וְהִנֵּה לְתוֹסֶפֶת בֵּיאוּר לְשׁוֹן הַיָּנוֹקָא דִּלְעֵיל,

To gain further insight into the words of the child in the Zohar (2:187a) cited above (chap. 35), "The words of the child" refers to a passage in the Zohar. Chapter 35 above explained that this teaching of the child compares the light of the Divine Presence to the light of an oil lamp. The flame adheres to the wick and remains lit only when there is oil in the lamp. Similarly, the Divine Presence rests upon a human body, which is compared to a wick, only when a person performs good deeds, which are compared to oil. The present chapter will return to this idea from additional angles. And to that end, the author will first clarify a broader topic.

צָרִיךְ לְבָאֵר תְּחִלָּה, לְהָבִין קְצָת, עִנְיַן 'הַשְׁרָאַת הַשְּׁכִינָה' שֶׁהָיְתָה שׁוֹרָה בְּבֵית קָדְשֵׁי קָדָשִׁים, וְכֵן כָּל מְקוֹם הַשְׁרָאַת הַשְּׁכִינָה מַה עִנְיָינוֹ.

it is first necessary to explain something in order to understand somewhat the topic of the "resting of the Divine Presence," which rested in the housing of the Holy of Holies, and likewise to understand the meaning of every place that "the resting of the Divine Presence" is mentioned. The concept of the Divine Presence resting somewhere is mentioned many times in the sources, whether concerning a physical location or a soul. What this means needs to be clarified precisely.

הֲלֹא "מְלֹא כָל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ" (ישעיה ו, ג), וְ"לֵית אֲתָר פָּנוּי מִינֵּיהּ"?

For is it not the case that "the entire world is filled with His glory" (Isa. 6:3) and "there is no space void of Him" (Zohar )? Since the Divine Presence is everywhere, we cannot say that it is found in a particular place, e.g., in the Holy of Holies. If we say that something is found in a specific place, that means that it is not in another place. However, no place is empty of the Divine Presence.

אַךְ הָעִנְיָן, כְּדִכְתִיב: "וּמִבְּשָׂרִי אֶחֱזֶה אֱלוֹהַּ" (איוב יט, כו).

But this concept can be understood based on an analogy implied by the verse, "and from my flesh I will view God" (Job 19:26). From of a person's "flesh," his personal essence, he can see and grasp the higher essence. This terminology is frequently used in hasidic literature to introduce a particular type of explanation that uses the paradigm of the human body and soul as a model and example to explain higher reality.

שֶׁכְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּשְׁמַת הָאָדָם הִיא מְמַלְּאָה כָּל רמ"ח אֶבְרֵי הַגּוּף, מֵרֹאשׁוֹ וְעַד רַגְלוֹ,

This means that just as the human soul permeates all 248 limbs of the body, from head to foot, The soul exists in the entire human body. If any limb did not contain the soul of life, it would wither and die.

וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן, עִיקַּר מִשְׁכָּנָהּ וְהַשְׁרָאָתָהּ הִיא בְּמוֹחוֹ,

and nevertheless, its primary abode and resting place is in a person's brain, This is because the brain is the center of a person's consciousness and vitality.

וּמֵהַמּוֹחַ מִתְפַּשֶּׁטֶת לְכָל הָאֵבָרִים,

and from the brain it extends to all the limbs. The presence of the soul emanates from the brain, and gives life to all the limbs. An approximate analogy would be electrical energy which in itself does not create heat or cold. However, when the electric current comes to the home, it is transmitted into different appliances, where it functions in different ways. It cools and heats, washes, cooks, and so forth. The soul is the essence of life. And with regard to this level of being alive, all parts of the body are equal. In this respect, there is no difference between the toenail and the brain.

וְכָל אֵבָר מְקַבֵּל מִמֶּנָּה חַיּוּת וְכֹחַ הָרָאוּי לוֹ לְפִי מִזְגּוֹ וּתְכוּנָתוֹ –

Each limb receives from the soul the life force and capacity befitting its composition and character. Every limb receives its vitality and power appropriate for it from the overall living soul. And the extent to which the soul spreads into a particular limb, as is fitting and appropriate for the limb in accordance with its nature and composition, constitutes that limb's vitality. That is to say, the nature and composition of each limb is not brought about by the limb itself but already exists in the flow of vitality from the soul. In other words, the flow of soul into the limbs is not comparable to water that appears to have different colors only after it has been poured into jars of different colors.

הָעַיִן

For example, the eye receives the life force and capacity enabling it to see, and the ear to hear, the mouth to speak, and the feet to walk. These body parts receive their energy and capabilities from the soul. This can be compared to an electric current. The current itself does not heat or cool down a room. But when it enters a house and branches out to different appliances, it is expressed through the various functions of those appliances. It thereby heats or cools a room, washes laundry, and so on.

כַּנִּרְאֶה בְּחוּשׁ, שֶׁבַּמּוֹחַ מַרְגִּישׁ כָּל הַנִּפְעָל בִּרמ"ח אֵבָרִים וְכָל הַקּוֹרוֹת אוֹתָם.

As our experience indicates, it is with the brain that one is conscious of everything that affects the 248 limbs, and anything that occurs to them. The brain is the center of all the particular powers in the various parts of the body. Instructions and desires travel from the brain to the body parts, and responses and sensory information then travel back to the brain. The brain is the center of a person's consciousness overall, and the center of the nervous system. It is clear from the foregoing that the spiritual life force that is enclothed in the body is not one capacity that is split among the various organs. Rather, it is inherently complex. Even while it is still at its point of origin, the brain, before it is enclothed within the various body parts, it is complex and divided into the various intrinsic faculties, such as the ability to see, the ability to walk, and so forth.

וְהִנֵּה אֵין שִׁינּוּי קַבָּלַת הַכֹּחוֹת וְהַחַיּוּת שֶׁבְּאֶבְרֵי הַגּוּף מִן הַנְּשָׁמָה מִצַּד עַצְמָהּ וּמַהוּתָהּ,

The differentiation among the bodily limbs in receiving the capacity and life force does not derive from the soul's intrinsic essence, On the one hand, even before the soul is drawn into the body parts, their faculties are separated from one another. On the other hand, it cannot be said that this division and split exists in the soul itself, in its intrinsic essence.

שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מַהוּתָהּ וְעַצְמוּתָהּ

such that its intrinsic essence would be divided into 248 different parts, clothed in 248 different locations, according to the layout of the various locations of the bodily limbs. If we were to say that the soul's intrinsic essence is composed of different faculties, sight, hearing, walking, and so forth, this would mean that the soul's essence is divided into many parts, corresponding to the number and form of the body parts. Each part of the soul would have its own unique nature, qualities, and way of functioning.

שֶׁלְּפִי זֶה נִמְצָא עַצְמוּתָהּ וּמַהוּתָהּ מְצוּיָּיר בְּצִיּוּר גַּשְׁמִי וּדְמוּת וְתַבְנִית כְּתַבְנִית הַגּוּף חַס וְשָׁלוֹם,

According to this, it would be the case that the soul's intrinsic essence would be portrayed with a physical portrayal, and a likeness and structure like the structure of the body, God forbid. This is impossible, because the soul is a spiritual entity, and no physical form can be associated with it.

אֶלָּא כּוּלָּהּ עֶצֶם אֶחָד רוּחָנִי פָּשׁוּט, וּמוּפְשָׁט מִכָּל צִיּוּר גַּשְׁמִי, וּמִבְּחִינַת וְגֶדֶר מָקוֹם וּמִדָּה וּגְבוּל גַּשְׁמִי,

Rather, the soul is entirely a single, simple spiritual entity, devoid of any physical depiction or defined location, dimension, and physical limitation, The soul is not complex or divisible. The limitations that apply to physical objects do not apply to it.

מִצַּד מַהוּתָהּ וְעַצְמוּתָהּ. וְלֹא שַׁיָּיךְ בְּמַהוּתָהּ וְעַצְמוּתָהּ לוֹמַר שֶׁהִיא בַּמּוֹחִין שֶׁבָּרֹאשׁ יוֹתֵר מִבָּרַגְלַיִם, מֵאַחַר שֶׁמַּהוּתָהּ וְעַצְמוּתָהּ אֵינָהּ בְּגֶדֶר וּבְחִינַת מָקוֹם וּגְבוּל גַּשְׁמִי.

from the aspect of its intrinsic essence. Therefore, it cannot be stated that the soul's intrinsic essence is located in the brain in the head more so than it is in the feet, since its intrinsic essence is not defined and on the level of physical space and limitation. One cannot say that the soul is more present in one body part than in another, or that it is present in different ways in different body parts, because the parameters of spatiality do not apply to it. Thus, the question is: If the soul does not relate to the body parts, if it does not, as it were, recognize them by name, shape, and qualities, how do the body parts receive their vitality from it, the vitality that is directed to them each in accordance with its particular nature and composition, and without which vitality they cannot exist as they are?

רַק שֶׁתַּרְיָ"ג מִינֵי כֹּחוֹת וְחַיּוּת כְּלוּלִים בָּהּ בְּמַהוּתָהּ וְעַצְמוּתָהּ לָצֵאת אֶל הַפּוֹעַל וְהַגִּילּוּי מֵהַהֶעְלֵם

Rather, 613 types of faculties and life forces are incorporated within the soul's intrinsic essence, to be actualized and revealed The answer is that all of the parts of the body, all 248 organs and 365 sinews, are formed and encompassed in potential within the soul's character. There, they are prepared to go from potential to actual.

לְהַחֲיוֹת רמ"ח אֵבָרִין וְשס"ה גִּידִין שֶׁבַּגּוּף עַל יְדֵי הִתְלַבְּשׁוּתָם בַּנֶּפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ גַּם כֵּן רמ"ח וְשס"ה כֹּחוֹת וְחַיּוּת הַלָּלוּ.

to animate the 248 limbs and 365 sinews of the body by being enclothed in the vital soul, which also has these 248 and 365 types of faculties and life forces. The vital, or animal, soul directly vitalizes and activates the body. The higher soul is a unified spiritual entity that does not relate to and does not connect with the differentiation and distinctions among the body parts. But the vital soul is the midpoint between the higher, divine soul and the body. The vital soul is also a spiritual entity, but it is on a lower level and is less primary. It splits and flows to the different faculties in accordance with the needs of each of the body parts, giving them life and activating them.

וְהִנֵּה עַל הַמְשָׁכַת כָּל הַתרי"ג מִינֵי כֹּחוֹת וְחַיּוּת מֵהֶעְלֵם הַנְּשָׁמָה אֶל הַגּוּף לְהַחֲיוֹתוֹ, עָלֶיהָ אָמְרוּ שֶׁעִיקַּר מִשְׁכָּנָהּ וְהַשְׁרָאָתָהּ שֶׁל הַמְשָׁכָה זוֹ וְגִילּוּי זֶה הוּא כּוּלּוֹ בַּמּוֹחִין שֶׁבָּרֹאשׁ.

Regarding the drawing down of all 613 types of faculties and life forces from the concealment in the soul to the body, in order to animate it, they said that the principal abode and resting of this drawing down and this revelation is entirely in the brain within the head. The force in the soul that acts and activates the body does not flow directly from the soul's intrinsic essence to the various body parts. Rather, it first passes through a central point in the human body: the brain, housed in the head.

וְלָכֵן הֵם מְקַבְּלִים תְּחִלָּה הַכֹּחַ וְהַחַיּוּת הָרָאוּי לָהֶם, לְפִי מִזְגָּם וּתְכוּנָתָם. שֶׁהֵן: חָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת, וְכֹחַ הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה, וְכָל הַשַּׁיָּיךְ לַמּוֹחִין.

That is why the brain is first to receive the capacity and life force befitting its composition and character, that being wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, as well as the faculty of thought and everything that pertains to the brain. First of all, the brain receives the capacity for thought and cognition that are germane to the brain.

וְלֹא זוֹ בִּלְבַד, אֶלָּא גַּם כְּלָלוּת כָּל הַמְשָׁכוֹת הַחַיּוּת לִשְׁאָר הָאֵבָרִים, גַּם כֵּן כְּלוּלָה וּמְלוּבֶּשֶׁת בַּמּוֹחִין שֶׁבָּרֹאשׁ.

Not only that, but the totality of all of the flows of life force to the other limbs is also incorporated and enclothed in the brain within the head. Not only does the brain receive its own life force, but all of the forces that act within the body are first revealed in the brain. The powers relevant to the brain itself, wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and the faculty of thought, which are the faculties of the brain itself, are fully revealed there, while the other faculties, which belong to the 248 body parts, are not in the brain in a manifest way ready to perform their action. Rather, they only radiate and extend from the brain like a ray of the sun from the sun.

וְשָׁם הוּא עִיקָּרָהּ וְשָׁרְשָׁהּ שֶׁל הַמְשָׁכָה זוֹ, בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי הָאוֹר וְהַחַיּוּת שֶׁל כָּל הַנְּשָׁמָה כּוּלָּהּ.

There, in the brain, is the core and root of this drawing down, on the level of a manifestation of the light and life force of the very entirety of the soul. The essence and entirety of the life force that is drawn from the soul to the body is revealed in the manifestation of the life force in the brain.

וּמִשָּׁם מִתְפַּשֶּׁטֶת הֶאָרָה לִשְׁאָר כָּל הָאֵבָרִים וּמְקַבֵּל כָּל אֶחָד כֹּחַ וְחַיּוּת הָרָאוּי לוֹ כְּפִי מִזְגּוֹ וּתְכוּנָתוֹ,

From there, the illumination of the soul extends to all the other limbs, and each one receives the capacity and life force befitting its composition and character. Thus, in the life force within the brain, along with the revelation of the light of the entire soul, there is also a particular drawing down and particular illumination toward each body part.

כֹּחַ הָרְאִיָּה מִתְגַּלֶּה בָּעַיִן, וְכֹחַ הַשְּׁמִיעָה בָּאוֹזֶן וכו'.

For example, the capacity for sight is manifest in the eye, and the capacity for hearing is manifest in the ear, and so forth. The eye and the ear are the proper vessels for sight and hearing, respectively. Thus, the spiritual capacity for sight is revealed within the eye and the spiritual capacity for hearing is revealed within the ear. The proper spiritual power is revealed within each one of the body parts.

וְכָל הַכֹּחוֹת מִתְפַּשְּׁטִים מֵהַמּוֹחַ כַּנּוֹדַע כִּי שָׁם הוּא עִיקַּר מִשְׁכַּן הַנְּשָׁמָה כּוּלָּהּ, בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי, שֶׁנִּגְלֵית שָׁם כְּלָלוּת הַחַיּוּת הַמִּתְפַּשֵּׁט מִמֶּנָּה.

Yet all the faculties extend from the brain, as is known, because the brain is the principal abode of the entirety of the soul on a manifest level, where the totality of the life force that extends from the soul is manifest. The essence and beginning of the drawing forth is in the brain. As mentioned, the essential soul itself is not revealed at all, whether in a toenail or in the brain. However, illumination from the soul is drawn forth in a manifest state. And the totality of this illumination of the life force and its being revealed in the body is in the brain.

רַק כֹּחוֹתֶיהָ שֶׁל כְּלָלוּת הַחַיּוּת מְאִירִים וּמִתְפַּשְּׁטִים מִשָּׁם לְכָל אֶבְרֵי הַגּוּף, כְּדִמְיוֹן הָאוֹר הַמִּתְפַּשֵּׁט וּמֵאִיר מֵהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לְחַדְרֵי חֲדָרִים

It is merely the faculties of the totality of the life force that radiate and extend from there to all the limbs of the body, just as the light of the sun spreads and shines into innermost rooms. The forces of vitality in the limbs are only an illumination and extension of the total illumination of the soul shining in the brain. The analogy of the sunlight emphasizes that although the forces of vitality in the limbs appear independent, they are not separate from the soul, just as light cannot be separated from its source, even if it appears to be so, as when an innermost room is lit by sunlight while the sun itself cannot be seen.

[וַאֲפִילּוּ הַלֵּב מְקַבֵּל מֵהַמּוֹחַ, וְלָכֵן הַמּוֹחַ שַׁלִּיט עָלָיו בְּתוֹלַדְתּוֹ, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל].

(Even the heart receives its life force from the brain. And therefore the brain innately controls it, as stated above [chap. 12].) The heart too is the center of life. It is the center of blood circulation, which brings life to the body. Yet it too receives nerve signals from the brain, which regulate and activate it. The brain is the central organ of the nervous system. It is the center for every sensation and for consciousness, for the transfer of life force to all the limbs, and for the coordination among them. In this sense, just as the brain controls all the limbs, it controls the heart as well. Thus it is only the illumination of the soul that is revealed within the body and which affects the various limbs. However, this illumination of the soul, including even the aspect of the soul that acts within the body, does not function in a decentralized way, such that each part of the body receives its particular spiritual power directly from that illumination. Rather, all the powers come to one central point, the brain, from which the soul is drawn toward all the body parts, to each in accordance with its nature and purpose. This concludes the first part of the chapter which employed an analogy, taken from the human context, to outline in the broadest way the relationship among three concepts: intrinsic essence, permeation (hashra'a ), and manifestation. The chapter taught that these concepts differ from each other in various ways. "Intrinsic essence" refers to an entity that can be in different places and in different states without being revealed. It exists within everything, but it is not manifest in any specific object. This is life itself, which is found in the whole body equally, as much in the sole of the foot as in the brain, yet which is not revealed in any specific place. Another concept and level is that of "permeation," the Divine Presence resting in the world, and the soul resting in the body. This pertains to a location. The analogy speaks of the soul dwelling in the brain, from which it is revealed and from where it affects all the limbs. The third level is "manifestation." According to this analogy, the soul is revealed in the life force of the body parts and in their various actions. Permeation and manifestation are distinct from one another. Sometimes manifestation exists without permeation, and sometimes permeation exists without manifestation. The soul might be manifest in a different place from where it resides. For example, a painter's hand can serve as a tool for the revelation of the inner being of the soul more than any other part of his body, including his brain. The manifestation of his soul, of the existence of the life within him, certainly needs to pass through his brain, but it is not necessarily revealed there but rather in another limb in the body, namely his hand. There were great artists who possessed a brutish nature that astonished people. They wondered how one person could be both refined and coarse at the same time. The explanation is that it is possible for the interior of the soul to be manifest in this way as well. The soul always resides in the brain, but it is possible for the interior of the soul to be revealed only through a different part of the body. The Talmud (Sota 10a) lists five people, Samson, Saul, Absalom, Zedekiah, and Asa, who "were created [with a characteristic that is] akin to the representation of the [One on] High." That is to say, in a certain area of their being, they were perfect. As we see from those people, it is possible that a higher virtue will be revealed only in one part of a person and not in his entire being. "Samson [was glorified] in his strength": With his hands, Samson manifested supernal powers that were not manifest in his brain. There can be manifestation without permeation, when the permeation within a person is not apparent. Another example concerns two mountains referred to in the Torah: Mount Sinai and Mount Moriah. Mount Sinai was a place of manifestation. The revelation there at the giving of the Torah was beyond any revelation that took place on Mount Moriah, where the Temple stood. However, after that revelation, Mount Sinai reverted to being an undistinguished place for sheep and cattle to graze. Mount Moriah, on the other hand, is the place where the Divine Presence always rests, even when there is no revelation there.

וְכָכָה מַמָּשׁ עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל,

In the very same way, figuratively speaking, It has already been mentioned that this phrase contains a paradox. Here, it reflects the complex nature of the matter at hand, the permeation and manifestation of the Divine Presence. On the one hand, the entire explanation is only "figurative," but on the other hand it is "the very same." Even if it is impossible to fully understand the analogy, it must be accepted as "the very same" until further explanations are provided.

אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְמַלֵּא כָּל עָלְמִין לְהַחֲיוֹתָם

Ein Sof , blessed be He, fills all worlds to grant them life. Each world contains an endless number of creations, and myriads upon myriads of varied levels of angels and souls, and so forth. The Talmud states, "Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, fills the entire world, so too the soul fills the entire body" (Berakhot 10a). A "world" is defined as a realm of beings, conscious and partially conscious, that are arranged within a particular system. It is not necessarily a physical realm, but it comprises the dimensions that allow certain things to exist in reality. In this sense, as we see in our world, each world contains innumerable levels and different entities: angels, souls, and so forth.

וְכֵן רִיבּוּי הָעוֹלָמוֹת, אֵין לוֹ קֵץ וּגְבוּל, גָּבוֹהַּ עַל גָּבוֹהַּ

Likewise, the multitude of worlds has no end or limit, one above the other and so forth. In addition to the multitude of creations in each world, there is an infinite number of worlds. Although we speak of numbers of worlds, two or four worlds, there are in fact an untold number, each with a different composition and on a different level. The difference in worlds is in their nature and their level. There are worlds that are higher than high, and worlds that are even higher than that, without end. Each world is inhabited by many different creatures and entities: physical entities and an even greater number of spiritual entities. The "universe" that physicists refer to, which itself is beyond measure, is just a thin layer within one system of worlds, and above that system of worlds there are countless others.

וְהִנֵּה מַהוּתוֹ וְעַצְמוּתוֹ שֶׁל אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא שָׁוָה בָּעֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים,

Now the essence and being of Ein Sof , blessed be He, is uniform in both the higher and lower worlds, as in the analogy of the soul presented above. It cannot be said that God's essence is found in a higher world to a greater degree than in a lower world. Likewise, the life force that the soul conveys to the body illuminates the toes just as much as it illuminates the brain. As above, from the perspective of God's being and essence, "there is nowhere that is devoid of Him." This means that from the aspect of His being and existence, there is no place, entity, or level of existence that is empty of Him; from infinitely high to infinitely low, from the great archangel Michael to the smallest worm. As Rambam says, "All beings exist due only to the truth of His Own Being. If a person might conjecture that He were not, then nothing could exist." Worlds, entities, can exist only given divine existence, since only divine being and essence grant life and existence to all existence, from beginning to end and in every direction.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתִּיקּוּנִים (הקדמת תיקוני זהר יז, א): דְּאִיהוּ סְתִימוּ דְּכָל סְתִימִין.

As written in the Tikkunei Zohar (17a), "He is the most hidden of all hidden." If God is equally present in all worlds, then He is concealed in all of them.

פֵּירוּשׁ: דַּאֲפִילּוּ בְּעָלְמִין סְתִימִין דִּלְעֵילָּא הוּא סָתוּם וְנֶעְלָם בְּתוֹכָם כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא סָתוּם וְנֶעְלָם בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים.

This means that even in the hidden higher worlds He is hidden and concealed within them, in the same way that He is hidden and concealed in the lower worlds. The expression, "He is the most hidden of all hidden," could be understood to mean that God is more concealed than all that is concealed, but concealed in the same way. Thus, the author of the Tanya adds this sentence. That is to say, not only is God more hidden than they are, but He is hidden from them to such a degree that there is no difference between His being concealed in the lower worlds and His being concealed in the higher, hidden worlds. The distinction between hidden worlds and revealed worlds is significant only with respect to us. A "revealed world" is one which an entity of our magnitude can understand, whereas a "hidden world" is beyond the limits of our comprehension. In this sense, the division between the revealed worlds and the hidden worlds is not fixed. It varies from person to person, and even from moment to moment within the life of a particular individual, in accordance with his level. This division is also a division of level; the hidden worlds are also higher worlds. The author of the Tanya is saying that even if a person were able to comprehend all the revealed worlds and the hidden worlds beyond them, endlessly higher and higher, God Himself is still "the most hidden of all hidden." There too He is concealed just as He is concealed in our world.

כִּי לֵית מַחְשָׁבָה תְּפִיסָא בֵּיהּ כְּלָל, אֲפִילּוּ בָּעוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים,

For no thought can grasp Him at all, even in the higher worlds. This is not referring only to human thought, but to any thought, on any level, and in any world. As stated in the liturgical hymn recited during the Days of Awe, God is "the constant One who considers small and great equally." He is separate and concealed from the higher worlds just as He is from our world. The angel Michael does not know God's essence any more than does the lowliest creature on earth. The ministering angels ask one another, "Where is the place of His glory?" in the same way that a small child asks this, at his level of comprehension. As stated above, the impossibility of understanding God is not a question of the level of one's thought. In essence, no thought whatsoever can perceive Him.

וְנִמְצָא כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצוּי שָׁם, כָּךְ נִמְצָא בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים מַמָּשׁ.

Thus, in literally the same way that He is present there in the higher worlds, He is present in the lower worlds. There is no difference between God's presence in the highest heights and in the lowest abyss. In terms of comprehension, no one comprehends, and in terms of existence, He is present everywhere. With regard to God's essence and being, the divine life force is just as present within a grain of sand as it is within the heavenly angels.

וְהַהֶבְדֵּל שֶׁבֵּין עוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים הוּא מִצַּד הַמְשָׁכַת הַחַיּוּת, אֲשֶׁר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַמְשִׁיךְ וּמֵאִיר בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי מֵהַהֶעְלֵם

The difference between the higher and lower worlds exists from the aspect of the channeling of the life force which Ein Sof , blessed be He, channels and radiates so that it is revealed, having come out of concealment Nevertheless, we see a difference between the various levels and worlds. This difference is not due to the divine essence itself but to its illumination and the extent to which this illumination is manifest within the worlds. The greater the revelation of the divine light, the higher the level the world is considered to be on. In this sense, there are differences between higher level and lower level, between one world and another. Nevertheless, the revelation is not a revelation of the divine essence and being, but only of the light of the essence. This light does not touch the divine essence. It does not add or detract anything from fundamental being or essence.

[שֶׁזֶּה אֶחָד מֵהַטְּעָמִים שֶׁהַהַשְׁפָּעָה וְהַמְשָׁכַת הַחַיּוּת מְכוּנָּה בְּשֵׁם 'אוֹר', עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל],

(this is one of the reasons that the flow and channel of life force is referred to metaphorically as light), The author of the Tanya notes that the divine flow is often referred to in terms of light: "the light of Ein Sof," "supernal lights," "direct light," "reflected light," and so forth. The "light" expresses the idea that there is a source of light, an independent "luminary," and the light that emanates from it does not change or affect it in any way. This relationship between the source of the light, which is concealed and distinct, and the light itself, which illuminates and is revealed within other objects, expresses the relationship between the divine essence and its influence upon the worlds.

לְהַחֲיוֹת הָעוֹלָמוֹת וְהַבְּרוּאִים שֶׁבָּהֶם, שֶׁהָעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים מְקַבְּלִים בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי קְצָת יוֹתֵר מֵהַתַּחְתּוֹנִים,

to grant life to the worlds and creations within them. The higher worlds receive their life force somewhat more openly than do the lower worlds, Regarding this illumination that gives life to the worlds and creatures, there is a disparity between one world and another, and between one creation and another. As stated, no world can contain and grasp the divine essence itself. The worlds all receive just a little light, and the only difference between them is that the "higher" worlds receive a little more.

וְכָל הַבְּרוּאִים שֶׁבָּהֶם מְקַבְּלִים כָּל אֶחָד כְּפִי כֹּחוֹ וּתְכוּנָתוֹ,

and all of the creations within them receive the flow, each according to its capacity and character, Light is received by each world in general, and as a result, these worlds are able to exist. Moreover, each individual creation within the worlds also receives light. The degree of this light is in accordance with each creation's particular characteristics and its capacity to bear the light.

שֶׁהִיא תְּכוּנַת וּבְחִינַת הַמְשָׁכָה הַפְּרָטִית אֲשֶׁר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַמְשִׁיךְ וּמֵאִיר לוֹ.

which is the character and category of a particular flow which Ein Sof , blessed be He, channels and radiates to it. The illumination received by each creation, in accordance with its makeup and character, is in keeping with the structure and quality of its vessel, which also receives its own specific drawing down and illumination. Accordingly, the revelation of the divine light is twofold. First, it forms a vessel of a certain size and capability, and second, it maintains and serves and acts within that vessel, in accordance with the capacity and manner that each particular vessel can receive. This revelation creates the worlds, which are different and distinct from one another, each with its own particular dimensions and quality of being. Subsequently, in accordance with the relevant capacity, a certain degree of consciousness can come within that existence. To use the human analogy, the body itself is formed as it is from the same source as its life force. This force acts within the body, forming it and causing it to grow, one way in the toenail and another in the brain. Next, the soul illuminates within the body, operating in one way in the brain and in another way in the toenail, in each part according to its nature and function. Here as well, there is a doubleness: the formation of the vessel and its function, which are two stages that by definition come one after the other. Thus, the illumination of life acts twice: in the vessels and in the lights. The relationship between the light and vessel may be seen also more abstractly as the relationship between a concept and a word. The concept enters the word, but the word, which stores the concept, also requires a certain characterization in order to become a vessel in a specific and appropriate manner. The composition and wondrousness of the word itself, as in any "vessel," is no less than the wondrousness in the light.

וְהַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, אֲפִילּוּ הָרוּחָנִיִּים אֵינָם מְקַבְּלִים בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי כָּל כָּךְ

By contrast, the lower worlds, even the spiritual ones, do not receive their life force so openly, but rather through many garments in which Ein Sof, blessed be He, enclothes the life force and light which He channels and radiates in order to grant them life. The lower worlds, even the spiritual ones such as the spiritual world of Asiya, do not receive their life force in the same manner as the higher worlds. The life force of the lower worlds is shrouded by many concealments.

וְכָל כָּךְ עָצְמוּ וְגָבְרוּ הַלְּבוּשִׁים אֲשֶׁר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַלְבִּישׁ וּמַסְתִּיר בָּהֶם הָאוֹר וְהַחַיּוּת, עַד אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא בּוֹ עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, הַחוֹמְרִי וְהַגַּשְׁמִי מַמָּשׁ,

The garments in which Ein Sof , blessed be He, enclothes and conceals the light and life force intensified and grew so strong until He created this world, which is actually physical and material. The many garments obscure and dim the divine essence, which is the source of the light. God created our world (ha'olam hazeh ), the revealed world with this limited, dim light. The author of the Tanya explains that the description "actually physical and material" refers to the lowest possible point from which it is impossible to descend further, and where there is apparently no longer contact with any other reality. This is the fundamental difference between the material world and the spiritual world (which includes the spiritual world of Asiya ). All the spiritual worlds are connected to each other in a sense, at least by means of negative definitions, since material definitions do not apply to them. On some level they can perceive the realities of other spiritual worlds. In contrast, it is nearly impossible to see any connection between the physical and the spiritual. The two have almost no common ground. From the perspective of the physical realm, the spiritual realm does not exist, and from the perspective of the spiritual realm, the physical realm looks lifeless, completely disconnected, like a dead body showing no signs of life.

וּמְהַוֵּוהוּ וּמְחַיֵּיהוּ בְּחַיּוּת וְאוֹר אֲשֶׁר מַמְשִׁיךְ וּמֵאִיר לוֹ, אוֹר הַמְלוּבָּשׁ וּמְכוּסֶּה וּמוּסְתָּר בְּתוֹךְ הַלְּבוּשִׁים הָרַבִּים וְהָעֲצוּמִים הַמַּעֲלִימִים וּמַסְתִּירִים הָאוֹר וְהַחַיּוּת,

He sustains it and grants it life through the life force and light which He channels and radiates to it, which is enclothed, cloaked, and concealed within the many immense garments which hide and conceal the light and life force, Without being noticed by the physical realm, the light is enclothed within it. God makes the existence of such a world possible. The divine light is veiled and concealed, such that neither the divine nor the light can be seen. Similarly, the light that reaches us from the moon is a reflection of the sunlight and so diminished that it is difficult for us to associate it with the sunlight or the sun itself.

עַד שֶׁאֵין נִרְאֶה וְנִגְלֶה שׁוּם אוֹר וְחַיּוּת, רַק דְּבָרִים חוֹמְרִיִּים וְגַשְׁמִיִּים

to the extent that no light or life force is detectable – only physical and material entities When we see physical entities, we do not see their spiritual life force, the divine light that is the essential source of their life and their existence.

וְנִרְאִים מֵתִים.

that appear to be lifeless. Something lifeless is seen only in terms of its inanimate matter. We do not see a spiritual life force within it as we do in plants and animals.

אַךְ בְּתוֹכָם יֵשׁ אוֹר וְחַיּוּת הַמְהַוֶּה אוֹתָם מֵאַיִן לְיֵשׁ תָּמִיד, שֶׁלֹּא יַחְזְרוּ לִהְיוֹת אַיִן וְאֶפֶס כְּשֶׁהָיוּ.

However, within them lies the light and life force which perpetually brings them into existence from nothingness, so that they will not revert to their original state of absolute nothingness. We can see that living beings such as animals have life force. But even inanimate matter exists, and nothing exists on its own. All of existence is supported by the divine life force within. Thus, not only is the world not "lifeless," but it breathes in life at all times. For the sake of its very existence, it must receive in each instant a new life force in order to vitalize it and sustain it in existence, in order to maintain it so that it does not return to nothingness. That is because in relation to God Himself, now too after the world has been created, there is nothing besides God, just as there was nothing besides Him prior to Creation.

וְאוֹר זֶה הוּא מֵאֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רַק שֶׁנִּתְלַבֵּשׁ בִּלְבוּשִׁים רַבִּים.

This light emanates from Ein Sof, blessed be He, but it is enclothed in many garments. This light animates the worlds so that they will not return to chaos and nothingness. It gives them existence, form, and continuity: all that we call reality. As the author of the Tanya explains elsewhere, every act of creation, from nothingness into existence, is effected only by the power of the Divine, by Ein Sof Himself. If the light of Ein Sof that shines upon the worlds were revealed without garments, there would be no concealment and therefore no world.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּעֵץ חַיִּים,

As stated in Etz Ḥayyim (50:1), the light and life force present within the physical planet Earth, which is visible to corporeal eyes, emanates from the sefira of Malkhut within Malkhut of the world of Asiya , This is the final level of illumination in the unfolding succession by whose power the physical world lives. The world of Asiya is the last of the four worlds, and Malkhut is the last of the sefirot, and Malkhut within Malkhut is the last level within that. There are thus three immense constrictions, becoming progressively more hidden, each one leaving behind only the physical, inanimate matter on that level, leading to the ultimate descent: the material from which the three inner, spiritual layers – human beings, animals, and plants – are removed, so that all that remains is the inanimate.

וּבְתוֹכָהּ מַלְכוּת דִּיצִירָה וכו', עַד שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ כּוּלָּן עֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת הַמְיוּחָדוֹת בְּמַאֲצִילָן אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא.

within which lies the sefira of Malkhut of the world of Yetzira, and so forth, such that within all of them are ten sefirot of the world of Atzilut , which are one with their Emanator, Ein Sof , blessed be He. Within this light is hidden a deeper level of light, that of Malkhut of Yetzira. Within Malkhut of Yetzira is Malkhut of Beria, and within that is Malkhut of Atzilut. Thus, the light of the ten sefirot of Atzilut is found at the core of every reality, even one that is ultimately inanimate and superficial. What sets the world of Atzilut apart from all of the created worlds is that it does not, as it were, have an independent and separate existence, not only in that which is concealed but also in that which is revealed. The ten sefirot of Atzilut are completely and utterly united with the Emanator. He and His "vessels," the sefirot, are one. The life force of the truly material world cannot be seen, yet in its very core it is truly the very same life force that animates the world of Atzilut. The world of Atzilut is all unity and holiness. It is completely transparent to the divine life force that acts within it. All the worlds essentially have the same composition, yet this composition is expressed in the language of analogy. On certain levels, the analogy becomes so complex and obscure that the inner reality of what it points to can no longer be seen. Moreover, sometimes what is read out of it is the total opposite of the original meaning. This can be seen in the Sages' description of the Torah standing before God and weeping, "Your children have rendered me like a harp on which clowns play" (Sanhedrin 101a). They enjoy the poetry, the analogy, but they do not consider the intended meaning, or they think about something else entirely, sometimes its opposite, and what is antithetical to it. Nevertheless, as long as there is an analogy and its meaning, there is a relationship between them. There are simple, obvious relationships, and there are more complex relationships, like the relationship between God and this world. Nevertheless, in them the intended meaning is always one.