Similarly, regarding Torah study and the actions of mitzvos: They are rooted in Hashem’s Lofty Will and Wisdom, and are completely unified with him, for “He [Hashem] is Wise, but not with a knowable Wisdom” (Introduction to Tikkunei Zohar).
Saying that “Hashem is Wise” means that Hashem puts Himself, as it were, into the level of Wisdom of Atzilus, so that it becomes “His Wisdom,” that is completely inseparable from Him. Because this Wisdom is one with Hashem it is “not a knowable wisdom” to the creations, since, just as Hashem is unknowable, His Wisdom is also essentially unknowable to the creations in its original state. Only after Hashem’s Wisdom of Atzilus is limited and brought down to a lower level can it be comprehended by the creations.
These levels of Elokus which are Hashem’s Will and Wisdom in Atzilus are above and beyond the level of Elokus called “the ray of the Shechina-Divine Presence, which is just a radiance of energy of Malchus of Atzilus.
The World of Atzilus has ten Sefiros, ten levels and aspects of Hashem’s revelation, how Hashem brings Himself down, as it were, to relate to creations. The highest of these Sefiros is Chochmah-Wisdom, the essential Wisdom of Hashem. This level is the inner wisdom and purpose behind all of creation. What is this innermost wisdom and purpose of creation? The Torah is the innermost wisdom of Hashem and fulfilling mitzvos is the innermost purpose of why Hashem creates everything. Thus, the Torah and Mitzvos are the highest level of Atzilus, the innermost wisdom and will behind all of creation.
The lowest level of the Sefiros of Atzilus is the Sefirah of Malchus-Kingship. This is the level of how Hashem comes down to actually act as a King and Creator of the universe. This level itself has two aspects: 1- Hashem’s Sefirah of Malchus as it exists in Atzilus is the power to create and govern the worlds. 2- Hashem’s Sefirah of Malchus as it descends “out of Atzilus” into the realm of the created worlds to create, enliven, and govern them. This second level of Malchus is referred to as “Shechina-Divine Presence,” since it is the level of how Hashem’s power and lifeforce is “present” and manifest in a revealed sense to the creations. The “ray” of the Shechina is how the power and light of Malchus becomes limited according to the capacity of the creations to handle without being overwhelmed, in each level according to their limitations.
Thus, the Torah and Mitzvos themselves are from the highest levels of Elokus, from the highest level of Atzilus, which is incomparably higher and deeper than the limited “ray of the Shechina” that shines in the created worlds.
And yet, these levels of Hashem’s Will and Wisdom descended and extended downwards and became invested in matters of this physical world, such as parchment for tefillin and wool for tzitzis and money for tzedakah.
When a person involves himself in learning Torah and doing mitzvos, this creates a garment for his soul to that it wears when it is in the Upper Gan Eden.
By way of these garments, the soul, which is a created entity, can: 1- grasp the radiance of the Shechina that creates and enlivens the worlds, and more than that, 2- it perceives the Essential Light of Elokus shining in Atzilus.
Just as the “cloud” that Moshe had served as an interface system that allowed his human mind and physical body to become bound up with Elokus, the Mitzvos we do create a similar interface system that allows the finite soul to directly perceive both levels of Elokus that shine in Gan Eden, known as the “radiance of the Shechina,” and “the Essence of Elokus,” that shines from Atzilus, as explained above.
The reason that Mitzvos have this power is because they derive from a level in Elokus that is incomparably loftier than the “radiance of the Shechina,” rather, they derive from Hashem’s Will. Because mitzvos are from such a deep level in Elokus that is beyond the limitations of all worlds, from the perspective of that lofty source there in no difference between the limitation of the soul and the (relative) limitlessness of the “radiance of the Shechina” and these two things can merge.
In other words, specifically because Torah and Mitzvos are so much loftier than the Light of Hashem in Gan Eden, that is why they even have the power allow a limited creation to perceive the Elokus of Gan Eden. This is expressed in the “garments” created by the Mitzvos that the soul “wears” to enter Gan Eden and perceive Elokus there without being overwhelmed.
And this is the meaning of “Better one moment of teshuva and good deeds” – since they are rooted in Hashem’s Supernal Will – “than all the life of the World to Come in Gan Eden” – since it is only a radiance of Hashem’s Shechina, as is known.
The Tzemach Tzedek adds: Even the Infinite Light shining from Atzilus into Gan Eden is still not as great as the mitzvah itself. Since even that Light from Atzilus is only a glimmer of the truly Infinite dimension of the connection to Hashem accomplished by the mitzvah. Even though this Light of Atzilus is so much greater than the “regular” Light of Hashem invested in Gan Eden, nonetheless, it is still only a glimmer of the Essential Will of Hashem found in the Mitzvah that transcends the entire World of Atzilus.
Nevertheless, teshuva and mitzvos are called “garments,” which enable one to grasp the radiance of the Shechina. This should suffice for those who understand.
