him and takes care of him. This reflection, if done properly and often, will then enter his emotions to reveal a feeling of love and respect for Hashem. This is called “דעת תחתון-lower level of Daas,” since it is an inward connection to bring his knowledge down to the level of emotions.
The higher level called “דעת עליון-higher level of Daas” is as follows: A person studies a difficult to understand subject, such as an abstract teaching of Chassidus. He tries his best to understand it but just can’t grasp it. What could happen is that he will try so hard to figure it out that he actually connects his conscious mind to his subconscious mind to receive a new level of insight. This is called “the higher level of Daas” since it is an inward connection to elevate his consious mind to his subconcious mind to be able to receive new levels of understanding.
Yosef’s primary level was that of “Yesod-outward connection,” as his main “job” was to connect and give over the Light of Hashem shining in Atzilus into the created worlds, until the physical world. However, in order to be able to bring this lofty Light down so low, he needed a special power that transcends even Atzilus. The ability to connect to higher than Atzilus (Keser) is called the “Higher level of ‘Daas-inward connection,’” similar to how a person connects his conscious mind to his subconscious mind. It was because of this ability to connect to the hidden source of Atzilus that he had the power to even bring down the Light of Atzilus into the physical world.
Because of this ability to reach up to the highest levels and bring them down into the world, he is called “יו סֵף-increase,” since he increases the Light of Hashem shining in this world.
The Alter Rebbe will continue to explain that even though Yosef was such a tremendously great level, nonetheless, Yehuda-Malchus has an even higher source. The ultimate completion will be when the level of Yosef will join with the source of Malchus, and the advantages of both of them will come together.
However, in the Future Era when these two – Yosef and Yehuda – will be joined in complete and true unity, completely fulfilling what is written “Yehuda approaches (and joins) him (Yosef),” and as it is written (Iyov 41:8) “Each one will come together with the other one,”
which will happen in the Future Era, when Yehuda will be elevated to a higher level than Yosef, as previously discussed about the verse “A woman of valor is the crown of her husband.”
Then “My servant Dovid will be king” over all the Jewish People.
This is the meaning of what is written (Bereishis 45:1) “And Yosef couldn’t restrain himself any longer... and he asked everyone else to leave, so that there was no else there when Yosef was reunited with his brothers,” this means that the physical reunion represented a spiritual union of Yosef and Yehuda, who’s spiritual levels (of Ze’eir Anpin and Malchus) became completely joined and united, accomplishing something similar to what it says in the Zohar: “one level of Hashem’s Oneness (Malchus) should merge with another level of Hashem’s Oneness (Ze’eir Anpin).”
In the Zohar recited on Friday evening services, it describes how on Shabbos there are two levels of Hashem’s Oneness that merge together. These two levels are that of Malchus and Ze’eir Anpin. Malchus is expressing Hashem’s Oneness as felt in the created beings, and their source, Malchus. This is called “Yichuda Tita’a-Lower level of Oneness.” This is the how we perceive Hashem’s Oneness from below to Above. We perceive empirically our own existence, and we understand intellectually and emotionally that Hashem is the True Existence behind all of our existence.
Ze’eir Anpin is expressing Hashem’s Oneness as felt in Atzilus. This is called “Yichuda Ila’a-Higher level of Oneness.” This is how Oneness is perceived from Above to below. Hashem’s True Existence is empirically perceived, and the existence of worlds and creations is only understood and explained as a concept.
Each of these levels have an adavantage: The “Yichuda Tita’a-Lower level of Oneness,” is something that is accomplished by the created beings. Each creation works hard to discover and reveal Hashem’s Oneness. Therefore, whatever they find is there hard-earned accomplishment. The advantage of “Yichuda Ila’a-Higher level of Oneness” is that it is more accurate.
On Shabbos, these two levels merge so that everyone should have both advantages of hard-earned accomplishment and complete accuracy. This merger of Malchus and Ze’eir Anpin is also the idea of the reunion of Yosef and Yehuda, with a slightly different twist. Here, Yehuda-Malchus represents selflessness/humility, faith, and unquestioning devotion. Yosef-Ze’eir Anpin represents spiritual growth through knowledge and emotion. Once again, both levels have great advantages, and the best thing for everyone is if they can merge together and share their advantages. This merger is represented by Yosef reuniting with Yehuda and the other brothers. (However, it was only the very beginning of the idea of this merger, the merger will only happen completely in the time of Moshiach. The merger of Yosef and his brothers was only a taste and initial starting point of the real merger.)
Commentary of the Tzemach Tzedek on the Above Maamar:
(Based on the aforementioned, it is well understood what is written in Likutei HaShas from the AriZal, in his explanation of the Sages statement in the Talmud Sanhedrin (102a):
“Hashem grabbed Yeravom the son of Nevat by his clothing and said to him: “Turn back (from your sinful behavior to the path of fulfilling the Torah and Mitzvos)! Then, Me and you and (Dovid) the son Yishai will take a stroll together in Gan Eden.
He (Yerovam) asked ‘Who will lead?’ Hashem answered: ‘The son of Yishai.’ He said ‘If so, I do not want to return to Torah and Mitzvos.’”
This is just like the dynamic explained above: Hashem wanted Yeravom to return in repentance, and then, the spiritual level of Yosef, who was his ancestor which is called “the staff of Efraim,” the same tribe as Yerovam, would be able to shine within him. This is the meaning of “Me and you and the son of Yishai will take a stroll in Gan Eden,” meaning, that they will experience a great revelation from Hashem’s Infinite Light. This is hinted in the word “אֲנִּי-I,” The word “אֲנִּי-I” is the same letters as “אַיִּן-Nontangible,” referring to a very lofty level of Hashem’s Light (a.k.a. Kesser) that cannot be grasped even by the world of Atzilus. If Yerovam would have repented, he would have been able to reveal the level of Ze’eir Anpin. (King) Dovid son of Yishai was the embodiment of Malchus.
If they would have joined together, this would have achieved a tremendous revelation of Hashem.
When he (Yerovam) asked “Who will lead?” he wanted things to remain as they are now, when the spiritual level of Yosef is superior to the level of Yehuda. This is why he wanted to lead instead of King Dovid. However, Hashem responded that in the Future Era, Yehudah will ascend to a higher level, therefore, even now “The son of Yishai will lead,” since in essence he is greater. He (Yerovam) responded: “If so, I do not want to repent.” Meaning, that he didn’t have, and didn’t want this level of bitul and humility. This accords with the teaching of our Sages (ibid. 101b) that “The arrogance of Yeravom was his downfall.”
Seemingly, the Alter Rebbe is saying that Yerovam’s downfall, which resulted from arrogance, was also connected to his spiritual makeup. His (true) spiritual level was connected to Yosef, which is about growth through understanding and feeling, not about selflessness and humility. This is why he had an ideological opposition to what King Dovid represented. However, he took this ideological opposition to the extreme and from there he fell down into regular arrogance and into sin.
Similarly, we can also explain the concept of the Meraglim-Spies. In Parshas Shelach the Torah relates that Moshe sent spies to investigate the Land of Eretz Yisrael, to determine the best way to conquer it. Instead of doing that, they came back with their own opinion that the Land cannot be conquered, and everyone should just stay in the desert. In Likutei Torah on Parshas Shelach, the Alter Rebbe explains the story on a deeper level. He says that they had spiritual motivations to stay in the desert, since they wished to remain involved in only Torah study and prayer, and not to get involved in material matters in the Land.
They also did not possess this attribute of humility in relation to the aspect of the Land, as it is Above, Malchus of Atzilus. The physical Land of Eretz Yisrael corresponds to Malchus of Atzilus. As explained above, Malchus is the aspect of selflessness and humility, especially in the context of fulfilling physical Mitzvos even if we don’t understand them. They didn’t want to connect to that level.
It appeared to them that they didn’t need to connect to this level, since that they were from the “Level of the Provider,” i.e., Ze’eir Anpin, and they “were all men of stature.” (Bamidbar 13:3) They thought they were from the level of Ze’eir Anpin, which they thought was higher than Malchus, and therefore didn’t want to enter the Land which corresponds to Malchus. However, this was a big mistake, as explained above, that Malchus is essentially higher.
However, Yosef and Yehuda will be completely united in the Future Era, so that both levels should fully merge together, as explained above.)
