System of the Soul

System of the Soul

LevelDescriptionEssenceSingular, indivisible, uncompounded. Contains in abstract potential all the soul powers and life force that derive from it, but in the essence they do not “exist” as anything other than possibilities of the essence.“Kochos Makifim-Encompassing soul powers”:PleasureThe first revelations/expressions of the soul are the soul powers of pleasure and will power. Pleasure is closest to the essence of the soul.Will Power“Will power” is the “external aspect” of pleasure, since a person wants what they have pleasure in. These two soul powers “encompass” all the subsequent soul powers (in particular, the soul powers of intellect and emotion, and the “garments” of thought, speech, and action).General Life-forceIn addition, from the soul comes a general life-force that encompasses the entire body equally, in the sense that the brain is “alive” just as much as the feet are “alive.”SubconsciousIn between the “encompassing” soul powers and the consciously felt “internalizing” soul powers are the subconscious, potential soul powers. This is the (more direct) source of conscious intellect and emotions, that lies between the essence and the consciousness. Relative to the truly “encompassing” soul powers of pleasure and will power, the subconscious is the beginning of “internalizing” soul powers. However, relative to the conscious soul powers, the subconscious is still considered “encompassing” in a certain sense. (See Hosafos for a chart of more details of this “subconscious” state of the soul.)“Kochos Penimi’im-Internalizing soul Powers” (Tikunim-Adornments)The next level of soul powers is those that come into the limitations of the body, and become internalized in the body. This is both in spiritual soul powers of intellect and emotion, and in the specific life-force that is adapted to every body part. These soul powers are called “Tikunim” adornments, since they reveal the inner beauty and power of the soul, without concealing it.IntellectThe first of the “spiritual” internalizing soul powers, it can receive new insights from the subconscious intellect, and it is the source, or the trigger, of the emotions, depending on the type of emotion. The intellect is for the soul itself to understand ideas, and in that level, the soul does not need to relate to anyone outside of itself.Emotion

The second of the “spiritual” internalizing soul powers, it is created or awakened through the intellect, and it is the main driving force behind thought, speech, and action, since, a person needs to have an emotional desire for something in order to think, say, or do something (of his accord, without being forced).

The purpose of emotion is for the soul to be able to relate to something outside of itself, to either want to connect to something with love/kindness, or to stay away from something with hate/anger.

The conscious emotions are also called “the lower level of desire,” and, in a certain sense, have a deeper connection than intellect to the “encompassing soul powers” of essential pleasure and essential will power.

Specific Life-forceThe specific life-force that is adapted to each and every body part, the power for the eye to see being different from the power of ear to hear, and so too in every body part a different “internalized” life-force.Garments of the soulThese are the external expressions of the soul, as it relates to something outside of itself. These are “garments” directly for the intellect and emotions, and indirectly for the pleasure and will power, and even more indirectly, for the essence. Thus, the essence of the person is also expressed and found even in his “garments” of thought, speech, and action, but only through this system of soul powers. Depending on the “transparency” of the various levels of this system, a person’s actions may directly reflect the state of essence, or completely contradict the essence, or somewhere in between (which is most of the time in most people).ThoughtThe first expression of the intellect and emotions is from the person to himself, in his own thoughts. Thoughts themselves are not the “actual” intellect and emotions, but they reflect and reveal the intellect and emotions in the person to himself. Thus, they are the “threshold,” as it were, between the self and outside of the self, where the self can look at itself “from the outside,” as it were.SpeechThe second expression of the intellect and emotions, how the soul actually relates to and connects with another person.ActionThe third expression of the soul, how the soul interacts with physical objects that are not other souls (but could be the body of another person who has a soul, such as giving someone a hug).

(ב) Chapter 2

וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה יוּבַן גַּם לְמַעְלָה, בְּיוּ"ד סְפִירוֹת שֶׁנִּקְרָאִים תִּקּוּנִין:

Similarly, this can be understood Above, in the system of 10 Sefiros, which are called Tikkunim-Adornments.

(וְהַיְינוּ חָכְמָה וּמִדּוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת, דְּ"אִיהוּ וְגַרְמוֹהִי חַד כוּ'"11).

(This refers to the wisdom and emotions of the Sefiros of Atzilus, where: “He [the Infinite One] and the Keilim-Vessels of His Sefiros are One and united.”

In Tikkunei Zohar (3b), in the teaching of Moshe Rabeinu, he contrasts the Sefiros of Atzilus with the Sefiros of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiya. There are two aspects of the Sefiros: The “Oros-Light” and life-force/soul, and the “Keilim-Vessels,” which give definition and form to the Life-force/Light, so that the Light and Life from Hashem can be expressed in our world in a certain format, such as wisdom or kindness.

(The word “וְגַרְמוֹהִי” or “וְגַרְמֵיהּ” is Aramaic and can mean “bones” or “a body,” which is made of bones. As mentioned earlier in the maamar, the body fuses together with the soul, until it becomes a living body, and an extension of the soul itself. Similarly, these Keilim-Vessels of Atzilus are like the “body” to the “soul” of the Oros of Atzilus, fusing with them. For this reason, the Keilim are referred to as “bones/bodies” relative to the Oros-Lights of Atzilus.)

To quote the teaching of Moshe Rabbeinu mentioned above (translation based on commentary of Masuk MiDvash):

11 [ראה תקו"ז ג,ב-ד,א: "דְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת מַלְכָּא בְהוֹן, אִיהוּ וְגַרְמוֹהִי חַד בְּהוֹן, אִיהוּ וְחַיּוֹי חַד בְּהוֹן, מַה דְּלָאו הָכִי בְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דִּבְרִיאָה, דְּלָאו אִינוּן וְחַיֵּיהוֹן חַד, לָאו אִינוּן וְגַרְמֵיהוֹן חַד. וְעִלַּת עַל כֹּלָּא הוּא נָהִיר (נ''א נחית) בְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת, וּבְעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דִּבְרִיאָה, וְנָהִיר בְּעֶשֶׂר כִּתּוֹת דְּמַלְאָכַיָּא, וּבְעֶשֶׂר גַּלְגַּלֵּי דִרְקִיעָא, וְלָא אִשְׁתַּנֵּי בְּכָל אֲתַר." וּבְתַרְגּוּם: "שֶׁעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת שֶׁל הָאֲצִילוּת, הַמֶּלֶךְ בָּהֶם, הוּא וְעַצְמוֹ אֶחָד בָּהֶם, הוּא וְחַיָּיו אֶחָד בָּהֶם, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בְּעֶשֶׂר הַסְּפִירוֹת שֶׁל הַבְּרִיאָה, שֶׁהֵם וְחַיֵּיהֶם אֵינָם אֶחָד, שֶׁהֵם וְעַצְמָם אֵינָם אֶחָד. וְעִלַּת עַל הַכֹּל, הוּא מֵאִיר (יורד) בְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת שֶׁל אֲצִילוּת, וּבְעֶשֶׂר הַסְּפִירוֹת שֶׁל בְּרִיאָה, וּמֵאִיר בְּעֶשֶׂר כִּתּוֹת שֶׁל מַלְאָכִים, וּבַעֲשָׂרָה גַּלְגַּלֵּי הָרָקִיעַ, וְלֹא מִשְׁתַּנֶּה בְּכָל מָקוֹם."]

“In Atzilus, [Hashem,] the King, is invested in the Sefiros of Atzilus. He and His Keilim [of the Sefiros] become One when He is invested in them; He and His Life-force [of the Sefiros] become One when He is invested in them. [Thus, in Atzilus, everything exists in One Unity, the Infinite Light of Hashem, the Life-force of the Sefiros, and the Keilim of the Sefiros, they all exist as One.]

This is not the case with the Sefiros of Beriah. There, the Keilim [of the Sefiros] are not fully united with their Life-force [Oros], and they [the Keilim of Atzilus, which is the source of Life of Beriah] are not fully united with the Sefiros of Beriah. [Thus, in Beriah all three aspects, the Oros, the Keilim, and their source of Life from Atzilus, are not merged into absolute Oneness.]

The Cause of all Causes [the Infinite Light of Hashem] descends and shines into the Ten Sefiros of Atzilus, and the Ten Sefiros of Beriah, Yetzira and Asiya, but He does not change in any place [He shines].”

I.e., even though the same Infinite Light of Hashem shines in all four worlds of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzira, and Asiya without changing, the way the worlds receive the Light is vastly different. In Atzilus the Sefiros merge with the Light completely, and in Beriah Yetzira and Asiya they do not, but they remain separate from the Infinite Light.

אֲבָל בְּרִיאָה יְצִירָה עֲשִׂיָּה הֵן בְּחִינַת לְבוּשִׁין מַמָּשׁ, וַעֲלֵיהֶם אָמַר: "לְבוּשִׁין תַּקִּינַת לוֹן כוּ'".

However, the three lower worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiya (BY”A) are compared to “actual garments” that conceal the person, relative to the Sefiros of Atzilus. Regarding them, the Zohar (in the Pasach Eliyahu prayer/discourse) states, “You [Hashem] have made “garments” for those [Ten Sefiros of Atzilus].”)

In other words, the Ten Sefiros as they become manifest in the worlds of Beriah, Yetzira, and Asiya, are like “garments” for the Ten Sefiros of Atzilus.

This will be understood based on the analogy of the human soul mentioned above:

The person’s intellect and emotions are united and bound up with the essence of the soul. They reveal the soul, they do not cover it over.

However, the “garments” of thought, speech, and action are like “separated garments” of the soul that have a degree of separation from the essence of the soul, and reveal the soul by concealing it in a certain “style,” like a person is identified by his physical clothing. These garments are directly expressing the intellect and emotions, and only indirectly the essence of the soul. Thus, they are like “garments” for the intellect and emotions.

The Ten Sefiros of Atzilus relative to the Infinite Light are like the intellect and emotions relative to the essence of the soul. They are directly united and bound up with the Infinite Light of Hashem. However, the Sefiros of Beriah, Yetzira, and Asiya are like the garments of thought, speech, and action. (In particular: Beriah corresponds to thought, Yetzira to speech, and Asiya to action.) They are not directly united with the Infinite Light. They are directly only receiving from the Keilim of the Sefiros of Atzilus, and even that revelation is not fused with them to become one. In that sense, they are like “garments” for the Sefiros of Atzilus. Through the Sefiros of Beriah, Yetzira, and Asiya the created beings can perceive something about the Sefiros of Atzilus, just as a person can be identified based on his words and actions.

כִּי הִנֵּה "אַנְתְּ הוּא חַכִּים"12.

For (as the Zohar continues), “You are He Who is wise.”

פֵּירוּשׁ: "אַנְתְּ הוּא" – הַיְינוּ אוֹר אֵין־סוֹף, "חַכִּים" – שֶׁנִּמְשָׁךְ בִּבְחִינַת חָכְמָה, עַל דֶּרֶךְ "בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאַתָּה מוֹצֵא גְּדוּלָּתוֹ כוּ'13."

The meaning of “You are He” refers to Hashem’s Infinite Light, which is “wise,” meaning drawn down into Wisdom. This is similar to the statement of the Sages (Megilla 31a): “The place in which His [Hashem’s] Greatness is found is the place in which His humility is found.”

The idea of this saying is that any level on which Hashem’s Greatness can be perceived is so far beneath Hashem’s true reality that it shows Hashem’s humility, that He allows His light to descend to a level that can be perceived as greatness. This applies to His Wisdom of Atzilus: The fact that Hashem’s Infinite Light comes down into Wisdom of Atzilus is a great descent and humility. Hashem does this in order that we should be able to appreciate some of His Infinite Wisdom. Thus, saying that Hashem is “wise” is not describing Hashem’s true greatness, it is describing His humility, that He brings himself down into Wisdom of Atzilus so that we can have some slight perception of Him.

12 (תִּקּוּנֵי זֹהַר שָׁם יז, א).

13 ("שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, שָׁם אַתָּה מוֹצֵא עַנְוְתָנוּתוֹ". מְגִילָּה לא, א בְּגִירְסַת הָעֵין יַעֲקֹב).

וַעֲדַיִן אֵינוֹ חַכִּים "בְּחָכְמָה יְדִיעָא", אֶלָּא שֶׁנִּקְרָא "חָכִים" לְפִי שֶׁהוּא מְקוֹר הַחָכְמָה, וּמִמֶּנּוּ הַמְשָׁכַת חָכְמָה בְּבִי"עַ.

And, nevertheless, He is still not Wise “by a knowable Wisdom.” Rather, He is called “Wise” because He is the source of all wisdom, including also the wisdom that is drawn into BY”A.

In other words, the descent of the Infinite Light into Wisdom of Atzilus still does not yet allow created beings to comprehend some of His wisdom, since Wisdom of Atzilus is still too lofty for creations to comprehend. This is why His Wisdom of Atzilus is called “not a knowable wisdom,” since creations cannot grasp it directly. However, once His Light came down into Wisdom of Atzilus, it is now able to descend even further until it can become wisdom that is understandable to creations.

הֲגַם שֶׁאֵין עֲרוֹךְ חָכְמָה־דִּבְרִיאָה כוּ', וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן דַּעֲשִׂיָּה כוּ', לִהְיוֹת נִקְרָא בְּשֵׁם חָכִים עַל שֵׁם זֶה.

This statement that Wisdom of Atzilus is the source of wisdom in the created worlds of BY”A is the case even though there is no comparison between Hashem’s Wisdom in Atzilus and the Wisdom in Beriah, and certainly not the Wisdom of Asiya that would justify calling Hashem “Wise” from our perspective, since, we still can’t perceive His Wisdom as it exists in Atzilus.

The Alter Rebbe is asking a question: How can we say that Hashem is called “wise” because He invests Himself in Wisdom of Atzilus, which allows us to perceive some of His Wisdom, when, in fact, we still do not perceive Hashem’s Wisdom of Atzilus? That level of Wisdom is still too lofty for creations to comprehend. So why would Hashem’s descent into Wisdom of Atzilus warrant calling Him “Wise” from our perspective?

(Imagine a second-grade math student walks into an advanced calculus college class, and proclaims that the teacher is very smart! It is not a true proclamation from his perspective, since he does not comprehend anything of that type of wisdom. If we cannot perceive Wisdom of Atzilus, then why would we describe Hashem as being Wise because of that level?)

הִנֵּה הָעִנְיָן יוּבַן עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל מִמַּה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: "אֵין לְךָ כָּל עֵשֶׂב כוּ'14,"

Now, the idea here can be understood from an analogy regarding the statement of our Sages (Bereishis Rabbah 10:6): “There is no blade of grass below that grows without its spiritual source ‘striking’ it and commanding it to grow,”

וְ"גָבוֹהַּ מֵעַל גָּבוֹהַּ כוּ'" (קֹהֶלֶת ה, ז).

and a similar idea is found in the verse (Koheles 5:7): “there are many lofty levels of angels, one higher than the other” (see Koheles Rabbah 5:1).

We see from the Sages and the above verse that everything that exists in this world has a spiritual source, and its spiritual source has an even higher spiritual source, and this spiritual system has many, many levels.

14 ("מִלְּמַטָּה, שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מַזָּל מִלְּמַעְלָה הַמַּכֶּה בּוֹ וְאוֹמֵר לוֹ: גְּדַל!" – בְּרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה פָּרָשָׁה י, ו).

וַהֲרֵי הַתַּפּוּחַ הַגַּשְׁמִי יֵשׁ בּוֹ מְתִיקוּת, "וְחֵךְ אֹכֶל יִטְעַם" (אִיּוֹב יב, יא) –

Now, a physical apple has sweetness that the palate physically tastes in the food.

הַאִם נֹאמַר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּכֹחַ הַצּוֹמֵחַ אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ טַעַם וּמְתִיקוּת גַּם כֵּן?

Should we, therefore, say that the spiritual power of vegetative growth contained in the soil also has a sweet taste?

וּפְשִׁיטָא בְּמַזָּל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מֵעֵרֶךְ וּמַהוּת זֶה כְּלָל!

And obviously, regarding the “mazal-spiritual source of life-flow,” which transcends physicality to such an extent that it is not comparable or in the same category at all as the physical apple, it certainly does not have physical sweetness!

אֶלָּא הָעִנְיָן הוּא, שֶׁהַמְּתִיקוּת נִמְשָׁךְ מֵחֶסֶד וּמְרִירוּ מִגְּבוּרָה –

Rather, the idea is that the physical taste of sweetness derives from the spiritual idea of sweetness, which is Kindness, and similarly the physical taste of bitterness is derived from the spiritual aspect of Severity.

וַהֲרֵי הֵם עִנְיָנִים רוּחָנִיִּים!

But these are spiritual levels and not physical qualities, so, how can the physical taste derive from a spiritual level?

רַק שֶׁבְּהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת וְסֵדֶר יְרִידַת הַמַּדְרֵגוֹת מַדְרֵגָה אַחַר מַדְרֵגָה נִתְגַּשְׁמוּ, עַד שֶׁנִּמְשָׁךְ מִבְּחִינַת חֶסֶד – מְתִיקוּת כוּ',

However, as a result of the “Hishtalshelus” (chainlike hierarchy) and order of descending spiritual levels, from one to the next, these abstract, spiritual levels materialized to the point that physical sweetness developed from the level of Chesed-Kindness.

עִם הֱיוֹת שֶׁאֵין עֲרוֹךְ אֵלָיו, מִכָּל מָקוֹם הוּא מִמִּזְגּוֹ וּתְכוּנָתוֹ.

This is true even though there is no direct connection between the two, nevertheless, physical sweetness shares the same profile of attributes as kindness.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁרוֹאִין כַּמָּה מִינֵי עֲרֵיבוּת וּמְתִיקוּת בְּרוּחָנִיּוּת: כְּמוֹ תַּעֲנוּג שֶׁל דְּבַר חָכְמָה הוּא גַּם כֵּן מְתִיקוּת;

And similarly, we see many types of enjoyable things and sweetness regarding spiritual matters, such as the delight of understanding an intellectual idea, which is also a type of sweetness.

וְכֵן תַּעֲנוּג שֶׁל נִיגּוּן שֶׁהוּא מִן הַקּוֹל הַיּוֹצֵא מִן הַלֵּב – בִּבְחִינַת הַמִּדּוֹת.

And similarly, the delight of a melody sung from the emotions of the heart.

וְלָכֵן בְּכַמָּה יְרִידוֹת וְהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת נַעֲשָׂה מְתִיקוּת גַּשְׁמִי מַמָּשׁ, הֲגַם שֶׁהַהֶפְרֵשׁ וְהַהֶבְדֵּל רַב בֵּינֵיהֶם.

Therefore, by way of numerous levels of descent, this spiritual kindness becomes an actual, physical taste of sweetness, even though there is a great difference and distinction between the idea of sweetness expressed in spiritual kindness and the physical taste of sweetness.

וְכָךְ הוּא הָעִנְיָן בִּבְחִינַת חָכְמָה, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ גַּם כֵּן "גָּבוֹהַּ מֵעַל גָּבוֹהַּ".

The idea is the same regarding Chochma-Wisdom, which also has many different levels and instances, “one level above the other…”

Chochma also exists on many corresponding levels, varying from more abstract and spiritual to more physical and tangible.

וַהֲגַם שֶׁחָכְמָה־דִּבְרִיאָה אֵינָהּ מֵעֵרֶךְ וְלֹא מַהוּת חָכְמָה הַנִּרְאֵית וְנִגְלֵית בַּעֲשִׂיָּה, מִכָּל מָקוֹם הוּא מָקוֹר וְשֹׁרֶשׁ לִהְיוֹת מִמֶּנָּה הִתְהַוּוּת בְּחִינַת חָכְמָה־דַּעֲשִׂיָּה הַנִּגְלֵית כוּ'.

Now, even though Chochma of Beriya is completely beyond the level of known and revealed Chochma of Asiya, it is still the source and root from which the revealed Chochma of Asiya comes to be.

Beriyah is the highest of the created worlds, where the highest souls and angels exist. Asiya is the lowest of the created worlds, which contains the physical world. The wisdom that exists in the physical dimension is completely incomparable to the lofty spiritual wisdom of the world of Beriya. Nonetheless, since the Wisdom of Beriya is a type of wisdom that created beings can comprehend, it can serve as the source for the wisdom of all the lower created worlds, including the wisdom that exists in the physical world.

וְכָךְ הִיא חָכְמָה־דַּאֲצִילוּת, עִם הֱיוֹת שֶׁהוּא בִּבְחִינַת "חָכִים וְלָא בְּחָכְמָה יְדִיעָא", מִכָּל מָקוֹם הִיא בִּבְחִינַת מָקוֹר דְּמָקוֹר כוּ'.

And similarly, for Chochma of Atzilus, even though it is described as “Wise, but not with a knowable Wisdom,” it is the source of the source of Chochma of Asiya.

The wisdom of Asiya, of the physical world, is derived from the wisdom of the world above it, the wisdom of Yetzira, which is derived from the wisdom of Beriya. Thus, even though Beriya is a stage removed from Asiya (separated by the world of Yetzira), nonetheless, it is ultimately the source of the wisdom of Asiya. Similarly, even though Atzilus is far removed from the wisdom of Beriya, nonetheless, ultimately it is the source of the wisdom of Beriya. Based on this, even the wisdom of Asiya is actually derived from the wisdom of Atzilus, not directly, but as the source of the source of its wisdom.

(ג) Chapter 3

אֲבָל לִהְיוֹת "אַנְתְּ הוּא חַכִּים", דְּהַיְינוּ הַמְשָׁכַת אוֹר אֵין־סוֹף בְּחָכְמָה,

However, regarding the fact that we say that “You are wise,” referring to the original stage of Hashem’s Infinite Light becoming invested into Chochma,

הִנֵּה הַחָכְמָה מַמָּשׁ "מֵאַיִן תִּמָּצֵא" (אִיּוֹב כח, יב),

we say that the Chochma itself literally “Comes from ‘ayin-nothing knowable at any level,’” i.e., His Infinite and Unknowable Light, which is a level that is completely beyond the ability of any world, even Chochma of Atzilus, to relate to and comprehend.

וְלָכֵן הִיא בִּבְחִינַת עֲנָוְותָנוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ – שֶׁהוּא יְרִידָה גְּדוֹלָה לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ.

Therefore, the fact that His Infinite and Unknowable Light came into Chochma of Atzilus expresses Hashem’s humility, since it is a great descent from Him, as it were.

We had a question before: How can we praise Hashem for “being Wise” through His coming into Chochma-Wisdom of Atzilus, if we do not comprehend Chochma of Atzilus at all? (Like we said above, it would be like a young child praising the wisdom of a great genius that he does not understand in the first place.)

The answer, based on the above teaching of the maamar, is:

Even though we cannot directly understand Chochma of Atzilus, the fact is, that the only reason that there exists any wisdom in any of the created worlds, including our physical world, is only because Chochma of Atzilus exists. If there wouldn’t be Chochma of Atzilus, then there wouldn’t be wisdom in Beriya, or Yetzira, or Asiya, or in the physical world. Only after Hashem limited and contracted His Unknowable Light into the “limitation” of Chochma of Atzilus, can any other definable and knowable wisdom exist at all.

That is why we praise Hashem for “being Wise” in Chochma of Atzilus, since, ultimately, the wisdom that we understand in this world is derived from Chochma of Atzilus. The wisdom of Hashem we see in how Hashem creates nature and how living things work etc., which we can understand, ultimately is also derived from Chochma of Atzilus. In that sense, we praise Hashem as “being wise” in Chochma of Atzilus.

(An analogy: a person can praise the wisdom of an architect from the beauty of his building’s appearance, even though he doesn’t understand the deep wisdom that went into the structural design and engineering etc., since, even the external beauty of the building is ultimately derived from that deep wisdom.)

וְזֶהוּ לְשׁוֹן "אֲצִילוּת" בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ –

And this is the significance of the term “אֲצִילוּת-Atzilus” in the Holy Language of Hebrew:

שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן יְרִידָה וְהַשְׁפָּלָה מִמַּדְרֵגָתוֹ הָעֶלְיוֹנָה, לְהַשְׁפִּיל אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ הוּא בְּמַדְרֵגָה פְחוּתָה.

it is an expression of descent and lowering, of someone going from a higher level and lowering himself, as if he is on a lower level.

וּכְמוֹ (בְּהַעֲלוֹתְךָ יא, יז): "וְאָצַלְתִּי מִן הָרוּחַ" דְּגַבֵּי מֹשֶׁה:

As the verse states regarding Moshe Rabbeinu (Bamidbar 11:17), “And I will draw down from the spirit that is upon you and place it upon them, and they will share the burden of the people with you, so you will not carry it alone.”

דִּלְפִי שֶׁאָמַר (שָׁם, יג): "מֵאַיִן לִי בָּשָׂר",

Since he [Moshe] said (ibid. v. 13), “From where will I get meat to feed this entire nation?”

This story is described in Parshas Behaalosecha. There the “Eirev Rav-mixed multitude” of converts complained that they wanted to eat meat instead of the munn, and they convinced a large group of the Jewish people to complain as well. Moshe asked Hashem how he would be able to provide meat for all the people that wanted it. Moshe added that it was too difficult for him to take care of the people by himself.

Hashem told him to gather 70 sages, and that He would transfer Moshe’s prophetic power onto them, and they would help him take care of the people. Then Hashem caused a flock of fat birds to descend onto the Jewish camp for the meat-hungry people.

The implication of this story is that there is a connection between Moshe’s “inability” to provide meat for the people, and the transferring of prophetic powers onto 70 sages. The Alter Rebbe will explain this connection:

שֶׁהָיְתָה מַדְרֵגָתוֹ בְּמַעֲלָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה וְלֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לְהַשְׁפִּיל אֶת עַצְמוֹ בְּהַמְשָׁכַת בָּשָׂר גַּשְׁמִי,

Since he was on such a high level, he was therefore unable to bring himself down low enough to be able to bring down the spiritual flow to be manifest in physical meat.

לְכָךְ אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא (שָׁם, טז): "אֶסְפָה לִּי שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ" שֶׁהֵם בְּמַדְרֵגָה הַפְחוּתָה, הַיְינוּ [רַק15] שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ מִתְגַּשְׁמִים מַמָּשׁ,

Therefore, Hashem told Moshe, “Gather for me 70 men,” who were on a lower level than Moshe, and able to relate more to physicality, not lower in the sense that they would actually be on the coarse level of the meat-hungry people,

אֶלָּא "וְאָצַלְתִּי מִן הָרוּחַ אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיךָ וְשַׂמְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶם",

rather, “And I will draw down the spirit that is upon you and place it upon them,”

15 (נוֹסָף בִּכְתָב־יָד 13).

פֵּירוּשׁ: שֶׁאוֹרִיד וְאַמְשִׁיךְ בְּחִינָה שֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לְמַטָּה מִמַּדְרֵגָתְךָ, "וְשַׂמְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶם" (שָׁם) – שֶׁיִּהְיֶה יְנִיקָה גַּם לָהֶם מִמַּדְרֵגָה זוֹ.

meaning, that Hashem is saying “I will draw down and extend your spiritual status to those below you, and place it upon them,” so that they may also access this lofty spiritual level, and take down from Moshe’s power to a level lower than Moshe could descend to by himself, i.e., to the level of giving meat.

אֲבָל לֹא שֶׁיִּהְיוּ עוֹלִים בְּמַעֲלַת וּמַדְרֵגַת מֹשֶׁה עַצְמוֹ כוּ'.

However, they were unable to ascend to Moshe’s own level, but they were able to access some degree of it from their own level.

וּכְמוֹ כֵן לְמַעְלָה: עִנְיַן אֲצִילוּת הוּא, בְּחִינַת יְרִידָה לִהְיוֹת הִתְלַבְּשׁוּת אוֹר אֵין־סוֹף בְּחָכְמָה כוּ'.

Similarly, Above, the idea of Atzilus is a descent so that Hashem’s Infinite Light can come down and be invested into the Sefira of Chochma.

וְלָכֵן נִקְרָאִים עֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת "עֶשֶׂר תִּקּוּנִין" – שֶׁהֵן בְּחִינַת לְבוּשִׁין לְאוֹר אֵין־סוֹף, וְלֹא עַצְמִיּוּת כוּ'.

Therefore, the Ten Sefiros of Atzilus are known as “Ten Tikkunim/Adornments,” since they are only “garments” for Hashem’s Infinite Light, but not the Light itself.

וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם אֵינָן לְבוּשִׁין מַמָּשׁ אֶלָּא תִּקּוּנִין, מִשּׁוּם דְּ"אִיהוּ וְגַרְמוֹהִי חַד כוּ'".

Nevertheless, they are not actual “garments,” but “adornments,” since “He [the Infinite Light] and His Keilim of the Sefiros are one.”

Meaning that the Keilim-Vessels of the Sefiros of Atzilus are unified with Hashem, as explained previously. The sefiros are not like clothing that serve a separate function, but rather, like jewelry and adornments that are as one with the wearer. Just as jewelry serves to bring out the inherent beauty of the wearer, so do the sefiros of Atzilus serve only to reveal Hashem’s Infinite Light, but they do not serve their own function as “separated garments.”

מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בִּי"עַ כַּנַּ"ל:

This is not the case regarding the Sefiros of the worlds of Beriya, Yetzira and Asiya, as explained previously.

We mentioned above that the Sefiros of Beria, Yetzira, and Asiya are themselves “garments” for the Ten Sefiros of Atzilus. However, they do not have the level of unity with the Infinite Light of Hashem that the Sefiros of Atzilus possess. They are like the “separated garments” that cover over the person, and only tell you about the person through the choice of “style” of the covering, as explained at length above.