Chapter 4

The Alter Rebbe ended the previous chapter with a question: when a ray of sunlight is inside the sun, it is completely canceled out by the sun. What is the difference with the universe, which, even while being “inside” its source (the creative force of Hashem), is it not cancelled?

To answer this question, the Alter Rebbe continues to develop the example of the sun. The sun has a covering.¹ which restricts its energy so that creatures can withstand the light it emits. Similarly, there are two names for Hashem that function in the form of the sun and its covering: Hawaii y Elohim.

Hashem He has many names. Each of His holy names expresses one of His “qualities,” just as we might say of a person that they are wise and skillful. The name “wise” expresses that person’s mental capacity, and the name “skillful” expresses their physical dexterity, and so on. In the same way, each of the names of Hashem It expresses one of His “Qualities”, as explained in Jewish mysticism.

The name Hawaii It is composed of four letters, one Iud (י), a Hei (ה), a Vav (וand another Hei (ה). It is known as the Tetragrammaton or the Essential Name of Hashem And it expresses His attribute of creation, that is, the source of the constant vital energy in all things, which creates and gives life to everything, from absolute nothingness to existence. The name Elohim It expresses its attribute of restriction and concealment of that vital energy so that the creature does not perceive that life-giving force.

Now, when we talk about the qualities of Hashem During the prayer, we say that Hashem He is “Great and Mighty”², ...among other praises. What do these two words represent?

The Greatness or Goodness of Hashem (JesedIt is His capacity to be kind, that is, to create an enormous universe from absolute nothingness and constantly give it life. This kindness of Hashem It is exclusive to Him; that is, no creature can create something from nothing. And that Goodness is not something a creature can understand. It is not rational to say that creation of the type "something from nothing" exists.

The Power of Hashem (guevurá) is its ability to contract (tzimtzumand restrict creative energy so that creatures do not perceive it. This restriction is what makes us feel separate and independent from Hashem.

Moreover, our wise men say³ that "“Hashem and His 'Qualities' are totally unified.' That is, just as we cannot understand Hashem, Nor can we understand His qualities. We see clearly, then, that we cannot understand even the Greatness of Hashem nor His Power.

Returning to the example of the sun and its ray, just as the sun's ray is within the sun and is completely absorbed by it, in the same way, we find ourselves "within" our source, which is the vital energy of Hashem, and we should be completely annihilated in Him. However, the “Quality” of Power of Hashem, The ability to contract and conceal His vital energy in creation makes us perceiving ourselves as separated.

Having explained these two names of Hashem, The Alter Rebbe clarifies that just as it is impossible for the human intellect to understand this Divine “Quality” of contracting and concealing, in the same way it is impossible to understand the “Quality” of creating “something from nothing” of Hashem. Both exceed human capacity for understanding.

Thus far the Alter Rebbe has answered the question with which the previous chapter ended. There are two qualities: Goodness and Power. Hashem. Goodness creates and gives life, Power restricts and hides that vital energy so that the creature does not perceive it and is not annihilated at its own source.

From this point, the Alter Rebbe begins a digression in the original text that lasts until the very end of the next chapter! In this digression, the Alter Rebbe explains several details from which we will understand the uniqueness of Hashem which was just explained in more detail. But it's so complex that it requires a lot of explanation.

The Alter Rebbe explains that we call the effect of contraction (tzimtzum) “Containers” (kelim), while vital energy is called “Light” (orThis example of the “Containers” will help us understand two details about containers: 1. They are independent of what is inside them, 2. They conceal what is inside them. The same applies to the “Containers”: 1. They are independent of the “Infinite Light” of Hashem that is inside, 2. They contain it and hide it.

Pay attention! Never think that in the spiritual worlds there are vessels that receive light; this is merely an example to help us understand something about creation. Hashem…

In Chapter 1, the Alter Rebbe explained that the energy that creates and gives life to the universe consists of the letters of the creation story in the Torah. Here the Alter Rebbe explains in more detail and says that these letters arise from the “infinite Light” being invested in the “Vessels”.

To understand how these letters come about, we can say it's like a ray of light, which has no colors. When that ray passes through different colored glass (red, blue, etc.), the light seen is the color of the glass: someone behind the red glass sees red light, someone behind the blue glass sees blue light. But the light itself doesn't have those colors, nor does it acquire them when passing through the glass; only the person observing the light through the glass sees colored light.

The same applies to the letters of creation: the “Infinite Light” of Hashem It passes through the "Vessels" which, by contracting and concealing that "infinite Light," reveal creative letters, but those letters only exist for "the observer," that is, the created creatures. For the source of "Light," which is Hashem, There are no letters or creation, only simple “Light,” without “colors.” That is, the letters “emerge” from the perspective of creation, through the “Light” passing through the “Vessels.” But, from the perspective of Hashem, Nothing changes, the “Light” remains the same before and after passing through the “Containers”.

How complex! An example to understand this idea—that the same thing can be seen from different perspectives, in different ways—is to think about a teacher and a student. The teacher knows much more than the student. However, the teacher teaches according to the level the student is capable of understanding. When the teacher gives the student an example to understand an idea, they are "simplifying" that idea as it exists in their mind, so that the student can grasp it. But the teacher is able to "see" the full complexity of the idea and its details even in the "simplified" example given to the student. Although the student "sees" only the example and the "simplified" idea, the true depth of the idea is found in that example; it's just that the teacher "sees" one thing, and the student "sees" another.

One more point: the example the teacher gives the student is like a container, and the idea the teacher wants to teach is like the light. The example is: 1. Independent of the idea, because the same idea can be taught with different examples. 2. The example contains the idea within it and conceals its depth and complexity, so that the student can understand it. In short, the example is the container, and the idea is the light.

Returning to our topic, the example of “Light” and “Vessels” will help us understand how, despite there being only one God, there are nevertheless many creative letters: we, the “observers,” perceive a multiple world (many stones, plants, animals, and human beings), created by many letters and their combinations and exchanges, etc. But for Hashem There is no multiplicity. He is the one who "observes" from the side of the light before passing through the colored glass. We see a multiple world created by a single God.

The “Containers” (the tzimtzum) are the glasses from the first example⁴. Being created by Hashem In order to be independent of the “Infinite Light” by concealing it within themselves, they generate a creation in which the “Infinite Light” of Hashem It is hidden, that is, a creation that perceives itself as something independent of Hashem (although it really isn't), because it is unable to perceive that Hashem He is constantly giving it life with His “infinite Light”.

This is because the will of Hashem That is so, that the creature is unable to perceive the "infinite Light" within itself so that, by perceiving itself as separate from Hashem, may choose the option of linking with Him (or not, God forbid). This concealment is the foundation of free will that Hashem It gives to man.

With this idea (of the “Containers” as tools generating a creation that feels independent of HashemWe will understand one more point. Our wise men say⁵ that the purpose of studying the Torah and fulfill the Mitzvot is to reveal the presence of Hashem on earth. This is achieved by using worldly things to accomplish Mitzvot, like cowhide to fulfill the Mitzvah of tefillinWhat we do is sanctify that leather that was once worldly.

However, the Alter Rebbe explained up to this point that, in reality, the entire universe contains within it the creative and vital energy of HashemThere are no worldly things, that is, things devoid of Hashem, Everything is Divine! Even if Divinity is hidden from us in the world, Torah, which is absolute truth, knows, so to speak, that the world is actually Divine. But there is a question: How can the Torah To suggest we take a "worldly" object and make it "holy," when "she knows" there is nothing "worldly"?!

Furthermore: what does it mean that the purpose of the Torah and the Mitzvot is to reveal Hashem in the world? For the Torah Hashem It's been revealed! The answer is that, indeed, the world, being created through the "Vessels," is an entity that perceives itself as separate from Hashem and worldly. That's why the Torah, which was given to us in this material world, and is expressed in the way we are able to understand, says that we must sanctify “worldly” things by using them for the observance of the Torah and the Mitzvot. But, in reality, the world is full of the presence of Hashem, From His “infinite Light,” the whole world is “holy,” not “worldly,” only we do not perceive it. Our work consists of revealing that “Light.”.

Finally, the Alter Rebbe addresses a conceptual question: if we say that the “Light” is infinite, how can we say, at the same time, that the “Vessels” conceal it? Something infinite has nothing to stop or conceal it; that is precisely why we call it infinite.

To clarify this matter, the Alter Rebbe explains that the power the “Vessels” have to conceal the “Infinite Light” arises from the fact that both the “Vessels” and the “Light” (that is, the Power of) Hashem and His Goodness) arise from the same spiritual level, a very high level known as “The Eternal Ancient”⁶ (atik iomin). At that level, the Goodness of Hashem (the “Light”) and His Power (the “Vessels”) are totally unified.

An example to understand this unification is the idea of stretching out your arm to pick up an object. When you stretch out your arm, two things happen simultaneously: 1. You extend your arm toward the object, 2. You limit the extension of your arm so that you don't go beyond the object. That is, on the one hand, you extend your arm, but on the other, you limit the extension. This expansion and restraint both occur at the same time and both arise from the same capacity of the person to grasp an object.

Similarly we can say about the Goodness of Hashem and His Power: both are forces of the same Hashem And they function by combining, in a completely unified way. But this unification occurs at the high spiritual level of "The Eternal Elder." That is why the "Vessels" can restrict the "Infinite Light.".

SummaryThe Goodness and Power of Hashem, the names Hawaii y Elohim, They express Their capacity to create infinitely and to restrict infinitely. The “Quality” of Power of Hashem It creates the sensation of a world separate from Him. Both “Qualities” are incomprehensible to us. “Infinite Light” and “Vessels,” sources of the letters of creation. The objective of the Torah and the Mitzvot is to reveal the presence of Hashem on Earth.