כִּי "נָעוּץ תְּחִלָּתָן בְּסוֹפָן" דַּוְקָא,
This is explained in the teachings of 37 as follows: “Beginning” refers to a level of Divinity that utterly transcends the evolvement of any created worlds. This level of Divinity is wedged in the last level preceding the creation of the evolving worlds, the of . is revealed only in the “end” of all worlds—i.e., —during the time of the Resurrection. , by contrast, is incapable of receiving this transcendent level of revelation in an internalized manner.
Thus, while the lesser radiance that is muted to match the respective limitations of the evolving worlds can be absorbed by the soul (in ) in its disembodied state, the transcendent radiance issuing from is revealed to the soul only when it is clothed within a body.
וְ"סוֹף מַעֲשֶׂה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה תְּחִלָּה כוּ'", כַּנּוֹדָע.
Thought and creation both have aspects that are “first” and “last”; the “last” (i.e., lowest) level of creation, which is this world, is rooted in the “beginning” (i.e., in the highest level) of the Divine thought.
This is why specifically the deeds performed in this “last” world of creation, while the soul is clothed in a physical body, are able to elicit and draw down the radiance of . As explained here by the Alter Rebbe, this refers to the of , as well as to in general, all of which are termed .”39
For it is the performance of physical in this material world that arose first in G‑d’s thought and will, at the level of the Divine , for the physical are the ultimate purpose of creation.
Returning to the earlier discussion: It is now clear why in future time, the righteous (and “Your people are righteous”) will be lauded as holy: they will all have revealed to them that Divine radiance that is “holy” in the sense that it transcends apprehension. Moreover, they will become so unified with this revelation that the term “holy” will apply to them as well.
אַךְ אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַגִּיעַ לְמַדְרֵגָה זוֹ, עַד שֶׁיְּהֵא בְּגַן עֵדֶן תְּחִלָּה,
לְהַשִּׂיג בְּחִינַת חָכְמָה עִילָּאָה (כוּ') כְּפוּם שִׁיעוּרָא דִילֵיהּ,
For, as explained earlier, the lesser Divine light that radiates in is received by each soul according to its own particular degree.
וְ"טַל תּוֹרָה מְחַיֵּיהוּ",
The verse upon which our Sages base this teaching reads: “Your dead shall be resurrected…; those who lie in the dust shall awaken and sing joyful praises, for the Dew of Lights shall be your dew….”43 It is thus clear that the revival effected by “the dew of the Torah” refers to the Resurrection of the Dead.
"וַהֲקִיצוֹתָ הִיא תְשִׂיחֶךָ כוּ'", וְדַי לַמֵּבִין.
In order to attain the level of at the time of the Resurrection, the soul must first be in and apprehend supernal according to its particular degree and level. For though in , the soul apprehends no higher than the lesser, permeating Divine light called , its perception is nevertheless augmented by the light of , which also illumines it. The soul indeed apprehends the latter enlightenment only to the extent of (lit., “a knowledge of its existence”; i.e., by the “encompassing” perception known as ), rather than with the penetrating revelation of (lit., “an understanding of its essence”).46 Nevertheless, this added illumination enables the soul at the time of the Resurrection to comprehend the essence of the revelation of .
Since, as stated above, the soul in apprehends indwelling lights, its experience of consists of the revelation of the Torah the soul, so to speak, for the Torah is likened to “food” (as in the verse, “for Your Torah is within my inward parts”47)—i.e., something that affects one from within, as explained at length above, in Part I, ch. 5. However, is also illumined by a glimmering of the radiance that results from the performance of , and these act as “garments” and “encompassing lights” for the soul in , as mentioned in the above letter.
At the time of the World to Come, at the time of the Resurrection, the superior light of will be revealed chiefly as a result of one’s present performance of . This comes about through and together with the “dew of the Torah” that “revives him” and “causes [him] to speak.”
The Alter Rebbe now returns to the above-quoted verse, “Your commandment is very wide.” Having earlier explained that “Your commandment” (in the singular) refers to G‑d’s own commandment, viz., , he now goes on to explain the words “is very wide”: the of is a vessel so capacious that it can contain the revelation of G‑d’s infinite light at the time of the Resurrection.
וְזֶהוּ "רְחָבָה מִצְוָתְךָ מְאֹד",
הִיא מִצְוַת הַצְּדָקָה, שֶׁהִיא כְּלִי וְשֶׁטַח רָחָב מְאֹד, לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בָּהּ הֶאָרַת אוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא
(וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "לְבוּשׁוֹ צְדָקָה"),
אֲשֶׁר יָאִיר לֶעָתִיד בִּבְחִינַת בְּלִי גְבוּל וְתַכְלִית
בְּחֶסֶד חִנָּם בְּ"אִתְעָרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא" זוֹ, הַנִּקְרֵאת "דֶּרֶךְ ה'".
As mentioned above, even when this Divine revelation is granted in response to an arousal from below, it is still considered “gratuitous kindness,” for it is granted out of all proportion to man’s actions; man’s is no more than a vessel which enables him to receive the benevolence of this Divine revelation.
וְזֶהוּ לְשׁוֹן "מְאֹד", שֶׁהוּא בְּלִי גְבוּל וְתַכְלִית.
אֲבָל "לְכָל תִּכְלָה רָאִיתִי קֵץ",
"תִּכְלָה" הִיא מִלְּשׁוֹן "כְּלוֹת הַנֶּפֶשׁ" שֶׁבְּגַן עֵדֶן,
שֶׁהִיא בִּבְחִינַת "קֵץ" וְתַכְלִית וְצִמְצוּם כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל,
, authored by the father of the Rebbe, explains how “end,” “limit,” and “contraction” respectively refer to three kinds of illumination that radiate within . It also explains why the verse chooses to use the word “end” rather than “limit” or “contraction.”
וּ"לְכָל תִּכְלָה"
הוּא לְפִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה מַעֲלוֹת וּמַדְרֵגוֹת גַּן עֵדֶן זֶה לְמַעְלָה מִזֶּה עַד רוּם הַמַּעֲלוֹת,
כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּלִקּוּטֵי הַשַּׁ"ס מֵהָאֲרִיזַ"ל בְּפֵירוּשׁ מַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: "תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים אֵין לָהֶם מְנוּחָה כוּ'",
שֶׁעוֹלִים תָּמִיד מִמַּדְרֵגָה לְמַדְרֵגָה בְּהַשָּׂגַת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁאֵין לָהּ סוֹף כוּ',
עַד אַחַר הַתְּחִיָּה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לָהֶם מְנוּחָה כוּ':
At that time, there will be revealed a radiance from G‑d’s Essence that utterly transcends levels; elevation from level to level will thus be not only impossible but also unnecessary. At that time, mortal souls will finally find repose as they delight in the radiance of G‑d’s Essence.
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FOOTNOTES
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The parentheses and brackets are in the original Hebrew text.
The parenthetical text means “etc.,” and the bracketed text that follows it suggests instead “each one.” The Rebbe notes that the anomalous “etc.” grew out of a copyist’s error in which its Hebrew abbreviation כו' was substituted for כ"ח, an abbreviation for כל חד (“each one”).
Note by the Rebbe: “Cf. 111b, and see above, conclusion of ch. 36.” See also , vol. 11, p. 193 (footnote).
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6:9.
,, in the that begins .
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Parentheses are in the original text.
Liturgy, High Holidays, Repetition of the Shacharit (, , p. 118; , p. 159).
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Conclusion of Tractate .
Conclusion of Tractate .