Part ד
In the beginning of the maamar, the Alter Rebbe quoted a verse from Shir Hashirim (8:7) that describes the Divine soul’s love for Hashem.
The first half of the verse said, “Many waters cannot extinguish the [soul’s] love [for Hashem] and rivers cannot drown it.”
The Alter Rebbe explained this to mean that the many flowing distractions of pursuing a livelihood cannot extinguish the love of the soul for Hashem. When a Jew comes to pray, he puts aside all the distractions and reconnects to Hashem. Thus, the soul reaches an even deeper level of love for Hashem than it had prior to coming into this world.
The second half of the verse says, as follows:
"אִם יִתֵּן אִישׁ אֶת כָּל הוֹן בֵּיתוֹ בָּאַהֲבָה בּוֹז יָבוּזוּ לוֹ." (שיר השירים ח, ז):
“If one were to give all of the wealth of his house out of the soul’s love for Hashem, he [Hashem and his Divine Court] would ridicule him!” (Shir HaShirim 8:7)
Rashi explains this verse, as follows: Even if the nations of world would try to convince a Jew to give up his love for Hashem by offering him tremendous physical wealth, the Jew would never give up his love and connection to Hashem! In fact, Hashem and His Divine Court of angels would ridicule anyone who would try to convince the Jewish People to exchange their belief in Hashem, G-d forbid, in return for material wealth.
The Alter Rebbe will explain this verse on a deeper mystical level:
Previously, we explained on the first half of the verse that the “many waters” that cannot extinguish the love that the Divine soul has for Hashem refers to the worries about livelihood.
"וּנְהָרוֹת" שֶׁהֵם הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת בְּעִנְיָנִים גַּשְׁמִיִּים שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ בְּשֵׁם "נַהֲרוֹת דְּנָיְידִי וְאָזְלִי",
The “rivers” that cannot wash away that love are referring to the thoughts regarding physical matters, which are called “rivers that are constantly flowing.”
מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן מַיִם הֵם מְכוּנָסִים וְעוֹמְדִים.
This is not the case with regular “waters,” which do not constantly flow, but are gathered and remain in one place.
Meaning that the river of thoughts about material matters are even more disturbing than the fact that a person must pursue a livelihood.
Nonetheless, all these “cannot extinguish the love” of the Divine soul for Hashem.
וְאַדְרַבָּה, בָּהֶם וְעַל יָדָם דַּוְקָא תָּבֹא לִבְחִינַת הָאַהֲבָה הַיּוֹתֵר גְּדוֹלָה, הַיְינוּ בְּחִינַת "בְּכָל מְאֹדֶךָ" הַנַּ"ל.
Just the opposite; specifically, because of these factors and through these challenges, one will come to a much greater love of Hashem, to the level of loving Hashem “with all [one’s] might," as explained before.
Regarding this level of love of Hashem, the verse continues, “If a person will give all the wealth of his house from this love, they will ridicule him.”
"הוֹן בֵּיתוֹ" נִקְרָא חָכְמַת הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהֵן פֵּירוּשׁ וְטַעֲמֵי הַמִּצְוֹת שֶׁנִּמְשָׁךְ מִבְּחִינַת חָכְמָתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ.
The “wealth of His house” refers to the wisdom of the Torah, which are the explanations and deeper meanings behind the Mitzvos, which derive from Hashem’s Wisdom.
Like it says, (Bereishis 2:10) “A river flows from Eden to water the Garden.”
כִּי "מֵעֵדֶן" שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת חָכְמָה שֶׁנִּקְרָא עֵדֶן,
Now, this level called “Eden,” is referring to Hashem’s Chochma-Wisdom that is called “Eden.”
The word “עֵדֶן-Eden” means “עִידּוּן-enjoyment,” and refers to the level of Hashem’s Wisdom in the World of Atzilus. Within that Wisdom, Hashem’s enjoyment is manifested.
This is similar to the enjoyment felt when one’s mind is enlightened by a new flash of insight that is innovated in some area of study or thought.
יוֹצֵא נָהָר – לְשׁוֹן הַמְשָׁכָה – "לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַגָּן" שֶׁהֵם גַּ"ן סְדָרִים דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, שֶׁהֵן פֵּירוּשׁ וְטַעֲמֵי הַמִּצְוֹת.
“From there flows a river,” which is a flow of Divine Wisdom. It flows forth “to water the גָּן-Garden,” which is a reference to the “גַּ"ן-53” Parshios of the Torah. This “river” of Divine Wisdom refers to the explanations and deeper meanings behind the Mitzvos.
The word “גָּן-Garden” has the same numerical value as 53, representing the 53 parshios of the Torah. The “river” that flows into the “גָּן-Garden” is the flow of Divine Wisdom (Chochma) into Bina (where another level of Torah exists) and then into [the final level of Torah] in Malchus. Both of these are different levels of the “Garden” as they exist in Atzilus. From Atzilus, the Torah can flow down into the created worlds.
וְנַעֲשֶׂה מֵהֶם בְּחִינַת גַּן־עֵדֶן עֶלְיוֹן וְגַן־עֵדֶן תַּחְתּוֹן,
From this ‘River of Wisdom’ that flows through the Torah of the ‘Gardens’ of Atzilus, it flows down further and it devolves into the levels of the “Higher Gan (garden of) Eden,” which is in the world of Beriah, and the “Lower Gan Eden,” in the world of Yetzirah.
Finally, it flows all the way down into the Torah we learn in the physical world.
שֶׁשָּׁרְשָׁם מִבְּחִינַת חָכְמָתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ שֶׁנִּקְרָא רֵאשִׁית הַהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת,
The source of all of these levels is Hashem’s Chochma-Wisdom, which is called “Reishis HaHishtalshelus-the beginning of the chain of worlds.”
וְאֵינוֹ עָרוּךְ כְּלָל לְגַבֵּי מַהוּתוֹ וְעַצְמוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ שֶׁהוּא לְמַעְלָה מֵהַהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת:
Now, despite being very exalted, this level of Chochma is not even comparable to Hashem’s very Essence and Being, which is entirely beyond the order of the worlds.
Thus, all the wisdom of the Torah in all the highest spiritual worlds comes ultimately from Hashem’s Chochma-Wisdom in the world of Atzilus. However, this level is very limited compared to Hashem Himself. How much more so is any lower level of wisdom that is merely a derivative of the wisdom of Atzilus even more incomparably lower than Hashem Himself.
וְזֶהוּ "אִם יִתֵּן אִישׁ" –
This is the meaning of “if an אִישׁ-man will give [all the wealth of his house].”
שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן גְּבוּרוֹת וְצִמְצוּמִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "ה' אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה כוּ'",
The word אִישׁ-man is an expression of Gevura-Severity and limitations, as it is written “Hashem is the אִישׁ-master of battle.” (Shemos 15:3)
The word “אִישׁ,” which can mean “man” or “master,” is made of three letters א.י.שׁ. These same letters also form the words, אֵשׁ י', the “fire of the letter yud.” This refers to how the provider, the man or the master, has to limit himself in order to transmit to the recipient. For example, a teacher needs to condense his knowledge to a level that the student can understand. This process of condensing and limiting is like the letter י', which is a single, concentrated point. The “fire” of the י' refers to the passionate desire of the teacher to give over something understandable to the student by limiting and condensing his knowledge according to the limitations of the student.
Similarly, Hashem limits Himself in order to reveal himself on a level that the created beings can receive from. This is the idea of Hashem being referred to as a “אִישׁ-man/master” who limits himself.
The idea of “אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה-master of battle,” is that Hashem uses His Gevura-Severity/Might to limit Himself. Like it says in Pirkei Avos, (4:1) “Who is mighty? He who controls himself. As it says (Mishlei 16:32), ‘One who is slow to anger is better than a warrior, and one who controls himself is better than one who conquers a city.’”
שֶׁכְּדֵי שֶׁיּוּמְשַׁךְ מֵעַצְמוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ לְהִתְהַוּוֹת בְּחִינַת חָכְמָה שֶׁאֵינוֹ אֶלָּא זִיו וְהֶאָרָה בִּלְבַד,
In order for the level of Chochma-Wisdom, which is only a mere reflection of His Infinite Light, to come into existence from Hashem’s Essence,
אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִהְיוֹת כִּי אִם עַל יְדֵי צִמְצוּמִים וּגְבוּרוֹת רַבִּים.
there must be many types of constrictions and limitations.
This is the meaning of the verse: “If Hashem, who is called ‘אִישׁ’ when He limits Himself, will give all the wealth of His house - referring to the revelation of Hashem’s Wisdom - in Gan Eden…”
בָּאַהֲבָה" שֶׁהוּא אַהֲבַת "בְּכָל מְאֹדֶךָ" הַמְבוֹאָר לְמַעְלָה, שֶׁהוּא "לְאִשְׁתָּאֲבָא בְּגוּפָא דְּמַלְכָּא".
One might then choose to have that instead of experiencing the love of Hashem of the soul as it lives in the body.” This level is the love of Hashem “with all of [one’s] might,” as explained above, which is a passionate yearning “to become united with the Essence of the King.”
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "מִי לִי בַשָּׁמַיִם, וְעִמְּךָ לֹא חָפַצְתִּי כוּ'",
As it is written, (Tehillim 73:25) “Who do I desire in Heaven besides for Hashem? And I do not desire anything else in addition to You on the earth.”
שֶׁלֹּא יַחְפֹּץ לֹא בְּגַן־עֵדֶן כוּ', שֶׁהֵם אֵינָם רַק זִיו וְהֶאָרָה בִּלְבַד, רַק "לְאִשְׁתָּאֲבָא בְּגוּפָא דְּמַלְכָּא" שֶׁהוּא מַהוּתוֹ וְעַצְמוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ.
This is a love for Hashem that is so exclusive that one does not even desire the Lower or Higher Gan Eden, which are only very limited expressions of Hashem’s Light, Rather, one only wants “to become united with the Essence of the King,” which is Hashem’s very Essence and Being.
וְאִי לָזֹאת: "בּוֹז יָבוּזוּ לוֹ" – "הוֹן בֵּיתוֹ" הַנַּ"ל שֶׁאֵינוֹ אֶלָּא זִיו וְהֶאָרָה כוּ', וְדַי לַמֵּבִין.
Therefore, because of the greatness of this love of Hashem, “they will ridicule him,” for choosing the spiritual “wealth of His house,” which are only limited levels of Hashem’s Light. This idea should make sense to the intelligent.