As [this wisdom] came down by progressive descents from World to World, the Shechinah, too, came down and clothed itself in it in each World.

[Thus, within the Supernal Wisdom which descends into each World is to be found the Shechinah of that World].

This is the shrine of the "Holy of Holies," which is contained in each World.

[I.e., the Shechinah resides with the "Holy of Holies" of each World, this being the Divine "intelligence" enclothed in the Torah of each particular World].

So also has it been stated in the Zohar and Etz Chayim, that the Shechinah, which is Malchut of Atzilut ([4] being the manifestation of the light and vitality of the blessed Ein Sof, which illumine the worlds, wherefore [i.e., since it is a revelation] it is called "G-d's speech" and the "breath of His mouth," as it were, [for the purpose of speech is to reveal that which was concealed in thought, as in the case of a person, by way of example, speech reveals to the hearers the speaker's concealed and hidden thought).

[The same applies Above: Malchut of Atzilut, the level at which the light of Ein Sof and the previously concealed vitality becomes manifest, is called "G-d's speech," for it reveals G-dliness to the Worlds.

This level of Shechinah, which is Malchut of Atzilut], clothes itself in the shrine of the Holy of Holies of Beriah, namely, the Chochmah, Binah and Daat of Beriah. Through the fact that [the latter Sefirot] clothe themselves in the Malchut of Beriah, the souls and angels which exist in the World of Beriah have been created.

[At this point the Rebbe Shlita notes: "[The ChaBaD of Beriah clothe themselves in the Malchut of Beriah] together with the Malchut of Atzilut which is within them, for, as stated earlier [in this chapter], `from this source... have been created....'"

The souls and angels of the World of Beriah are created beings. Unlike the Sefirot of any particular World, they are not the G-dliness of their World, but are created from the level of Malchut therein. Thus, the souls and angels of the World of Beriah are created from Malchut of that World.[6]

And from there also - [from Malchut of Beriah, in which is enclothed the Shechinah, i.e., Malchut of Atzilut, which previously had clothed itself in the Chochmah, Binah and Daat of the World of Beriah, after which the latter are clothed in Malchut of the World of Beriah] - derives the Talmud that we possess.[7]

And as has previously been explained in the name of the Tikkunim, that in the World of Beriah there shine and flow forth the Chochmah, Binah and Daat of the Ein Sof, in a powerfully contracted manner, in order that the souls and the angels, which are finite beings, shall be able to receive influence from these categories of ChaBaD.

[Souls and angels in the World of Beriah are unable to receive influence from ChaBaD as it exists in its essential state, in Atzilut.

Only after ChaBaD descends in a powerfully contracted manner into Beriah are they able to receive its influence].

Therefore the Talmud [not the Mishnah, but the Gemara] also originates from there - [from the World of Beriah], for it [the Talmud] is also of the category of ChaBaD, for the Talmud is [i.e., it consists of] the clearly defined reasons of the Halachot, and the reasons [being rational] are from the category of ChaBaD "[intelligence]".

And the laws themselves [found in the Mishnah] derive from the middot [the emotive attributes] of the Ein Sof, namely, kindness, severity, mercy, and so on, from which originate permission and prohibition, [permission deriving from kindness and prohibition from severity], ritual validity and invalidity, liability and blamelessness, [ritual validity and blamelessness originating from the attribute of kindness, and ritual invalidity and liability originating from the attribute of severity], as is explained in the Tikkunim.

   

Notes:

4. (Back to text) Parentheses are in the original text.

6. (Back to text) Iggeret HaKodesh, on the third page of Epistle 25.

7. (Back to text) The Rebbe Shlita explains why the Alter Rebbe has added, "that we possess," i.e., the Talmud that we possess here, in this world.

   Possibly, he says, this was added in order to anticipate a question that might arise from chapter 23 above. There the Alter Rebbe says that Torah is the illumination of the blessed Ein Sof, for "He is the Knower...." This indicates that Torah is wholly one with G-d Himself. How, then, can it be said that the Talmud emanates from a level and Sefirah no higher than the World of Beriah?

   The Alter Rebbe therefore explains that this refers only to the Talmud "that we possess," as man studies it in this world. This concept sits well with the statement in chapter 23, that the laws are "particular streams flowing from the inner Supreme Will itself" - but an emanation from the Supreme Will. The Rebbe Shlita also cites the Alter Rebbe's second note to chapter 40, which says that the core and the essence of the Supreme Will is in Atzilut, and only a glow therefrom radiates to each World according to its rank.