וְהִנֵּה שֵׁם אֱלֹהִים הוּא שֵׁם מִדַּת הַגְּבוּרָה וְהַצִּמְצוּם,

The divine name Elokim corresponds to the attribute of Gevura and constriction, Each of God's appellations corresponds to a specific sefira in the structure of the sefirot. The name Elokim corresponds to the sefira of Gevura. Yet the two are not identical. Elokim is not the same as the attribute to which it corresponds, nor is it another name for the attribute. Rather, the divine names always refer to God Himself. Each name points to a different mode with which He interacts with His creations, as the Midrash teaches, "I am called according to My actions" (Shemot Rabba 3:6). Elokim is the name used for God when He acts with judgment and might, with the attribute of Gevura. In the conceptualization of the Tzemaḥ Tzedek, the sefira is the vessel, and the corresponding name of God is the divine light that fills it.

וְלָכֵן הוּא גַּם כֵּן בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא ״הַטֶּבַע״,

and therefore it is also numerically equivalent to the word hateva , nature, Nature is a fixed system. In Hebrew, the word for nature, teva, is linguistically related to the word for coin, matbe'a. The manufacturing of a coin entails repeated replication according to a preplanned design. Hence, the phrase "law of nature" is redundant, because the very concept of nature connotes a system of fixed laws.

לְפִי שֶׁמַּסְתִּיר הָאוֹר שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה הַמְהַוֶּה וּמְחַיֶּה הָעוֹלָם וְנִרְאֶה כְּאִילּוּ הָעוֹלָם עוֹמֵד וּמִתְנַהֵג בְּדֶרֶךְ הַטֶּבַע.

since the name Elokim conceals the supernal light that brings the world into existence and sustains it, so that it appears as though the world exists and functions according to the natural order. The fact that the world operates according to fixed laws of nature, that natural laws are dependable, that the sun that shines today and will shine tomorrow and the next day, is a concealment of the Divine. The observable reality appears to be an independent system that functions on its own. Its connection to that which is beyond it, to the Divine, is so mystifying and obscured as to sometimes be denied completely. This world is essentially a labyrinth of concealment in which the divine light, dimmed so low, only accentuates His disguise. We see only the intricate patterns and principles called nature, a system so well charted by physics, biology, and other scientific disciplines that it leaves no room for God. God sinks (tove'a ), as it were, in the enormity of this system until He disappears completely. Nature (hateva ), a product of the name Elokim, obscures the Godly essence of this world and creates in its stead an illusory existence of almost total concealment.

וְשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים זֶה הוּא מָגֵן וְנַרְתֵּק לְשֵׁם הוי״ה, לְהַעֲלִים הָאוֹר וְהַחַיּוּת הַנִּמְשָׁךְ מִשֵּׁם הוי״ה וּמְהַוֶּה מֵאַיִן לְיֵשׁ, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְגַּלֶּה לַנִּבְרָאִים וְיִבָּטְלוּ בִּמְצִיאוּת.

This name, Elokim , is a shield and sheath for the divine name of Havaya , to hide the light and life force that are drawn from the name of Havaya and bring creation from nothingness into existence, so that the light and life force will not be revealed to created beings and cause them to become subsumed in the divine reality. It is the confluence of the name Elokim and the name of Havaya, of concealment and revelation, that constitutes the mystery of the existence of creation. The name of Havaya is the creative force that provides life and sustenance to all creations. Without the concealment manifest by the name Elokim, however, these creations would be unable to exist as independent entities. They would be subsumed in the divine light, just as sunrays are subsumed by the sun. To use another analogy, the relationship between God and His creations resembles the way in which the light of the moon becomes nullified in the light of the midday sun. The moon can shine only when the light of the sun is obscured. When the sun shines, the moon's light is entirely imperceptible, dwarfed by the vastly more brilliant light of the sun.

וַהֲרֵי בְּחִינַת גְּבוּרָה זוֹ וְצִמְצוּם הַזֶּה הוּא גַּם כֵּן בְּחִינַת חֶסֶד שֶׁהָעוֹלָם יִבָּנֶה בּוֹ. וְזוֹ הִיא בְּחִינַת גְּבוּרָה הַכְּלוּלָה בְּחֶסֶד.

Indeed, this quality of Gevura and constriction is also an aspect of the attribute of Ḥesed from which the world was built, and this constitutes Gevura encompassed in Ḥesed. Ḥesed and Gevura are not two diametrically opposing forces, one an effluence of pure good and the other dark, concealing constriction. Darkness is as essential to the existence of the world as light. While it is true that all life stems from the creative divine force of Ḥesed, it is only divine concealment that creates space for that life to exist. Concealment is therefore one of the building blocks of the world. Since Gevura lends a crucial element to the Ḥesed that builds the world, the verse "The world was built through Ḥesed " (Ps. 89:3) refers not only to the force that gives energy but also to the force that prevents overwhelming emanation. Ḥesed and Gevura, then, are not two opposing forces working in conflict with each other. Rather, they work in synchronized collaboration, lending perfect tension to each other to cultivate a unified reality called existence.

וְהִנֵּה מֵהִתְכַּלְּלוּת הַמִּדּוֹת זוֹ בְּזוֹ נִרְאֶה לָעַיִן דְּאִיהוּ וְגַרְמוֹהִי חַד, שֶׁהֵן מִדּוֹתָיו, כִּי מֵאַחַר שֶׁהֵן בְּיִחוּד גָּמוּר עִמּוֹ לָכֵן הֵן מִתְיַיחֲדוֹת זוֹ בְּזוֹ וּכְלוּלוֹת זוֹ מִזּוֹ.

From the integration of these divine attributes with each other, it is apparent that God and His sefirot, that is, His attributes, are one. Since they are totally unified with Him, they can therefore merge with one another and are comprised of one another, Two truly opposing forces are incapable of mutual integration at their core. The fact that certain forces can complement and assist each other reflects their shared source, a singular directive that drives them both. Like right and left hands that work together to shape a single entity, the sefirot of Ḥesed and Gevura unite in harmony because they both originate in the singular will of God. The interconnectedness of the divine sefirot at their source is fundamental to the operation of the universe, which is neither a manifestation of pure Ḥesed nor of pure Gevura. Life offers many examples where Ḥesed acts as Gevura and Gevura as Ḥesed. Consider, for example, parents and children. Parents who provide everything their children desire appear to employ the attribute of Ḥesed, yet the consequences for their children may be at best unhelpful or at worst damaging, a product of Gevura. Punishment and limitation, if used in a healthy way, express caring and love for the child more than unbridled giving because they stem from the parent's sensitivity to the child's physical and emotional needs and ultimately endow the child with a stronger character. Along similar lines, the hasidic masters paint a bleak portrait of the primordial snake's punishment: "Dust shall you eat all the days of your life" (Gen. 3:14). This destiny seems to be the best gift of all, to have food readily available anywhere at any time, with no need to work hard to survive. From a practical standpoint, the snake would lack nothing. Yet this incomparable gift represents the ultimate manifestation of the attribute of judgment. It is as though God had told the snake, "You will receive everything and lack nothing so that you will never again need to turn to Me." It is written that God is "fashioning light and creating darkness, making peace and creating evil" (Isa. 45:7). Light and dark, peace and evil, are not two opposing elements, like two deities sharply differentiated, each intent upon its own goal, blind to the other's path. The fact that Gevura operates in the world as a tool of Ḥesed, and Ḥesed can serve as the instrument of Gevura, illustrates that the source of all existence, like the source of the sefirot, is one.

כְּמַאֲמַר אֵלִיָּהוּ: ״וְאַנְתְּ הוּא דְּקָשִׁיר לוֹן וּמְיַחֵד לוֹן״ וכו׳. ״וּבַר מִינָּךְ לֵית יִחוּדָא בְּעִילָּאֵי״ כו׳ (הקדמת תיקוני זוהר).

as Elijah stated, "You are the one who binds them and unifies them... ​and other than You, there would be no unity on high... " (Tikkunei Zohar 17a). God is the only true unification that exists, and any other type of union or coalescence is merely superficial. But it is only in the realm of Ein Sof (God's infinite being), above and beyond all conceivable boundaries, that all the attributes fuse to become one. The unity of the sefirot above is expressed in their manifestations down below: They act in this world not as distinct entities but as varying representations of one entity. Divine Ḥesed and divine Gevura are no more than instruments, appellations of the same divine essence itself, and they therefore unify into one seamless unification.

וְזֶה שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וַהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ כִּי ה׳ הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים״ (דברים ד, לט).

This is the meaning of the verse "And restore to your heart that the Lord [ Havaya ], He is the God [ Elokim ]" (Deut. 4:39). The author of the Tanya now offers an answer to his original question about this verse, posed in the opening chapter of this book.

פֵּירוּשׁ, שֶׁשְּׁנֵי שֵׁמוֹת אֵלּוּ הֵם אֶחָד מַמָּשׁ,

It means that these two divine names, Havaya and Elokim, are actually one, Although the name of Havaya is the creative, life-giving force, and the name Elokim is the constrictive, inhibiting force, not only do they work in harmony with each other, but "the Lord [Havaya ], He is the God [Elokim ]." They are one and the same. Ḥesed and Gevura do not express two opposing essential natures but rather are two distinct manifestations of one source.

שֶׁגַּם שֵׁם אֱלֹהִים, הַמְּצַמְצֵם וּמַעֲלִים הָאוֹר, הוּא בְּחִינַת חֶסֶד כְּמוֹ שֵׁם הוי״ה,

since the name Elokim , which constricts and hides the light, is also an aspect of Ḥesed , just as the name of Havaya is Ḥesed, Divine Ḥesed manifests not just in the form of giving but also in withholding. It is an aspect of Ḥesed that measures exactly how much divine blessing and life force the recipient can receive without overwhelming him to the point of nonexistence. Creation is therefore the joint process of giving and withholding, creating and constricting, both of which are essentially a manifestation of God's ultimate Ḥesed.

מִשּׁוּם שֶׁמִּדּוֹתָיו שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִתְיַחֲדוֹת עִמּוֹ בְּיִחוּד גָּמוּר, וְהוּא וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד, שֶׁמִּדּוֹתָיו הֵן שְׁמוֹתָיו.

because the attributes of the Holy One, blessed be He, are unified with Him in total unity, and He and His name are one, for His attributes are His names. A name is a definition; it is a certain way of representing an essence. But the essence itself cannot be captured by its name. The names of God represent the different ways He manifests through His attributes: Ḥesed, Gevura, Tiferet, and so on. These names, like their corresponding attributes, are not truly distinct entities with separate essences. Rather, through the names we refer to particular fabrics of reality engendered by God. "The Lord [Havaya ], He is the God [Elokim ]" illustrates the unity between the name of Havaya, the life-giving energy, and the name Elokim, the constricting energy that delineates divine abundance and fuels the laws of nature. The name of Havaya and Elokim are two facets of the same entity. Not only is there a connection between the two entities, but the name of Havaya is Elokim Himself, and therefore "there is no other," as this verse from Deuteronomy goes on to say.

וְאִם כֵּן מִמֵּילָא תֵּדַע שֶׁ״בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וְעַל הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת אֵין עוֹד״, פֵּירוּשׁ, שֶׁגַּם הָאָרֶץ הַחוֹמְרִית שֶׁנִּרְאֵית ״יֵשׁ״ גָּמוּר לְעֵין כֹּל – הִיא אַיִן וְאֶפֶס מַמָּשׁ לְגַבֵּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא.

Subsequently, you will inevitably realize that "in the heavens above and upon the earth below, there is no other" (end of Deut. 4:39). This means that even the material earth, which appears to be a substantial reality in the eye of any observer, is literally absolute nothingness in relation to the Holy One, blessed be He. Since "the Lord [Havaya ], He is the God [Elokim ]" – that is, since nature is actually supernatural, and the supernatural is just another expression of that which is manifest in nature – this physical world, which boasts a solid, autonomous existence, is actually not an independent entity. From the perspective of God, we cannot even speak of this world as existing at all. For in the face of the Divine, this world is absolute nothingness.

כִּי שֵׁם אֱלֹהִים אֵינוֹ מַעֲלִים וּמְצַמְצֵם אֶלָּא לַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, וְלֹא לְגַבֵּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, מֵאַחַר שֶׁהוּא וּשְׁמוֹ אֱלֹהִים – אֶחָד.

For the name Elokim hides and constricts the light and life force only for the lower creations, and not relative to the Holy One, blessed be He, since He and His name Elokim are one. The divine names are terms for the different ways in which God reveals Himself to others. While the creation experiences His various appellations differently, this is not the case relative to God. For Him, every revelation of His essence, which flows from His unified being, is one and the same. "The Lord [Havaya ], He is the God [Elokim ]" means that God, whether manifest through the name of Havaya or through Elokim, remains completely unchanged. He who reveals is the same as He who conceals. Since God performs both of these functions, divine concealment does not truly hide Him. It is only we, who live and function within the concealment and as a result of the concealment, who perceive it. From the vantage point of God, however, there is no concealment at all; there is just one constant flow of His infinite existence. This concept is analogous to a person who uses his left hand to cover his right hand. His right hand is hidden from everyone besides him since the concealing mechanism is his own left hand. His left hand is not an imagined concealment; it is actually covering the right hand. Yet the concealment is a reality only for others, not the person himself. Likewise, the concealment of Havaya engendered by the name Elokim is meaningful only to the "lower creations," to those who live within the divine concealment and whose entire existential experience stems from the relationship between the revealed and the hidden. But for God, the concealment holds no import, because no entity can conceal itself from itself. Another analogy can be drawn from interpersonal communication. When a person expresses his thoughts on a subject, he does not convey every aspect of the subject exactly as it exists in his mind. He expresses some of his thoughts, while others remain unspoken. The listener hears bits of information, the words and the blanks in between, and puts the fragments together to understand what the speaker is communicating to him to the best of his ability. Still, though the listener, depending on his level of insight, may attempt to fill in the blanks to paint a more complete picture, there will always remain a gap between the speaker's unspoken thoughts and the listener's understanding. This concealment in communication exists only from the vantage point of the listener. From the perspective of the speaker, there is no concealment. For him, the thoughts he chooses to verbalize and those he leaves unarticulated are all one and the same, all one continuous flow. The concealment aspect of the relationship between speaker and listener does not exist for the speaker himself. God and His name Elokim  – revelation and its concealment – are one. The concealment of the name Elokim is our experience alone and not His. For He who "speaks" reality into existence, there is only one flow of divine speech, seamlessly incorporating revelation and concealment as one.

וְלָכֵן גַּם הָאָרֶץ וּמִתַּחַת לָאָרֶץ הֵן אַין וְאֶפֶס מַמָּשׁ לְגַבֵּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְאֵינָן נִקְרָאוֹת בְּשֵׁם כְּלָל,

Therefore, even the earth and that which is beneath the earth are literally absolute nothingness in relation to the Holy One, blessed be He, and are not fitting to be called by any name whatsoever, Even those creations whose existence seems independent are mere emanations of the Divine. These creations "are not [fitting to be] called by any name whatsoever" because God and the world are not two equal entities, nor one principal entity and one inferior. The world is simply nonexistent in relation to the Divine and therefore it is impossible to give the world and its creations any name.

אֲפִילּוּ בְּשֵׁם ״עוֹד״ שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן טָפֵל,

not even by the term od , "other, " in the phrase "there is no other," which is an expression indicating inferiority, The world cannot add to the existence of God, not even to a negligible degree. One cannot say that the world is something "other" than God. The conundrum regarding God's relationship with the world dealt with by many schools of philosophy, that multiple seemingly independent creations could emanate from one source, is not an issue here. From God's perspective the world does not exist, not even as an additional insignificant entity.

כְּמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל: ״יְהוּדָה וְעוֹד לִקְרָא״ (קדושין ו, א).

in accordance with our Rabbis' statement "Is it necessary to introduce the custom in Judea in addition [ ve'od ] to a verse as proof to a halakha?" (Kiddushin 6a), which indicates that the term od refers to something that is secondary. The Talmud cites a custom from the land of Judah as additional evidence to support an explicit verse in the Tanakh. The Talmud then goes on to ask why the biblical verse requires validation by a custom in Judah. After all, the custom is insignificant (od ) in comparison to the validity of the verse. The use of the word ve'od, "in addition," in this talmudic passage therefore implies an addition that is insignificant in relation to the principal. Similarly, the verse "The Lord [Havaya ], He is the God [Elokim ] in the heavens above and upon the earth below, there is no other [od ]," which the author of the Tanya is explaining here, illustrates that no entity can be considered even insignificant in relation to God, because nothing exists separate from God.

וְכַגּוּף שֶׁהוּא טָפֵל לַנְּשָׁמָה וְחַיּוּת שֶׁבְּתוֹכוֹ.

However, the body, which is subordinate to the soul and life force within it, is referred to as od The core of a human being's existence and identity is his soul, not his body. The soul employs the body as an instrument and means for its expression. Yet despite its secondary status, the body maintains its own existence distinct from the soul and can therefore be considered od, "other" – an addition to the soul. The soul and the "other" constitute a person. The "other," the addition, is the body.

[וְזֶה שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״אֲהַלְלָה ה׳ בְּחַיָּי אֲזַמְּרָה לֵאלֹהַי בְּעוֹדִי״ (תהלים קמו, ב) שֶׁהַחַיִּים נִמְשָׁכִים מִשֵּׁם הוי״ה, וְהַ״עוֹד״, שֶׁהוּא הַגּוּף הַטָּפֵל, מִשֵּׁם אֱלֹהִים]

(as written in the verse "I will praise the Lord [ Havaya ] as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God [ Elokim ] as long as I am [ be'odi ]" [Ps. 146:2], meaning that life, that is, the soul, which sustains life, comes from the name of Havaya , whereas the od which refers to the existence of the subordinate body, comes from the name Elokim ). The word ḥayai, "as long as I live," in the verse from Ps. refers to the essence of life, the soul. Be'odi, loosely translated as "as long as I am," literally means "with the addition to my self" and refers to the body. In light of the deeper elucidation of this verse, it reads, "I will praise the name of Havaya with my soul; I will sing praises unto Elokim using what is secondary in my life, my body." The two different names of God used in the verse fit in perfectly. The soul directs its praise specifically toward the name of Havaya, its source, while the praise inspired by the body lauds the root of its existence, the name Elokim, which expresses the concealment of God's presence.

לְפִי שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה אֵינָהּ מְהַוָּה הַגּוּף מֵאַיִן לְיֵשׁ,

For the soul does not bring the body from nothingness into existence so the body can be called secondary in relation to the soul. While the soul animates the body and enables it to engage with the world, it does not create the body nor does it constitute its very existence. The body is created by other forces as part of the physical world, and it exists independently of the soul. When the soul leaves the body, the body does not disappear. It may be dependent on the soul for its vitality but not for its existence. Therefore, when the soul resides in the body and animates it, the body does not become subsumed by the soul. In the body-soul dynamic, the soul is the primary identifying essence of the person, and the body, holding a secondary stature, serves as its vehicle. But each maintains its own distinct existence.

אֲבָל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הַמְּהַוֶּה אֶת הַכֹּל מֵאַיִן לְיֵשׁ – הַכֹּל בָּטֵל בִּמְצִיאוּת אֶצְלוֹ כְּמוֹ אוֹר הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בַּשֶּׁמֶשׁ.

However, with regard to the Holy One, blessed be He, who brings everything from nothingness into existence, everything is subsumed in His divine reality, just as sunlight is subsumed in the sun. God not only infuses all of reality with life force and vitality. He constitutes its very existence on every level. Therefore, not only is there no existent power of any kind except for God, there is no existence at all, not even an "od," not even an entity that could be considered secondary or insignificant in comparison to God.

וְלָכֵן הוּצְרַךְ הַכָּתוּב לְהַזְהִיר ״וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ״ וְגו׳, שֶׁלֹּא תַּעֲלֶה עַל דַּעְתְּךָ שֶׁהַשָּׁמַיִם וְכָל צְבָאָם וְהָאָרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ הֵם דָּבָר נִפְרָד בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְמַלֵּא כָּל הָעוֹלָם כְּהִתְלַבְּשׁוּת הַנְּשָׁמָה בַּגּוּף, וּמַשְׁפִּיעַ כֹּחַ הַצּוֹמֵחַ בָּאָרֶץ וְכֹחַ הַתְּנוּעָה בַּגַּלְגַּלִּים וּמְנִיעָם וּמַנְהִיגָם כִּרְצוֹנוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה מְנִיעָה אֶת הַגּוּף וּמַנְהִיגָתוֹ כִּרְצוֹנָהּ.

Therefore, the verse had to caution, "You shall know this day, and restore to your heart... " (Deut. 4:39), so that you should not suppose that the heavens with all its hosts and the earth with all that it holds are a distinct entity in their own right, and the Holy One, blessed be He, merely fills the entire universe in the same manner as the soul is clothed in the body. You should not think that He merely imbues the earth with the power of growth and the orbits of celestial bodies with the force of motion, and moves and directs them according to His will, in the same way that the soul animates the body and directs it by its will. Herein lies the answer to the question that the author posed at the start of this book: What is so profoundly subtle about the dictum "In the heavens above and upon the earth below, there is no other" that the verse demands the deep analysis and contemplation implicit in the words "You shall know this day, and restore to your heart"? It is a widely held notion by various schools of philosophy and theology that God created the world and, ever since, operates within it in the same manner that a soul maneuvers a body. Therefore, the verse cautions, "You shall know this day, and restore to your heart." Beware of falling prey to this fallacious theory. Rather, understand that "there is no other," which means that existence would disappear entirely unless God continually wills it into existence and infuses it with life at every moment.

אַךְ בֶּאֱמֶת אֵין הַמָּשָׁל דּוֹמֶה לַנִּמְשָׁל כְּלָל. כִּי הַנְּשָׁמָה וְהַגּוּף הֵם בֶּאֱמֶת נִפְרָדִים זֶה מִזֶּה בְּשָׁרְשָׁם,

In truth, there is no resemblance whatsoever between the analogy of the soul in the body and its object of comparison, that of God in the world, because the soul and body each have distinct origins. Although the analogy of the body and soul does depict certain aspects of the relationship between God and the world, the two paradigms are not truly similar.

כִּי אֵין הִתְהַוּוּת שֹׁרֶשׁ הַגּוּף וְעַצְמוּתוֹ מִנִּשְׁמָתוֹ, אֶלָּא מִטִּפּוֹת אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ. וְגַם אַחֲרֵי כֵן אֵין גִּידּוּלוֹ מִנִּשְׁמָתוֹ לְבַדָּהּ, אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי אֲכִילַת וּשְׁתִיַּית אִמּוֹ כָּל תִּשְׁעָה חֳדָשִׁים וְאַחַר כָּךְ עַל יְדֵי אֲכִילָתוֹ וּשְׁתִיָּיתוֹ בְּעַצְמוֹ.

The origins of the body and its essence are not brought into existence by its soul but rather from the seed of its father and mother. Even after conception, the body's growth is not exclusively derived from its soul, but through its mother's eating and drinking all nine months, and after that through its own eating and drinking. The soul does not create the body's existence from nothingness. Existent matter creates the body, namely, the father's sperm and the mother's ovum. Even after the body's conception, the soul does not provide the basic life-giving energy for its growth, but rather the body thrives through physical nourishment from external sources, through the mother in the womb and by its own hand after birth. While it is true that the body cannot survive and develop without a soul, it also cannot survive and develop with only a soul, since its material makeup does not stem solely from the spirit within. The body is not a direct projection of the soul but rather is an independent entity that requires physical sustenance that the soul cannot provide. The body and the soul, though intermingled and deeply impacted by each other, are not a seamless unity.

מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ, שֶׁכָּל עַצְמוּתָם וּמַהוּתָם נִתְהַוֶּה מֵאַיִן וְאֶפֶס הַמּוּחְלָט רַק בִּדְבַר ה׳ וְרוּחַ פִּיו יִתְבָּרַךְ.

This is not the case with the heavens and the earth, whose entire being and essence were brought into existence from absolute nothingness and void exclusively through the word of God and the breath of His divine utterance. For God, creation does not constitute a new formation of existing matter, of transforming one existing entity into another, but rather He speaks each and every particle of the heavens and the earth into existence from absolute nothingness.

וְגַם עֲדַיִין נִצָּב דְּבַר ה׳ לְעוֹלָם וְשׁוֹפֵעַ בָּהֶם תָּמִיד בְּכָל רֶגַע וּמְהַוֶּה אוֹתָם תָּמִיד מֵאַיִן לְיֵשׁ,

Even now, God's word stands forever and perpetually flows through them at every instant and constantly brings them forth from nothingness into existence The world is constantly being brought into existence at every instant. It is not an automatic, self-driven entity, nor did it spontaneously evolve from its inception or continue to unfold "naturally." It is hewn from divinity and continually draws its existence from the Divine. It maintains absolutely no independent existence.

כְּהִתְהַוּוּת הָאוֹר מֵהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בְּתוֹךְ גּוּף כַּדּוּר הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ עַצְמוֹ דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל.

in the same way, for example, that sunlight constantly comes into being from within the body of the sun itself. The sunlight that shines now is not a product created by the sun in the past. The sun is constantly producing sunlight. Therefore, sunlight maintains no existence at all without the sun.

וְאִם כֵּן, הֵם בְּטֵלִים בֶּאֱמֶת בִּמְצִיאוּת לְגַמְרֵי לְגַבֵּי דְּבַר ה׳ וְרוּחַ פִּיו יִתְבָּרַךְ, הַמְיוּחָדִים בְּמַהוּתוֹ וְעַצְמוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר לְקַמָּן, כְּבִיטּוּל אוֹר הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בַּשֶּׁמֶשׁ.

Therefore, heaven and earth are truly, totally subsumed in the divine reality in relation to the word of God and the breath of His divine utterance, which are unified with God's essence and being, as will be explained below (chap. 11; see also Likkutei Amarim, chaps. 21–22), just as sunlight is subsumed in the sun. The relationship between God and the world is not one of two separate entities like that of body and soul. Unlike the body, which receives its vitality from the soul but exists on its own, this world is nothing more than an emanation of Godly existence. Hewn from the Divine, it has no independent existence apart from the Divine.

רַק שֶׁהֵן הֵן גְּבוּרוֹתָיו בְּמִדַּת הַגְּבוּרָה וְהַצִּמְצוּם – לְהַסְתִּיר וּלְהַעֲלִים הַחַיּוּת הַשּׁוֹפֵעַ בָּהֶם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ נִרְאִים הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל צְבָאָם כְּאִילּוּ הֵם דָּבָר בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ.

Yet these are His very powers of restraint, through the attribute of Gevura and constriction, to conceal and hide the life force coursing through all these creations so that the heavens and the earth and all their hosts appear as though they are independent entities. The phrase "these are His very powers of restraint" is reminiscent of a discussion in the Talmud: "For Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Why are the Sages of those generations called the members of the Great Assembly? It is because they returned the crown of the Holy One, blessed be He, to its former glory. How so? Moses came and said in his prayer,'The great, the mighty, and the awesome God' (Deut. 10:17). Jeremiah the prophet came and said,'Gentiles, namely, the minions of Nebuchadnezzar, are carousing in His sanctuary. Where is His awesomeness?' Therefore, he did not say'awesome' in his prayer:'The great, the mighty God, the Lord of hosts is His name' (Jer. 32:18). Daniel came and said,'Gentiles are enslaving His children. Where is His might?' Therefore he did not say'mighty' in his prayer:'The great and awesome God' (Dan. 9:4). The members of the Great Assembly came and said,'On the contrary, this is the might of His might. That is, this is the fullest expression of it, that He conquers His inclination in that He exercises patience toward the wicked'" (Yoma 69b). The fact that God allows the world to remain in existence as it is demonstrates His Gevura. God manifests this attribute by restraining His infinite, inconceivable, all-encompassing being to create a world in denial about His presence, a reality that experiences itself as self-sufficient. The words "His very powers of restraint," then, refer to God's preservation of a world that denies His existence.

אַךְ אֵין הַצִּמְצוּם וְהַהֶסְתֵּר אֶלָּא לַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, אֲבָל לְגַבֵּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא – כּוֹלָּא קַמֵּיהּ כְּלָא מַמָּשׁ חֲשִׁיבֵי, כְּאוֹר הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בַּשֶּׁמֶשׁ.

However, the constriction and concealment is only from the perspective of the lower worlds, but for the Holy One, blessed be He, everything before Him is literally considered nothingness, like sunlight, which is subsumed in the sun. The relationship between God and the world resembles a one-way mirror. An observer gazing at the reflective side sees only himself, while the transparent side displays both sides as one contiguous plane.

וְאֵין מִדַּת הַגְּבוּרָה מַסְתֶּרֶת חַס וְשָׁלוֹם לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּי אֵינֶנָּה דָּבָר בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, אֶלָּא – ה׳ הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים.

The attribute of Gevura does not, God forbid, conceal anything before God, for it is not an independent entity. Rather, "the Lord [ Havaya ], He is the God [ Elokim ]." God conceals His essence through His essence. Revelation and concealment are simply two aspects of His unified being. The concealment and darkness felt in the lower worlds is, in the elevated realm of the upper worlds, revelation and illumination. The main subject of this chapter is the way in which the attribute of