קונטרס אחרון, פרק ו׳

א[מ: יד כסלו] [פ: יד כסלו] דָּוִד, זְמִירוֹת קָרִית לְהוּ כוּ׳. הִנֵּה בַּזֹּהַר: ״שְׁבָחָא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא וּרְנָנָה כוּ׳״. וּלְהָבִין, מַהוּ הַשֶּׁבַח לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא כְּשֶׁזֶּה אָסוּר אוֹ מוּתָּר?

1“David! Do you call them songs!”¹ In Zohar we find, “The praise of Torah and its song.” We must understand what is the praise of G–d in forbidding or permitting an object.

בהִנֵּה הוּא עַל דֶּרֶךְ: ״מַה גָּדְלוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ ה׳, מְאֹד עָמְקוּ מַחְשְׁבוֹתֶיךָ״.

2A similar concept is implicit in “How great are Your works, O G–d, Your thoughts are very deep.”²

גכִּי הִנֵּה נוֹדָע, שֶׁכָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים – תְּלוּיִם בְּדִקְדּוּק מִצְוָה אַחַת, דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל: אִם הַקָּרְבָּן כָּשֵׁר – נַעֲשֶׂה יִחוּד עֶלְיוֹן, וְעוֹלִים כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת לְקַבֵּל חַיּוּתָם וְשִׁפְעָם:

3It is known that all worlds,³ the exalted and the lowly, are dependent on the precise and meticulous performance of a single mitzvah. For example, if the altar offering was valid then the supernal union⁴ is effected, and all worlds are elevated to receive their life-force⁵ and sustenance.

דוְאִם שִׁינָּה – שֶׁקִּיבֵּל הַדָּם בִּשְׂמֹאלוֹ דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא בִּכְלִי שָׁרֵת כָּשֵׁר, אוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה חֲצִיצָה, אֲזַי נִתְבַּטְּלָה עֲלִיּוֹת הָעוֹלָמוֹת וְחַיּוּתָם וְשִׁפְעָם מֵחַיֵּי הַחַיִּים אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא.

4However, if there is an aberration, if the celebrant received the blood of the offering in his left hand, say, or not in the appropriate vessel, or if some foreign body separates the vessel and the blood it contains, then all the elevations of the world are nullified, as is their life-force and sustenance from the Source of Life, the En Sof,⁶ blessed is He.

הוְכֵן בִּתְפִלִּין כְּשֵׁרוֹת, מִתְגַּלִּים מוֹחִין עֶלְיוֹנִים דִּזְעֵיר אַנְפִּין וְנוּקְבָא, שֶׁהֵם מְקוֹר הַחַיִּים לְכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת, וּבְדִקְדּוּק אֶחָד נִפְסָלִין וּמִסְתַּלְּקִין הַמּוֹחִין. וּכְהַאי גַּוְנָא בְּדִקְדּוּקֵי מִצְוֹת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה.

5So, too, through valid tefillin there is revealed the supernal intellect of zun,⁷ the source of life for all worlds. Through the omission of one required detail they are invalidated, and the intellect departs. This applies as well to the requirements of the prohibitions.

ווְהִלְכָךְ, הַמִּתְבּוֹנֵן מַה גָּדְלוּ מַעֲשֵׂי ה׳ שֶׁבְּרִיבּוּי הָעוֹלָמוֹת וְכָל צְבָאָם, וְאֵיךְ כּוּלָּם בְּטֵלִים בִּמְצִיאוּת לְגַבֵּי דִּקְדּוּק אֶחָד מִדִּקְדּוּקֵי תוֹרָה, שֶׁהוּא עוֹמֶק מַחֲשָׁבָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה וְחָכְמָתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, אֲשֶׁר בְּדִקְדּוּק קַל עוֹלִים כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת וּמְקַבְּלִים חַיּוּתָם וְשִׁפְעָם, אוֹ לְהֵיפֶךְ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וּמִזֶּה נִתְבּוֹנֵן גְּדוּלַּת עוֹמֶק מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, שֶׁהוּא בִּבְחִינַת בְּלִי גְבוּל וְתַכְלִית, וּמַעֲלָתָהּ לְאֵין קֵץ וְתַכְלִית עַל מַעֲלוֹת חַיּוּת כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת, שֶׁכָּל חַיּוּתָם שׁוֹפֵעַ מִדִּקְדּוּק אֶחָד מִמֶּנָּה, שֶׁהוּא נִמְשָׁךְ מִמְּקוֹרוֹ – הוּא עוֹמֶק מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, כְּמוֹ שְׂעַר הָאָדָם הַנִּמְשָׁךְ מִמּוֹחוֹ עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, וְכַנּוֹדָע מֵהַתִּיקּוּנִים וְהָאִדְרָא רַבָּא.

6The meditation then may take these lines: Consider “How great are the works” of G–d in the multiplicity of worlds and all their hosts. All of these are literally null when compared to one detail of Torah specification, for Torah requirements are the profundity of the supreme thought and His wisdom,⁸ blessed be He. Through one minor specification all worlds ascend⁹ and receive their life-force and sustenance, or the opposite, G–d forbid. From this we may ponder the magnitude of the profundity of His thoughts, blessed be He, that is boundless and endless, and infinitely transcends the vitality of all Creation. The vivifying power of all worlds issues from a minor requirement of it (G–d’s thought), for each specification is drawn from its source, namely the depth of His thought, blessed be He. Analogously, man’s hair issues from his brain,¹⁰ as is known from Tikkunim and Idra Rabbah.

זוְזֹאת הָיְתָה שִׂמְחַת דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו־הַשָּׁלוֹם, שֶׁהָיָה מְזַמֵּר וּמְרַנֵּן לְשַׂמֵּחַ לִבּוֹ בְּעֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה בְּעֵת צָרָתוֹ.

7This was the delight of King David, may he rest in peace, as he sang to gladden his heart in his Torah study during his time of trouble.

ח[מ: טו כסלו] [פ: טו כסלו] אַךְ מַה שֶּׁהָיָה מִשְׁתַּבֵּחַ בִּתְהִלַּת הַתּוֹרָה בְּמַעֲלָתָהּ זוֹ, וְאָמַר: ״זְמִירוֹת הָיוּ לִי כוּ׳״ נֶעֱנַשׁ עַל זֶה, וְאָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא ״זְמִירוֹת קָרִית לְהוּ״?! מִשּׁוּם שֶׁבֶּאֱמֶת, מַעֲלָתָהּ זוֹ – שֶׁכָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת בְּטֵלִים לְגַבֵּי דִּקְדּוּק אֶחָד מִמֶּנָּה, הִיא מִבְּחִינַת אֲחוֹרַיִים שֶׁל עוֹמֶק הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה, כְּמוֹ שֶּׁכָּתוּב בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר בְּשֵׁם הָאֲרִיזַ״ל עַל מַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: ״נוֹבְלוֹת חָכְמָה שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה תּוֹרָה״.

8However, his extolling the praise of Torah with this quality, saying, “…have been my songs…” caused his punishment. G–d reproved him saying, “Do you call them songs!” For indeed, this quality—that all worlds are nothingness compared to one detail of it—is of the hinderpart¹¹ of the profound thought. This is explained elsewhere in the name of the Arizal,¹² on the passage, “The Torah is an attenuated form¹³ of the supernal chochmah.”¹⁴

טאֲבָל פְּנִימִית שֶׁבָּעוֹמֶק, שֶׁהוּא פְּנִימִית הַתּוֹרָה, הִיא מְיוּחֶדֶת לְגַמְרֵי בְּאוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא הַמְלוּבָּשׁ בָּהּ – בְּתַכְלִית הַיִּחוּד, וּלְגַבֵּי אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת כְּלֹא מַמָּשׁ וְאַיִן וָאֶפֶס מַמָּשׁ, כִּי ״אַתָּה הוּא עַד שֶׁלֹּא נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם וְכוּ׳״.

9However, the internal aspect of the depth, which is the inner¹⁵ aspect of Torah—pnimiyut haTorah—is totally united with the Light of the En Sof, blessed is He, that is clothed within Torah. The unity is a perfect one.⁸ In terms of the En Sof, blessed is He, all Worlds are as absolute naught,^16* sheer nothingness, nonexistent. For, “You are the same, before the world was created….”¹⁷

יוְהִלְכָּךְ, גַּם לִפְנִימִיּוּת הַתּוֹרָה – אֵין לְשַׁבְּחָהּ כְּלָל בִּתְהִלַּת חַיּוּת כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת, מֵאַחַר דְּלָא מַמָּשׁ חֲשִׁיבֵי.

10Hence, the internal aspect of Torah too is not to be lauded as being the vivifying force of all Worlds, for they are reckoned as nothingness itself.

יאוּבִבְחִינַת פְּנִימִיּוּתָהּ אֵינָהּ שִׂמְחַת לְבַב אֱנוֹשׁ וְשַׁעֲשׁוּעָיו, אֶלָּא כִּבְיָכוֹל, שִׂמְחַת לֵב וְשַׁעֲשׁוּעַ הַמֶּלֶךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּעֲשֵׁעַ בָּהּ, ״כִּי אֱלֹקִים הֵבִין דַּרְכָּהּ וְיָדַע מְקוֹמָהּ״ וּמַעֲלָתָהּ, בִּידִיעַת עַצְמוֹ כִּבְיָכוֹל.

11In this inward aspect of Torah there can be no mortal joy and delight, but rather, in a manner of speaking, the heart’s joy and pleasure of the King, the Holy One, blessed is He, Who delights in it. For “G–d understands its way,”¹⁸ and knows its station and quality, through His self-knowledge,¹⁹ as it were.

יבאֲבָל ״נֶעֶלְמָה מֵעֵינֵי כָל חַי״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וּפָנַי לֹא יֵרָאוּ״, דְּהַיְינוּ בְּחִינַת פְּנִימִיּוּתָהּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר שָׁם בְּשֵׁם הָאֲרִיזַ״ל.

12This, however, is concealed from the mortal eye, as, “My face cannot be seen”²⁰—i.e., the inwardness, as explained there in the name of the Arizal.

יגוְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: ״וָאֶהְיֶה אֶצְלוֹ כוּ׳ שַׁעֲשׁוּעִים״ – אֶצְלוֹ דַוְקָא, ״מְשַׂחֶקֶת לְפָנָיו״ – לְפָנָיו דַּוְקָא, דְּהַיְינוּ בִּבְחִינַת פְּנִימִיּוּתָהּ, וְעַל זֶה אָמַר ״וָאֶהְיֶה אֶצְלוֹ אָמוֹן״ אַל תִּקְרֵי ״אָמוֹן״ אֶלָּא ״אוֹמֵן״ כוּ׳.

13Hence the verse, “I was a pleasure to Him,”²¹ to Him specifically. “Playing before Him,” before Him specifically, meaning the inwardness. “I was reared with Him,” and (the Midrash comments)—“Do not read amon (reared) but uman (craft)….”²²

ידוְעַל בְּחִינַת אֲחוֹרַיִים אָמַר: ״מְשַׂחֶקֶת בְּתֵבֵל אַרְצוֹ, וְשַׁעֲשׁוּעַי אֶת בְּנֵי אָדָם״, כִּי הַתּוֹרָה נִיתְּנָה בִּבְחִינַת פָּנִים וְאָחוֹר, כְּדִכְתִיב בִּמְגִילָּה עָפָה דִּזְכַרְיָה: ״וְהִיא כְתוּבָה פָּנִים וְאָחוֹר״.

14In reference to the hinderpart it says, “Playing in the world, His land, and my delights are with mortal men.”²³ For the Torah is given in states of inwardness and hinderpart, as written in the “flying scroll” of Zechariah, “And it was written front and back.”²⁴

טווּלְפִי שֶׁתָּפַס דָּוִד בִּבְחִינַת אֲחוֹרַיִים, לְכָךְ נֶעֱנַשׁ בְּשִׁכְחָה, הַבָּאָה מִן בְּחִינַת אֲחוֹרַיִים, וְנֶעְלַם מִמֶּנּוּ לְפִי שָׁעָה מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב: ״עֲבוֹדַת הַקֹּדֶשׁ עֲלֵיהֶם בַּכָּתֵף יִשָּׂאוּ״ לְחַבֵּר וּלְיַחֵד אֶת הַ״כְּתֵפַיִים״, שֶׁהֵן בְּחִינַת אֲחוֹרַיִים, אֶל ״עֲבוֹדַת הַקֹּדֶשׁ״, הִיא חָכְמָה עִילָּאָה, בִּבְחִינַת פָּנִים, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם נִמְשְׁכוּ הַלּוּחוֹת שֶׁבָּאָרוֹן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״כְּתוּבִים מִשְּׁנֵי עֶבְרֵיהֶם כוּ׳״, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בִּירוּשַׁלְמִי דִשְׁקָלִים, שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה בָּהֶן בְּחִינַת פָּנִים וְאָחוֹר, עַיֵּין שָׁם:

15Since David seized upon the hinderpart he was punished with forgetfulness, a product of the state of the hinderpart. Momentarily he was oblivious to the verse, “The sacred service is theirs; on the shoulder shall they carry.”²⁵ The purpose is to combine the “shoulder,” the hinderpart, with the sacred service, the supreme wisdom,²⁶ in a manner of inwardness.²⁷ This state is the source of the tablets in the Ark, as we find, “Written on both their sides….”²⁸ The Jerusalem Talmud, Shekalim, explains that they did not have any front and back; study that reference.²⁹

161 When David brought the Ark back from the Philistine captivity (II Samuel 6; I Chronicles 13) it was borne in a wagon. David had forgotten the verse. “The sacred service is theirs; on the shoulder shall they bear it” (Numbers 7:9). This forgetfulness was a rebuke for David’s declaring, “Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my wanderings” (Psalms 119:54). This derogation of Torah is the theme of this essay. The opening quotation of this essay is taken from Sotah 35a. Other Chabad references include Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 18a ff., Derech Mitzvotecha 40b ff., and Sefer Hamaamarim 5702, p. 36.

172 Psalms 92:10.

183 All stages of existence, from the purest spiritual being to the grossly mundane, are called “Worlds” in Kabbalah and Chasidic usage. See Addendum: Glossary to Likkutei Amarim, Part I; Introduction to Likkutei Amarim, Part II. See also Iggeret Hateshuvah, ch. 1, note 3; above, Essay 1, note 3; Translator’s Explanatory Notes to On Learning Chassidus, et al.

194 Addendum, Glossary on Yichud defines and lists references. The transcendent and immanent, distinct in the mundane world, are united through the mitzvot. See below, note 7.

205 The covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:16 and 8:22) assured the simple existence of Creation and the dependability of natural processes quite apart from merit. Chasidut interprets the blessings (Leviticus 26:3, Deuteronomy 11:13) conditional on conduct, as referring to supplemental spiritual beneficence—through fulfillment of G–d’s wishes even This World is “illumined” with the radiance of the Infinite. Zohar (II:239a; III:26b) describes the “mystery of the offering” as “rising to the mystery of the Infinite.” All Creation is “elevated” through the proper sacrificial offerings, and the Consonant Divine response of increased Light of the Infinite into finite Creation ensues. Each mitzvah elicits the relevant response. The example of donning tefillin, presented in the forthcoming text, calls forth a revelation of the Divine intellect, and likewise with other mitzvot.

216 As a result, their continued existence, their life-force, their vivifying power, would emanate from a plane inferior to the ultimate Source of Life, the En Sof (Infinite). In this case, the presence of Creator is concealed behind the facade of nature.

227 Z’char v’nukva, masculine and feminine, indicating unity. The mission of man in this universe of the concealment of G–d is to make His presence evident by living according to His commands and utilizing the physical world for the Divine purpose. Each of the names applied to G–d describes a particular aspect of G–d. One name describes His transcendence, G–d before Whom all Creation is naught. Another name indicates power, the creative and sustaining force, G–d Whose hand may be detected in His works. The theme of yichud, unity, recurrent in Kabbalah and Chasidut, is the union of both aspects, that transcendence become immanent, that Creation cease to conceal Him. This unity is effected on different planes, depending on the act which produces that union. Self-immolation, latent or actual, effects one sort of union; Torah study and mitzvah observance causes another. The union called zu’n (noted in our text) is of the latter order. The “Supreme Intellect” in the text refers to the first steps of the revelation of G–d culminating in Creation. In its external aspects, the union of the powers of Intellect is constant, for it is the source of Creation, bringing “something” from “nothing.” A more profound revelation of G–d, a union more than external, is dependent on man’s efforts, as in note 5, above. Man’s neglect of mitzvot, as the paragraph continues, results in obscuring a particular revelation that should have been manifest.

238 See Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 4, etc., for a discussion of the origin of Torah.

249 I.e., their physical nature is refined, their concealment of the spirit is less pronounced.

2510 The brain is the instrument of man’s supreme faculty. “Hair,” insensitive to pain, is symbolic of man’s lowest faculty, the least evidently living aspect of man. The physical proximity of the two extremes and their qualitative distance is the point made here. All of Creation, in all its impressiveness and magnitude and complexity, issues from a minor detail of Torah and is comparable to Torah roughly as a hair is comparable to the brain.

2611 Indicative of the external aspect, the secondary, as opposed to the “front” or inward, internal aspect, closer to the essential reality.

2712 Rabbi Yitzchak Luria Ashkenazi, of blessed memory (1534-1572).

2813 Lit., “withered” (see Isaiah 34:4), or “things that fall” (see comment. by Maharzu to Bereishit Rabbah 17:5). A withered plant is an attenuated or weaker form of a healthy plant. Similarly, the Torah is a weaker manifestation of supreme chochmah, but not chochmah as it is itself.

2914 Bereishit Rabbah 17:5; 44:17. The Midrash describes several parallels, microcosms to their original: dream to prophecy, Shabbat to the Coming World, the sun to the Light Above, and Torah to the supreme wisdom.

3015 See On the Teachings of Chassidus, beginning.

31Zohar I:11b.

3217 Yalkut Shimoni 836; Liturgy, Morning Prayer.

3318 Cf. Job 28:23.

3419 Maimonides, Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 2:10.

3520 Exodus 33:23. Panai, “My face,” also implies pnimiyut, inwardness. I.e, G–d’s inwardness (the inner part of G–d) cannot be seen, just as His “face” cannot be seen.

3621 Proverbs 8:30. The verse lauds Wisdom, or Torah, as a delight, but in two contexts. In v. 30 it is G–d’s pristine delight; in v. 31 it is man’s delight, world’s delight. Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s thesis is that the first is G–d’s exclusively, for it is totally beyond man’s ken; mortals can have no comprehension or appreciation of this basic character of Torah. Man’s province is the second, as Torah is expressed in terms of the physical world—study and mitzvot. Even this “inferior” aspect of Torah infinitely transcends “world,” yet is in turn incomparably inferior to what Torah truly is. David lauds Torah in this second aspect, but it is only the “hinderpart” of Torah, and in reality he demeans rather than exalts it.

3722 Tanchuma, Bereishit, beginning.

3823 Proverbs 8:31.

3924 Ezekiel 2:10. The “flying scroll” is found in Zechariah 5:2. Commentators explain that the scrolls are one and the same.

4025 Numbers 7:9.

4126 The initial, highest revelation.

4227 A thoroughgoing unity, pervasive and penetrating, not superficial or external.

4328 Exodus 32:15.

4429 6:1.

Kehot Publication Society (English Translation)