In this week’s Parsha there is a Possuk that states: כִּי־תִּטְהָרוּהַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵּיכֶּם לְטַהֵּר אֶּתְכֶּם גּוֹ׳ לִּפְנֵּי ה׳ בַיּוֹם “For on this day He shall effect atonement for you to cleanse you. Before HaShem, you shall be cleansed...”
The Alter Rebbe explains on this week’s Parsha (in the ‘Chassidishe Parsha’ for this week’s Torah portion) in his work Likkutei Torah that the words ה׳ לִפְנֵי which we have translated as “Before HaShem” means spiritually higher, above HaShem’s Divine name ‘Havaye’.
The Alter Rebbe continues: That the objective of Teshuvah is to return one’s Divine soul to [the spiritual level] from where its source was hewn, as it was prior to the Seder Hishtalshelus and prior to its descent from level to level into this world and where it now pervades a physical body. For then it was integrated within the source and origin of all worlds, the infinite ‘Ohr Ein Sof’ Blessed be He. However, due to its great descent, and Hishtalshelus from level to level, it transfigures from one existence into another, and descends yet further to be enclothed in a physical, human body of a person down here in this world. Therefore, we need to return her to her source as it was then, and to elevate one’s Divine soul to cleave to the Living G-d that she should be incorporated into the infinite light of the ‘Ein Sof’ Blessed be He as it was before.
It can be said that the reason why the Alter Rebbe explains in his Maamor this aspect of Teshuvah (where Teshuvah means to return ones soul to its source) is because at the same time he is able to explain these words in our Possuk: לִּפְנֵּי ה׳ תִּטְהָרוּ “Before HaShem, you shall be cleansed” (which refers to Teshuvah) to mean beyond the level of HaShem’s name Havaye as mentioned above. Because when the Alter Rebbe mentions here in the Maamor that the origin of the Neshomoh is from within the light of the ‘Ein Sof’ Blessed be He; he is bringing our attention to the infinite spiritual Divine level of the ‘Ohr Ein Sof’ which is even higher than the Divine name Havaye.
So, since the concept of Teshuvah is to return one’s soul to its original source and origin, it transpires that the effect of Teshuvah is to return the soul to a spiritual level higher than the name Havaye. This is why it says: לִּפְנֵּי ה׳ “Before HaShem” because Teshuvah is about returning one’s soul to a level above the name of Havaye.
Clarifying the Concept: The Soul’s Purity
To clarify this concept: In the morning prayers we say: נְשָמָה שֶּנָתַתָ בִּי טְהוֹרָה הִּיא אַתָה בְרָאתָהּ כוּ׳ “The soul which you have placed within me is pure. You have created it..”
This means that the Neshomoh itself is ‘pure’, spiritually higher than the next level of ‘You have created it’.
This is because the spiritual level of טְהוֹרָה ‘Pure’ is a state of G-dliness which is spiritually higher than any aspect which has anything to do with the world’s creation. Furthermore, טְהוֹרָה is also higher than the state of Elokus which creates the world; and within this state, טְהוֹרָה is higher than the highest Divine level of Elokus which creates the world.
Levels of Divine Connection
Within the state of Elokus which creates the world, there are several Divine levels: There is the Divine level of Elokus which is actually connected with the world. This is the Divine level of the name ‘Elokim’. As the Possuk says: בְרֵּאשִּית בָרָא אֱלֹקִּים “In the Beginning of Elokim’s creation”.
There is also a Divine level which is not directly connected to the world. This is the Divine level of the name ‘Havaye’, but it does yet have some association as it is [also] called ‘Havaye’ because this Divine name is ‘Mehave’ – It causes the world to exist. Also, the Possuk later says: בְיוֹם עֲשוֹת ה׳ אֱלֹקִּים אֶּרֶּץ וְשָמָיִּם “The day that Havaye Elokim made earth and heaven” - That the making of earth and heaven is not solely attributed to the Divine name ‘Elokim’ but also to the Divine name ‘Havaye’ as well.
From all this it transpires that: Being that the origin of the Neshomoh is at a level of ‘טְהוֹרָה הִּיא ’ which is...
