Chapter 10

Up to this point, the Alter Rebbe established that Hashem It unites with His “Qualities,” and that union is so profound that we cannot comprehend it. However, given that the Torah It was given to humankind to be understood; we must find some tool that allows us, in some way, to understand this union, at least in part...

That tool is the example. The idea behind an example is that, through it, we can understand at least one aspect of something else that is so complex that, without the example, we would have no way of even approaching or grasping it.

The example is not the exact thing we want to understand, but in some way it resembles it, allowing us to grasp a particular aspect of the matter. This means that not all the details of an example are exactly the same in the matter we are trying to understand, but when we consider only the part we want to understand, we can use a specific example.

Let's look at an example: if we want to know what the shape of a soccer ball is, we can say that it's like a basketball. This is a useful example when trying to understand the shape of the soccer ball, but it doesn't help us understand its texture, because basketball is completely different.

A further step in developing this idea is to take into account that, for example, a rugby ball does not have the same shape than a soccer ball, which is why it doesn't serve as an example to understand what the shape of a soccer ball is.

Returning to texture, a soccer ball is smooth and a basketball is rough. A good example to understand the texture of a soccer ball is to say it's like smoothed cowhide. We see that different examples (and even different aspects of an example) help us understand different aspects of the same thing.

To understand how Hashem He is unified with His “Qualities,” the Alter Rebbe gives an example¹. The example is that of a ray of sunlight inside the sun. The ray of sunlight within the sun is absolutely unified with its source, the sun's luminary. This union is so complete that, inside the sun, the only thing that exists is the luminary itself, since the light (the ray of sunlight) is absolutely unified with its source, the luminary.

In chapter 3² The Alter Rebbe used the same idea, but focusing on a different aspect of the example. Just as different examples can serve to describe different aspects of the same thing (like the basketball to understand the shape from a soccer ball and a smoothed leather to understand the texture), different aspects of the same example can also serve to describe different issues of the same thing.

In chapter 3 this example teaches us how all of creation is annulled in its source and is utterly insignificant compared to its source. Just as a ray of sunlight is nothing when it is inside the sun, in the same way all of creation is nothing, since it is always “within” its source, the creative energy of Hashem.

But in this chapter, the example teaches us how Hashem HE unifies with His “Qualities” in the world of Emanation. That is why in chapter 3 the Alter Rebbe speaks of “annulment”, while in this chapter, of “unification”.

What is the difference between annulment and unification? To understand this, we must know that in the sun we find two aspects:

1. The sun itself, whose reason for being is to be the sun, and nothing more. An object called the sun.

2. The luminary aspect of the sun, whose function is to illuminate. The luminous aspect of the sun. In addition to the sun's very existence (the previous aspect), it has an essential task: to illuminate. In other words, it is like a person: on one hand, there is the person himself, let's call him Moses. On the other hand, there are the different aspects of Moses: son, father of his children, brother, friend, etc. These are different aspects of the same person.

In chapter 3, the Alter Rebbe speaks about the sun, emphasizing its first aspect: an entity so powerful that everything within it is nullified. There is no relationship between the sun and what is inside it.

In this chapter the Alter Rebbe speaks about the second aspect of the sun, the luminary, that is, its function of giving light, which is independent of the fact of being the sun.

The essence of a light fixture is to give light. Therefore, we can say that the light emanating from the sun is unified with its source. Because there is indeed a relationship, and a very profound one, between a light fixture and the light it emits. One of the qualities of light is that, to exist, it must be connected to its source. This aspect of light is what we want to emphasize when we say that the light fixture "emanates" and "projects" light. The meaning of the words "emanates" and "projects" is that the light produced is always connected to its source, the light fixture.

We can understand this idea by observing that when we place an opaque screen that blocks the light emitted by, for example, a flashlight, we interrupt the path between the light and its source. Therefore, there is no light from the flashlight on the other side of the screen. It's as if we were saying that the light, upon being separated from its source (on the other side of the screen), ceases to exist. Because one of the characteristics of light is that its existence depends on being connected to its source.

However, we must pay special attention to this example, as it is very easy to get confused and think that Hashem It is the light fixture, and "its purpose," "its function," is to give light. It is a mistake to think that way. Because, in that way, we would be saying that since the reason for being of Hashem It is to be a luminary, just as a lamp serves to give light, in the same way Hashem “It "serves" to create the universe, and nothing more.

In other words, we would be saying that Hashem is forced to create the world, or would we be saying that the only thing that Hashem What it knows how to do is create a universe (just as the only thing a lamp "knows" how to do is give light).

We absolutely cannot think of something like that. Hashem He is infinite, He is true existence, and we are incapable of understanding "His business" or what He is capable of doing. By His own free will and choice, He decided to create the universe and, moreover, to involve Himself with us. But by no means is this creation the only thing that Hashem does or is capable of doing.

It's an incredible kindness of Hashem that He may allow us to exist in His universe. This idea is directly connected to the introduction (Education of the Child) that the Alter Rebbe wrote, where he says that the goal of this second part of the Tanya is to meditate on the unification of Hashem to awaken love and awe of Him in our hearts. This is an excellent subject for meditation.

From here on, and until the end of the book, the Alter Rebbe uses the idea of “projection” several times, always referring to this same idea that a “projection” is unified to the source from which it is projected.

It is because of these profound ideas that the sages of Jewish mysticism use the example of “Light” and “Qualities” (sefirot) as examples to illustrate how Hashem It is unified with those “Qualities”.

Returning to the topic, just as sunlight is unified with its source within the sun and has no independent existence or separate name from its luminary, but rather, there, the light is unified with the luminary itself, in the same way the “Qualities” of Hashem, His Will, His Wisdom, and all the rest, are unified in their source. Hashem same.

The Alter Rebbe explains in chapter 3 of the first part of the Tanya that there are two types of “qualities”: “intellectual” and “emotional.” Of course, Hashem It has neither intellect nor emotions, but since the qualities of the soul are projected from these Divine “Qualities,” and in the soul we can indeed identify intellect and emotions, we say that the Divine “Qualities” are also grouped into these two groups, simply using the example of the soul to understand Hashem.

“Intellectual Qualities” are Wisdom (Chokhmah), Understanding (biná) and Comprehension (daat), while “Emotional Qualities” are Kindness (Jesed), Severity (guevurá), Beauty (Tiferet), Victoria (netzaj), Glow (hod), Foundation (Yesod) and Reign (Maljut).

Now, on each of the six days of creation, one of the “Emotional Qualities” of the world of Emanation was revealed to the world: the first day, Kindness; the second, Severity; and so on. This revelation carries within it the projection of Will, Wisdom, Understanding, and Comprehension. Hashem.

In other words, “intellectual qualities” are invested in “emotional qualities” to give life to the entire world. In turn, each of these “qualities” is unified to Hashem, making the presence of Hashem be all over the world.

The Alter Rebbe briefly explains that in the world of Emanation each “Quality” includes the other “Qualities” as well.

Now, on the first day of creation, the “Quality” of Goodness is revealed. Although this “Quality” signifies infinite goodness, and if it were revealed in its entirety, a material world would never be created, nevertheless, because it also includes the restrictive “Quality” of Severity (and all the others), the goodness projected on that first day of creation is no longer as high as at its source (the creative energy of Hashem), Therefore, that "reduced" goodness, that is, combined with the other "Qualities", was able to create a limited, material and concrete world.

In turn, on the second day of creation, the “Quality” of Severity was revealed. This “Quality” represents restriction in an infinite form, just as the “Quality” of Goodness represents infinite creation.

But, being included with the “Quality” of Goodness (and all the others), it has an expression of restriction, but in a limited way, that is, a restriction combined with the infinite giving of Divine Goodness. This combination results in the waters being parted on the second day of creation (an act of restriction and severity) and, at the same time, the concrete land being revealed where man can live to serve God. Hashem (act of kindness).

However, it only makes sense to speak of all these “Qualities” from our perspective, from “below.” They are “Qualities” that, each one of them, gives rise to different creations, and that is why each of the six days of creation reveals a different “Quality”: the first day, Kindness; the second, Severity; and so on. And, moreover, through them Hashem He rules the world with kindness, justice, etc.

But from the perspective of Hashem, From “above”, the entire universe is nullified, it is insignificant compared to Him and, even more so, as the Alter Rebbe already explained in chapter 9, Hashem He Himself does not "have" any of these "Qualities", but is far above what can be said or not said about Him.

SummaryThe example allows us to understand some aspect of the union between Hashem and Its “Qualities.” The sunbeam within the sun. Annulment and unification. The sun as an entity in itself and the function of being a luminary of the sun. A luminary projects light, and the existence of that light depends on being connected to its source. Just as the sunbeam is unified in its source, in the same way, each “Quality” is unified to Hashem. Each day of creation projects a “Quality” of Hashem. Each “Quality”, in turn, includes all other “Qualities”.