Nonetheless, a person must strain his intellect to apprehend and attain also the abovementioned21 level of ahavat olam, which stems from an understanding and knowledge of the greatness of G-d,
רַק שֶׁאַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן, צָרִיךְ לִטְרוֹחַ בְּשִׂכְלוֹ לְהַשִּׂיג וּלְהַגִּיעַ גַּם לִבְחִינַת "אַהֲבַת עוֹלָם" הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת לְעֵיל, הַבָּאָה מֵהַתְּבוּנָה וָדַעַת בִּגְדוּלַּת ה',
in order to fan the blaze of the fiery love with glowing coals and an intense fire and a flame that rises heavenward so that22 “not even many waters which are enemies of the love can extinguish it…, nor rivers quench it….”
כְּדֵי לְהַגְדִּיל מְדוּרַת אֵשׁ הָאַהֲבָה בְּרִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ וְשַׁלְהֶבֶת עַזָּה וְלַהַב הָעוֹלֶה הַשָּׁמַיְמָה, עַד שֶׁ"מַּיִם רַבִּים לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְכַבּוֹת וְכוּ' וּנְהָרוֹת לֹא יִשְׁטְפוּהָ וְכוּ'".
Love created purely as a result of contemplation is more passionate and fiery than love which is essentially inherited, even when the inherited love is revealed through contemplation.
For there is a superiority and excellence in the quality of love burning like fiery coals and an intense flame…which comes from an understanding and knowledge of the greatness and transcendence of the blessed Ein Sof over the two categories of love referred to above when they are not like fiery coals23 and a blaze…but merely result from feeling (or contemplating) G-d’s closeness to a Jew inasmuch as He is “the Source of our life” and “our true Father.” The superiority of this love is
כִּי יֵשׁ יִתְרוֹן וּמַעֲלָה לִבְחִינַת אַהֲבָה כְּרִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ וְשַׁלְהֶבֶת עַזָּה וְכוּ', הַבָּאָה מֵהַתְּבוּנָה וָדַעַת בִּגְדוּלַּת אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, עַל שְׁתֵּי בְּחִינוֹת אַהֲבָה הַנִּזְכָּרוֹת לְעֵיל – כַּאֲשֶׁר אֵינָן כְּרִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ וְשַׁלְהֶבֶת כוּ',
similar to the superiority and excellence of gold over silver, and so forth, as will be explained later.24
כְּיִתְרוֹן וּמַעֲלַת הַזָּהָב עַל הַכֶּסֶף וְכוּ', כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר לְקַמָּן.
Not only is gold worth more than silver ounce for ounce, in which case a preponderance of silver would be more valuable, but gold is intrinsically of greater value in that it possesses a distinctive gleam, which people find highly attractive.
So, too, with regard to love that results wholly from contemplation: it is not a higher level of love; on the contrary, the level of love that comes from above and is termed ahavah rabbah, “great love,” is the higher form of love. The superiority of love that results entirely from contemplation lies in its fiery passion and yearning of the soul. This is one reason why the two previously mentioned kinds of love that Jews inherit do not suffice; they lack passion when compared to love emanating entirely from one’s intellect.
The Alter Rebbe now provides yet another reason why wholly contemplative love is necessary: It is important to attain contemplative love not only because of the superiority of the resulting passion, but because the contemplation is an end unto itself. By contemplating G-d’s greatness, one fulfills the whole purpose of creation—that created beings should come to know and understand G-d’s greatness.
Besides, this is the whole man and his raison d’être:
וְגַם, "כִּי זֶה כָּל הָאָדָם" וְתַכְלִיתוֹ,
that one may know the glory of G-d and the majestic splendor of His greatness, each according to the limit of his capacity, as is written in Raaya Mehemna, Parashat Bo: “In order that they may know Him,” and so forth, as is known.
לְמַעַן דַּעַת אֶת כְּבוֹד ה' וִיקַר תִּפְאֶרֶת גְּדוּלָּתוֹ, אִישׁ אִישׁ כְּפִי אֲשֶׁר יוּכַל שְׂאֵת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּרַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא פָּרָשַׁת בֹּא: "בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעוּן לֵיהּ וְכוּ'", וְכַנּוֹדָע:
Thus, there is a special quality and purpose in contemplation (that leads to love) itself. Contemplation of G-d’s greatness is exercised to a much greater degree in the love that is created from contemplation than it is found in a love which is merely revealed through contemplation, as is the case in the two aforementioned kinds of love.
In order to merely reveal the love of “My soul…” by contemplating how G-d is the “true Source of life” or to reveal the love of “Like a son…” by contemplating how G-d is “our true Father,” one’s meditation need not be exceedingly profound. A much deeper understanding and more profound mode of meditation is necessary in order to create a love of G-d based solely on intellectual comprehension.
As a result, the divine intention “that they may know Him”—that created beings come to know G-dliness—is realized to a much greater extent through wholly contemplative love. This is the additional reason as to why the kinds of love inherited from the Patriarchs do not suffice, and it is necessary to exert oneself to attain a love of G-d that stems entirely from contemplating His greatness.
As such, it differs from the loves of “My soul…” and “Like a son…,” which essentially are inherited and are only revealed through contemplation.