וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה גַּם כֵּן נִקְרָאִים הַמַּלְאָכִים בְּשֵׁם חַיּוֹת וּבְהֵמוֹת, כְּדִכְתִיב: "וּפְנֵי אַרְיֵה אֶל הַיָּמִין וגו' וּפְנֵי שׁוֹר מֵהַשְּׂמֹאל" וגו' (יחזקאל א, י),

For this reason as well, angels are called by the name of beasts and animals, as it is written: "The face of a lion on the right side…and the face of an ox on the left side…" (Ezek. 1:10), The spiritual character of the supernal angels is described, among other ways, in terms of animals and beasts, as it says in the description of the divine chariot: "The face of a lion on the right side…and the face of an ox on the left side…" (Ezek. 1:10). Of course, this description does not refer to an actual lion and ox, nor to faces such as those of actual people or animals. Rather, it refers to spiritual entities that have certain parallels with physical animals and beasts (as was explained at the conclusion of the last chapter).

לְפִי שֶׁאֵינָם בַּעֲלֵי בְחִירָה, וְיִרְאָתָם וְאַהֲבָתָם הִיא טִבְעִית לָהֶם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּ'רַעֲיָא מְהֵימְנָא', פָּרָשַׁת פִּנְחָס.

for they do not have free will, and their fear and love come naturally to them, as it is written in Raya Meheimna , Parashat Pinḥas . The characteristic that angels share with animals and beasts is that they do not have free will. Unlike human beings, angels are like animals in that they lack the strength and ability to choose between good and evil. They cannot choose between loving (taking action) and fearing (refraining from action) God or anything else. Their fear and love of God come naturally to them, as the author of the Tanya points out, quoting the Zohar. Angels love God or fear God not because they have weighed the matter and made the choice to do so. Rather, it is the essence of their nature. This is how these beings were made: to love or fear God in a particular way, just as it is the nature of all animals in our material world to feel and behave in certain ways and not in others.

וְלָכֵן מַעֲלַת הַצַּדִּיקִים גְּדוֹלָה מֵהֶם,

Therefore, the righteous are on a greater level than they are, The angels serve God not out of awareness and choice, but rather because doing so is their nature. By contrast, the righteous serve God out of free choice and the intellectual awareness that it is the correct thing to do. Therefore, the service of man (a righteous person whose service is on the level of "man," and, as will be explained further, the service of the beinoni as well, whose spiritual intentions are on the level of "animal"), achieved through intellect and choice, is higher than the service of angels, just as a person's intellect is on a higher level than his attributes.

כִּי מְדוֹר נִשְׁמוֹת הַצַּדִּיקִים הוּא בְּעוֹלַם הַבְּרִיאָה, וּמְדוֹר הַמַּלְאָכִים בְּעוֹלַם הַיְּצִירָה.

since the abode of the souls of the righteous is in the world of Beria (Creation), whereas the abode of the angels is in the world of Yetzira (Formation). The abode of the spirit of the righteous is in the world of Beria (Creation), whereas the abode of the angels is in the world of Yetzira (Formation). The world of Beria is above the world of Yetzira, as will be explained.

הַגָּהָה: (וְהַיְינוּ בִּסְתָם מַלְאָכִים. אֲבָל יֵשׁ מַלְאָכִים עֶלְיוֹנִים, בְּעוֹלַם הַבְּרִיאָה, שֶׁעֲבוֹדָתָם בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ שִׂכְלִיִּים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּ‘רַעֲיָא מְהֵימְנָא‘ שָׁם, שֶׁיֵּשׁ שְׁנֵי מִינֵי חַיּוֹת הַקֹּדֶשׁ, טִבְעִיִּים וְשִׂכְלִיִּים, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּעֵץ חַיִּים).

Gloss: This applies to regular angels. However, there are supernal angels in the world of Beria who serve with cognitive fear and love of God, as it states in Raya Meheimna there that there are two types of holy ḥayot angels, natural and cognitive ones, and as it is written in Etz Ḥayyim . This observation, that angels dwell in the world of Yetzira, applies to regular angels. However, there are higher-level angels in the world of Beria (called seraphim), whose service is with cognitive fear and love of God; as it is written in Raya Meheimna there, that there are two types of holy ḥayot angels, natural and cognitive ones, and as it states in Etz Ḥayyim. In this gloss, the author of the Tanya observes that the distinction mentioned here between divine souls and angels is not exactly parallel to the distinction between the world of Beria and the world of Yetzira. Although there is a parallel between them, which is discussed in this chapter, there are elements in which the correlation is more complex.

וְהַהֶבְדֵּל שֶׁבֵּינֵיהֶם הוּא כִּי בְּעוֹלַם הַיְּצִירָה מְאִירוֹת שָׁם מִדּוֹתָיו שֶׁל אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְבַדָּן,

The difference between them is that in the world of Yetzira the attributes of Ein Sof , blessed be He, shine there by themselves alone, The difference between the worlds of Beria and Yetzira is not just one of location, but rather (as is true regarding all the spiritual worlds), it is a qualitative difference that completely sets apart the two worlds. The main difference is that in the world of Yetzira, the attributes of Ein Sof, which are the six sefirot of Ḥesed, Gevura, Tiferet, Netzaḥ, Hod, and Yesod, shine there by themselves, unlike the three intellectual sefirot of Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at, which do not shine there by themselves.

שֶׁהֵן אַהֲבָתוֹ וּפַחְדּוֹ וְיִרְאָתוֹ כו', וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב [בַּתִּיקּוּנִים וְעֵץ חַיִּים] דְּשִׁית סְפִירִין מְקַנְּנִין בִּיצִירָה.

these being the love, dread, and fear of Him, and so forth, and as it is written in Tikkunei Zohar and Etz Ḥayyim , that the six sefirot reside in Yetzira . These six attributes that shine within the world of Yetzira are the love, dread, and fear of God, and so forth, for their love and fear of Him is manifest in the world of Yetzira. The six sefirot reside in Yetzira, meaning that the place in which these attributes are revealed and active is the world of Yetzira.

וְלָכֵן זֹאת הִיא עֲבוֹדַת הַמַּלְאָכִים תָּמִיד, יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה לֹא יִשְׁקוֹטוּ, לַעֲמוֹד בְּיִרְאָה וָפַחַד וכו' וְהַיְינוּ כָּל מַחֲנֵה גַּבְרִיאֵל שֶׁמֵּהַשְּׂמֹאל,

Therefore, this is the constant service of the angels, from which they do not rest day or night, to stand in fear and dread, and so on, and this is the whole camp of Gabriel that is on the left, Therefore, this is the constant service of the angels, from which they do not rest day or night, to stand in fear and dread of God. This is the whole camp of Gabriel, and all the angels connected to this side, which is on the left. The ten sefirot are organized in three lines: The left line (Bina-Gevura-Hod ), the right line (Ḥokhma-Ḥesed-Netzaḥ ) and the middle line (Da'at-Tiferet-Yesod ). The left line is generally the line of Gevura, and therefore the service of the angels and the quality of their service, which relates to this line, involve the fear and dread of God.

וַעֲבוֹדַת מַחֲנֵה מִיכָאֵל, הִיא הָאַהֲבָה כו'.

and the service of the camp of Michael, which is the love, and so forth. The service of the camp of Michael consists of all the angels that belong to the right side, which is the line of Ḥesed. The angels of the camp of Michael are those whose service and existence consist of love for God in all its forms and types. The attributes of Ḥesed and Gevura are, in a sense, the patriarchs of the six attributes. Therefore, the angels mentioned here, the camps of Michael and Gabriel, include, in this sense, all the camps of the angels and entities of the entire world of Yetzira. The service of the angels in love and fear reaches very high emotional levels. Yet this takes place without any amount of awareness or free choice generating the emotion. An angel loves God the same way that a spider weaves its web and a lion devours its prey. It does so not as an intelligent action, involving examination and choice through awareness, but rather as an instinct inherent in its nature. The angel that loves God is simply expressing its being. It loves God because it does not know anything different and is incapable of doing anything different. Its existence is one of love for God, just as an angel from a different camp is one of fearing God, or glorifying God, each camp having its particular trait and sefira.

אֲבָל בְּעוֹלַם הַבְּרִיאָה מְאִירוֹת שָׁם חָכְמָתוֹ וּבִינָתוֹ וְדַעְתּוֹ שֶׁל אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁהֵן מְקוֹר הַמִּדּוֹת וְאֵם וְשֹׁרֶשׁ לָהֶן. וְכִדְאִיתָא בַּתִּיקּוּנִים, דְּאִימָּאעִילָּאָה מְקַנְּנָא בִּתְלָת סְפִירָן בְּכֻרְסַיָּא, שֶׁהוּא עוֹלַם הַבְּרִיאָה.

However, in the world of Beria , the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of Ein Sof , blessed be He, shine there. These are the source of the attributes, and their mother and root. As it states in Tikkunei Zohar (23a)the supernal mother resides in the three, sefirot , on a throne which is the world of Beria . The "supernal mother" is the sefira of Bina of the world of Atzilut. It resides in, and is revealed through, the three sefirot of the intellect that are incorporated within it (because Bina is the main intellectual sefira, and in it is revealed the intellectuality that is composed of the three sefirot ): Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at. That occurs in the "world of the throne," which is the world of Beria. As described in Ezekiel's prophecy (1:26), the "throne" is positioned above the holy ḥayot (Ḥagiga 13a). This means that above the world of the angels, which is the world of Yetzira, there is a complete world, the world of Beria, that parallels all the worlds below it. The prophets refer to this world as "the world of the throne."

וְלָכֵן הוּא מְדוֹר נִשְׁמוֹת הַצַּדִּיקִים עוֹבְדֵי ה' בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ, הַנִּמְשָׁכוֹת מִן הַבִּינָה וָדַעַת דִּגְדוּלַּת אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא.

Therefore, it is the abode of the souls of the righteous, who serve God with fear and love, these emotions being drawn from the understanding and knowledge of the greatness of Ein Sof , blessed be He. Since the world of Beria is the world of lofty Bina, it is the abode of the souls of the righteous, who serve God with fear and love, emotions that come from the understanding and knowledge of the greatness of Ein Sof, blessed be He. These feelings blossom and draw their strength from the awareness associated with Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at. As stated previously, all service of God is service with one's attributes (such as love and fear, as they are directed toward enhanced holiness). When a person's service of God in the world is on the level of intellectual comprehension, which is the source and root of the attributes of love and fear, his service is connected to the level of the world of Beria. In other words, this is serving God with the attributes as they exist in their root, i.e., in Bina and Da'at, which constitute the greatness and infinity of God which give rise to sensations of fear and love.

שֶׁאַהֲבָה זוֹ נִקְרָא 'רְעוּתָא דְּלִבָּא', כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל,

For this love, rooted within the intellect, is called "the desire of the heart," as stated above (chap. 17), The power of a person's intellectual understanding that this is what his soul desires activates and reveals the love and fear within him, even if he does not feel it.

וּמֵ'רְעוּתָא דְּלִבָּא' נַעֲשֶׂה לְבוּשׁ לַנְּשָׁמָה בְּעוֹלַם הַבְּרִיאָה,

and from "the desire of the heart" it becomes a garment for the person's soul in the world of Beria , This inner love that emanates from Bina and Da'at becomes a garment for the soul, that is to say, a mediating layer that allows the soul to be present and to connect, to "live" in that world. Unlike an external feeling, the will of a person's heart and his internal feeling hidden within this level of consciousness is able to connect to the world of Beria and to make it possible for the soul to be present in that world, which is the loftier and more abstract world of the intellect.

שֶׁהוּא גַּן עֵדֶן הָעֶלְיוֹן כְּדִלְקַמָּן, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר וַיַּקְהֵל (רי, ב).

שֶׁהוּא גַּן עֵדֶן הָעֶלְיוֹן כְּדִלְקַמָּן, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר וַיַּקְהֵל (רי, ב).which is the higher Garden of Eden, as will be explained below, and as it is written in the Zohar , Vayak'hel (210b). As will be explained, speaking very generally, there are two levels of the Garden of Eden. There is the supernal Garden of Eden and the lower Garden of Eden. Obviously, this refers not to above and below in any geographical sense (since this is discussing spiritual worlds), but rather to levels. The lower Garden of Eden is in the world of Yetzira, and the higher Garden of Eden is in the world of Beria. Accordingly, when saying that the soul exists in the Garden of Eden, we do not mean any kind of physical location. Instead, it refers to the connection the soul has to that existence via its "garments of the soul" formed from the love and fear that it possessed (or that it possesses) in this world. When that love and fear are on the level of the person's "desire of the heart," the soul is connected to and located in the world of Beria.

אַךְ הַיְינוּ דַּוְוקָא נְשָׁמוֹת מַמָּשׁ,

However, this applies specifically to actual neshamot , the highest soul level, The statement that the dwelling place of the souls of the righteous is in the world of Beria applies specifically to the neshama in the kabbalistic sense of that word. As was explained, the human soul is made up of not one level, but a series of five levels, one above the other (nefesh, ruaḥ, neshama, ḥaya, yeḥida ). The highest level, the pinnacle of the revelation of a person's spiritual existence, is the level of neshama (since the levels of ḥaya and yeḥida are not revealed within a person).

שֶׁהֵן בְּחִינַת מוֹחִין דְּגַדְלוּת אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא.

which is the level of the expanded awareness of Ein Sof, blessed be He. Only at the highest level of the revealed soul, the level of neshama, does awareness of the Divine exist on an expanded level. This is a direct awareness, comparable to sight (not only understanding achieved via examples and analogies), in which a person sees and recognizes God before his eyes. On that level, the divine soul within a person lives and is revealed, and in it his love of God pours forth of itself, without any need for external arousal or action.

אֲבָל בְּחִינַת הָרוּחַ שֶׁל הַצַּדִּיקִים,

But the level of ruaḥ of the righteous, The level of ruaḥ, among the three levels of nefesh, ruaḥ, and neshama, is the level below neshama.

וְכֵן שְׁאָר כָּל נִשְׁמוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁעָבְדוּ אֶת ה' בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ הַמְּסוּתָּרוֹת בְּלֵב כְּלָלוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל,

and similarly the rest of all the souls of Israel who have served God with the fear and love that are hidden in the heart of the totality of Israel, This is true of the rest of all the souls of Israel, whose experience and location are not on the level of neshama (but on lower levels of the soul), who have served God not with intellectual love and fear but rather with the natural fear and love that are hidden in the heart of the totality of Israel. As explained previously, this is the "animal" level of the human being in terms of a person's intention and in his divine service overall.

אֵין עוֹלוֹת לְשָׁם, רַק בְּשַׁבָּת וְרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ לְבַד,

do not ascend there, except on the Sabbath and Rosh Ḥodesh, These souls do not ascend to the supernal Garden of Eden in the world of Beria except on the Sabbath and Rosh Ḥodesh. As the verse states, "It shall be that on each and every New Moon and on each and every Sabbath all flesh will come to prostrate themselves before Me, said the Lord" (Isa. 66:23). In contrast to the level of neshama of the righteous, the level of ruaḥ of the righteous and the totality of the life of the ruaḥ of other people ascend to the upper Garden of Eden only during special times, at supernal times of heavenly favor. There is then a general ascent of the worlds themselves to this high level. Therefore, during these occasions – the Sabbath, or Rosh Ḥodesh – when all the worlds are raised by one or more levels, the souls ascend with them.

דֶּרֶךְ הָעַמּוּד שֶׁמִּגַּן עֵדֶן הַתַּחְתּוֹן לְגַן עֵדֶן הָעֶלְיוֹן,

by means of the pillar that rises from the lower Garden of Eden to the higher Garden of Eden, As explained in many works of Hasidism, in order for there to be an ascent from one level to another, an intermediate level of nullification must be traversed. Similarly, when a person is learning, in order to ascend to a higher level of understanding, he must first nullify his previous level. Likewise, in order for a seed to sprout into a tree, it must first rot away in the earth, losing its prior character and becoming nothing. This nullification that exists between the level of the neshama in the lower Garden of Eden and the neshama's level in the higher Garden of Eden is referred to by the description of "the pillar of the lower Eden that [rises] from the lower Garden of Eden to the higher Garden of Eden." The pillar that connects the floor to the ceiling draws down to the lower level from the very highest level, from an illumination that the lower level is unable to grasp. But it affects the lower level so that the present comprehension and entire existence of the lower level will cease to exist. Following this, via this pillar, the lower level can ascend and reach the comprehension of the higher level, which will become its existence.

שֶׁהוּא עוֹלַם הַבְּרִיאָה הַנִּקְרָא ‘גַּן עֵדֶן הָעֶלְיוֹן 'לְהִתְעַנֵּג עַל ה' וְלֵיהָנוֹת מִזִּיו הַשְּׁכִינָה. כִּי אֵין הֲנָאָה וְתַעֲנוּג לְשֵׂכֶל נִבְרָא אֶלָּא בַּמֶּה שֶׁמַּשְׂכִּיל וּמֵבִין וְיוֹדֵעַ וּמַשִּׂיג בְּשִׂכְלוֹ וּבִינָתוֹ מַה שֶּׁאֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לְהָבִין וּלְהַשִּׂיג מֵאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, עַל יְדֵי חָכְמָתוֹ וּבִינָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ הַמְּאִירוֹת שָׁם בְּעוֹלַם הַבְּרִיאָה.

which is the world of Beria , called the higher Garden of Eden, which exists for the soul to take delight in God and to enjoy the radiance of the Divine Presence. For there is no enjoyment and delight for the intellect of a created being other than in what it apprehends, understands, knows, and attains with its intellect and understanding of that which it is capable of understanding and attaining from the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, by means of His wisdom and understanding, which shine there in the world of Beria . In the Garden of Eden, "the righteous sit…and enjoy the radiance of the Divine Presence" (Berakhot 17a). The enjoyment and pleasure of the neshama is primarily a pleasure of comprehension. That pleasure comes from the comprehension, and especially when that comprehension is realized and fulfilled (just as the pleasure in every sense and ability is found in its actualization). Therefore, the higher Garden of Eden, which is the Garden of Eden at its highest level, exists in the world of Beria, which is the world of higher comprehension (Bina ), as was explained. This is the world of intellectual attainment in which the neshama grasps all that it can of the light of Ein Sof. It is in this world that the soul attains a full and complete power of understanding. All that a person comprehends in this world, even when his comprehension is lofty, is still only a faint glimmer of comprehension when compared to the understanding attained in the higher world. There, comprehension is stripped of the physical, because understanding and wisdom are the essence of that world's existence. They are that reality itself. When a person's soul is ready to enter that world, it attains the distillation of all pleasures, the intellectual pleasure of reaching the most complete comprehension possible (the ultimate purpose of comprehension) of the divine existence.

וּמַה שֶּׁזּוֹכוֹת נְשָׁמוֹת אֵלּוּ לַעֲלוֹת לְמַעְלָה מֵהַמַּלְאָכִים, אַף שֶׁעָבְדוּ בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ טִבְעִיִּים לְבַד,

As for the fact that these souls merit to ascend higher than the angels, even though they served with only natural fear and love, The statement that souls ascend to the upper Garden of Eden, to a level even higher than that of the angels, is understandable regarding the souls of the righteous who serve with intellectual love and fear. Because of this, they are connected to the pleasure of total comprehension found in the world of Beria. But why is this so of those souls that served God not with intellectual love and fear, but only with natural love and fear? The divine service of these souls was not on a higher level than the service of angels, and they served God with love and fear that was merely an expression of their natural character, like the animals below and the angels above. In fact, an angel certainly has more revealed love and fear than that found in man. So why, despite this, does the soul of man ascend on the Sabbath and Rosh Ḥodesh above the angels, who dwell in the world of Yetzira, as was explained? A person who had a connection only to natural love and fear, not intellectual love and fear, should not be able to ascend to the upper Garden of Eden in the world of Beria.

הַיְינוּ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעַל יְדֵי דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ שֶׁלָּהֶם אִתְכַּפְיָא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא הַמְלוּבֶּשֶׁת בְּגוּפָם בֵּין בִּבְחִינַת 'סוּר מֵרָע', לִכְבּוֹשׁ הַתַּאֲווֹת וּלְשַׁבְּרָן, וּבֵין בִּבְחִינַת 'וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב', כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.

the reason is that due to their fear and love, the sitra aḥara , the kelippa that is enclothed in their bodies is subdued, whether in terms of "turning away from evil," conquering one's lusts and breaking them, or whether in terms of "doing good," as stated above (chap. 25). The service of man, including that performed with his natural love and fear, is higher than the service of the angels. An angel has no body and no dark "other side." An angel is entirely one side, entirely one will and one proclamation. Therefore, an angel does not struggle in its service of God. By contrast, a person must struggle to serve God, whether in the realm of avoiding evil or the aspect of doing good. The breaking of one's lusts, which stem from the sitra aḥara, the side of evil, occurs when one refrains from committing evil acts, whether in thought, word, or deed.

וְהֵם הָיוּ בַּעֲלֵי בְחִירָה לִבְחוֹר בָּרַע חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וּבָחֲרוּ בַּטּוֹב לְאַכְּפַיָּא לַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא, לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא יְקָרָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כו' כִּיתְרוֹן הָאוֹר כו', כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.

They had the free will to choose evil, God forbid, but they chose good, to subdue the sitra aḥara , to raise up the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He, in all the worlds, like the advantage of the light over the darkness, as stated above. These souls had the free will to choose evil, God forbid, and they chose good, to subdue the sitra aḥara, to raise up the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He, in all worlds, like the advantage of the light over the darkness, as stated above. From this perspective, a human being has an advantage over not only a physical animal, but also over the holy ḥayot, angels, and seraphim. The difference between a machine, a living creature, and an angel in this sense is only a difference of degree, but they all can be characterized as "stationary." A human being, by contrast, is uniquely characterized as "moving." This means that due to his power of free will, he has the ability to move up and down and within all the worlds. This is the reason why everything depends on man, for only he can raise up the glory of God in all the worlds. Elsewhere it is written that "raising up the glory of God in all the worlds" means that one draws that which "surrounds all worlds," into that which "fills all worlds." When something is revealed in its proper place, according to its measure and meaning, it "fills all worlds." But when God is revealed in a place that has no holiness at all, this is a revelation of "surrounds all worlds," a piercing of all boundaries of existence. This is accomplished when a person subdues the sitra aḥara. For what connection can a person have with Ein Sof? Limited man can never truly reach the absolute Ein Sof. Nevertheless, he can at least uncouple himself from the finite. This is not reaching the infinite, but it is still transcending the finite. At the moment that a person breaks that barrier, even in the smallest way, the barrier essentially ceases to exist. When there is a tiny hole in a giant dam, it is only a matter of time before the dam will burst. Using gravity as an analogy, it is difficult for an object to escape the pull of gravity. At the moment that an object passes the barrier of escape velocity, however, it can reach any place. The instant a person pierces the axiom that a world is a world, at the moment that he discovers, even in the smallest way, that a world (olam ) is not a world in the sense that it conceals (he'elem ) God's existence, he is no longer in that world. When a law of nature is disproved even in only one small way, even if in thousands of other incidences it is correct, that law is no longer a law. Similarly, when a person breaks the kelippa, even in only one small way, he rises beyond the boundaries of the world, transcending his own limitations. At such times, he is able to reach the upper Garden of Eden, the world of Beria, even if he does not truly belong there. The problem is that when a person subdues the sitra aḥara, it does not inform him that it is giving in but rather reappears in a new form and continues to fight. This makes it difficult for a person to see and feel what is happening. But as was said, each subduing of the sitra aḥara is essentially a fundamental breaking of its character, of the character of the concealment of the Divine, and the drawing of the Divine that is beyond all worlds into the worlds. This is specifically accomplished by man and specifically in the lowest world. A human being has an advantage not only over animals but even over the holy ḥayot, angels, and seraphim. This advantage stems from the fact that his soul is truly a portion of God on high. Despite this, in this world, with his apparent level of comprehension, he can exist at a very low level, certainly lower than that of the angels. Yet even in this state, he still has within him a spark of the Divine, expressed on every level in his freedom to choose holiness and overcome the sitra aḥara. When he succeeds in actualizing this higher power of choice and overpowers the sitra aḥara, he connects himself with that supernal part, a portion of God on high, which is higher even than the level of angels. When a person does not reach high levels of intellectual love and fear of God in this world, it is not because of something missing in his character. Rather, it stems from circumstances or lack of opportunities for success, due to his lack of time or ability. But his essence possesses a spark of the Divine, and therefore, even if he cannot currently achieve that comprehension, since he contains the basis and foundation for this connection, he has the capacity to connect in some way to these things, despite the fact that they are far beyond his ability to understand. The concept of "an incomplete righteous person" includes one who is lacking because he has not yet finished that which he can and must do. In this sense, each person of Israel, even the simplest one, carries the power to serve God at all levels, though not every individual manages to complete the work. This issue is linked to environment and education; it is related to a long list of possible obstacles. But ultimately, the capacity for growth exists within each person. Consequently, at special times, the soul can develop further, even enabling it to rise to the upper Garden of Eden, accomplishing what even the angels cannot.

וְהִנֵּה כָּל זֶה הוּא בִּמְדוֹר הַנְּשָׁמוֹת וּמְקוֹם עֲמִידָתָן,

All of this applies in the abode of the souls and in the place where they stand, That which was said about the abode of souls, the world and environment in which the souls live, as well as the place they are able to rise to and stand in at specific times (in the higher Garden of Eden or lower Garden of Eden) was stated in reference to the location of the souls themselves.

אַךְ תּוֹרָתָן וַעֲבוֹדָתָן נִכְלָלוֹת מַמָּשׁ בְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת שֶׁהֵן בְּחִינַת אֱלֹהוּת,

but their Torah and service are literally incorporated within the ten sefirot , which are the level of divinity, There is a difference between the place of the souls and the place of the Torah these souls learn and the service of God they perform. Their Torah learning and service of God are not related to the placement and rules of the higher Garden of Eden and lower Garden of Eden, of the worlds of Yetzira or Beria. Rather, they are actually incorporated into the ten sefirot within that particular world, those sefirot being on the level of divinity. Just as there are ten broadly inclusive sefirot in the world of Atzilut, each of the lower worlds also has its own ten sefirot. The ten sefirot of each world are the manifestation of the Divine in that world. That divinity is the root of Ḥokhma in that world, the root of the Ḥesed and Gevura that construct that world, and so forth. Thus, the soul itself, a created entity, exists in the world relevant to it, either Asiya or Yetzira or Beria. But the Torah that the soul learns and the commandments it fulfills are inherently divine, and they ascend and unite with the level of divinity of that world, that is, its ten sefirot.

וְאוֹר אֵין סוֹף מִתְיַיחֵד בָּהֶן בְּתַכְלִית הַיִּחוּד –

and the light of Ein Sof is unified with them in the ultimate union – The ten sefirot in each world – Beria, Yetzira, and Asiya – are not like the creations within each world. They are not like people, animals, and birds that exist in the world of Asiya, or like beings on other levels relevant to the worlds of Yetzira and Beria. The ten sefirot are the divine structure, the divine driving force within each world. They are not the revelation of that world's existence, but the divinity that operates within it, the being that is on every level unified with Ein Sof Himself. A person is a being that exists within the world he inhabits, whether on a higher or lower level. His Torah and divine service, on the other hand, are included within the ten sefirot of that world, meaning that they are included within Ein Sof Himself, Who exists in all levels. Accordingly, whereas there are differences between people regarding the levels of their soul as well as their levels of comprehension, there is no difference between people regarding the commandments they fulfill. A commandment that was executed with a higher level of comprehension, with loftier love and fear, is not necessarily a holier commandment. There is a difference in the path and in other factors, but each commandment, by virtue of it being a commandment, unites with the infinite divine light which is beyond all factors.

וְהַיְינוּ, בְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דִּבְרִיאָה עַל יְדֵי דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ שִׂכְלִיִּים,

that is, in the ten sefirot of Beria , by means of intellectual fear and love, When a person engages in Torah and service with intellectual love and fear, they unite with the ten sefirot of the world of Beria.

וּבְעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דִּיצִירָה עַל יְדֵי דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ טִבְעִיִּים,

and in the ten sefirot of Yetzira , by means of natural fear and love, When a person engages in Torah and divine service with natural love and fear, they unite with the ten sefirot of the world of Yetzira.

וּבְתוֹכָן מְלוּבָּשׁוֹת עֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת, וּמְיוּחָדוֹת בָּהֶן בְּתַכְלִית,

in which the ten sefirot of Atzilut are enclothed, and which are completely unified in them, As was explained, the ten sefirot in each world are, in their inner being, unified with Ein Sof. How so? The ten sefirot of Atzilut are enclothed and are completely unified within the ten sefirot of the world of Beria and of the world of Yetzira. The divine force that operates within the ten sefirot within each world, even within our lowest of worlds, is fundamentally the infinite divine power itself that operates within all the worlds. The ten sefirot of the world of Atzilut are enclothed within the ten sefirot of the world of Beria, which are themselves clothed within the ten sefirot of the world of Yetzira, which are enclothed within the ten sefirot of the world of Asiya.

וְעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת מְיוּחָדוֹת בְּתַכְלִית בְּמַאֲצִילָן אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא.

and the ten sefirot of Atzilut are completely unified with their Emanator, Ein Sof , blessed be He. This means that unification with the ten sefirot (in any of the worlds) is a unification with the Emanator, with Ein Sof Himself. The lower the world, the more concealed the divine force within it. Yet even so, it is the divine light, the light of Ein Sof Himself. The difference, as was explained, is only within the experiential sense of the perceiver, but not the level of the essence of the perceived. As an analogy, brought previously (chap. 4), whether a person holds the actual hand of the king or the king's hand wrapped in his sleeve, he is holding the hand of the king himself. Similarly, with regard to divine service, to studying the Torah and performing the commandments, a person is connected to the Divine in each world. Even though God appears in each world according to its level, in His essence He is always the same.

מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן הַנְּשָׁמוֹת, אֵינָן נִכְלָלוֹת בֶּאֱלֹהוּת דְּעֶשֶׂר הַסְּפִירוֹת, אֶלָּא

Which is not the case with regard to the souls. They are not

incorporated in the divinity of the ten sefirot ; rather, they stand in the palaces and abodes of Beria or Yetzira , Even when the soul fulfills a commandment, it remains as it was: a created soul. As a result of its Torah study, its performance of the commandments, and its personal divine service, it reaches a higher level of existence in a higher world, and thus experiences the radiance of the Divine Presence. But the soul does not itself transform into a part of the essence of the Divine Presence. The commandment a person performs unites with the Divine, but his soul remains an independent being, part of the world, existing as one of the creatures within the palaces and dwellings of that world. The soul only grasps something, an illumination, a radiance, of the commandment it performs, according to the level of the world within which the commandment exists. The difference between a commandment and the person performing it lies in the fact that the person has an "I," a soul with its own identity and existence. Because of this, the soul belongs to a specific created world and to a particular level, and it does not completely cleave and become nullified to the Divine (except in rare instances, as will be explained). A commandment, by contrast, has no "I" of its own. A commandment is an angel. God sends an angel via His commanding of the mitzva, and with our fulfillment of the mitzva it is as if we are sending an angel back to God. The commandment from its beginning is divine, a revelation of the divine to the world. The person is not creating that revelation with his intentions or the power of his goodwill. Rather, he just reveals the commandment. When he performs it, he reveals the holiness that is present within existence. What becomes of the man himself, the one performing the commandment? He remains a human being. The commandment elevates a person, but it does not transfer its infinite essence, the unity of the performance of the commandment and the divine essence, to him. A person remains a person, and the commandment he performed always remains a commandment. This is true whether he performed the commandment because his father taught it to him when he was a child, because of an inner natural love, because he wishes to act on behalf of God, or out of intellectual love and fear of God. The action of the commandment the person performs, which connects the Holy One with His Divine Presence, linking the divine light in each world with the divine light transcending all worlds, is truly lofty, far above the person himself. This relationship between the person and his Torah study and service, in which basically he is incapable of comprehending the true greatness of the action, is in a way essential to his capacity to fulfill the commandment, and therefore essential to its fulfillment.

וְנֶהֱנִין מִזִּיו הַשְּׁכִינָה, הוּא אוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא הַמְּיוּחָד בְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דִּבְרִיאָה אוֹ דִּיצִירָה,

and they derive pleasure from the radiance of the Divine Presence, which is the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, that is unified in the ten sefirot of Beria or Yetzira , As was stated, the position of a person in the spiritual worlds is lower than the Torah he has studied and the commandments he has performed, so much so that he is essentially unable to comprehend the character of what he is doing. Nevertheless, his Torah study and divine service affect his soul. The neshama at best exists in the palaces and abodes of the worlds of Beria and Yetzira, whereas the person's Torah and service are included within the sefirot themselves. The individual neshama cannot itself be a part of the essence of the Divine Presence, of the essence of the ten holy sefirot, but it can derive pleasure from the glory of the Divine Presence.

וְהוּא זִיו תּוֹרָתָן וַעֲבוֹדָתָן מַמָּשׁ [עַיֵּין זֹהַר וַיַּקְהֵל דַּף ר"י],

and this is the actual radiance of their Torah and service (see Zohar , Vayak'hel 210), The radiance of the Divine Presence that the neshamot enjoy is the radiance of their Torah and service. When a person studies Torah and performs commandments, even when these activities rise to a level beyond the ability of his soul to comprehend, a connection remains that enables him to perceive the Divine through the Torah he has studied and the commandments he has performed.

כִּי שְׂכַר מִצְוָה – הִיא מִצְוָה עַצְמָהּ.

for the reward of a mitzva is the mitzva itself (see Avot 4:2). The highest reward a person can receive for performing a commandment is the commandment itself: to feel – at least to whatever extent a person is capable of – the essence of the commandment, and to derive pleasure from the radiance of the Divine Presence that passes to him through the commandment he has performed.

וְעוֹלַם הָאֲצִילוּת שֶׁהוּא לְמַעְלָה

But the world of Atzilut lies beyond the intelligence, perception, and

מֵהַשֵּׂכֶל וְהַהַשָּׂגָה וְהַהֲבָנָה לְשֵׂכֶל נִבְרָא,

understanding of the intellect of a created being, As was explained previously, the place where souls receive the reward for performing commandments, where they derive the intellectual pleasure or emotional excitement from the commandments (respectively, the higher Garden of Eden and the lower Garden of Eden), are the worlds of Yetzira and Beria. As discussed, the world of Beria is the world of Bina, the world in which the intellectual entities in Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at are revealed. It is understood that there are lofty levels of intellect that not everyone can attain. But when we speak of the world of Beria as the world of intellect, it means that it can be intellectually understood, that its character is that of intellect that a created being can grasp. By contrast, the world of Atzilut is intrinsically above the intellect, beyond the grasp and understanding of the intellect of a created being. This is true for both small and large intellects: for the intellect of a human being, an angel, or a seraph. Anything that is in the realm of created beings is incapable of grasping the world of Atzilut.

כִּי חָכְמָתוֹ וּבִינָתוֹ וְדַעְתּוֹ שֶׁל אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְיוּחָדוֹת שָׁם בּוֹ בְּתַכְלִית הַיִּחוּד, בְּיִחוּד עָצוּם וְנִפְלָא, בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְיֶתֶר עָז לְאֵין קֵץ מִבְּעוֹלַם הַבְּרִיאָה.

because the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of Ein Sof , blessed be He, are unified in Him there with the ultimate union, with an immense and wonderful union, with infinitely greater magnitude and greater power than in the world of Beria . By its nature, the world of Beria, which is a created world, belongs to the parameters and character called "world." The definition of "world" is a reality bounded by rules of some sort, a reality in which Ein Sof is concealed and hidden, leading to its sense of having its own separate "I." The Ḥokhma and Bina of God are revealed and intelligible to created beings only within the defined and finite frameworks of a world, within a reality that is not completely identified with, unified with, the divine Ein Sof. But in the world of Atzilut there is essentially no distinction between God and the world. In Atzilut, the Ḥokhma and Bina of God are no longer Ḥokhma and Bina of a world, but Ḥokhma and Bina completely unified with God alone. No created being can grasp them. From the perspective of a created being, just as there is no way to comprehend the essence of God, there is no way to comprehend God's Ḥokhma, Bina, or Da'at that is intrinsically unified with Him. They can be comprehended only when they are revealed in a created world. The gap between divine Ḥokhma in itself and Ḥokhma that relates to creation is unbridgeable. It is said that "it is not the way of a king to deal with mundane issues." Both the higher and lower worlds are "mundane issues" relative to God. Despite this, God does, as it were, engage in the worlds because He is "our Father, our King." Even if a king does not involve himself in mundane issues, a father frequently involves himself with his children, each according to their level, even with trivialities. Those are God's Ḥokhma and Bina as they are revealed in the worlds of creation. But in regard to God's Ḥokhma and Bina in the world of Atzilut, there, as it were, God is speaking with Himself. No created being can comprehend that world, and it is clear that there is an endless, yawning divide between God and the world.

כִּי שָׁם יָרְדוּ לְהָאִיר בִּבְחִינַת צִמְצוּם כְּדֵי שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ שְׂכָלִים נִבְרָאִים לְקַבֵּל מֵהֶן חָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת לֵידַע אֶת ה' וּלְהָבִין וּלְהַשִּׂיג אֵיזוֹ הַשָּׂגָה בְּאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כְּפִי כֹּחַ שְׂכָלִים הַנִּבְרָאִים, שֶׁהֵם בַּעֲלֵי גְבוּל וְתַכְלִית,

For there they descended to shine in a constricted manner, in order that the intellects of created beings would be able to receive wisdom, understanding, and knowledge from them, to know God and to understand and attain some apprehension of the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, in accordance with the strength of the intellects of created beings, which are bordered and bounded. However, in the world of Beria, the intellect of created beings is capable of comprehension. In that world, God's Ḥokhma is not revealed in its full essence, but rather in a constricted manner. This is so that the intellects of created beings can receive wisdom, understanding, and knowledge for the purpose of knowing God and attaining something of the light of Ein Sof, in accordance with the strength and structures of their intellects, which have defined limits. All parts of existence have boundaries and limitations. The boundaries can be huge or miniscule. But even a ratio of one to a billion is a specific number, albeit a very small one. It seems so miniscule as to be insignificant, but it is still a defined value that can be measured and used in calculations. By contrast, any number in relationship to Ein Sof equals nothing. In this way, the intellects of created beings exist in environments that can be defined, environments that have discernible borders. This is not the case when speaking of the nature of an intellect that is completely different from ours, lacking any of the structures of our intellects. Such an intellect is totally foreign to us, and when encountering it we will find ourselves standing before an unbridgeable abyss separating the limited world from Ein Sof.

שֶׁלֹּא יִתְבַּטְּלוּ בִּמְצִיאוּתָם, וְלֹא יִהְיוּ בְּגֶדֶר נִבְרָאִים כְּלָל רַק יַחְזְרוּ לִמְקוֹרָם וְשָׁרְשָׁם שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת אֱלֹהוּת מַמָּשׁ.

This constriction ensures that they will not be nullified out of their existence, no longer being classified as created beings at all but returning to their source and root, which is the level of actual divinity. The nature of the world of Beria is that of the revealed intellect – as much as the recipients are capable of receiving. In order for a created being to retain its individual existence, experiencing its existence and its world, it must maintain a constricted perception. If it uninhibitedly perceived the totality of existence, then its environment and, moreover, its individual existence, would dissolve, and it would return to its source, the level of actual divinity, at the moment that a person's gaze would show him with absolutely clarity that "there is no other besides Him." For this reason, the world of Beria is necessarily the place in which the revelation of the divine Ḥokhma is constricted. The border of Beria is "Man shall not see Me and live," or, as the early sages said, "Were I to know Him, I would be Him." The border of a created being's comprehension of the Creator is also the border of its existence. One cannot be on both sides at once, existing as a created being while also comprehending the Creator. One who crosses this boundary ceases to be a created being.

וְהִנֵּה צִמְצוּם זֶה הִיא סִבַּת הַהֶאָרָה שֶׁמְּאִירוֹת שָׁם חָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת שֶׁל אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִנְשָׁמוֹת אֵלּוּ בְּעוֹלַם הַבְּרִיאָה,

This constriction is the cause of the illumination, where the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of Ein Sof , blessed be He, shine onto these souls in the world of Beria , Constriction is the basis for all comprehension. When there is constriction, there is comprehension, and when there is no constriction, there is no comprehension. Above constriction, on the level where there is no constriction, comprehension is impossible. There, either a created being does not comprehend, or he does but is no longer a created being. All illumination is dependent upon the level and nature of the recipient. These parameters determine the amount of constriction and boundary required to allow for that divine illumination.

מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בַּאֲצִילוּת, שֶׁאֵינָם בִּבְחִינַת צִמְצוּם כָּל כָּךְ, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִשְׂכָלִים נִבְרָאִים לְקַבֵּל מֵהֶן, וְלָכֵן לֵית מַחְשַׁבְתָּא דִּילְהוֹן תְּפִיסָא שָׁם כְּלָל.

which is not the case in Atzilut , where they are not as much in a state of constriction. The intellects of created beings cannot receive from them, and therefore their thoughts cannot grasp anything there at all. In the world of Atzilut, Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at of Ein Sof are not in the same state of constriction. Each world, by virtue of being a world, is constriction. Atzilut is different from other worlds in that there the Divine is not concealed and the truth of "there is no other besides Him" is fully recognized. Therefore, the intellects of created beings cannot receive from the sefirot of the world of Atzilut, which means that their thoughts cannot grasp anything of the world of Atzilut. To use an analogy from the physical world, there is weak light that a person can see, and there is strong light that can blind him. There is also light that cannot even be seen by the human eye, such as ultraviolet and infrared light. Similarly, a strong light that blinds is light from a world above the level of the one looking, and light that cannot even be seen corresponds to the light of Ḥokhma in the world of Atzilut. This light is not only lofty and subtle, but it cannot be accessed by created beings. Even the righteous, those who serve God with love and fear, cannot comprehend the world of Atzilut.

לָכֵן הוּא מָדוֹר לַצַּדִּיקִים הַגְּדוֹלִים, שֶׁעֲבוֹדָתָם הִיא לְמַעְלָה מַעְלָה אֲפִילּוּ מִבְּחִינַת דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ הַנִּמְשָׁכוֹת מִן הַבִּינָה וְדַעַת בִּגְדוּלָּתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁעוֹלַם הָאֲצִילוּת הוּא לְמַעְלָה מַעְלָה מִבְּחִינַת בִּינָה וְדַעַת לְשֵׂכֶל נִבְרָא.

Consequently, it is an abode for the greatly righteous, whose service is above and beyond even the level of the fear and love that is drawn from the understanding and knowledge of God's greatness, just as the world of Atzilut is above and beyond the level of understanding and knowledge of the intellect of a created being. The souls that reach the world of Atzilut, those that can tell us about that world, as it were, are those whose service of God has ascended beyond all previously discussed levels of both natural and intellectual fear and love. This divine service transcends all that a person can reach with his own might, with his intellectual strength, and with the power of his spiritual efforts on all levels. There are levels that a person with the appropriate talents can reach through intellectual understanding and deep knowledge. But there are also levels (the levels of the righteous that are beyond those of every man) that talent, effort, and spiritual achievement cannot access. Man's fundamental nature cannot connect to these levels. The Zohar states that the soul has levels, namely, the nefesh, ruaḥ, and neshama. Nefesh is the basic level that every person begins his understanding with, in the world of Asiya. If a person merits it, he receives the level of ruaḥ, which is higher; it is understanding in the world of Yetzira. If he merits further, he receives the highest level, neshama, which connects to the world of Beria. At this stage, a person no longer strives to comprehend God. He no longer struggles with faith. Rather, his intellectual comprehension of God's existence is on the level of "with actual eyes they will see"; it is a simple and clear truth. But there is a level that is even higher than this, in which the ḥaya aspect of the soul, which is connected to the world of Atzilut, is revealed. This level is not attained through merit, as a person cannot reach this level through his own ability. Nothing a person does can raise him to this level. Nevertheless, it is said that sometimes this level can "happen" to a person, not as a result of his actions or because he deserves it, but simply because some aspect of ḥaya will be revealed within his soul. At that moment, he will experience an upheaval of his whole essence and will exist in an entirely different reality. A person feels this kind of spiritual revelation when he gives up his life to sanctify God's name. There is a tradition mentioned in various books that has tragically been experienced by many throughout Jewish history, that a person who intentionally gives up his life to sanctify God's name does not suffer pain. There is a shocking account of a conversation with a person who was being slowly burned alive, sanctifying God's name. He claimed throughout the conversation until he died that he felt nothing. There is a similar account of the last public burning in Spain. A Jew in hiding who had circumcised himself was arrested and sentenced to be burned. At the time of his burning until his soul left him, he sang the words of Shema Yisrael (it is said that his singing left such an impression on the spectators that the government canceled future public burnings). Something of this dynamic exists even in less extreme situations. I heard a story from a person who was imprisoned in Russia because he observed mitzvot and who was sentenced to death by shooting but was unexpectedly saved and escaped from there. He told me that for some time after that, his whole life was qualitatively different. Prayer, Torah study, divine service, were all on a completely different level. A person cannot reach this state through intellect and contemplation, nor through decision making and choice. It can be achieved only when something happens to a person and he reacts as he does. Since such a phenomenon is not impossible, there is room for this to be discussed even in the "book of the beinoni."

אֶלָּא עֲבוֹדָתָם הָיְתָה בִּבְחִינַת מֶרְכָּבָה מַמָּשׁ לְאֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְלִיבָּטֵל אֵלָיו בִּמְצִיאוּת וּלְהִכָּלֵל בְּאוֹרוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, הֵם וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם, עַל יְדֵי קִיּוּם הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת. עַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁאָמְרוּ: "הָאָבוֹת הֵן הֵן הַמֶּרְכָּבָה" (בראשית רבה פרשה מז, ו ופרשה פב, ו), וְהַיְינוּ לְפִי שֶׁכָּל יְמֵיהֶם הָיְתָה זֹאת עֲבוֹדָתָם.

However, their service was on the level of an actual chariot for Ein Sof , blessed be He, so that their existence is nullified before Him and incorporated into His light, they and all that is theirs, by means of the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvot, in the manner that the Rabbis stated: "The patriarchs, they, they are the chariot" ( Bereshit Rabba 47:6; 82:6), and the reason is that this was their service all their days. This level is in the world of Atzilut and consists of serving as a chariot for God. It is where a person functions as a vessel for God and nothing else, where his individual entity has ceased to exist. When a person merits to serve as a chariot for the Divine Presence, his dwelling place is in the world of Atzilut, above the world of intellect, as he is completely nullified to God. There is a level of the divine that "no thought can grasp," but (as is explained in multiple places) "it can be grasped with the desire of the heart," which occurs when a person is totally and completely nullified to God's will. There, through the will of the heart, a person can comprehend Him, not with the comprehension of thought or intellect, but as the result of contact that is created only through total and complete nullification on the level of will that transcends the intellect.

אַךְ מִי שֶׁשֹּׁרֶשׁ נִשְׁמָתוֹ קָטָן מֵהָכִיל עֲבוֹדָה תַּמָּה זוֹ, לִיבָּטֵל וְלִיכָּלֵל בְּאוֹרוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ בִּקְבִיעוּת,

By contrast, one whose soul's root is too small to contain this perfect service, to be subsumed and incorporated into His light through serving Him constantly, As was explained, this refers to the level of the chariot.

רַק לִפְרָקִים וְעִתִּים, שֶׁהֵם עֵת רָצוֹן לְמַעְלָה,

but only on occasion and at intervals that are a time of favor on high, There are special times, times of divine favor above, when there is an awakening and revealing of the divine will from above. At those times, if a person prepares himself from below, he can reach moments of nullification and subsummation in the divine existence, as it is in the world of Atzilut.

וּכְמוֹ בִּתְפִלַּת שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה, שֶׁהִיא בַּאֲצִילוּת,

such as during the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, which is in Atzilut , There is a mystical teaching that the morning prayers are structured to go through four phases, parallel to the four spiritual worlds. The section of sacrifices until Barukh She'amar parallels the world of Asiya. The section of Pesukei DeZimra (verses of song) from Barukh She'amar until Barekhu parallels the world of Yetzira. Keriat Shema and its blessings parallel the world of Beria. The standing prayer of Shemoneh Esrei parallels the world of Atzilut.

וּבִפְרָט בַּהִשְׁתַּחֲווָאוֹת שֶׁבָּהּ, שֶׁכָּל הִשְׁתַּחֲווָאָה הִיא בִּבְחִינַת אֲצִילוּת [כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בִּ'פְּרִי עֵץ חַיִּים' בְּקַבָּלַת שַׁבָּת (שער יח פרק ה)], כִּי הִיא עִנְיַן בִּיטּוּל בְּאוֹרוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, לִהְיוֹת חֲשִׁיב קַמֵּיהּ כְּלֹא מַמָּשׁ.

and especially when one bows during this prayer at the four designated times, for every bow is on the level of Atzilut [as written in Pri Etz Ḥayyim on the prayer for welcoming the Sabbath (18:5)], since it represents nullification in His light, to be considered as literally nothing before Him. The meaning of prostration, that "every being shall bow before You," is the absolute and complete nullification before that which is above us. Similarly, there are special intentions that a person has when he immerses in a mikveh (ritual purification bath): intentions of the heart and kabbalistic intentions. It is taught that the essence of these intentions is as follows: A person descends, and then descends further, and when he reaches the bottom, he crouches. This is the concept of the mikveh and it is also the concept of prostration, of the total nullification of one's entire stature and being. Immersion and prostration, purification, repentance and atonement all depend on self-nullification and a return to the source. Only complete nullification of all previous barriers allows the opening of an entry into a new world.

אֲזַי גַּם כֵּן עִיקַּר קְבִיעוּת נִשְׁמָתוֹ הוּא בְּעוֹלַם הַבְּרִיאָה [רַק לִפְרָקִים, בְּעֵת רָצוֹן, תַּעֲלֶה נִשְׁמָתוֹ לַאֲצִילוּת, בִּבְחִינַת מַיִין נוּקְבִּין, כַּיָּדוּעַ לְיוֹדְעֵי חֵן].

Then as well, the main fixed place of his soul is in the world of Beria (only sometimes, at a time of favor, will his soul rise to Atzilut , referring to the feminine waters, as is known to those initiated in the esoteric wisdom of Kabbala). As was explained earlier, the primary abode of souls that serve God only with hidden love and fear is in the world of Yetzira, and they ascend to the world of Beria only during special times (the Sabbath and Rosh Ḥodesh). Similarly, the souls that serve God with intellectual love and fear, who primarily reside in the world of Beria, merit on occasion, during special times, to ascend to the higher world of Atzilut and to attain nullification that transcends the intellect.

וְהִנֵּה שְׂכַר מִצְוָה מִצְוָה (אבות פרק ד משנה ב), פֵּירוּשׁ, שֶׁמִּשְּׂכָרָהּ נֵדַע מַהוּתָהּ וּמַדְרֵגָתָהּ,

"The reward of a mitzva is a mitzva" ( Avot 4:2) means that from its reward we can know its essence and level, The question regarding reward for a commandment, meaning, the place of those who serve God in the higher worlds (whether in the worlds of Yetzira, Beria, or Atzilut ) is a question of qualitative essence. This is unlike a person's position in our world, which constantly changes and which says nothing about his essence. In contrast to that, a soul's permanent position in the higher worlds indicates where he truly belongs, his status and true level.

וְאֵין לָנוּ עֵסֶק בַּנִּסְתָּרוֹת, שֶׁהֵם צַדִּיקִים הַגְּדוֹלִים, שֶׁהֵם בִּבְחִינַת מֶרְכָּבָה,

and we do not involve ourselves in hidden matters, which refers to the greatly righteous, who have the status of a chariot, The expression "we do not involve ourselves in hidden matters" is used here not in its usual sense (as is found in Ḥagiga regarding those topics that are not taught publicly), but rather with regard to the service of those rare people in each generation, the highly righteous, who have the status of a chariot and who serve in the world of Atzilut. This level is so rare that we cannot discuss it within the normal human context. Therefore, we do not need to take this path into account.

רַק הַנִּגְלוֹת לָנוּ, שֶׁאַחֲרֵיהֶם כָּל אָדָם יִמְשׁוֹךְ:

but we are engaged only with those things that are revealed to us, which every person should be drawn after: In contrast to the hidden levels that are beyond the comprehension and considerations of a normal person, there are also revealed levels. These revealed areas are not what every person already sees and grasps, but levels that "all people should be drawn after." These are levels that every person can acquire, every person can desire to walk upon, and every person must follow. This does not mean that a person has already achieved these levels, nor does it mean that it is easy to reach them. But it does mean that every person is capable of doing so. This is the entire theme of this book, the book of the beinoni, which articulates those paths and levels in service of God that "every person should be drawn after." Walking on these paths can be required of all people, since every person is capable of doing so, even if he must dedicate his whole life to this pursuit.

לֵידַע נֶאֱמָנָה מַהוּת וּמַדְרֵגַת עֲבוֹדַת ה' בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ בְּהִתְגַּלּוּת לִבּוֹ,

To know for certain the essence and degree of the service of God with fear and love in the awareness of his heart, Now the author of the Tanya will explain the levels of divine service through revealed love and fear. The first is "the essence and degree of the service of God with fear and love in the awareness of his heart." Fear and love in the awareness of a person's heart (in contrast to love and fear in the hidden parts of the heart, as will be explained further) means an active, living feeling of love or fear of God.

הַנִּמְשָׁכוֹת מִן הַבִּינָה וְדַעַת בִּגְדוּלַּת אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא,

which are drawn from the understanding and knowledge of the greatness of Ein Sof , blessed be He; In order for there to be a feeling in a person's heart that he is clearly aware of, there must be a tangible, clear, and active perception in his mind. Only when a person has a good, clear, and conscious idea of the greatness of God, that He is infinite and bestows life on all, can he attain love and fear of God in the revealed awareness of his heart. Only when he has a constructed and structured consciousness (Bina ), and it is connected (Da'at ) to the tangible reality that he sees with his eyes, will it draw forth and reveal the feelings of love and fear in his heart.

מְקוֹמָהּ בְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דִּבְרִיאָה,

its place is in the ten sefirot of Beria , As was explained, "The reward for a commandment is the commandment itself." Since the reward for this service is in the higher Garden of Eden, in the world of Beria, we can assess that the essence of the service (the commandment) performed on this level is positioned in the ten sefirot of the world of Beria.

וַעֲבוֹדָה בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ הַטִּבְעִיִּים שֶׁבְּמוֹחוֹ, בְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דִּיצִירָה.

and it is service through the natural fear and love that is in his mind, in the ten sefirot of Yetzira . Additionally, there is service of God that is also "revealed to us," in the sense that every person can achieve it, as was explained, but that is in the hidden part of one's heart, not in the revealed part. The service of God that does not emanate from personal, independent consciousness but only from the arousal of a person's root identity as a Jew, an identity that loves and fears God, is positioned in the ten sefirot of Yetzira. Just as the reward for this service is in the world of Yetzira, the person's service of God that leads to this reward belongs to the forces and sefirot of the world of Yetzira alone, and not to the intellectual world of Beria.

אֲבָל עֲבוֹדָה בְּלִי הִתְעוֹרְרוּת דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ אֲפִילּוּ בְּמוֹחוֹ בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי, דְּהַיְינוּ לְעוֹרֵר הָאַהֲבָה הַטִּבְעִית הַמְסוּתֶּרֶת בַּלֵּב, לְהוֹצִיאָהּ מֵהַהֶעְלֵם וְהֶסְתֵּר הַלֵּב אֶל הַגִּילּוּי, אֲפִילּוּ בְּמוֹחוֹ וְתַעֲלוּמוֹת לִבּוֹ עַל כָּל פָּנִים, רַק הִיא נִשְׁאֶרֶת מְסוּתֶּרֶת בַּלֵּב כְּתוֹלַדְתָּהּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה קוֹדֶם הָעֲבוֹדָה –

However, a service of God without an awakening of fear and love even in his mind on a revealed level, that is, so as to awaken the natural love hidden in his heart, to bring it out from being concealed and hidden within his heart into the open – even, at least, in his mind and the hidden recesses of his heart, only it remains hidden in his heart as when it was formed, as it was before his service of God – When a person serves God, through Torah study or the performance of commandments, without revealed love and fear, not even within his intellect, not only is he unable to arouse the love as a warm, living feeling in his heart, but he is also unable to reach an understanding in keeping with which he is able to love. Instead, the love remains hidden in his heart as when it was formed, as it was before his service of God. The definition of this level of service of God, and the basic idea that such a level is a legitimate form of divine service, is one of the fundamental ideas in this book. The goal is not to remain at this level but to establish this as the foundation from which to progress – something that every person can do. The underlying assumption here is that certain things are embedded in the soul of every Jew. A person need not create these things from scratch, but rather need only arouse them in order to cause them to be revealed. This is in contrast to elements that do not lie within the scope of human experience, which a person therefore cannot arouse, and regarding which he at most builds mental constructs that have no true foundation. For example, a human being has the ability to walk on two legs, an ability that a dog does not possess. However, just as one can teach infants to walk upright, so it is possible to train a dog to walk on two legs for short periods. The difference between them (a difference that will become magnified over time) derives from the fact that the biological infrastructure to walk on two legs exists in man and does not exist in dogs. Similarly, loving and fearing God are an intrinsic part of being human, although people are different in how revealed these traits are within their souls. It is even possible with certain people, under particular personal and social conditions, for these feelings not to be revealed at all. This is the level of divine service discussed here by the author of the Tanya. It is the most basic level of intent, "without an awakening of love or fear even in his mind." Even in this state, a person can live a Jewish life. He can perform commandments, refrain from sinning. Yet it is possible that he will not reach love and fear even in his mind, because he finds no experiential connection to his actions. The actions he is taking are right, but they have no parallel in any internal connection. A person can live as a religious Jew within a community of people who follow the commandments, and raise his children accordingly. Perhaps he does this because this is how he was raised and he never had enough interest or motivation to leave this way of life. Or perhaps he decided that this framework is a pleasant and easy lifestyle, without intense shocks, albeit without anything uplifting, and his other options were less optimal. Commandments performed by such a person are still commandments, and his sins are still sins, even if he does not intend them to be so. As was already explained, commandments and sins have intrinsic meaning and value. Commandments and sins are always two sides of existence, with commandments on the side of holiness and sins on the side of impurity. This may be compared to the difference in value between positive and negative numbers. The difference is quintessential. One set is on the positive side of the zero, the other set on the negative. The smallest of the positive numbers is larger than the largest of the negative numbers. If a person performs a commandment, even by accident, it is still a commandment. When he refrains from committing a sin, even by accident, he is still refraining from sin. The difference between this person and a person who acts with intention is only a question of magnitude. These orders of magnitude are, in the most fundamental sense, the levels under discussion here, and determine whether a soul is connected to the world of Beria, Yetzira, or Asiya.

הֲרֵי עֲבוֹדָה זוֹ נִשְׁאֶרֶת לְמַטָּה בְּעוֹלַם הַפֵּירוּד, הַנִּקְרָא חִיצוֹנִיּוּת הָעוֹלָמוֹת,

this service remains down below in the world of separation, which is called the externality of the worlds, When a person serves God without any love or fear at all, his service stays down below in the world of separation, which is called the externality of the worlds. The world of separation and the externality of the worlds is a region that identifies itself as being separate from the divine. This is not a sin. It is the service of God. But it lacks any inner relationship between the soul and holiness, and so it remains in the realm of Asiya only. A person has performed an act in the world of action, and nothing more. A commandment that is observed as an external action and does not touch a person's internal space remains in the externality of the worlds and does not reach their interior.

וְאֵין בָּהּ כֹּחַ לַעֲלוֹת וְלִיכָּלֵל בְּיִחוּדוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, שֶׁהֵן עֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת הַקְּדוֹשׁוֹת, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתִּיקּוּנִים (תיקוני זהר תיקון י [כה, ב]): דִּבְלָא דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ לָא פָּרְחָא לְעֵילָּא וְלָא יָכְלָא לְסָלְקָא וּלְמֵיקַם קֳדָם ה'.

and it does not have the strength to ascend and to be incorporated in His unity, which are the ten holy sefirot . As it states in Tikkunei Zohar (25b), without fear and love an act of serving God does not fly upward, and it cannot ascend and stand before God. A commandment that is performed without any love or fear lacks "wings" and without these wings, it cannot rise above this world, and so it remains within it. A creature can have large or small wings, and there are wings that are so small as to be unable to lift a coarse body, but nevertheless, that creature still has wings. It knows that it does not belong down here below and must ascend. It tries a little until it succeeds, like a hen, to rise a little off the ground on occasion. But a commandment that has no wings at all remains bound to the earth, moving only within the lower reality, unable to detach itself and approach God's countenance.

וְהַיְינוּ אֲפִילּוּ אִם אֵינוֹ עוֹסֵק שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָהּ מַמָּשׁ, לְשׁוּם אֵיזוֹ פְּנִיָּה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם,

This is the case even if he is not literally engaged in Torah and mitzvot not for its own sake but for the sake of some other motive, God forbid, The author of the Tanya emphasizes that this is the case even if a person is engaged in Torah and mitzvot for the sake of some other motive. There is a concept of divine service "not for its own sake" (which will be discussed later), in which a person not only lacks intention for the sake of Heaven (love and fear, whether intellectual or natural), but actually has a different intention. An example would be a person studying Torah, performing commandments, or even praying for his own honor, or for some other self-serving purpose. That is not being discussed here.

אֶלָּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "וַתְּהִי יִרְאָתָם אוֹתִי מִצְוַת אֲנָשִׁים מְלוּמָּדָה" (ישעיה כט, יג). פֵּירוּשׁ, מֵחֲמַת הֶרְגֵּל שֶׁהוּרְגַּל מִקַּטְנוּתוֹ שֶׁהִרְגִּילוֹ וְלִימְּדוֹ אָבִיו וְרַבּוֹ לִירָא אֶת ה' וּלְעָבְדוֹ, וְאֵינוֹ עוֹסֵק לִשְׁמָהּ מַמָּשׁ.

but rather as it states, "Their reverence of Me has become a commandment of men learned by rote" (Isa. 29:13), meaning that it is a result of habit, which has been ingrained in him from his childhood, when he was made accustomed and taught by his father and teacher to fear God and serve Him, and he is not engaged in serving God literally "for its own sake." Here, the author of the Tanya deals with "not for its own sake" in the sense that a person serves God without having any active intention to do so for the sake of Heaven. When a person is raised in a certain way and remains in that framework, he does things by rote, as a function of routine. He ritually washes his hands in the morning and then prays, not because he is praying to God or wants to, but rather because this is an inseparable component of his daily routine. There are people who wake up in the morning and brush their teeth, and there are people who wake up and recite Keriat Shema and pray. If such a person would not pray in the morning, he would have the same feeling that a person who didn't brush his teeth has. If he would think, even for a moment, that he was performing these actions for God's sake, even without an emotional component, it would already be a different situation. Whether for good or ill, it is possible to perform many actions that do not fall within the realm of intent at all, actions performed with no significance whatsoever.

כִּי לִשְׁמָהּ מַמָּשׁ אִי אֶפְשָׁר בְּלֹא הִתְעוֹרְרוּת דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ הַטִּבְעִיִּים עַל כָּל פָּנִים, לְהוֹצִיאָן מֵהֶסְתֵּר הַלֵּב אֶל הַגִּילּוּי בַּמּוֹחַ וְתַעֲלוּמוֹת לִבּוֹ עַל כָּל פָּנִים. כִּי כְּמוֹ שֶׁאֵין אָדָם עוֹשֶׂה דָּבָר בִּשְׁבִיל חֲבֵירוֹ לְמַלֹּאת רְצוֹנוֹ אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן אוֹהֲבוֹ אוֹ יָרֵא מִמֶּנּוּ,

As it is impossible to act literally "for its own sake" without at least the awakening of natural fear and love, bringing these feelings out from the hidden heart into the open in the mind and the hidden recesses of his heart, at any rate. For just as a person does not do anything on behalf of another to fulfill his will unless he loves him or is afraid of him, In order for a person to do something "for its own sake," for the purpose of that something, he must first have some basic awakening of awareness and feeling, if no more than in his mind and the hidden areas of his heart. That way, even if there is no revealed emotional feeling, there is at least an experience that constitutes a foundation of a connection to that something that leads to that something being done. Anything one person does for another has an emotional motivation. It can be respect or fear on one level or another, from the fear of death at being threatened with a dangerous weapon to the discomfort of what others will think. It can be love, ranging from love revealed in one's heart, when the soul is filled with awareness and feeling that this action is taken for the sake of the beloved, to love on lower and less revealed levels, to a level of basic courtesy, such as polite people sitting together, in which one asks for the salt and the other fulfills his request. Every action has a minimum basis in a feeling. (However, in the case of people who have been strongly indoctrinated to act politely, it is possible for them to engage in such actions without any emotional connection. This is similar to a person who has been habituated from his childhood to serve God, and who, as was explained, can study Torah and perform commandments purely out of habit, without any arousal of love or fear.)

כָּךְ אִי אֶפְשָׁר לַעֲשׂוֹת לִשְׁמוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ בֶּאֱמֶת לְמַלֹּאת רְצוֹנוֹ לְבַד בְּלִי זִכְרוֹן וְהִתְעוֹרְרוּת אַהֲבָתוֹ וְיִרְאָתוֹ כְּלָל, בְּמוֹחוֹ וּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ וְתַעֲלוּמוֹת לִבּוֹ עַל כָּל פָּנִים.

so too it is impossible to act truly for His name, solely to fulfill His will, without any remembrance or awakening of love for Him or fear of Him at all, in one's mind, thought, and the hidden recesses of one's heart, in any event. Like a person's relationship with other people, so is his relationship with God. It is impossible to perform divine service that is "for its own sake" without some spark of feeling. The person may have a living and warm feeling, or, alternatively, he may have a feeling that remains in the "hidden recesses of the heart," found only within his mind, in thoughts that it is appropriate to love and fear God, and therefore it is fitting to perform some actions or refrain from performing other actions.

וְגַם אַהֲבָה לְבַדָּהּ אֵינָהּ נִקְרֵאת בְּשֵׁם עֲבוֹדָה בְּלִי יִרְאָה תַּתָּאָה לְפָחוֹת, שֶׁהִיא מְסוּתֶּרֶת בְּלֵב כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר לְקַמָּן.

Also, love by itself is not called by the name of serving God, without at least the lower level of fear, which is hidden in the heart of every Jew, as will be explained below (chap. 41). The author observes here that a person's service of God does not ascend to Him without both love and fear. As explained in the Zohar, love and fear are the wings with which the commandment "flies," rising above this world. Just as a bird cannot fly without wings, it also cannot fly with only one wing. Similarly, in order for a person's service to ascend to God, it must possess both love and fear together.

וּכְשֶׁעוֹסֵק שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָהּ מַמָּשׁ, לְשׁוּם אֵיזוֹ פְּנִיָּה, לִכְבוֹד עַצְמוֹ, כְּגוֹן לִהְיוֹת תַּלְמִיד חָכָם וּכְהַאי גַּוְונָא,

When a person engages in Torah and mitzvot in a way that is literally "not for its own sake," for the sake of some ulterior motive, for his own honor – for example, to be a Torah scholar and the like, Until this point, the discussion centered on a person who serves God neither for its own sake, nor not for its own sake. However, a person may be occupied with Torah and mitzvot in a way that is literally not for its own sake, meaning for an ulterior motive, when he directs his intentions toward a goal that is completely not for the sake of Heaven. Studying Torah is a commandment, but being a Torah scholar is not. So when a person studies Torah in order to be called a Torah scholar, he is studying with an ulterior motive. When a person wants to acquire the status of a Torah scholar, when he desires any kind of social recognition, whether as a rabbi or a university professor, his motive is not for the sake of Heaven but for his own honor. Not only with Torah study and with divine service overall, but even with prayer it is possible to serve God with such a motive, and with motives that are even lower than that.

אֲזַי אוֹתָהּ פְּנִיָּה שֶׁמִּצַּד הַקְּלִיפָּה דְּנוֹגַהּ

Then that motive, which stems from the kelippa of noga , This motive – to be a Torah scholar, a righteous person, and the like – is not a sin that belongs in the realm of impurity. Even if it is not a commandment, neither is it a sin. It belongs to the realm of the mundane, the area defined as kelippat noga.

מִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בְּתוֹרָתוֹ, וְהַתּוֹרָה הִיא בִּבְחִינַת גָּלוּת בְּתוֹךְ הַקְּלִיפָּה,

becomes enclothed in his Torah, and the Torah is in a state of being exiled within the kelippa , The Torah that a person studies for the sake of that kelippa (the ulterior motive) now serves the directives of the kelippa. It becomes enclothed in the kelippa and nourishes it. The explanation of this (as discussed elsewhere) is that this Torah is in a state of exile within the kelippa.

לְפִי שָׁעָה,

temporarily, The definition of kelippat noga is a kelippa that is capable of being rectified. The good that is exiled within it can, must, and ultimately will be freed from the evil and elevated to holiness. Therefore, the exile of the Torah enclothed in kelippat noga is only temporary.

עַד אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁמְּבִיאָה רְפוּאָה לָעוֹלָם (יומא פו, א).

until he repents, which brings healing to the world (Yoma 86a). This healing is the repair of a flawed situation. A person who was ill and is healed is a person with a flaw that was repaired. When it is said that repentance brings healing to the world, the meaning is that repentance repairs and heals that which was flawed. The Torah that a person studies for the sake of some personal motivation is Torah that is ill. When the person repents, it is not only he who is healed, but his Torah and service are also healed and ascend to God.

שֶׁבְּשׁוּבוֹ אֶל ה' גַּם תּוֹרָתוֹ שָׁבָה עִמּוֹ,

For in his return to God, his Torah also returns with him, When a person repents, not only does he return to God, but also the commandments he performed and the Torah that was enclothed and exiled in the kelippa returns and rises with him.

וְלָכֵן אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז"ל: "לְעוֹלָם יַעֲסוֹק אָדָם וכו‘ שֶׁמִּתּוֹךְ שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָהּ בָּא לִשְׁמָהּ" (פסחים ס, ב).

and therefore our Rabbis said: "A person should always engage in Torah study and performance of mitzvot… as through studying Torah not for its own sake, one comes to study it for its own sake" (Pesaḥim 60b). Since this Torah that he learned is not enclothed in an impure kelippa but is only in the intermediate realm of kelippat noga, then ultimately, when it becomes possible, it will be connected to the realm of holiness. All the Torah a person studies, even for ulterior motives, remains in existence. It does not automatically ascend from the world of the kelippa, but it is not erased either. It remains stored there and builds up and increases, layer upon layer. When at a certain stage this person repents and studies Torah for its own sake, his present study is built upon and draws from the Torah he had studied previously not for its own sake. The Torah he now studies for its own sake justifies and raises all his deeds and Torah study of the past. A parallel illustration is that of eating and drinking (see chap. 7 and elsewhere). If, after a person eats mindlessly, without intending it to be for the sake of Heaven, he serves God with the energy of that food, he retroactively elevates his act of eating.

בְּוַדַּאי שֶׁבְּוַדַּאי סוֹפוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה בְּגִלְגּוּל זֶה אוֹ בְּגִלְגּוּל אַחֵר,

This is a certainty, since it is certain that he will ultimately repent, whether in this incarnation or in another incarnation, The author of the Tanya adds: The idea that by performing commandments not for their own sake, a person comes to perform them for their own sake is not only a possibility, but rather it is a certainty, since it is guaranteed that he will ultimately repent. Although the Torah studied not for its own sake will not connect on its own to God, it will return to Him when the person repents and studies it again for its own sake. The underlying assumption is that in the end, every person will repent, whether in this lifetime or in another. That is because the Sages said, "A person should always engage," and so forth, and if always (all his days) a person studies Torah not for its own sake, when will his rectification occur? Therefore, the author of the Tanya adds that even if he does not attain proper repentance in this lifetime, then in a different lifetime, in a different incarnation, he will certainly repent properly. Then all the Torah he had studied, including his study in previous lifetimes, will be rectified.

כִּי לֹא יִדַּח מִמֶּנּוּ נִדָּח.

for none shall be banished from Him. The Torah promises that "none shall be banished from Him." This includes any banished person of Israel who ultimately repents. This includes as well any banished Torah, meaning Torah that was studied not for its own sake. How long this return will take is only a matter of time of time. But ultimately, everything returns to God.

אַךְ כְּשֶׁעוֹשֶׂה סְתָם, לֹא לִשְׁמָהּ וְלֹא שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָהּ, אֵין הַדָּבָר תָּלוּי בִּתְשׁוּבָה, אֶלָּא מִיָּד שֶׁחוֹזֵר וְלוֹמֵד דָּבָר זֶה לִשְׁמָהּ, הֲרֵי גַּם מַה שֶּׁלָּמַד בִּסְתָם מִתְחַבֵּר וּמִצְטָרֵף לְלִימּוּד זֶה, וּפָרְחָא לְעֵילָּא,

However, when a person acts for no particular reason, neither "for its own sake" nor "not for its own sake," the matter does not depend on repentance. Instead, as soon as he goes back and studies this matter for its own sake, then even that which he had learned for no particular reason combines and joins with this study, and flies upward, However, when a person performs an action without any inner intention, neither for the sake of Heaven nor for any other reason, but purely based on habit and the like, a special act of repentance is not required. Instead, when he reviews that topic or section of Torah, this time studying it for its own sake, then even what he had studied previously for no particular reason combines and joins with this study, and ascends.

מֵאַחַר שֶׁלֹּא נִתְלַבֵּשׁ בּוֹ עֲדַיִין שׁוּם קְלִיפָּה דְּנוֹגַהּ.

since it was not yet enclothed by any kelippa of noga . Why is it that when a person studies "not for its own sake" he must repent, but when he studies only by rote, neither "for its own sake" nor "not for its own sake," without any specific intentions, there is no need for repentance, and it is sufficient for the studying itself to be done properly? That is because it lacks a kelippa of noga. This kind of study lacks any inner meaning, and therefore it is not enclothed by anything, neither holiness nor a kelippat noga. It remains an action without intent. This sort of action receives its direction and meaning from the person's subsequent actions.

וְלָכֵן "לְעוֹלָם יַעֲסוֹק אָדָם" כו‘.

Therefore "a person should always engage," and so forth, The Sages therefore said that a person should always engage in studying Torah, even not for its own sake, because even if currently he is not in a state in which he can study Torah for its own sake, it is still worthwhile to study anyway.

וְכֵן הָעִנְיָן בִּתְפִלָּה שֶׁלֹּא בְּכַוָּונָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר (חלק ב, רמה, ב).

and the same applies to prayer without intention, as it is written in the Zohar (Zohar 2:245b). Since this prayer lacks intention and it lacks love and fear, it does not ascend. Still, as long as it does not contain any foreign intention, it remains in its place. When the person subsequently prays with intent, that lifts all the previous prayers that had lacked intent. There is a teaching quoted in the name of the Ḥozeh from Lublin regarding the verse "The Lord makes an account of the peoples" (Ps. 87:6): What is the meaning of "an account of the peoples"? The only digit that exists in the accounts – the mathematics – of other nations but is not in Jewish notation is the zero. When a person prays (and similarly, when he studies Torah or performs other commandments), without any intention or meaning, it is recorded with "the accounts of the peoples," meaning it is recorded as a zero. The next day, he prays again without intention, and a second zero is recorded. But when he finally prays once with intention, the digit of one is recorded before all those zeros.