Chapter 2
Now, this revelation of Hashem in a person’s soul exists on two levels: A ‘Memalei-permeating’ level, and a ‘Soveiv-encompassing’ level.
‘Memalei-permeating’ is the name for the Light that becomes invested and grasped in a person’s mind in such a way that he can understand Hashem’s revelation.
As it is written, (Devarim 30:19-20) “And you shall choose life... to love Hashem... because He is your life.”
What does it mean that one should first choose Hashem, and then one will love Him?
Since ‘choosing’ something is what a person does in their mind, when he decides to choose what he understands to be good, and to despise what he understands to be bad, whereas, love is a feeling in the heart, and a person first needs to decide that something is good based on his understanding, before he can come to love or (or the opposite).
In our context this means that a person needs to train his mind to think about the fact that Hashem is truly good and that He is the source of his life, so that he will agree (intellectually) to ‘choose’ to associate Hashem as being his Life, and therefore, come to love Him.
As it says, “See that I (Hashem) place before you today, life and good, death and bad, and you should choose life,” referring to the Divine life-force of the heaven and the earth that we see, and not to choose to associate with their physical aspect, which is all of the pleasures of This World, which are all temporary, and therefore end up rotting and decomposing and are thus called “dead,” since they are temporary and will eventually stop existing. This is in contrast to the Life from Hashem, which lasts forever.
After a person uses his mind to decide to recognize that Hashem is “good,” since He is the true Life of everything, then he is able to come to love Hashem “for He is your Life,” meaning that He is the True Life of all, as it is written, (Tehillim 36:10) “For with You (Hashem) is the Source of Life.”
This is the ‘Memalei-permeating’ aspect of the person’s soul, when the love of Hashem is expressed and grasped in his mind, and this brings to the level of loving Hashem “with all of your heart and all of your soul.”
‘Soveiv-encompassing’ level of the soul is called “loving Hashem with of all of your might,” beyond the limitations of a person’s intellect.
Note of the Tzemach Tzedek:
Similarly, there are two level of Teshuva: ‘Teshuva Tata’a-Lower Level Teshuva,’ that is based on understanding the importance of doing Teshuva and correcting one’s ways, and ‘Teshuva Ila’a-Higher Level Teshuva,’ that comes from the depths of the soul, beyond the limitations of intellect. End of Note.
Now, we need to explain the above-mentioned concept: How is it possible for a person to serve Hashem with the ‘Soveiv-encompassing’ level of the soul that is beyond the limitations of intellect?
This is only possible through Teshuva in a way of ‘Mesirus Nefesh-giving oneself over to Hashem’ beyond all calculations.
This will be understood better based on what is explained elsewhere: The Torah does not give an explanation of the reason why a Jew needs to have ‘Mesirus Nefesh-self sacrifice’ and give up his life rather than commit one of the cardinal sins (idolatry, adultery, or murder), whereas it does give a reason why a Jew should love Hashem, as it is written, (Devarim 30:20) “You should love Hashem your G-d... because He is your life.”
This is because the regular love of Hashem derives from logic and understanding of how Hashem is our Life, and similar concepts, which works in a way that one level brings to another level, i.e. intellect brings to emotion.
This is not so regarding the ‘Mesirus Nefesh- self-sacrifice’ that the Torah does not give an explanation for, since it is derived from a level of the soul that is beyond intellect, which is the simple faith in Hashem that is beyond all calculations, whereby one connects to Hashem as He is ‘Soveiv-encompasses’ all worlds.
This is why our Sages say, (Brachos 34b) “In the place where a ‘Baal Teshuva-one who does Teshuva stands, even a complete Tzaddik cannot stand.”
