אַךְ כָּל זְמַן שֶׁלֹּא חָזַר וְלָמַד דָּבָר זֶה לִשְׁמָהּ, אֵין לִימּוּדוֹ עוֹלֶה אֲפִילּוּ בְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת הַמְּאִירוֹת בְּעוֹלַם הַיְּצִירָה וְהָעֲשִׂיָּה.

However, as long as a person has not gone back and learned this subject "for its own sake," his study does not rise even to the ten sefirot that shine in the world of Yetzira (Formation) and Asiya (Action). As long as a person continues to fulfill commandments, to study Torah, and to pray out of habit and routine, without any associated impetus of experience and vibrancy, without any internal intent regarding the meaning and purpose of his actions, his study does not rise even into the ten sefirot of the world of Yetzira (Formation) and Asiya (Action), and it certainly does not reach the loftier worlds.

כִּי הַסְּפִירוֹת הֵן בְּחִינַת אֱלֹהוּת וּבָהֶן מִתְלַבֵּשׁ וּמִתְיַיחֵד אוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַמָּשׁ,

That is because the sefirot are an aspect of divinity; the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, is literally enclothed and unified in them, The sefirot in each world, even in the world of Asiya, are an aspect of divinity, in the sense that the light of Ein Sof, blessed be He, is literally enclothed and unified in them. The ten sefirot in each world are the vessels and ways in which the divine exists, acts, and is revealed, in each world according to its level. As was said in the previous chapter, the Torah and commandments that a person fulfills in this world for the sake of Heaven, with love and fear of God, ascend via this love and fear and connect to the Divine. They reach a state of relationship with the ten sefirot of the world of Beria, or at least with the ten sefirot of the world of Yetzira. But when there is no love or fear at all, a person's Torah study and service of God do not ascend to the ten sefirot at all, not even to those of the world of Asiya. Since the ten sefirot are the revelation of the inner being of the divine within a world, a person cannot connect to them without some level of inner intent on his part. When the Torah studied or commandment performed in this world lacks any intent to connect above, they have no way to ascend. When they are performed in the absence of any relationship with the divine within existence, they lack a point of attachment to connect to the divine within existence, not even of the world of Asiya.

"וּבְלָא דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ לָא יָכְלָא לְסָלְקָא וּלְמֵיקָם קֳדָם ה'״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתִּיקּוּנִים (תיקוני זהר תיקון י [כה, ב]).

"Without fear and love, the Torah cannot ascend and stand before God," as it is written in the Tikkunei Zohar 25b. A commandment performed without any intent for the sake of Heaven, neither out of or for the sake of love and fear of God, cannot ascend "before God," meaning to the ten sefirot that are the inner being of every world and the divine aspect within it.

רַק לִימּוּדוֹ עוֹלֶה לְהֵיכָלוֹת וּמְדוֹרִין שֶׁהֵן חִיצוֹנִיּוֹת הָעוֹלָמוֹת, שֶׁבָּהֶן עוֹמְדִים הַמַּלְאָכִים.

Rather, a person's study ascends to the palaces and abodes that are the externality of the worlds, where the angels stand. The "ten sefirot," as was stated, are the inner being and living soul of the world, the divine "active force that activates within the acted upon" that manifests the world, whereas the palaces and abodes are the externality of the worlds, the scaffolds and support structures, within which the angels stand. The Torah that is not for its own sake does not ascend to stand before God, but nevertheless, it does ascend from the existence of this world, the mundane world, to an existence of holiness. The Torah is Torah, and a commandment is a commandment even without intent. Therefore, as was explained in the previous chapter, and as will be further elaborated upon, even if it does not ascend now, it can ascend at a later time, if a person simply attaches the proper intent to it to stand "before God."

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב הָרַב חַיִּים וִיטַל ז"ל בְּ'שַׁעַר הַנְּבוּאָה' פֶּרֶק ב': שֶׁמֵּהַתּוֹרָה שֶׁלֹּא בְּכַוָּונָה נִבְרָאִים מַלְאָכִים בְּעוֹלַם הַיְּצִירָה, וּמֵהַמִּצְוֹת בְּלִי כַּוָּונָה נִבְרָאִים מַלְאָכִים בְּעוֹלַם הָעֲשִׂיָּיה,

As Rabbi Ḥayyim Vital wrote in chapter 2 of Sha'ar HaNevu'a , that from Torah studied without intent, angels are created in the world of Yetzira , and from mitzvot performed without intent angels are created in the world of Asiya , As Rabbi Ḥayyim Vital wrote in chapter 2 of Sha'ar HaNevu'a, from Torah studied not for its own sake angels are created in the world of Yetzira, and from mitzvot performed not for their own sake angels are created in the world of Asiya. Something similar to this is written in Pirkei Avot (Avot 4:11), that one who performs a commandment acquires a defender, and one who commits a sin acquires an accuser. This means that when a person performs a good or bad action, a new objective reality is created. The actions of a person not only leave behind a balance of merits and sins, they go out beyond a person's subjective existence and become independent, objective realities, a good angel or an evil angel. When a person learns Torah, just as the physical energy of uttering the words does not vanish, the spiritual content of those words also does not vanish. When a person reads a verse or studies a page of Talmud, it becomes a form of spiritual reality. This spiritual reality is linked to the person, to what and how he studied, in a relationship of cause and effect. It now remains, and it operates according to its place and magnitude. If the person studied Torah without intention for the sake of Heaven, it belongs, as was said, to the externality of the worlds. This generates angels of a lower level, roughly formed angels that are only undirected, blind forces. This is a spiritual reality of holiness that has no essential inner spirit within it, and all it contains is the intellect that was invested into the study, the natural heat of committing the action, and nothing more.

וְכָל הַמַּלְאָכִים הֵם בַּעֲלֵי חוֹמֶר וְצוּרָה.

and all angels have matter and form. Matter and form are, in the language of the Kabbala, "vessels and lights." In this sense, all things in existence are comprised of matter and form, and all existence, spiritual or physical, is built from vessels and lights, from frameworks and content. The framework is the "matter," and the content that animates the matter is its "form." The most relatable example is our own existence as human beings. As human beings, we have a body and a soul. The body is made from matter, and the soul is spiritual. Even so, they are linked to each other, operate together, and influence one another. The body lives the life of the soul – its wants, fears, and dreams. The soul cannot operate, even nonmaterial actions, except within the guidelines and parameters of the body. A soul and body share a personal relationship with each other. A particular soul in a particular body operates in one way, and if that same soul would have been placed in a different body, it would behave differently. This is true not only for entities composed of matter and spirit, but regarding all things, even creations that are purely spiritual. Thought (not only as an activity of the physical brain, but as a concept) is also made from matter and form, of formal structures and parameters that circumscribe and define it (language, concepts), and from the inner content within these structures. This dualism is strikingly visible in literary creations, in which the "form," the inner content, appears in different types of "matter," in different types of expression. Furthermore, when particular content is translated from one language to another, the content (the form) remains, but the language (the matter) changes. Form and matter, like lights and vessels, do not specifically apply only to the physical world, and even spiritual entities like angels are comprised of form and matter, from a formal structure and content. The matter and form of an angel constitute the particular borders of its existence. Regarding the angels created out of the Torah study and performance of commandments of human beings, their boundaries are essentially the boundaries of the human being, the borders of his actions and thoughts that powered the creation of these angels. The essence of the act or speech created the matter of the angel, and the underlying intent of the act or study generated the form of the angel. In this sense, angels created through Torah and commandments that lacked intention for the sake of Heaven are also holy creations. But their existence is primarily external (the externality of worlds), like holy objects that are left sitting in the corner, like a scroll in its closet. They are not part of the current of divine holiness itself. In this sense, repentance is characterized by the constant struggle to build barriers, to disconnect the link between a person and the destructive deeds of his past. Yet as was explained, this disconnection is only partial. It is possible to create changes, to prevent a direct connection, and to sterilize the poison, but it is almost entirely impossible to completely detach oneself from those deeds. There is the more rare option of "his willful evil deeds are transformed into merits," in which a person does not try to disconnect himself from his past deeds, but instead changes their meaning as he moves forward into the future. At the moment that these evil deeds become a force driving toward holiness and form a basis for holiness, they cease to be evil. It has happened to more than one person that, if not for the fact that he was a sinner, he would have remained a nonentity, and it was precisely the fact that he had committed sins that presses with intensified strength toward holiness. It is as if such a person says to himself, "So-and-so the righteous person can sit in peace, but I, the sinner, cannot sit in peace!" Repentance of this high caliber, in which one's sins are transformed into merits, and which is even above the level of the totally righteous, is the only way to change the material and the form of the components of existence, the meaning and direction of the actions of man and what they create. The Torah that a person studies and the commandments he performs, even those without intent for the sake of Heaven, are therefore not lost. Even if they are performed without internal love or fear, they create angels that escort the person and fill his life with holiness (and they are even influenced by him, if he commits those same actions again but with intentions that are for the sake of Heaven).

אֲבָל תּוֹרָה שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָהּ מַמָּשׁ, כְּגוֹן לִהְיוֹת תַּלְמִיד חָכָם וּכְהַאי גַּוְונָא, אֵינָהּ עוֹלָה כְּלָל לְמַעְלָה, אֲפִילּוּ לְהֵיכָלוֹת וּמְדוֹר הַמַּלְאָכִים דִּקְדוּשָּׁה, אֶלָּא נִשְׁאֶרֶת לְמַטָּה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַגַּשְׁמִי שֶׁהוּא מְדוֹר הַקְּלִיפּוֹת,

However, Torah studied truly "not for its own sake," for example, to be a Torah scholar and the like, does not ascend upward at all, not even to the palaces and abode of the angels of holiness. Instead, it remains below in this material world, which is the abode of the kelippot , Torah studied truly "not for its own sake," refers to Torah that was not only not studied actively for the sake of Heaven, having been studied from a place of habit and routine, but was actually studied for a different reason. For example, a person decides that he wants to make a career out of being a Torah scholar, and therefore, he studies Torah. The Torah he studied with this intention does not ascend upward at all. Instead, it remains below in this material world, the abode of the kelippot. The "career" of a person (including the career of a Torah scholar) is not something connected to the higher spiritual worlds but rather to this world, and that which belongs to this physical world essentially belongs to the abode of the kelippot. The Torah is Torah, and it cannot lose its existence just because the person studied it without intent. But it is Torah that exists together with the other entities of the world, submerged unrecognizably among the existences of this world, and it cannot separate itself from them to ascend and attach itself to the side of holiness.

הַגָּהָה: (כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר חֵלֶק ג' דַּף ל"א עַמּוּד ב' וְדַף קכ"א עַמּוּד ב' עַיֵּין שָׁם: "הַהִיא מִלָּה סָלְקָא וּבָקְעָה רְקִיעִין כו' וְאִתְּעַר מַה דְּאִתְּעַר, אִי טַב – טַב" כו'

Gloss: As written in the Zohar I:31b and 121b; see there: "That word ascends and breaks through the heavens, and so forth, and awakens that which it awakens; if it is good – good," and so forth; see there. Then 105a: "A

עַיֵּין שָׁם. וְדַף ק"ה עַמּוּד א': "מִלָּה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִתְעֲבִיד מִינֵּיהּ קָלָא וְסָלֵיק" כו' וְדַף קס"ח עַמּוּד ב': "קָלִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וּצְלוֹתָא בָּקְעִין רְקִיעִין" כו').

word of Torah is formed into a sound, which ascends," and so forth, and 168b: "Sounds of Torah and prayer break through heavens," and so forth. In this gloss, sources are brought from various places in the Zohar that words of Torah that a person speaks with intent ascend above our world, breaking through the heavens and reaching supernal worlds (and see Kuntres Aḥaron and HaLekaḥ VeHalibbuv ).

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר (חלק א רכג, ב) עַל פָּסוּק: "מַה יִּתְרוֹן לָאָדָם בְּכָל עֲמָלוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲמוֹל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ" (קהלת א, ג),

as written in the Zohar (I:223b) on the verse "What advantage is there to man from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?" (Eccles. 1:3), The question of Ecclesiastes, "What advantage is there to man from all his labor" is a broadly inclusive question regarding all the things a person does "under the sun," that is, all of the things a person does in our world, the world of nature, physical and spiritual, in the world of dynamism and changes: What value is there to all the accomplishments and achievements? What is their utility? For what purpose are they performed, and what remains of them? In the Zohar, the Sages infer from the language of Ecclesiastes that "under the sun" there is no advantage, but in the labor of Torah, which is above the sun, there is an advantage.

דַּאֲפִילּוּ עֲמָלָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אִי עָבֵיד בְּגִין יְקָרֵיהּ כו'.

which includes even the labor of Torah if one acts for his own honor, and so forth. The Zohar there adds that even regarding Torah study, if one studies for his own honor, and not for Torah's own sake, the Torah study does not ascend. When a person's Torah study and performance of commandments are a part of the structure of his life in this world that is "under the sun," they do not ascend above the sun. Just as a person does not expect to reach the World to Come with his salary pay stub, he also cannot reach the World to Come with the Torah he studied in order to achieve a certain status or position.

וְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ: "אַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁבָּא לְכָאן וְתַלְמוּדוֹ בְּיָדוֹ" (פסחים נ, א).

This relates to what our Rabbis stated: "Praiseworthy is the one who arrives here with his studies in hand," This is related to what our Rabbis stated (Pesaḥim 50a, and elsewhere) regarding the story of one of the Sages, who became sick and was near death, and when he returned to health, his father asked him, "What did you see when you were there?" Among other things, he said he heard people talking there, saying: "Praiseworthy is the one who arrives here with his studies in hand." We can derive from this that it is possible for a person to arrive in the higher worlds without his studies in hand.

פֵּירוּשׁ, שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁאַר לְמַטָּה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה.

meaning that it did not remain below, in this world. Just as a person leaves his money in this world, he is also liable to leave his Torah. The labor of a person who exerted his effort "under the sun" includes not only his physical assets – his house, clothing, money, and so forth – but also spiritual items, even holy things, and holy acquisitions, since it is possible for all of these to belong only to this world. When a person ascends to the world of truth and stands in judgment, he is asked, as described: "Did you conduct business in good faith? Did you set aside times to study Torah?" (see Shabbat 31a), for these are the things that are relevant there and that have value even in the world of truth. If he claims in response: "But I was exceedingly wealthy," "I had an enormous home," "I was a member of parliament," or other similar examples, none of these things are relevant there. Sometimes, as has been explained, even the Torah a person studied in this world is not relevant there. A person can say: "I studied this many chapters, I wrote this many books," and they check up above and do not find these, since they were presumably sent to a different address.

וְאַף דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כּוֹלָּא חַד, שֶׁהוּא וּרְצוֹנוֹ אֶחָד,

Although the Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are all one, because He and His will are one, Regarding what was said previously, that Torah can remain in this world, one can ask: Since the Torah and God are all one, because He and His will are one, so that the Torah is itself the will of God, the keter (that is, the will) that is above the ten sefirot, how is it possible that it does not ascend to the ten sefirot? The question is, How is it possible to say that Torah will not ascend and will have no meaning in the higher world? One can say regarding an individual's thought that it is mistaken, or that it is meaningless in general, or as applied to a specific topic, but Torah itself is "truth" and holy, because it is unified with God, and it is therefore relevant and meaningful regarding all of existence.

הֲרֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִיהוּ מְמַלֵּא כָּל עָלְמִין בְּשָׁוֶה, וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן אֵין הָעוֹלָמוֹת שָׁוִים בְּמַעֲלָתָם.

the Holy One, blessed be He, fills all worlds equally, and yet the worlds are not equal in their status. The answer is that God fills all worlds equally, and yet the worlds are not equal in status. All the worlds, higher and lower, receive their life force from God, and they are all sustained from His power alone, yet we see that the worlds are not equal to each other at all.

וְהַשִּׁינּוּי הוּא מֵהַמְּקַבְּלִים,

The difference is due to the recipients, The story is told about Rabbi Yitzḥak Meir Rotenberg-Alter from Gur, known as the author of Ḥiddushei HaRim, who asked his hasidim: "Where is God?" His hasidim expressed surprise. "What's the question? God is everywhere!" they said. The Ḥiddushei HaRim replied, "That is not correct. God is found wherever a person allows Him to enter." God is found in all places equally, but the question that relates to us of whether God is found with us depends on the recipient; the amount of God's eternal, unchanging existence is present for him in the way that he thinks of Him, recognizes and understands His greatness, and senses and feels love and fear of Him. All this depends first of all on the individual, on the degree to which he opens his mind and heart, making space for his awareness of and feelings toward the Divine Presence.

בְּב' בְּחִינוֹת: הָאַחַת, שֶׁהָעֶלְיוֹנִים מְקַבְּלִים הֶאָרָה יוֹתֵר גְּדוֹלָה לְאֵין קֵץ מֵהַתַּחְתּוֹנִים,

in two respects: one, that the higher beings receive an infinitely greater illumination than the lower ones; This difference between each world, which is dependent on the recipients, is seen in two respects: First, although God is found in all the worlds equally, His illumination and revelation in each world is not the same. The higher a particular world, the more encompassing it is, and the illumination it receives is greater, broader, and more inclusive. This is similar to how a person can be connected to two people equally, and even speak the same words to each of them, yet from their perspective, the revelation is completely different. He is more fully revealed to the person who understands and is knowledgeable of the scope of the words, and is less revealed to the person with a worldview that is more constricted within particular details. This is similar to what is written in Daniel (2:21): "He grants wisdom to the wise."

וְהַשֵּׁנִית, שֶׁמְּקַבְּלִים בְּלִי לְבוּשִׁים וּמָסַכִּים רַבִּים כָּל כָּךְ כְּבַתַּחְתּוֹנִים.

and two, that they receive it without as many garments and screens as is the case for the lower ones. The second difference between the two worlds is as follows. The higher realms receive this illumination without as many garments and screens as do the lower realms. The difference between the higher and lower worlds is in the layers and coverings that increase the more one descends in the structure of devolutions. This difference relates of course only to the divine illumination and revelation, in that in the higher realms there are fewer coverings, so the divine light is clearer. In the lower worlds, the layers and garments are more numerous, so the light is concealed and blurred; the picture is less clear than in the higher worlds.

וְעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הוּא עוֹלָם הַשָּׁפֵל בְּב' בְּחִינוֹת, כִּי הַהֶאָרָה שֶׁבּוֹ מְצוּמְצֶמֶת מְאֹד עַד קָצֶה הָאַחֲרוֹן, וְלָכֵן הוּא חוֹמְרִי וְגַשְׁמִי,

This world is the lowly world in two regards, because the illumination it contains is extremely contracted, to the greatest degree, and therefore it is material and physical, This world is the lowly world in these two regards. First, because the illumination it contains is extremely contracted, to the greatest degree, and therefore it is material and physical. Our world is the lowest because, as a physical, material world, its method of comprehension is primarily physical and material. Any amount of comprehension in this world is fundamentally dependent on physical comprehension, which is, by definition, limited and constricted. Since our existence in this world is dependent on our connection with the body, since the soul lives in this world through a symbiosis with the body and the material reality, we are unable to absorb anything except through the body and in the context of the body. Everything that is comprehended in this world is therefore very constricted and limited to things that can relate to bodily concepts. This limitation of comprehensible concepts that derives from the physical is the primary obstacle we face regarding the revelation of holiness.

וְגַם זֹאת הִיא בִּלְבוּשִׁים וּמָסַכִּים רַבִּים,

and even that is through many garments and screens, The second limitation relates to the clarity with which we can absorb these subtle things. The picture we receive is small and constricted, because we are small creatures, but it is a picture that could have been clear. Not only does God, as it were, speak to us in a constricted manner, where we receive less than do the higher worlds, but that which we do receive is with concealment of the countenance, via many layers and garments.

עַד שֶׁנִּתְלַבְּשָׁה בִּקְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ לְהַחֲיוֹת כָּל דְּבָרִים הַטְּהוֹרִים שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה,

until it is enclothed in kelippat noga , in order to sustain all the pure things that are in this world, Beyond the fact that our world is a physical one and constricted in its comprehension, it is also a world that lacks absolute clarity regarding the differences between good and evil, truth and falsehood. These are two separate areas, and it is possible to distinguish between them even in our world. There are people with tremendous comprehension, able to grasp huge ideas, but they lack clarity about good and evil. There are also people without significant powers of comprehension, but who possess constant clarity on the distinction between good and evil. A person like this knows clearly and sharply what is good and what is evil, what is a commandment and what is a sin within existence. Our world is "lowly" in these two ways. It is both ignorant and blurred. Its comprehension of matters is rudimentary, because it is limited by its tools for receiving. It also grasps matters in a blurred and distorted form. The Divine is understood in limited, external form, and the relationships between good and evil, truth and falsehood, holiness and impurity are not perceived clearly. This mixing together of good and evil is referred to, as was explained in the initial chapters, as kelippat noga.

וּבִכְלָלָם הוּא נֶפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית הַמְּדַבֶּרֶת שֶׁבָּאָדָם.

including the vital, speaking soul in man. Included within all the things of this world that belong to the realm of kelippat noga is the vital, speaking soul in man. The animating soul of a Jew is his starting point, before he damaged and before he repaired. It is his initial existence in this world, which intrinsically is not connected or identified with holiness, but rather is part of the mundane (kelippat noga ) aspects of this world.

וְלָכֵן כְּשֶׁמְּדַבֶּרֶת דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה וּתְפִלָּה בְּלֹא כַּוָּנָה, אַף שֶׁהֵן אוֹתִיּוֹת קְדוֹשׁוֹת, וְאֵין קְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ שֶׁבַּנֶּפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית מָסָךְ מַבְדִּיל כְּלָל לְהַסְתִּיר וּלְכַסּוֹת עַל קְדוּשָּׁתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ הַמְלוּבֶּשֶׁת בָּהֶן,

Therefore, when the vital soul speaks words of Torah and prayer without intent, even though they are holy letters, the kelippat noga that is in the vital soul is not a separating screen at all, concealing and covering His holiness that is enclothed in them, As was explained, words of Torah, even without intention, are holy and are not part of this neutral world of kelippat noga. Kelippat noga only conceals and covers the neutral reality, which is neither intrinsically holy nor impure, but words of Torah, which are intrinsically holy, cannot be concealed or covered.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִיא מַסְתֶּרֶת וּמְכַסָּה עַל קְדוּשָּׁתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁבַּנֶּפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית כְּשֶׁמְּדַבֶּרֶת דְּבָרִים בְּטֵלִים, וְשֶׁבַּנֶּפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית שֶׁבִּשְׁאָר בַּעֲלֵי חַיִּים הַטְּהוֹרִים,

as kelippat noga conceals and covers His holiness in the vital soul when it speaks worthless things and that holiness in the vital soul of other pure creatures. Kelippat Noga covers over the holiness within the soul of man when that soul speaks worthless things. Worthless things do not necessarily have no value or meaning but rather are part of the mundane needs of the soul within this world, neutral things that are neither prohibited nor required for performance of commandments. When a soul involves itself in these matters, the kelippat noga covers over the holiness within it, just as it conceals the holiness in the vital soul of the other pure creatures. Pure animals also have a spark of holiness within them, but it is concealed by the kelippat noga as long as these animals remain a part of this world, as long as they do not leave (through the action of fulfilling a commandment, as is explained elsewhere) the realm of the kelippat noga and enter the realm of holiness.

דְּאַף דְּלֵית אֲתַר פָּנוּי מִינֵּיהּ,

For although there is no place void of Him (Tikkunei Zohar 91b), The question regarding the character of the divine concealment is, How can it be that the Divine, of which no place is void, and which sustains and maintains every part of existence, can be concealed? How is it possible to conceal God?

מִכָּל מָקוֹם אִיהוּ סְתִימוּ דְּכָל סְתִימִין וְנִקְרָא "אֵל מִסְתַּתֵּר",

nevertheless, He is the most hidden of all hidden, and is called "the God who conceals Himself," God is the most hidden of all hidden, more concealed than anything concealed. God is present, but not revealed. He is known as "the God who conceals Himself." There are two types of concealment. The first is when a concealed entity becomes concealed. This is built on the fact that there is a certain mechanism for the concealment, of a darkening that prevents revelation. The second category, which in many ways is the more common, is the concealment that does not require any mechanism of concealment, as it is a concealed character that cannot be comprehended. The first type is the result of a smallness of light, since the light is covered and cannot emerge and be revealed outward. The second type derives from the fact that the light is so bright that it cannot be comprehended by existing tools of comprehension. In this sense, among human beings as well, the greatest concealment is not when a person hides something, but rather, when he says everything, and specifically then the receiver does not understand anything. This is concealment that does not derive from too little revelation, but rather from too much, from a lack of connection between the hidden and the one who reveals. When we speak of "the God who conceals Himself," of the concealment of God, we speak primarily of the second type of concealment. For although "there is no place void of Him," it is actually for this precise reason that we cannot see anything.

וְגַם הַהֶאָרָה וְהִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת הַחַיּוּת מִמֶּנּוּ יִתְבָּרַךְ

and likewise the illumination and expansion of the life force from Him The problem of concealment exists not only regarding the divine essence (which is certainly beyond any comprehension), but even includes the reality within which we live. The problem is that we do not sense the causal chain of life, the causality that acts between the holiness of God and mankind, that penetrates into our reality level after level. There is a difference between the concealment of the Divine itself, "God who conceals Himself," and the concealment of the illumination and spreading forth of life force from Him. God "conceals" Himself because we are unable to comprehend Him. But we should be able to sense God's illumination in the world, the life force that flows from Him and sustains us. Electricity is an analogy for this. No person has ever seen electricity; we have no direct way to perceive it. In fact, we don't have any understanding of what electricity is. Yet even though we don't know what electricity is, we can feel an electrical shock. Beyond this, we can construct devices that harness its power, activate its force, and experience its strength. In this sense, we do not comprehend the entity itself, but we comprehend its illumination; we feel its manifestations. Therefore, the question regarding the Divine is: Why do we not at least sense the divine force that operates in the world?

מִסְתַּתֶּרֶת בִּלְבוּשִׁים וּמָסַכִּים רַבִּים וַעֲצוּמִים עַד שֶׁנִּתְלַבְּשָׁה וְנִסְתַּתְּרָה בִּלְבוּשׁ נוֹגַהּ.

is concealed in many dense garments and screens, until it is enclothed and concealed in the garment of noga . The answer is that the illumination and the spreading of the life force from Him is concealed by numerous garments and screens, until it is enclothed and concealed in the garment of kelippat noga. These concealments, coverings, and screens do not conceal God Himself. His essence and being is here, in our world, as it is in the higher worlds and everywhere. The concealment is of the illumination and spreading forth of His life force with which He animates the worlds, level after level.

מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בָּאוֹתִיּוֹת הַקְּדוֹשׁוֹת שֶׁל דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה וּתְפִלָּה,

This is not the case with regard to the holy letters in words of Torah and prayer, The holy letters in words of Torah and prayer are the revelation of the inner aspect of His will, His inner essence, because there is no concealment here, as was mentioned. This is different from our world, the world that is "lowly" in two ways, in terms of the constriction of illumination and in terms of the level of the concealment and its blurring. Torah has only the constriction of light, but it has no concealment or distortion.

דְּאַדְּרַבָּה, קְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ מִתְהַפֶּכֶת לְטוֹב וְנִכְלֶלֶת בִּקְדוּשָּׁה זוֹ, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.

for on the contrary, kelippat noga is transformed to good and it is encompassed into this holiness, as stated above. This is the nature of kelippat noga, that when it encounters holiness, it is transformed to become a part of that holiness. When we involve ourselves with Torah and holiness in our world, the world of kelippat noga, assuming there is no forbidden element, if we have no abased intention, we change the nature of this world. The meaning of this is that when there is contact between Torah and the kelippat noga, not only does the kelippa not cover the Torah, it is itself transformed into holiness.

מִכָּל מָקוֹם הַהֶאָרָה שֶׁבָּהֶן, מִקְּדוּשָּׁתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, הִיא בִּבְחִינַת צִמְצוּם עַד קָצֶה הָאַחֲרוֹן, מֵאַחַר שֶׁהַקּוֹל וְהַדִּבּוּר הוּא גַּשְׁמִי.

Even so, the illumination these words contain from His holiness is constricted to the utmost degree, since the voice and speech are physical. The letters of Torah and prayer always contain a direct, clear illumination of holiness, even when they are spoken in the lower, physical world of kelippat noga. This illumination of holiness is extremely constricted, however, since both the voice and speech are physical. The Torah resides in this world in physical voice and speech, which are a component of the nature of this physical world in which the illumination is constricted to the utmost degree. One cannot expect there to be a profound and great revelation within something that is a part of the physicality of this world. A person does not have a special mouth for holiness; the mouth that says holy words is the same mouth that says other words. The letters expressing holiness that are printed in books are physical letters. Because of this, the holiness that they intrinsically possess, before a person speaks them, or after he speaks them but without any spiritual intent, is a holiness that is revealed in its lowest level, the level of action and materiality alone. In this way, the way a person relates to a book, Rabbi Meir related to the Torah of Elisha ben Abuya (Aḥer ). The Torah that Rabbi Meir learned from the mouth of Aḥer did not generate any connection between Rabbi Meir and the man who spoke it. The person was what he was, but the Torah that resided in him remained as it was and did not stop being Torah. There was no flaw in the Torah, but just in its place. It could not ascend, and remained in the parameters of words without rectification, without ascent, without the creation of the appropriate relationship to repair them. This reality of "a holy book lying on the trash heap" is possible precisely in our world. If this world were higher, if it were a world in which holiness was visible and illuminating, a Torah scroll would necessarily fly in the air. However, since our world is not a world of revealed holiness, but rather a world of "nature," the laws of nature affect a book of Torah. In this sense, the thoughts and words of Torah, so long as they are subordinate to the laws of the natural world and not extracted from its parameters through holy intention, are bound by those natural laws.

אֲבָל בִּתְפִלָּה בְּכַוָּונָה וְתוֹרָה בְּכַוָּונָה לִשְׁמָהּ, הֲרֵי הַכַּוָּונָה מִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בְּאוֹתִיּוֹת הַדִּבּוּר, הוֹאִיל וְהִיא מָקוֹר וְשֹׁרֶשׁ לָהֶן, שֶׁמֵּחֲמָתָהּ וּבְסִיבָּתָהּ הוּא מְדַבֵּר אוֹתִיּוֹת אֵלּוּ.

However, in the case of prayer with intention and Torah with intention "for its own sake," the intention is enclothed in the letters of speech, as it is their source and root, since the person articulates these letters due to and on account of this intent. What can free the holiness and raise it up from this world is the intention of a person who engages in that holiness. That occurs when a person studies Torah "for its own sake," not for any lower purpose, but only to elevate the Torah to its holy source. This intention allows the Torah to ascend to the revealed holiness of the higher worlds, and to disconnect from the material frameworks of this world. In order to bring out a commandment from the material realm, there needs to be some point of relationship between the person and God. God is the Commander, and there is a commandment in the Torah. We fulfill His commands, and there is a commandment in the world. But the point that completes the circuit, enabling this commandment to truly have an effect and actively be a bridge between above and below, is the element of a person's intent, of his determination to forge a relationship between below and above. Even if this point is tiny, it still creates the contact, opening the current from below to above. This explains the requirement repeatedly expressed in the book of Deuteronomy: "Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you? Only to fear the Lord your God…and to love Him" (Deut. 10:12), "so that you will learn to fear the Lord your God always" (Deut. 14:23), and elsewhere. If one should ask: How much must one love and fear Him? From one perspective, a person is required to do as much as he possibly can, but from another perspective, "what does the Lord your God ask of you? Only to fear…and to love," even a tiny amount, "and to observe the commandments of the Lord, and His statutes" (Deut. 10:13). In other words, God wants a person's actions and at least a minimum level of relationship.

לָכֵן הִיא מַעֲלָה אוֹתָן עַד מְקוֹמָהּ בְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דִּיצִירָה אוֹ דִּבְרִיאָה, לְפִי מַה שֶּׁהִיא בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ שִׂכְלִיִּים אוֹ טִבְעִיִּים כו', כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.

Consequently, the intent raises up these words to its own place in the ten sefirot of either Yetzira or Beria , depending on whether it is natural or intellectual fear and love, and so forth, as explained above (chap. 39). The intention elevates the letters of the spoken words of Torah that a person uttered in this world "to its own place," to the place of the intention. As was explained, when a person speaks words of Torah or prayer without any intent, simply uttering words out of habit, he nevertheless is expressing physically audible sounds. These sounds have holiness, for they are the sounds of words of Torah, but this holiness is in the plane of this physical world alone. When these letters are attached to an intention of a higher level, then according to that intention, the words are also elevated above the initially limited physical level at which they were spoken. In that moment, these words can ascend to the higher level of the intention with which they were said, which is in the ten sefirot of Yetzira or Beria, depending on whether it is with natural or intellectual fear and love, as explained in chapter 39 above.

וְשָׁם מֵאִיר וּמִתְגַּלֶּה אוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁהוּא רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן בָּרוּךְ הוּא, הַמְלוּבָּשׁ בְּאוֹתִיּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁלּוֹמֵד וּבְכַוָּונָתָן, אוֹ בִּתְפִלָּה וּבְכַוָּונָתָהּ, אוֹ בְּמִצְוָה וּבְכַוָּונָתָהּ, בְּהֶאָרָה גְּדוֹלָה לְאֵין קֵץ, מַה שֶּׁלֹּא יָכוֹל לְהָאִיר וּלְהִתְגַּלּוֹת כְּלָל בְּעוֹד הָאוֹתִיּוֹת וְהַמִּצְוָה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַגַּשְׁמִי, לֹא מִינָּהּ וְלֹא מִקְצָתָהּ,

There the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, shines and is revealed, which is God's supernal favor that is above all the worlds, that is enclothed in the letters of Torah one studies and in their intention, or in prayer and its intention, or in a mitzva and its intention, with an infinitely great illumination, one that cannot shine and be revealed at all while the letters and the mitzva are found (if they were committed without intent) only in this physical world, not even the smallest part of it, The revelation of a commandment or words of Torah or prayer that shines in the ten sefirot of the world of Yetzira or the world of Beria is immeasurably higher than the revelation in itself within this world [of Asiya ]. An explanation is necessary here to respond to some of the fundamental questions raised in these chapters: What is the importance of intention in performing commandments? What is the difference between commandments performed without intention, commandments performed with a specific intention, and commandments performed with a higher intention? As was said, a commandment is always a commandment, and it is always holy, irrespective of the level of intent. When a commandment (or words of Torah or prayer) lacks any intent, there is still a change effected in the world, for the breath of this mouth is different from the breath of a different mouth, since it serves a holy purpose. Yet on its own, this does not shine and does not reveal the holiness in itself. In the low and material world, the light of holiness that is within Torah and commandments does not shine in any unique or distinct way. This is the nature of this world, a world of concealment in which God hides, and in it an entity of holiness looks no different from something without holiness. This world can be described as a reality that has a very small number of dimensions, such that when any other reality, even one that is infinitely vast and complex, is revealed within these dimensions, it has no way to appear distinct in its character. As an analogy, a drawing on paper will always be two-dimensional. Even if the design that is drawn on it is one of a three- (or even more) dimensional entity, it is impossible to draw more than two dimensions on the paper. It is possible to create the illusion of more dimensions, but one can never avoid the fact of the limitation inherent in the medium. However, when going out to a three-dimensional expanse, one can create three-dimensional designs, and then one can differentiate tangibly between flat objects and three-dimensional ones. For us, the three-dimensional expanse is the limit of our direct comprehension, and we cannot reach above this. Although we know that there are more dimensions, and although we can speak theoretically of four-dimensional expanses and beyond, as human beings existing in a physical, three-dimensional space, we cannot conceive that. Thus, within this analogy, this world is "flat" relative to the revelation of holiness; all of the entities in it have one aspect, conditional to the limits of the world, to the movements that it makes possible, and to its limitations. Anything found within it, whatever it may be, is limited in its ability of expression. Therefore, to the naked eye, there is no difference in our world between a holy book and a book that contains repulsive content. The two books look identical, similar in size, weight, and smell. This is not because there is no difference between them, but rather because this is the dimension of our reality, which everything in it receives. In order for a difference between holy and mundane, light and dark, to be apparent, one must raise the matters to a world that has more dimensions, to the world of Yetzira and to the world of Beria. There, in a higher, more complex world, the difference between holy and mundane is revealed. When a commandment ascends from this world to the world of Yetzira and the world of Beria, it does not change. Instead, it is simply positioned in a different reality, one that is multidimensional and with significantly more meaning, such that the action, letter, or word appears entirely different. The topic of intent, according to this, is to move the commandment, or words of Torah or prayer, from this world to the level of a world in which it can appear as a revelation of and connection to the Divine; to reach a world in which the words of Torah and prayer should appear as words shining with holiness. As long as the commandment remains in this dark world, its light cannot be perceived at all. Only when it is removed to a place of light, a place in which the difference between light and darkness can be distinguished, can the difference between the act of a commandment and a mundane act be discerned.

עַד עֵת קֵץ הַיָּמִין שֶׁיִתְעַלֶּה הָעוֹלָם מִגַּשְׁמִיּוּתוֹ, "וְנִגְלָה כְּבוֹד ה'" וגו', כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל בַּאֲרִיכוּת.

until the time of the end of days, when the world will ascend from its physical state, "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed," and so forth, as explained above at length (in chap. 36). As was explained, in this world and time period, the holiness of a commandment cannot be revealed until the end of days, because then the world itself will ascend from its physical state, "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh will see together that the mouth of the Lord has spoken" (Isa. 40:5). The faintly detectable underlying essence that currently only certain select individuals can guess at will become visible to "all flesh." In the future, when there will be a qualitative change in the nature of this world, when the physical foundation of this world will be completely transformed, when the divine essence will be revealed within the reality of this world, then, instead of a world in itself, everyone will see that "the mouth of the Lord has spoken" the word of God that animates and manifests all of existence.

הַגָּהָה: (וְשָׁם מֵאִיר וּמִתְגַּלֶּה גַּם כֵּן הַיִּחוּד הָעֶלְיוֹן הַנַּעֲשֶׂה בְּכָל מִצְוָה וְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה, שֶׁהוּא יִחוּד מִדּוֹתָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ, שֶׁנִּכְלָלוֹת זוֹ בְּזוֹ, וְנִמְתָּקוֹת הַגְּבוּרוֹת בַּחֲסָדִים,

Gloss: There, supernal unification, which is formed through every mitzva and Torah study, also shines and is revealed. This is the unity of His attributes, which are encompassed in one another, and the gevurot are sweetened by the kindness Until this point, the discussion has focused on one aspect of a commandment, as a revelation of the higher will within the reality of this world, in the sense of "I spoke, and My will was done." In this gloss, the author references another aspect of the commandments, which complements the first aspect: the impact of the performance of commandments upon the higher worlds. The supernal unification is revealed in the higher worlds, in the ten sefirot of the world of Yetzira or Beria, which is where Torah and commandments ascend when they are performed with intent. This is the unity of His attributes, the unity and oneness of the different sefirot when the supernal will, which includes them all, illuminates them. Even the attributes that are apparently opposites of each other, like Ḥesed and Gevura, unite and operate as one. This unity is described as the sweetening of the gevurot by kindness, meaning that the sharpness of Gevura acts out the sweetness of the kindness (see chap. 27). The Gevura remains Gevura, but its purpose is that Ḥesed will result. At that point the result and conclusion of all the attributes is wholly Ḥesed.

עַל יְדֵי עֵת רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, הַמֵּאִיר וּמִתְגַּלֶּה בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי רַב וְעָצוּם בְּאִתְעֲרוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא, הִיא עֲשִׂיַּית הַמִּצְוָה אוֹ עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁבָּהֶן מְלוּבָּשׁ רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא.

by means of a supernal time of favor of Ein Sof , blessed be He, which shines and is revealed in a great and mighty revelation through an awakening from below, which is the performance of a commandment or engagement in the Torah, in which the supernal will of Ein Sof , blessed be He, is enclothed. The performance of a commandment or the study of Torah down below, in this world, is the execution of the supernal will as it is above, above even the highest sefirot. The fulfillment of the divine will above illuminates all of existence until the lowest realms. When this divine revelation passes through the higher attributes, it links and unites them with each other. As is explained in other places, the unification of opposites, of Ḥesed and Gevura, is possible only when they are illuminated by an essence that is above both of them. Here also, the supernal traits are encompassed within each other and the gevurot are sweetened by the kindness, in the illumination of the supernal will, which is even higher than Atzilut.

אַךְ עִיקַּר הַיִּחוּד הוּא לְמַעְלָה מַעְלָה בְּעוֹלַם הָאֲצִילוּת שֶׁשָּׁם הוּא מַהוּת וְעַצְמוּת מִדּוֹתָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ, מְיוּחָדוֹת בְּמַאֲצִילָן אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְשָׁם הוּא מַהוּת וְעַצְמוּת רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא. וְהֶאָרָתָן לְבַד הִיא מְאִירָה בִּבְרִיאָה יְצִירָה עֲשִׂיָּה, בְּכָל עוֹלָם מֵהֶן לְפִי מַעֲלָתוֹ.

However, the main unification is above and beyond, in the world of Atzilut , where the essence and being of His attributes are united with their Emanator, Ein Sof , blessed be He, and there is the essence and being of the supernal will of Ein Sof , blessed be He. Only their illumination shines in Beria , Yetzira, and Asiya , in each of those worlds according to its level. The main unification is above and beyond the worlds of Yetzira and Beria, in the world of Atzilut. The illumination of the unification and its impact are recognizable in all the worlds that are below the world of Atzilut, but [that unification] takes place mainly in the world of Atzilut. Only the illumination of the higher attributes shines in Beria, Yetzira, and Asiya, in each of those worlds according to its level. Just as the essence of the sefirot is in Atzilut, so is the unification of the sefirot (through the performance of a commandment below) also in Atzilut.

וְאַף שֶׁנֶּפֶשׁ הָאָדָם הָעוֹסֵק בְּתוֹרָה וּמִצְוָה זוֹ אֵינָהּ מֵאֲצִילוּת, מִכָּל מָקוֹם הֲרֵי רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן הַמְלוּבָּשׁ בְּמִצְוָה זוֹ, וְהוּא הוּא עַצְמוֹ הַדְּבַר הֲלָכָה וְהַתּוֹרָה שֶׁעוֹסֵק בָּהּ, הוּא אֱלֹהוּת וְאוֹר אֵין סוֹף הַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁהוּא וּרְצוֹנוֹ אֶחָד,

Although the soul of a person who engages in this Torah and mitzva is not from Atzilut , nevertheless, the supernal will is enclothed in this mitzva, and it itself is the matter of halakha and the Torah in which he is engaged in study. It is the divinity and the light of Ein Sof , the Emanator, blessed be He, for He and His will are one, If so, the following question must be asked: Since the soul of one who engages in Torah and this mitzva is not from the world of Atzilut, how can he arouse and draw forth the upper will that is unified with the Emanator, who is above Atzilut? The answer is that even though the person who involves himself in Torah and mitzvot is significantly below Atzilut, nevertheless, the Torah within which he immerses himself possesses the holiness of the Emanator Himself, who is above Atzilut. Torah is the materialized form of divine desire itself, which despite its descent into the lowly material forms of this world remains the divine will itself.

וּבִרְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ הֶאֱצִיל מִדּוֹתָיו הַמְיוּחָדוֹת בּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ. וְעַל יְדֵי גִּילּוּי רְצוֹנוֹ הַמִּתְגַּלֶּה עַל יְדֵי עֵסֶק תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוָה זוֹ הֵן נִכְלָלוֹת זוֹ בְּזוֹ, וְנִמְתָּקוֹת הַגְּבוּרוֹת בַּחֲסָדִים בְּעֵת רָצוֹן זוֹ).

and through His will He emanated His attributes, which are united with Him. By means of the revelation of His will, by virtue of a person's engaging in this Torah and mitzva, they are encompassed in one another, and the gevurot are sweetened by the kindness at this time of favor. This supernal divine will is lofty, even above the world of Atzilut, and it is therefore the emanator and source for the attributes that are within Atzilut. Through the revelation of His will, brought about by a person's engaging in this Torah and mitzva, the attributes of Atzilut are encompassed in one another, and the gevurot are sweetened by the kindness at this time of favor, at the time of the performance of the commandment down below, which arouses the illumination of the will in Atzilut. A person who performs a commandment and studies Torah in this world is not within the world of Atzilut. However, man is the single creature in creation who is able to involve himself in the divine desire that exists above Atzilut and to materialize it within reality. Through using his will and his power of choice in fulfilling the Torah and its commandments, he arouses a "time of favor" above. Although man is a tiny being, the supernal will is vast, and a person's capacity to fulfill the supernal will activates infinitely great divine powers to modify and cause even the supernal essences in the world of Atzilut to relate to each other, one together with the other.

וּבָזֶה יוּבָן הֵיטֵב הָא דִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ נִקְרָאִים ‘גַּדְפִין‘ דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל,

Based on the previous discussion, one can thoroughly understand the fact that fear and love are figuratively called "wings," The previous discussion dealt with the intentions of the soul when it performs a mitzva with love and fear of God. The analogy here is that the love and fear that a person uses to perform a commandment are like the wings of a bird. Just like wings lift a bird's body upward, so is the role of love and fear to lift the "body" of the commandment or the words of Torah to a higher level. Love and fear are not the essence of the commandment, nor do they create the commandment. But they lift the commandment and position it on a level in which it has the significance of a mitzva, where there is a differentiation between the holy and the mundane.

כְּדִכְתִיב: "וּבִשְׁתַּיִם יְעוֹפֵף" (ישעיה ו, ב)

as it is written: "With two wings it would fly" (Isa. 6:2) The verse in Isaiah describes the seraphim and the wings they use to fly. Seraphim and their wings are spiritual characteristics, not physical ones, and the essence of their "two wings" is the revelation of love and fear, as will be explained.

[וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב הָרַב חַיִּים וִיטַאל ז"ל בְּ‘שַׁעַר הַיִּחוּדִים‘ פֶּרֶק י"א], שֶׁהַכְּנָפַיִים בָּעוֹף הֵן זְרוֹעוֹת הָאָדָם כו'.

(as Rabbi Ḥayyim Vital wrote in chapter 11 of Sha'ar HaYiḥudim ), that wings are for a bird what arms are for a person, and so forth. Just as the arms of a person symbolize the attributes of Ḥesed and Gevura (as it is written in the introduction to Tikkunei Zohar 17a: "Ḥesed is the right arm, Gevura is the left arm," so do the wings of a bird (or angel) represent Ḥesed and Gevura, fear and love.

וּבַתִּיקּוּנִים (תיקוני זהר תיקון ו [כא, א-ב]) פֵּירְשׁוּ שֶׁהָעוֹסְקִים בְּתוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ נִקְרָאִים

Then in Tikkunei Zohar (21a–b), it is explained that those who are engaged in Torah and mitzvot with

‘בָּנִים‘, וְאִם לָאו, נִקְרָאִים ‘אֶפְרוֹחִים‘ דְּלָא יָכְלִין לְפָרְחָא.

fear and love are called "children," and if not, they are called "fledglings" that are unable to fly (based on Deut. 22:6–7). The reason such people are called "fledglings" is because they are unable to fly, since their wings are undeveloped, like the wings of fledglings. Just as birds and angels have wings, so does man, and the Torah he studies and commandments he performs also possess wings. But sometimes these wings are developed and can fly like one of the seraphim, while at other times they cannot lift man or his actions above the ground level of this world.

הַגָּהָה: (וּבְתִיקּוּן מ"ה, דְּעוֹפָא הוּא מַטַּ"ט, רֵישָׁא דִּילֵּיהּ י' וְגוּפָא וָא"ו וּתְרֵין גַּדְפִין ה' ה' כו'.

Gloss: In tikkun 45 it is written that Metatron is depicted by a bird: Its head is a yod , its body is a vav , and the two wings are each a heh , and so forth. This means that regarding this angel, about whom it is said that "his name is like the name of his Master" (the divine four-letter name of God), its head is the yod in the name of God, which is the embodiment of Ḥokhma, the main component of the "head," the intellect; its body is the vav in the name of God, which represents the six attributes; and the two wings are each one of the two heh letters found in the divine name, and so forth. The first, higher letter heh is the embodiment of Bina, and the second, lower heh is the embodiment of Malkhut.

וְהַיְינוּ, עוֹלַם הַיְּצִירָה שֶׁנִּקְרָא מַטַּ"ט, וּבוֹ הֵן גּוּפֵי הֲלָכוֹת שֶׁבַּמִּשְׁנָה,

This is referring to the world of Yetzira , which is called Metatron, which contains the body of halakhot of the Mishna; Yetzira, or Metatron, is the world whose body and primary being are the attributes, that being the world of Yetzira. The world of Yetzira is primarily the world of the attributes, love and fear and their branches, which indicate relationship: for or against. As is explained in other places, love is the root of all positive commandments, and fear is the root of all negative commandments. In this sense, the expression of the world of Yetzira is in halakhic decisions: for and against, permitted and forbidden.

וְרֵישָׁא דִּילֵיהּ הֵן הַמּוֹחִין וּבְחִינַת חָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת, שֶׁהֵן פְּנִימִיּוּת הַהֲלָכוֹת וְסוֹדָן וְטַעֲמֵיהֶן,

and its head is the intellect, Ḥokhma , Bina, and Da'at , which are the internal embodiment of the halakhot , and their secret and reason; Its head, the head of the world of Yetzira, of halakha, is the intellect, Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at, which are the internal embodiment of the halakhot, and their secret and reason. If the body of halakha is the body of the world of Yetzira, then the inner meaning of halakha, the mystical secrets and reasons of halakha, are the aspects of the head – the Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at – of the world of Yetzira.

וּתְרֵין גַּדְפִין דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ הֵן ה' עִילָּאָה שֶׁהִיא רְחִימוּ, וְה' תַּתָּאָה הִיא יִרְאָה תַּתָּאָה,

and the two wings, fear and love, are the higher heh , which is love, and the lower heh , which is lower fear, The two wings with which commandments "fly," ascending upward, are fear and love. When compared to the letters of God's name, they are the higher heh, Bina, which is the embodiment of love, because Ze'ir Anpin, the six attributes, are rooted in Bina, and included among them is love, and the lower heh, Malkhut, which is the embodiment of lower fear.

עוֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם וּפַחַד ה', כְּפַחַד הַמֶּלֶךְ דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, שֶׁהִיא יִרְאָה חִיצוֹנִית וְנִגְלֵית, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן יִרְאָה עִילָּאָה יְרֵא בּוֹשֶׁת, הִיא מֵהַנִּסְתָּרוֹת לַה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ, וְהִיא בְּחָכְמָה עִילָּאָה יו"ד שֶׁל שֵׁם הוי"ה בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּרַעֲיָא מְהֵימְנָא).

of the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven and the dread of God, like the dread of a king, metaphorically speaking. This is an external, revealed fear, whereas higher fear, the fear consisting of shame, is one of "the secrets of the Lord our God" [Deut. 29:28], and is of the higher wisdom, the yod of the name of Havaya , blessed be He, as it is written in Raya Meheimna . This lower fear is fear of the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven and the dread of God, which is like the dread of a king, metaphorically speaking. This is an external, revealed fear, in the sense that it is fear derived from His external, revealed aspect, fear of [His] actions, not of the Actor. Whereas higher fear, which is referred to elsewhere as the fear consisting of shame, is not fear and dread of what He who is mighty and awesome can do to us, but rather is shame before the very fact of His being "great, powerful, and awe inspiring." This is one of "the secrets of the Lord our God" [Deut. 29:28]. The fear and dread are not of the kind that are garbed in matters of our world; rather, this is fear before that which exists above the parameters of our world (the "secrets"). This fear is of the higher wisdom, and it is known that Ḥokhma and Bina are referred to as "the secrets of the Lord" (Deut. 29:28) relative to Ze'ir Anpin and Malkhut, which are called "the revealed matters" (Deut 29:28). The higher wisdom is the yod of the name of Havaya, blessed be He, as it is written in the Zohar in Raya Meheimna. For the yod in the name of Havaya is in the sefira of Ḥokhma, while the first heh is in the sefira of Bina. Based on this analogy, that love and fear relative to Torah and commandments are like wings relative to a bird, we can explain an additional point regarding the relationship of love and fear to commandments or to the Torah itself that a person performs or studies.

כִּי כְּמוֹ שֶׁכַּנְפֵי הָעוֹף אֵינָם עִיקַּר הָעוֹף, וְאֵין חַיּוּתוֹ תָּלוּי בָּהֶם כְּלָל, כְּדִתְנַן: "נִיטְּלוּ אֲגַפֶּיה כְּשֵׁרָה" (חולין פרק ג משנה ד),

For just as the wings of a bird are not the main part of the bird, and its life does not depend on them at all, as it is taught: "If its wings have been removed, it is kosher," While a bird has wings, and it needs them, they are not the center of its being. They are not a vital limb such that a bird cannot live without them. The author of the Tanya brings proof from the halakhot of treifot (mortally injured or damaged animals): "If its wings have been removed, it is kosher" (Ḥullin 3:4). The halakha is that a bird with wings that were removed for one reason or another is kosher and is not called a treifa (unkosher due to having sustained mortal damage). Meaning, this loss is not a mortal injury for the bird, and it can continue living even without its wings.

וְהָעִיקָּר הוּא רֹאשׁוֹ וְכָל גּוּפוֹ, וְהַכְּנָפַיִים אֵינָם רַק מְשַׁמְּשִׁים לְרֹאשׁוֹ וְגוּפוֹ לְפָרְחָא בְּהוֹן.

and the main parts are its head and its whole body, while its wings merely serve its head and body, so that they may fly with them, Wings serve an important function enabling a bird to fly, but they do not form the essence and vitality of the bird: If a bird's head is removed, it cannot live. Similarly, if a bird sustains damage to one of its internal organs, it cannot live. If a bird's wings are damaged, however, while it may not be able to fly, it will continue to live.

וְכָךְ דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, הַתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת הֵן עִיקַּר הַיִּחוּד הָעֶלְיוֹן, עַל יְדֵי גִּילּוּי רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן הַמִּתְגַּלֶּה עַל יְדֵיהֶן,

so too, analogously, the Torah and mitzvot are the main part of the supernal unification, via the revelation of the supernal will, which is revealed by means of them, Commandments are the will of God, demonstrating that things should be done in a specific way. Torah is the description and explanation of His will for how something will be done, what is the decree of God's wisdom and the underlying plan of the existence of the worlds. When a person down below fulfills the will of God, he reveals the supernal will down below, which is the essence of unification. Torah and commandments possess objective holiness that is independent of a person's intentions and feelings when he fulfills them. If one wore tefillin without intention, without love or fear, but just out of habit, he has still fulfilled the commandment of tefillin. By contrast, if a person dons tefillin with "fear and love" but the tefillin he is wearing are invalid, then although he has love and fear, he has no tefillin. This would be like having a pair of wings but no bird. An invalidation of the main aspect of a commandment negates its existence as a commandment. A flaw in the intention of the mitzva negates only its ability to fly, but not its existence.

וְהַדְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ הֵם מַעֲלִים אוֹתָן לְמָקוֹם שֶׁיִּתְגַּלֶּה בּוֹ הָרָצוֹן, אוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְהַיִּחוּד, שֶׁהֵן יְצִירָה וּבְרִיאָה.

and the fear and love elevate them to a place where the will, the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, and the unification will be revealed, which is Yetzira and Beria . The fear and love elevate the Torah and commandments to where the will, the light of Ein Sof, and the unification, that is, the higher unification that is formed through the fulfillment of commandments down below, which is the unification of His attributes (as was explained in the gloss that began with "There is the illumination"), will be revealed in the place where all these things are revealed, which are the worlds of Yetzira and Beria.

הַגָּהָה: (אוֹ אֲפִילּוּ בַּעֲשִׂיָּה, בְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דִּקְדוּשָּׁה, מְקוֹם מִצְוֹת מַעֲשִׂיּוֹת,

Gloss: Or even in Asiya , in the ten holy sefirot , the place of the practical mitzvot, The gloss expands upon the point that the supernal will and supernal unification are revealed in the world of Beria and in the world of Yetzira: This is the case even in the world of Asiya, in the ten holy sefirot of the world of Asiya, which is the place of the practical mitzvot. Practical commandments that are committed in the world of Asiya with intention for the sake of Heaven, even without an active feeling of natural or intellectual love and fear, but with the acceptance of the yoke of Heaven with a simple action, also ascend from the physical world to the ten sefirot of the world of Asiya, i.e., to divine existence and to significance that exists even within the existence of a physical action in itself.

וְכֵן מִקְרָא.

and likewise Scripture. This is true not only for practical commandments. In Torah study, too, there is a realm in which a revelation of the divine unification arrives in the world of Asiya. When studying Scripture, the Written Torah, the main thing is the verbal expression of the words and letters (and speech is an action). Therefore, just like with practical commandments, there is an expression and revelation within the letters in the world of Asiya.

אֲבָל בַּמִּשְׁנָה מִתְגַּלֶּה הַיִּחוּד וְאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא בַּיְּצִירָה,

But with regard to Mishna, the unity and light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, are revealed in Yetzira , When studying Mishna, which refers to the study of decisions of halakha within the Oral Torah, the unity and light of Ein Sof, blessed be He, are revealed in the world of Yetzira. The world of Yetzira is the world of attributes, love, and fear and their offshoots. It is the world in which is determined the stance regarding matters: for or against, I want to come close or I want to move away. Accordingly, the study of Mishna, which is the determination of positions – permitted or forbidden, for or against – belongs to the world of Yetzira, and the unification and light of Ein Sof that is revealed through this study appears in the world of Yetzira.

וּבַתַּלְמוּד בַּבְּרִיאָה,

while in the case of Talmud, it is in Beria . When one studies Talmud, the system of reasons for halakhot and their roots, the divine unification is revealed in the world of Beria. The world of Beria is the world of intellect, the world of consciousness within which exists recognition of concepts: what, who, and why. As a result, the study of Talmud belongs to the world of Beria, and the divine unification that is revealed through this study appears in the world of Beria.

דְּהַיְינוּ, שֶׁבְּלִימּוּד מִקְרָא מִתְפַּשֵּׁט הַיִּחוּד וְאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵאֲצִילוּת עַד הָעֲשִׂיָּה, וּבַמִּשְׁנָה עַד הַיְּצִירָה לְבַדָּהּ, וּבַתַּלְמוּד עַד הַבְּרִיאָה לְבַדָּהּ.

In other words, through the study of Scripture, the unity and light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, emanates from Atzilut to Asiya , while in the case of Mishna, only to Yetzira , and with regard to Talmud, only to Beria , On the surface, this is difficult to understand, for Scripture is holier than Mishna, and Mishna is holier than Talmud. Yet, as was explained, their revelation is the opposite: Scripture in the lowest world of Asiya, Mishna in the world of Yetzira, and so forth. Consequently, the author of the Tanya adds, "In other words, through the study of Scripture, the unity and light of Ein Sof, blessed be He, emanates from Atzilut," where, as was stated previously (in the gloss beginning with "there illuminates") the primary unification exists, for there the character and essence of the attributes unite in their Emanator. It is there that the character and essence of the will within the Torah is revealed. It is only the Torah's illumination that shines on the worlds of Beria, Yetzira, and Asiya. Through the study of Scripture, the illumination spreads to and is revealed within the world of Asiya, because there, in speech and writing (which are actions) is the essence of studying Scripture. Regarding the study of Mishna, it reaches only to Yetzira and does not reach Asiya. Regarding the study of Talmud, it reaches only to Beria, not to the worlds of Yetzira and Asiya.

כִּי כּוּלָּן בַּאֲצִילוּת.

for they are all in Atzilut . As was stated, the unification itself generated through Torah study, whether Scripture, Mishna, or Talmud, takes place in Atzilut, and only its illumination and revelation spread in each lower world, each according to its level.

אֲבָל קַבָּלָה אֵינָהּ מִתְפַּשֶּׁטֶת כְּלָל מֵאֲצִילוּת לִבְרִיאָה יְצִירָה עֲשִׂיָּה,

However, Kabbala does not emanate at all from Atzilut to Beria , Yetzira, and Asiya , Kabbala, the mystical teaching of Torah, does not spread and is not enclothed in any world, but rather it remains hidden by its very nature. It is not revealed through practical concepts nor through feeling or the creation of relationships to its topics, nor even through comprehending intellectual concepts stripped of all materiality. We can comprehend only patterns, without any tangible grasp of what truly lies within that. In summary, it can be said: Scripture is so lofty that its revelation reaches all the way to Asiya. Mishna is lower than Scripture and reaches until Yetzira. Talmud reaches only until Beria. Kabbala does not have the power to spread and to be revealed at all, in any world, except for the place in which it primarily dwells.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בִּ'פְּרִי עֵץ חַיִּים').

as it is written in Pri Etz Ḥayyim . All the points raised in this gloss are as it is written in Pri Etz Ḥayyim of the writings of the Arizal.

וְהִנֵּה אַף דִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ הֵם גַּם כֵּן מִתרי"ג מִצְוֹת,

Now although fear and love are also included in the 613 commandments, Love and fear, which are also included within the 613 commandments, are not merely "wings"; they are not simply psychological elements that accompany a person's act of performing a commandment, but rather they are commandments themselves. There is a positive commandment to love God, and a positive commandment to fear God. This means that every instance of love or fear of God is the fulfillment of a commandment, whether it accompanies a person's actions or simply exists in isolation.

אַף עַל פִּי כֵן, נִקְרָאִין 'גַּדְפִין', לִהְיוֹת כִּי תַּכְלִית הָאַהֲבָה הִיא הָעֲבוֹדָה מֵאַהֲבָה,

they are still called "wings," because the purpose of love is service performed out of love, The highest level of love is when a person both actualizes his love and studies Torah and [performs] commandments out of love, out of an inner, personal desire. Because of this, although the love itself is a commandment, since love's main purpose is wings for the totality of divine service, love itself is referred to as wings. There is a similar question that most thinkers have posed in recent generations: What is the commandment to have faith? Seemingly, this is a commandment that either lacks meaning or is extraneous (and indeed there were those who did not count it among the 613 commandments). For if a person does not believe, how is it possible to command him to believe? If he does believe, what is the purpose of commanding him? But regarding faith, it can be said that the commandment is one of self-preparation, contemplation that leads to the creation of an appropriate spiritual relationship. There were sages, such as the Rambam, who similarly explained the commandment of love of God, that although it is not possible to command someone to love, it is possible to command someone to prepare himself for it. It is feasible to command a person to behave in those ways that will lead to love, and to avoid those that negate it. This will then automatically yield a feeling of love as a result. The author of the Tanya also espouses this perspective, although, as stated here, he does not accept this as a definition and understanding of the nature of the commandment to love God. His understanding of this mitzva is that when the Torah commands us to love or fear, the basic fulfillment of this commandment is conditional not on an emotional relationship, but rather on an intellectual relationship that motivates a person, bringing him to action that is analogous to that of love. There is a similar command which is more recognizable. The command to "love your neighbor as yourself" is not meant to arouse feelings of love of one's friend. If your friend has broken his leg and is sitting in his home, the commandment is not to sit in the house and love him. This is not a fulfillment of the commandment to love one's friend. Can a person tell his friend who needs money in order to save his life, "I love you, and that which has to do with money is something else"? What significance does such love have, and what value is there to such a commandment? Necessarily, this commandment can be understood not on the level of emotion, but rather on the level of behavior. The determinant of this commandment is not the intensity of one's feeling of love but how it is expressed in action, the way one behaves toward a friend. Similarly, the commandment to "love the Lord your God" must also be understood not as a commandment to generate a relationship of feeling, but rather as a commandment that instructs us how to behave toward the object that we are commanded to love, that is, to relate to Him with loving behavior, the way we relate to someone we love. Love and fear of God, according to this, are not spiritual, emotional commandments that are essentially distinct and different from other commandments. Like all commandments, these commandments too have a specific form of expression. The difference is that the command regarding practical commandments is a command regarding a specific, defined expression. The commandment of love is an inclusive directive, including everything that love can create. When a person loves, he constantly searches for and creates new ways to reveal his love. According to this, the love that the Torah commands is mainly a tangible love. To borrow a term, it is not a "platonic love," but rather, it is a love that moves one to some practical expression. As explained here, the main purpose of love is service out of love.

וְאַהֲבָה בְּלִי עֲבוֹדָה – הִיא 'אַהֲבָה בְּתַעֲנוּגִים',

and love without service is "love of delights," The love discussed previously (whose purpose is service out of love) is the love with which we are generally familiar, like the love of yearning for one's beloved. This kind of love is founded in a lack and in the desire to fill that lack. It relates to distance and the need to constrict and traverse that distance to the beloved. However, there is another type of love, which is called "love of delights" in hasidic writings. This love has no lack. It fills itself. It itself constitutes its own satisfaction. It is a love in which the object and subject of love exist on the same level and do not lack one another. In this kind of love, the lover lacks nothing and does not need to do anything that inherently requires expression. This is "love without service." Love of God in this manner does not require a person to do anything, and he is not required to reach anything. Instead, it is like the words of the poet in one of the greatest expressions of love of God: "Whom else do I have in heaven? With You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Ps. 73:25–26). When a person feels that God is his portion, he does not want or need anything. A story is told about the author of the Tanya, that in moments of spiritual excitement, he would say: "I don't want Your Garden of Eden. I don't want Your World to Come. I only want You!" A person who loves God on this level desires nothing else. One who says, "Hear Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one," and then reaches the level of "You shall love the Lord your God" needs nothing else. He does not need "the rain of your land" nor "your grain and your wine," neither in this world nor in the World to Come.

לְהִתְעַנֵּג עַל ה' מֵעֵין עוֹלָם הַבָּא וְקַבָּלַת שָׂכָר.

in which one delights in God, a semblance of the World to Come, the receiving of a reward; The essence of the Garden of Eden is delight in love of God. Such is also true of a person who reaches this level while living in this world. The level of "love of delights" is, therefore, a semblance of the World to Come, in that it is connected not to the realm of the life of this world, but to the realm of the Garden of Eden, which does not relate anymore to the realm of performance of commandments, but rather it relates to the realm of receiving reward for commandments. When a person loves God and needs nothing else, when he feels pleasure from the very essence of the divine existence, when "nearness to God for me is good" (Ps. 73:28), this is no longer a commandment, but the receiving of a reward.

וְ"הַיּוֹם לַעֲשׂוֹתָם" (דברים ז, יא) כְּתִיב, וּלְמָחָר לְקַבֵּל שְׂכָרָם.

but it is written: "Today to perform them" (Deut. 7:11), and tomorrow to receive their reward. But, although this love is of a very high level, nevertheless, it says: "Today to perform them," and tomorrow to receive their reward. The implication is that "today," in this world, it is the time to fulfill the commandments, to serve God, and it is not the time to receive reward. Only "tomorrow," in the World to Come, is it the time for receiving reward, for then a person can no longer fulfill the commandments and is not obligated to do so. Accordingly, the "world of action" is called by that name not only because it is the physical world, but because it is a world of action, in which love motivates one to action, in which love requires expression, and in which the meaning of love is "service motivated by love."

וּמִי שֶׁלֹּא הִגִּיעַ לְמִדָּה זוֹ, לִטְעוֹם מֵעֵין עוֹלָם הַבָּא, אֶלָּא עֲדַיִין נַפְשׁוֹ שׁוֹקֵקָה וּצְמֵאָה לַה' וְכָלְתָה אֵלָיו כָּל הַיּוֹם,

One who has not attained this level, to taste a semblance of the World to Come, but his soul still yearns and thirsts for God, and pines for Him all day, The reference is to one who has not attained the level of the "love of delights," whose reward is not limited to the World to Come, but is even acquired in this world. The soul of a person who has not reached this level still yearns for God constantly since his love of God remains love based on lack, on a thirst for that which is missing, a recognition of distance, and on a yearning to come closer and cleave to the Divine.

וְאֵינוֹ מְרַוֶּה צִמְאוֹנוֹ בְּמֵי הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁלְּפָנָיו, הֲרֵי זֶה כְּמִי שֶׁעוֹמֵד בַּנָּהָר וְצוֹעֵק: 'מַיִם מַיִם לִשְׁתּוֹת!‘

and yet he does not quench his thirst in the waters of Torah that are before him; this is like one who stands by a river and shouts: "Water! Water! I need to drink!" There is a way for any person to quench his thirst, by partaking of "the waters of Torah that are before him." Apparently, the thirst for God cannot be quenched; this distance is infinite. However, as is explained elsewhere, even if we are unable from our side to bridge the qualitative gap between man and God, God can bridge it. God did so when He gave us the Torah, as a pathway for us to come closer to Him. From then on, a person who feels that he wants to express his love, to consolidate the meaning to his love, a person who wants to reach true connection with Him, and a person who thirsts for God should quench his thirst in the waters of Torah that are currently before him. If he does not do so, he is like a thirsty person who stands by a river, and instead of drinking, he shouts for water to drink. Similarly, a person who has a thirst for cleaving to God should not only scream out that he is thirsty and yearning, but he should also quench his thirst in the Torah that is before him.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁקּוֹבֵל עָלָיו הַנָּבִיא: "הוֹי כָּל צָמֵא – לְכוּ לַמַּיִם" (ישעיה נה, א). כִּי לְפִי פְּשׁוּטוֹ, אֵינוֹ מוּבָן, דְּמִי שֶׁהוּא צָמֵא וּמִתְאַוֶּוה לִלְמוֹד – פְּשִׁיטָא שֶׁיִּלְמוֹד מֵעַצְמוֹ, וְלָמָּה לוֹ לַנָּבִיא לִצְעוֹק עָלָיו: "הוֹי"?

This is like the prophet's complaint about such a person: "Ho, everyone who is thirsty, go to water" (Isa. 55:1). For according to a plain reading, its meaning is unclear – it is obvious that one who is thirsty and craves to study should go and study of his own accord. Why does the prophet shout at him, "Ho," As our Sages teach that water refers to Torah (Bava Kamma 17a), the plain meaning of this verse is unclear – it is obvious that one who is thirsty and craves to study should go and study of his own accord, just as one who is thirsty for water goes and drinks. Why does the prophet shout at him, "Ho"? Rather, it must be that the prophet is not talking about thirst for learning Torah, but instead about thirst for the Divine. This person who wants to cleave to the Divine does not know that the way to do so is by attaching oneself to Torah. This person imagines that there is some direct way to cleave to God, and he yearns and is pained by his longing for this connection. Therefore, the prophet yells at him: "Ho, everyone [who is] thirsty," this is not the way; rather, "go to water." One's thirst for the Divine is not quenched through abstract thought and longing of the soul, but through one's involvement in Torah and the performance of commandments. These are the expression and manner in which a person can connect to the divine essence.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר בַּאֲרִיכוּת.

as explained elsewhere at length. (It is not explained elsewhere in this book, and in the original manuscript these words do not appear. It is observed there that this may have been a later addition, after this issue was explained in a different essay.)