Chapter 11

Up to this point, the Alter Rebbe explained the profound union that exists between Hashem and Their “Qualities”, to the point that they are only called “Qualities” from our perspective and not from the perspective of Hashem. Now he will explain that something similar happens with the letters themselves of the Ten Sentences where the Torah says “He said Hashem that it be such a thing.”¹ in creation.

These phrases are only called “phrases” from the perspective of creation itself, from “below”, but not for Hashem, from “above”.

In chapter 8, the Alter Rebbe explained how “emotional qualities” are invested in the words of thought, which in turn are invested in the words of speech, and finally in the action itself. This process is called the “revelation” of the “emotional quality” invested in that specific action.

For example, when a king commands his servants to perform a certain act of kindness, the emotional quality of kindness of the king is invested in his thoughts, and then invested in the words with which he orders his servants to do such and such a thing, and ultimately, those words "reveal" the kindness of the king.

The same applies to the “Emotional Qualities” of Hashem, Goodness, Severity, and so on. When they are "revealed" by generating an effect in this material world, that "revelation" is called a "phrase" and contains a specific combination of letters.

For example, on the first day of creation, it is projected from the “Quality” of Goodness of Hashem, the strength invested in the necessary combination of letters (as the says Torah², “Let there be light”) to create light. That projection and combination of letters is called a “phrase”.

Although these letters and words are not the same as the letters and words of our thoughts (as the Alter Rebbe explained in chapters 8 and 9), they are nevertheless a specific projection of the Goodness of Hashem, a series of letters and words that make light exist and not something else, like water.

In other words, with those letters and words, a concrete thing (light) was created. To create something different (like water), a different projection is needed, with other letters and words.

An example to understand this idea is when we say different words that express our kindness. We can say "I love you" or we can say "I appreciate you." While they are similar concepts, they are not the same. Both expressions carry different projections of our kindness, which is why they have different letters and "create" different feelings in the listener.

According to this idea, the Alter Rebbe says that every projection of the creative force of the “emotional qualities” of Hashem To create and sustain all worlds are called “holy letters,” which arise from the unified Will, Wisdom, and Emotions. Hashem same.

The Alter Rebbe explains that just as there are two types of letters in human beings: the “Letters of Thought” and the “Letters of Speech,” the same is true with Hashem (Actually it's the other way around, since something exists in Hashem, The same is true for us, because we were created in the “image and likeness of God.” Hashem”³).

Each of these Divine “letters” creates and gives life to different “worlds.” The “Letters of Thought” create and give life to hidden spiritual worlds. Just as thought in man is something “hidden,” within the mind and not revealed to others, in the same way, the “Letters of Thought” generate hidden “worlds.”.

The “Letters of the Word” create and give life to revealed “worlds,” more specifically to our material world. Just as the letters of human speech are “revealed” to the listener, in the same way, the “Letters of the Word” generate revealed “worlds.”.

However, even though we compare the man's handwriting with that of Hashem, even the “Letters of the Word” of Hashem They are vastly superior to the letters of human speech, because we see that with the “Letters of the Word” Hashem He creates a man with wisdom, capable of thinking and speaking, etc., whereas we could talk all day, but we wouldn't create anything, much less a creature capable of thinking and speaking.

The Alter Rebbe says that even the energy used to “blow”⁴ The soul of Adam, the First Man, within his body, is inferior to the “Letters of the Word” of Hashem.

The energy of the “breath” of Hashem, It also has the capacity to create and sustain a man with wisdom and qualities, etc., and, as the Alter Rebbe explains in chapter 2 of the first part of the Tanya, it comes from a very deep place in Hashem. It explains there that this idea of breathing the soul into each person shows that the soul comes from a very deep place in Hashem. In fact, we can talk for a long time without getting tired, but if we try to blow for a minute, we tire quickly. This happens because blowing draws strength from deep within us.

Not only was the soul of the First Man “blown,” indicating that it came from a very deep place in Hashem, but it was also a very elevated soul, which also included the souls of the Righteous of all generations, who are even superior to the angels. Even so, that energy of the “breath” of Hashem is less than the strength of the “Letters of the word” of Hashem.

How can these “letters” be so powerful, creating and sustaining hidden and revealed “worlds”? The Alter Rebbe explains that this power arises from the fact that these “letters” are nothing more than a projection of the “emotional qualities” of Hashem, which, in turn, are unified with Hashem same⁵.

We then find three levels: 1. the “Qualities” of Hashem, such as Wisdom, Goodness etc., 2. The “letters” that are projected from those “Qualities” and 3. The creations themselves.

If we could stand at one of these levels and observe the others both “above” and “below,” we would see something very interesting and could, in some way, understand “something” of the incredible unification of Hashem with His “Qualities” and His lyrics.

From the perspective of creation, looking “upwards”, the “letters” of Hashem They are not called letters, since they are incredibly superior (they create and give life) even to the level of Wisdom of the world of Emanation: from the perspective of creation, those letters are impossible to grasp.

From the perspective of the “Qualities” of Hashem, Unified with Himself, looking “downward,” there are “letters” that project from them, unified with them, giving life to all creation. Looking “upward,” there is only Hashem, as explained in Chapter 6.

From the perspective of Hashem, Only He exists; the rest is nothing more than a ray of sunlight within the sun…

At the end of the chapter, the Alter Rebbe explains that these “letters” are twenty-two different projections of creative energy, with which all worlds are created and sustained. Why precisely twenty-two? The Alter Rebbe says that this is the Will of Hashem…

These same twenty-two projections are represented by the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet (and the shape of each letter indicates the type of projection, as the Alter Rebbe will explain in the next chapter) which, in turn, are the letters that express thought and word in the soul of man that are projected from his emotional qualities and intellect.

Summary: As well as Hashem It unites with His “Qualities,” and also with the words of the creation narrative. Each phrase of the creation narrative contains the revelation of a “Quality.” Each projection of the “Qualities” generates a different phrase that creates and gives life to different creatures. “Letters of thought” and “Letters of the word.” Even the “Letters of the word” of Hashem They have infinite power. Twenty-two different projections represented by the letters of the Hebrew alphabet.