Chapter 2
Similarly, this can be understood Above, in the system of 10 Sefiros, which are called Tikkunim-Adornments. (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 “וְג רְ מוֹהִּי” or “וְג רְ מֵּיה” 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):
“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.
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 Asisya, are like “garments” for the Ten Sefiros of Atzilus.
This will be understand 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 person can be identified based on his words and actions.
For (as the Zohar continues), “You are He Who is wise.” 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 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.
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 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.
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 perceived 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 we would we describe Hashem as being Wise because of that level?)
