In this chapter, the Rebbe Rashab continues to develop the theme mentioned in the previous two — that the motifs of revelation and concealment work in a synergistic manner, bringing into being all existence. He focused on:
a) the original source for revelation, G‑d’s infinite light that shone before the tzimtzum,
b) the original source for concealment, the tzimtzum; and
c) the revelation of the kav — the vector of Divine light that shines after the tzimtzum.
He builds upon these concepts in this chapter, emphasizing the transcendence of the essence of G‑d’s light and how it brings about the interrelation between the motifs of revelation and concealment.
וּכְמוֹ
To offer an analogy to explain the transcendence of the essence of G‑d’s light, how it is entirely above both revelation and tzimtzum:
הָרַב קוֹדֶם שֶׁחָפֵץ לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ שֵׂכֶל וְחָכְמָה לְתַלְמִידוֹ
Before a teacher desires to transmit a concept or wisdom to his student on a drastically lower level,
שֶׁאָז מֵאִיר אֶצְלוֹ אוֹר שִׂכְלוֹ וְחָכְמָתוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא מִצַּד עַצְמוֹ
the light of his intellect and wisdom shines within his comprehension of the idea as he inherently understands it.
וְאֵינוֹ נִצְרָךְ לְצַמְצֵם אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּלָל כוּ'.
For his own understanding, he need not contract his conception at all.
וּכְמוֹ כֵן יוּבַן בְּדוּגְמָא לְמַעְלָה,
Similarly, in the analog Above,
דְּקוֹדֶם שֶׁעָלָה בִּרְצוֹנוֹ כִּבְיָכוֹל לִבְרוֹא
before the desire to create arose, as it were, in G‑d’s will,
הֲרֵי אֵינוֹ שַׁיָּיךְ עִנְיַן הַצִּמְצוּם כְּלָל
the concept of tzimtzum was entirely irrelevant,
וְהֵאִיר בְּחִינַת הָאוֹר הָעַצְמִי דְּאֵין סוֹף כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא מִצַּד עַצְמוֹ כוּ'.
and the essential light of G‑d as He is Ein-Sof, Infinite, shone forth as it inherently is.
וְלָזֹאת כָּל מַה שֶּׁיֵּשׁ בְּחִינַת צִמְצוּם וְהִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת
Therefore, all the different expressions of tzimtzum and expansion
(שֶׁנִּקְרָא הֶעְלֵם וְגִילּוּי)
(referred to as concealment and revelation)
בְּעִנְיַן הַהַשְׁפָּעָה
in the process of the transmission of G‑d’s light and life energy
שָׁוִין הֵן מַמָּשׁ בַּאֲמִיתַּת אוֹר הָעַצְמִי דְאֵין סוֹף
are actually equal in relation to the truth of the essential light of G‑d as He is Ein-Sof.
שֶׁלֹּא שַׁיָּיךְ בּוֹ לֵאמֹר שֶׁהַהֶעְלֵם קָדוּם לַגִילּוּי
In relation to that light, it cannot be said that concealment precedes revelation
(שֶׁזֶּהוּ עִנְיַן הַצִּמְצוּם כוּ')
(i.e., the tzimtzum),
אוֹ שֶׁמִּגִילּוּי נַעֲשֶׂה הֶעְלֵם כוּ'
or that from revelation comes concealment.
אֶלָּא שְׁנֵיהֶם שָׁוִין מַמָּשׁ,
Rather, the two are truly equal.
דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁגַּם בְּחִינַת כֹּחַ הַהֶעְלֵם וְהַצִּמְצוּם נִקְרָא גִילּוּי קַמֵּיהּ
i.e., in relation to Him even the power of concealment and tzimtzum may be called revelation,
Tzimtzum can be called revelation because in relation to G‑d Himself, there is no concealment. To refer to the analogy of a teacher who conceals his own understanding to communicate to a student: Since the teacher is the one who conceals his wisdom — it is not being concealed by any other force — within the limited lesson he conveys to the student, he himself sees the full depth of his original comprehension.1
וְגַם הַגִילּוּי נִקְרָא הֶעְלֵם כוּ'.
and revelation may also be called concealment.
Speaking in terms of the analogy: Whatever the teacher reveals to the student is concealment with regards to the teacher himself, i.e., it does not represent his essential wisdom as he conceives it. Similarly, in the analog, the light G‑d reveals in the process of creation does not reveal Who He is in His infinity.
וְזֶהוּ דְּקַמֵּיהּ כַּחֲשֵׁיכָה כָּאוֹרָה שָׁוִים
This is the meaning of the statement,2 “Before Him darkness is like light,” i.e., they are equal,
וְגַם חֹשֶׁךְ לֹא יַחְשִׁיךְ
and “even darkness does not obscure”2
דְּגַם הַחֹשֶׁךְ שֶׁהוּא הַצִּמְצוּם וְהַהֶעְלֵם
— for even the darkness which is tzimtzum and concealment
אֵינוֹ נִקְרָא חֹשֶׁךְ וְהֶעְלֵם לְגַבֵּי אוֹר הָעַצְמוּת דְּאֵין סוֹף,
is not called darkness and concealment in relation to the light of the Essence of G‑d as He is Ein-Sof.
As stated above in the analogy, since He Himself brings about the process of tzimtzum — it does not come from any outside force — it does not limit Him.
וּכְמוֹ כֵן הַגִילּוּי שֶׁאַחַר הַהֶעְלֵם וְהַצִּמְצוּם שֶׁנִּקְרָא אוֹר
Similarly, from the perspective of G‑d’s essence, the revelation that follows the concealment and the tzimtzum, that is called light,
גַּם הוּא לֹא נִקְרָא אוֹר בְּגִילּוּי
can also not be termed light,
וְכַמַּאֲמָר אוֹר צַח כוּ' אוּכָּם הוּא קֳדָם עִלַּת הָעִלּוֹת כוּ'.
as it is said,3 “The pure light... is dark, relative to the Cause of all causes.”
Even though the light of the kav4 is deemed light from the perspective of the created beings, when compared to G‑d’s essential light, it is concealment. It does not reveal Him as He is in His Essence.
וְלָזֹאת מֵעַצְמוּת אוֹר אֵין סוֹף
Thus, the essence of G‑d’s infinite light, i.e., the light that reveals Him as He inherently is
שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מִבְּחִינַת הֶעְלֵם וְגִילּוּי
is beyond concealment and revelation — those terms being relevant only when G‑d desired to bring about the created worlds.
מִשָּׁם נִמְשָׁךְ דַּוְקָא הִתְכַּלְלוּת וְהִתְחַבְּרוּת ב' הַמַדְרֵיגוֹת
From it is drawn down the possibility for the synthesis and interrelation of the two levels of concealment and revelation,
לִהְיוֹת מֵהֶעְלֵם גִילּוּי וּמִגִילּוּי הֶעְלֵם
allowing revelation to emerge from concealment and revelation to lead to concealment.
מִשּׁוּם דְּקַמֵּיהּ כַּחֲשֵׁיכָה כָּאוֹרָה שְׁנֵיהֶם שָׁוִים מַמָּשׁ כוּ'.
Since in relation to Him, “darkness is like light” — the two are actually equal — His infinite light has the potential to unify these two motifs.
The Rebbe Rashab began ch. 27 by explaining that to understand the possibility of the synergistic relationship between the two opposite potentials of Chochmah and Binah — identified with revelation and concealment — it was necessary to first explain the possibility of unifying revelation and concealment as they exist in their very source. He devoted that chapter and ch. 28 to that purpose, explaining the revelation of the light that existed before the tzimtzum, the concealment brought about by the tzimtzum, and the revelation of the light of the kav that followed the tzimtzum.
In this chapter, he explained how the synergistic relationship between revelation and concealment is made possible by G‑d’s infinite light that transcends them both. Having explained these concepts, he returns to the ideas explained in chapters 21 to 26 — the interrelation of the Sefiros of Chochmah and Binah identified with the letters yud and hei of G‑d’s name yud-hei-vav-hei — explaining that the same motif applies:
וְזֶהוּ עִנְיַן הַיִּחוּד וְהִתְכַּלְלוּת דְּאוֹתִיּוֹת י"ה
This, then, explains the unification and interrelationship of the letters yud and hei.
שֶׁהַהֶעְלֵם דִּנְקוּדַּת יוּ"ד בָּא לִידֵי גִילּוּי בְּאוֹת ה'
The concealment represented by the point of the yud becomes revealed in the letter hei,
וּמֵהַגִילּוּי דְּאוֹת ה' נַעֲשֶׂה בְּחִינַת הֶעְלֵם,
and from the revelation of the letter hei comes concealment.
שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת הַיִּחוּד דְּהָבֵן בְּחָכְמָה וַחֲכַם בְּבִינָה,
This reflects the unity of havein beChochmah, that Binah be included within Chochmah, and chacham beBinah, that Chochmah be included within Binah.5
וְכֵן הִתְכַּלְלוּת דְּחָכְמָה וּבִינָה זֶה עִם זֶה כוּ' כְּנִזְכָּר לְעֵיל
and also the synergistic union of the attributes of Chochmah and Binah as they function in harmony, as explained above.
שֶׁזֶּהוּ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבְּשֵׁם הוי' מֵאִיר בְּחִינַת אוֹר הָעַצְמִי דְאֵין סוֹף
This comes as a result of the essential light of G‑d as He is Ein-Sof shining within G‑d’s name Havayah.
שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת
That light transcends the Spiritual Cosmos (Seder Hahishtalshelus), the chainlike progression of realms of existence,
וּלְמַעְלָה מַּעְלָה מִבְּחִינַת הֶעְלֵם וְגִילּוּי.
and is far, far loftier than the motifs of concealment and revelation.
וּמִשּׁוּם זֶה נַעֲשָׂה הַיִּחוּד וְהַהִתְכַּלְלוּת דְּשֵׁם הוי' בְּב' הַבְּחִינוֹת דְּהֶעְלֵם וְגִילּוּי
Hence, this light enables oneness and interrelation within the name Havayah, unifying its two elements of concealment and revelation,
שֶׁזֶּהוּ עִנְיַן חָכְמָה וּבִינָה כוּ'.
i.e., the attributes of Chochmah and Binah.
קִצּוּר.
Summary:
בְּעַצְמוּת אוֹר אֵין סוֹף הֶעְלֵם וְגִילּוּי שָׁוִין
With regard to the essence of G‑d’s infinite light, concealment and revelation are equal.
וְלָזֹאת מִשָּׁם נִמְשָׁךְ הִתְכַּלְלוּתָם,
Hence, it is from that source that their synthesis and interrelation comes about.
יִחוּד י"ה עַל יְדֵי שֶׁמֵּאִיר אוֹר הָעַצְמִי דְאֵין סוֹף.
The yud and the hei are united through the essential light of G‑d as He is Ein-Sof shining forth.
Here, the Rebbe Rashab has summarized the theme of the entire maamar: Different and diverse potentials can function in unity and synergy due to the revelation of G-’s essential light.
