil." Rather, it is the service and choice between "good and better," that which is cleaner and more elevated, forever upward. The author of the Tanya speaks here, using the language of the Arizal, of "unifications." A unification means the union between the spark and its source, between the Divine Presence and God. This is the service we perform at all times. Currently, when the Divine Presence and the spark are hidden within the kelippa, the action of unification is to separate it from the kelippa, after which it automatically unites with the Divine, like a small light with a large one. This unification relates to the world of Atzilut because that is the world of unity regarding the lower worlds of Beria, Yetzira, and Asiya, which are the worlds of separation. During this time, in relation to the worlds and the kelippot, Atzilut is the aspect of divinity, in the sense that the lights above Atzilut are not really relevant to us. However, after the phase of extraction from the evil is complete, the meaning of unifications will no longer be that of separating the spark from the kelippa. Rather, it will be the elevation of that spark to a higher level of unification. Light, even holy light, is considered a part of reality that must be unified with, and subsumed to, higher states of unity that do not yet exist. Divine service at these levels of unification is what the author here refers to as "uniting loftier unifications, to draw down loftier lights than Atzilut." Atzilut is the oneness contrasting with the separation, the divine relative to the broken, separated lower worlds. But once the relationship is with the divine oneness itself, the service will be to unify unifications at higher levels, drawing down lights that are above Atzilut.

וְהַכֹּל

All this will be achieved by means of the inner dimension of the Torah, by fulfilling the mitzvot through lofty intentions, with the intent toward the supernal lights… These lofty intentions are part of the inner dimension of Torah. This illustrates that Jewish life, Torah study, action, and experience are all within the purview of the inner dimension of Torah; not what to do and not to do, or how to do, but rather, the inner meaning of all these things. This means from the soul and inward, upward, to the spiritual worlds that are the inner aspect of this physical world.

כִּי שֹׁרֶשׁ הַמִּצְוֹת הוּא לְמַעְלָה מַעְלָה בָּאֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא

For the root of the mitzvot is higher above, in Ein Sof , blessed be He The action of a commandment is in this world, for this is the world of action, but the root of the commandment is higher above. This is true not only for commandments. All physical things have their initial roots above. Every object and action is the outgrowth of the unfolding succession from above downward, from the abstract and general structures of the higher worlds down to the detailed diversity we see in this world. Yet, the actions and objects of the commandments are different from all other things in that they are not only the result of the supernal lights, but they are themselves, here, the supernal lights. Not as a general root, but the specific root of this commandment as it is performed below, arriving from Ein Sof above. Therefore, the intention of this commandment when directed downward, in all its details, both practical and not practical, ascends upward. It is not only awakening something which in turn awakens something else. Rather, it itself ascends, separate from the kelippot of this world, level by level, until Ein Sof.

(וּמַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ רַזַ״ל דְּמִצְוֹת בְּטֵילוֹת לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא, הַיְינוּ בִּתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים

(and as for our Sages' statement that the mitzvot will be annulled in the future, that is referring to the resurrection of the dead, The Sages' statement that the mitzvot will be annulled in the future apparently contradicts what is written here, that in the future the Torah and commandments will be fulfilled in their inner dimension. He answers that that is referring to the resurrection of the dead. The concept of "in the future" has two meanings in the words of our Sages: One refers to the time of the Messiah. The second refers to the period after the Messiah, when the world will change fundamentally, and the dead will walk. In that time, the commandments will be annulled.

אֲבָל לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ קוֹדֶם תְּחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים אֵין בְּטֵלִים).

but in the messianic era, before the resurrection of the dead, they will not be annulled). It is emphasized that only in the time of resurrection will the commandments be annulled. In the time preceding this, the messianic era, they will not. This means that after the period of exile, when the service of extractions has been completed, there will still be a context and time in which the commandments will not be annulled. On the contrary, during that time they will be fulfilled in their entirety. Their actions will be perfected, as all commandments will be performed, and their inner intentions will be fulfilled in all their spiritual loftiness, reaching ever higher.

וְלָכֵן יִהְיֶה גַּם עִיקַּר עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה, גַּם כֵּן בִּפְנִימִיּוּת הַמִּצְוֹת וְטַעֲמֵיהֶם הַנִּסְתָּרִים.

Therefore, the main engagement in Torah and mitzvot will also focus on the inner dimension of the mitzvot and their hidden reasons. This is referring to the inner dimension of the mitzvot and their hidden reasons, meaning the inner dimension of Torah that relates to these aspects of the commandments, their hidden inner reasons. Studying the hidden dimension of Torah will be necessary at that future time, for it will delineate the service that is needed then, the performance of increasingly ascendant unifications. Since each level of elevation will have higher forms and meanings, concepts we do not yet know, it will be necessary to learn these things continuously.

אֲבָל הַנִּגְלוֹת יִהְיוּ גְּלוּיִם וִידוּעִים לְכָל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּידִיעָה בִּתְחִלָּה בְּלִי שִׁכְחָה.

However, the revealed matters will be revealed and known to every Jew, as innate knowledge, without forgetfulness. In contrast to the hidden Torah, which we will need to study, the revealed Torah, which is the clothing of the Torah in this world, will no longer need to be studied. It will instead simply be known as the reality of life, self-evident. In this world, the reality of life is the physical nature of the world, so the commandments that are enclothed in this world must be learned from a book. In the future, when this world is organized and straightened in accordance with Torah and its commandments, tangible reality will be in alignment with the commandments. This is similar to the way that any person has certain areas within his life that he intrinsically knows and has no need to study. A child knows the difference between a door and a wall and does not attempt to pass through a wall. He has no need to study this point and he will not forget it. Similarly, in the future, we will not need to study the revealed Torah.

וְאֵין צְרִיכִים לַעֲסוֹק בָּהֶם, אֶלָּא לְ׳עֵרֶב רַב׳ שֶׁלֹּא יִזְכּוּ לְמִטְעַם מֵאִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי שֶׁהוּא פְּנִימִיּוּת הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוָה

They will not have to be occupied with them, the revealed Torah and mitzvot, apart from the "mixed multitude [eirev rav ]," who will not merit to taste from the tree of life, which is the inner dimension of the Torah and mitzvot. The revealed Torah is also part of the tree of life. Its taste, however, is only experienced through learning the inner dimension of Torah and the reasons for the commandments. In order for the revealed Torah to become part of a person's instinctive knowledge, he has to "be there." This means he has to experience the taste and reasoning of the Torah as if these things are real life, and that it is from these things that he draws his life force, with love and fear. When a person does not study Torah this way, and while he is learning he is actually "somewhere else," he still has not comprehended these matters through his own independent understanding, and he will have to continue studying the Torah then as we do now. Here the author speaks explicitly about the "mixed multitude" in comparison to Israel. The reason is that here we are discussing future times, after the extractions have been completed. Just as the different sparks will have been extracted from the kelippot, so will all the souls of Israel be extracted, from both physical and spiritual exile. Given this, those who remain then within the kelippa will be those who were externally attached to Israel, and they form the "mixed multitude."

וּצְרִיכִים לַעֲסוֹק [בַּתּוֹרָה] בַּמִּשְׁנָה, לְהַתִּישׁ כֹּחַ הַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא הַדָּבוּק

They will need to engage [in the Torah] in the Mishna, to sap the

בָּהֶם (עַל יְדֵי עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה. בִּכְתַב יָד לֵיתָא) שֶׁלֹּא תִּשְׁלוֹט בָּהֶם לְהַחֲטִיאָם.

strength of the sitra aḥara that is attached to them (by engaging in the Torah; this does not appear in the manuscripts), so that it does not rule over them, to cause them to sin. They will not be able to fully separate themselves from the sitra aḥara, as Israel will during that time, but they will be able to weaken its hold over them. This will transform sin into a distant possibility, like a threat uttered from far away, a wish that has no possibility of materializing, so that it does not rule over them, to cause them to sin.

כְּדִכְתִיב ״וְהַחוֹטֵא בֶּן מֵאָה שָׁנָה יְקוּלָּל״ (ישעיה סה,כ) שֶׁיִּהְיוּ חוֹטְאִים מֵעֵרֶב רַב, וְגַם לְמַעֲשֶׂה יִהְיוּ צְרִיכִים לִפְרָטֵי הִלְכוֹת אִסּוּר וְטוּמְאָה״ (משלי יב,כא).

As it is written: "And the sinner will be cursed when he is one hundred years old" (Isa. 65:30), which shows that there will be sinners from the mixed multitude. Also, in practice they will require the details of the laws of prohibited items and impurity more than Israelites, so that they do not suffer cases of disqualification, impurity, or prohibited matters, as "no iniquity will befall the righteous" (Prov. 12:21). Accordingly, this study will not be something the Israelites engage in, in contrast to the mixed multitude.

וְגַם אֶפְשָׁר וְקָרוֹב הַדָּבָר שֶׁיֵּדְעוּ מִפְּנִימִיּוּת הַתּוֹרָה כָּל גּוּפֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַנִּגְלֵית כְּמוֹ אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, וְלָכֵן אֵין צְרִיכִים לַעֲסוֹק בָּהֶם כְּלָל.

It is also possible, and indeed likely, that they will know the inner dimension of the Torah, the whole essence of the revealed Torah, like our forefather Abraham, may he rest in peace, and therefore they will not need to engage in them at all. This is an additional element that has not been discussed previously. Before, the discussion was of natural knowledge, innate understanding, that people would know the laws. Additionally, the author discussed that "no iniquity will befall the righteous." Now, the author speaks about a different kind of knowledge. Our forefather Abraham lived prior to the giving of the Torah. He did not receive the Torah, yet our Sages say that he fulfilled the entire Torah (Yoma 28b, and elsewhere). The Torah he studied was not our revealed Torah, for that was only given at Mount Sinai. It appears that the Torah that Abraham fulfilled was the inner dimension of Torah, the Torah as it exists above, not how it is enclothed below (as this lower state was conferred at Sinai, as explained in Hasidism). This leads to the question: How did Abraham know the practical details of the Torah to such an extent that the Sages said that he fulfilled the entire Torah, even matters like eiruv tavshilin (which is only a rabbinic requirement)? The answer is similar to what is said here: Based on his study of the inner dimension of Torah, he knew the practical actions that needed to be done as well. The inner dimension of Torah does not teach the details of practical halakha, but it does reveal the inner meaning: the process of activation, the elements that bring about the different kinds of enclothing in the world. As an analogy, it is possible to observe a person and see what he is doing and how he is doing it. It is also possible to peer into his soul and see what he loves, how he thinks, etc. If one's understanding is deep enough and broad enough, it is possible to predict what such a person will do in a given context or situation. However, similar to the analogy, the method is not foolproof. There are many factors, and there may be multiple possible outcomes. Therefore, as described, the commandments that our forefathers fulfilled were not necessarily performed in a specific way, and not always in a form we would recognize today. By contrast, following the giving of the Torah, these things were enclothed in one fixed and specific manner. In this sense, immersion in the revealed Torah is like observing external factors and trying to depict the structure. What effect one element has on another, what the connections are between them and what can be learned from them, etc. The hidden Torah attempts to understand the internal logic. When this inner aspect is understood, the complex, detailed, and almost limitless content of the revealed Torah is rendered as very simple, almost self-evident, to the point where it is unnecessary to delve into it in isolation. By way of analogy: If one presents to an undiscerning person or child a sequence of numbers, like 3-6-9, as long as he is unable to find a logical relationship between them, he will struggle to remember them. The minute the underlying pattern is revealed, it becomes simple, and he no longer needs to learn or remember, but he simply knows intuitively.

מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בִּזְמַן בַּיִת שֵׁנִי, הָיוּ צְרִיכִים לַעֲסוֹק

That was not the case in the time of the Second Temple, when they had to engage in them, In the time of the Second Temple the Torah study of the scholars was mainly in the revealed Torah, and this would remain, to some degree, until the messianic era. They had to engage in them, and there was no possibility, as there will be in the future, to understand the revealed concepts from within the hidden ones.

גַּם כִּי לֹא בִּשְׁבִיל הֲלָכָה לְמַעֲשֶׂה בִּלְבַד, אֶלָּא שֶׁזֶּהוּ עִיקַּר עֲבוֹדָה: לְהַתִּישׁ כֹּחַ הַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא וּלְהַעֲלוֹת נִיצוֹצֵי הַקְּדוּשָּׁה עַל יְדֵי הַתּוֹרָה וְהָעֲבוֹדָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּבוֹאָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר.

not only for the purposes of practical halakha , but because that was the main service: To sap the strength of the sitra aḥara and to elevate the sparks of holiness through the Torah and service, as is explained elsewhere. Until this point, it was explained that we need to study the revealed Torah to reach the practical halakha, as there is no other way. Now he will explain that there is another, central element to this. This study of the revealed Torah through analysis, challenges, and solutions is the main service for exhausting the strength of the sitra aḥara and the elevation of holy sparks (of the Sages of the Mishna, the Talmud, and, to a certain extent, all those who study this teaching).

וְאַחַר הַדְּבָרִים וְהָאֶמֶת, יוּבַן הֵיטֵב בְּתוֹסֶפֶת בֵּיאוּר הָ׳רַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא׳ דִּלְעֵיל, בְּמַה שֶּׁאָמַר ‘אִילָנָא דְּטוֹב וְרַע כו׳׳, רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר – קְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ שֶׁהוּא עוֹלָם הַזֶּה הָעִיקָּר

And so, following these words and truth, the above citation from the Raya Meheimna will be thoroughly understood, with additional clarification, that when it refers to the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil…," it means the kelippat noga , which is mainly this world, The intent of the Zohar when it refers to the "Tree of Knowledge" is to the kelippat noga itself, which is the central aspect of this reality, which mixes good and evil, etc. The Torah which deals with these things, however, is itself holy, purely good, and an aspect of the "Tree of Life," like the hidden Torah and the Zohar. The difference is, as the author explained, that the revealed Torah which deals with the prohibited and permitted laws is enclothed in all the issues of this world, themselves part of the kelippat noga, while the hidden Torah is not enclothed in them.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּעֵץ חַיִּים

as written in Etz Ḥayyim . This is sufficient explanation for one who understands. The connection between the tree of knowledge of good and evil and the kelippat noga is mentioned there, as well as a general explanation of the kelippat noga and the impure kelippot. This is sufficient explanation for one who understands the writings of the Arizal, and can study these things independently.