וביאור To explain the concept,

In the previous section, the Alter Rebbe explained that “the candle of mitzvah” creates a setting for “the light of the Torah” to be revealed. This, however, is slightly problematic, for the Torah is the source of the mitzvos and, therefore, should not be dependent on them. To resolve this issue, the Alter Rebbe differentiates between the wisdom of the Torah and the letters of the Torah, explaining that the letters of the Torah are rooted in a higher G‑dly source than its wisdom. Therefore the letters are the medium for the revelation of its wisdom. That same motif, he will later explain, applies to the relationship between the mitzvos and the Torah.

The concept of letters as understood in Chassidus is different from our ordinary conception of them. The general conception is that a person thinks and feels, and when he desires, communicates these thoughts and feelings to others through speech. From that perspective, speech is merely an external power: something necessary in order to relate to others, but not fundamental to our own selves. As the maamar proceeds to explain (see also Tanya, Iggeres HaKodesh, Epistle 5), there is a deeper dimension of speech that lies at the very core of a person’s being, above even his power of intellect. The existence of such a quality is alluded to by the fact that, in Lashon HaKodesh, the Holy Tongue, a person is called a medaber, a speaker, i.e., the ability to speak is the quintessence of the human potential (see Likkutei Sichos, Vol. VI, p. 107ff., translated in Crown Jewels, Vol. I, p. 127ff.).

To explain this concept, the Alter Rebbe begins by clarifying that the organs of speech are controlled by a higher source than conscious thought. He then focuses on the place of that source in the hierarchy of our spiritual powers.

it is necessary [to preface] by clarifying the idea of letters. The letters are divided according to their pronunciation by the five organs of speech:

The throat, the lips, the tongue, the palate, and the teeth.

[the letters] א, ח, ה, and ע are vocalized by the throat, [ב, ו, מ, and ף, by the lips, etc.]. Now these organs are not merely instruments for speech like a harp is a musical instrument. In that instance, when the musician plays, [the harp] produces a sound; i.e., the sound comes from the movement of the [strings of the] harp which generates the sound. [The vocalization of] the letters, by contrast, does not come about [merely] through the movement of the organs associated with their pronunciation, i.e., the five organs of speech.

Clear evidence of this can be seen from the fact that the same organ of speech produces different sounds. Obviously, it is not merely the passage of breath over the organ of speech that produces the sound.

[This is obvious from the fact that when a person wishes to speak,] the letters are vocalized naturally, as if on their own, without any preparation or intent on a person’s part. [One does not think that] he must move his tongue [to pronounce] the letters ד, ט, ל, נ, and ת, nor his lips [to pronounce] the letters ב, ו, מ, and ף.

I.e., unlike playing a musical instrument, speech is not a task that we perform with conscious thought, but rather flows spontaneously and effortlessly. Even when a child is learning to speak, he does not learn to move a particular organ to produce a given sound. Instead, as soon as he learns a word, he pronounces it naturally (Tanya, loc. cit.;see also the maamar entitled Al Kein Yomru, 5633; Sefer HaMaamarim 5633, Vol. 2,p. 357).

Instead, [one desires to speak and, by nature, when one thinks to use a word with that letter,] the letters, [as it were,] motivate the organs of speech [to articulate them], saying letters ד, ט, ל, נ, and ת with his tongue and the letters ב, ו, מ, and ף with his lips.

והאותיות [The explanation for this phenomenon is that] the letters themselves are rooted in the soul

As stated in the Biurto this maamar in Torah Or, Bereishis, p. 43a, et al., “the soul is filled with letters.” This refers to the very essence of the soul. Needless to say, however, the presence of the letters is not consciously felt on that level.

and it is the soul that brings them out from a hidden state to a revealed state.

I.e., just as the soul has the potential for thought and feeling, it also has the potential for letters; i.e. to express itself in words. Thus when a person thinks or speaks, two processes are occurring simultaneously: a) consciously, he is considering the content of his thoughts and words; and b) spontaneously, the letters that he will use to express himself are flowing from the subconscious dimensions of his soul.

First, [they emerge] as the letters of thought, and afterwards, as the letters of speech.

וז"ש On this basis, [we can understand the implication of] the verse:1 “And man became a living soul (nefesh chayah),” which Onkelos renders as “a speaking spirit (ruach memalela).”

This indicates that, as explained above, speech is the distinctive gift given to man, related to the essence of his being.

[The Hebrew terms employed are precise.] Within a person’s soul, there are [four levels]: nefesh, ruach, neshamah, chayah.

See Bereishis Rabbah 14:9, which states that the neshamah is called by five names. In addition to the four names mentioned in this maamar, there is the level of yechidah. This maamar does not discuss that level, for that level reflects the soul’s essential connection to G‑d. In this maamar, by contrast, the emphasis is on the powers of the soul and their expression. And with regard to those concepts, the other four levels — and not the level of yechidah — are relevant.

Nefesh refers to the letters [expressed] in thought and speech;

Nefesh relates to the lowest level of the soul. It relates to the letters as they come into actual expression in thought and speech.

ruach, to the breath from the heart,

Ruach is usually associated with the emotional aspects of the soul. In this context, it relates to “the breath of the heart,” the flow of air that passes through the throat and mouth which enables a person to speak. Since the heart and lungs are interrelated, it is associated with the heart.

i.e., the voice,

The actual sounds produced by one’s breath as it passes through the organs of speech.

which is comprised of fire, wind, and water, as is well known;2

These three elements are the more refined and less material of the four. Hence, they are associated with the voice which is more spiritual than the actual letters of speech.

neshamah, to the qualities of comprehension and intellect,

In other sources as well, neshamah is associated with the dimensions of thought and intellect. In this context, it relates to the intellectual content that motivates one’s thought and/or speech.

as it is written:3 “It is the soul (nishmas) from the A-lmighty that grants understanding”; and chayah is identified with Chochmah (wisdom), [more precisely, with] the source of wisdom that transcends comprehension.

I.e., though Chochmah is translated as “wisdom,” it — and particularly, its source — refers to a level in the soul that transcends conscious thought. As Tanya, ch. 18, states: “Chochmah is the source of intellect and comprehension. It is above Binah, which reflects the understanding of a concept and its grasp.”

ושם The latter level is the source for the letters. [They do not originate in the mouth;] they have merely been, [to borrow the wording of Sefer Yetzirah,]4 “established in the mouth.” [It is] not [said] “created in the mouth,” for the source from where [the letters] were created and came into being is higher — from the level of chayah. From there,

I.e., from the source above comprehension.

the letters are drawn down and divided into the twenty-two letters with which man converses, each person according to his language.

ובזה On this basis, we can understand our Sages’ statement5 that Metatron

The name Metatron refers to an angel whose name is, in our Sages’ words (Sanhedrin 38b), identified with the name of his Master. In several texts of Chassidus and Kabbalah, it is explained that Metatron refers to the angel in whom is vested the collective Divine life-energy for the lower realms (see Likkutei Torah, Vayikra, p. 50b). As evident from the text here, that angel is also involved in the elevation of the Divine service of the Jewish people.

ties bows

Nitzutzei Oros interprets “bows” as “crowns.” Later, the Alter Rebberefers to this interpretation.

for his Maker from the prayers of the Jewish people.

Previously, the Alter Rebbe explained that the letters themselves originate from a higher source than the content which they communicate. In the portion that follows, he explains a similar concept with regard to prayer: that the letters of prayer possess an advantage over the thoughts and feelings that motivate the prayers.

[The intent is that] the angels elevate [the Jews’] prayers, because the speech of humans is material, while the angels are spiritual. [Hence,] the speech [of the angels is spiritual, as] is our thought. [Thus] when an angel receives the prayer, the prayer is elevated from a material level to a spiritual level by that angel. [This process continues level after level in the Spiritual Cosmos, following the pattern intimated by the phrase:] “...there is [a watchman] on high and another higher than him,”6

In the initial part of the maamar, the Alter Rebbe had used this verse to describe the hierarchy in the spiritual realms. Here he is emphasizing that the prayers of the Jewish people ascend through all these intermediate levels. On each level, they are refined and elevated, and their coarse, material dimensions stripped away.

until it reaches the sublime world where the abode of Metatron is located. He ties “crowns,” kessarim — [alluding to influence that] transcends the head and intellect — [to these prayers].

Since these prayers have already ascended through all the angels below Metatron, they have already been refined. Metatron’s input, thus, is not in merely polishing them further. Instead, he contributes an added dimension: he ties “crowns,” i.e., he connects the letters with their source in the attribute of Kesser, G‑d’s crown (Derech Mitzvosecha, Ner Chanukah, p. 75b).

As implied by the analogy of a crown which is worn above the head, the term “crowns” refers to a source of influence that transcends intellect. Metatron connects such a quality with the prayers of the Jewish people, enabling the prayers to evoke new influence from a source above the revealed levels of the Spiritual Cosmos. These concepts relate to the higher dimension possessed by letters mentioned previously: that their essence transcends intellect.

In this manner, new letters are drawn down.

As will be explained, G‑dly influence is also drawn down via letters. After our prayers have been elevated by the angels, they evoke new influence which draws forth “new letters,” as it were, from Above.

כי [To explain:] Prayer is a request, [as we say:] “May it be [G‑d’s] will.” The intent is that, [through prayer,] a new will be brought about

I.e., in contrast to blessing which merely draws down Divine influence that has already been generated from its source, prayer draws down new influence (Likkutei Sichos, Vol. X, pp. 37-40, et al.).

[that can alter] the sublime will that has already been drawn down into [the realm of] Chochmah, wisdom.

Once something is brought down into the realm of wisdom, it is defined and determined according to an objective framework.

[A person’s conduct bringsabout corresponding repercussions Above. For example,] according to the Torah’s [standards], Chochmah determines that “there is no suffering without sin.”7 [The implication is that a person’s] sins lead to suffering, Heaven forbid.

I.e., sin awakens negative spiritual influences that cause suffering and thus enable the sin to be expiated.

Nevertheless, through prayer, a higher will which transcends Chochmah is drawn down. On that level, there is simple mercy, [as indicated by the verse]:8 “If your transgressions are many, [what do you do to Him]?”

Hence, when this level which transcends intellect is drawn down, G‑d overlooks — and grants atonement for — sin.

And as our Sages say:9 “When the Jewish people say: Yehei shmei rabba mevarach, ‘May His great name be blessed...,’ the Holy One, blessed be He, bows His head....” “Bowing His head” implies that G‑d draws down His sublime will

I.e., He draws down influence from a level that transcends intellect.

to His head.

The level associated with intellect, causing the intellect to reflect these transcendent mercies.

This is the intent of the request: “May His great name be blessed,” that His great name that transcends the Spiritual Cosmos and that is “great and exceedingly praiseworthy”10 be blessed and drawn down.

The word for blessing (berachah,ברכה)shares a root with the verb lehavrich, which means bringing an animal (such as a camel) down to its knees. The very same verb also signifies the practice of embedding a low branch into the ground in the hope that it will strike roots and ultimately produce a satellite tree (Kilayim 7:1, see Torah Or, Bereishis 37c ff.).Thus both verbs emphasize drawing something downward. Similarly, the concept of blessing (berachah)is to elicit and bring down a flow of Divine light from the higher realms where it is hidden, i.e., above revelation, to a lower realm where it will blossom into revelation.

This sublime will is drawn down through the ascent of the letters of prayer to their root and source in the sublime Kesser

I.e., Kesser of Atzilus. Over and above the intent of a person’s prayers, the letters themselves evoke an essential influence, for they relate to the attribute of Kesser, the level where G‑d’s transcendence is manifest. For this reason (as reflected by the ruling of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch 62:3, 185:1), prayer must be recited audibly; thinking the words is not acceptable (Derech Mitzvosecha, loc. cit.).

In the passages that follow, the Alter Rebbe addresses the apparent contradiction between his previous statements — that the source of the letters is the level of chayah that is identified with Chochmah — and his statements here that the letters are associated with Kesser.

through [the efforts of] Metatron.

והיינו The source of the letters is the sublime Kesser, above Chochmah and the other intellectual qualities. It is only that its first stage of revelation is in Chochmah. For it is impossible to conceptualize and grasp any concept except through letters.

All revelation comes through the medium of letters. The nature of the refinement of the letters determines the level of the light revealed. For example, the letters of Chochmah are more refined and “spiritual” than the letters of Binah. As a result, the powerof Chochmah is more refined than the power of Binah.

Chochmah is the “first stage of revelation” of the letters. Implied is that, as stated above, the letters also exist on higher levels, for their source is the very essence of the soul. Nevertheless, on the levels above Chochmah, the letters are too refined to be perceived at all. It is in Chochmah that they come down to a level that can be grasped and revealed at least to a certain degree.

Nevertheless, the letters themselves are not intellectual, for no intellect can conceive of the letters themselves. Instead, they are a garment for the intellect.

This is reflected by the fact that the same idea will be expressed in different words by different people. Thus it is not the idea that generates the letters; they are merely its garments, i.e., mediums of expression (the Biur to this maamar in Torah Or, Bereishis, p. 43a). Another proof: a child can repeat a text he has studied without understanding a word that he is saying.

This garment comes from the external dimension of the higher quality that descends and extends downward to enclothe the intellect.

It was explained that the source of the letters is the essence of the soul and on that level, it is difficult to speak of distinctions. Nevertheless, it can be said that the letters relate to the external dimensions of the essence of the soul, for the entire purpose of letters is revelation; first revelation to oneself and then revelation to others.

And from that level, it descends further to become letters for thought and speech.


Summary

In the previous section, the maamar explains that “the candle of mitzvah” creates a setting for “the light of the Torah” to be revealed. This, however, is somewhat problematic, for the Torah is the source of the mitzvos and, therefore, should not be dependent on them. To resolve this issue, the Alter Rebbe differentiates between the wisdom of the Torah and the letters of the Torah, explaining that the letters of the Torah (like the mitzvos) are rooted in a higher G‑dly source than its wisdom.

This concept is also reflected in the letters of ordinary speech, which have a deeper root in the soul than conscious thought; indeed, they are rooted in the essence of the soul. This is obvious from the fact that when a person wishes to speak, the letters are vocalized naturally, as if on their own, without any preparation or intent on a person’s part.

On this basis, we can understand our Sages’ statement that the angel Metatron ties bows for his Maker from the prayers of the Jewish people. The intent is that Metatron elevates the letters of prayer and connects (i.e., “ties”) them to their root and source in the sublime spiritual realms. For a person’s prayers are tainted by his material nature and Metatron reveals their ultimate Divine source.