The second [category] is a love and desire in which the soul desires, loves, and wishes to cleave to G-d,
וְהַשֵּׁנִית – הִיא אַהֲבָה וְתַאֲוָה, שֶׁהַנֶּפֶשׁ מִתְאַוָּה וְאוֹהֶבֶת וַחֲפֵיצָה לְדָבְקָה בַּה',
“to be bound up in the bond of life.”21
לִצְרוֹר בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים,
The proximity to G-d is very dear to her, and that is what she desires.
וְקִרְבַת אֱלֹהִים טוֹב לָהּ מְאֹד, וּבוֹ תַּחְפּוֹץ,
It is most grievous unto her to become, heaven forfend, distanced from Him, blessed be He,
וְרַע לָהּ מְאֹד לְהִתְרַחֵק מִמֶּנּוּ יִתְבָּרֵךְ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם,
by having an iron partition of the chitzonim, the forces of kelipah and unholiness, separate her [from Him], heaven forfend.
לִהְיוֹת מְחִיצָה שֶׁל בַּרְזֶל מֵהַחִיצוֹנִים מַפְסֶקֶת חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.
Thus, inherent in the soul’s love for G-d is its anxious fear of being alienated from Him by a partition resulting from those things that are opposite His will.
Likkutei Levi Yitzchak, authored by the father of the Rebbe, explains that the four terms used above—“desires,” “loves,” “wishes,” and “cleaves”—refer respectively to the soul-levels within the Four Worlds: “desires” relates to the World of Asiyah, “loves” relates to the World of Yetzirah, and so on.
This love is latent in the heart of all Jews, even in the wicked, as explained at length in Part I, chs. 18 and 19,
וְאַהֲבָה זוֹ הִיא מוּסְתֶּרֶת בְּלֵב כְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲפִילוּ בִּרְשָׁעִים,
and from this [latent love] derives their remorse, as in the phrase, “The wicked are full of remorse.”22
וּמִמֶּנָּה בָּאָה לָהֶם הַחֲרָטָה.
The Alter Rebbe now answers the following implied question: If they indeed possess this love, why then are they wicked?
However, because it is latent and concealed, in a state of exile in the body, it is possible for the kelipah to dominate it;
אַךְ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא מוּסְתֶּרֶת וְנֶעְלָמָה בִּבְחִינַת גָּלוּת בַּגּוּף, הֲרֵי הַקְּלִיפָּה יְכוֹלָה לִשְׁלוֹט עָלֶיהָ,
and this is the “spirit of folly” which causes a man to sin.23
וְזֶהוּ רוּחַ שְׁטוּת הַמַּחֲטִיא לָאָדָם.
The “spirit of folly” cloaks this hidden love (ahavah mesuteret) so that one loses the sensitivity to realize that through sinning, he is jeopardizing his attachment to G-d.
Therefore, a man’s service to his Maker consists of strengthening himself and prevailing over the kelipah in all its manifestations.
וְעַל כֵּן, עֲבוֹדַת הָאָדָם לְקוֹנוֹ הִיא, לְהִתְחַזֵּק וּלְהִתְגַּבֵּר עַל הַקְּלִיפָּה בַּכֹּל מִכֹּל כֹּל,
That is, first to expel it completely from the body so that it has absolutely no dominion over him—
דְּהַיְינוּ, מִתְּחִלָּה לְגָרְשָׁהּ מֵהַגּוּף לְגַמְרֵי,
[expelling it] from the [faculties of] thought, speech, and action that are in the brain, the tongue, and the 248 organs.
מִמַּחֲשָׁבָה דִּבּוּר וּמַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבְּמוֹחַ וְלָשׁוֹן וְרַמַ"ח אֵבָרִים,
Expelling the kelipah means ensuring that one’s brain will harbor no thoughts that are contrary to G-d’s will; that one’s tongue will speak no evil words; that one’s 248 organs will commit no evil acts.
After that, he will also be able to “bring out the captive from prison”24 with a strong hand.
וְאַחַר כָּךְ, יוּכַל גַּם כֵּן "לְהוֹצִיא מִמַּסְגֵּר אַסִּיר" בְּחוֹזֶק יָד,
Once one has vanquished the kelipah by steadfastly “turning away from evil”25—not thinking, speaking, or doing those things that are contrary to G-d’s will—he is then able to uncover the love that is latent within him so that it will permeate his positive thoughts, words, and deeds. His mind will thus ponder upon G-d’s greatness, and his heart will then actively feel a love for G-d. In turn, this love will result in his enhanced fulfillment of the Torah and its mitzvot.
That is, he will be strong, “and his heart courageous among the valiant,”26
דְּהַיְינוּ, לִהְיוֹת חָזָק וְ"אַמִּיץ לִבּוֹ בַּגִּבּוֹרִים",
so that the hidden love will become abundantly revealed in all the powers of the soul’s components in his body,
לִהְיוֹת הָאַהֲבָה הַמְסוּתֶּרֶת נִגְלֵית בְּגִילּוּי רַב בְּכָל כֹּחוֹת חֶלְקֵי הַנֶּפֶשׁ שֶׁבַּגּוּף.
i.e., mainly in the mind and in the [faculty of] thought in the brain,
דְּהַיְינוּ, הָעִיקָּר בְּשֵׂכֶל וּבְמַחֲשָׁבָה שֶׁבַּמּוֹחַ,
The mind serves to reveal this love, which then manifests throughout the rest of the person’s organs.
so that corresponding to its intellect and understanding the mind will constantly think and contemplate on the blessed Creator—
שֶׁהַשֵּׂכֶל יַחְשֹׁב וְיִתְבּוֹנֵן תָּמִיד כְּפִי שִׂכְלוֹ וְהַשְׂכָּלָתוֹ בַּבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ,
how He is the Fountainhead of life in general and of the life of his own soul in particular.
אֵיךְ שֶׁהוּא חַיֵּי הַחַיִּים בִּכְלָל וְחַיֵּי נִשְׁמָתוֹ בִּפְרָט,
Consequently, he will yearn and desire to be attached to Him, and near to Him, with an innate yearning,
וְעַל כֵּן יִכְסוֹף וְיִתְאַוֶּה לִהְיוֹת דָּבוּק בּוֹ וְקָרוֹב אֵלָיו, כּוֹסֶף טִבְעִי,
like that of a child who yearns to be constantly near his father, and like fire, which by its very nature always rises upward to its source, as explained in Part I, ch. 19.
כְּבֵן הַכּוֹסֵף לִהְיוֹת תָּמִיד אֵצֶל אָבִיו, וּכְמוֹ אֵשׁ הָעוֹלָה לְמַעְלָה תָּמִיד בְּטִבְעָהּ לִמְקוֹרָהּ.
And the more he continues to set his mind on this yearning, the more will this yearning become correspondingly stronger, and will also extend to his mouth and to all his organs,
וְכָל מַה שֶּׁיַּתְמִיד לַחֲשׁוֹב בְּשִׂכְלוֹ כּוֹסֶף זֶה כָּכָה יִתְגַּבֵּר וְיִתְפַּשֵּׁט כּוֹסֶף זֶה גַּם בְּפִיו וּבְכָל אֵבָרָיו
so that he will occupy himself with the Torah and the commandments in order to really cleave thereby to G-d,
לַעֲסוֹק בְּתוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת, לְדָבְקָה בָהֶם בַּה' מַמָּשׁ,
for “The Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely One.”27
דְּ"אוֹרַיְיתָא וְקוּדְשָׁא־בְּרִיךְ־הוּא כּוּלָּא חַד".
This love will thus affect his brain, mouth, and other bodily organs, motivating them to study Torah and perform the commandments with a greater degree of love.
Of this greatly manifest yearning, i.e., of this love, it is written, “My soul thirsts [for G-d],”28
וְעַל כּוֹסֶף זֶה שֶׁבְּגִילּוּי רַב כְּתִיב: "צָמְאָה נַפְשִׁי וְגוֹ'",
like a person who thirsts for water and does not yet have any pleasure [from it].
כְּאָדָם הַצָּמֵא לְמַיִם וְאֵין לוֹ תַּעֲנוּג עֲדַיִין כְּלָל.
This level of love for G-d is likened to a state of thirst. At this stage, the individual seeking to cleave to G-d does not experience any delight, for he has yet to cleave to Him: all he feels is the pangs of thirst. In the previously described level of love, ahavah betaanugim, the individual has already quenched his thirst, so to speak: his love for G-d has been realized, and he is now actively cleaving to Him.
Also29 concerning this yearning and this love concealed within us we pray to G-d, to help us bring it out from imprisonment,
וְגַם עַל כּוֹסֶף זֶה וְאַהֲבָה זוֹ הַמוּסְתֶּרֶת בָּנוּ, אָנוּ מַעְתִּירִים לַה' לִהְיוֹת בְּעֶזְרֵנוּ, לְהוֹצִיאָהּ מִמַּסְגֵּר,
It is indeed true that this lesser degree of love is attainable by man and need not be granted as a gift from Above; it is already possessed by every Jew, and he need but reveal it through his spiritual service. Nevertheless, we beseech G-d that He help us reveal this love and liberate it from its concealment.
so that the heart be filled with it alone,
וְשֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַלֵּב מָלֵא מִמֶּנָּה לְבַדָּהּ,
so that its “rival-wife,” i.e., mundane desires, will not enter its house, i.e., our hearts.
וְלֹא תִכָּנֵס צָרָתָהּ בְּבֵיתָהּ שֶׁהִיא תַּאֲוַת עוֹלָם הַזֶּה,
Rather, this [yearning and love] should be the sole mistress of the house, to rule over her “rival-wife” and to expel her at least from one’s thought, speech, and action.
רַק שֶׁתִּהְיֶה הִיא עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת לִמְשׁוֹל בְּצָרָתָהּ וּלְגָרְשָׁהּ הַחוּצָה מִמַּחֲשָׁבָה דִּבּוּר וּמַעֲשֶׂה עַל כָּל פָּנִים,
Though one cannot expel her altogether from one’s heart, so that it should harbor no foreign desires at all,
הֲגַם שֶׁלֹּא יוּכַל לְשַׁלְּחָהּ לְגַמְרֵי מִלִּבּוֹ,
For we are speaking here of the love possessed by the beinoni, an individual who is unable to banish foreign desires from his heart; he is only able to ensure that they find no expression in his thought, his speech, or his actions, as explained in the Tanya, Part I, ch. 12.
she should at least be hidden, in a state of exile and servitude to the mistress of the house, i.e., to the love for G-d,
עַל כָּל פָּנִים תִּהְיֶה הִיא מוּסְתֶּרֶת בִּבְחִינַת גָּלוּת וְעַבְדוּת לַעֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת גְּבִרְתָּהּ,
who will make use of her for her own essentials only, such as eating and drinking,
לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהּ לִדְבָרִים הֶכְרֵחִים לָהּ לְבַד, כַּאֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה,
If the G-dly soul is to remain within the body and thereby be able to fulfill the requirements of the Torah and its mitzvot, the individual must eat and drink. He should therefore use the animal soul’s natural desire for physical things expressly for the spiritual purposes of the G-dly soul.
Thus, for example, his food and drink are intended to provide him with strength so that he will be able to study the Torah, engage in Divine service, and the like.
as it is written, “Know Him in all your ways.”30
כְּדִכְתִיב: "בְּכָל דְּרָכֶיךָ דָעֵהוּ":
“Your ways” clearly speaks of man’s corporeal activities. Yet even in these, we are commanded to “know Him”—to bind oneself to G-d through these physical actions, by utilizing them for the purposes designated by Him, in order thereby to “know Him.”31
Having spoken until now of the higher category in the love of G-d called ahavah betaanugim, the Alter Rebbe now proceeds to consider the lesser love, ahavah zuta.