At first glance, the Zohar HaKadosh that Rebbe Nachman mentions seems to say we can understand the greatness of Hashem, as we see from the word “nodah,” which means “known.” However, the Zohar explains afterwards that we can only grasp the “nodah” (knowledge of Hashem) through the “sh’arim” (the ten Sefiros). In other words, we can only comprehend the greatness of Hashem through His middos, but His actual light itself is far beyond any explanation.
What we learn from this is that the ten Sefiros are the vessels that we must use to retain an imprint of the experience of Hashem’s Oneness. This means that after we come to a new understanding of the greatness of the Creator, we should do a mitzvah with love (Chesed), or find new awe of Hashem (Gevurah) through looking at the wonders (Tiferes) of Creation.
Similarly, we should overcome (Netzach) the yetzer hara, and try to focus on the beauty and charm (Hod) of Judaism. We should learn the Torah of the tzaddikim (Yesod) with new chiyus and search for the practical advice (Malchus) that can change our lives. Through this, we make an “imprint” of the Infinite Light that we can draw inspiration from for the rest of our lives.
”And [Rebbe Nachman] said that what is written after [this verse]. . .is something else entirely that is distant from the praise of ‘I knew“‘.
Why does Rebbe Nachman need to tell us this? Is he just giving us a commentary on this chapter of Tehillim? With these words, Rebbe Nachman teaches us that there is a another avodah: making vessels for the light that we experience. The details of this avodah come from the verses after the verse “I knew“.
But first we have to understand why Rebbe Nachman uses the expression “praise” regarding the experience of the greatness of Hashem. The answer is that this amazing avodah only works if we attach ourselves to tzaddikim who truly understand the awesome praise of this practice in their hearts. They are the ones who can be mevatel themselves to the Oneness of Hashem on the highest level as they daven and do hisbodedus, and create an imprint of their bitul that illuminates every aspect of their lives.
Without them, we can know the concepts of chassidus, but we can’t awaken ourselves to feel the praise and wonder of “I knew.” Maybe the first time that a person learns something in the sefarim hakedoshim he can taste its sweetness, but not afterwards.
This is why Rebbe Nachman repeats this idea in the second section of this sichah: to reveal that the praise of “I knew” is much greater than all the sefarim. It is an awesome praise that we can only receive by coming close to the tzaddikim. This is what opens the gates for us to enter this avodah.
