Chapter 12

In this chapter, the Alter Rebbe will explain how, from a single phrase of the Ten Expressions, the Torah says “He said Hashem that it be such a thing.”¹, Multiple creatures are constantly created and sustained. The purpose of this explanation is to see a practical example of how the uniqueness of Hashem It is expressed even in concrete creation and not only in the higher spiritual worlds.

Through many combinations and exchanges of the letters of each phrase, all the creatures that receive vitality from that phrase are created and sustained.

As we explained, each sentence is composed of words, which in turn are composed of letters. Each letter is the projection of a force of Hashem How do several letters come together to form a word? What happens is that, in addition to the energy resulting from the sum of each letter's forces, an additional force, greater than that sum, is projected, uniting those letters to form a word. The total set of forces in each word gives vital energy and sustains the creature created with that word.

For example, the Hebrew word for truth is emet (אמת). This word is composed of three letters: one Aleph (א), a Mem (מ) and a Taf (תEach of those three letters, being a projection of Hashem, It has a particular force. Even so, separated, it doesn't express any idea.

However, when they come together, two things happen: 1. A very deep and elevated energy is projected down to unite these three letters. This is the energy that the Alter Rebbe says is higher than the sum of the forces of the three letters. 2. Upon uniting, these letters are imbued, so to speak, they "charge," with a very high concept: the concept of truth.

The very concept of truth is independent of those specific letters, because the same idea can be conveyed with different letters and words. Therefore, several energies come together in a word: 1. The power of each letter in the word, 2. The power that binds the letters of that word together, 3. The concept that the word expresses.

The Alter Rebbe adds in a note that the very shape of each letter, being different from the others, indicates that the energy it carries is different from the Divine force of the other letters. This difference in projection that each letter symbolizes determines the form that each one takes.

In other words, by analyzing the shape of each letter we can get an idea of what kind of energy projection it “carries” from the Divine “Qualities.” Of course, this refers to the shape of the Hebrew letters that our sages call “Beautiful Script” (ktav ashurit), the letters with which a roll of the Torah, For example.

This is an example of the Hebrew letters of the “Beautiful Scripture”:

א ב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ ך ל מ ם נ ן ס ע פ ף צ ץ ק ר ש ת

To give a practical example, the Alter Rebbe explains how from the phrase² “Let there be the firmament” creates and sustains all the heavens and the creatures that inhabit them, from the highest spiritual levels to the lowest material ones.

Despite the energy of the phrase itself of the Torah “Let it be the firmament”³ It is very powerful; the exchanges and combinations of the letters of that (or any other) phrase cause that energy to descend to create creatures of a lower level than the previous ones.

With each exchange and combination, a new fusion of forces is generated, where each letter of that new fusion, according to its position in the word, carries greater or lesser weight depending on its importance. The first letter of a given combination "governs" the word that begins with that letter, while the remaining letters are secondary to it. In this way, with each new fusion, a new entity is created and sustained, of a lower level than the previous ones.

To better understand the idea of the descent of Divine energy through the exchange and combination of letters, the Alter Rebbe gives the example of sunlight reflected onto the earth through the moon: the light the moon radiates onto the earth is not equal to the sunlight itself, despite originating from it. The moon has no light of its own; it reflects the sunlight. Even so, the sunlight reflected by the moon is less than the sunlight itself.

Similarly, the letters of each phrase of creation in the Torah, are a general projection of the “Qualities” of Hashem, to create and sustain the entire universe from absolute nothingness for as long as the Will of Hashem So I command. From that projection (totally unified with Him, because⁴ “Hashem and His 'Qualities' are totally unified'), Hashem It carries out another projection, which is the exchange and combination of the letters of that phrase to create the creatures of each world, and so on, it carries out other projections and reflections and reflections of reflections until that energy is able to create and sustain the stones themselves in this material world where we live.

With this idea, we can think and meditate on how, in reality, the entire universe is unified with Hashem, since everything that exists is created and sustained by the letters of the phrases in the Torah, which are unified to the Divine “Qualities”, which, in turn, are unified to Hashem…

When we meditate, each according to the time we have available and our ability to truly concentrate, and according to our knowledge and intellectual capacity, we will awaken love and awe of Hashem, to serve Him with enthusiasm. Furthermore, this meditation will give us the necessary tools to overcome the difficulties and challenges of daily life.

This is because, having meditated, it will be easier, when faced with each challenge, to be aware that that challenge and everything surrounding it, like the rest of existence, is created by Hashem at every moment with the goal of overcoming it. Moreover, we will be aware that Hashem It is the only true existence.

SummaryUniqueness of Hashem Even in concrete creation, the union of letters generates words and phrases. When letters join to form a word, an energy descends that is greater than the sum of the forces of each letter separately. The shape of each letter indicates the type of projection it represents. The phrase "Let there be the firmament" is the life energy of everything that exists in the heavens, from the spiritual to the material. The life force of that phrase descends as the letters combine and exchange, generating new fusions and energies lower than the previous ones. Even stones are created and sustained by the phrases of creation in the Torah.

The second part ended, with the help of Hashem, blessed and exalted be He.