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Tanya/Shaar Hayichud V’haEmunah, Chapter 10, Class 2

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but only in relation to the creatures which are (Note by the Rebbe:) “below the World of Atzilut, i.e., in Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, these [creatures] being” [both] higher and lower,

אֶלָּא לְגַבֵּי הַנִּבְרָאִים עֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים,

which are brought into existence and given life and guided in their conduct by the Holy One, blessed be He,

שֶׁהֲוָויָיתָם וְחַיּוּתָם וְהַנְהָגָתָם, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מְהַוֶּה וּמְחַיֶּה אוֹתָם וּמַנְהִיגָם,

through His will and wisdom and understanding and knowledge, which garb themselves in His holy, emotive attributes, such as chesed, gevurah, and tiferet.

הוּא בִּרְצוֹנוֹ וְחָכְמָתוֹ וּבִינָתוֹ וְדַעְתּוֹ הַמִּתְלַבְּשׁוֹת בְּמִדּוֹתָיו הַקְּדוֹשׁוֹת,

Thus, the sefirot are termed chochmah, binah, daat, chesed, and so forth, in relation to the beings which are created and vivified by G‑d through His will and wisdom, and so forth, which clothe themselves in the emotive attributes.

As it is stated in the Midrash, “By means of ten things was the world created: by wisdom, by understanding, and by knowledge…

כִּדְאִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ: "בַּעֲשָׂרָה דְבָרִים נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם: בְּחָכְמָה, בִּתְבוּנָה וּבְדַעַת וְכוּ',

as it is written,8 ‘G‑d founded the earth with wisdom; He established the heavens with understanding; with His knowledge the depths of the abyss were burst open,’”9

דִּכְתִיב, 'ה' בְּחָכְמָה יָסַד אָרֶץ, כּוֹנֵן שָׁמַיִם בִּתְבוּנָה, בְּדַעְתּוֹ תְּהוֹמוֹת נִבְקָעוּ וְגוֹ'".

We thus see from the Midrash10 that the world was created by means of “ten things,” i.e., the ten sefirot.

and as expressed by Elijah, in the passage that opens with Patach Eliyahu and forms part of the introduction to Tikkunei Zohar, “You have brought forth ten Tikkunim (‘garments’), and we call them ten sefirot,

וּכְמַאֲמַר אֵלִיָּהוּ: "דְּאַפִּיקַת עֲשַׂר תִּיקּוּנִין, וְקָרִינָן לְהוֹן עֲשַׂר סְפִירָן,

through which to direct hidden worlds unrevealed (i.e., worlds that transcend mortal comprehension) and worlds revealed (i.e., worlds that are accessible to mortal comprehension),

לְאַנְהָגָא בְהוֹן עָלְמִין סְתִימִין דְּלָא אִתְגַּלְיָין וְעָלְמִין דְּאִתְגַּלְיָין,

and through them, You conceal Yourself…”—from created beings so that they will not be able to perceive the Divine life-force that creates and vivifies them.

וּבְהוֹן אִתְכְּסִיאַת כוּ'".

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FOOTNOTES

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8.Proverbs 3:19-20.

9.Chagigah 12a. The term “Midrash” also embraces the homiletical passages (i.e., the Aggadot) in the Talmud.

10. Note by the Rebbe: “Seemingly, the author ought to have quoted an explicit statement in the Mishnah, ‘The world was created through ten [Divine] utterances.’ But [the Alter Rebbe quotes the Talmud instead, for] the Mishnah speaks of this in relation to the level of malchut and the revelation (i.e., utterance—as explained above) of every sefirah while the proof sought here must relate to chochmah and binah, etc., themselves.”