וְיֵשׁ דֶּרֶךְ יָשָׁר לִפְנֵי אִישׁ

There is another straight path before a person "A straight path" also means the path of a person who is straight. Only such a person can walk upon this path that reaches directly from below to above. As the author of the Tanya will explain, this path requires that the person walking on it be straight, since this path does not require any prior intellectual or emotional preparation as it originates in the most natural, elemental force in the soul. Walking on this path requires that a person not be encumbered by any crookedness in his heart which would prevent him from feeling and responding in a natural and straightforward manner.

שָׁוָה לְכָל נֶפֶשׁ.

which is suitable for everyone. As has been explained, each human being is different, especially with regard to the subtleties of the soul in divine service. There are almost no rules that are equally true for all people. Each unique stimulus causes different reactions in different individuals. These chapters attempt to provide a description of universal keys that will open doors not just for one person but for many people. These matters are explained in a way that is accessible to all.

וְקָרוֹב הַדָּבָר מְאֹד מְאֹד

The matter is very, very near The author of the Tanya reiterates the motto of the book: "The matter is very near to you…" (Deut. 30:14), with the insertion of an additional "very."

לְעוֹרֵר וּלְהָאִיר אוֹר הָאַהֲבָה הַתְּקוּעָה וּמְסוּתֶּרֶת בְּלִבּוֹ,

to awaken and shine the light of the love for God that is embedded and concealed in a person's heart, One of the foundations of this divine service that is "suitable for everyone" is that a person does not need to create something new in his soul that did not exist beforehand. Rather, he must awaken, reveal, and activate forces that were already in existence, but concealed within him. A principle that applies to every soul must necessarily be based on the natural state of every soul and the forces within it. But even though a force exists in the soul, uncovering it is not necessarily easy. Particularly with regard to divine service, it is difficult for a person to achieve an awakening without a suitable conceptual framework and without hard work. Every individual must seek the key to these forces.

לִהְיוֹת מְאִירָה בְּתוֹקֶף אוֹרָהּ כְּאֵשׁ בּוֹעֲרָה בְּהִתְגַּלּוּת לִבּוֹ וּמוֹחוֹ, לִמְסוֹר נַפְשׁוֹ לַה', וְגוּפוֹ וּמְאוֹדוֹ

to shine its light powerfully, as a blazing fire, revealed in a person's heart and mind, so that he is prepared to sacrifice his soul to God, as well as his body and might, This passage refers to the three levels of love of God mentioned in the recitation of Shema: "with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might [bekhol me'odekha ]" (see Deut. 6:5). The term "might" has two meanings, both of which apply here. The first is "money"; a person should express his love of God through his willingness to give up his physical possessions. The second is an absence of limits. Once a person has sacrificed everything he can for the sake of his love for God, including his heart and soul, he then he gives a little bit more. It is not what a person is able to do within the bounds of his normal thoughts and experiences, but what he can do after he has exhausted them. The additional effort, even if it is miniscule, is the "me'od," the real litmus test, the true test of divine service.

בְּכָל לֵב וּבְכָל נֶפֶשׁ וּמְאֹד, מֵעוּמְקָא דְּלִבָּא בֶּאֱמֶת לַאֲמִיתּוֹ.

with all his heart and all his soul and might, from the depths of the heart with absolute sincerity. The requirement described here is very demanding. It comes in addition to the three levels mentioned in the Shema. His service must be from the depths of the heart and with sincerity regarding every level of worship, each level deeper and more sincere. This demand seems extreme. Even after a person prays, reaches a spiritual awakening, and is moved, yet more is required of him. He must supply the entirety of his heart, soul, and might. And furthermore, his love for God must come from the depths of his heart and with absolute sincerity. Absolute sincerity is a key point in divine service, particularly with regard to the requirement to constantly ascend and add to one's service. A person can be moved in different ways and for different reasons, whether profound or superficial. For instance, if he is in a positive frame of mind and sitting with an agreeable group of people when he hears a touching melody, he may believe that the love of God is illuminating his entire heart and soul. However, sometimes this is not actually the case. His soul may not have been awakened; in fact, perhaps nothing inside him was awakened at all. He experienced something, but it was a response to a transient, external stimulus rather than to his soul. The requirement of absolute truth is therefore one that goes beyond an experience. A person must always strive for more depth and permanence, so that his love for God may truly come from the depths of his heart, and not just as something performed by rote.

וּבִפְרָט בִּשְׁעַת קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע וּבִרְכוֹתֶיהָ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר.

This love should be awakened especially at the time of reciting the Shema and its blessings, as shall be explained below (chap. 49). The commandment to love God applies at all times and in all places, but particularly at the time of reciting the Shema and its blessings. The straightforward reason is that when a person recites, "You shall love the Lord your God" (Deut. 6:5), he should actually feel love for God, at that time at least, for if he does not, he is essentially lying, and as he continues to recite Shema each day, in the evening and the morning, he will become more and more accustomed to lying before God. Someone like this will end up spending his whole life lying, both to God and to himself. There is also a more spiritual reason, which relates to the order of the prayers and the place of the Shema within them. A person progresses through the prayers step by step, and his soul shifts from state to state, on a set path. This framework is relevant to everyone, in spite of the great differences between individuals, particularly with regard to the subtleties of emotion in prayer. A certain person may become particularly inspired by a particular passage, whether in its concealed or revealed sense, while another passage will not move him or affect him at all. And an entirely different part of the prayers will speak to a different individual. Nevertheless, there is an overall pattern of ascent in prayer, of moving toward ever higher intensity. The culmination of emotion occurs around the Shema and its blessings, because the next and highest stage, the Amida, is the point of nullification, of "a still, small voice." The recitation of Shema and its blessings is therefore a time meant for the revelation of love and fear, when a person should take heed, contemplate deeply, and awaken feelings of love for God.

וְהוּא כַּאֲשֶׁר יָשִׂים אֶל לִבּוֹ מַה שֶּׁאוֹמֵר הַכָּתוּב: "כַּמַּיִם הַפָּנִים לַפָּנִים כֵּן לֵב הָאָדָם אֶל הָאָדָם" (משלי כז, יט). פֵּירוּשׁ: כְּמוֹ שֶׁכִּדְמוּת וְצוּרַת הַפָּנִים שֶׁהָאָדָם מַרְאֶה בַּמַּיִם – כֵּן נִרְאֶה לוֹ שָׁם בַּמַּיִם אוֹתָהּ צוּרָה עַצְמָהּ,

This can be achieved when a person takes to heart what the verse states, "As water reflects a face to the face, so does the heart of a person to a person" (Prov. 27:19). This means that just as the water reflects the very same form as the image and form of the face that a person shows the waters, Water is like a mirror; the face that a person shows the water is the one that he can see reflected in it.

כָּכָה מַמָּשׁ לֵב הָאָדָם הַנֶּאֱמָן בְּאַהֲבָתוֹ לְאִישׁ אַחֵר, הֲרֵי הָאַהֲבָה זוֹ מְעוֹרֶרֶת אַהֲבָה בְּלֵב חֲבֵירוֹ אֵלָיו גַּם כֵּן, לִהְיוֹת אוֹהֲבִים נֶאֱמָנִים זֶה לָזֶה.

in literally the same way, the love in the heart of a person who devotedly loves someone else will also arouse love in his friend's heart toward him, to devotedly love each other. According to the most straightforward understanding of the verse "As water reflects a face to the face, so does the heart of a person to a person," what a person feels toward another, the other person feels toward him. Even if he does not reveal his love to the other person and that person does not know of it, the feeling passes back and forth like an echo, and like a reflection on the water. The response that is similar to the reflection of a face in water is essentially that of gratitude. This does not mean learned, conventional gratitude, but gratitude that is part of the human character; it is a fundamental part of what makes a person human. It relates to the principle of reciprocity by which God rules the world. It is written in the Torah, and taught in many places by the Sages, how crucial it is not only to act this way, but to experience reciprocity as an essential feeling. If one lacks this feeling, it is as though he has a disease, like an illness where a person is unable to feel certain parts of his body, his natural impulses, or elements of his environment. This gratitude does not derive from the higher, divine soul; rather, it is a basic, natural attribute, which is found even in animals. It is just as natural as the physical phenomenon of the reflection of a face in water.

בִּפְרָט כְּשֶׁרוֹאֶה אַהֲבַת חֲבֵירוֹ אֵלָיו.

This is especially true when a person perceives his friend's love toward him. When a visible, conscious element is added to the natural, concealed, unconscious reaction, the overall response is stronger and more significant.

וְהִנֵּה זֶהוּ טֶבַע הַנָּהוּג בְּמִדַּת כָּל אָדָם, אַף אִם שְׁנֵיהֶם שָׁוִים בְּמַעֲלָה, וְעַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה אִם מֶלֶךְ גָּדוֹל וָרָב מַרְאֶה אַהֲבָתוֹ הַגְּדוֹלָה וְהָעֲצוּמָה

Now, this is the ingrained behavior of every person's personality, even in a case where both people are of equal stature. How much more so it would apply if a great and powerful king would show his great and immense love All human beings react this way toward all others, even when the recipient of the love is not of lower status and is not obligated to be grateful for that which the other person bestows upon him. The greater the person who shows his love, the more wonderful his love is considered with regard to the one receiving it. If the giver is a great and powerful king, then his love, and his expression of it, is much more significant than love that comes from someone else.

לְאִישׁ הֶדְיוֹט

to a common man All the more so, this love is significant when the great and powerful king shows it to one who has no special rank or status. For it is also significant whom the king shows his love to; there is a difference between showing it to his ministers and his children, and showing it to an ordinary commoner.

וְנִבְזֶה וּשְׁפַל אֲנָשִׁים, וּמְנוּוָּל הַמּוּטָּל בָּאַשְׁפָּה.

who is ignoble and the lowliest of men, a degenerate cast onto the dunghill. Not only does this common person possess no special virtue or honor, but moreover, through his actions and behavior, he has brought himself to a contemptible, low, and filthy place.

וְיוֹרֵד אֵלָיו מִמְּקוֹם כְּבוֹדוֹ, עִם כָּל שָׂרָיו יַחְדָּיו, וּמְקִימוֹ וּמְרִימוֹ מֵאַשְׁפָּתוֹ וּמַכְנִיסוֹ לְהֵיכָלוֹ,

If the king would stoop down to him from his place of glory, together with all his ministers, and raise him up, lifting him from his dunghill and

הֵיכַל הַמֶּלֶךְ, חֶדֶר לִפְנִים מֵחֶדֶר, מָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין כָּל עֶבֶד וְשַׂר נִכְנָס לְשָׁם. וּמִתְיַיחֵד עִמּוֹ שָׁם בְּיִחוּד וְקֵירוּב אֲמִיתִּי, וְחִיבּוּק וְנִישּׁוּק, וְאִתְדַּבְּקוּת רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא, בְּכָל לֵב וְנֶפֶשׁ,

bringing him in to his palace, the king's palace, to the innermost chamber, where no servant nor minister may enter, to be secluded with him privately in true intimacy, embracing, kissing, and fusing spirit with spirit, with all his heart and soul, The great and powerful king comes to this individual, who is in such a low place, and brings him into the king's most personal, private space.

עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה שֶׁתִּתְעוֹרֵר מִמֵּילָא הָאַהֲבָה, כְּפוּלָה וּמְכוּפֶּלֶת, בְּלֵב הַהֶדְיוֹט וּשְׁפַל אֲנָשִׁים הַזֶּה אֶל נֶפֶשׁ הַמֶּלֶךְ, בְּהִתְקַשְּׁרוּת הַנֶּפֶשׁ מַמָּשׁ, מִלֵּב וְנֶפֶשׁ, מֵעוּמְקָא דְּלִבָּא לְאֵין קֵץ. וְאַף אִם לִבּוֹ כְּלֵב הָאֶבֶן – הִמֵּס יִמָּס וְהָיָה לְמַיִם. וְתִשְׁתַּפֵּךְ נַפְשׁוֹ כַּמַּיִם בִּכְלוֹת הַנֶּפֶשׁ מַמָּשׁ לְאַהֲבַת הַמֶּלֶךְ.

how much more so would the love be aroused on its own many times over in the heart of this common and lowly man for the soul of the king, with an actual binding of souls, from the heart and soul, from the endless depths of the heart. Even if his heart were made of stone, it would certainly melt into water, and his soul would pour out like water, literally pining away with love for the king. The idea that this arouses a much greater love is found at the end of the song Dayeinu in the Passover Haggada.

וְהִנֵּה כְּכָל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, וּכְכָל הַחִזָּיוֹן הַזֶּה, וְגָדוֹל יוֹתֵר מְאֹד בְּכִפְלֵי כִפְלַיִים לְאֵין קֵץ – עָשָׂה לָנוּ אֱלֹהֵינוּ.

Now our God did for us all these things and this entire spectacle, and so much more, many times over to no end. This analogy, of the great king descending in order to lift up the lowliest people toward him from their place of filth, reflects only a miniscule portion of the relationship between us and God. For the distance between a human being and God is infinitely greater than the distance between two human beings, no matter who they may be. From here, the author of the Tanya progresses from the analogy of the mortal king to what it signifies: God's greatness on the one hand, and Israel's lowliness in Egypt on the other.

כִּי לִגְדוּלָּתוֹ אֵין חֵקֶר, וְאִיהוּ מְמַלֵּא כָּל עָלְמִין וְסוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין.

This is because His greatness is unfathomable. He fills all worlds and encompasses all worlds. God is greater than any creature can ever understand. His greatness is within all worlds, yet He Himself is also above and beyond the reality of the worlds.

וְנוֹדַע מִזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ וְהָאֲרִ"י ז"ל רִיבּוּי הַהֵיכָלוֹת וְהָעוֹלָמוֹת עַד אֵין מִסְפָּר.

It is known from the holy Zohar and the Arizal the countless multitudes of sanctums and worlds. The multitude and magnitude of the worlds and sanctums beyond our world are far beyond what we are capable of grasping and appreciating. What we do know, we learn from the kabbalistic works, the Zohar and the Lurianic Kabbala.

וּבְכָל עוֹלָם וְהֵיכָל רִיבּוֹא רִבְבוֹת מַלְאָכִים לְאֵין קֵץ וְתַכְלִית.

In each world and sanctum, there are myriads upon myriads of angels with no end or limit. Each world, and each sanctum, is itself an entire universe, and, like our physical world, each one contains an endless number of beings.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּגְּמָרָא (חגיגה יג, ב): כְּתִיב: "הֲיֵשׁ מִסְפָּר לִגְדוּדָיו?" (איוב כה, ג), וּכְתִיב (דניאל ז, י): "אֶלֶף אַלְפִין יְשַׁמְּשׁוּנֵיהּ וְרִיבּוֹ רִבְבָן קָדָמוֹהִי" כו', וּמְשַׁנֵּי: אֶלֶף אַלְפִין וכו', מִסְפַּר גְּדוּד אֶחָד. אֲבָל לִגְדוּדָיו, אֵין מִסְפָּר.

As the Talmud states, posing a contradiction (Ḥagiga 13b), "One verse states:'Is there a number to His troops?' (Job 25:3), yet another verse states:'A thousand thousands ministered to Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him' (Dan. 7:10), implying that they have a number..." and the Talmud resolves the contradiction, "'A thousand thousands ministered to Him' is referring to the number of angels in a single troop, but there is no number to His troops.'" The Talmud discusses an apparent contradiction between two verses concerning the number of angels. The first verse implies that there are so many of them that they have no number, while the other indicates that although it is a very large number, there is a limited, countable number of angels. The Talmud explains this contradiction in several ways. One explanation is that while the number of angels in one troop is countable, the number of troops is so great that it is impossible to count them. Troop: This term refers to the source of nourishment and life for one group, or camp, of angels. The children of Israel camped under four different banners in the wilderness, with several tribes under each banner, and the angels are similarly divided into groups. The division of the tribes into four groups was not random, but in accordance with their spiritual essences, and the same is true with regard to the arrangement of the angels in the higher worlds.

וְכוּלָּם קַמֵּיהּ כְּלָא מַמָּשׁ חֲשִׁיבֵי, וּבְטֵלִים בִּמְצִיאוּת מַמָּשׁ,

Yet, before Him, they are all literally considered nothingness, and their very existence is literally nullified. After contemplating the vast number of worlds and their magnitude, the next stage is to contemplate the fact that whatever the individual has managed to grasp is all total nothingness in relation to God.

כְּבִיטּוּל דִּבּוּר אֶחָד מַמָּשׁ לְגַבֵּי מַהוּת הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַמְּדַבֶּרֶת וְעַצְמוּתָהּ,

in the same way a single utterance is literally negligible in relation to the character of the soul that speaks, and its essence, The author of the Tanya gives an example to illustrate this idea of all the worlds being subsumed under God. All the worlds exist by virtue of divine speech, which is what gives them life. As is explained elsewhere, this divine speech relates to the divine essence just like one utterance of a person relates to the entire array of utterances he is able to pronounce, and to the essence of his soul, which contains innumerable words and can speak endlessly. This is how one should understand the relationship between all the worlds, which are the result of only one divine utterance, and the divine powers of speech and creation. All the more so, this clarifies the relationship between the worlds and the essence of God Himself.

בְּעוֹד שֶׁהָיָה דִּיבּוּרָהּ עֲדַיִין בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתָּהּ אוֹ בִּרְצוֹן וְחֶמְדַּת הַלֵּב, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל בַּאֲרִיכוּת.

when its utterance was still becoming crystallized in its faculty of thought or in the desire and impulse of the heart, as discussed above (chaps. 20, 21) at length. Human speech is not entirely similar to divine speech, so to make the analogy more exact, the author of the Tanya adds that this does not refer to human speech that has already been vocalized, for this exists separately from the person who spoke it. Rather, it refers to potential human speech within the soul, in the form of the thought that precedes speech or, more fundamentally, the spiritual force that precedes thought, "the desire and impulse of the heart." This constitutes the impelling source of thought and speech. This analogy is more exact. Just as thought, and certainly the power of will in the soul, do not exist separately from the person who thinks and desires, divine speech and all the worlds have no existence apart from the divine essence that "speaks" them, and therefore, they are all considered to be nothingness.

וְכוּלָּם שׁוֹאֲלִים: "אַיֵּה מְקוֹם כְּבוֹדוֹ?"

All the angels ask, "Where is the place of His glory?" They seek the essential point, the node of divine glory.

וְעוֹנִים: "מְלֹא כָל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ" (ישעיה ו, ג), הֵם יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ.

and they answer, "that which fills the entire earth is His glory" (Isa. 6:3), referring to Israel, His nation. The earth mentioned in this verse refers to the Jewish people. Thus, the answer to the question "Where is the place of His glory," meaning, where is the point of God's inner desire to be found in reality, is here, with Israel, in the lowly, physical realm where they reside.

כִּי הִנִּיחַ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים וְאֶת הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, וְלֹא בָּחַר בְּכוּלָּם,

That is because the Holy One, blessed be He, disregarded the higher worlds and the lower worlds, and did not choose any of them God did not choose to have this deep relationship with the higher worlds because of their supremacy, nor did He choose the lower worlds because they constitute the lowest and final point in the succession of the worlds. The concept of "choice" does not refer to a decision that comes as a result of weighing up advantages and disadvantages. Rather, it is free of any external preferences and stems from the will in the soul, which is deeper than any other force, including emotion and consciousness. This kind of choice is made because it fits with one's own self. This is also the case with regard to God's choosing of Israel, His nation.

כִּי אִם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ.

except for Israel, His nation. The following parable has been cited in this regard: There was once a king whose palace contained everything precious in the world. In its inner halls were the king's trusted servants and honored ministers, and in the innermost room, there was a cage that held a talking parrot. The king was asked why he had chosen to place the parrot there. After all, he had many servants, including writers, linguists, and poets, who could certainly speak and sing more beautifully than the parrot. The king answered, "It is true that it does not speak as beautifully as they do, but the parrot is a wonder; it is a parrot, yet it speaks." Similarly, God's special affection toward us is not because we sing more beautifully than the angels, nor because we can study Torah like them, but because God looks at us and says, "See this creature that I have created, with his problems, urges, and troubles; despite them all, he stands and prays." This is why Israel is in the innermost sanctum, while the angels are outside.

וְהוֹצִיאָם מִמִּצְרַיִם "עֶרְוַת הָאָרֶץ", מְקוֹם הַזּוּהֲמָא וְהַטּוּמְאָה,

He took them out of Egypt, "the nakedness of the land," the place of filth and impurity, In a spiritual sense, Egypt is the lowest place. In the example given above, it is the dunghill onto which the common, ignoble, lowly person was cast. As explained above, the spiritual place where a person is found indicates his current state. One who is in a place of filth and impurity is himself filthy and impure.

לֹא עַל יְדֵי מַלְאָךְ וְלֹא עַל יְדֵי כו‘ אֶלָּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּכְבוֹדוֹ וּבְעַצְמוֹ יָרַד לְשָׁם,

not by means of an angel nor by means of a seraph or an agent. Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, in all His glory, descended there, God Himself brought Israel out of that low place and their lowly state.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "וָאֵרֵד לְהַצִּילוֹ" וגו' (שמות ג, ח),

as it is written, "I have descended to rescue it…" (Ex. 3:8), This is like in the analogy above, where the king stoops down to the lowly individual from his place of glory.

כְּדֵי לְקָרְבָם אֵלָיו בְּקֵירוּב וְיִחוּד אֲמִיתִּי, בְּהִתְקַשְּׁרוּת הַנֶּפֶשׁ מַמָּשׁ,

in order to bring them intimately close to Him in true union of actual soul bonding, This language was also used in the analogy of a king embracing a commoner. It describes an essential, profound connection between beings.

בִּבְחִינַת נְשִׁיקִין פֶּה לְפֶה, לְדַבֵּר דְּבַר ה' – זוֹ הֲלָכָה,

through the intimacy corresponding to the concept of kissing of mouths, achieved by speaking the word of God, which is the halakha , In the previous analogy, this intimacy is described in terms of embracing and kissing, which, as stated in the previous chapter, is the speaking of the word of the Lord, which is the halakha. The Torah is God's speech that He inserts into the world. When a person speaks words of Torah, his speech joins God's speech. It is as though God's mouth touches his mouth and unites with it. This resembles a kiss between a human being and God. The statement that this refers particularly to halakha teaches that this mouth-to-mouth connection comes about specifically when a person states orally the words of Torah on the level of a halakhic ruling, even if he does not relate to its reason or wisdom.

וְאִתְדַּבְּקוּת רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא הִיא הַשָּׂגַת הַתּוֹרָה וִידִיעַת רְצוֹנוֹ וְחָכְמָתוֹ,

and also fusing spirit with spirit, which is achieved through comprehending the Torah and knowing His will and wisdom, There is an even deeper connection, which fuses a person's spirit, his inner spiritual faculties, with the inner essence of the divine being, which brings the world into existence and sustains it. This clinging to God comes about when a person comprehends the Torah and knows God's will and wisdom. The Torah is the world's inner essence. It is God's essential will, expressed through divine wisdom and in the structure of inner existence as it must be in keeping with God's will. One who learns and thinks about Torah is therefore together with God in His innermost sanctum. God so to speak reveals to him His personal plans, His will, His secret, until the point that it is as though they are thinking the same thing: i.e., the Torah. When a person thinks of Torah, no matter what level he is on, he unites in some way with the will and wisdom of God.

דְּכוֹלָּא חַד מַמָּשׁ.

for they are all literally one. God's Torah, His will, His wisdom, and He Himself are truly all one being. Therefore, one who engages in Torah becomes united with God Himself at that moment.

וְגַם בִּבְחִינַת חִיבּוּק הוּא: קִיּוּם הַמִּצְוֹת מַעֲשִׂיּוֹת בִּרמ"ח אֵבָרִים דִּרמ"ח פִּיקּוּדִין הֵן רמ"ח אֵבָרִין דְּמַלְכָּא, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.

Likewise, the intimacy corresponding to the concept of embracing is achieved through the mitzvot performed by an action with the 248 limbs of the human body, since the 248 positive commandments comprise the 248 "limbs" of the King, as stated above (chap. 23). As in the analogy of the mortal king, intimacy is achieved through kissing and embracing. When a person performs the 248 mitzvot that involve action with his 248 limbs, he is "embracing" God. The 248 limbs in the human body correspond to 248 limbs of the divine structure, which is revealed within existence through the Torah's commandments. When a person performs a mitzva, he encounters and connects and binds an earthly limb to a heavenly limb, arm to arm, body to body, and this is a true embrace.

וְדֶרֶךְ כְּלָל נֶחְלָקִין לְשָׁלֹשׁ בְּחִינוֹת: יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל וְאֶמְצַע, שֶׁהֵן חֶסֶד, דִּין רַחֲמִים,

The mitzvot are broadly classified into three categories: right, left, and center, corresponding to the attributes of kindness, judgment, and compassion, This division is similar to the division of the ten sefirot, which make up the overall structure of the divine being in the world, into three columns: right, left, and middle. The right column is made up of Ḥokhma (Wisdom), Ḥesed (Kindness), and Netzaḥ (Dominance); the left is made up of Bina (Understanding), Gevura (Restraint), and Hod (Splendor); and the middle is made up of Da'at (Knowledge), Tiferet (Beauty), Yesod (Foundation), and Malkhut (Kingship). Each column is characterized by its central sefira. On the right is the column of Ḥesed, Kindness; on the left is the column of judgment, which is also called Gevura; and in the middle is the column of compassion, which is also called Tiferet. Like the divine being, the mitzvot, or "limbs of the King," are also divided into three general categories, as in Mishna Avot (1:2): "Torah, the Temple service, and the practice of acts of kindness." The right consists mainly of mitzvot of charity and kindness. These acts involve giving, and are characterized by movement from above to below. The mitzvot of the left are primarily those that relate to the Temple service and offerings, including the service of the heart, which is prayer. These are mitzvot that elevate the lower reality, such as a Temple offering or one's soul. Finally, the mitzvot of the middle category are chiefly those related to Torah study. These mitzvot are concerned with reconciliation.

תְּרֵין דְּרוֹעִין וְגוּפָא וכו'.

that are represented in the human body as the two arms and the body, and so forth. As expressed in the introduction to Tikkunei Zohar (17a), "Ḥesed is the right arm; Gevura is the left arm; Tiferet is the body." All the mitzvot together form two arms and a body, and our inner connection is structured the same way. Thus, a full embrace is created when we fulfill the mitzvot.

וְזֶה שֶׁאוֹמְרִים: "אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו". כְּאָדָם הַמְקַדֵּשׁ אִשָּׁה לִהְיוֹת מְיוּחֶדֶת עִמּוֹ בְּיִחוּד גָּמוּר. כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "וְדָבַק בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ וְהָיוּ לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד" (בראשית ב, כד).

The formula for the blessing recited before a mitzva, "Who has sanctified us [ kideshanu ] with His mitzvot," can also be read to mean "who has betrothed us [kideshanu ]," as a man betroths a woman to become united with him in total union, as the verse states, "He shall cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh" (Gen. 2:24). The term "sanctified" is likened to betrothal. We are betrothed through the mitzvot, becoming exclusive to the Creator. This is akin to a woman who is the partner only of her husband, and who is united with him, becoming "one flesh."

כָּכָה מַמָּשׁ, וְיָתֵר עַל כֵּן לְאֵין קֵץ, הוּא יִחוּד נֶפֶשׁ הָאֱלוֹקִית הָעוֹסֶקֶת בַּתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת, וְנֶפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית וּלְבוּשֵׁיהֶן, הַנִּזְכָּרִים לְעֵיל, בְּאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא.

It is literally the same, and infinitely more so, regarding the union of the divine soul, when engaged in Torah and mitzvot, as well as the vital soul, and their garments mentioned above, with the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He. This is parallel to the betrothal of a woman. "Garments" of the soul refers to thoughts, speech, and bodily actions. The divine soul can act upon the reality of this world only by means of the vital soul and the body, and when this action involves the fulfillment of mitzvot, which constitutes the divine will itself, then the divine soul, the vital soul, and their garments are completely united with the light of the Infinite One. The important point is that this connection is not actualized by means of some kind of mystical, spiritual union, but by performing a mitzva that comprises an action. Only through the actual act of a mitzva does a human being's body and soul unite with God's essential, basic will, which is the foundation and purpose of all existence.

וְלָכֵן הִמְשִׁיל שְׁלֹמֹה עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם בְּשִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים יִחוּד זֶה לְיִחוּד חָתָן וְכַלָּה: בִּדְבִיקָה חֲשִׁיקָה וַחֲפִיצָה, בְּחִיבּוּק וְנִישּׁוּק.

That is why King Solomon, may he rest in peace, portrayed in Song of Songs this union using the metaphor of the union of groom and bride, with attachment, desire, and longing, through embracing and kissing. The Song of Songs is an analogy for the relationship between God and the Jewish people. This does not refer only to the emotion of love, such as "attachment, desire, and longing," but also to outward expressions of love, "embracing and kissing," which signify the performance of Torah and mitzvot. This is one interpretation of the phrase "who has sanctified us with His mitzvot," which is mentioned in the blessing recited before a mitzva. It concerns the most intimate kind of attachment and closeness. Now, the author of the Tanya will explain a different perspective.

וְזֶה שֶׁאוֹמְרִים: "אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו", שֶׁהֶעֱלָנוּ לְמַעֲלַת קוֹדֶשׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁהִיא קְדוּשָּׁתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּכְבוֹדוֹ וּבְעַצְמוֹ.

This implies an additional meaning of the blessing recited, "who sanctified us with His mitzvot": He elevated us to the height of supernal holiness, blessed be He, which is the holiness of the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, in all His glory. The phrase "who has sanctified us with His mitzvot" can therefore be interpreted in two ways. The first concerns God's descent toward us like a groom coming toward a bride, as the Mishna states, "'On the day of his wedding'; this is the giving of the Torah." The second interpretation, which complements the first, relates to an ascent. God raises us up toward Him to become holy through His mitzvot, for the mitzvot constitute the supernal will, and they are like a crown, which is above and distinct from the body.

וּקְדוּשָּׁה הִיא לְשׁוֹן הַבְדָּלָה, מַה שֶּׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הוּא מוּבְדָּל מֵהָעוֹלָמוֹת.

Holiness implies separation in the sense that the Holy One, blessed be He, is separated from the worlds. The term "holy" means distinct, and refers to that which is above and separate from all else. Therefore, as explained elsewhere, this term relates only to God, because only He is truly holy. Only God is separate, independent, and unattached to anything else. Anything that is referred to as "holy" is called this only in connection with God, as it is written, "You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy" (Lev. 19:2). This is the meaning of "who sanctified us with His mitzvot": the union – tzavta – involved in the act of a mitzva is holy, for it constitutes attachment to God and separation from the world.

וְהִיא בְּחִינַת סוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין, מַה שֶּׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בָּהֶן.

It is referred to as the quality of divinity which "encompasses all worlds," as it is unable to become enclothed in them. "Holy" means distinct; it relates to that which is beyond all realms and definitions. Therefore, according to the mystical teachings, it is not possible to say that the divine holiness is within the world, but only beyond it. It transcends any attachment to the world.

כִּי עַל יְדֵי יִחוּד הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהִתְכַּלְּלוּתָהּ בְּאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, הֲרֵי הִיא בְּמַעֲלַת וּמַדְרֵגַת קְדוּשַּׁת אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַמָּשׁ, מֵאַחַר שֶׁמִּתְיַיחֶדֶת וּמִתְכַּלֶּלֶת בּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְהָיוּ לַאֲחָדִים מַמָּשׁ.

That is because by the union and incorporation of the soul in the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, it too actually attains the height and level of the holiness of Ein Sof , blessed be He, since it is unified and included within Him, and they literally become one. The language of the blessing "who has sanctified us with His mitzvot" does not refer only to the union that takes place below, whereby God descends toward us and sanctifies us like a groom going toward his bride. Rather, it also pertains to the union above, where we ignore existence through fulfilling the mitzvot, becoming sanctified and separate from all existence, and connecting to God. We say, "who has sanctified us with His mitzvot," because through the mitzva, we connect to divine holiness, which means divine separation, the fact that God is entirely distinct from any existence in the world.

וְזֶה שֶׁכָּתוּב: "וִהְיִיתֶם לִי קְדוֹשִׁים כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי ה', וָאַבְדִּיל אֶתְכֶם מִן הָעַמִּים לִהְיוֹת לִי" (ויקרא כ, כו).

This is the meaning of the verse "You shall be holy to Me; for I, the Lord, am holy and have separated you from among the peoples to be Mine" (Lev. 20:26). "You shall be holy to Me" is interpreted not only as a command, but as a declarative sentence meaning: You shall be different and distinct. The reason given for this is: "For I, the Lord, am holy and have distinguished you from the peoples," through the commandments. This kind of distinction is not made by constructing a barrier; rather, it is an essential distinction relating to holiness, and it is formed by the very presence of a connection with God. When a person performs a mitzva, he moves beyond all other domains toward that which is holy.

וְאוֹמֵר: "וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹתָי וִהְיִיתֶם קְדוֹשִׁים לֵאלֹהֵיכֶם, אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם" וגו' (במדבר טו, מ-מא). פֵּירוּשׁ: כִּי עַל יְדֵי קִיּוּם הַמִּצְוֹת הֲרֵינִי אֱלוֹהַּ שֶׁלָּכֶם,

It further states, "You shall perform all My commandments, and be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God..." (Num. 15, 40–41). This means to say, "Through your performing the mitzvot, I am your God," The clarification "this means to say" comes to explain the difficulty regarding the possessive pronoun Elokeikhem, "your God." One may ask how it is possible to refer to God as though He belongs to someone. Therefore, the author of the Tanya adds an explanation: "As a result of your performing the mitzvot, I am your God." Moreover, from a linguistic perspective, the possessive form indicates only that the object relates to the person and the person relates to the object. For example, this is how we understand the appellations "my lord," and "my king"; the individual in question is the lord or the king over me. So too, this is how the phrase "your God" should be understood: the God who is connected to you, and to whom you are connected, through your performance of the mitzvot. The author of the Tanya claims that there are two ways in which this is possible. The first appeared in the clarification: "Through your performing the mitzvot, I am your God." When we keep the mitzvot, a connection is formed that does not come from us, but from God. Since He creates the connection, and he is the One establishing the commandments, the distance between us no longer matters. The constraint comes from our side, but from God's perspective there is none; when we simply accept and follow His command, the outcome is a relationship with "your God."

כְּמוֹ אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק וכו', שֶׁנִּקְרָא כֵּן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָאָבוֹת הָיוּ בְּחִינַת מֶרְכָּבָה לוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, וּבְטֵלִים וְנִכְלָלִים בְּאוֹרוֹ.

in the same way He is called "God of Abraham, God of Isaac..." He is called this, because the forefathers were on the level of being a chariot to Him and were subsumed and incorporated in His light. The second way in which God can be "your God," which in a sense is the first way, concerns the connection created by human beings. This kind of connection is possible, as will be explained below, only when the person truly leaves behind all the ordinary constraints of humanity and existence. God is called "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob," which indicates that He is connected in some sense to the forefathers. This kind of connection is total; the human being is a chariot to God. Being a chariot means not being oneself, and instead being a perfect vessel for God. This is why it is possible to say "God of Abraham": Abraham who is a chariot is not the man Abraham, who is like all the other people in the world, but rather Abraham who is a vessel for God. Abraham is a vessel of expression and reflection of divine kindness on earth, and therefore, Abraham is himself divine kindness. The appellation "God of Abraham" is not a reference to Abraham the man, but to this divine attribute and to the Divine itself.

וְכָכָה הוּא בְּכָל נֶפֶשׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל בִּשְׁעַת עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת.

So it is with the soul of every Jew while he engages in Torah and mitzvot. Like our forefathers, so too their descendants: all Jews say, "the Lord our God." Although not all Jews are chariots of the Divine Presence like the patriarchs were, each Jew becomes one when he fulfills a mitzva. The difference is that the forefathers were chariots of the Divine Presence due to their own power, due to their own particular consciousness and will, and therefore, they were chariots at all times, at every stage of their lives. By contrast, ordinary Jews become chariots only by virtue of the mitzvot that God commanded; therefore, they are chariots only while performing a mitzva. Since this point of connection, which is present within every Jewish soul, does not come from the individual, it is entirely conditional on the performance of a mitzva. When one engages in Torah and mitzvot, he becomes a chariot of the Divine Presence; he is transformed into part of the divine being, and he is holy. A moment later, when he is no longer engaged in Torah and mitzvot, he may even be found in the depths of the netherworld.

וְלָכֵן חִיְּיבוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז"ל לָקוּם וְלַעֲמוֹד מִפְּנֵי כָּל עוֹסֵק בְּמִצְוָה אַף אִם הוּא בּוּר וְעַם הָאָרֶץ (ביכורים ג, ג; קידושין לג, א),

That is why the Rabbis (Bikkurim 3:3; Kiddushin 33a) required standing up for anyone engaged in a mitzva, even if he is a boor and an ignoramus, When a Jew performs a mitzva with intention, he nullifies himself to the divine will and at that moment he becomes a chariot of the Divine Presence. In addition to the honor one shows elders and Torah scholars, particular honor is afforded to a person who is in the middle of doing a mitzva, even if he is unlearned, since this standing up and giving honor pertains to the mitzva that the person is engaged in.

וְהַיְינוּ מִפְּנֵי ה' הַשּׁוֹכֵן וּמִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּנַפְשׁוֹ בְּשָׁעָה זוֹ.

since it is actually for God who dwells and enclothes Himself in his soul at that time. A person who performs a mitzva may be a boor and an ignoramus, and he may even be wicked and sinful. However, while he engages in the mitzva, he is not merely connected to the Divine; he becomes a revelation of the divine essence. We express honor to the divine light that shines within his soul, the Divine that is now acting through him.

רַק שֶׁאֵין נַפְשׁוֹ מַרְגֶּשֶׁת מִפְּנֵי מָסַךְ הַחוֹמֶר הַגּוּפָנִי שֶׁלֹּא נִזְדַּכֵּךְ וּמַחְשִׁיךְ עֵינֵי הַנֶּפֶשׁ מֵרְאוֹת אֱלוֹהִים,

Yet his soul does not feel this union because of the screen of unrefined corporeal physicality that dims the eyes of the soul from seeing visions of God, All human beings, small or great, are equal in that when they perform a mitzva they are revealing the divine essence and glory through their act. The difference between people lies in their subjective feelings. The ability to see and feel depends on two things: The first is the special capacity of the soul to see visions of God, which certain exceptional people are born with. The second is a person's hard work, for the body in its initial state does not allow the soul to see visions of God, even if it has the potential to do so. Because it is imprisoned within the physical body, the soul cannot see the significance of mitzva observance, or how the divine light illuminates a person when he fulfills a mitzva. Therefore, one needs to expend a great deal of effort to cultivate the soul, molding, adjusting, and refining it so that it can see beyond the pervasive physical reality.

כְּמוֹ הָאָבוֹת וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן שֶׁרָאוּ עוֹלָמָם בְּחַיֵּיהֶם.

in the same way as the forefathers and those like them, who saw their spiritual world during their lifetime. As mentioned in the wording of the Grace after Meals, God blessed Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob "in everything, from everything, with everything." This blessing was a special gift to the forefathers whereby they were able to see and feel, each in his own way, "their spiritual world during their lifetime." They saw and felt God dwelling and being revealed within them when they carried out His will. They did not see this in another realm, in the Garden of Eden or the World to Come, but in their lives in this world, at the time that they were doing God's will.

וְזֶה שֶׁאָמַר אָסָף בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ, בְּעַד כָּל כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁבַּגּוֹלָה,

That is the meaning of what Asaf , the psalmist, wrote with divine inspiration regarding the entire congregation of Israel in the exile, Asaf is not expressing himself through these words, nor do they relate only to his place and time, which was in the Land of Israel during Temple times. Rather, he is the voice of the entire Jewish people, Kenesset Yisrael, including when they are in exile. This is why the author of the Tanya remarks here, unusually, that Asaf's words were divinely inspired, to teach that they are not a personal expression of the psalmist, but rather divine inspiration, which sees beyond the particular individual and time. The author of the Tanya emphasizes this point because his object is not to deal with lofty levels of spiritual refinement such as those of the Land of Israel and the Temple era. Rather, he is speaking equally to all Jewish souls, even the ones in exile, and even those who are like "boors" or "beasts."

"וַאֲנִי בַעַר וְלֹא אֵדָע, בְּהֵמוֹת הָיִיתִי עִמָּךְ, וַאֲנִי תָּמִיד עִמָּךְ" (תהלים עג, כב-כג). כְּלוֹמַר, שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֲנִי כִּבְהֵמָה בִּהְיוֹתִי עִמָּךְ, וְלֹא אֵדַע וְלֹא אַרְגִּישׁ בְּנַפְשִׁי יִחוּד זֶה, שֶׁתִּפּוֹל עָלֶיהָ אֵימָתָה וָפַחַד תְּחִלָּה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ אַהֲבָה רַבָּה בְּתַעֲנוּגִים, אוֹ כְּרִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ, כְּמִדַּת הַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁנִּזְדַּכֵּךְ חוֹמְרָם,

"I am a boor, unknowing; I am like the beasts before You. Yet I am always with You" (Ps. 72:22–23). That is, even though I am like a beast when I am with You, not knowing and not feeling this union in my soul, so that it should first be overcome with trepidation and fright and then with the great love of delight or the love of sparks of fire, as characterized the tzaddikim whose physicality has been refined, Asaf wrote this verse about the time of exile and concealment. Even when one is "with" God, when he is engaged in performing a mitzva, he is a "beast." When a Jew performs a mitzva, his soul should experience fear due to God's closeness, and this fear should be followed by love. It may be a love of gratification and pleasure due to the closeness, or alternatively, one of longing, but even allowing for each individual's particular circumstances, some type of love should arise from the closeness and the union with the divine being that occurs during the observance of a mitzva. In the case of tzaddikim, the "screen of unrefined corporeal physicality" mentioned above has been refined, and therefore, they see and feel this closeness. The feeling and experience of one mitzva could fill a person entirely, to the point where he is unable to bear any more. When a person performs a mitzva, he himself becomes a chariot of the Divine Presence, as explained above. We learn about this chariot from the visions of the prophets, yet the prophets only see the chariot, while the individual performing a mitzva actually is the chariot. He is the seraphim and the holy creatures. Ostensibly, therefore, he should also feel like the seraphim and the holy creatures. However, as the verse states, "I am a boor, unknowing; I am like the beasts before You"; the person may be like an animal that is brought into the king's palace and is moved neither by the king's greatness nor the fearfulness and the glory of the kingdom. Animals behave in exactly the same way in the king's palace as they do in a barn. Likewise, a person who engages in a mitzva and feels nothing is "like the beasts before You." A donkey that sees a Torah scroll is not inspired, nor should it be, because it is, after all, a donkey. So too, there are people who see a Torah scroll and are unmoved.

וְכַנּוֹדָע, שֶׁדַּעַת הוּא לְשׁוֹן הַרְגָּשָׁה בַּנֶּפֶשׁ,

as it is known that "knowledge," referred to in the verse, connotes the feeling of the soul, "Knowledge" does not allude to information that is recorded in a person's brain like in a computer's memory, like when one "knows" historical or geographical facts, which do not affect him personally. Rather, in the above verse, knowledge is referred to in the experiential, emotional sense of the word.

וְהוּא כּוֹלֵל חֶסֶד וּגְבוּרָה,

and it includes Ḥesed and Gevura . Knowledge includes the two extremes of emotion, Ḥesed and Gevura. There is "knowledge out of love," when a person knows something in terms of his love and desire for it, and the pleasure derived from being close to it. Additionally, there is "knowledge out of fear," where one knows a certain matter through the dread and pain that it brings. The phrase, "I am a boor, unknowing," refers to one who acts but does not know; he feels neither the dread of the act, nor the pleasure of the soul's longing that the act involves.

אַף עַל פִּי כֵן – "אֲנִי תָמִיד עִמָּךְ".

The verse continues, nevertheless, "I am always with You," The fact that a person is "like the beasts" does not negate the fact that he is "with" God. One can be a boor and a beast, and still be "always with You."

כִּי אֵין הַחוֹמֶר מוֹנֵעַ יִחוּד הַנֶּפֶשׁ בְּאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא,

for the physicality does not obstruct the union of the soul with the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, Physicality prevents one from seeing and understanding. It affects a person's subjective feelings, yet it does not change the essence of the matter. A person who is holding highly sensitive explosive materials may be overcome with terror, yet a donkey that is carrying the same item on its back feels no different than it does when it carries any other burden. The explosives are no less dangerous when they are on top of the donkey, but the donkey is unaware of the danger, because it is an animal. The same is true with regard to holiness. It is written regarding Abraham, "Behold, a dread, a great darkness, fell upon him" (Gen. 15:12). Yet there are many people who feel nothing when they perform mitzvot. Nevertheless, they too are like chariots of the Divine Presence when they engage in these acts. The fact that one does not feel does not prevent the connection, which is the wondrous union of the soul with God's infinite light, from being formed through the act of the mitzva.

הַמְּמַלֵּא כָּל עָלְמִין, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "גַּם חוֹשֶׁךְ לֹא יַחְשִׁיךְ מִמֶּךָּ" (תהלים קלט, יב).

which fills all worlds, as the verse states, "Even darkness does not darken for You" (Ps. 139:12). This union occurs with the infinite light, which has no limits. It is both beyond and inside every place, filling all of reality. Thus, nothing in reality can conceal or prevent it. Darkness and light are equal before the Creator. A person who "knows" and a person who does not "know" are both exactly the same distance away from holiness. However, while the one who knows feels the immense burden, the holiness and terror involved in his act, the one who does not know performs the mitzva as if he were carrying out any ordinary action. Thus, "Even darkness does not darken"; the union and connection formed by the mitzvot cannot be hampered by the "screen of physicality," or by the fact that the person is a boor or a beast. Furthermore, just as this is the case with regard to the union and pleasure of a mitzva, it is also true with regard to sin; the distance and disconnection that arise as the result of a transgression are present even if we do not feel the terror or pain of these matters. Every transgression harms the soul and cuts it off from its source, even if the person does not feel this. Just as dead flesh does not feel anything, and just as a fool has no sense of the consequences of his actions, a person can act in ways that hurt and sometimes even kill his soul, and not feel it.

וּבָזֶה יוּבָן חוֹמֶר עוֹנֶשׁ אִיסּוּר מְלָאכָה בְּשַׁבָּתוֹת וְחָמֵץ בְּפֶסַח, הַשָּׁוֶה לְכָל נֶפֶשׁ.

This enables understanding why the punishment for violating the prohibition of labor on the Sabbath and consuming leaven on Passover is equally severe for everyone. One who violates one of the Torah prohibitions that requires the severe punishments of stoning or karet, spiritual excision, will be liable for the relevant punishment, whether he is a great rabbi or an ignoramus. The punishment is the same for everyone, whether or not the person senses the severity of the prohibition and fears this terrible punishment.

לְפִי שֶׁאַף בְּנֶפֶשׁ בּוּר וְעַם הָאָרֶץ גָּמוּר מֵאִיר אוֹר קְדוּשַּׁת שַׁבָּת וְיוֹם טוֹב, וְנִידּוֹן בְּנַפְשׁוֹ בְּכָרֵת וּסְקִילָה עַל חִילּוּל קְדוּשָּׁה זוֹ.

That is because the light of the holiness of the Sabbath and the festival illuminates even the soul of a boor and total ignoramus, and therefore even his soul is condemned to karet , excision, and stoning, for desecrating this holiness. One receives karet if he violates the prohibition against eating leaven on Passover, and stoning if he desecrates the Sabbath by performing labor on that day. The holiness that is felt by a tzaddik on the Sabbath is vastly different from that which is felt by an ordinary person, and certainly that which is felt by an ignoramus. Rabbi Ḥayyim of Chernovitz, author of Sidduro shel Shabbat, was said to have grown an entire head taller every Sabbath; his weekday clothes and his Sabbath clothes were entirely different sizes. On the other hand, there are those for whom the Sabbath is like any other day. Essentially, however, the holiness of the Sabbath is divine, whether one is an ignoramus or a tzaddik; anyone who performs labor on the Sabbath desecrates it, regardless of what he feels.

וְגַם מַשֶּׁהוּ חָמֵץ, אוֹ טִלְטוּל מוּקְצֶה, פּוֹגֵם בַּקְּדוּשָּׁה שֶׁעַל

Even consuming a miniscule amount of leaven on Passover or moving some

נַפְשׁוֹ, כְּמוֹ בִּקְדוּשַּׁת נֶפֶשׁ הַצַּדִּיק, כִּי תּוֹרָה אַחַת לְכוּלָּנוּ.

thing muktze ( set aside) on the Sabbath blemishes the holiness of his soul in the same way it blemishes the holiness of the tzaddik's soul, for there is one Torah for us all. These are rabbinic prohibitions and do not result in stoning or karet, yet an ignoramus who violates them still blemishes the holiness of his soul. "There is one Torah for us all," because in a way we are all equal in Torah. The objective connection established by the Torah, whereby the divine soul becomes attached to divine holiness when a mitzva is performed, and detached from it when the person sins, is not conditional on the individual's feelings. The difference between a tzaddik and someone else, between a person on a higher level and one on a lower level, does not lie in this connection, but in one's sensitivity to its existence or absence. A tzaddik, who lives life on a high plane, and whose entire existence is love and fear of God, feels the pain of separation from the Divine in its full, real, tangible sense, while someone else might feel it only slightly or not at all. Nevertheless, no matter what a person feels, it is just a feeling, his reaction to the matter. The connection itself, however, is what the Torah takes from God, before whom all are equal. In this respect, "There is one Torah for us all," not one for the tzaddikim and a different one for the simple people.

[וּמַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב "בְּהֵמוֹת" (תהלים עג, כב), לְשׁוֹן רַבִּים,

(That which the verse cited above uses the plural, "beasts" [Ps. 73:22], The verse begins in the singular form: "I am a boor, unknowing," so why does it go on to use the plural form of the word "beast," behemot?

לְרַמֵּז כִּי לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ, גַּם בְּחִינַת דַּעַת הָעֶלְיוֹן, הַכּוֹלֵל חֶסֶד וּגְבוּרָה, נִדְמֶה כִּבְהֵמוֹת וַעֲשִׂיָּיה גּוּפָנִית לְגַבֵּי אוֹר אֵין סוֹף,

alludes to the fact that before the blessed One, even the level of higher knowledge, which includes Ḥesed and Gevura, is also deemed to be on the level of "beasts" and corporeal action relative to the light of Ein Sof, We, in our suffering and exile, are considered mindless beasts who do the mitzvot without the knowledge required to feel their essence and importance. Moreover, the higher knowledge of the world of Atzilut, which is the inner essence of the higher attributes, including higher love and fear, is deemed to be on the same level as our knowledge. This higher knowledge is likened to our knowledge, for despite the tremendous difference between them, both are like "beasts" with regard to God. This is why behemot is written in the plural form, for there is an additional type of beast above, which is just like the one below.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "כּוּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ" (תהלים קד, כד).

as it is written, "With wisdom have You made them all" [Ps. 104:24]. The expression "With wisdom have You made" (rather than "With wisdom have You thought") is understood as being like "With a hoe have You made": not as God's instrument of thought but as His instrument of deed. Relative to God, the divine wisdom in Atzilut and in the world of physical action are on the same level. The distinctions we make within our own microcosm between our intellect and our senses of sight and touch are from His standpoint insignificant. It is like when a person looks down at all the small objects below him; he does not distinguish or consider the differences between them. There are vast differences between the influenza virus and the common cold virus, but from the perspective of a human looking at them, these hierarchical distinctions have no meaning. The same is true of all the worlds with respect to God. Since He made them all with wisdom, all successive levels, including higher wisdom, belong to the realm that is by analogy like deeds for us.

וְנִקְרָא "בְּהֵמָה רַבָּה",

This level is referred to as the "Great Beast," This higher "beast" is on the level of the attributes in the sefira of Keter, Crown, which are drawn into supernal Da'at. In its root, it is even higher than the world of Atzilut.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר (ליקוטי תורה, ויקרא לג, ד), וְהוּא שֵׁם ב"ן, בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא בְּהֵמָ"ה,

as explained elsewhere [Likkutei Torah, Lev. 35d]. It corresponds to the divine name Ban, which has the numerical value of the word behema , The gematria of Ban is 52. Ban is a "full gematria " of the name of Havaya. A full gematria, or milui, is calculated when each letter in a word is itself written out as a full word. For example, the letter alef is spelled out as alef, lamed, peh. The letter heh can be spelled out in several ways, one of which is heh -heh. When it is spelled that way, the "full gematria " of the name of Havaya is 52. (The Kabbala enumerates four ways to spell the name Havaya, having the numerical values of 72, 63, 52, and 45.)

שֶׁלִּפְנֵי הָאֲצִילוּת.]

which precedes the world of Atzilut .) The level of the "great beast" is exceedingly high, even higher than the world of Atzilut. (Atzilut corresponds to humanity, adam, whose gematria is 45, mem -heh, which is a milui of the name of Havaya.) This higher level, which is above wisdom and which precedes the world of Atzilut, is called "beast" just like the lowly human, who resides in the physical world and who is called a boor and "like the beasts." Just as we are living in exile, forced into this lowly realm, the rest of existence is also intrinsically closed off and incapable of understanding the Divine. However, another aspect of this reality is that precisely for this reason, it is possible for a lowly human, even one who knows nothing, to achieve connection to God. Since from God's perspective there is no difference between the great worlds and the small worlds, between the most lofty and the most lowly, He can dwell among us. The impediment to understanding how the Infinite One can dwell in a human being who is a boor and like the beasts does not stem from an understanding of divine greatness, but rather from an inability to understand it. With regard to finite greatness, there is a difference between great and small. Thus, while one may be able to understand that God is occupied with the Milky Way, he may not be able to comprehend that it is also important to God whether an individual made a blessing after he drank a glass of milk. However, when we are able to grasp that God's greatness is beyond all measure, there is no longer a difference between great and small, between a heavenly beast and an earthly beast, or between the bacteria found in one drop of water and the stars in all the cosmos. Thus, one can understand that it is possible for God to descend and dwell among us, and it is possible for us to be intimately embraced while also being unable to grasp what that means. This is similar to a baby, who is embraced and loved by its mother, despite, or even because of the fact that it has no understanding of the essence of their connection, nor of the meaning of the embraces and kisses: "Like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul" (Ps. 131:2).