But as for the Shechinah itself, namely, the origin and core of the manifestation whereby the blessed Ein Sof illumines the Worlds in a revealed form and which is the source of all streams of vitality in the Worlds,

אֲבָל הַשְּׁכִינָה עַצְמָהּ, שֶׁהִיא רֵאשִׁית הַגִּילּוּי וְעִיקָּרוֹ, מַה שֶּׁאֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מֵאִיר לָעוֹלָמוֹת בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי, וְהִיא מְקוֹר כָּל הַמְשָׁכוֹת הַחַיּוּת שֶׁבְּכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת

(4their entire vitality being no more than the light which is diffused from it like the light radiated from the sun)—

[שֶׁכָּל הַחַיּוּת שֶׁבָּהֶם, אֵינוֹ רַק אוֹר הַמִּתְפַּשֵּׁט מִמֶּנָּה – כָּאוֹר הַמִּתְפַּשֵּׁט מֵהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ]

concerning the Shechinah itself, the source of all vitality for the worlds: the worlds cannot endure or receive the light of this Shechinah, that it might actually dwell and enclothe itself in them, without a “garment” to screen and conceal its light from them,

אִי אֶפְשָׁר לָעוֹלָמוֹת לִסְבּוֹל וּלְקַבֵּל אוֹר שְׁכִינָתָהּ, שֶׁתִּשְׁכּוֹן וְתִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּתוֹכָם מַמָּשׁ, בְּלֹא לְבוּשׁ הַמַּעֲלִים וּמַסְתִּיר אוֹרָהּ מֵהֶם,

so that they may not become entirely nullified and lose their identity within their source, just as the light of the sun is nullified in its source, namely, in the sun itself—where this light cannot be seen but only the integral mass of the sun itself.

שֶׁלֹּא יִתְבַּטְּלוּ בִּמְצִיאוּת לְגַמְרֵי בִּמְקוֹרָם, כְּבִיטּוּל אוֹר הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בִּמְקוֹרוֹ בְּגוּף הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, שֶׁאֵין נִרְאֶה שָׁם אוֹר זֶה, רַק עֶצֶם גּוּף הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בִּלְבָד.

So, too, since the Shechinah is the source of vitality of the whole of creation, all of which receives but a ray of the Shechinah, then if the Shechinah itself—the actual source—would be manifest, all created beings would be nullified in that source. Their situation would be exactly similar to the sun’s rays as they are found within the orb of the sun, where they are completely nullified.

In order for the Shechinah to dwell within the Worlds and their creatures, there must therefore be a “garment” which serves to conceal its light. Only then can creation receive the Shechinah and not be nullified out of existence.

But what manner of “garment” can possibly conceal the Shechinah and yet itself not be affected by it so that it, too, will not become nullified? Since the Shechinah is the source of all creation, it is of course the source of the concealing “garment” too.

In other words: If the Shechinah is manifest in the “garment,” i.e., if the garment is enveloped by its source, then it follows that it should be nullified out of existence, just as the sun’s rays cease to exist within the body of the sun. In effect, this would make the “garment” cease serving as a “garment” to conceal the Shechinah.

The Alter Rebbe anticipates this question by stating that the “garment” is G-d’s will and wisdom, which are enclothed in Torah and the mitzvot. Since this “garment” belongs to a plane even higher than (the source of the world’s vitality known as) the Shechinah, it is not nullified by it.

However, asks the Rebbe, according to this explanation, the question becomes even stronger: If creation cannot receive the light of the Shechinah, then surely it cannot receive the light of the “garment,” which is even higher than the Shechinah.

This, the Rebbe says, is answered by the Alter Rebbe when he says, “only that it has descended by means of obscuring gradations.” This means to say: Since G-d’s will and wisdom as found in Torah and the mitzvot “descended” in the gradations of the Worlds, being able to clothe themselves even in material things, they therefore can serve as a “garment” to conceal the light of the Shechinah.

We now understand why the “garment” itself is not nullified by the light of the Shechinah as well as how created beings can receive this “garment” within themselves, for it is none other than G-d’s will and wisdom which He enclothed in Torah and the mitzvot, as shall presently be explained.

But what is this “garment” which is able to conceal and clothe it (the Shechinah) yet will not itself be completely nullified within its light? This is His blessed will and wisdom, and so forth (“and so forth” referring to the levels of binah and daat, which are part of “intelligence” Above, as mentioned earlier), which are clothed in the Torah and its mitzvot that are revealed to us and our children,

וּמַהוּ הַלְּבוּשׁ שֶׁיּוּכַל לְהַסְתִּירָהּ וּלְהַלְבִּישָׁהּ, וְלֹא יִתְבַּטֵּל בִּמְצִיאוּת בְּאוֹרָהּ? הוּא רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ וְחָכְמָתוֹ וְכוּ' הַמְלוּבָּשִׁים בַּתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹתֶיהָ, הַנִּגְלֵית לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ,

Why are G-d’s will and wisdom and so forth able to act as a concealing “garment” for the light of the Shechinah without themselves being nullified by it?

for “the Torah issues from wisdom,” namely chochmah Ila’ah (“supernal wisdom,” which is the level of chochmah of Atzilut), that is immeasurably higher than the world of manifestation (which is the Shechinah),

דְּ"אוֹרַיְיתָא מֵחָכְמָה נָפְקַת", הִיא חָכְמָה עִילָּאָה, דִּלְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא מֵעָלְמָא דְאִתְגַּלְיָא,

As mentioned earlier, Shechinah refers to the initial stage of revelation, for which reason it is called the “world of manifestation.” Since chochmah Ila’ah is entirely beyond the pale of revelation, it is therefore immeasurably higher than the Shechinah.

for “He is wise,” with the wisdom of chochmah of Atzilut, “but not with a knowable wisdom,” and so forth.

דְּאִיהוּ חַכִּים וְלָא בְחָכְמָה יְדִיעָה וְכוּ',

And as has previously been explained, the [infinite] light of the blessed Ein Sof is clothed in and united with the supernal wisdom—and He and His wisdom are One.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לְעֵיל, שֶׁאוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מְלוּבָּשׁ וּמְיוּחָד בְּחָכְמָה עִילָּאָה, וְהוּא יִתְבָּרֵךְ וְחָכְמָתוֹ אֶחָד.

Thus, chochmah as well as the other levels of Divine “intelligence” (such as binah and daat) are far superior to the level of the light of the Shechinah. They are therefore able to serve as a “garment” concealing the Shechinah without being nullified by its light. But how can Divine “intelligence” serve as a “garment”, and how can created beings accept this garment when it is in fact loftier than the Shechinah itself? The Alter Rebbe now answers this question.

Only this is because it (supernal wisdom and the Torah5) has descended by means of obscuring gradations, from a higher grade to a lower grade, with the descent of the Worlds, until it (the Torah) has clothed itself in material things, namely, the 613 commandments of the Torah.

רַק שֶׁיָּרְדָה בְּסֵתֶר הַמַּדְרֵגוֹת מִמַּדְרֵיגָה לְמַדְרֵיגָה בְּהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת הָעוֹלָמוֹת, עַד שֶׁנִּתְלַבְּשָׁה בִּדְבָרִים גַּשְׁמִיִּים, שֶׁהֵן תַּרְיַ"ג מִצְוֹת הַתּוֹרָה.