We can add further, that this supernal ‘Rotzon Muchlot’ is not even revealed to itself, just as is explained in the concept of ‘Reisha Deloh Issyadah’ - a ‘Beginning which is unknown’ - that it is a beginning which does not know and is unknown, because it is not even in the realm of knowledge or revelation for itself, meaning that it does not know itself what it has. From this it is understood, that since the B’nei Yisroel are able to cause this revelation in HaShem’s ‘Rotzon’ to materialise this, attests [to the fact] that they are actually rooted in ‘Rotzon Hamuchlot’.
It can also be said that the B’nei Yisroel are even spiritually higher than this state of ‘Rotzon Hamuchlot’ itself because ‘Rotzon Hamuchlot’ itself has no revelation; as previously mentioned. The fact that the B’nei Yisroel are able to cause a revelation within it, in other words they can effectuate a change within it so to speak attests to the fact that their root is spiritually higher than the ‘Rotzon Hamuchlot’. Because the ‘Rotzon’ is not the essence whereas their root is in HaShem’s very essence and being Blessed be He, and it is there that this ‘Rotzon HaMuchlot’ is formed.
Furthermore, the root of the B’nei Yisroel is even higher than this concept of HaShem’s essence and being, for the description of ‘HaShem’s essence and being’ is itself a specific description. The basis of this description is the negation of all revelations lower than it; and from this itself it is understood that it has an association and connection to all the levels that it negates. This is in [stark] contrast to that which is explained in the Tanya that if someone says that he cannot feel a deep intellectual concept with his hands people would laugh at him.
The root of the B’nei Yisroel is as the Possuk states לִפְּנֵׁי ה׳ אֱלֹקֵׁיכֶּם the word לִפְּנֵׁי over here would mean before as in greater than any levels related to the name of Havaya. Even greater than any parameter or description of levels and of ‘up’ or ‘down’ or in ‘front’ or ‘behind’...
From all this it is understood; also, in the manner of the Avodah of the B’nei Yisroel (that they are נִצָּבִים לִפְּנֵׁי ה׳ “Standing before HaShem, your G-d”) that the Avodah should be in a manner of unity where everyone is united as one; as previously mentioned. For as a result of this we can reach לִפְּנֵׁי ה׳ אֱלֹקֵׁיכֶּם which is higher than all other levels. Similarly with unity which is a point beyond all differences in levels and even beyond any parameter of differences in levels from רָּאשֵׁיכֶּם שִבְּטֵׁיכֶּם “The leaders of your tribes” through to חֹטֵׁב עֵׁצֶּיךָ your “woodcutters” עַד שֹאֵׁב מֵׁימֶּיךָ and your “water drawers” all becomes one individual point which is greater than any boundaries of division. From this is extended thereafter in all the details as they are in their place that the unity extends to the whole of B’nei Yisroel From רָּאשֵׁיכֶּם שִבְּטֵׁיכֶּם “The leaders of your tribes” through to חֹטֵׁב עֵׁצֶּיךָ עַד שֹאֵׁב מֵׁימֶּיךָ “your woodcutters and your water drawers”.
Footnotes and Explanations
Reisha Deloh Issyadah: A beginning which is unknown. Sometimes called by its abbreviation ‘Radloh’. Is a very lofty level in G-dliness, part of the ‘Makif Kloli’ – the general encompassing energy, and it never comes into revelation, and only in the future with the coming of Moshiach will it be revealed. It is the inner dimension of a Divine face called ‘Atik Yomin’ – ancient days, which is the inner dimension of ‘Kesser’ and it is not even a source for emanations. It is explained in kabbalah and in Chassidus that the intellectual attributes of ‘Chochmah, Binah and Da’as’ of the supernal Sefiros from whence the Middos come are called the three heads. However there is a higher and greater level than the intellectual attributes that is beyond serving as a root to emit Middos, it is a Divine level which is separated and absolutely exalted from the existence of the world to the extent that it is too lofty to even be a root to the Divine light that allows for the existence of the world which is the supernal Middos. This is the Divine light of the ‘Ein Sof’ which transcends any worldly existence and is the root for the three heads. This is what is explained that the Reisha Deloh Issyadah is the highest state within the three heads. It is concealed and completely covered up and has no connection to anything else.
Rotzon HaMuchlot: For if not they would not have the ability to reveal this Rotzon.
B’nei Yisroel: From the perspective of their Neshomoh and from the perspective of their ability to arouse the supernal will to become King on Rosh HaShonoh.
HaShem’s essence and being: In other words, by highlighting that we are talking about HaShem’s very essence, which transcends any sort of revelation, ray or extension which are not His essence, automatically anything which one has to say about HaShem is not going to be his essence and therefore is negated from the discussion because we are discussing HaShem’s very essence. However, HaShem’s essence is beyond any sort of description and therefore the title itself of HaShem’s essence and being is in fact a description and not His essence.
Before: Chassidus explains that whilst in our world we have a concept of time and space and therefore the concepts of before and after are either related to the timeline or to spatial proximity in the higher realms time and space do not exist so every time that the term before is used it relates to a higher spiritual plane than something which comes after. So when the Possuk states לִפְּנֵי ה׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶּם which we would normally translate as before HaShem your Gd, in an environment where there is no time and space which is the environment from where our souls descend that means spiritually higher than G-d your G-d.
Unity: Unity on an incredibly high level. Not only is there unity across different levels or even unity to the extent that there are no longer differences in levels, because all differences no longer exist.
Chassidic Insights
This topic is further explained in Chassidus, where the Possuk in the prophesy of Yeshaya describes HaShem’s supernal chariot. In a Maamor with the opening words וְּנִקְּדַשְּתִי בְּ תוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְּרָּאֵל in the fifth chapter the Alter Rebbe discusses the group of angels called Seraphim that say ‘Kodosh’ and explains that they are from the world of Briyah where ChaBa”D is Revealed because the angels and the souls are able to grasp the greatness of the Ein Sof blessed be He. He then talks about the vitality in Memaleh Kol Almin – the vitalising force that fills the worlds which is sub divided into three which are the upper Gan Eden, the lower Gan Eden and this world; analogous to a head, body and feet. All the Divine comprehension of HaShem’s greatness in the upper worlds and in the lower worlds comes from Memaleh Kol Olmin, however HaShem Himself is holy, separated, beyond comprehension ... and the vitality which HaShem vitalises them with does not go through the contractions and is called Sovev Kol Olmin – the vitalising Divine energy that does not pervade anything and cannot permeate anything it can only encompass from outside. Through these angels’ contemplation and grasp in this they become excited with a burning yearning desire like a flaming fire to look at HaShem’s very glory in the state of Sovev Kol Olmin which is holy and separated and that is why they are called Seraphim because of the burning yearning like a flaming fire and the incredible passion to become incorporated within Sovev Kol Olmin ... and that is why the Possuk states: שְּרָּפִים עֹׁמְּדִים מִמַעַל לוֹ “Seraphim-angels stood above Him.”
Earlier the question was asked how can one say about a created being that he stands above HaShem? The answer is that when Yeshaya says: “he sees HaShem sitting on a high and elevated throne etc and Seraphim are standing above Him” he makes mention of the name Adnus' this name symbolises the level of Kingship as the way in which it pervades the worlds within the vitality of Memaleh Kol Olmin ... through severities and contractions to first reduce and contract the intense light and vitality so that it could pervade the worlds and that it should be of limited form... and above this contracted level of kingship coming from the name Adnus’ the Possuk continues and “the Seraphim angels are standing above Him” in other words that they are higher than the name Adnus’ which is Memaleh Kol Olmin. This is because they are yearning with a burning Desire to leave their own confines and to become incorporated within Sovev Kol Olmin which is called holy. So in other words, because they are constantly wanting and yearning to leave the confines of their own vitality which is Memaleh Kol Olmin through the name Adnus’ and they are passionately wanting to leave that source of vitality and they want to ascend up to the higher level and be vitalised by Sovev Kol Olmin as the maxim ‘where someone wants to be that is where he is’ (Or ‘where someone thoughts are that is where he is’) and they want to be higher than Adnus’ so they are standing higher.
Rotzon Hamuchlot Explained
This concept is explained at length in Chassidus in Maamorim pertaining to Rosh HaShonoh. There are three stages to wanting something, starting with a natural inbuilt want that one has but does not feel it or might not even realise that he has this want, like for example the want to have a home which as a human being means that he has to have a home where to live but he has not thought about this want and does not feel it. Or he might feel it and have thought a little about it but has pushed the thought away to a time when he will have resources or time to think further and make a plan. This is called in Chassidus a ‘Rotzon Hamuchlot’. Then there is a second stage of want when through internal discussions one realises what it is that he wants but has not expressed it in anyway, so it is revealed to himself but not further to anyone else and no action has come from it. This in Chassidus is called ‘Rotzon Hakodum’ ‘An early want’. But then through communication and action this ‘want’ comes into revelation and action. In Chassidus this is called ‘Rotzon Golui’ a revealed want. Similarly, the first stage in HaShem’s supernal Rotzon – ‘want’ for kingdom is called ‘Rotzon Hamuchlot’ which refers only to a decision to want but not a revealed desire. To further understand this there is a parable brought of a man who wants to build a house. Before he builds the house he must ‘want’ to build a house. In order to be motivated to actually do something about it and make it happen he then needs to develop that ‘want’ into a revealed desire. The cause that inspires the revealed desire is the silent want called the ‘Rotzon HaMuchlot’ the resolution to one day want. This resolution is not a revealed want and does not bring on any action but it is a want that remains undeveloped in Machshova. On the other hand although this ‘Rotzon Hamuchlot’ is not constructive in any way it is the main reason why this want eventually makes it to become a ‘Rotzon Golui’ a revealed want. So too in the analogue with regards to G-dliness so to speak. Before arousing a new revealed Divine ‘want’ to rule over the world and created beings as King, there is a ‘Rotzon Muchlot’ which is a ‘Rotzon’ in ‘Machshova’ but does not follow through into action, but it does become a reason for a revealed ‘Rotzon’. This explains our Maamor that although before the ‘Rotzon Golui’ there already was a ‘Rotzon Hamuchlot’ it is dormant and does not trigger a renewed kingship nor any new influence to the worlds.
