From: murray@cybernet.cse.fau.edu (murray kahl)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Tanya, Epistle 15, 1 of 7
Date: 15 Sep 92 15:46:13 GMT
Organization: Cybernet BBS, Boca Raton, Florida

Subj: Tanya Epistle 15      1/7
Epistle Fifteen
 
[The subject of this letter, the Ten Sefirot of the World of Atzilut
and of the other worlds, is a fundament of both Kabbalah and
Chassidut.
 
All the worlds are both created and conducted by means of the Sefirot,
the emanations by which the various attributes of Divinity become
manifest. Thus we find in the discourse beginning Patach Eliyahu, (1)
"You are He Who has brought forth ten `garments', and we call them ten
Sefirot, through which to direct hidden worlds which are not revealed,
and revealed worlds."
 
The Ten Sefirot demonstrate both G-d's infinite power (Ko-ach HaBli-
Gvul) and His finite power (Ko-ach HaGvul). For, as is pointed out by
the author of Avodat HaKodesh, (2) "The Or Ein Sof (`the [infinite]
Ein Sof-light') is Shlemusa DeKula (`the completeness of everything,'
or: `the most complete entity of all'): hence, just as He has infinite
power, so too does He have finite power. For if you were to say that
He possesses infinite power but lacks finite power then you minimize
His completeness - and He is the most complete entity of all."
 
It is within the Sefirot that infinity and the finite first coalesce,
as it were, in order for worlds to be created and directed. For the
Sefirot are composed of both orot ("lights") and kelim ("vessels").
 
The orot of the Sefirot are simple and formless. Since they are not
limited by specific characteristics (such as Chochmah or Chesed -
Wisdom or Understanding), they reflect G-d's infinite power as
revealed within the Sefirot.
 
The kelim, by contrast, do have specific characteristics, and thereby
reveal G-d's power of limitation and finitude. It is thus through the
Sefirot that the Ein Sof-light, which is by definition infinite,
creates and conducts the finite worlds.
 
Since both the orot and the kelim which together comprise the Sefirot
are utterly united with the Ein Sof-light, for (3) "He and His orot
are One; He and His kelim are One," it is possible for the worlds to
be created and animated by the Ein Sof and still be finite - for, as
explained above, the Sefirot are infused with a capability for
finitude.
 
The garbing of the Ein Sof-light within the Sefirot is known as "man",
as in the verse, (4) "And upon the likeness of the throne there was a
likeness of man," for "man" denotes a visage comprising ten Sefirot.
 
The Kabbalah deals mainly with the Sefirot as they exist in the
Supernal worlds, as in the World of Atzilut. In addition to the above,
Chassidut gives closer attention to the Sefirot insofar as they appear
as the ten corresponding faculties of a Jew's soul, which derive and
evolve from them. (5)  Thus, on the one hand, the middah (the mortal
attribute or spiritual emotion) of Chesed, for example, derives from
the Supernal Sefirah of Chesed, and so on. But conversely, too, when a
Jew utilizes the ten soul-powers within him in his divine service here
below, he is able to affect their source, the Sefirot of the higher
worlds.
 
The knowledge and understanding of the Ten Sefirot Above as well as
the knowledge of the evolvement of the worlds, is in itself "a great
and lofty mitzvah," as the Alter Rebbe writes below in Kuntres
Acharon. (6)  This understanding leads to a love and fear of G-d,
which are the source and root that motivate the performance all
mitzvot, as explained in Likkutei Torah. (7)  Moreover, a
comprehension of the Sefirot and their corresponding soul-powers
inspires a Jew's spiritual service with vitality, and elevates it.]
 
"To understand the allegory and metaphor, the words of the wise and
their riddles, (8) with respect to the Sefirot:
 
[The commentaries note that "allegory and metaphor" refers to the
Written Torah, which includes allegorical passages which are true at
both the allusive and the literal levels. An example would be, (9)
"Seek life with the woman whom you love."  Although in this context
"woman" is a metaphor for the wisdom of the Torah, the verse retains
its simple meaning as well.
 
The commentaries note further that "the words of the wise and their
riddles" refers to the Oral Torah: "the words of the wise" refers to
those things that are revealed to all, while "their riddles" refers to
those things which need to be revealed and solved.
 
By applying this phrase to the Sefirot, the Alter Rebbe is indicating
that the Sefirot contain all four levels - allegory, metaphor, words
of the wise, and riddles, for the Sefirot are found both Above in the
spiritual worlds, as well as within a Jew's soul.]
 
It is known (10) "throughout the land" from the mouth of heavenly
saints, may their souls rest in Eden, enabling us to somewhat
comprehend the verse, (11) "And from my flesh shall I behold G-d,"
that [this verse] speaks of a partial understanding of G-d's blessed
Divinity from [a consideration of] the soul which is vested in the
flesh of man.
 
[This refers only to the dimension of the soul that animates the body,
for, as the Rebbe Shlita notes, the essence of the soul, like the
spirituality that transcends this world at large, remains
incomprehensible to man.]
 
This [correspondence between the soul and its Creator] accords with
the teaching of our Sages, (12) of blessed memory, on the verse, (13)
Give praise, my soul, [to G-d]: "Just as the Holy One, blessed be He,
[permeates the world,] so does the soul [permeate the body]."
 
[Since the Sages go on to enumerate other similarities between the
soul and G-d, it is clear that from the soul we are able to catch a
glimpse of things as they exist Above.
 
But how, indeed, can we possibly compare the soul to G-d?
 
The Alter Rebbe therefore goes on to quote the Zohar: The soul derives
from the innermost aspect of G-dliness, thus sharing characteristics
with the Supernal Sefirot and with Divinity itself. We are therefore
able to understand G-dliness through the analogy of the soul.]
 
[This correspondence likewise] accords with the teaching of the
Zohar (14) on the verse, (15) "And He blew into his nostrils a soul of
life": "He who blows, blows from within him," [i.e., from his
inwardness and his innermost being.
 
Unlike speech, which utilizes only the external aspect of the
speaker's breath, blowing emits the innermost breath. Thus, when
Scripture states that "He blew into his nostrils a soul of life," it
means to indicate that the soul derives from the innermost aspects of
G-dliness, as explained in Iggeret HaTeshuvah, ch. 4.]
 
For even a Nefesh [i.e., a soul of the lowest grade] of Asiyah [i.e.,
the lowest world] derives from the union of Za [the initials of
Ze-er Anpin, i.e., the bracket of six masculine middot, or emotive
attributes] with nukva [i.e., the feminine attribute called Malchut]
of Asiyah,
[I.e., a Nefesh in the World of Asiyah is born of the union of the
above masculine and feminine middot (this union being called the
yichud (or zivug) of zun, which is an acronym for za venukva],
 
and of [the union of] their Mochin [i.e., ChaBaD, an acronym for the
intellective soul-faculties of Chochmah, Binah and Daat, together
constituting the Mochin of Za-and-nukva in the World of Asiyah], which
are the Chayah and Neshamah of Za-and-nukva.
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