Igeret HaKodesh: Epistle 7 - Part 2

In this prayer, which is recited as part of the introductory morning prayers preceding Hodu, we offer thanks to G‑d for our “portion” and “lot”—His self-revelation to every individual Jew. These same terms appear together in a similar context in the following two successive verses:2

These verses together indicate that the Jews’ pleasant portion and lot is a radiance of G‑dly light. A question, however, arises: Why is the G‑dliness that illumines our souls referred to by both terms, both as “our portion” and as “our lot” when “portion” can refer to any one of several identical benefactions, while “lot” indicates something which is granted exclusively to a particular individual who wins a lottery, for example, having been chosen by “lot”?

G‑d is the ultimate in simple and uncompounded unity, the very antithesis of divisibility; nevertheless, we find that our Sages here use the term “part” in relation to G‑d. How can this be?

We must perforce conclude that though G‑d Himself is indivisible, the G‑dly illumination that descends into Jewish souls can be described with the word “part,” inasmuch as it is revealed in parts, so to speak, as shall soon be explained.

The Alter Rebbe now goes on to explain the meaning of the verse in order to answer a number of simple questions: (a) Until this verse, the name “Jacob” is used consistently; why does this verse suddenly change to “Israel”? (b) How does this conclusion of the verse relate to its beginning, “And he set up an altar”? (c) What is novel about the epithet “E-l, G‑d of Israel”?

On one hand, the phrase “Holy One” (in the Hebrew original, קָּדוֹשׁ) implies that G‑d stands above and apart from creation while “blessed be He” (where the Hebrew בָּרוּךְ, lit., “blessed,” also means to descend and be revealed) implies that the level of G‑dliness which previously was “holy” and “apart”—the indirect “He” in the phrase quoted—is drawn down into the world in a revealed manner, as will soon be explained.

G‑d permeates and is present to an equal degree in all worlds. It should be noted that the term “permeates all worlds” used here does not refer to the degree of contracted G‑dliness that is generally said to “fill all worlds” according to their individual capacity to retain it. Rather, here, the Alter Rebbe refers to G‑d’s permeating all worlds to an equal degree.

In another verse we find, “The earth is filled with His glory.”7 That verse alludes merely to the “glory” and radiance of G‑dliness. Here, however, the words “I fill” refer to G‑d’s very Essence, permeating all worlds.

Now, although G‑d Himself permeates and is to be found in all worlds:

G‑d’s Name is itself merely a radiance; from it, there emanates yet another radiance.

Thus, all of creation exists from but a radiance of G‑d’s Name, which, as previously mentioned, is itself merely a radiance.

At this level, the G‑dly life-force is not merely present in created beings and worlds but actually vests itself in them: it contracts and adapts to the spiritual capacity of each particular world in which it is vested and is integrated within it.

“Numerous” describes the quantitative diminution of Divine light and life-force; “intense” alludes to their qualitative diminution, whereby the light that emerges after the contraction is entirely different from the light that originally emanated before being screened and contracted.

Within every world, the lower level develops from the higher level by way of cause and effect, the higher level serving as the cause and source of the lower.

After all these contractions and descents, then, the light manifests itself within the various worlds by becoming vested in them.

I.e., there are infinite kinds of worlds, each of which is of infinite degree,

In their Hebrew original, these three verbs allude respectively to the beings that inhabit the Worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. Accordingly, we understand that previously, reference was being made to the World of Atzilut and to those infinite worlds that are “higher” than Atzilut.

Thus, G‑d’s Being is indeed utterly uncompounded so that there cannot possibly be any division into “parts.” Nevertheless, with regard to the radiance that descends below, (whose main purpose is that it permeate the Jewish soul,) the concept of “parts” does apply.

The abovementioned rays are the 613 basic “parts” into which the radiance is diffused. More specifically, as the Alter Rebbe now goes on to say, each of these general “parts” subdivides into an infinite number of smaller “parts.”

The Alter Rebbe now goes on to say that just as the soul is made up of 248 “organs” and 365 “sinews” so that it may absorb the luminosity of the 613 general rays, so, too, are souls further divisible so that they may absorb the infinite degrees of the more differentiated rays.

We understand from the above that Adam’s soul (which comprised the innumerable sparks of individual souls) was capable of receiving the infinitely numerous detailed emanations from the radiance of the supreme will, which ultimately animates all of the individual Jewish souls.

At this point, the Alter Rebbe resumes the thought begun earlier, where it was pointed out that Jacob referred to G‑d as “E-l, G‑d of Israel,” for the soul of Jacob (otherwise known as Israel) was illumined with all the aspects of the Divine radiance, just as was the soul of Adam.

This phrase reflects the wording of a verse which begins with the words זֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אָדָם—“This is the law: A man….” Interpreted on the level of derush, these words have been taken literally to mean: “This is the Torah—Adam.”19

That, at least, is the plain meaning of the phrase quoted. On the interpretative level of derush, however, each of the three Hebrew words is here construed as follows: זֹאת (as taught in the Zohar) connotes “Torah”; לְפָנִים—“within”; בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל—“in Israel the Patriarch.” At this level, the quoted phrase thus means that “the Torah is [implanted] within, in Israel the Patriarch.”

Now in addition, Jacob, or “Israel the Patriarch,” was a vessel capable of receiving the radiance of the Torah. Hence:

Thus, when we say that Jacob called G‑d “E-l,” we imply that he called forth and drew down into his soul an all-encompassing revelation of the [infinite] Ein Sof-light that comprises all the particular details of the Torah and its mitzvot.

“The upright of heart”25 alludes to those individuals within whom the G‑dly illumination found in the intellect descends to the heart, where it inspires them with a love and an awe of G‑d. These spiritual emotions in turn add vitality to their study of the Torah and their performance of the mitzvot.

The Divine radiance felt by these individuals is termed “our portion” (חֶלְקֵנוּ, as in the quotation with which this epistle opened). This is the particular G‑dly illumination which permeates a Jew’s soul through his performance of each and every commandment and which is a portion and part of the all-encompassing illumination comprising 613 “parts.”

It is by means of the ladder of prayer that all of a man’s mitzvot ascend; this same ladder also serves as the conduit through which the resultant Divine radiance and revelation descend to this world.

Until now, the Alter Rebbe has explained the term “our portion.” He now goes on to explain the term “our lot” (in the above-quoted verse, וּמַה נָעִים גוֹרָלֵנוּ—“and how pleasant is our lot”), signifying something bestowed exclusively and merited only by lot.

All Jews are equally obliged to study the Torah and to observe its mitzvot; generally speaking, the resultant illumination from Above is likewise drawn down equally to them all.

Most souls of present generations are incarnations of souls that had descended into this world in earlier times; they descended once again in order to rectify some aspect of their previous incarnation. The degree of radiance the soul receives from Above through the performance of a particular mitzvah depends upon the era in which the soul finds itself in this world.

This means that the performance of this commandment kindled within this man a particularly luminous revelation, and it was this G‑dly light that inspired his scrupulous performance. In the spirit of this teaching, and in view of the fact that the three root letters of the word זָהִיר (translated above as “careful”) also mean “luminous,” the above-quoted question has been understood [by the Mitteler Rebbe] as follows:30 “As a result of which commandment was your father most luminous?”

Not only do souls differ: generations differ as well. There have been generations whose primary spiritual challenge was the study of the Torah; in other generations, it was charity;32 and so on.

The reason for this is that the souls of those generations were especially illuminated by the performance of those specific commandments.

How, then, can we say that a soul that descends to this world in a given period will receive its G‑dly illumination as an individualized bequest, thereby necessitating particular scrupulousness in specific commands?

Scrupulous observance indeed applies to all commandments: the question was only which command earned his keenest attention.

The fact that one person wins a “lot” while others do not is likewise not in the category of apprehensible reason. Rather, so has it been deemed from Above, as the verse indicates, “The lot is cast into the lap, and from G‑d is its disposition.”34

This, then, is the meaning of “how pleasant is our lot.” The disposition of a particular degree of G‑dly illumination to a specific soul through the performance of a select command is wholly dependent upon a consideration that transcends logic: it is a “lot” determined from Above.