וּכְמוֹ שֶׁבְּנִשְׁמַת הָאָדָם עִיקַּר גִּילּוּי כְּלָלוּת הַחַיּוּת הוּא בַּמּוֹחִין, וְכָל הָאֵבָרִים מְקַבְּלִים אוֹר וְכֹחַ לְבַד, הַמֵּאִיר לָהֶם מִמְּקוֹר גִּילּוּי הַחַיּוּת שֶׁבַּמּוֹחִין,

Just as, in a person's soul, the principal manifestation of the life force as a whole is in the brain, and all the organs only receive the light and power that shine onto them from the source of the manifestation of the life force in the brain, The all-encompassing life force that flows into the body in order to give it life is manifest in the brain. The overall power of life is revealed in the brain. Awareness of existence, the sensory centers, and the response to everything that happens in the entire body exist in the brain.

כָּכָה מַמָּשׁ עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל

so too, figuratively speaking, As elsewhere in the Tanya, this paradoxical expression describes the paradoxical relationship between the analogy and what the analogy points to. The resemblance between the two continues up to a certain point. It is not boundless. It is therefore important to mention that the comparison is only metaphorical, that the analogy and what it points to are not in fact completely alike. Nevertheless, there is a degree of correspondence between them, and within that particular zone they are "the very same."

עִיקַּר גִּילּוּי כְּלָלוּת הַמְשָׁכַת הַחַיּוּת, לְהַחֲיוֹת הָעוֹלָמוֹת וְהַבְּרוּאִים שֶׁבָּהֶם, הוּא מְלוּבָּשׁ וְנִכְלָל בִּרְצוֹנוֹ וְחָכְמָתוֹ וּבִינָתוֹ וְדַעְתּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ הַנִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם 'מוֹחִין'.

the principal manifestation of the overall drawing forth of life force in order to grant life to the worlds and the creatures within them is enclothed and incorporated in God's will, His wisdom, His understanding, and His knowledge, which as a whole are referred to by the term moḥin ["brain"]. God's "will" is the sefira of Keter, Crown, and His "wisdom, understanding, and knowledge" are the sefirot of Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at. This system of sefirot is called moḥin (literally "brains"). It is analogous to the human brain, as explained in the previous chapter, from which the totality of the revelation of the soul's life force flows into the body. The life forces split up from the brain and spread out to the various parts of the body.

וְהֵן הֵן הַמְלוּבָּשִׁים בַּתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹתֶיהָ.

These four sefirot are enclothed in the Torah and its mitzvot. On each level and in every world, God's will, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge are enclothed and revealed in the "garments" of Torah and its mitzvot. The Torah is the garment, the vessel that reveals via the intellect, and in a way that allows God's will, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to be put into practice in our lowly world. By itself, our physical world is passive and indifferent. It does not exhibit any preference or will. A woolen thread does not care whether it is made into a sweater or a pair of tzitzit. It is passive. It takes whatever shape it is woven into. Likewise, the world at large is not disposed toward good or evil. It cannot be said to favor one way over another. The Torah, however, is just the opposite. It is the world's intellect and direction. Its whole essence is to determine what the Creator wants from His creations and how to achieve this. The Torah paints a picture of the world as it should be, and then guides it to this point. This will and wisdom are at the core of the Torah. Accordingly, the Torah is the moḥin of each world, for it sees how things are supposed to be. It is the center of life, and all other creations draw their individual forms from it.

וְגִילּוּי כְּלָלוּת הַמְשָׁכָה זוֹ הוּא מְקוֹר הַחַיּוּת, אֲשֶׁר הָעוֹלָמוֹת מְקַבְּלִים כָּל אֶחָד בִּפְרָטוּת.

The manifestation of the totality of this drawing-forth is the source of the life force that the worlds receive, each one individually. The manifestation of the totality of this life force, which is enclothed and revealed in the Torah and its mitzvot, is the universal source from which every world and every creation receives its particular life force.

רַק הֶאָרָה מִתְפַּשֶּׁטֶת וּמְאִירָה מִמָּקוֹר זֶה.

Only a glimmer spreads and shines from this source. The life force that each individual creation receives is not an extension of the source itself, but a diminished, partial glimmer of it.

כְּדִמְיוֹן אוֹר הַמִּתְפַּשֵּׁט מֵהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל,

This is similar to the light that spreads out from the sun, by way of analogy. The connection between the source of the life and the life drawn into the worlds is comparable to the connection between the sun and its light that spreads out and reaches our globe. In both of these, there is a one-way relationship. Sunlight cannot exist without a constant connection to the sun, whereas regardless of what happens to the sunlight, the sun itself is not altered. Sunlight might illuminate a polished mirror or a black surface. Likewise, it might shine upon a baby or a pile of garbage. However, this does not at all affect the sun in any way.

וְכֹחוֹת אֶבְרֵי הַגּוּף מֵהַמּוֹחַ הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.

It is similar to the faculties of the limbs of the body receiving life force from the brain, as stated above (chap. 51). All the life force that the body receives from the soul is concentrated in the brain. This analogy, which was expounded upon in the previous chapter, demonstrates the relationship between three matters: 1) the essence of the soul, which is indivisible and does not relate to any particular place, time, or particular parameter; 2) the place where the soul rests within the body; and 3) the activity of the powers of the soul within the body, which give life and existence to each organ of the body in accordance with its nature. Similarly, the divine essence itself does not spread out to the world or shine in a revealed manner in it. The world's components and parts are completely unable to relate to it. Consequently, as in the body, there is one fundamental point in the world, on the border between entities, from which the light is particularized and distributed to all the worlds.

וּמָקוֹר זֶה הוּא הַנִּקְרָא 'עָלְמָא דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא',

This source is referred to as the "manifest world." This does not mean that everything is revealed within the "manifest world," for in this world there are various different levels that are not manifest to the same extent. Even in the physical world, there are millions of different creatures and beings that have not been discovered and are unknown, and this is even more true with regard to the "manifest" spiritual worlds. Nonetheless, the source of all the worlds, which are inherently able to be manifest, is referred to in the kabbalistic works as "the manifest world."

וּ'מַטְרוֹנִיתָא' וְ'אִימָּא תַּתָּאָה',

And it is also referred to as matronita [queen] and "lower mother." In the Zohar, this source is referred to as the matronita, variously noblewoman, or queen, who receives from the king, God. It is likewise identified with the lower aspect of the "mother," or Bina, Understanding. This lower aspect is the sefira of Malkhut, Kingship.

וּ'שְׁכִינָה', מִלְּשׁוֹן "וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם" (שמות כה, ח),

It is also referred to as the Divine Presence [ Shekhina ], as in the phrase, "and I will dwell [ v'shakhanti ] in their midst" (Ex. 25:8). The Sages called this source the Divine Presence.

עַל שֵׁם שֶׁמָּקוֹר זֶה הוּא רֵאשִׁית הִתְגַּלּוּת אוֹר אֵין סוֹף, אֲשֶׁר מַמְשִׁיךְ וּמֵאִיר לָעוֹלָמוֹת בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי. וּמִמָּקוֹר זֶה נִמְשָׁךְ לְכָל אֶחָד הָאוֹר וְחַיּוּת פְּרָטִי הָרָאוּי לוֹ, וְשׁוֹכֵן וּמִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּתוֹכָם לְהַחֲיוֹתָם.

It is called this because this source is the inception of the revelation of the light of Ein Sof, which extends and shines on the worlds on a revealed level. And from this source is drawn to every individual entity the specific light and life force befitting it. And the light dwells and is enclothed within the worlds and their entities to vivify them. All of these names demonstrate the many aspects of this one source. "Manifest world": the inception of the revealing of the light of Ein Sof. "Matronita ": that continues and shines on the worlds on a revealed level. "Lower mother": from this source is drawn to every individual [being] the specific light and life force befitting it. "Divine Presence": that is dwelling and enclothed within them to vivify them.

וְלָכֵן נִקְרָא 'אֵם הַבָּנִים' עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל וּ'כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל',

Therefore, it is also metaphorically referred to as "mother of children" and the "congregation of Israel." The Divine Presence is the source of all revelation. It is the source of the divine light that flows to and dwells within the worlds, and also the source of Jewish souls. Thus, it is called "mother of children," a phrase from Psalms 117:9. It is like a mother from whom all of her children suckle and receive sustenance. These "children" are a metaphor for the souls of Israel. The Divine Presence is likewise called "the congregation of Israel," because it gathers and unites within itself all the levels of the Jewish people, all of the lights and forms and hues found among all the souls of Israel.

שֶׁמִּמָּקוֹר זֶה נֶאֶצְלוּ נְשָׁמוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת, וְנִבְרְאוּ נְשָׁמוֹת דִּבְרִיאָה וכו'.

This is due to the fact that from this source the souls of Atzilut were emanated and the souls of Beria were created, and so forth. All the souls of Israel, whether they are from the world of Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, or Asiya, shine forth from this one source. They all emerge in their root from "the mother of children," the mother of all the levels found within the Jewish people. As explained, this point is also called "the congregation of Israel," because it gathers all the souls together into one entity. This level, the quality of all the souls of Israel as a single entity, is identical at its root to the source of the divine light, that being the Divine Presence, which gives life to the entire world.

וְכוּלָּן אֵינָן רַק מֵהִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת הַחַיּוּת וְהָאוֹר מֵהַמָּקוֹר הַזֶּה הַנִּקְרָא 'שְׁכִינָה', כְּהִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת הָאוֹר מֵהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ.

They all exist only as a result of the spreading of the life force and the light from this source called "Divine Presence," similar to light spreading out from the sun. All that the Divine Presence bestows upon the created being is only illumination. This is like the sun's illumination of our planet and those who dwell upon it. Just as the sun itself is not in all the places where its light shines, so too the Divine Presence is not manifest in its entirety everywhere that life extends from it into souls and all creations. In the analogy of the human being, the brain does not send parts of itself to all the body parts. There is no piece of the brain in the hand or the foot. Rather, the brain is in its own space, and it sends messages to the body parts, and from there onward to whatever a person creates or does with the different aspects of his character.

אֲבָל הַשְּׁכִינָה עַצְמָהּ, שֶׁהִיא רֵאשִׁית הַגִּילּוּי וְעִיקָּרוֹ, מַה שֶּׁאֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵאִיר לָעוֹלָמוֹת בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי, וְהִיא מְקוֹר כָּל הַמְשָׁכוֹת הַחַיּוּת שֶׁבְּכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת

However, regarding the Divine Presence itself, which is the inception and essence of the revelation that Ein Sof , blessed be He, shines onto the worlds on a revealed level, and which is the source of all life force being drawn down into all the worlds Thus, all the worlds receive and live from the light of the Divine Presence. Just as the source of the light is the constant source of all of the existence and tangibility of the light, which cannot exist without it, so too the Divine Presence itself is the source of life in all the worlds.

[שֶׁכָּל הַחַיּוּת שֶׁבָּהֶם אֵינוֹ רַק אוֹר הַמִּתְפַּשֵּׁט מִמֶּנָּה, כָּאוֹר הַמִּתְפַּשֵּׁט מֵהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ],

(because all the life force within them is only the light that spreads from it, like light spreading out from the sun), The light that "fills all worlds" spreads forth from the Divine Presence. It does not draw directly from the divine essence itself. The specific life force in all levels of reality is only an illumination of the source, which is the Divine Presence.

אִי אֶפְשָׁר לָעוֹלָמוֹת לִסְבּוֹל וּלְקַבֵּל אוֹר שְׁכִינָתָהּ, שֶׁתִּשְׁכּוֹן וְתִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּתוֹכָם מַמָּשׁ, בְּלֹא לְבוּשׁ הַמַּעֲלִים וּמַסְתִּיר אוֹרָהּ מֵהֶם, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְבַּטְּלוּ בִּמְצִיאוּת לְגַמְרֵי בִּמְקוֹרָם, כְּבִיטּוּל אוֹר הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בִּמְקוֹרוֹ בְּגוּף הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ,

the worlds could not bear and receive the light of its presence so that it might actually dwell and be enclothed within them, without a garment to hide and conceal its light from them, in order to prevent them from being totally nullified out of existence in their source, as sunlight is nullified in its source, i.e., in the body of the sun, The light of the Divine Presence, which is the level of the "brain" of the world, the light of the beginning, the light of the seven days of Creation, the all-encompassing light that illuminates the entirety of reality, cannot be revealed to its full extent and power within the world. Were it to be revealed, the world would not be able to exist. The entire existence of the world, its structure, and its most minute details, hinge on the fact that there is distance, that there is a barrier that constricts and hides the manifestation of light from the worlds. If the Divine Presence were revealed within the world, all the components of reality would be nullified, just as all shadows and different shades of light are nullified within the revelation of the unobstructed light itself.

שֶׁאֵין נִרְאֶה שָׁם אוֹר זֶה, רַק עֶצֶם גּוּף הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בִּלְבַד.

where this sun light is not apparent, but only the actual body of the sun. The light of the sun is not visible on its surface. All that is visible on the surface of the sun is the sun itself. Moreover, were we to return some sunlight to the sun – e.g., by means of a mirror – we would not expect this light to be discernible on the sun. It can be seen in other places, but not on the sun. In other words, sunlight gains an independent existence only when it leaves the sun, when the sun itself is at a distance from it. Only as long as the sun itself is not manifest, do sunlight and the various shades and forms of light exist: bright light, dim light, reflected light, and so forth. However, when the sun itself is manifest, sunlight no longer has substance. Furthermore, all energy and all life on earth derive from sunlight, yet we cannot endure the sun itself. If the sun were located on earth or close to it, it would consume everything. In order for there to be life, which exists only by means of the sun, there must be a certain distance, as well as numerous veils and defenses, between us and the sun.

וּמַהוּ הַלְּבוּשׁ שֶׁיּוּכַל לְהַסְתִּירָהּ וּלְהַלְבִּישָׁהּ וְלֹא יִתְבַּטֵּל בִּמְצִיאוּת בְּאוֹרָהּ?

What garment is capable of concealing and enclothing the Divine Presence without becoming nullified out of existence as a result of being in its light? Thus, the world cannot enclothe the Divine Presence. The question, therefore, is: What garment can conceal the essence of the Divine Presence and enclothe it and reveal it, without being nullified in its light? If the entire world does not suffice to enclothe the Divine Presence, because it would be burned up and nullified, what can do so? As above, the resting place of the Divine Presence in each world is the "Holy of Holies" of that world, but a world cannot entirely and constantly be in the "Holy of Holies," for in the Holy of Holies there is no world. Similarly, the human soul cannot cleave to the Divine Presence with its entire being, because then it would no longer be able to retain its own existence. The soul must be distant and detached in order to exist in its own being. Thus the broad question is: How can the Divine Presence be manifest in reality without reality being nullified? If everything is nullified before the Divine Presence, how can anything enclothe it? How can the Divine Presence be concealed, and how can it be revealed?

הוּא רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ וְחָכְמָתוֹ וכו' הַמְלוּבָּשִׁים בַּתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹתֶיהָ, הַנִּגְלֵית לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ.

It is God's will, wisdom, and so forth, which are enclothed in the Torah and its mitzvot, which is revealed to us and our children. The answer is: God's will, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge are enclothed in the Torah and its mitzvot. God's will, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge constitute the level of the supernal moḥin in which, as explained above, the essence and totality of the flow of life are enclothed. This is the level of the resting place of the Divine Presence, giving life to the worlds. The author of the Tanya is not referring to the heavenly Torah, but to the Torah and mitzvot in our possession. The commandments that we are able to understand and perform are the ones that enclothe the Divine Presence.

דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא מֵחָכְמָה נָפְקַתְּ, הִיא חָכְמָה עִילָּאָה דִּלְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא מֵעָלְמָא דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא.

That is "because the Torah emerged from Ḥokhma " (Zohar 2:121a), referring to the supernal wisdom that totally transcends the manifest world. How is the Torah able to serve as the garment for the Divine Presence? As stated above, the "manifest world" refers to the Divine Presence. The Torah emerges in its source from divine wisdom, which is above and beyond the illumination of the Divine Presence. Consequently, the Torah can be the vessel that contains the Divine Presence, which is the essential and overall divine revelation that gives life to all the worlds. This is because the Torah itself is not a product of the worlds; its existence is not a part of the worlds, since it expresses the divine essence itself. As a result, it retains its own existence even when it enclothes the Divine Presence. And when it clothes and conceals the Divine Presence, as it were, it is able to reveal the light of the Divine Presence in this world and in all the worlds.

"דְּאִיהוּ חַכִּים וְלָא בְּחָכְמָה יְדִיעָה" וכו' (תיקוני זהר יז, ב).

"Because He is wise, but not with a known wisdom, He is understanding, but not with a known understanding" (Tikkunei Zohar 17b). "Known wisdom" refers to all that can be understood. Higher wisdom, God's wisdom, is certainly not such. It is unknown in the sense that it cannot be known; our "knowing" does not apply to it. It belongs to a different class, totally different from our wisdom. This is the wisdom from which the Torah emerges. Thus, the source and inner content of the Torah before us is the supernal wisdom, which is essentially unknown to us. The Midrash says, "The withered vestige of supernal wisdom is Torah" (Bereshit Rabba 17:5, 44:17). The Torah that we possess is like a shriveled fruit that is not connected to the tree, like a dream as compared to prophecy. The Torah that we have, which we understand, bears some similarity to higher wisdom, something reminiscent of it. However, it is fundamentally different from supernal wisdom.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לְעֵיל, שֶׁאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְלוּבָּשׁ וּמְיוּחָד בְּחָכְמָה עִילָּאָה, וְהוּא יִתְבָּרַךְ וְחָכְמָתוֹ – אֶחָד,

As was explained above (chap. 18), the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, is enclothed in and united with the supernal wisdom, and God and His wisdom are one. On this high level, God and wisdom are one.

רַק שֶׁיָּרְדָה בְּסֵתֶר הַמַּדְרֵגוֹת מִמַּדְרֵיגָה לְמַדְרֵיגָה בְּהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת הָעוֹלָמוֹת

However, His wisdom descended in concealed stages, from stage to stage, through the unfolding succession of the worlds. As stated above, the Torah "emerged from Ḥokhma." Its source is higher wisdom, from which it descended in "concealed stages." This term, which is taken from Song of Songs (2:14), expresses the nature of the descent: Each higher step is so far above the subsequent step that it is concealed from it. Moreover, each concealment constitutes a concealment added to the previous concealment. The higher, divine wisdom is not manifest in the worlds on the supernal level at which God and His wisdom are one. Rather, the essence of this wisdom is enclothed and concealed by way of multiple stages and concealments, in accordance with each world's character.

עַד שֶׁנִּתְלַבְּשָׁה בִּדְבָרִים גַּשְׁמִיִּים, שֶׁהֵן תרי"ג מִצְוֹת הַתּוֹרָה.

It descended until it became enclothed in physical matters, which are the 613 mitzvot of the Torah. The essence, the divine wisdom, is revealed in our world through physical permutations that result in the 613 commandments, such as the halakha concerning an ox that gored a cow, tefillin, tzitzit.

וּבִירִידָתָהּ בְּהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת מֵעוֹלָם לְעוֹלָם, גַּם הַשְּׁכִינָה יָרְדָה וְנִתְלַבְּשָׁה בָּהּ בְּכָל עוֹלָם וְעוֹלָם.

As the Torah successively descended from world to world, the Divine Presence also descended and became enclothed in the Torah, in each world respectively. The Torah descends, as explained above, in concealed stages, and is enclothed within every world. The Divine Presence descends together with it and is likewise enclothed within each world.

וְזֶהוּ הֵיכַל קָדְשֵׁי קָדָשִׁים שֶׁבְּכָל עוֹלָם וְעוֹלָם.

This is the shrine of the Holy of Holies in each world The Torah is called God's Temple because it is where the Divine Presence rests. On each level of reality, there is a shrine of the Holy of Holies in which the Divine Presence rests. This shrine is the Torah in each world, in which the moḥin are enclothed. It is the center of that realm's life and existence. The beginning and totality of the life force that belongs in that world flows into it and throughout it.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר (חלק ג קסא, ב) וְעֵץ חַיִּים (שער מו פרק ו), שֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָה שֶׁהִיא 'מַלְכוּת דַּאֲצִילוּת'

as written in the Zohar (3:161b) and Etz Ḥayyim (46:6), the Divine Presence, which is the sefira of Malkhut of the world of Atzilut At its root, the Divine Presence is in the sefira of Malkhut of Atzilut. This refers to the capacity of sovereignty within the world of Atzilut.

[שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת גִּילּוּי אוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְחַיּוּת שֶׁמֵּאִיר לָעוֹלָמוֹת,

(which is the level of the revelation of the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, and the life force that shines onto the worlds, "Malkhut of Atzilut " is a symbolic term. In a more abstract sense, Malkhut of Atzilut is the divine power with which God relates to the reality of the worlds and through which He reveals the divine light and the life force that He bestows upon the worlds.

וְלָכֵן הִיא נִקְרֵאת 'דְּבַר ה'' וְ'רוּחַ פִּיו', כִּבְיָכוֹל עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל,

and which is therefore figuratively referred to as "the word of God" and the "breath of His utterance," so to speak, Although the Divine Presence, Malkhut of Atzilut, is referred to as "the word of God" and "the breath of His utterance," it is important to remember that these terms are only figurative. We cannot attribute physical speech, which is comprised of sound waves, to God. Human speech is merely a metaphor for divine speech.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁבָּאָדָם הַדִּבּוּר הוּא מְגַלֶּה מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ הַסְּתוּמָה וְנֶעְלָמָה לְהַשּׁוֹמְעִים],

in the same way that a person's speech reveals his impenetrable, hidden thoughts to his listeners). Speech is communication, the transmission of content from the inside to the outside. It is the way in which a person reveals to others that which is concealed within him. The Divine Presence is called "the word of God" because it is the revelation of God's infiniteness to the worlds, to the reality outside the divine "I." It is the manifestation of the Divine outside the divine unity that is on the level of the world of Atzilut, which is why the Divine Presence is called Malkhut of Atzilut. Communication, even in our world, is not limited to one mode of transmission of content. There is communication in action, allusions, the written word, and oral speech. The term, "the word (devar ) of God," is merely a metaphor that expresses the idea that God conveys content from one place to another. In that sense, the connotation of oral communication is only secondary. The primary meaning of the root dalet -bet -resh – "dabar " – relates to governance and the transmission of entities, whether of people or of content. These meanings can be seen in the term dovra, "barge," and in the talmudic phrase "[There must be] one [clear and authoritative] leader (dabar ) for the generation" (Sanhedrin 8a).

הִיא מִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בְּהֵיכַל קָדְשֵׁי קָדָשִׁים דִּבְרִיאָה, שֶׁהִיא חָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת דִּבְרִיאָה

The Divine Presence is enclothed in the shrine of the Holy of Holies of the world of Beria, which is the Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at of Beria. The Divine Presence, which is Malkhut of Atzilut, "the word of God," is enclothed within a shrine, the level of the moḥin of the world of Beria. The brain is the "highest" part of a human being because it is the locus of consciousness and operations. The manifestation of the Divine Presence in each world is on the level of Ḥokhma in that world. The Divine Presence is enclothed in that level and makes it the level of the Holy of Holies of that world.

וּבְהִתְלַבְּשׁוּתָן בְּמַלְכוּת דִּבְרִיאָה – נִבְרְאוּ הַנְּשָׁמוֹת וְהַמַּלְאָכִים שֶׁבִּבְרִיאָה.

When these three sefirot are enclothed in Malkhut of Beria, then the souls and angels of the world of Beria are created. Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at of Beria are the level of the "Holy of Holies" of the world of Beria. When this "Holy of Holies" descends to the level of "Malkhut of Beria," which is the final level of the world of Beria, the level of its "speech," it reveals from the world of Beria whatever it can outward. This is comparable to human speech, which transmits content from the inside to the outside, from one individual to another. Souls and angels are also formed in the course of this descent and enclothement. These souls and angels are the level of creations of each world, which have a separate existence, as it were, from the totality of the world to which they belong.

וְגַם מִשָּׁם נִמְשַׁךְ הַתַּלְמוּד שֶׁלְּפָנֵינוּ,

The Talmud that we possess is also derived from there. As stated above, the Torah that we possess emanates from an exceedingly high place. It passes through each world – Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, and Asiya – and each one reveals its portion in the Torah. Thus, in our world and in our Torah the elements of all the worlds assemble. The Talmud that we possess belongs, in its source and in its fundamental character, to the world of Beria. The Mishna belongs to the world of Yetzira, and Tanakh to the world of Asiya.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לְעֵיל בְּשֵׁם הַתִּיקּוּנִים (תיקוני זהר תיקון ו), שֶׁבְּעוֹלַם הַבְּרִיאָה מְאִירוֹת וּמַשְׁפִּיעוֹת שָׁם חָכְמָתוֹ וּבִינָתוֹ וְדַעְתּוֹ שֶׁל אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, בִּבְחִינַת צִמְצוּם עָצוּם, בִּכְדֵי שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ הַנְּשָׁמוֹת וְהַמַּלְאָכִים, שֶׁהֵם בַּעֲלֵי גְבוּל וְתַכְלִית, לְקַבֵּל הַשְׁפָּעָה מִבְּחִינַת חָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת אֵלּוּ.

As explained above (chap. 39) in the name of the Tikkunei Zohar (23a), in the world of Beria, the Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at of Ein Sof, blessed be He, shine and flow in an immensely constricted form so that the souls and angels, which have finite limitations, can receive the flow from the level of these constricted Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at . Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at of Ein Sof are themselves on the level of Ein Sof. Thus, no finite creature is able to grasp them at all. As a result, they require immense constriction. It is stated in Tikkunei Zohar that Bina (moḥin ) is associated with and revealed in the world of Beria: "The higher mother, Bina, resides on the throne, Beria." The attributes, love, fear, and so forth, belong in, and are revealed in, the world of Yetzira: "Six sefirot reside in Metatron [the world of Yetzira ]." Malkhut relates to the world of Asiya (and the world of Atzilut is associated with that which is beyond revelation and comprehension). Thus the character of the world of Beria is intellectual understanding. And the essence of the creations within it, the souls and angels, is in the realm of intellectual understanding.

וְלָכֵן נִמְשַׁךְ מִשָּׁם הַתַּלְמוּד, שֶׁהוּא גַּם כֵּן בְּחִינַת חָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת, שֶׁהַתַּלְמוּד הוּא טַעֲמֵי הַהֲלָכוֹת עַל בּוּרְיָין,

Therefore the Talmud is drawn down from there, since it is also a category of Ḥokhma , Bina, and Da'at , because the Talmud consists of the clearly defined reasons for the halakhot . Thus the Talmud is derived from the world of Beria. The concept of "Talmud" refers to intellectual inquiry through Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at. This does not necessarily relate to a specific text called "Talmud." The terms "Gemara" and "Talmud" appeared in ancient sources before the Talmud was completed, because the character of Talmud has always existed. It is part of the Oral Torah and the way we connect with it. It signifies intellectual engagement with the Torah in order to understand and clarify what is written in it: the halakhot, their sources, and the reasoning behind them.

וְהַטְּעָמִים הֵם בְּחִינַת חָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת,

The reasons are on the level of Ḥokhma , Bina, and Da'at . The rationales for the halakhot are "Torah" on the intellectual plane. On this level are revealed the reasons for the halakhot, as well as the insights that make it possible to infer one matter from another, to grasp the Torah's wisdom, and to reveal it in each world on its appropriate level. This level is called "Talmud," and it corresponds mainly to the world of Beria.

וְהַהֲלָכוֹת עַצְמָן הֵן מִמִּדּוֹתָיו שֶׁל אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁהֵן: חֶסֶד, דִּין, רַחֲמִים כו',

The halakhot themselves come from below that, from the attributes of Ein Sof, blessed be He, which are the sefirot of Ḥesed (kindness), Din (judgment), Raḥamim (compassion), and so on. The rationales of the halakhot, the Talmud, are associated with the realm of the intellect. The halakhic rulings of what to do and what not to do relate to the world of the attributes.

שֶׁמֵּהֶן נִמְשַׁךְ: הַהֶיתֵּר וְהָאִיסּוּר, וְהַכָּשֵׁר וְהַפָּסוּל, וְהַחִיּוּב וְהַפְּטוּר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתִּיקּוּנִים (תיקון ו).

From these are derived the halakhic rulings of permitted and prohibited, valid and invalid, and liable and exempt, as written in Tikkunei Zohar (23b ). The connection of the halakhot to the attributes is that from the attributes are drawn forth what is permitted and what is forbidden, what is valid what is invalid, what is obligatory and what is permissible. A halakhic ruling is essentially an expression of love and fear. Simply put, the halakha indicates what God loves and what He does not love. When it states, "God wants something this way," the individual who loves God acts accordingly. When it states, "God does not want something that way," the person who is connected to God and fears being parted from Him refrains from that. The halakhot themselves are independent of logic and explanation. Rather, they are in the context of parameters such as love and fear. In this vein, the medieval scholars refer to deeds that are beloved by God and deeds that are abhorred by God.

וּבְהִתְלַבְּשׁוּת מַלְכוּת דַּאֲצִילוּת בְּמַלְכוּת דִּבְרִיאָה, מִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בְּהֵיכַל קָדְשֵׁי קָדָשִׁים דִּיצִירָה, שֶׁהוּא חָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת דִּיצִירָה. וּבְהִתְלַבְּשׁוּתָן בְּמַלְכוּת דִּיצִירָה – נוֹצְרוּ הָרוּחוֹת וְהַמַּלְאָכִים שֶׁבִּיצִירָה.

When Malkhut of Atzilut is enclothed in Malkhut of Beria , it then goes on to become enclothed in the shrine of the Holy of Holies of the world of Yetzira – that being Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at of Yetzira . And when all of these sefirot are enclothed in Malkhut of Yetzira, the spirits and angels of the world of Yetzira are formed. The author of the Tanya now resumes his description of the descent of the Divine Presence through the worlds, from Malkhut of Atzilut to the world of Asiya. After the Divine Presence has descended and become enclothed in Malkhut of Beria, it proceeds to the world of Yetzira. The kabbalistic texts explain that the three worlds of Beria, Yetzira, and Asiya correspond to the three levels of the soul: nefesh, ruaḥ, and neshama. This is why the author of the Tanya earlier referred to the neshamot, "souls," of the world of Beria, while here he mentions the ruḥot, "spirits," of the world of Yetzira.

וְגַם מִשָּׁם הִיא הַמִּשְׁנָה שֶׁלְּפָנֵינוּ, שֶׁהִיא הֲלָכוֹת פְּסוּקוֹת, הַנִּמְשָׁכוֹת גַּם כֵּן מֵחָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת שֶׁל אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא,

Also from Malkhut of Yetzira is the Mishna that we possess, which consists of halakhic rulings. These too are ultimately drawn from the Ḥokhma , Bina, and Da'at of Ein Sof , blessed be He. The Mishna as we know it derives from Malkhut of Yetzira, although its ultimate source is from Ḥokhma, as the entire Torah, including the Mishna, is the Ḥokhma of Ein Sof.

רַק שֶׁבְּחִינַת חָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת, שֶׁהֵם טַעֲמֵי הַהֲלָכוֹת, הֵם מְלוּבָּשִׁים וּגְנוּזִים בְּגוּפֵי הַהֲלָכוֹת וְלֹא בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי.

However, the levels of Ḥokhma , Bina, and Da'at , which are the rationales for the halakhot , are enclothed and hidden within the halakhot themselves, and are not revealed. In the halakhic rulings in the Mishna there are reasons for why one matter is prohibited and another permitted. However, these are not revealed on the same level as the halakhic ruling itself. A halakhic ruling only states, "Do this, and do not do that." That is the main focus of the Mishna. Certainly, the ruling itself requires study, but this study does not seek to understand the reasons for the halakha. This study relates to the halakhic ruling, to know what one must do in different situations. Clarifying the reasons and rationales pertains to the level of the Talmud.

וְגוּפֵי הַהֲלָכוֹת, שֶׁהֵן בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי, הֵן הֶאָרַת מִדּוֹתָיו שֶׁל אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לְעֵיל בְּשֵׁם הַתִּיקּוּנִים (תיקוני זהר שם).

By contrast, the halakhot themselves, which are in a revealed form in the Mishna, are the very illumination of the attributes of Ein Sof, blessed be He, on the revealed level, as explained above (chap. 39), citing Tikkunei Zohar (23a), The halakhot, "Do this, and do not do that," are an expression of God's attributes, for God loves "this" and dislikes "that."

דְּשִׁית סְפִירָן מְקַנְּנִין בִּיצִירָה,

six sefirot nest in the world of Yetzira . The three worlds of Beria, Yetzira, and Asiya receive their life force and existence from the world of Atzilut. Each of the three worlds receives the essence of its life and its unique nature from a different aspect of the world of Atzilut. The world of Beria receives this from the sefira of Bina; the world of Yetzira from the six sefirot of Ḥesed, Gevura, Tiferet, Netzaḥ, Hod, and Yesod (Kindness, Restraint, Beauty, Dominance, Splendor, and Foundation); and the world of Asiya from the sefira of Malkhut. This is why it is stated here in the name of Tikkunei Zohar that the six sefirot, which are the attributes of the world of Atzilut, are found in the world of Yetzira and illuminate it.

שֶׁהֵן דֶּרֶךְ כְּלָל שְׁנֵי קַוִּין, יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל:

These six sefirot are, broadly speaking, in two vertical lines: right and left. When the six sefirot, the attributes, are arranged in the form of two inverted triangles, one below the other, they are divided overall in two vertical lines. The right line is that of the attribute of Ḥesed, and the left is that of Gevura. Although there is a third line in the middle, that of Tiferet, since it is the midpoint, a composite of the right and the left lines, it is possible to speak in general of two lines.

לְהָקֵל – מִסִּטְרָא דְּחֶסֶד, דְּהַיְינוּ לְהַתִּיר שֶׁיּוּכַל לַעֲלוֹת אֶל ה', אוֹ לְהַחְמִיר כו'.

This allows being lenient, from the side of ḥesed , i.e., permitting something so that it can ascend to God, or being strict, etc. In general, a halakhic decisor has two paths before him: leniency and stringency. For example, if he is asked whether or not a certain food is kosher, he could be lenient and permit the food, or he could be stringent and prohibit it. The two paths are the two lines, the line of Ḥesed, kindness, and the line of Gevura, judgment. The line of kindness involves being lenient and permitting, such that the object is free of the bonds of the kelippa ("husk") and it is able to ascend and draw nearer to God. The line of judgment and Gevura is to prohibit, to tie down the object below, so that it cannot detach itself from the kelippa and come closer to God. The attribute of kindness in a lenient halakhic ruling is not found in a particular individual's dispensation to eat, but primarily in the kindness and freedom bestowed upon the permitted food itself. As was explained above (chap. 7), asur, "prohibited," also means "bound," for the object is bound to the kelippot, tied to impurity. In contrast, the word mutar, permitted, also means unbound, for when something is permitted according to the halakha, it is released from its bondage to evil and allowed to ascend. As stated earlier, the permitted and the forbidden express God's attributes. The permitted is on the side of kindness, for the matter in question is desired and beloved by God, while the prohibited belongs on the side of judgment, meaning that the object is undesired and unworthy of being before Him. However, even a person who studies Mishna and halakha expresses his attributes through that and, as explained in the introduction to the Tanya, the root of his soul: whether it is on the right or the left. Although the study of halakha is logical, every logical inquiry contains tangential aspects that depend on the root of the soul. A person whose soul is on the side of Gevura tends to be stringent and create distance, while a person whose soul is on the side of Ḥesed tends to be lenient and bring closer.

וְהַכֹּל עַל פִּי חָכְמָה עִילָּאָה, דַּאֲצִילוּת וּבִינָה וְדַעַת כְּלוּלוֹת בָּהּ, וּמְיוּחָדוֹת בְּאֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא.

All this, Mishna and Talmud, is in accordance with the supernal Ḥokhma of Atzilut, in which Bina and Da'at are incorporated. And all of these are unified in Ein Sof, blessed be He. The entire structure of the Torah – the study of Talmud, which is on the level of the world of Beria; the halakhic rulings of the Mishna, which are on the level of the world of Yetzira; and the halakhic act itself, which is on the level of the world of Asiya – are in keeping with the supernal Ḥokhma of Atzilut. The Torah with all of its components and levels is God's wisdom, for "the Torah emerged from Ḥokhma." Moreover, Bina and Da'at are included in Ḥokhma. The Torah and God are one, and therefore the Torah is united with Ein Sof on every level where it is found and not only on the level of Ḥokhma of Atzilut.

כִּי בְּתוֹךְ כּוּלָּן מְלוּבָּשׁוֹת חָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת דַּאֲצִילוּת, שֶׁאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְיוּחָד בָּהֶן בְּתַכְלִית הַיִּחוּד.

That is because within them all are enclothed the Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at of Atzilut, with which the light of Ein Sof, blessed be He, is unified in absolute union. The Torah is always in the Holy of Holies of each world, and the Divine Presence rests in each world. The light of Ein Sof is united with an absolute oneness to the Holy of Holies of each world, and in the Torah that enclothes Ein Sof in each world. Ein Sof also enclothes everyone who learns and observes the Torah in each world.

וְכֵן בְּדֶרֶךְ זֶה יָרְדָה הַשְּׁכִינָה וְנִתְלַבְּשָׁה בְּהֵיכַל קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים דַּעֲשִׂיָּה.

Similarly, the Divine Presence descended in this manner and it was enclothed in the shrine of the Holy of Holies of the world of Asiya. According to what has been described, the Divine Presence descended from the shrine of the Holy of Holies of the world of Atzilut to Malkhut of Atzilut. From there, it descended to the Holy of Holies of the world of Beria, and from there to Malkhut of Beria. From there, it descended to the Holy of Holies of the world of Yetzira, and from there to Malkhut of the world of Yetzira. And it became enclothed in the sefirot of Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at of the world of Asiya.

וְכָל עוֹלָם מִג' עוֹלָמוֹת אֵלּוּ מִתְחַלֵּק לְרִבְבוֹת מַדְרֵיגוֹת, הַנִּקְרָאוֹת גַּם כֵּן עוֹלָמוֹת פְּרָטִיִּם.

Each of these three worlds is divided into myriads of levels, which are also called specific worlds The worlds of Beria, Yetzira, and Asiya are inclusive, and within each of them is are a multitude of particular aspects and levels, each of which is also defined as a "world." And the progression and order of the indwelling of the Divine Presence in the worlds is the same for all of the particular worlds within the four overall worlds, and in each particular level within each particular world.

וּמַלְכוּת דַּאֲצִילוּת הַמְלוּבֶּשֶׁת בְּמַלְכוּת שֶׁל כָּל עוֹלָם פְּרָטִי

and Malkhut of Atzilut , which is enclothed in the sefira of Malkhut of every particular world. Every world, whether abstract or particular, is an entire universe unto itself. Each one contains the level of a "head" and the level of a "foot." The head is its Holy of Holies, its Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at, and the "foot" is its Malkhut. Furthermore, the repeating uniform structure of all the worlds is indicative of the revealed and concealed ties between all the worlds; the "head" of one world connects to the "head" of another world, the "foot" of one world connects to the "foot" of another world, and Malkhut of Atzilut connects to each Malkhut of every other world. The Divine Presence itself pervades everything from the very highest to the very lowest. It is enclothed in Malkhut and in the very reality, even in the minute details, of all the worlds, including ours.

הַגָּהָ"ה: (וּבָזֶה יוּבָן לְשׁוֹן הַכָּתוּב [תהלים קמה, יג]: "מַלְכוּתְךָ מַלְכוּת כָּל עוֹלָמִים"),

Gloss: Now we may understand the verse "Your kingship is a kingship of all worlds" (Ps. 145:13). God's kingship, which is Malkhut of Atzilut, is in fact the Malkhut of all the worlds. Within all worlds and on the level of Malkhut in all the worlds, notwithstanding all the subtleties and differences, only one Malkhut is revealed: God's kingship.

יוֹרֶדֶת וּמִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בְּהֵיכַל קָדְשֵׁי קָדָשִׁים, שֶׁהוּא חָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם שֶׁלְּמַטָּה מִמֶּנּוּ בְּמַדְרֵגָה.

It descends and is enclothed in the shrine of the Holy of Holies, namely Ḥokhma , Bina, and Da'at , of the world on the level below it. The Divine Presence, which is enclothed in Malkhut of each particular world, descends to the world below it. Thus, all of the worlds affect one another, level after level, in such a way that the "final stage of action" of one world constitutes "the origin of thought" of the next. The lowest point of one realm is the starting point of the world below it. Each world's "feet" are the "crown" of the world beneath it.

וְהִנֵּה מֵהַשְּׁכִינָה, הַמְלוּבֶּשֶׁת בְּהֵיכַל קָדְשֵׁי קָדָשִׁים שֶׁל כָּל עוֹלָם וְעוֹלָם כְּלָלִי אוֹ פְּרָטִי, נִמְשָׁךְ וּמִתְפַּשֵּׁט מִמֶּנָּה אוֹר וְחַיּוּת לְכָל הָעוֹלָם וְהַבְּרוּאִים שֶׁבּוֹ, נְשָׁמוֹת וּמַלְאָכִים וכו'.

From the Divine Presence, which is enclothed in the shrine of the Holy of Holies of each world, whether that world is general or specific, light and life force are drawn down and spread out to that entire world and the creatures within it, such as souls and angels and so forth. Each world's Holy of Holies is the focus of its life, its brain, from which life, which is the Divine Presence enclothed within that world, spreads out to all its sections and levels, as well as to its creatures. Nevertheless, this is like the "speech" of that world, since it creates beings that are seemingly separate from it: souls, angels, and so forth.

כִּי כּוּלָּם נִבְרְאוּ בַּעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת שֶׁבְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית, שֶׁהֵם דְּבַר ה' הַנִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם שְׁכִינָה.

That is because they were all created with the ten utterances of the act of creation, which are the word of God, which is called the Divine Presence. All creations were formed by means of the ten utterances. As mentioned above, the Divine Presence, Malkhut of Atzilut, is the word of God. Just as a person's speech reveals his thoughts to others, the Divine Presence is the overall divine revelation, as it were, outward, in creation and in all creatures, which perceive themselves to have been created from nothingness.