Since there is a principle that an “initiative from below” created by our fulfilling Mitzvos down here - in this world, reciprocates a “response from Above,” that Hashem does “Mitzvos,” for example “Hashem puts on Tefillin,” i.e. He gives us new understanding and feeling for Him, Hashem “heals the sick,” He “blesses the years,” He “sustains the living with kindness,” etc.
And from this reciprocal mitzvah of Hashem, a ray of Hashem’s Light is drawn into Gan Eden for the Tzaddikim to rejoice over Hashem in their comprehension and understanding that is illuminated through this ray of Hashem’s Light that is drawn down.
(This is the idea of “The Heavens proclaim the work of His Hands,” (Tehillim 19:2) since Gan Eden is termed “the Yeshiva of Heaven.”)
We see from this verse as well that Gan Eden is only describing the “handiwork” of Hashem, but not His true greatness.
Limitless Levels in Gan Eden
Within the “general” Gan Eden, there are limitless levels, each higher than the other, in their understanding of Hashem’s revelation, and numerous pleasures to no end, since there are innumerable types of levels within Gan Eden.
Although it is not mentioned in the holy books of the sages the innumerous levels of Gan Eden, only the two levels of Lower and Upper Gan Eden, nonetheless, we know that there are innumerable levels, as our sages say (Brochos 64a): “There is no rest for Torah Scholars, as it is stated (Tehillim 84:8): ‘they go from strength to strength.’”
From the fact that the souls of Torah Scholars never rest and are always going to a higher level, this proves there is no end to how many levels there are. For example, Moshe Rabeinu has been going up in level three times a day for over three thousand years. That comes out to over 3 million levels! And every day he still goes up to an even higher level.
Binding Heaven and Earth: The Column of Gan Eden
Regarding this it is stated (Divrei HaYomim I, 29:11): “(To you Hashem is the greatness...and the majesty,) for ‘כֹל-all’ that in all the Heavens and in the Earth (belongs to You).” The Targum translates this as “For He (Hashem) ‘כֹל-binds together’ the Heavens and Earth.”
The word “כֹל” which means “all” can also come from the word “הִתְכַּלְלוּת-to merge or bind together.” We can thus interpret the verse to mean that it is praising Hashem for “binding together Heaven and Earth.” The maamar will explain that this is a reference to binding together the Upper and Lower levels of Gan Eden, which are referred to as “Heaven and Earth” in certain contexts.
In the Mittler Rebbe’s version of this maamar, it explains that what binds together the Upper and Lower Gan Eden is the Light of Hashem that flows down from Above into Gan Eden. This Light is derived from the Mitzvos we perform, as will further discussed.
This is the concept mentioned in the holy books of our sages: There is a column in Gan Eden through which those in the Lower Gan Eden can go up to the Higher Gan Eden, since this column connects the Upper Gan Eden with the Lower Gan Eden.
There are many types of columns corresponding to the many types of Tzaddikim that exist – each column designed according to their level.
There are many ascensions, ascent after ascent, as in the concept of “fifty-thousand Jubilees,” all of which are levels of ascents.
All of this aforementioned infinity and ascension within Gan Eden is only an aspect of a ray that is extended from “the works of Your Hand.”
A Yovel (Jubilee) is a cycle of 50 years. In our context, it refers to 50 spiritual levels. 50,000 Yovel cycles equals 2,500,000 years (50x50,000=2,500,000). Thus, 50,000 Yovel cycles, in the context of the maamar, refers to 2.5 million spiritual levels of awareness of Hashem. The soul can ascend millions of levels in Gan Eden. (In fact, even more than 2.5 million, since Moshe Rabeinu already has had over 3 million ascents until today.) All of these levels are levels of understanding a “ray,” a limited expression of Hashem’s Infinite Light.
The Infinite Essence of Hashem
Whereas regarding the actual Infinite Hashem, His very Essence and Being – no thought can grasp Him at all.
The Angels realize this and therefore they say that Hashem is separate and removed from the limitations of all the spiritual levels, and He is separate and removed from being grasped by any creature, even the angels.
Because of this, the Ofanim angels are in a tremendous uproar, and they ask: “Where is the place of His grandeur?”
However, the Mitzvos themselves are like the light of a lamp, which produces the light and is the source of the light. I.e., the Mitzvos are like the lamp that produces the Light which shines in Gan Eden.
They are referred to as “limbs of the King,” just like limbs receive and express the life of the soul, so too the Mitzvos and are “vessels” to actually receive and express the Infinite Light of Hashem.
Therefore, regarding all the Mitzvos it is written that they should be performed “before Havayah,” with the simple meaning of “before Hashem,” but can also mean that the Mitzvos are actually higher than Hashem’s Name Havaya, which represents His Light that descends into the worlds.
Hashem’s Name Havaya, which is the four-letter Name of י-ה-ו-ה, represents the process of descent of Hashem’s Light. First it must be contracted into a point, like a י, then it expands like a ה, then it descends like ו, then it expands again like a ה.
However, Mitzvos are the Essential Will of Hashem that is beyond all worlds, and is the source of the Light that descends into the worlds through the Name Havaya.
As it is written in the Shema prayer regarding Mitzvos (Devarim 6:6) “which I (Hashem) command you today.” Meaning, that the Mitzvos which are “to be done today” (Devarim 7:11), are commanded by “I Myself,” the very Essence and Being of Hashem.
This being the case, the required joy of performing a Mitzvah for Hashem should be tremendously great – because it is the Infinite Light of Hashem that literally clothes itself in them (the Mitzvos) – and this joy should be exceedingly greater than the joy and pleasure which is derived “from an abundance of כֹל-everything,” meaning, than the Light of Hashem flowing into Gan Eden that ‘כֹל-binds together’ and connects Upper Gan Eden called Heavens and the Lower Gan Eden called Earth.
As our sages say (Avos 4:17): “One hour of Teshuva and good deeds (Mitzvos) in this world, is better than all of the life of the World to Come (in Gan Eden).”
