In the maamar cited previously,1 the Rebbe Maharash explains that there are two levels of “the wonders of Torah”2 (i.e., pnimiyus haTorah).וּמְבָאֵר בְּהַמַּאֲמָר, דִּבְנִפְלָאוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה (פְּנִימִיּוּת הַתּוֹרָה) שְׁתֵּי דַרְגוֹת.
To explain: The Zohar3 states that the Torah possesses a garment, a body, a soul, and a “soul of the soul.”וְהָעִנְיָן הוּא, דְּאִיתָא בַּזֹּהַר שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה יֵשׁ לְבוּשׁ, גּוּף, נְשָׁמָה וּנְשָׁמָה לַנְּשָׁמָה.
A garment is a foreign entity, not the person himself. A body is part of the person’s own being, but it is merely his external dimension. It is, by way of analogy, a “garment” for the soul, for in and of itself, the body does not reflect the person’s identity, who he truly is.
The soul is a person’s “I,” the source of his energy, feelings, and thoughts. However, within the soul itself, there are two general levels: the soul, which controls the person’s conscious functioning, and the “soul of the soul,” which is his inner G‑dly core, the ultimate source of every dimension of his being.
The revealed dimension of the Torah is the Torah’s garment and body.גַּלְיָא דְּתוֹרָה הוּא הַלְּבוּשׁ וְהַגּוּף דְּתוֹרָה
[The stories of the Torah are its garment, while the Torah’s laws are its body.][הַסִּפּוּרִים דְּתוֹרָה – לְבוּשׁ, וְהַהֲלָכוֹת דְּתוֹרָה – הַגּוּף],
The stories of the Torah relate G‑dly truth as reflected in the events that transpired in the world. Thus, they involve external entities. Hence, they are described as garments. The Torah’s laws express G‑d’s will and wisdom.4 However, they express His will and wisdom in physical terms, as they relate to our physical reality, not as they exist in their source. Accordingly, they are described as the Torah’s body.
The soul of the Torah is pnimiyus haTorah, the Torah’s inner mystic dimensions.וְהַנְּשָׁמָה דְּתוֹרָה הִיא פְּנִימִיּוּת הַתּוֹרָה,
It too subdivides into two levels:שֶׁנֶּחְלֶקֶת בִּכְלָלוּת לִשְׁתֵּי דַרְגוֹת.
The Torah’s secrets (its hidden dimension) – its soul,רָזִין דְּאוֹרַיְתָא (סָתִים) – נִשְׁמָתָא,
and its secrets of secrets (what is hidden beyond all hiddenness) – “the soul of the soul.”וְרָזִין דְּרָזִין (סְתִימָא דְּכָל סְתִימִין) – נִשְׁמָתָא לְנִשְׁמָתָא.
The request, “Open my eyes and I will gaze at wonders from Your Torah” (using the plural, “wonders”) reflects the wishוְהַבַּקָּשָׁה גַּל עֵינַי וְאַבִּיטָה נִפְלָאוֹת מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ (נִפְלָאוֹת לְשׁוֹן רַבִּים) הִיא,
to see the two levels of wonders in the Torah, both the secrets and the secrets of secrets.שֶׁיִּרְאֶה אֶת שְׁתֵּי הַדַרְגוֹת דְּנִפְלָאוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה, רָזִין וְרָזִין דְּרָזִין.
In the maamar, the Rebbe Maharash proceeds to explain,1 that “the soul” is identified with the dimensions of the soul referred to as nefesh, ruach, and neshamah, the soul’s conscious dimensions.וּמְבָאֵר, שֶׁ'נִּשְׁמָתָא' הִיא בְּחִינַת נֶפֶשׁ-רוּחַ-נְשָׁמָה,
Nefesh refers to the dimension of the soul that governs a person’s actions. Ruach reflects the source of his emotions, and neshmah, that of his intellect. These dimensions of the soul are enclothed in the body and affected by it.
The “soul of the soul” is identified with the dimensions of the soul referred to as chayah and yechidah,וְ'נִשְׁמָתָא לְנִשְׁמָתָא' הִיא בְּחִינַת חַיָּה-יְחִידָה.
i.e., the inner dimensions of the soul that transcend its conscious functioning. They are above being enclothed in the body and are not affected by whatever changes the body undergoes.
Perhaps it is possible to say that the aspects of pnimiyus haTorah that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai revealed over the course of his life reflected the soul of the Torah5וְאוּלַי יֵשׁ לוֹמַר, שֶׁהָעִנְיָנִים דִּפְנִימִיּוּת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁגִּלָּה רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאִי בְּמֶשֶׁךְ כָּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו הֵם בְּחִינַת נִשְׁמָתָא דְּאוֹרַיְתָא,
and those aspects that he revealed on the day of his passing reflect “the soul of the soul.”5וְהָעִנְיָנִים שֶׁגִּלָּה בְּיוֹם הִסְתַּלְּקוּתוֹ הֵם בְּחִינַת נִשְׁמָתָא לְנִשְׁמָתָא.
In the Tzemach Tzedek’s gloss to Tehillim,6 on the verse “Open my eyes and I will gaze at wonders from Your Torah,”וְהִנֵּה בִּרְשִׁימוֹת הַ'צֶמַח צֶדֶק' לִתְהִלִּים, עַל הַפָּסוּק גַּל עֵינַי וְאַבִּיטָה נִפְלָאוֹת מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ,
he quotes the teaching of the Zohar quoted previously that the Torah possesses a garment, a body, a “soul,” and a “soul of the soul,”מֵבִיא מַאֲמַר הַזֹּהַר הַנַּ"ל שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה יֵשׁ לְבוּשָׁא וְגוּפָא וְנִשְׁמָתָא וְנִשְׁמָתָא לְנִשְׁמָתָא.
and explains that the request, “Open my eyes and I will gaze at wonders”וּמְבָאֵר, שֶׁהַבַּקָּשָׁה 'גַּל עֵינַי וְאַבִּיטָה נִפְלָאוֹת'
reflects the desire that one should see not only the garment – this includes also the body, for the body is a garment for the soul – but also the soul of the Torah.הִיא שֶׁיִּרְאֶה לֹא רַק הַלְּבוּשׁ לְבַד אֶלָּא גַּם נִשְׁמָתָא.
In the course of his explanation, he quotes the interpretation of Shalah,7 that “gazing at the wonders” involves comprehending the intentions that motivate the mitzvos.וּבְהֶמְשֵׁךְ הָעִנְיָן מֵבִיא פֵּירוּשׁ הַשְּׁלָ"ה דְּ'אַבִּיטָה נִפְלָאוֹת' הוּא כַּוָּנַת הַמִּצְוֹת.
After quoting the interpretation of Shalah, the Tzemach Tzedek proceeds to explain that the “wonders” of the Torah refer to pnimiyus haTorah, the “soul” of the Torah.וּלְאַחֲרֵי שֶׁמֵּבִיא פֵּירוּשׁ הַשְּׁלָ"ה, מַמְשִׁיךְ לְבָאֵר שֶׁ'נִפְלָאוֹת' הוּא פְּנִימִיּוּת הַתּוֹרָה, נִשְׁמָתָא דְּאוֹרַיְתָא.
Explanation is necessary. Seemingly, after stating that the Torah possesses a garment, a body, a soul, and a “soul of the soul” in his explanation of the verse, “Open my eyes,” the Tzemach Tzedek should have concluded the explanation by first stating the interpretation that the “wonders” of the Torah refer to the soul of the Torahוְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִין, דְּלִכְאוֹרָה הָיָה צָרִיךְ תְּחִלָּה לְסַיֵּם בֵּאוּר הַפֵּירוּשׁ שֶׁ'נִפְלָאוֹת' הוּא נִשְׁמָתָא דְּאוֹרַיְתָא,
and then quote a different explanation of the term “wonders” – that the “wonders” refer to the intentions that motivate the mitzvos.ולאחרי זה לְהָבִיא עוֹד פֵּירוּשׁ שֶׁ'נִפְלָאוֹת' הוּא כַּוָּנַת הַמִּצְוֹת,
The fact that the Tzemach Tzedek cites this interpretation in the midst of his explanation that the “wonders” refer to the soul of the Torahוּמִזֶּה שֶׁמֵּבִיא פֵּירוּשׁ זֶה בְּאֶמְצַע הַבֵּאוּר שֶׁ'נִפְלָאוֹת' הוּא נִשְׁמָתָא דְּאוֹרַיְתָא,
indicates that the interpretation that the wonders of the Torah refer to the intention that motivate the mitzvos relates to the explanation – and the comprehension – of the interpretation that “gaz[ing] at wonders” refers to appreciating the soul of the Torah.מַשְׁמַע, שֶׁהַפֵּירוּשׁ שֶׁ'נִפְלָאוֹת' הוּא כַּוָּנַת הַמִּצְוֹת, נוֹגֵעַ לְבֵאוּר וַהֲבָנַת הַפֵּירוּשׁ דְּ'אַבִּיטָה נִפְלָאוֹת' הוּא שֶׁיִּרְאֶה נִשְׁמָתָא דְּאוֹרַיְתָא.

Summary

The Zohar states that the Torah possesses a garment, a body, a soul, and a “soul of the soul.” The stories of the Torah are its garment, while the Torah’s laws are its body. The “wonders of the Torah” (pnimiyus haTorah) comprise two levels, the Torah’s soul and its “soul of the soul.” The request, “Open my eyes and I will gaze at wonders from Your Torah,” (using the plural, “wonders”) reflects the wish to see the two levels of wonders in the Torah, its soul and its “soul of the soul.”
Over the course of his life, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai revealed the aspects of pnimiyus haTorah that reflected the soul of the Torah. Those aspects that reflect its “soul of the soul,” he revealed on the day of his passing.
The Tzemach Tzedek explains that the request, “Open my eyes and I will gaze at wonders” implies a desire to see not only the garment, but also the soul of the Torah. In the course of his explanation, he quotes the interpretation of Shalah, that gazing at the wonders means comprehending the intentions that motivate the mitzvos. Explanation is necessary to clarify why he interweaves the interpretation of the Shalah in midst of his interpretation that the “wonders” of the Torah refer to the soul of the Torah.