There is a Possuk at the beginning of our Parsha that states: בְּהַעֲלֹתְּךָ אֶת־הַנֵּרֹת אֶל־מוּל פְּנֵּי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ שִבְּעַת הַנֵּרוֹת “When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall cast their light toward the face of the Menorah”. The Alter Rebbe explains in Likkutei Torah at the beginning of the Parsha (of the Chassidishe Parsha) that the Inyan of the Menorah is mentioned in Zecharia רָאִיתִי וְּהִנֵּה־מְּנוֹרַת זָהָב כֻּלָהּ “I saw and behold- there was a Menorah completely of gold”.
The Menorah represents the Neshomos of the whole spectrum of Klal Yisroel. It has seven lights which symbolise seven levels in serving HaShem.
The Alter Rebbe continues to explain the seven levels that correspond to the seven Middos. There are those who serve HaShem through a love like water. [This is a level in Avodas HaShem from a Chessed perspective. Although Chessed is actually part of all the Middos as the Zohar says regarding Chessed that it is: “A day that goes with all the days”].
There are those that serve HaShem through a love like a flaming fire [Gevurah]. Then there are those who serve HaShem through Torah which is the intermediary line [Tiferes]. There are those who serve HaShem through triumph [Netzach]. And there are those who serve HaShem through submission [Hod].
The Alter Rebbe concludes with an Avodah through ‘Hisnas’se’us’ - an attitude of exaltedness and leadership etc... and ‘Shiflus’ - an Avodah through an attitude of humility and a small ego. We can add that the last two mentioned levels (Hisnas’se’us and Shiflus) are both associated with the Sefirah of Malchus in the upper realm.
In the Seder Hishtalshelus first comes the Shiflus. This is because Malchus is the last of all Divine levels at the bottom of the spiritual world of Atzilus. [This is the state of Shiflus]. It is only thereafter that it becomes the Kesser to the worlds of Briyah Yetzirah and Asiyah below it. This is the state of Hisnas’se’us.
However, regarding the מְּנוֹרַת זָהָב כֻּלָהּ which symbolises the Neshomos of Yisroel, the order is the opposite way around. First comes the Hisnas’se’us and only afterwards comes the Shiflus.
Just to note; there is another incredible thing. Why is there is no mention of the Avodah through the Middah of Yesod? [Particularly since the Tzemach Tzedek does expound on the Avodah of Yesod in his works]. Although we could technically research the original handwritten copies of this Maamor, this is something quite extraordinary, in all the previous generations since the Sefer Likkutei Torah has been printed, why has nobody pointed out this issue?
