Igeret HaKodesh: Epistle 29

29 “A woman of valor is the crown of her husband….”

The Gemara, in ch. 4 of Megillah,4 [commenting on the teaching of our Sages in Avot5 that] “He who makes use of the crown passes away [from this world],” states: “This applies to one who makes use of one who studies halachot, which are the crown of the Torah….”

The Gemara in Megillah goes on to say: “It was taught in the Academy of Elijah that ‘Whoever studies halachot is assured [of a share in Olam Haba—the World to Come].”’

Now, it needs to be understood why the halachot are referred to as a “crown” or “the crown of the Torah.”

Furthermore, why is it that he who studies specifically halachot is assured [of a share in the World to Come] and not other Torah subjects, such as Scriptures, Midrash, and the like?

One also needs to understand the teaching of our Sages, of blessed memory, in ch. 11 of Menachot,9 that “even if one studied only a single chapter in the morning [and a single chapter in the evening], he has fulfilled his obligation [to study Torah].’’

Why is one’s duty not fulfilled by other Torah subjects?

However, it is well known that Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, of blessed memory, stated11 that [the soul of] every Jew needs to be reincarnated many times until he will fulfill12 all 613 commandments of the Torah in thought, speech, and action, i.e., using all three soul-garments with which one performs the commandments.

This is in order to complete the garments of his soul and to correct them so that no garment will be incomplete.

Excepted13 are the commandments incumbent only upon a king14 because he discharges the obligation of all of Israel, as he is a corporate collective of them all.15

The reason is in order to garb all the 613 aspects and powers of one’s soul,

so that not one of them—of these 613 aspects and powers of the soul—will be lacking.

An explanation for the indispensability of these garments is given in the Zohar16 and is understandable by every thinking person.

For the nefesh, ruach, and neshamah in man are created entities and hence inherently limited, and it is impossible for any created being to attain any apprehension of the blessed Creator and Former of all, Who is infinite.

Moreover, even after G‑d has radiated [a glimmer] of His blessed light and has caused an emanation in the form of an evolution of numerous [descending] degrees, level beyond level,

by way of intense contractions and numerous, immense garments that obscure G‑dliness—

these are familiar to the students of the Kabbalah,

and in the Idra Rabba,17 these [contracted degrees of Divine illumination] are referred to as “hairs,”

and as is written in Daniel, “And the hair of His head is like white wool…”18 (from which we see that certain degrees of spiritual downflow are referred to by the term “hair”)—

nevertheless, even after the screening effected by these mighty contractions, neither the nefesh nor the ruach and neshamah can endure the light,

for the light is good and sweet…so intensely so, in fact, that no created being can receive it without expiring, as will soon be explained.

As it is written, “to behold the pleasantness (no’am) of G‑d.”19 [The term no’am] denotes pleasantness, agreeableness, and sweetness, and an infinitely intense delight,

as it is written, “Then you will delight yourself in G‑d,”20

and21 “He will sate your soul with a pleasurable thirst (tzachtzachot)….”22

[The word tzachtzachot] is related to23 tzichei tzama (“parched with thirst”); it denotes a thirst that cannot be slaked, for the pleasure involved is endless,

as stated in the Zohar.24

It is not in [the soul’s] power to absorb the pleasantness and agreeableness of the [above] pleasurable thirst without leaving its husk, i.e., its limitation, and becoming wholly nullified, just like a candle-flame [becomes entirely nullified] in a torch,

were it not that from this very light, there will evolve and issue forth some minute radiance, by way of an evolution of level after level, with multitudinous contractions,

until a single garment is created of [this contracted light], a creation akin to the nature of this light, with which to garb the nefesh, ruach, and neshamah.

By way of this garment, which is akin to this light, [the soul] can derive enjoyment from the ray of this light, and apprehend it, without becoming wholly nullified out of existence.

This is analogous to someone looking at the sun through a fine and lucid speculum.

Thus, it is written, “And Moses entered the midst of the cloud, and he ascended [the mountain]”25;

that is, he vested himself in the cloud, and ascended, and saw by way of the cloud…. I.e., the cloud served as a garment by means of which Moses was able to receive the revelations on Sinai.

Thus, it is explained in the Zohar, Volume II, pp. 210 and 229.

Now, this light, hidden away for the righteous for the Time to Come, is termed (as above) the “pleasantness of G‑d,” and the “pleasurable thirst” of “delighting in G‑d,”

and also “the 400 Worlds of Longing in which the tzaddikim delight…”26 as it is written, “400 shekalim of silver (kesef)….”27

This [light] comprises very many rungs and levels, one superior to the other.

But the minute radiance, which descends level after level to create this garment that garbs the soul, belongs to the lowest level of this light.

Metaphorically speaking, it is referred to as the external level, or achorayim,

as stated in the Zohar, p. 208b (29cf. the commentary entitled Mikdash Melech30) and 210b: “And that which is left…,” meaning that the light which is the source of the garment is of the most external or hindmost level.

Now, in the soul of man, there is a faculty for pleasure: [the soul] takes pleasure in what it finds pleasurable,31 as in the conception of a new insight, or the like.

The external and hindmost aspect of [the soul’s] power and state of delight is its faculty of will, willing that which it wills, i.e.,32 something that is not painful, for pain is the opposite of delight.

Metaphorically speaking, it is the same with the [infinite] Ein Sof-light, as it were:

The supernal will is the external and hindmost aspect (i.e., the resultant chitzoniyut and achorayim) of the abovementioned supernal delight, the “pleasantness of G‑d,” the “pleasurable thirst,” and the “Worlds of Longing.”

Though these—the supernal delight and the supernal will—are fused in absolute unity, for [G‑d] and His Will are one,

and not (heaven forfend) like the will of man, neither wholly nor partially,

there being no similarity whatsoever between them,

nevertheless, “the Torah speaks in human idiom”33 in order “to modulate for the ear what it is able to hear,”34 with allegory and metaphor relating to the soul of man, which compounds the faculty of delight, will, wisdom, understanding, and so on.

This is empirically evident, for when a person conceives some wonderful new insight, then at that moment, at least, a wondrous delight is born35 in his mind.

Thus, it follows that the capacity for pleasure surpasses by far the faculty of intellect and wisdom; it merely is vested in the faculty of intellect and wisdom.

Thus, when a man feels [a subject of] intellect and wisdom, that is, he apprehends and understands it well, he then also senses the faculty of pleasure which is vested in the [subject of] wisdom.

That is why in the sacred Zohar,36 the faculty of binah is referred to as “the World to Come.”

For it is the state of manifestation of chochmah, together with the delight vested in it, which the righteous in the Garden of Eden apprehend and conceive [new insights] in the pnimiyut (i.e., the innermost, mystical dimension) of the Torah.

For the Torah derives from chochmah,37 and38 the Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one.39

Now, the supernal will is termed and referred to by the Kabbalists40 as keter elyon (“the supreme crown”). In it, there are 620 pillars of light,41 620 being the numerical equivalent of the Hebrew word keter.

That is, by way of analogy, just as in a large brick house42 there are pillars standing in the ground and their apex is connected with the ceiling, thereby connecting the lowest part of the house with the highest,

precisely so, metaphorically speaking, the supernal keter transcends the level of chochmah, which is the first and highest of the inner sefirot.

[The word keter] is related to koteret (“capital”),43 for it surrounds and encompasses over the brain in the head, i.e., the faculties of ChaBaD—the faculties of chochmah, binah, and daat.

This [supernal] will is vested in the 613 commandments of the Torah and the seven precepts of the Sages, practically all of which are operative commandments. I.e., their performance involves physical action, which represents the lower or corporeal aspect of the lowest of the four spiritual “worlds,” the World of Asiyah (“the World of Action”).

And even those commandments (such as verbalized Torah study) that depend upon speech, nevertheless, even though speech is more spiritual than physical action, they too belong to the category of practical action—

for we have an accepted halachic principle that “the movement of one’s lips [in speech] is regarded as an act.”44

And even those commandments relating to thought or to the heart—such as the commandments regarding the love and awe of G‑d, are also considered as physical acts—

the commandments45 were given only to physical man in this [physical] world,

because he has the choice to turn his heart to good, and so on.46 The soul without a body, however, need not be commanded about this.

Thus, it follows that the commandments, metaphorically speaking, are like pillars that stand [and connect] from the highest of levels, viz., the supernal will, to this material world.

Metaphorically speaking, they are like hollow pillars that encompass and garb (with the garment of mitzvot) man’s neshamah, or ruach, or nefesh, when he fulfills the commandments.

By way of these pillars of the mitzvot, his nefesh, ruach, and neshamah ascend to the highest of levels to be bound up “in the bond of life with G‑d,”47 that is, to be bound up and vested in the light of keter, which is the supernal will, the highest level of all the worlds.

And by means of this garment, they are able to behold the “pleasantness of G‑d” and the “pleasurable thirst” which transcend the level of keter and, metaphorically speaking, are its pnimiyut. I.e., the “pleasantness of G‑d” and the “pleasurable thirst” are the inner core of the light of keter, which transcends all worlds.

(48Though it is explained elsewhere that the commandments are the pnimiyut (i.e., the innermost element) of the supernal will while here, it is explained that they are merely the external aspect of keter, i.e., the external aspect of the supernal will,

the students of the Kabbalah are well acquainted with the multitude of aspects and levels within every aspect and level among the various levels of holiness.

There are numerous aspects of “face to face,” meaning (since panim is related to pnimiyut) that relative to a particular spiritual level, another level is even more “internal,” or nearer to the Essence, and there are numerous aspects of “externality to externality,” meaning the reverse, without end….)

Now, the seven precepts of the Sages are not counted as commandments in themselves, for it has been said, “You shall not add [to the commandments].”49

Rather, they derive and issue from the commandments of the Torah and are included in them in the sum of 613 [commandments], which garb the 613 aspects and powers in the nefesh, ruach, and neshamah of man.

This is the meaning of the statement in the sacred Zohar, Parashat Pekudei (p. 229b), that “the good deeds (i.e., the mitzvot) which man does elicit a garment from the light of the supernal splendor…(i.e., from the level of keter), and they behold…the ‘pleasantness of G‑d…,’” and also, as the Zohar concludes, they experience the “pleasurable thirst” (i.e., the pnimiyut of keter).

Though there, [the Zohar] speaks of the Lower Garden of Eden, where the garments derive from the truly practical commandments so that they result not from the supernal will, as above, but from the merit of physical action,

while in the Upper Garden of Eden, the garments derive from the love and devotion of the heart with respect to Torah and prayer, as stated in the Zohar ad loc. (p. 210),

however, this devotion (from whence these garments derive) refers to the devotion of one’s occupation with Torah for its own sake, out of one’s love for G‑d.

The commandment to study Torah also belongs to the class of practical commandments,

for “the movement of one’s lips [in speech] is regarded as an act,”44 and “meditation does not count as speech”50; thus, one does not discharge his duty by meditation alone.51

The same applies to prayer52; here, too, one must actually articulate the words.

And certainly so, considering that the superiority of devotion (kavanah) over speech and action (inasmuch as devotion can create garments for the soul in the Upper Garden of Eden) is not due to its own merits…, as in the loving service of G‑d,

but because of the radiance from the supernal will…,

as explained at length in Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 38; see there.

Now, as is known, the supernal will, as vested in the 613 commandments of the Written Torah, is hidden and covered, secreted and concealed. It is manifest only in the Oral Torah.53

For example, the precept of tefillin: In the Written Torah, it is stated, “And you shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.”54

This is an indistinct and obscure statement, for Scripture did not explain how and what to bind, nor what frontlets are, nor where is “between your eyes” or “on your hand,”

until the Oral Torah explicates55 that one needs to bind a single box on the hand, and four boxes on the head, containing four Scriptural passages.

Moreover, the boxes are to be made of prepared leather, and necessarily square, and to be tied by means of leather straps which need to be black,56

with all the other detailed rulings governing the making of tefillin that were stated orally, i.e., that are found in the Oral Torah.

Also, “on your hand” refers only to the arm and not to the palm of the hand,57 and “between your eyes” refers to the scalp and not to the forehead.58

Likewise, all the commandments of the Torah, whether they be positive precepts or prohibitory precepts, are not revealed and known and made explicit except through the Oral Torah.

For instance, the prohibitory precept that has been stated with respect to the Shabbat, “You shall do no work”59: [the Written Torah] does not specify what constitutes work.

In the Oral Torah, however, it is explicated60 to refer to the well-known 39 forms of work and not (only) to the carrying of stones or heavy beams, which is only Rabbinically prohibited.61

And as it is with these—with the above examples of tefillin and Shabbat—so it is with all the commandments, whether they be positive precepts or prohibitory precepts: they are indistinct and are explicated and revealed and known only through the Oral Torah.

This is why Scripture says66 of the Oral Torah, “And you shall not cast off the teaching of your mother,” as stated in the Zohar.67

Metaphorically speaking, just as all the organs of a child are comprised, very latently, in the sperm of the father, and the mother brings this out into a state of manifestation when giving birth to a child complete with 248 organs and 365 sinews,

exactly so do the 248 positive precepts and the 365 prohibitory precepts emerge from obscurity to manifestation through the Oral Torah, which is therefore called the “teachings of your mother,”

whereas the beginning of the verse, “Heed, my son, the admonitions of your father,” alludes to the Written Torah, which derives from the supernal chochmah, which is called “father.”

This, then, is the meaning of the verse quoted at the outset of the present epistle, “A woman of valor is the crown of her husband.” For the Oral Torah is termed a “woman of valor” who gives birth to and raises many legions.

As it is written, “and alamot (‘maidens’) without number”69: Do not read alamot but olamot (‘worlds’),”70 [these innumerable worlds] alluding to the halachot that are without number, as stated in the Tikkunim.71

All of these [halachot] are manifestations of the supernal will, which is hidden in the Written Torah.

The supernal will (which belongs to the sefirah of keter, lit., “crown”) is exceedingly more sublime than the level of the supernal chochmah, just as a crown or wreath is higher than the brains in the head.

This is why the halachot are referred to as a “crown” and the “crown of the Torah,” for they reveal the supernal will, which is at the level of keter.

Likewise, “Whoever studies [specifically] halachot is assured of a share in the World to Come,”

by investing his nefesh, ruach, and neshamah in the supernal will,

as stated above—that the garments for the soul in the World to Come are the mitzvot; these embody the supernal will, which is clarified and delineated by the halachot.