Daily Tanya

As to the statement of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, of blessed memory, that the Mishnayot relate to [the sefirah of] malchut in [the World of] Yetzirah whereas we have just quoted the Zohar to the effect that the Mishnayot relate to the sefirah of malchut in the World of Atzilut,

he referred to the garment of malchut of Yetzirah in which malchut of Atzilut is vested; only after malchut of Atzilut descends to the World of Yetzirah and is vested there can it be said that Mishnayot relate to Yetzirah.

And malchut of Yetzirah is referred to as a handmaiden (shifchah), relative to malchut of Atzilut, which is vested in it.

By contrast, malchut of Beriah (which is a lower World) is referred to as a maid (amah), denoting a level superior to the level of shifchah.

Proof of this—that there is a significant difference between the way something exists in its essential state (be’etzem) and the way it exists as it is vested (behitlabshut) in a lower level—may be gained from the statement of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, of blessed memory, that Scripture, i.e., the Written Torah, is in Asiyah,

even though it is explicit in innumerable places in the Zohar and the writings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, of blessed memory, that it is [the sefirah of] tiferet, which is the z’eyr anpin of Atzilut.

Rather, this means that it vests itself in Asiyah.

Thus, it is taught explicitly in Sefer Hakavanot—that Scripture, Mishnah, Talmud, and Kabbalah are all in Atzilut,

except that Scripture vests itself as far [“down”] as Asiyah,

and Mishnah [vests itself only] as far [“down”] as Yetzirah,

and Talmud is vested as far [“down”] as Beriah.

Now, when malchut of Atzilut is vested in kelipat nogah in order to extract and refine the sparks that fell with the sin of Adam,

as well as the 288 sparks that fell with the “breaking of the vessels,”

Malchut of Atzilut, too, is then referred to as the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, relative to z’eyr anpin of Atzilut

which does not descend there and which is referred to as the Tree of Life.

And the investiture of [the sefirah of] malchut in kelipat nogah is the Kabbalistic principle of the exile of the Shechinah,

whereby “man rules over man, to his detriment.”55

And this is the meaning of the statement in Raaya Mehemna: “While the Tree of Good and Evil dominates [the world]…, these [Sages, who are likened to the Shabbat and festivals, have nothing except what is given to them by those who are called ‘unsanctified ones’…].”

This means that at the time of the exile of the Shechinah—which grants life-force to the chitzonim that belong in the realm of kelipat nogah, from which the “mixed multitude”56 derive their life-force,

and from whose distilled essence the Torah scholars are nourished during the exile—

at this time, the main spiritual task of man, and the main purpose of being engaged in Torah and the commandments, is to disencumber and elevate the sparks, as is known from the teachings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, of blessed memory.

For this reason, study chiefly involves deliberation and argumentation on the laws of issur and hetter, impurity and purity,

in order to disencumber the permitted and the pure from the forbidden and the impure by means of deliberation and argumentation on the law—with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, with all the three intellective faculties of the soul that clarify the law.

For as is known, the Torah derives from chochmah.57 Hence, [the sparks of holiness hidden in a legal question] can be extracted and elevated only through chochmah.58

Specifically: the supernal chochmah of Atzilut which is vested in malchut of Atzilut—

this being the Kabbalistic principle of the Oral Torah

(59according to the Kabbalistic principle by which “the ‘father’ (i.e., chochmah of Atzilut) begat (lit., ‘founded’) the ‘daughter’ (i.e., malchut of Atzilut)”60)—

which, in turn, is vested in malchut of Yetzirah.

This accords with the Kabbalistic principle of] the Mishnayot (and the Baraitot that are vested in the kelipat nogah, which corresponds to the World of Yetzirah,

for there begins the Knowledge [of Good and Evil] [59or: “[for there begins] the evil”] inherent in nogah), for the kelipat nogah in the World of Yetzirah is equally good and evil.

[59A variant reading [of the above]: “and the Baraitot that are vested in the kelipat nogah which corresponds to the World of Asiyah, for there begins the evil inherent in nogah”], for the kelipat nogah of Asiyah is mostly evil and minimally good.

The above is known from the teachings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, of blessed memory.

Now, the intelligent will understand something far more remarkable, namely, what happens in heaven above through the deliberation and elucidation of an adjudged ruling—of the Gemara and of the earlier and latter codifiers61—

which, before this deliberation, had been concealed.

For by means of this [clarification], one elevates this ruling from the kelipot that were hiding and covering it in such a way that it was not known at all, or that its reasoning was not clearly understood.62

For the reason63 [underlying a particular halachah] derives mystically from the sefirah of supernal chochmah, from which sparks fell into the kelipot as a result of the primordial “breaking of the vessels.”

[As to these sparks of chochmah which constitute the reasons,] they are there in a state of exile because the kelipot rule over them and hide the wisdom of the Torah from both the higher and lower beings—both from the created beings of the higher worlds, such as angels and souls, and from man, situated here in this lowly world.

This is why it is stated in Raaya Mehemna, as quoted at the beginning of the present letter, that “a problematic query…emanates from the side of evil.”