וְהִנֵּה כָּל מַדְרֵגַת אַהֲבָה מִב' מַדְרֵגוֹת אֵלּוּ: 'אַהֲבָה רַבָּה' וְ'אַהֲבַת עוֹלָם', נֶחְלֶקֶת לְכַמָּה בְּחִינוֹת וּמַדְרֵגוֹת לְאֵין קֵץ,

The entire spiritual level of love, composed of the levels of ahava rabba (great love) and ahavat olam (world-centered love), is subdivided into multiple aspects and levels without end, Any division that results in the existence of two opposite poles – such as up and down, right and left, and so on – is necessarily a generalization. Each pole groups together many different components. In reality, however, there are numerous degrees and different aspects among these components. Regarding the topic of love, different people love in different ways. There are almost as many types of love as there are people who experience love.

כָּל חַד לְפוּם שִׁיעוּרָא דִּילֵיהּ.

as each individual may understand in keeping with his particular capacity. Each person will understand this in keeping with the composition of his individual character and his present life experiences.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (חלק א קג, א) עַל פָּסוּק: "נוֹדָע בַּשְּׁעָרִים בַּעְלָהּ" (משלי לא, כג) – "דָּא קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּאִיהוּ אִתְיַדַּע וְאִתְדַּבַּק לְכָל חַד לְפוּם מַה דִּמְשַׁעֵר בְּלִבֵּיהּ" וכו'.

As the holy Zohar (1:103a) states regarding the verse "Her husband is renowned at the gates [ she'arim ]" (Prov. 31:23), "'Her husband' refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, who makes Himself known to and attaches Himself to each individual according to what that individual perceives [ mesha'er ] in his heart…." God is called the "Husband" of the Divine Presence (which gives life to every soul from within herself). Being "renowned at the gates" means that God is known to every creature in the world in the measure and manner that each conceives of Him in its intellect and emotion. Sometimes this awareness is clear, and at other times it is blurred. Sometimes it perceives one particular aspect, and sometimes it covers several. A person's awareness receives its particular character in keeping with the scope and nature of his spiritual personality. A person who can conceive only of a small God attaches to Him in a small way, with a diminished level of love and fear. Conversely, a person who has a strong awareness experiences the love of God powerfully, and in a deep way.

וְלָכֵן נִקְרָאִים דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ "הַנִּסְתָּרוֹת לַה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ" (דברים כט, כח),

Therefore, the fear and love of God are referred to as "the concealed aspects, which are for the Lord our God" (Deut. 29:28), What a person perceives in his heart is inherently private, and cannot be conveyed to anyone else. Only God, who examines each person's thoughts and emotions, knows the fear and love in his heart.

וְתוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת הֵן "הַנִּגְלוֹת לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת" כו'.

whereas the performance of Torah and mitzvot is described at the end of the verse as "the revealed aspects, which are for us and for our children forever to perform all the matters of this Torah." Although the fear and love of God are mitzvot, they are described apart from the other mitzvot, because they are "concealed." As for the "revealed" mitzvot, they are Torah learning and the mitzvot that involve an element of action, the parameters of which can be measured objectively. These revealed aspects of the Torah have an advantage over the concealed aspects in that they are equally incumbent upon all Jews. This makes it possible for all Jews to assist each other and help keep each other within the objectively measurable boundaries. This is not the case with regard to the "concealed aspects." One person cannot perceive what is in another person's heart, so generally people are unable to help others with these matters.

כִּי תּוֹרָה אַחַת וּמִשְׁפָּט אֶחָד לְכוּלָּנוּ, בְּקִיּוּם כָּל הַתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת בִּבְחִינַת מַעֲשֶׂה.

This is because there is one Torah and one law common to us all in terms of the fulfillment of the entire Torah and mitzvot in the aspect of action. The "revealed aspects" of the Torah are related to action. With regard to action, the Torah applies equally to everyone. The mitzva of donning tefillin is the same for every man. Everyone can fulfill his obligation with the exact same pair of tefillin. The same is true with regard to all practical mitzvot; a person may add to a mitzva in some fashion, or adorn it, but the mitzva itself is the same for everyone. This uniformity creates a common denominator among people. Everything related to this common denominator is a "revealed aspect." It is not something personal, private, or concealed, but something common and revealed to all.

מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ, שֶׁהֵם לְפִי הַדַּעַת אֶת ה' שֶׁבְּמוֹחַ וְלֵב כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.

That is unlike fear and love, which vary in accordance with the knowledge of God within each person's mind and heart, as stated above (chap. 42). Fear and love are "concealed aspects" not only because they are internal, spiritual experiences that cannot be seen, in contrast to physical actions, but also because they have no definite criteria. It is impossible to assess how much someone should love, in what way he should love, or why he should love. These matters are connected to the unique structure of each soul and its condition at each particular point in time. These factors determine the soul's chance of achieving faith, and love and fear of God. Whereas an arm is always ready to have tefillin placed upon it and a doorpost is always ready for a mezuza, not every soul is prepared at all times in the same manner to love and fear God. Love and fear grow out of an extremely complex structure, the most intricate and sensitive layer of human existence, which is indefinable and constantly changing. Every change in a person's viewpoint or knowledge alters this experience.

אַךְ אַחַת הִיא אַהֲבָה הַכְּלוּלָה מִכָּל בְּחִינוֹת וּמַדְרֵגוֹת 'אַהֲבָה רַבָּה' וְ'אַהֲבַת עוֹלָם'.

Yet there is one type of love that is comprised of all the aspects and grades of both ahava rabba and ahavat olam . Beyond all of the differences and levels, of whatever nature or intensity, in what one person experiences and another experiences, in what is experienced at one time and what is experienced at another – there is one encompassing level of love that includes the entire range of love from one extreme to the other, from ahavat olam to ahava rabba.

וְהִיא שָׁוָה לְכָל נֶפֶשׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל,

It is equally intrinsic to the soul of every Jew, This level of love is not something based on the form of an individual's particular soul. It is due to the character of the soul by virtue of a person being a human being. Therefore, this level of love is alike in every soul. It is not equal in level or intensity in every Jew, but it is equal in its essence. Not everyone experiences the same feeling, but there is a root that everyone feels in a similar way. There is a level of love of God that is common to every Jewish soul. Also in other fields there are some matters to which each individual reacts differently, and others to which everyone has the same response. In some cases, the human response and the animal response are different, and in others, every living creature has the same response.

וִירוּשָּׁה לָנוּ מֵאֲבוֹתֵינוּ.

and it is our inheritance from our forefathers. This love is an inheritance. It is an experience which is embedded in our souls. We do not need to create it. This does not mean, however, that this trait of love is necessarily actualized, since the actualization of a feeling, like an action, is largely the outcome of our free will. Nevertheless, the possession of this inheritance means that we always have the potential to reach this level of love without being dependent on our own effort and will.

וְהַיְינוּ מַה שֶּׁאוֹמֵר הַזֹּהַר (חלק ג סח, א) עַל פָּסוּק "נַפְשִׁי אִוִּיתִיךָ בַּלַּיְלָה" וגו' (ישעיה כו, ט): "דִּירָחִים לְקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רְחִימוּתָא דְּנַפְשָׁא וְרוּחָא כְּמָה דְּאִתְדַּבְּקוּ אִילֵּין בְּגוּפָא וְגוּפָא רָחֵים לוֹן" וכו'.

Regarding this love, the Zohar (3:68a) states regarding the verse "With my soul, I desired You at night..." (Is. 26:9): "One should love the Holy One, blessed be He, with a love of the soul and spirit, in the same way that they are attached to the body and the body loves them…." The body loves the soul because the soul is its life force and sustains its existence.

וְזֶה שֶׁכָּתוּב: "נַפְשִׁי אִוִּיתִיךָ" 'כְּלוֹמַר, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאַתָּה ה' נַפְשִׁי וְחַיַּי הָאֲמִתִּיִּם – לְכָךְ אִוִּיתִיךָ.

This is the meaning of the verse "With my soul, I have desired You," which is read to mean, "Because You, God, are my true soul and life, therefore I have desired You." The first phrase in the verse is read as "With my soul, I have desired You." However, literally it says, "My soul, I have desired You," which seems to be grammatically incorrect. The author of the Tanya explains that "my soul" refers to God. Thus, there are two separate statements in this phrase. The first is "my soul." A person addresses the root and inner essence of his desires, life, and being: God. The second statement is "I have desired You." In other words, "Because You, God, are my soul, I desire You." That is because a person loves and desires his life and the soul of his soul. This love does not depend on a person's individual spiritual capacity, but on the fact that he has a soul, because whoever has a soul loves it. This love of the divine soul within oneself constitutes an elevation of a person's love for himself. That love no longer relates to external aspects, such as the form of his body and even the form of his soul; rather, it relates to his "self," which at its root and heart is beyond all appearances. God is the heart of the Jewish people: "God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Ps. 73:26). Accordingly, a person's love of God does not mean that he loves something external; rather, he loves his own inner essence, the life within his life. The love expressed in the words "My soul, I have desired You" is on a level that transcends the individual. Consequently, it is not a feeling that belongs only to one person and not another. Some people like a particular type of flower, while others do not. However, every individual admires his own soul. Therefore, this is a universal type of love, shared by a person on the lowest level and a person on the highest level.

פֵּירוּשׁ, שֶׁאֲנִי מִתְאַוֶּה וְתָאֵב לְךָ כְּאָדָם הַמִּתְאַוֶּה לְחַיֵּי נַפְשׁוֹ וּכְשֶׁהוּא חַלָּשׁ וּמְעוּנֶּה מִתְאַוֶּה וְתָאֵב שֶׁתָּשׁוּב נַפְשׁוֹ אֵלָיו.

This means that I crave and desire You in the same way a person craves his own life. When he is weak and infirm, he yearns and desires that his soul be restored to him. The verse that describes a person's desire for his "soul" is referring to a desire for life. Usually, a person does not feel a desire for life, just as he is not generally conscious of the pleasure of being alive. When a person is busy and healthy, he does not think about the fact that he is alive; he is too preoccupied with the particulars of life to treat it as an object of desire. But he begins to relate to it in this way, yearning for it, when he is weak and infirm. In such a situation, he desires life in the simplest sense; he wants to live. When a person is in pain or suffering, when the fear of death hangs over him or when he is exhausted and feels his life beginning to fade away, he longs for his soul to return to him. When a person has a comfortable life, his inner desire is unfocused. When asked what he wants, his response involves various particulars. However, when he is in distress and is unable to deal with particulars, he immediately focuses on the most fundamental matter. When asked what he wants, he answers, "I want to live." For a person to know that he wants to live and for him to genuinely feel "My soul, I have desired You," he must understand what is important and what is not.

וְכֵן כְּשֶׁהוּא הוֹלֵךְ לִישֹׁן, מִתְאַוֶּה וְחָפֵץ שֶׁתָּשׁוּב נַפְשׁוֹ אֵלָיו כְּשֶׁיֵּעוֹר מִשְּׁנָתוֹ.

Likewise, when he goes to sleep, he yearns and longs for his soul to be restored to him when he awakes from his slumber. When a person goes to sleep, he relinquishes his life to a certain degree, because "sleep is one-sixtieth of death" (Berakhot 57b). Because he is aware of this lack, he prays, "My soul, I have desired You at night." Before he goes to sleep – as in times of illness or danger or whenever some lack makes itself felt – he asks for life itself. This is a simple request, without qualifications or intricate details. A person asks for his soul in the most basic sense of the word: He asks for life itself.

כָּךְ אֲנִי מִתְאַוֶּה וְתָאֵב לְאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, חַיֵּי הַחַיִּים הָאֲמִתִּיִּים, לְהַמְשִׁיכוֹ בְּקִרְבִּי,

So too, I yearn and desire to draw into myself the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, the ultimate source of life, When a person delves into the meaning of the "life" that he is seeking, he understands that there is a true life within his life, and that this is the light of Ein Sof. Then he feels a lack of life and a desire for life, as does someone who is awakened at night. But he does not feel this only with regard to the superficial experience of life. Rather, he craves the life of all lives, the inner essence of life: God Himself. A verse in the book of Psalms states, "Even on my bed I remember You; I meditate on You during the night watches" (Ps. 63:7). When a person goes to sleep thirsty, he wakes up with a powerful thirst. When he recalls God before he goes to sleep, he will be thinking of God when he wakes up. This is the meaning of "My soul, I have desired You at night": When a person wakes up, he awakens from a state of lack and he awakens into a clear sense that he must connect to God. It is also clear from the foregoing why "My soul, I have desired You" occurs "at night." Nighttime has the quality of absence and lack, and "My soul, I have desired You," can occur only when a person feels that something is missing. Desire has no meaning unless there is a lack, just as light has no meaning except against the background of darkness.

עַל יְדֵי עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה, בְּהַקִּיצִי מִשְּׁנָתִי בַּלַּיְלָה. דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא – כּוֹלָּא חַד,

by engaging in Torah study when I awake from my night's sleep, since the Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are all one, Here the author of the Tanya adds a remark that concerns not the awakening of love but its actualization. After a person has awakened love, how can he realize and fulfill this connection to the ultimate source of life? The Zohar states that the Torah and God are one. Clinging to the Torah (through learning it) is tantamount to clinging to the infinite light. It is the act of drawing down life, one's soul, from the source of life.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכּוֹתֵב הַזֹּהַר שָׁם (חלק ג סח, א): "דְּבָעֵי בַּר נַשׁ מֵרְחֵימוּתָא דְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֵיקַם בְּכָל לֵילָא לְאַשְׁתַּדָּלָא בְּפוּלְחָנֵיהּ עַד צַפְרָא" כו'.

as the Zohar states there (3:68a), "Out of love for the Holy One, blessed be He, a person must rise each night to toil in His service until morning…." A person wakes up at night because his love for God is impelling him. He can no longer sleep, because he feels that something is missing in his life. This is the awakening of the love described in the verse "My soul, I have desired You." He rises and asks the ultimate source of life, God, for additional life. And then he sits down and learns Torah.

וְאַהֲבָה רַבָּה וּגְדוֹלָה מִזּוֹ, וְהִיא מְסוּתֶּרֶת גַּם כֵּן בְּכָל נֶפֶשׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל בִּירוּשָּׁה מֵאֲבוֹתֵינוּ,

There is an even greater and more profound love than this, and it also is concealed within the soul of every Jew, as an inheritance from our forefathers. The Tanya earlier said that the level of love expressed in the phrase "My soul, I have desired You" "is equally [intrinsic] to the soul of every Jew." Now, regarding another level of love that the Tanya is about to discuss, the Tanya says that "it also is concealed within the soul of every Jew." The level of love discussed previously, which is a kind of development of the love of oneself, belongs to the character of a Jew, and it is therefore intrinsic to all Jewish souls. It is not a secret and it is not concealed. Even if this love is not apparent, every individual possesses the means with which to awaken and reveal it. However, the love that will be discussed here, which is on a higher level, is not manifest in every person; rather, it is concealed. Nevertheless, it is also "an inheritance from our forefathers," in the sense that we are not able to create it ourselves. This potential is something that we inherited as a gift from our ancestors.

הִיא מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב בְּרַעֲיָא מְהֵימְנָא (זהר ח"ג רפא, א): "כִּבְרָא דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בָּתַר אֲבוֹי וְאִימֵּיהּ דְּרָחֵים לוֹן יַתִּיר מִגַּרְמֵיהּ וְנַפְשֵׁיהּ וְרוּחֵיהּ" כו'.

This is described by Raya Meheimna (Zohar 3:281a), in its description of the love for God that Moses attained, "as a son who tends to his father and mother, loving them more than his own body, soul, and spirit.…" The love mentioned earlier, which in a sense stems from love of oneself, reaches as far as love of the self can go. The love being discussed here, however, is like a son's love for his father and mother, and thus it reaches beyond the individual's existence. A child's fierce concern for his parents is more important to him than his concern for himself. This is the love of a person who is willing to give his life, spirit, and soul for the object of his love.

כִּי "הֲלֹא אָב אֶחָד לְכוּלָּנוּ" (מלאכי ב, י).

For "isn't there one Father for all of us? Didn't one God create us?" (Mal. 2:10). This love is described in the Zohar as the love experienced by Moses, the faithful shepherd. However, since God is the Father of every Jew and we are all His children (see Deut. 14:1), it may be said that this love is relevant to all Jews.

וְאַף כִּי מִי הוּא זֶה וְאֵיזֶהוּ אֲשֶׁר עָרַב לִבּוֹ לָגֶשֶׁת לְהַשִּׂיג אֲפִילּוּ חֵלֶק אֶחָד מִנִּי אֶלֶף מִמַּדְרֵגַת אַהֲבַת 'רַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא',

Although who is the person whose heart dares attempt to comprehend even one thousandth of the level of love attained by the faithful shepherd, Moses?

מִכָּל מָקוֹם, הֲרֵי אֶפֶס קָצֵהוּ וְשֶׁמֶץ מֶנְהוּ מֵרֹב טוּבוֹ וְאוֹרוֹ מֵאִיר לִכְלָלוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתִּיקּוּנִים: "דְּאִתְפַּשְׁטוּתֵיהּ בְּכָל דָּרָא וְדָרָא לְאַנְהֲרָא לוֹן" וכו'.

Nevertheless, Moses radiates a minute margin and speck of his immense goodness and light to the collective of Israel in each and every generation. As the Tikkunei Zohar states, an emanation of Moses is found in each and every generation to illuminate us…. Although we cannot possibly compare ourselves to Moses, nevertheless, as the faithful, eternal shepherd of Israel in all generations, he illuminates and transmits knowledge and faith into every one of us. However, this influence is not as it was during Moses's lifetime. Currently, it is manifested in two ways. The first is through the leaders and sages of each generation, who comprise the aspect of Moses in that era. Everything that they teach the people contains an element of Moses's influence that has passed through them. The second way is through Moses's direct, spiritual influence on every individual. There is a spark of Moses in every Jewish soul. That spark is a part of a person's soul that guides and teaches him.

רַק שֶׁהֶאָרָה זוֹ הִיא בִּבְחִינַת הֶסְתֵּר וְהֶעְלֵם גָּדוֹל בְּנַפְשׁוֹת כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל.

However, this illumination is extremely concealed and hidden within the souls of the entire house of Israel. We inherit from our ancestors not just the love on the level of "My soul, I have desired you," which is the inner essence of the love of oneself, but even the love on the level possessed by Moses. While this tremendous level of love is found in every Jew, it is nevertheless concealed.

וּלְהוֹצִיא אַהֲבָה זוֹ הַמְסוּתֶּרֶת מֵהַהֶעְלֵם וְהַהֶסְתֵּר אֶל הַגִּילּוּי, לִהְיוֹת בְּהִתְגַּלּוּת לִבּוֹ וּמוֹחוֹ,

To bring this concealed love out of hiding and concealment into revelation so that it may be revealed in one's heart and mind, We must actualize this potential, which is concealed within us, and transform it into a real, perceptible experience.

לֹא נִפְלֵאת וְלֹא רְחוֹקָה הִיא (דברים ל, יא), אֶלָּא קָרוֹב "הַדָּבָר מְאֹד בְּפִיךָ וּבִלְבָבְךָ" (שם יד).

"It is not obscured from you and it is not distant." Rather, "the matter is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to perform it" (Deut. 30:11). The revelation of this love is not obscured and distant, but nearby. The motto of the Tanya – "in your mouth and in your heart, to perform it" (Deut. 30:14) – is now given an additional meaning. In previous chapters it was said that anyone can do this with his mouth and heart. Here, the verse provides instruction on how this may be done. There are three stages: The first stage is "in your mouth": A person discusses and interprets the idea through speech. The second stage is "in your heart": The idea must be internalized in one's thoughts and feelings. The third stage is "to perform it": It is not enough for a person to speak and meditate on a matter on an abstract level. Rather, from the very beginning, his thinking and orientation must lead to action.

דְּהַיְינוּ, לִהְיוֹת רָגִיל עַל לְשׁוֹנוֹ וְקוֹלוֹ, לְעוֹרֵר כַּוָּונַת לִבּוֹ וּמוֹחוֹ,

This entails becoming accustomed to talking out loud about these matters to arouse the intent of one's heart and mind, The importance of speaking verbally about something is that doing so brings it into the realm of consciousness. When people never speak about a particular matter and do not discuss it and do not think about it, even if it is true and important, it effectively does not exist. This is true in every field, not only regarding distant, exalted matters, but also those that are close to us. It pertains to both the holy and the mundane, to mitzvot and to sins. Speech is especially significant in affecting a person's feelings. It is said that the mind is what leads to the formation of a person's attributes. However, this does not mean that knowing about the existence of something creates the emotion. Rather, the emotion is formed when the person has something more than a thought, when he has a tangible awareness. People are made in such a way that they do not develop feelings toward theoretical, mental concepts, but only toward that which they perceive as real. What constitutes a person's sense of reality is culturally bound and connected to a person's upbringing in a complex manner. However, when a person's subjective experience, his thought, or his imagination, has a foothold in the objective, external world (so that it acts as an "echo" of that outside reality), this creates a person's sense of reality. Talking about a subject moves it from the confines of subjectivity, of existing only in thought, into an objective reality. This is especially true when one talks about it with someone else. When a person talks about God's existence and greatness, that creates a tangible, objective reality that he can relate to strongly and with emotion. When a person discusses the concealed love of God, this causes it to enter the world, changing it from being concealed in a person's thoughts to being manifest in his heart.

לְהַעֲמִיק מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ בְּחַיֵּי הַחַיִּים אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כִּי הוּא אָבִינוּ מַמָּשׁ הָאֲמִתִּי וּמְקוֹר חַיֵּינוּ, וּלְעוֹרֵר אֵלָיו הָאַהֲבָה כְּאַהֲבַת הַבֵּן אֶל הָאָב.

in order to immerse one's thoughts in the source of life, Ein Sof , blessed be He, He should contemplate that He, God, literally is our true Father and the source of our life, awakening his love for God like the love of a son for his father. Once, when the hasidim of Kotzk were praying, one of them began to cry out fervently, as some hasidim used to do, "Tatte! Tatte! (Father! Father!)." One of the other hasidim jokingly remarked, in the words of the Talmud concerning a person who strikes his father, "But perhaps He is not his father?" (Ḥullin 11b). When the Rebbe of Kotzk was told of this, he said, "When a person cries out'Tatte' so many times, God becomes his Tatte." When a person speaks continuously about his Father, he awakens both himself and God, his Father.

וּכְשֶׁיַּרְגִּיל עַצְמוֹ כֵּן תָּמִיד, הֲרֵי הַהֶרְגֵּל נַעֲשֶׂה טֶבַע.

When he makes this a constant habit for himself, the habit will become his nature. When a person becomes accustomed to speaking about a particular subject and living it, then his external habits of speech and thought will be transformed to become his inner nature, and the matters he speaks of will influence him, all the more so if he wants them to.

וְאַף אִם נִדְמֶה לוֹ לִכְאוֹרָה שֶׁהוּא כֹּחַ דִּמְיוֹנִי, לֹא יָחוּשׁ,

Even if it appears to him that apparently this is an imaginary feeling, he need not be concerned, Here, the author of the Tanya touches on a profound and fundamental point. If a person has spoken and thought about a matter only on a superficial level, then one might think that the emotion that develops is likewise only the semblance of a real emotion, not flowing from within. Perhaps, after talking and thinking so much about the subject, it only appears to him that there is an emotion acting within him. The reason one need not be concerned about expressing himself in an "artificial" way is a fundamental part of the approach of the Tanya in general. A person should certainly be concerned about that which is false, but not about that which is artificial. The premise of the Tanya is that the vast majority of human beings cannot reach certain concepts naturally and spontaneously, and therefore they must contrive these, to one degree or another. The fact that something is artificial does not detract from its authenticity. Unlike some approaches that demand spontaneity and see it as the test of truth, this approach maintains that spontaneity only reveals that a matter is close to a person's heart; however, it does not indicate anything about its truth or importance.

מֵאַחַר שֶׁהוּא אֱמֶת לַאֲמִיתּוֹ מִצַּד עַצְמוֹ,

since it is intrinsically absolutely genuine, How can a person know that his love of God is real? The answer is that since this love is intrinsically real, even if the person's awakening to it comes through pretense, through acting "as if," then the person's inner experience is real.

בִּבְחִינַת 'אַהֲבָה מְסוּתֶּרֶת'.

on the level of concealed love. As explained previously, this is the love of God that exists within every Jew simply because he is a Jew. Even if he wanted to, he could not remove it.

רַק שֶׁתּוֹעֶלֶת יְצִיאָתָהּ אֶל הַגִּילּוּי כְּדֵי לַהֲבִיאָהּ לִידֵי מַעֲשֶׂה, שֶׁהוּא עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת, שֶׁלּוֹמֵד וּמְקַיֵּים עַל יְדֵי זֶה, כְּדֵי לַעֲשׂוֹת נַחַת רוּחַ לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ,

However, the benefit of the concealed love emerging into consciousness is to induce action, namely, engaging in Torah and mitzvot that a person studies and fulfills as a result of this love, for the sake of giving gratification to God, As long as this love remains concealed, it has no practical ramifications. But when a person achieves an awakening of love as a conscious, active experience, and with that he engages in Torah study and mitzva observance, these are entirely different. While a person is only fulfilling a duty, even if he theoretically recognizes its value, he will carry it out, as people tend to do, in accordance with the minimal requirements. However, when a person does something that he himself desires, the quality and quantity of his actions will be completely different. The awakening of this love does not create something in a person that was not there previously, but develops and reveals the possibilities that already exist in his being, so that they will influence not only his inner consciousness, but all of his actions.

כְּבֵן הָעוֹבֵד אֶת אָבִיו.

as a son tends to his father. This love is compared to a son's relationship with his father. What is special about this relationship is that it has nothing to do with manifested feelings. A son remains a son forever, whether he is a good son or a bad one, whether he is loving or not. The question of whether and how strongly he identifies as a son does not change the nature of the father-son relationship in any way. Although this relationship is a fact, it has no inherent way of being expressed. In order to manifest it, a person must awaken and develop it with deliberate toil through habits of speech and thought.

וְעַל זֶה אָמְרוּ: "מַחֲשָׁבָה טוֹבָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְצָרְפָהּ לְמַעֲשֶׂה" (קידושין מ, א),

Regarding this, the Sages stated that the Holy One, blessed be He, links a good thought to an action (see Kiddushin 40a), This concealed love is like that of a son for his father. A person does not feel it as a living feeling but he accustoms himself to talking and thinking about it. God connects that good thought to deed. Although intent is not as powerful as love or fear revealed in the heart but is merely a good thought of performing a mitzva, it connects with the mitzva just as the attributes of revealed love and fear connect with a mitzva. When the relationship between thought and deed is spontaneous, so that it progresses on its own from one level to the next level, when a person's thought truly brings him to perform the action, there is no place to speak of God connecting it to a deed, because in truth that thought constitutes the "wings" of his deed. However, when, as described here, a person needs to think about the idea of "You are children to the Lord" and habituate himself to talk about this and perform the deeds as a person who feels this way would, at that time it is necessary for God to connect the thought to the deed. At that time, there is a gap between the person's thought (his understanding) and his deed. It would be fitting for this gap to be filled by actual feeling. But if that does not happen, God links his thought to his deed with a "leap" that closes the gap between them. Here the Tanya states that this connection has the character of the relationship between son and father, between the Jewish people and God. Since this connection is not an artificial addition that a person manufactures but is part of his nature, God knows how one's intentions elevate his actions, even if the person himself is unaware of this, even if he does not feel how his intent elevates his deed, and God links his thought to deed. In the very formation of the relationship of "you are children to the Lord," God has already connected the thought to deed.

לִהְיוֹת גַּדְפִין לְפָרְחָא, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.

to constitute wings for the action to soar upward, as stated above (chaps. 16, 39). This image of wings pertains to the analogy mentioned in chapters 16 and 39, as well as below. A "good thought," even if it is not a tangible feeling of love or fear in one's heart, nevertheless performs the function of love and fear, elevating an act from the physical world to the realm of the Divine.

וַהֲנָחַת רוּחַ הוּא כִּמְשַׁל שִׂמְחַת הַמֶּלֶךְ מִבְּנוֹ שֶׁבָּא אֵלָיו בְּצֵאתוֹ מִבֵּית הָאֲסוּרִים, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.

The gratification that a person gives God is analogous to the joy the king receives from his son returning to him upon leaving prison, as stated above (chaps. 31, 41). A person expresses the love of God that is like that of a son for his father when he learns Torah and fulfills mitzvot in order to give pleasure to God. The analogy refers to a king whose son was in prison, and it conveys the immense joy the king felt when his son was released and came back to him. God derives pleasure not from the performance of a particular act by a specific individual, but rather from the liberation of the soul that results from this act. When a person performs a mitzva, he releases the "son" from the "prison" of this world, from the limitations of the body and from all the illusions and concealment of this world. Then, the "King" rejoices that His son has left prison and returned to Him. The mitzvot are like flashes of light in the darkness of the world. When a person performs a mitzva, he releases from within himself a "part" of the Divine from the prison of this world, illuminating it in its pristine state, through the light of the mitzva. This is the release from "prison."

אוֹ לִהְיוֹת לוֹ 'דִּירָה בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים', כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.

Alternatively, God's gratification stems from having a dwelling in the lower worlds (as stated above [chap. 36]). There are two aspects to the gratification that God derives when human beings serve Him. The first is that which was described in the previous paragraph: the liberation involved in the act of performing a mitzva, of liberating the holiness found within the individual and within objects, which then rises upward. Here, the author of the Tanya discusses the second element, that of building a sanctuary and drawing down holiness. Commentaries on the verse "They shall make for Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them" (Ex. 25:8), note that it does not say that God will dwell "betokho (in it)," but "betokham (among them)." Whenever and wherever a person learns, prays, or performs a mitzva, he creates a sanctuary for God. God is pleased when people create a tabernacle for Him, when out of destruction and turmoil a space is cleared so that He may come to dwell in it. God's gratification does not stem from the act itself but from the fact that it fulfills His will and is an expression of love for Him. A person should cultivate this element of "for You are our Father" (Isa. 63:16) within himself, delving into it until his heart awakens and he acts in order to please God like a son serving his father.

וְהִנֵּה גַּם לִבְחִינַת 'נַפְשִׁי אִוִּיתִיךָ' הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת לְעֵיל, קָרוֹב הַדָּבָר מְאֹד לְהוֹצִיאָהּ מֵהַהֶעְלֵם אֶל הַגִּילּוּי

Also with regard to the type of love expressed as "With my soul, I have desired You" (discussed above), it is very possible to bring it out of concealment into consciousness The idea that love for God can be awakened by means of habit, by means of talking about the subject and deepening one's thinking about it, was stated with regard to love for God that is like the love of a son for his father. Here, the author of the Tanya says that this applies to every type of "concealed love." Like the "son-father love," the love described earlier of "with my soul, I have desired You" is also a general type of love that is concealed in the heart of every Jew. God is "my soul," a person's true life, and hence a person desires Him. Since this type of love is intrinsic to a person, it may be brought from concealment into consciousness. A person evokes the concealed love of God within him in the same way that he evokes most of his inner experiences. Few people achieve spontaneous, independent inner experiences without any connection to or awareness of external reality and events. Usually, in order to have an inner experience, a person needs to prepare a conscious foundation to which his love can attach itself. If someone does not possess an emotion at all, he cannot create it within himself. But regarding an emotion that does exist within him, even if it is at present concealed, he can enhance and strengthen it until it becomes manifested.

עַל יְדֵי הַהֶרְגֵּל תָּמִיד בְּפִיו וְלִבּוֹ שָׁוִין.

through constant practice, with his mouth and his heart mirroring one another. "His mouth and his heart mirroring one another" is a matter of habit. The quality and depth of feeling are of secondary significance. The important thing is that a person's speech is not detached from what he feels in his heart. A person can accustom himself to maintaining this connection between his speech and his heart. "His mouth and his heart mirroring one another" is a necessary condition. When a person speaks about loving God and at the same time tries as hard as he can to feel what he is describing, the love concealed within him receives a real, enduring enhancement, and it eventually emerges from the hidden realm into full manifestation.

אַךְ אִם אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהוֹצִיאָהּ אֶל הַגִּילּוּי בְּלִבּוֹ,

But if one cannot bring it out into conscious manifestation in his heart, Up to this point, the Tanya has been discussing how to bring the love for God to a revealed state, and the toil involved in achieving this. However, it is possible that a person will not be able to achieve this manifestation. There are those who, although they do everything they are able, may talk and think about the love for God, but do not make significant progress in this direction.

אַף עַל פִּי כֵן, יָכוֹל לַעֲסוֹק בַּתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת לִשְׁמָן, עַל יְדֵי צִיּוּר עִנְיַן אַהֲבָה זוֹ בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה שֶׁבְּמוֹחוֹ,

nevertheless, he can engage in Torah and mitzvot for their own sake by conceptualizing this love in the thought of his mind, How can a person who is unable to achieve the revelation of love in his heart serve God with love, as the Tanya requires? He can at least understand it intellectually, thinking about it and trying as hard as possible to gain insight into the concept that he wishes to experience emotionally.

וּמַחֲשָׁבָה טוֹבָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְצָרְפָהּ כו' (קידושין מ, א).

and the Holy One, blessed be He, links a good thought to action (Kiddushin 40a). A "good thought" is a thought that, even if it does not develop into an emotion, constitutes the foundation of a person's actions. It concerns the emotions that he should feel, and therefore ultimately it connects to his actions just as emotions do, because it leads to action. As a result, the action is no longer purely external and physical; rather, it is accompanied by an inner experience. Like emotion, thought possesses a certain radiance and warms a person's inner being in a way that can connect it to his deeds. And indeed, in such a case God does link the thought to an action (Kiddushin 40a).

וְהִנֵּה ב' בְּחִינוֹת אַהֲבוֹת אֵלּוּ, אַף שֶׁהֵן יְרוּשָּׁה לָנוּ מֵאֲבוֹתֵינוּ וּכְמוֹ טֶבַע בְּנַפְשׁוֹתֵינוּ,

Although these two types of love are our inheritance from our forefathers and are like inborn traits within our souls, The first type of love mentioned in this chapter is that of "My soul, I have desired You." This requires a person to deepen his feelings toward himself, since God is "my soul." The second type is "as a son who tends to his father," which means that a person loves God as his Father, Creator, Maker, and the source of his being. Every Jew inherits the potential to experience these two types of love, regardless of his aptitude and regardless of his level of divine service. It is found within each individual and becomes part of his being.

וְכֵן הַיִּרְאָה הַכְּלוּלָה בָּהֶן שֶׁהִיא לִירָא מִלִּיפָּרֵד חַס וְשָׁלוֹם מִמְּקוֹר חַיֵּינוּ וְאָבִינוּ הָאֲמִתִּי בָּרוּךְ הוּא,

and so is the fear contained within them, namely, the fear of becoming detached, God forbid, from our source of life and our true Father, blessed be He. This love for God that we inherit contains an aspect of fear. As mentioned above, every case of true love includes an element of fear, at least in the sense that the lovers do not want to spoil their relationship. When the object of a person's love is important to him, he fears that it will be taken from him. Particularly with regard to the love a person feels for his own life and for his true Father, he is afraid of becoming disconnected. This fear is the source of the experience associated with the fear of transgressing the negative commandments. It is the fear of separation, which grows in accordance with the magnitude of one's love for God.

אַף עַל פִּי כֵן, אֵינָן נִקְרָאוֹת בְּשֵׁם דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ טִבְעִיִּים, אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁהֵן בְּמוֹחוֹ וּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ לְבַד וְתַעֲלוּמוֹת לִבּוֹ.

Yet they are referred to as a person's natural, innate fear and love only when they remain exclusively in his mind and thought, dormant and in the hidden recesses of his heart, These two types of love are innate – which, as explained above, is a lower level than cognitively aware fear and love. They are referred to as "innate" only when they are not revealed in one's heart. Love and fear are only fundamentally "innate" as long as they remain within us just as we inherited them, as emotions that are concealed in the heart and are present in thought alone.

וְאָז מְקוֹמָן בְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דִּיצִירָה, וּלְשָׁם הֵן מַעֲלוֹת עִמָּהֶן הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת הַבָּאוֹת מֵחֲמָתָן וּבְסִיבָּתָן.

and then their place is in the ten sefirot of the world of Yetzira (Formation), to where they raise up with them the Torah and mitzvot of which they have been the inspiration and cause. As was explained in previous chapters, a person's intention coupled with love and fear, with which he learns Torah and fulfills mitzvot, elevates the Torah and mitzvot from this world to higher worlds. Innate love and fear belong to the level of the world of Yetzira, and therefore, when they elevate Torah and mitzvot, they raise them to the world of Yetzira.

אֲבָל כְּשֶׁהֵן בְּהִתְגַּלּוּת לִבּוֹ(חלק ב רי, ב), וּמְקוֹמָן בְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דִּבְרִיאָה,

But when they are manifest in a person's heart, they are referred to by the Zohar (2:210b) as "the heart's desire," and their place is in the ten sefirot of the world of Beria (Creation), This is referring to when the love and fear described above are revealed in a person's heart. They are no longer just like a thought, like a latent emotion in the heart. Rather, they are emotions that a person has worked on and directed with his contemplation. They become fundamental, directed feelings that are manifest in the heart. They are not merely thoughts about what the heart is supposed to feel, but rather they are the actual will and passion of the heart. Their place is in the world of Beria. This is a higher world; it is the realm of the intellect, above the attributes. There, the traits of love and fear are cognitive and not innate. There, inner experiences become conscious and revealed in the heart. An innate feeling is almost automatic. In a sense, it constitutes the beginning of human existence rather than its outcome. It is therefore on a lower level than a feeling that is part of the intellectual realm, a person's mature consciousness. For example, there is a mitzva to recite the afternoon prayer on the Sabbath, and there is a mitzva to eat a third meal on the Sabbath. The enthusiasm that a person feels during the third meal relates to his natural, innate feelings. The innate soul does not need to be taught to eat or to enjoy food. On the other hand, when a person prays or recites psalms with a similar level of enthusiasm, this is certainly a higher level. Ostensibly, these two mitzvot each awaken an emotion of the same intensity; however, in one case this emotion is reinforced by the person's raw, base, and basic nature, while in the other, the emotion is formed and reinforced by his consciousness. Clearly, the second emotion is on a higher level. It is a level of love and fear that results from a person's inner being: not only from his physical nature but from his consciousness and thoughts, which develop and enhance the nature of his higher, divine qualities.

וּלְשָׁם הֵן מַעֲלוֹת עִמָּהֶן הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת הַבָּאוֹת מֵחֲמָתָן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיְּצִיאָתָן מֵהַהֶעְלֵם וְהֶסְתֵּר הַלֵּב אֶל בְּחִינַת גִּילּוּי הִיא עַל יְדֵי הַדַּעַת,

and that is the place to which they elevate with them the Torah study and mitzvot performance of which they were the cause. This is because their emergence from the concealment and hiddenness of the heart to the level of being revealed is achieved through the attribute of Da'at , A person's love and fear of God elevate his Torah learning and mitzva performance to the world of Beria. The love and fear described here are "our inheritance from our forefathers and are like inborn traits within our souls," and therefore belong to the world of Yetzira. However, while this natural, hereditary link to the source of our being, to the power of the Divine Presence within our soul, exists within us, it is not active. In its natural, primal form, it contains only the beginning. These beginnings have no biological or psychological mechanism that rouses them to evolve, grow, and become active. In order to develop them further, a person needs to put in extraordinary, conscious effort through acquiring knowledge and deep thought. Likewise, within every Jew, there is the "inherited" love for God of "My soul, I have desired You." Fundamentally, the individual has a connection to God, just as he has a connection to himself. Nevertheless, "translating" this love into the language of experience constitutes a different stage, one that requires effort in the realm of acquiring knowledge. Regarding this, too, human beings are not all equal. There are those who cannot think of anything else once the matter enters their mind; nothing else is able to fill their soul. On the other hand, there are those who have to work at it constantly, and even then, they do not necessarily achieve a perceptible experience.

וּתְקִיעַת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה בְּחוֹזֶק, וְהִתְבּוֹנְנוּת עֲצוּמָה, מֵעוּמְקָא דְּלִבָּא יַתִּיר וְתָדִיר,

and through forceful fixation of one's thought and intense contemplation from the depths of the heart, immensely and diligently, This work is carried out through knowledge and fixating one's thoughts, which means concentrating on the subject. Such concentration does not come naturally to most people, so it must be carried out vigorously and forcefully. Intense contemplation is required in order to see the subject of one's contemplation, over and over, from all aspects, from the depth of the heart. If a person wants to experience the feeling in the depths of his heart, then his contemplation and the fixation of his thoughts must come forcefully from deep within his heart. This work should be carried out to a greater degree and more frequently than his usual endeavors, with consistency and focus. This is not a process of relaxation, but an intensive effort involving extensive, hard work, in which a person concentrates and stabilizes his thoughts so that love can burst forth from deep within himself.

בְּאֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֵיךְ הוּא חַיֵּינוּ מַמָּשׁ וְאָבִינוּ הָאֲמִתִּי בָּרוּךְ הוּא.

of Ein Sof , blessed be He, how He literally is our life and our true Father, blessed be He. A person should contemplate how the Infinite One is literally our life, as expressed in the verse "My soul, I have desired You," and He is our Father, and we relate to him as a son tending his father. A person who is learning to read requires concentration, care, and constancy until he acquires the skill. After a while, it no longer requires effort, but comes naturally to him. The same is true with regard to a person who achieves a growing revelation of love of God in his heart by means of hard work, by means of knowledge, forceful fixation of his thoughts, and intense contemplation. After that, the love is no longer an expression of human nature, but rather of human greatness. The love and fear are no longer innate, but cognitive.

וּמוּדַעַת זֹאת מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב בַּתִּיקּוּנִים (תיקוני זהר תיקון כג, א), כִּי בְּעוֹלַם הַבְּרִיאָה מְקַנְּנָא תַּמָּן אִימָּא עִילָּאָה, שֶׁהִיא הַהִתְבּוֹנְנוּת בְּאוֹר אֵין סוֹף חַיֵּי הַחַיִּים בָּרוּךְ הוּא.

It is known what the Tikkunei Zohar (23a) states that in the world of Beria resides the sefira of Bina, known as the supernal mother, which corresponds to the contemplation of the light of Ein Sof , the source of life, blessed be He. The sefira of Bina in the world of Atzilut is called the "supernal mother." In human terms, with regard to the individual's divine service, this corresponds to contemplation of the light of Ein Sof, which is the source of life.

וּכְמַאֲמַר אֵלִיָּהוּ (תיקוני זהר יז, א): "בִּינָה לִבָּא וּבָהּ הַלֵּב מֵבִין".

This accords with Elijah's statement " Bina corresponds to the heart, and with it the heart understands" (Tikkunei Zohar 17a). "Understanding of the heart" is an experiential level of understanding. At this high level, a person feels understanding and understands feeling. This is the level of cognitive love and fear explained above, which relate to "the heart's desire."

וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא שֶׁב' בְּחִינוֹת אֲהָבוֹת אֵלּוּ הַנִּזְכָּרוֹת לְעֵיל, הֵן כְּלוּלוֹת מִן בְּחִינַת 'אַהֲבָה רַבָּה' וּגְדוֹלָה וּמְעוּלָּה מִדְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ שִׂכְלִיִּים,

Moreover, these two types of love discussed above are comprised of the level of ahava rabba , and that is greater and more sublime than cognitive fear and love, The two types of love that have been discussed in this chapter are that of "My soul, I have desired You," and that of a son serving his father. They are inherited and are innate within the root and essence of the soul, and they belong to the level of ahava rabba. This level is certainly greater and more sublime than that of cognitive love and fear, which derive from intellectual contemplation. "Greater" refers to the fact that its impact on the soul is stronger, and "more sublime" refers to the fact that it is more profound and lofty. While conditional love is usually "greater," or more intense than unconditional love, unconditional love is always "more sublime" than conditional love.

אֲשֶׁר הָאַהֲבָה נִקְרֵאת לְעֵיל בְּשֵׁם 'אַהֲבַת עוֹלָם'.

which is the type of love referred to above (chap. 43) as ahavat olam (world-centered love). This cognitive love, which results from contemplation, is called world-centered love because it relates to the divine essence that is revealed within the world, rather than to the divine essence itself. It is unlike the two types of love discussed here, which stem from the essential connection between a person and the Almighty, as a result of the person's deepening, making a foundation, and verifying the essential inner identification between the root and essence of his soul and God Himself. Ahavat olam arises from contemplating the greatness of God in this world. This contemplation excites the soul, affecting each person in a distinct way, and to a different extent, in accordance with his personal situation, the way he contemplates, and his unique worldview through which he perceives God's greatness. Ahava rabba, and the two types of love that it encompasses, is greater and more sublime, because it does not relate to God's greatness as it is revealed in the world, but rather to the divine essence itself. The psalmist says, "Whom else do I have in heaven? With You, I desire nothing on earth" (Ps. 73:25). This does not mean only that the individual does not desire that which is found in heaven or on earth; rather, heaven and earth themselves hold no interest for him when he is in the state of ahava rabba, the essential connection to God himself.

רַק שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי כֵן, צָרִיךְ לִטְרוֹחַ בְּשִׂכְלוֹ לְהַשִּׂיג וּלְהַגִּיעַ גַּם לִבְחִינַת 'אַהֲבַת עוֹלָם' הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת לְעֵיל, הַבָּאָה מֵהַתְּבוּנָה וְדַעַת בִּגְדוּלַּת ה',

Still, nevertheless, one must also exert his intellect to apprehend and attain the level of ahavat olam discussed above, which is engendered by the understanding and knowledge of God's greatness, If ahava rabba, which is inherited from our ancestors and is innate within our souls, is more intense and sublime, why should a person invest so much effort to contemplate God's greatness? Why should he work so hard learning and contemplating in order to reach ahavat olam, if it is on a lower level? Why should one attempt to reach other worlds, or the realm of the infinite, when the greatest and most sublime love is found within his own soul, where God is his "life" as well as his Father?

כְּדֵי לְהַגְדִּיל מְדוּרַת אֵשׁ הָאַהֲבָה

in order to intensify the blaze of love As mentioned above, the Talmud states that "Even though fire descends from the heavens [onto the altar], [still there is a special] mitzva for a person to bring fire" (Yoma 21b). Ahava rabba is a fire that descends from heaven. It is greater and more sublime than that which a person can achieve alone, yet in order to intensify the blaze of love, a person must add to it the love that he himself creates, ahavat olam, by means of his own learning and contemplation. Regarding the natural, innate aspect of love: Even when it is great and sublime, even when it is fully manifest, it fills only a part of a person's being. There are other parts of him that cannot be stimulated by it. In order for a person to further strengthen his love for God in all ways and in all directions, he must associate more and more parts of himself with this love. For instance, a son's love for his father is essentially the love of a created being for its creator, for the one who brought it into the world. This love is fundamental, elementary, and unconditional. It is a connection between essences, unrelated to the sons' capabilities and the development of those capabilities. It is independent of the particular qualities of the father or the son, just as a person's love of himself does not depend on his individual qualities. With regard to self-love, there is no difference between a great person and a simple person, a wise person and a foolish person, a righteous person and a wicked person, since neither one's shortcomings nor his virtues affect it. Nevertheless, this kind of love can be enhanced. That occurs when, in addition to recognizing that his father is the one who gave him life, the son also recognizes his father's virtues. That recognition adds an additional aspect to his love, related to the father's qualities. It is not as fundamental as the son's fundamental love, but it includes a new dimension, which could not have developed previously.

בְּרִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ וְשַׁלְהֶבֶת עַזָּה וְלַהַב הָעוֹלֶה הַשָּׁמַיְמָה

into sparks of fire and a fierce conflagration and flame that rises heavenward This increase of self-love in ahavat olam is like the intensification of a fire. The previous chapter discussed the relationship between ahavat olam and ahava rabba. Ahava rabba requires nothing additional, because it comprises a relationship that already exists. One's father is one's father; this is a factual, essential connection, and there is nothing that can be, or that needs to be added to it. By contrast, ahavat olam is based on a sense of lack and yearning that is built into the world's essence. The Divine is lacking and concealed in the world, and the soul suffers as a result, and longs to fill the lack. This is a fiery love; the whole world burns with the fire of this love, it is all composed of a flammable material that is ignited in the process of its refinement. Ahavat olam adds this fire and tension onto ahava rabba, which is on a higher level.

עַד שֶׁ"מַיִם רַבִּים לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְכַבּוֹת אֶת הָאַהֲבָה וּנְהָרוֹת לֹא יִשְׁטְפוּהָ" וכו' (שיר השירים ח, ז).

until "much water cannot extinguish the love and rivers cannot wash it away..." (Song 8:7). That is because there is a superiority and advantage

כִּי יֵשׁ יִתְרוֹן וּמַעֲלָה לִבְחִינַת אַהֲבָה כְּרִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ וְשַׁלְהֶבֶת עַזָּה וכו', הַבָּאָה מֵהַתְּבוּנָה וְדַעַת בִּגְדוּלַּת אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל שְׁתֵּי בְּחִינוֹת אַהֲבָה הַנִּזְכָּרוֹת לְעֵיל כַּאֲשֶׁר אֵינָן כְּרִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ וְשַׁלְהֶבֶת כו',

to love like sparks of fire and a fierce conflagration and so on, which is engendered by the understanding and knowledge of the greatness of Ein Sof , blessed be He, to the other two types of love discussed above, which are not like sparks of fire and a fierce conflagration and so on, The two types of love discussed above are that of "My soul, I desired you," and that of a son tending to his father. Usually, these are not comparable to sparks of fire. However, when one brings them to the point of revelation by contemplating the greatness of "our Father," then they too become like sparks of fire and a fierce conflagration.

כְּיִתְרוֹן וּמַעֲלַת הַזָּהָב עַל הַכֶּסֶף וכו', כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר לְקַמָּן.

analogous to the advantage and superiority of gold over silver, and so forth, as will be explained below (chap. 50). The love that is like sparks of fire which is kindled by understanding and knowledge is compared to "gold." In the language of the Kabbala, gold is Gevura, Restraint, and silver is Ḥesed, Kindness. This corresponds to the colors that symbolize the sefirot: Ḥesed is white, like silver, and Gevura is red, like gold. The love that is like sparks of fire relates to Gevura and the ascent from below to above – like fire, which rises from the physical world and dissipates as it gets higher. Ahava rabba, on the other hand, is compared to silver and the aspect of Ḥesed. It is like water, which descends from above, from the diffusion of God's essence to successively lower levels, to the level of "my soul," resulting in "I have desired you," as explained above. The advantage of the love that is like sparks of fire is "analogous to the advantage and superiority of gold over silver." It is like the advantage of choosing a relationship rather than being born into it. It does not relate to the essence of the relationship, but to the level of attachment.

וְגַם כִּי זֶה כָּל הָאָדָם וְתַכְלִיתוֹ, לְמַעַן דַּעַת אֶת כְּבוֹד ה' וִיקַר תִּפְאֶרֶת גְּדוּלָּתוֹ

Furthermore, that is the entirety of man and his purpose: to know the glory of God and the glory of His splendid majesty, There is another aspect to the superiority of this type of love. Man was born to know and recognize God's greatness. This type of love is based on a person's individual awareness that "I know that the Lord is great" (Ps. 135:5). The love of "My soul, I have desired You," and that of a son who tends to his father involve knowledge of God in terms of God's personal connection with the individual, of God as that person's root and source. On the other hand, a person's knowledge of God's glory is connected to ahavat olam, which comes (as explained above) when a person contemplates the fundamental greatness and might of God Himself, without connection to oneself, without relating to God as "my soul," or "my Father."

אִישׁ אִישׁ כְּפִי אֲשֶׁר יוּכַל שְׂאֵת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּרַעֲיָא מְהֵימְנָא פָּרָשַׁת בֹּא (זוהר ח"ב, מב, א): "בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתְּמוּדְעוּן לֵיהּ" וכו', וְכַנּוֹדָע.

each person in accordance with his capacity. As the Zohar (2:42a) states in Raya Meheimna , Parashat Bo , God created the world "so that they would recognize Him…," as is known. Regardless of the commandment to love God, knowing God too is an obligation. God desires that we know and recognize Him. This is a positive commandment that is one of the 613 mitzvot, implicit in the verse "Know the God of your father and serve Him" (I Chron. 28:9).