Torah Or – The Ten Sefiros and Hashem

Torah Or
תּוֹרָה אוֹר

דִּבּוּר הַמַּתְחִיל
(שַׁיָּךְ לְפָסוּק "אֵרְדָה נָּא")
פָּתַח אֵלִיָּהוּ אַנְתְּ הוּא חָד
פָּרָשַׁת וַיֵּרָא דף יג,ג

“The Ten Sefiros and Hashem”

In Parshas Vayeira (Bereishis 18:21), the Torah describes how Hashem “went down” to judge the wicked inhabitants of the cities of Sedom and Amora. There are two general questions regarding this story: 1- Why would He have to go down to judge people, doesn’t Hashem already know everything that happens without having to go to see it firsthand? Furthermore, what does it mean that He “went down,” Hashem is everywhere, there is nowhere for Him to “go”?

To explain the answers to these questions, the Alter Rebbe first explains many essential concepts of how Hashem interacts with the world. The explanation will be centered around a teaching of Eliyahu the Prophet. It is recorded in the Tikkunei Zohar, as heard by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his students, and the souls in Gan Eden, including Moshe Rabeinu who instructed Eliyahu to speak, in Gan Eden.

This teaching, commonly known as “Pasach Eliyahu,” the most famous discourse (said over as a prayer to Hashem) of Eliyahu, contains many of the fundamental teachings of Kabbalah, of the Inner Dimension of the Torah. It describes the Ten Sefiros of Atzilus and how they exist relative to the Infinite Light, and relative to creations. This prayer/discourse is commonly recited before Mincha on Erev Shabbos, since on Shabbos is when the created worlds ascend into Atzilus, and this discourse discusses the nature of the world of Atzilus relative to creation.

(א) Chapter 1

"פָּתַח אֵלִיָּהוּ [וְאָמַר]: [רִבּוֹן עָלְמִין דְּ[אַנְתְּ הוּא חָד וְלָא בְחוּשְׁבָּן, [אַנְתְּ הוּא עִלָּאָה עַל כָּל עִלָּאִין, סְתִימָא עַל כָּל סְתִימִין, לֵית מַחֲשָׁבָה תְפִיסָא בָךְ כְּלָל.]

In the Tikkunei Zohar (17a) it is written: “[The Prophet] Eliyahu started to speak [the following praise to Hashem that contains many explanations of mystical concepts], and said: “Master of the Worlds, You are He that is One, but not one that is counted. You are He that transcends all transcendence, concealed beyond all concealments. No thought can possibly grasp You.

אַנְתְּ הוּא דְּאַפַּקְתַּ עֲשַׂר תִּיקּוּנִין [וְקָרִינָן לוֹן עֲשַׂר סְפִירָן, לְאַנְהָגָא בְהוֹן עָלְמִין סְתִימִין דְּלָא אִתְגַּלְיָין, וְעָלְמִין דְּאִתְגַּלְיָין, וּבְהוֹן אִתְכַּסִיאַת מִבְּנֵי נָשָׁא.] כוּ'״.

You are He that brought out ten ‘Tikunim/adornments.’ We call them ten Sefiros. You emanated them to direct the worlds, concealed worlds and revealed worlds. And within them You disguise Yourself from the sons of men.”

The prayer/discourse continues to discuss various aspects of the Sefiros and how Hashem creates souls and worlds through them, but that Hashem is ultimately beyond the entire category of the Sefiros and the World of Atzilus completely, even though He invests Himself, as it were, into the Sefiros.

לְהָבִין עִנְיָן זֶה – לָמָּה נִקְרְאוּ י' סְפִירוֹת בְּשֵׁם "תִּקּוּנִין" – צָרִיךְ לְהַקְדִּים בֵּיאוּר עִנְיַן מַהוּת הַנֶּפֶשׁ:

In order to understand the reason for which the “Ten Sefiros” are referred to as “Ten Tikunim-Adornments/Jewelry,” we must first explain the nature of the soul itself.

כִּי הִנֵּה הַנֶּפֶשׁ מִצַּד עַצְמָהּ הִיא אוֹר פָּשׁוּט בְּלִי הִתְחַלְּקוּת שֵׂכֶל וּמִדּוֹת.

Because, the soul itself is a simple and indivisible spiritual entity, undifferentiated into intellect and emotion.