וְעִם כָּל הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, יוּבָן וִיבוֹאָר הֵיטֵב בְּתוֹסֶפֶת בֵּיאוּר מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ בַּזֹּהַר: דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כּוֹלָא חַד. וּבַתִּיקּוּנִים (תיקוני זהר עד, א) פֵּירְשׁוּ דְּרמ״ח פִּיקּוּדִין אִינּוּן רמ״ח אֵבָרִין דְּמַלְכָּא. לְפִי שֶׁהַמִּצְוֹת הֵן פְּנִימִיּוּת רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן וְחֶפְצוֹ הָאֲמִיתִּי,

Based on all that has been said above, we can thoroughly understand and further elucidate the Zohar 's statement that the Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one. The Tikkunei Zohar (74a) explains that the 248 positive commandments comprise the 248 limbs of the King, that is, God, because the commandments constitute the inner aspect of God's supernal will and His true desire, Everything that was discussed in the previous chapter, that God's word and all of creation are in reality subsumed in their divine source and only appear to possess an independent identity, can be elucidated by the concept that God and His Torah are one. Whatever exists in the world does so only because God wills it, and the commandments in the Torah are the expression of that supreme will and desire. The reality of the universe encompasses multitudes of entities of an infinite variety. All of them express the will of God. If God did not will them into being, they would not exist. Yet only a select few express the inner essence of His will, His true desire. The majority of creation lacks any inner intrinsic purpose and is simply part of the sum total of existence, there only to keep the universe in operation. Only a few components of reality express God's true will, not the will that maintains the framework of existence but the ultimate and inner purpose of reality, and these components are the commandments. They are the expression of God's utmost will and true desire.

הַמְלוּבָּשׁ בְּכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים לְהַחֲיוֹתָם.

which is clothed in all the higher and lower worlds, giving them life, The commandments in the Torah are God's will, that which He truly desires from all the worlds on the most profound level. They are the inner force that brings all the worlds into being and vitalizes them. To illustrate, if one decides to build a house, what he really wants is the house itself. Even so, there are so many steps the builder must take, steps that he does not want to do just for their own sake, but they are necessary for the construction. He must demolish the old house, gather building materials, pour cement, set up scaffolding, and all the rest. Those actions accord with his desire, but they are not the intent and goal itself, and they are no more than the means to reach that goal. It is for the primary desire that he takes these steps, that he demolishes the old edifice, that he pours cement, that he acquires building materials, and it is that inner desire that vivifies and maintains them. God too wishes to build a structure in this world that will express His inner desire. To do so, He requires an entire universe to help realize His will in the most perfect fashion. This inner essence of His will is the commandments. Everything else in all the worlds, from the very highest to the very lowest, are no more than tools to help make that inner intent a reality.

כִּי כָּל חַיּוּתָם וְשִׁפְעָם תָּלוּי בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְוֹת שֶׁל הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים כַּנּוֹדָע.

for all the life force and life-giving sustenance of the higher and lower worlds is contingent on the performance of the mitzvot by the creations in the lower worlds, as is known. A mitzva that is performed in this world justifies the continued existence of our world, as well as the higher worlds. No mitzvot exist in those supernal realms. The higher worlds are only supporting structures that operate mechanically, as it were. They are no more than tools that make possible the existence of this, our lower world. Only here does the performance of a mitzva possess any meaning, for only here does the possibility of mitzva and sin exist.

וְנִמְצָא שֶׁמַּעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְוֹת וְקִיּוּמָן הוּא לְבוּשׁ הַפְּנִימִי לִפְנִימִית רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן,

It follows that the performance and fulfillment of mitzvot constitutes the inner garment for the inner aspect of God's supernal will, All the worlds are instruments, or garments, that express the divine will that is found within them all. But a mitzva act is the inner garment and instrument in which the divine intent itself is crystallized. Indeed, it is the expression of the inner core of the supernal will.

שֶׁמִּמַּעֲשֶׂה זֶה נִמְשָׁךְ אוֹר וְחַיּוּת רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בָּעוֹלָמוֹת.

because as a result of this act, the light and life force of the supernal will are drawn down and clothed within the worlds. When a person performs a mitzva in this world, he clothes the inner core of the highest will in the worlds. He is giving the supernal will a form in which it may manifest in this world. At that moment, the divine will expresses itself within the person performing the mitzva and is drawn into the world in which the mitzva is being performed.

וְלָכֵן נִקְרָאִים "אֵבָרֵי דְּמַלְכָּא״, דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאֶבְרֵי גּוּף

Therefore, the mitzvot are referred to as the "limbs of the King," just as, by way of analogy, the limbs of a person's

הָאָדָם הֵם לְבוּשׁ לְנַפְשׁוֹ וּבְטֵלִים לְגַמְרֵי אֵלֶיהָ מִכֹּל וָכֹל.

body serve as garments for his soul and are completely and totally subservient to it. In a sense, a person's body is his soul's garment. Every physical limb is a tool that serves a function of the soul: The eye clothes the power of sight, the ear clothes the faculty of hearing, the foot, the soul's ability to walk. A tool lacks its own will and serves only as an instrument of the person wielding it. Similarly, the limbs of the body are not independent beings. Their entire existence is dedicated to serving the soul so that it may function through them.

כִּי מִיָּד שֶׁעוֹלֶה בִּרְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם לִפְשׁוֹט יָדוֹ אוֹ רַגְלוֹ, הֵן נִשְׁמָעוֹת לִרְצוֹנוֹ תֵּכֶף וּמִיָּד בְּלִי שׁוּם צִוּוּי וַאֲמִירָה לָהֶן וּבְלִי שׁוּם שְׁהִיָּיה כְּלָל, אֶלָּא כְּרֶגַע מַמָּשׁ כְּשֶׁעָלָה בִּרְצוֹנוֹ.

We know this to be true, for the moment a person wishes to extend his arm or foot, they immediately and instantaneously obey his will without requiring any command or directive and without the slightest delay whatsoever, but rather the exact instant it arose in his will to do so. Commands and persuasions are employed when another is involved, someone with his own mind and will. Such a process, which bridges one will to another, one personality to another, involves a moment, or more, of hesitation. But when there is no other being and no other will, when there exists only one will, there is no transition and no time gap. The limb of the body does not have its own will. Its action is dictated and flows directly, totally, from the inner will of the soul.

כָּךְ דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, הַחַיּוּת שֶׁל מַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְוֹת וְקִיּוּמָן הוּא בָּטֵל לְגַמְרֵי לְגַבֵּי רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן הַמְּלוּבָּשׁ בּוֹ וְנַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ מַמָּשׁ כְּגוּף לִנְשָׁמָה.

So too this is analogous to the life force of the performance and fulfillment of the mitzvot. It is utterly subservient to God's supernal will, which is clothed within it, and that life force literally becomes like the body in relation to the soul. A mitzva is the divine, inner, and primal will of all of existence. When this will is expressed in the performance of a mitzva in this world, it traverses all of existence and connects the act to the supernal will itself. Other objects and actions in the world are merely external garments, garments needed for the reality to exist. But the mitzvot are the specific instruments, the particular means that the divine self, as it were, uses to express itself in the world. The mitzva act is not an independent entity. It is entirely nullified in relation to the highest will clothed within it, just as the limbs of the body are nullified in relation to the soul clothed within them.

וְכֵן הַלְּבוּשׁ הַחִיצוֹן שֶׁל נֶפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹהִית שֶׁבָּאָדָם, הַמְּקַיֵּים וְעוֹשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָה, שֶׁהוּא כֹּחַ וּבְחִינַת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁלָּהּ,

Likewise, the same applies to the outer garment of the divine soul within the person fulfilling and performing the mitzva, which is its faculty of action. Not only is the mitzva act nullified to God's supernal will, but also the person performing the mitzva is completely subservient to His will. In its broader sense, the term "person" in this context refers to his soul, its garments, and his physical body, all of which function to manifest the person and his actions in this world. As the author of the Tanya mentioned above, the divine soul expresses itself and acts in the world through its garments: the thoughts, speech, and deeds of the Torah's 613 commandments. Thought is the innermost garment, speech the middle one, and deed the outer garment.

הוּא מִתְלַבֵּשׁ בַּחַיּוּת שֶׁל מַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְוָה, וְנַעֲשֶׂה גַּם כֵּן כְּגוּף לִנְשָׁמָה לָרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן וּבָטֵל אֵלָיו לְגַמְרֵי.

It is clothed in the life force of the performance of the mitzva and also becomes like the body in relation to the soul, completely subservient to the divine will. Just as the limbs of the physical body express the soul's will in the physical world, not as external tools, recipients of commands, but as part of the soul's inner being, so does a person performing a mitzva express the inner essence of the divine will in this physical world. When a person fulfills a commandment, he is transformed at that moment into a part of the commandment, totally nullified in relation to the divine will that is acting through him.

וְעַל כֵּן גַּם אֶבְרֵי גּוּף הָאָדָם הַמְּקַיְּימִים הַמִּצְוָה, שֶׁכֹּחַ וּבְחִינַת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁל נֶפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹהִית מְלוּבָּשׁ בָּהֶם בִּשְׁעַת מַעֲשֵׂה וְקִיּוּם הַמִּצְוָה, הֵם נַעֲשׂוּ מֶרְכָּבָה מַמָּשׁ לָרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן.

Therefore, the person's limbs that fulfill the mitzva, in which the divine soul's faculty of action is clothed during the performance and fulfillment of the mitzva, also become an actual chariot for the divine will, When a person performs a mitzva, it is not only the soul's faculty of action that is nullified in relation to the divine will, but also the limbs of his body become a tool that enables the supreme will to express itself within existence. In becoming a vessel for the revelation of the divine will, the part of the body that becomes a tool for the will is called, in hasidic and kabbalistic literature, a chariot. The imagery of a chariot is based on the account of the divine chariot recorded in the book of Ezekiel, and it implies, in the simplest sense, a tool that serves the rider's will and brings him to his destination. Since a mitzva is what we might call a "limb of the King," a tool that expresses the divine will within the reality of this world, our physical limbs become the chariot through which the heavenly will is actualized when we perform a mitzva.

כְּגוֹן: הַיָּד הַמְחַלֶּקֶת צְדָקָה לַעֲנִיִּים אוֹ עוֹשָׂה מִצְוָה אַחֶרֶת, וְרַגְלַיִם הַמְּהַלְּכוֹת לִדְבַר מִצְוָה, וְכֵן הַפֶּה וְלָשׁוֹן שֶׁמְּדַבְּרִים דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, וְהַמּוֹחַ שֶׁמְּהַרְהֵר בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה וְיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם וּבִגְדוּלַּת ה׳ בָּרוּךְ הוּא.

such as the hand that distributes charity to the poor or performs another mitzva, or the feet that walk for a matter pertaining to a mitzva, and similarly the mouth and tongue that speak words of Torah, and the brain that meditates on words of Torah, the fear of Heaven, and the greatness of God, blessed be He. The hand of a person distributing charity becomes a vehicle of the Divine. It becomes, as it were, a particular instrument of the hand of God, a limb of the King, and at that moment, it is nullified in relation to the divine will. At that juncture, it is literally like God's own hand. Likewise, every one of a person's limbs that performs a mitzva becomes a tool for the divine will and is thus directly connected to the Divine.

וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ״ל: הָאָבוֹת הֵן הֵן הַמֶּרְכָּבָה (בראשית רבה פב, ו), שֶׁכָּל אֵבְרֵיהֶם כּוּלָּם הָיוּ קְדוֹשִׁים וּמוּבְדָּלִים מֵעִנְיְינֵי עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְלֹא נַעֲשׂוּ מֶרְכָּבָה רַק לָרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן לְבַדּוֹ כָּל יְמֵיהֶם.

This is the meaning of our Rabbis' statement "The forefathers are the very chariot for the Divine Presence" (Bereshit Rabba 82:6): that all their limbs were sanctified and separated from mundane matters of this world so that they became a vehicle only for the supernal will throughout their lives. A person can live in this world yet not be subjugated to it. This world comprises only a framework, a field of action, whereas a person's inner intent, his inner will, can ceaselessly be directed elsewhere, connected to the divine will. The forefathers lived and functioned in this world, yet their inner desire and will were constantly nullified in the face of the divine will. For this reason, the Sages say that "the forefathers are the very chariot [for the Divine Presence]." When the forefathers achieved a total nullification in relation to the divine will, there no longer existed any separation between the divine chariot, the throne of glory above, and the forefathers below. True, there exists a hierarchical difference: there is a chariot, above it a throne, above that another throne, extending into the infinite heights. Yet on every plane, there exists a state of being that is nothing less than self-nullification in relation to God and actualization of the divine will. That is the chariot, bearing the revelation of God's will within existence.

אַךְ הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה וְהַהִרְהוּר בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה שֶׁבַּמּוֹחַ וְכֹחַ הַדִּבּוּר בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה שֶׁבַּפֶּה, שֶׁהֵם לְבוּשִׁים הַפְּנִימִיִּם שֶׁל נֶפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹהִית, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן נֶפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹהִית עַצְמָהּ הַמְלוּבֶּשֶׁת בָּהֶם, כּוּלָּם מְיוּחָדִים מַמָּשׁ

However, the thought and contemplation of words of Torah within the brain, and the faculty of speech employed in speaking words of Torah, which is in the mouth, which are the inner garments of the divine soul, and certainly the divine soul itself that is clothed within them, are all literally

בְּיִחוּד גָּמוּר בָּרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן, וְלֹא מֶרְכָּבָה לְבַד.

absolute unity with the supernal will and are not merely unified in a chariot. Until this point, the author of the Tanya has discussed the outermost garment of the divine soul, the garment of action, which becomes a vehicle for the Divine Presence when entirely woven of a mitzva act. When a person performs a mitzva, the limbs of his body become a vehicle for the divine will. When his hand distributes charity, it performs God's will as though it were literally His hand. When a person dons tefillin, his hand and head function as the servants of the divine will, which desires that tefillin should be worn. But when one thinks and speaks words of Torah, when his soul is connected to the Torah through the soul's inner garments, its speech and thoughts, then his connection to the divine will is even more profound than the rider-chariot connection. Ultimately, the vehicle is separate from the rider, just as the body is separate from the soul. But the unification of the soul with Torah through study is comparable to the unification of the soul with the mind, where the soul uses the mind to literally contemplate the divine will. The commandments are limbs of the King, but Torah study is more than a limb of the King. Rather, "Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one."

כִּי רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן הוּא הוּא הַדְּבַר הֲלָכָה עַצְמָהּ שֶׁמְּהַרְהֵר וּמְדַבֵּר בָּהּ. שֶׁכָּל הַהֲלָכוֹת הֵן פְּרָטֵי הַמְשָׁכוֹת פְּנִימִיּוּת רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן עַצְמוֹ, שֶׁכָּךְ עָלָה בִּרְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁדָּבָר זֶה מוּתָּר אוֹ כָּשֵׁר אוֹ פָּטוּר אוֹ זַכַּאי אוֹ לְהֵפֶךְ.

The supernal will is synonymous with the halakhic matter itself that one contemplates and of which one speaks since all the halakhot are the specific extensions of the inner aspect of God's supernal will itself, for God willed it that this item be permitted or rendered fit or that this person be exempt or found innocent, or vice versa. The divine will is itself the halakha being studied, the idea of what to do and how to do it. Thinking about a halakhic issue and discussing it is not only the realization of the divine will (as is the observance of the halakha ), but it comprises the divine will in and of itself. It is an expression and documentation of what God wants, in which way and under what conditions. When a person studies halakha, whether or not it has practical ramifications for him, he is living the very idea of the halakha. At that moment, even if he performs no action, his mind and soul identify with God's will. He is relating not to a deed brought to completion in actuality but to God's plan, His inner thought. To give an analogy, when an architect plans a building, he considers all its details, visualizes the plans, and writes instructions. Then workers come, receive those directives, and carry them out. When a person performs a mitzva, he is like a worker constructing a building. But when a person studies Torah, he is involved with the building plans themselves. He is, so to speak, considering the instructions anew together with the Architect Himself. The person performing the commandment is in the action stage, but the person studying Torah is at the planning stage. The connection with the planner at the planning stage is deeper and more intimate than it is at the action stage. A person who studies and contemplates halakha, what is permitted or kosher, is at that moment thinking God's thoughts, so to speak. He is not merely an instrument for the performance of the divine thought but a partner in that thought. That is the meaning of the Sages' statement regarding the verse "They are the potters and the inhabitants of Neta'im and Gedera; they dwelt there in the king's employ" (I Chron. 4:23), that the souls of the righteous were together with God at the time of the creation of the world, not just at the action stage but at the stage when it was orchestrated. In the same vein, the thoughts of those who study halakha are with the King in His work.

וְכֵן כָּל צֵרוּפֵי אוֹתִיּוֹת תּוֹרָה נְבִיאִים כְּתוּבִים

Likewise, all the letter combinations of the Torah, Prophets, and Writings The language of the Tanya is precise. The implication here is that the divine revelation within the Written Torah lies not only in the words and sentences but also in the letters. The Mishna and Talmud are also holy, but the revelation of holiness within them is inherent in the concepts, in the words and sentences that express the ideas, not in the letters, which are the mere vehicles for that expression. In the Written Torah, on the other hand, the revelation of holiness lies primarily in the letters, and the meaning of the words that the letters comprise is secondary. In light of this, the Written Torah should be viewed as a collection of letters, six hundred thousand symbols, each of which is an independent code. Although the letters combine into meaningful words and sentences, that is only a second-tier communication.

הֵן הַמְשָׁכַת רְצוֹנוֹ וְחָכְמָתוֹ הַמְּיוּחָדוֹת בְּאֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּתַכְלִית הַיִּחוּד, שֶׁהוּא הַיּוֹדֵעַ וְהוּא הַמַּדָּע כו׳. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ: דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כּוּלָּא חַד, וְלֹא אֵבָרִין דְּמַלְכָּא לְחוּד כְּפִיקּוּדִין.

are extensions of God's will and wisdom, which are united with Ein Sof , blessed be He, in absolute unity, for He is the knower, He is the known, and He is the knowledge itself. is This the meaning of the statement "The Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one," and not merely the "limbs of the King," as are the mitzvot. The 248 positive commandments are the 248 limbs of the King, but the Torah is one with Him. The Torah in its entirety, not just the mandates in it, is the direct expression of God's will. It itself is God's will and wisdom. True, when a person studies Torah, he does not arrive at a complete understanding of God's will at its deepest level. In the language of the philosophers, "If I were to understand Him, I would be Him." If a person were to completely understand God's wisdom, he himself would be God. But still, when a person learns even one detail of the Torah, no matter how incomplete and peripheral, at that moment he is united with the divine will. Every detail of God's will is a microcosm of the will as a whole, not only an instrument through which the will expresses itself. When a person studies Torah, when he meditates on even the smallest part of the Creator's will and wisdom, he is united not only with the creation, but with the Creator Himself.

וּמֵאַחַר שֶׁרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן, הַמְּיוּחָד בְּאֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּתַכְלִית הַיִּחוּד, הוּא בְּגִילּוּי לְגַמְרֵי וְלֹא בְּהֶסְתֵּר פָּנִים כְּלָל וּכְלָל בַּנֶּפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹהִית וּלְבוּשֶׁיהָ הַפְּנִימִיִּם, שֶׁהֵם מַחֲשַׁבְתָּהּ וְדִבּוּרָהּ, בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה שֶׁהָאָדָם עוֹסֵק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה,

Since God's supernal will, which is united in absolute unity with Ein Sof , blessed be He, is in a state of complete revelation within the divine soul and its inner garments, namely, thought and speech, while a person studies words of Torah and is not in a state of concealed countenance whatsoever, Even though a person cannot apprehend the infinite nature of the divine will, one's desires align with the divine will itself and one's mind is in line with the divine intellect when he studies Torah. The part of the divine will that is expressed in that section of the Torah that he is studying is manifest in his soul, in the thoughts and speech that he employs for study.

הֲרֵי גַּם הַנֶּפֶשׁ וּלְבוּשֶׁיהָ אֵלּוּ מְיוּחָדִים מַמָּשׁ בְּאֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה בְּתַכְלִית הַיִּחוּד, כְּיִחוּד דִּבּוּרוֹ וּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּמַהוּתוֹ וְעַצְמוּתוֹ כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל. כִּי אֵין שׁוּם דָּבָר נִפְרָד כִּי אִם בְּהֶסְתֵּר פָּנִים כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.

then, at that time, the soul and these inner garments of thought and speech are also literally united in absolute unity with Ein Sof , blessed be He, just like the unity of the speech and thought of the Holy One, blessed be He, with His essence and being, as stated above (chap. 21), for in truth there is nothing that appears separate from the Divine except when in a state of concealed countenance, as stated above (chap. 21). Nothing is separate from the divine essence. All of existence depends on and flows from the divine will that functions within it. The difference that we perceive between one object and another stems not from the power that gives them life, but from the degree to which the Divine is concealed within them. In our world, the divine will is hidden so that it seems as if the world exists and acts independently. By contrast, the Torah expresses God's will explicitly and openly. We do not entirely and genuinely comprehend all levels of the divine will and wisdom disclosed in the Torah, but at every stage and in every part that we can understand, the Torah expresses this divine inner will, which is totally and completely united with God's essence and being. Furthermore, just as the Torah is one with the divine will, so is the person who studies it. Since the Torah is God's wisdom, it is an expression of its constant state of unity with the Divine, and one who studies Torah will discover, sooner or later, that through his study he will achieve a state of absolute unity and oneness with God.

וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁיִּחוּדָם הוּא בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְיֶתֶר עָז מִיִּחוּד אוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּעוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים.

Moreover, their unity, the unity of the person studying Torah with the divine light, is of greater magnitude and greater power than the unity of the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, with the higher worlds Though in the higher worlds God is welcomed on a higher level and with greater clarity, it is nevertheless merely an illumination, a reflection of the divine will. In our world, where the Torah was given, the revelation is more profound and tangible.

מֵאַחַר שֶׁרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן הוּא בְּגִילּוּי מַמָּשׁ בַּנֶּפֶשׁ וּלְבוּשֶׁיהָ הָעוֹסְקִים בַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי הוּא הוּא הַתּוֹרָה עַצְמָהּ, וְכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים מְקַבְּלִים חַיּוּתָם מֵאוֹר וְחַיּוּת הַנִּמְשָׁךְ מֵהַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהִיא רְצוֹנוֹ וְחָכְמָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כְּדִכְתִיב: "כּוּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ״ (תהלים קד, כד).

since the supernal will is literally manifest in the soul and its garments that are engaged in Torah study, for the divine will is the very Torah itself. By contrast, all the higher worlds receive their life force only from the light and life force drawn down from the Torah, which is the will and wisdom of God, as it is written, "With wisdom You have made them all" (Ps. 104:24). All of existence was created and constructed by divine wisdom. It is the instrument with which God created the world. That wisdom is synonymous with the Torah, as the Zohar (2:121a) states, "The Torah emanates from wisdom."

וְאִם כֵּן הַחָכְמָה, שֶׁהִיא הַתּוֹרָה, לְמַעְלָה מִכּוּלָּם, וְהִיא הִיא רְצוֹנוֹ

If so, it follows that the divine wisdom, which is the Torah, transcends all the

יִתְבָּרַךְ הַנִּקְרָא סוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין,

worlds and is synonymous with God's will, which is described as encompassing all worlds The Torah is not merely a blueprint of the worlds, a spiritual inventory detailing all events past, present, and future. It is the transcendent essence of the world that gives life and meaning to everything therein, the manifestation of the divine will that is completely united with the divine essence and being, a will that is beyond any constraints of rationale or reality.

שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת מַה שֶּׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּתוֹךְ עָלְמִין, רַק מְחַיֶּה וּמֵאִיר לְמַעְלָה בִּבְחִינַת מַקִּיף.

in the sense that it is that which cannot be clothed within the worlds but rather sustains and illuminates them from above as an encompassing light. All the worlds, higher and lower, receive their life force only from the divine radiance and illumination that emits from the Divine Presence. But when a person studies Torah, at that moment he is a part of the Divine itself, a part of the light itself that creates and sustains the world. More than that, as he studies Torah he is connected to the divine will, to the divine essence that cannot be revealed in the worlds because it is so immense, so enormous, that the universe cannot bear it and so it exists, as it were, beyond the universe and not within it. All the worlds are mere instruments for expressing God's will. But the Torah is the will itself. When a person studies Torah on any level, he is no longer connected to creation but to the Creator.

וְהִיא הִיא הַמִּתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בַּנֶּפֶשׁ וּלְבוּשֶׁיהָ בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי מַמָּשׁ כְּשֶׁעוֹסְקִים בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה,

It is precisely this level of encompassing light that is clothed within the soul and its garments in a revealed state when a person studies words of Torah, The divine will that cannot be revealed because it is too immense to be clothed in any world is clothed and revealed in the soul of a person studying Torah. This is because the Torah itself is the divine will, that which God truly and absolutely wants, and a person studying Torah unveils that divine will within his own soul.

וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ לָא חָזֵי כו׳

and although he himself does not see it, the root of his soul does see it. The book of Daniel recounts that Daniel had a vision through the agency of an angel. Afterward he reported, "I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, and the men who were with me did not see the vision; however, a great trembling overcame them, and they fled into hiding" (Dan. 10:7). The Talmud asks, "Since they did not see the vision, what is the reason that they were frightened?" The answer is that "even though they did not see the vision, the root of their souls saw it" (Megilla 3a). It is possible for a person to experience fear without knowing why. Although his conscious sensibilities have not registered anything, on a higher and hidden level of his being some understanding does exist that causes him to feel terror, so much so that he flees, that he attempts to escape from this situation. In the same way, a person studying Torah does not sense through his conscious sensibilities, his intellect and emotions, the essence of what he is studying even though it is literally being manifest and clothed in his body and soul.

[וּמִשּׁוּם הָכִי יָכוֹל לִסְבּוֹל, מִשּׁוּם דְּלָא חָזֵי, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בָּעֶלְיוֹנִים].

(It is due to this inability to see the encompassing light that one can tolerate its intensity, which is not the case with regard to the higher creations.) Man exists in this lower world, where God is concealed. A person's body houses his soul, and in this world the soul can comprehend reality only through the body's abilities and senses. But it is precisely because we are in this lower realm, with our bodies and evil inclinations, that we can engage in lofty matters without our souls being obliterated. Although a person may not be sensitive to holiness, he can involve himself with holiness. Although he does not sense the essence of the Torah, which is a "consuming fire," the revelation of divine essence itself, he can study the Torah without being consumed. A welder must shield his eyes and filter the blowtorch's blazing flame so as not to be blinded. But the heavenly beings, creatures of the higher realms, cannot shield their eyes. Since their eyes are open, they cannot bear even a little of the light of Torah, and so they cannot be the instruments to draw it to themselves. Mortal men, with their physical bodies, can study the Torah, whose essence transcends every reality that exists, because that essence is obscured to them. Some tzaddikim tell a parable about a king who ordered an extraordinary and unique royal crown encrusted with gold and jewels. The greatest artisan toiled to fashion it, but when he had to place the most precious stone in the centerpiece, his fingers trembled so much that he was unable to do so. He understood what it meant to be handling the king's crown. He summoned a simple villager who knew nothing about the king or the crown and told him to put the stone in its place, which the villager easily did. Like that villager, we are able to study Torah only because we are unaware, to some extent, of what we are doing. A person studies a passage about an ox that gored a cow, and he does not sense the essence of the inner divine intent, whose revelation cannot be borne by any world. Only here in the lower world, where our eyes are covered, can we freely deal with that which transcends all of reality.

וּבָזֶה יוּבָן לָמָּה גָּדְלָה מְאֹד מַעֲלַת הָעֵסֶק בַּתּוֹרָה יוֹתֵר מִכָּל הַמִּצְוֹת, וַאֲפִילּוּ מִתְּפִלָּה שֶׁהִיא יִחוּד עוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים

Now we can understand why the value of studying Torah is vastly superior to all the other mitzvot, and even more than prayer, which unifies the higher worlds. The purpose of prayer, when man's words ascend from below on high and draw down divine life-giving sustenance from above, is to unite worlds and join them together. It is "a ladder set on the earth and its top reaching to the heavens." Yet, like all the mitzvot, prayer is only an action within the world that serves as an instrument for the divine will. Torah study, on the other hand, is unification with the divine will itself. A person who studies Torah is connected with the Creator, not with His tools, with the will itself and not with its expression.

[וְהָא דְּמִי שֶׁאֵין תּוֹרָתוֹ אוּמָּנֻתוֹ צָרִיךְ לְהַפְסִיק, הַיְינוּ מֵאַחַר דְּמַפְסִיק וּמְבַטֵּל בְּלָאו הָכִי].

(Although the halakha states that one whose Torah study is not his entire occupation is required to interrupt his studies in order to pray, this is because in any event he interrupts his Torah study and squanders his time on mundane matters.) The halakha states that if a person whose Torah study is not his full-time occupation is studying and the time for prayer arrives, he must set aside his study in order to pray. But if Torah study is on a higher plane than all the other commandments, including prayer, why should it be set aside in favor of prayer? The answer is because this person's Torah study is not his full-time occupation. A person who studies Torah night and day should not interrupt his studies in order to pray. But if he does not occupy himself with Torah study full-time, then even if a person does not interrupt his studies for prayer, he will inevitably interrupt them for something else. It is certainly preferable that he interrupt his studies for a mitzva and not for some mundane matter.

וּמִזֶּה יוּכַל הַמַּשְׂכִּיל לְהַמְשִׁיךְ עָלָיו יִרְאָה גְּדוֹלָה בְּעָסְקוֹ בַּתּוֹרָה, כְּשֶׁיִּתְבּוֹנֵן אֵיךְ שֶׁנַּפְשׁוֹ וּלְבוּשֶׁיהָ שֶׁבְּמוֹחוֹ וּבְפִיו הֵם מְיוּחָדִים מַמָּשׁ בְּתַכְלִית הַיִּחוּד בָּרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן, וְאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַמָּשׁ הַמִּתְגַּלֶּה בָּהֶם.

Based on this, the intelligent person can evoke in himself a great fear of God while studying Torah by meditating on how his soul and its garments of thought and speech, which are found in his brain and in his mouth, are literally united in absolute unity with the supernal will and the actual light of Ein Sof , which is manifest in them. When a person meditates on the meaning of Torah study, he can attain a concomitant feeling: a great fear. This feeling, which emerges from his Torah study itself, is not fear of punishment but an awe that stems from an awareness of God's greatness.

מַה שֶּׁכָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים כְּלָא חֲשִׁיבֵי קַמֵּיהּ וּכְאַיִן וָאֶפֶס מַמָּשׁ עַד שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּתוֹכָם מַמָּשׁ, אֶלָּא סוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין בִּבְחִינַת מַקִּיף, לְהַחֲיוֹתָם עִיקַּר חַיּוּתָם.

In comparison to the supernal will and divine light, all the higher and lower worlds are literally considered as absolute nothingness to the extent that the supernal will is not actually clothed in them but rather transcends and encompasses all worlds and affects them as an encompassing light, granting them their primary life force. The worlds cannot contain the divine light. Though it is not clothed in the worlds, it pours energy onto them. The inner will of the Creator at the transcendent level of encompassing all the worlds is too distant and mighty to be clothed in the minutiae of creation, within created beings. But the life force that it infuses in them and that encompasses them is the essence of their vitality. It is the first and basic cause of their existence.

רַק אֵיזוֹ הֶאָרָה מִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בְּתוֹכָם, מַה שֶּׁיְּכוֹלִים לִסְבּוֹל, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְבַּטְּלוּ בִּמְצִיאוּת לְגַמְרֵי.

Only a glimmer of the divine light is clothed in the worlds, just enough that they can endure it without becoming utterly nullified from existence. The Divine cannot, as it were, exist within the world because the world cannot bear it. In order not to be nullified by the overwhelming light, the created world receives only an illumination of an illumination, a weak echo of the divine, infinite being.

וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "וַיְצַוֵּנוּ ה׳ אֶת כָּל הַחוּקִּים הָאֵלֶּה לְיִרְאָה אֶת ה׳״ וגו׳ (דברים ו, כד)

This is the meaning of the verse "The Lord commanded us to perform all these statutes, to fear the Lord…" (Deut. 6:24). The purpose of the mandate to keep the laws is that we will fear God. The mandate is the tool, the means, to attaining a great and extraordinary awe of God. When a person studies the words of Torah that speak of this commandment, when he thinks the divine thought and desires the divine will that is beyond all worlds, he arrives at a fear of God that is greater than anything else. Within this world that cannot bear the divine light is something extraordinary, something that affords a revelation of the Divine, and that is the Torah. As the hasidic teachings put it, it is not just that the Torah comes from Heaven but that the Torah is Heaven itself. Nothing is greater than sitting and studying Torah. The tzaddikim sit in the Garden of Eden and take pleasure in the radiance of the Divine Presence, but they derive that pleasure only from a glimmer of the divine light shining in a particular plane. When a person studies Torah, even if he is living in the physical world, even if he derives no pleasure from it at all, he is involved in something that is above and beyond not only the radiance of the Divine Presence but the Divine Presence itself. When a person ponders this, that he is touching a light that no world is able to bear, that he is connected to the divine essence, which transcends every revelation and every world, he will experience an immense feeling of awe as he studies Torah.

[וְעַל יִרְאָה גְּדוֹלָה זוֹ אָמְרוּ: "אִם אֵין חָכְמָה אֵין יִרְאָה״ (אבות פרק ג משנה יז), וְהַתּוֹרָה נִקְרֵאת אֶצְלָהּ "תַּרְעָא לְדַרְתָּא״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר].

(With regard to this great fear, the Sages state, "If there is no wisdom, there is no fear" [Mishna Avot 3:17], while the Torah is referred to as a "gate to the courtyard," as explained elsewhere [chap. 43].) In a later chapter, the author engages in a broad discussion of the relationship between fear and wisdom: Which takes precedence? Which is preferable? Which is more profound? The Sages do not give a clear answer to these questions. Sometimes they describe fear as only a means to preparing one to fulfill the Torah. At other times, they consider fear to be a very lofty level, in which case the Torah is a "gate to the courtyard," the means of attaining that fear. This paradox is solved when we realize that the Sages are discussing two levels of fear. The first is a lower level of fear, regarding which it is said, "If there is no fear, there is no wisdom." Without fear, there is no possibility of studying Torah. In order to study Torah properly, one must relate to it as the Torah of God. To do so, one must begin with a simple and basic fear of God. This will make it possible to receive God's wisdom. The second level is a higher level of fear. Regarding this, the Sages said, "If there is no wisdom, there is no fear." This is a fear that one attains through wisdom. The "great fear" referred to by the author of the Tanya is this higher level of fear. In order to evoke it within oneself, one must be wise in Torah and understand what it means to study "all these statutes" that God has commanded. This fear flows from one's consciousness as a person stands before the divine will itself, before the being that has no name and that cannot be defined, before whom all the worlds are as nothingness.

אֶלָּא דְּלָאו כָּל מוֹחָא סָבִיל דָּא, יִרְאָה כָּזוֹ.

Yet not every mind can tolerate such a level of fear. Not every mind can contain this fear, which does not stem from a thing that frightens but from contact with the essence of the divine will. This fear is dependent on an apprehension of the highest level, an apprehension that not every mind is sensitive and perfected enough to attain, even partially.

אַךְ גַּם מַאן דְּלָא סָבִיל מוֹחוֹ כְּלָל יִרְאָה זוֹ, לֹא מִינָּהּ וְלֹא מִקְצָתָהּ, מִפְּנֵי פְּחִיתוּת עֶרֶךְ נַפְשׁוֹ בְּשָׁרְשָׁהּ וּמְקוֹרָהּ בְּמַדְרֵגוֹת תַּחְתּוֹנוֹת דְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דַּעֲשִׂיָּה,

However, even one whose mind cannot tolerate this level of fear at all, not even a minute aspect of it, because of his soul's inferior rank at its root and source in the lowest levels of the ten sefirot of the world of Asiya , Some people's souls are more responsive to holiness, while others may be relatively insensitive to feelings of holiness so that they are not touched by this great fear. But if one possesses intellectual and other capabilities, one can understand that such a great fear exists and that other people can experience it, even if he himself, because of the quality of his soul, cannot.

אֵין יִרְאָה זוֹ מְעַכֶּבֶת בּוֹ לְמַעֲשֶׂה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר לְקַמָּן.

אֵין יִרְאָה זוֹ מְעַכֶּבֶת בּוֹ לְמַעֲשֶׂה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר לְקַמָּן. the lack of this fear is not indispensable for his performance of Torah and mitzvot, as will be explained below (chap. 41). God does not demand of us anything beyond our capabilities. The feeling of great fear that the author of the Tanya has described is granted to certain people. It can be a welcome gift or a burden that is difficult to bear. In either case, whether or not a person possesses it does not affect his responsibility to fulfill his obligations. If a person has not had such an experience, that is unfortunate, but it does not detract from his obligations with regard to the Torah, nor does it detract from his true connection with it. That essential connection, that unity with the divine will, exists whether or not he is sensitive to it. A person may be a Torah scholar out of whose throat the Divine Presence speaks and yet be unaware of it. He may perform mitzvot yet not sense the holiness of his own actions. The great physicist Hertz could analyze exactly how a violin produces sound and how to perfect its tone even though he himself had never heard a violin because he was deaf. Similarly, a person may achieve great things on which the continued existence of the world depends and yet have no experiential knowledge or understanding of that fact. In this chapter, the author of the