In her diary, the Rebbe’s mother, Rebbetzin Chanah, describes an incident that took place on the train journey she shared with the Rebbe when she accompanied him from Yekatrinoslav to Petersburg before he left Russia.

The journey lasted over night. In the morning, the Rebbe stood up, matter-of-factly took out his tefillin, and began to pray. Rebbetzin Chanah was gripped by fear. At this time, there had been a virulent anti-Semitic propaganda campaign throughout Russia and the coach that they were riding in was filled with coarse gentile peasants and workers.

Nevertheless, as if on cue, several of these burley peasants rose and stood around the Rebbe with their backs toward him, forming a human wall that shielded him from hostile eyes.

The story is a lesson in the interaction between a person and the powers that be, both those on this earthly realm and the source for those powers in the spiritual realms. When a person aligns himself with G‑d’s intent and acts accordingly, forces that could bring about undesirable consequences become transformed into positive influences.

A Letter to a Gentile Official

This dynamic pervades the letter entitled Baad Kodesh1 whose translation follows. The letter was composed by the Mitteler Rebbe, Rav Dovber, based on notes from his father, the Alter Rebbe, R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi.2 During the imprisonment leading to his redemption on Yud-Tes Kislev, R. Shneur Zalman was asked to explain the kabalistic statement that Malchus is the lowest of all the Sefiros. He gave explanations that found favor of Czar Paul and his ministers. Several decades later, when the Mitteler Rebbe was imprisoned because of slanderous charges,3 he used this material as a basis for this letter — later published under thetitle Baad Kodesh — that he sent to Governor-General Chavansky, the official appointed by the Czar to govern the Vitebsk region,4 who would rule regarding the charges issued against the Rebbe.

In the letter, the Mitteler Rebbe explains how Divine authority is vested in earthly kings and devolves from them to the deputies they appoint. This Divine influence gives the kings — and by extension, their deputies — the potential to rule justly, not to be swayed by their emotions, but instead to have the Divine attributes of truth and mercy dictate the rulings they make. In that vein, he appeals to the Governor-General to exonerate him from the accusations leveled against him.5

Two Sides to the Coin

In this letter, the Mitteler Rebbe describes the Ten Sefiros, their function and interrelation, focusing especially on the Sefirah of Malchus. Generally, it is explained in Kabbalah and Chassidus, that the Sefiros in general and Malchus in particular exist in order to make possible the existence of our limited world. G‑d is Ein Sof, absolutely unlimited. The transition into a limited frame of reference and ultimately, our material world, is made possible by the Sefiros.6 For on one hand, the Sefiros are nothing more than an emanation of G‑d’s light.7 Nevertheless, they have already emerged from the level where they are absorbed in the transcendence of His light to a state where their distinctness is revealed, each one as an individual entity with defined qualities.8 In this state, through their harmonious function, they bring into existence the various levels of the Spiritual Cosmos and, as the final rung in this process, our world.

The ultimate intent of this process, however, is not to make a limited world, but to make “a dwelling for G‑d in the lower realms.”9 The term “dwelling,” a home, is significant. Just as a person reveals all of his qualities, and indeed, his very essence, in his home, so too, it is in this world, G‑d’s home, that His Essence is manifest.

This conception gives us a different understanding of the functioning of the Sefiros. Their intent is not merely to bring about the existence of a limited world, “the lower realms.” Their purpose is to reveal G‑d’s Essence on this lowly plane.

G‑d’s Masterpiece

In microcosm, this dynamic is seen in the functioning of the attribute of Tiferes, “beauty.10 Beauty is not one-dimensional. On the contrary, it is expressed through the harmonious interplay of divergent and even opposite elements.

But creating beauty is not a haphazard process. It is not that one casually mixes various different colors and forms together and by chance arrives at a beautiful masterpiece. For obviously, it is not the combination of colors and forms that creates beauty.

Instead, the intent is that beauty is an unlimited, undefined quality; to use the wording of the Kabbalists:11 Tiferes, beauty, ascends to the inner dimension of Kesser, the attribute where G‑d’s infinity is manifest. The interrelation between Tiferes and Kesser is the key to this dynamic, because only something infinite can bring together divergent and even opposite elements. Its transcendence causes the distinguishing qualities of the various individual elements to become batel. The meaning of batel, however, is not that these elements cease to exist, but that they become subsumed to the greater whole. Implied is that these qualities no longer express only themselves, and yet, they do express themselves, contributing their unique dimension to the picture as a whole.

The expertise of a master artist is to tap this transcendent beauty and use color and form to communicate it to others. In the realm governed by finiteness, such a master is able to introduce something infinite.

A King in His Splendor

As the letter explains,12 all the Sefiros of the middle vector — Daas, Tifferes, Yesod, and Malchus — possess the potential to combine divergent and even opposite qualities in the manner described above. Nevertheless, it is the attribute of Malchus which brings this motif to its quintessence.

The attribute of Malchus is the source for the existence of this world. Through it, all of the different Divine attributes are meted out in a manner that enables the world to function as G‑d desires. Implied is a combination of opposites. Since this is a world of limitation, it is characterized by concealment and G‑dliness is not apparent. That, however, is merely the external dimension. The inner dimension of Malchus is an extension of Kesser, the Sefirah that expresses the Ein Sof, G‑d’s infinity.

Nevertheless, Malchus expresses this infinity, not in its abstract transcendence, but within the context of the material world. The different finite created beings operate in a manner that creates a setting that reveals G‑d’s infinity. Ultimately, this motif will be realized in the era of Mashiach. But even before that Divine providence governs our environment and structures it in a manner that G‑d’s truth and mercy, attributes that reflect His infinity, are revealed.

Unraveling the Code

Man’s Divine service focuses on highlighting this dynamic. Every situation we encounter can be seen either as part of the concealment that stems from the external dimensions of our existence or an expression of the inner truth and mercy that lies at its core.

When a person places an emphasis on that inner truth and aligns his conduct with it, he nudges that positive energy into expression. The historical background that served as a setting for the composition of this letterprovides an example of this principle. As mentioned above, the Mitteler Rebbe had been slandered and arrested by the Russian authorities. What did he do to secure his release? He composed this letteras an appeal to the Russian minister presiding over his case. In this text,13 he explains how the Divine attribute of Malchus shines forth to earthly monarchs and from them, to their deputies. Hence, the judgment the minister would be rendering would be an expression of Divine justice.

Once made aware of this inner dynamic, is it any wonder that the minister ruled in the Mitteler Rebbe’s favor, totally exonerating him from the charges against him?

A Catalyst for Understanding

Herein lies the relevance of this letterfor our time. In our era, there are many conflicting influences governing our world and not all of them are outwardly positive. It is easy to be overwhelmed and to lose sight of the greater picture, the ultimate intent for which G‑d brought the world into being. When, however, we perceive the world for what it truly is, G‑d’s dwelling, and conduct ourselves with that picture in mind, that intent will become manifest, bringing about the era when G‑d’s kingship will be in ultimate revelation, the era of Mashiach. It will then be obvious how every element of existence contributes to and expresses that kingship.

In this vein, we can understand Rambam’s choice14 of the prophecy:15 “The world will be filled with the knowledge of G‑d as the waters cover the ocean bed” to conclude his discussion of the era of Mashiach. The ocean contains a vast host of living beings. However, the waters cover them to the extent that their individual identities are no longer perceived. Similarly, in the era of Mashiach, the world will continue to exist. However, every element of its existence will be permeated by the knowledge of G‑d.

Our goal in translating this letteris to share awareness of this dynamic and in that motivate it to gain strength and advance, enabling Divine truth and mercy to dominate the fortunes of every individual and the world at large. As this positive spiral gains momentum, the true nature of the world will surface and it will become apparent that it is G‑d’s dwelling.

Sichos In English

Erev Rosh HaShanah, 5771