Lessons in Likutey Torah Chapter 4
Chapter 4
אך בחינות אלו של "חלב ודבש" עדיין לא הגיעו למעלת ומדריגת "ומלאה הארץ דעה" שיהיה לעתיד-לבוא, בבחינת דעת והרגשה ממש,
However, even these levels of faith that are permeated with an awareness of Hashem, like ‘milk and honey,’ are still not on the level of ‘the ארץ-earth/faith’ will be filled with the knowledge of Hashem,’ which we will experience in the Time to Come, when our faith in Hashem as He is ‘Soveiv Kol Almin-encompasses all worlds’ will be experienced in a way that we can actually know and feel it.
מה שאין כן "חלב ודבש" הם בבחינת האמונה עדיין.
Whereas, the levels of faith described as ‘milk and honey’ are still in the category of belief.
Through reciting the Shema with the accompanying contemplations, we can bring our faith in the Truth of Hashem to the point that it develops our emotions, like milk develops a baby, and we have true enjoyment in our faith in Hashem, like we enjoy the sweetness of honey.
However, since we do not fully understand or grasp this belief in Hashem, it does not fully permeate our consciousness and become as tangible to us as our physical existence. We become conscious of our belief and bring it into our hearts and actions, but it still remains beyond our understanding.
When Moshiach comes, there will be a revelation of Hashem that will be so great that we will perceive and grasp the Truth of Hashem (that He encompasses all worlds), the same way that we perceive physicality nowadays.
והענין: כי הנה אנו רואים שה"עולם כמנהגו נוהג", בבחינת ‘ממלא כל עלמין’, שיש "לכל עת [לכל חפץ] כו'":
The idea is as follows: We see that the world is conducted according to the laws of nature, which are derived from Hashem’s Presence, as He is ‘Memalei Kol Almin-permeates all worlds,’ on which level ‘there is a time for everything.’ (Koheles 8:6)
כי הנחש הטיל זוהמא בחוה בחינת כנסת-ישראל;
For, at the beginning of history, ‘the Snake’ injected ‘spiritual filth’ into ‘Chavah’ i.e. Kneses Yisrael, the source of the Jewish souls.
ובמתן-תורה פסקה זוהמתן;
But, at the time of the Giving of the Torah, this ‘spiritual filth’ was removed.
ואחר כך בחטא העגל חזר כו’;
But, afterward, by the Sin of the Golden Calf, this ‘spiritual filth’ returned.
ואחר כך בימי יהושע עבדו את ה’;
However, afterward, in the era of Yehoshua, the nation served Hashem.
ובימי שפוט השופטים קלקלו;
But, in the days of the ‘Judges,’ they did not serve Hashem properly.
ובימי דוד ושלמה היו במעלה העליונה;
In the days of King David and King Shlomo, the nation was on a high spiritual level.
ואחר כך בחטא ירבעם כו’;
But then, Yaravam ben Nevat caused the nation to sin.
וכך בכל דור ודור נשתנה לפי הענין;
So too, in every generation, things change according to the circumstances.
וגם בימי התנאים והאמוראים אין זמן אחד דומה לחבירו;
Even in the days of the Tannaim (Sages of the Mishnah) and Amoraim, (Sages of the Gemorah) each time period was different from every other.
וכל העתים משתנים, והזמנים מתחלפים ומתהפכין.
Times were constantly changing throughout history.
והיינו לפי שהם בבחינת ‘ממלא כל עלמין’ –
This is because all of these events happened in a world conducted by Hashem’s Presence, which is ‘Memalei Kol Almin.’
שהם בחינת פרצוף: ראש, ויד, ורגל, ושאר אברים שאין אחד דומה לחבירו, ופעולת האיברים משתנין,
In this world, things are arranged like a body: There is a head, arms, legs, and other limbs, each one different from the other, and each limb functioning differently.
גם לפעמים כואב אחד מהאיברים או נחלש כו’, וכיוצא בזה שינויים מקריים.
Also, sometimes one of the limbs is in pain or is weak, etc., or other similar changes that can happen to different body parts.
A body is generally one entity, but, since it is made of different parts working together, a person has many different aspects. Similarly, since each time and place is created differently by Hashem, there are always differences between one place and another. The possibility for so many differences comes from the level of how Hashem is ‘Memalei Kol Almin’ according to the various limitations of the created beings.
וכן בכל אדם בפרטיות: לפעמים נופל במחשבה, דיבור, ומעשה – אשר לא טוב; ולפעמים יפול לו הרהורי תשובה ומעשים טובים,
So too, in each person specifically: Sometimes, a person falls into thoughts, words, or deeds that are not good, and sometimes he will be struck with sudden thoughts of Teshuvah and good deeds,
כי "לכל עת וגו’", "ולאום מלאום יאמץ" – "כשזה קם [זה נופל] כו’; "לא נתמלאה צור [אלא מחורבנה של ירושלים] כו’".
since ‘there is a time for everything,’ and ‘one nation (animal soul) will fight against the other nation (Divine soul)’ (Bereishis 25:23), meaning that ‘when one rises up the other one automatically falls,’ and ‘Tzor (capitol city of Eisav) only became established through the destruction of Yerushalayim.’ (Rashi on verse ibid.)
ועל כן אל יפול לב האדם עליו בראותו שנופל כו’, כי כך הוא סדר תהפוכות הזמן, ויכול הוא לחזור ולשנות את טעמו מרע לטוב.
Therefore, a person should not become dejected when he sees that sometimes he falls spiritually, since this is the cycle in which Hashem made time, with the ability for things to change. One can also return from his improper conduct and change his path from bad to good.
וכל זה הוא בבחינת ‘ממלא כל עלמין’.
This entire system of changes applies on the level of worlds that are energized by ‘Memalei Kol Almin.’
אך להיות בחינת ‘סובב כל עלמין’, בבחינת גילוי, בבחינת דעת והרגשה ממש, צריך להיות "ובערת הרע [מקרבך] וגו’" (דברים יג, ו),
However, in order for the level of how Hashem is ‘Soveiv Kol Almin-Transcendent’ to be revealed, in a way that we can consciously understand and feel, we need to ‘remove the bad from our midst.’ (Devarim 13:6)
שזה יהיה לעתיד-לבוא, שיקוים "ואת רוח הטומאה אעביר מן הארץ" (זכריה יג, ב).
This will happen in the Time to Come, when the prophecy will be fulfilled, ‘And I, Hashem, will remove the spirit of impurity from the earth.’ (Zecharya 13:2)
מה שאין כן בזמן חורבן הבית, שבית-ראשון היו בו נביאי השקר, ובית-שני היה בו שנאת חנם, שהם הם בחינת "זה לעומת זה" (קהלת ז, יד), כנגד בחינת אמונה שהיא למעלה מן הדעת.
This is not the case in the time after the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, since even in the time of the first Beis Hamikdash there were false prophets, and in the time of the second Beis Hamikdash there was baseless hatred. This is the counterpart of the type of belief in Hashem that transcends the limits of logic.
This intense experience of how Hashem is ‘Soveiv Kol Almin’ is not directly accessible during the time of Exile, due to the unholiness of the world, which blocks out our ability to perceive this high level. In fact, even in the time of the Beis Hamikdash, many people did not access this level, due to the corresponding unholiness that was prevalent then.
והענין: כי כמו שיש בסטרא-דקדושה – בחינת אמונה שהיא למעלה מן הדעת, כך היה בין ישראל אמונות כוזבות. והם "זה לעומת זה".
The idea is that just as on the Side of Holiness there is a belief in Hashem that transcends logic, so too, at that time there were some Jews who held false beliefs in idolatry that were not based on logic, and these false beliefs were the ‘unholy counterpart’ to the true superrational belief in Hashem.
והנה בבית-ראשון, בהתגברות סטרא-דקדושה היה גילוי שכינה, ארון וכפורת.
Now, in the time of the first Beis Hamikdash, when the Side of Holiness was very strong, there was a revelation of the Divine Presence resulting from the presence of the Aron and its covering (the Kapores).
וכך "זה לעומת זה", בהתגברות סטרא-דקליפה מחמת החטא, היה התגברות כנגד אמונת אלהות,
So too, in the ‘unholy counterpart,’ there was great power given to the Side of Unholiness from people’s sins, and there was a strong attraction to matters opposed to the belief in Hashem.
והנשים שהיו מבכות את התמוז אמרו: מעת חדלנו לקטר למלכת שמים חסרנו וגו’.
For example, there were women who worshipped an idol called ‘Tammuz.’ (Yechezkal 8:14) They also said about another idol they worshipped, ‘From the time that we stopped burning incense to the ‘Queen of Heaven’ (an idol) we began lacking in what we need...’ (Yirmiah 44:18).
וכך היו נביאי השקר, דהיינו אמונות כוזבות בנביא להאמין במה שלא דיבר ה’.
Similarly, there were false prophets. Believing in false prophets is also a form of false belief, since one comes to believe in false prophetic messages that Hashem never said. (see Yirmiah 27:14)
מה שאין כן בבית-שני ש"חסרו ה’ דברים", לא היתה גם כן בלעומת-זה התגברות הקליפה כל כך,
This is not this case in the time of the Second Beis Hamikdash. Since ‘five things were missing’ the Divine Revelation was less, and therefore, the corresponding forces of unholiness were also less powerful. Rather than the blatantly unholy belief in idolatry of the First Bayis,
והיתה האמונה-רעה – במילי-דעלמא, להאמין באנשי רכיל, לשנוא את חבירו, שהשנאה ההיא היא שנאת-חנם, שחבירו לא עשה לו רעה באמת.
the Second Beis Hamikdash saw the prevalence of false beliefs regarding material matters, where people believed in gossipers and thereby came to hate their fellow Jew. This hatred was entirely baseless, since, in fact, his friend never even wronged him.
כי אם לא היה מאמין באנשי רכיל, בוודאי לא היה איש שונא לרעהו כלל. שזה כנגד הטבע שישנא אחד לחבירו חנם – אם יודע באמת שחבירו לא פשע כו’.
This is also a form of false/unholy belief, since if one were not to believe the gossipers, he certainly would not come to hate his fellow Jew at all. It is against human nature for someone to hate his fellow for no reason, especially knowing that his fellow did not harm him in any way.
In the time of the First Beis Hamikdash, the unholiness that blocked out the feeling that Hashem is ‘Soveiv Kol Almin’ was a false belief in idolatry. However, in the time of the Second Beis Hamikdash, the unholiness blocking out our feeling of Hashem being ‘Soveiv Kol Almin’ was sinas chinam-baseless hatred. This hatred uses the power of belief in order to believe bad things about others without any evidence. Rather than using the power of belief to believe in the Infinite Truth of Hashem, it is used improperly to believe slander about others.
וזהו "וידעת היום והשבות אל לבבך [כי ה’ הוא האלהים בשמים ממעל ועל הארץ מתחת אין עוד] וגו’":
This then is the meaning of the verse, ‘And you should know today and take to heart, that Havayah is Elokim, on the heavens above and on the earth below there is nothing else.’
כי להיות הידיעה והרגשה בבחינת ‘ממלא כל עלמין’ כבר נאמר "אתה הראת לדעת וגו’" – כבר "הראת כו’".
Since, regarding the mitzvah to have the conscious knowledge and feeling for Hashem as He is ‘Memalei Kol Almin,’ we were already told, ‘You were shown in order to know that Hashem is the G-d, there is no one else besides Him.’ You were already shown this, and therefore, not as much effort is needed to remain aware of this level.
אבל להיות "וידעת" – בבחינת ‘סובב כל עלמין’,
However, to have knowledge and awareness of how Hashem is ‘Soveiv Kol Almin’ is much more difficult.
דהיינו "בשמים ממעל", "שמים" – בחינת סובב;
Meaning that in order to have an awareness of how Hashem exists in ‘the Heavens Above,’ the ‘Heavens’ referring to ‘Soveiv-Transcendent,’ that was not shown to us.
The end of the verse ‘וידעת היום-And you should know today...’ states, ‘In the heavens above and on the earth below, there is none else.’ Why did the verse need to specify the heavens and the earth? In the previous verse, ‘אתה הראת לדעת-You were shown to know,’ it does not mention heaven or earth; it simply states that there is none besides for Him. Why, then, in our verse, does it need to specify ‘heaven and earth?’ The Alter Rebbe (seemingly) is learning the verse as an analogy: Just as the heavens are above the earth in an encompassing manner, surrounding it from all sides, so too, the reality we perceive in ‘Memalei Kol Almin’ is encompassed inside the reality of ‘Soveiv Kol Almin.’
Thus, we could read the verse: ‘וידעת היום-Know today and והשבות אל לבבך-take to heart that Havayah (Soveiv) encompasses Elokim (Memalei) בשמים ממעל ועל הארץ מתחת-just as the heavens are above the earth and encompassing it, and the earth is below, being encompassed by the heavens, אין עוד-because there is nothing else, there is no place outside of Him.’
כמו השמים שהם כדוריים, וכמו הארץ שהיא בתוך השמים, והשמים מקיפין לה – כך הנה "דבר ה'", הוא בחינת ‘ממלא כל עלמין’, היא מוקפת בבחינת ‘סובב כל עלמין’, שאין דבר חוץ ממנו.
Just as the physical heavens are spherical, and the earth exists inside of the heavens that encompass it, so too, the ‘Word of Hashem,’ which is the level of ‘Memalei Kol Almin,’ is encapsulated within the level of ‘Soveiv Kol Almin,’ since there is nothing that exists outside of Him.
וכמשל הדיבור בעודו בכוח הנפש, שעדיין לא יצא ונפרד כו’.
An analogy for this type ‘all-encompassing reality’ can be illustrated from a person’s speech, which is encompassed within the person’s soul before it becomes verbalized and separates from oneself.
In Tanya, chapters 21-22, the Alter Rebbe explains this analogy at length. Before a person says something, the idea existed in his thoughts. And before his thoughts, it existed in his heart or mind. At those levels, the idea has no separate identity from the person. It is encompassed in the soul’s reality, to the extent that it has no separate reality. Only when that idea comes into speech and leaves the person’s mouth, does that idea take on a form that becomes separate from the person.
וידיעה זו הוא דוקא "היום", כמו "היום לעשותם" (דברים ז, יא) – ולא למחר בעולם-הבא:
This knowledge of how Hashem is ‘Soveiv Kol Almin’ is specifically ‘today,’ as it says, ‘‘Today’ is for doing the mitzvos, and not ‘tomorrow’ in the World to Come.’ (Devarim 7:11, Talmud Bavli, Avoda Zara 4b)
The simple meaning of this verse, as explained by our Sages, is that only in this physical world, referred to as ‘today,’ can we do mitzvos. But, after someone passes away and goes to the spiritual world of souls, called ‘the World to Come,’ he is not able to do mitzvos. Thus, we see that the phrase ‘today’ is a reference to mitzvah performance.
שהעולם-הבא הוא בחינת ‘ממלא כל עלמין’, השתלשלות המדריגות מעילה לעלול, מדריגה אחר מדריגה.
The spiritual ‘World to Come’ only receives from the level of ‘Memalei Kol Almin,’ and this world is comprised of a chain-like descent of levels of ‘cause and effect,’ one level after the other.
וכמשל פרצוף שיש בו ראש, ויד, ורגל כו’,
This is analogous to the setup of a body, which has a head, an arm, a leg and other body parts, each one defined in its place and function.
כך יש מדריגות רבות – גן-עדן עליון, וגן-עדן תחתון כו’.
So too, in the spiritual World to Come, there are many levels: The Higher Level of Gan Eden, the Lower Level of Gan Eden, etc., and each level is defined by its specific spiritual parameters,
ולכן המעשים, ודיבורים, ומחשבות נעשו "לבושין צואים" לעולם-הבא, ואין יכול לפשוט אותם, וכאילו קשור בשק;
Therefore, the improper actions, words, and thoughts of a person in this world become ‘soiled garments’ for the person in the World to Come, and he is not able to remove them, as if he were tied up in a sack that he is unable to untie on his own.
Just as an arm cannot become a leg, (since it is already defined in its function), so too, every level of the World to Come is already defined and unchangeable. For this reason, once a person arrives there, he cannot change himself or his ‘garments’ of previous thoughts, words, or actions.
אם לא על ידי כף-הקלע וכיוצא בזה – להתיר ולהפקיע הקשר וכו’;
The only way he can be freed of these ‘soiled garments’ is through spiritual cleansing processes such as ‘The Slingshot’ or similar processes that can untie and remove his connection to those improper thoughts, words and behaviors.
‘The Slingshot’ is a spiritual process in which the soul is ‘flung’ back and forth between the spiritual reality and the physical reality and appreciates the contrast between them. This process shows him how foolish it was to have improper behavior and thereby frees him from being ‘tied down’ to those actions. In other words, in the World to Come, a person cannot change himself; he can only be cleansed by external spiritual forces and processes.
מה שאין כן "היום": "והשבות אל לבבך" – "בשני יצריך", בבחינת אתכפיא ואתהפכא כו’,
This is not the case ‘today,’ in this physical world, where one can ‘take the awareness of Hashem into all the aspects of one’s heart,’ meaning, both in revealing the hidden love of the Divine soul and generating a love for Hashem in the animal soul, through first subduing the impulses of the animal soul and then transforming them into a drive to connect to Hashem.
ש"היום" יכול לברר ולהפריד הרע על ידי המשכה מבחינת ‘סובב כל עלמין’, על ידי "והיו הדברים האלה אשר אנכי" "מצוך היום" – "מי שאנכי", היום דוקא.
Only ‘today’ can one sort out and separate the unholiness of the animal soul by drawing down into it special Divine power from the level of ‘Soveiv Kol Almin,’ which is accomplished through ‘these words of the Torah that I, Hashem, command you ‘today.’’ This means that Hashem’s Essence is commanding us and connecting Himself to us through the Torah and mitzvos that are performed specifically ‘today’ in this world.
שהתורה והמצוות הם מבחינת ‘סובב כל עלמין’.
This is due to the fact that the Torah and mitzvos derive from the level of ‘Soveiv Kol Almin,’ transcending any barriers or limits.
The Torah and mitzvos are the Essential Will and Wisdom of Hashem, as He exists beyond the limitations of worlds. Since they derive from Hashem’s very Essence, they contain unlimited power to change reality. Just as Hashem exists in ‘Soveiv Kol Almin,’ without any limits, so too, the Torah and mitzvos deriving from Hashem (at that level) give the person the ability to go out of his own spiritual limitations. They enable the person to change his actions and behaviors, and to even change the very nature of the animal soul, so that it can come to love Hashem. Only in the physical world do we have the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvos deriving from ‘Soveiv Kol Almin,’ and therefore, only here are we able to change ourselves.
ועל ידי זה "וידעת היום [..] כי ה’ הוא האלהים":
Through this process of transforming ourselves with Torah, mitzvos, and prayer, we are able to fulfill the verse, ‘And you should know today... that Havayah is Elokim.’
"ה’" הוא בחינת גילוי "האלהים" – בחינת הסתר וצמצום.
The Name Havayah represents how Hashem reveals Himself, and the Name Elokim represents how Hashem hides Himself.
כי כמו שיש בחינת הסתר וצמצום בבחינת ‘ממלא כל עלמין’, בחינת עליות וירידות לפי זמנים מתחלפים כנ"ל,
Just as on the level of ‘Memalei Kol Almin,’ there are sometimes concealments on Hashem’s Presence, there are ups and downs in Hashem’s revelation according to the different time periods, as described above,
כך יש בבחינת ‘סובב כל עלמין’ – בחינת "ה’" – זה גילוי, ובחינת "אלהים" היינו הסתר וצמצום, בהתגברות "זה לעומת זה".
so too, on the level of ‘Soveiv Kol Almin,’ there are times when Hashem’s Name Havayah, representing revelation, is expressed, and other times when Hashem’s Name Elokim, representing concealment, is expressed (when there are strong forces opposing unholiness, i.e., false beliefs corresponding to the true belief in Hashem as He is ‘Soveiv Kol Almin’).
However, our physical world is like the beginning stage of development of an embryo, right after conception. Before the embryo is developed, it can become either male or female, and any point of the newly-conceived embryo can potentially become any body part. So too, since in our world there is an expression of how Hashem is Soveiv Kol Almin without any limits, therefore in this world, things are not so limited and defined, and there is always the possibility for change.
וצריך להיות "וידעת היום והשבות אל לבבך", בבחינת אתכפיא ואתהפכא, שיקוים "ואת רוח הטומאה אעביר מן הארץ" (זכריה יג, ב),
Therefore, the person must ‘know today, and take to heart’ to subdue and transform his animal soul, in order that he fulfill the verse, ‘And the spirit of impurity I will remove from covering over the ארץ-land/faith’ (Zecharyah 13:2), meaning that Hashem will remove all unholiness from blocking out our true faith in Hashem, Who is ‘Soveiv Kol Almin.’
ועל ידי זה תהיה ו"מלאה הארץ דעה וגו’",
Through this, one will reach the level of ‘The ארץ-land/faith’ will be filled with the knowledge of Hashem,’ i.e., he will consciously experience his faith in the fact that Hashem is ‘Soveiv Kol Almin.’
והארץ תרצה את עונה דהיינו שזדונות יהיו כזכויות:
This will come about as a result of ‘The ארץ-land/faith’ will be appeased by the removal of its sins,’ (Vayikra 26:34) meaning that through Teshuva, even a person’s sins become transformed into merits.
In the process of Teshuva/repentance, sins can be transformed into merits, since, by overcoming one’s desire to sin, and instead changing one’s ways, one can come even closer to Hashem than he was before having sinned. Similarly, by bringing the animal soul, which naturally loves physicality, to love Hashem, one attains a greater love and connection to Hashem than if his Divine soul had never become invested in an animal soul. What is this greater level the Divine soul attains? That it can experience its faith in Hashem as He is ‘Soveiv Kol Almin.’ Before the soul descended, it only was aware of Hashem as He is ‘Memalei Kol Almin.’ But, through transforming the animal soul in Torah, mitzvos, and prayer, it comes to experience its true connection to Hashem, as He encompasses all worlds, on a truly unlimited level.
To summarize the last point of the maamar, the Alter Rebbe is now interpreting the verse as follows:
‘וידעת היום- You should know and experience your belief in Hashem through the mitzvos that can only be done ‘today’ in this world,
והשבות אל לבבך-and you should take this awareness to permeate all aspects of your heart, including your animal soul.
Summary of Chapter 4:
In order for us to truly experience our belief in Hashem as He is ‘Soveiv Kol Almin-encompassing all worlds,’ it is not sufficient to only be involved in the positive aspects of learning Torah, performing mitzvos, and contemplative prayer. It is also necessary to remove all unholy beliefs that block our ability to experience our true belief in Hashem. Just like on the level of how Hashem is ‘Memalei Kol Almin-permeates all worlds,’ there are changes and ups and downs, similarly, in our perception of how Hashem is ‘Soveiv Kol Almin’ there can be concealments. In the time of the first Beis Hamikdash, the main concealment on the belief in Hashem was unholy belief in idolatry. In the time of the second Beis Hamikdash and onwards, until today, the main concealment on the true belief in Hashem is a belief in gossip and baseless hatred. Only by removing these unholy beliefs from ourselves will we be able to access our belief in Hashem as He truly is, beyond all limitations.
