It is possible to say that this approach is synonymous with the love for G‑d described by the verse:1 “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing.”וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר, שֶׁעִנְיָן זֶה הוּא הָאַהֲבָה דְּ"מִי לִי בַשָּׁמָיִם וְעִמְּךָ לֹא חָפַצְתִּי",
As the Alter Rebbe was wont to say at times when he would enter a state of deveikus:2 (Deveikus refers to a state in which a person enters a conscious bond with G‑d that lifts him totally above material consciousness.)וְכִלְשׁוֹן אַדְמוֹ"ר הַזָּקֵן
“I desire nothing. I don’t want Your Gan Eden. Here, the term Gan Eden refers to the abode of the souls in the spiritual realms in the afterlife."אִיךְ וִויל זֶע גָאר נִיסְט אִיךְ וִויל נִיט דַאיְין גַּן עֵדֶן
I don’t want Your Olam HaBa (World to Come) …. Here, the intent of the phrase “the World to Come” is the Era of the Resurrection.אִיךְ וִויל נִיט דַאיְין עוֹלָם הַבָּא כוּ'
I want nothing but You alone.”אִיךְ וִויל מֶער נִיט אַז דִיךְ אַלֵיין".
The revelations of Gan Eden, and how much more so the revelations of the World to Come, are truly very lofty.דַּהֲגַם שֶׁהַגִּלּוּיִים שֶׁבְּגַן עֵדֶן וּמִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן הַגִּלּוּיִים דְּעוֹלָם הַבָּא הֵם גִּלּוּיִים נַעֲלִים בְּיוֹתֵר,
Moreover, the Alter Rebbe comprehended the nature of these revelations,וְאַדְמוֹ"ר הַזָּקֵן הָיְתָה לוֹ הַשָּׂגָה בָּזֶה,
For unless he understood the nature of these revelations, saying that he did not desire them would be of no significance. If an unschooled youth says he does not desire an artistic masterpiece, but instead wants something else, his comment has no significance. He does not understand its value; therefore, he does not desire it. How different it is when a connoisseur of art makes such a statement! He appreciates the value of the work and yet desires something else.
understanding them truly, i.e., in a manner in which the mind becomes completely one with the concept it understands.3הַשָּׂגָה אֲמִתִּית בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁהַשֵּׂכֶל נִתְאַחֵד עִם הַמֻּשְׂכָּל,
Intellect enables a person to bond with the idea he understands. Despite having understood, and thus bonded with, the World to Come in all its sublimity, the Alter Rebbe did not seek it. Instead, he desired “You alone.”
This approach reflects the wisdom of “the clever person.”
He does not desire the revelations of Gan Eden or the revelations of the World to Come.אַף עַל פִּי כֵן אֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לֹא בְּהַגִּלּוּיִים דְּגַן עֵדֶן וְלֹא בְּהַגִּלּוּיִים דְּעוֹלָם הַבָּא,
His will is solely and entirely focused on G‑d’s Essence: “You alone.”וְכָל רְצוֹנוֹ הוּא רַק בְּהָעַצְמוּת, 'דִיךְ אַלֵיין'.
A further point can be made. The fundamental aspect of his cleverness in not choosing the duke or the other officersוְיֵשׁ לְהוֹסִיף, דְּעִיקַּר הַפִּקְחוּת בָּזֶה שֶׁאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה בְּהַדֻּכָּסִין וְכוּ'
– (i.e., in the analogue, the intermediate levels that exist within the Spiritual Cosmos or which transcend the Spiritual Cosmos) –(הַמַּדְרֵגוֹת שֶׁבְּסֵדֶר הַהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת, וְגַם שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת)
is that he does not desire these intermediaries even when they are at one with their G‑dly source. Among the intermediariesהוּא,
are the Sefiros of Atzilus.דַּהֲגַם שֶׁהַסְּפִירוֹת
(The term sefirah relates to the term sapirus which means “shining”)4(מִלְּשׁוֹן סַפִּירוּת וּבְהִירוּת)
and these Sefiros do not conceal G‑d’s infinite light.אֵין מַסְתִּירִים עַל אוֹר אֵין סוֹף,
The intermediaries mentioned previously include angels. Although the angels’ source is in the realm of holiness and not in the realm of kelipah, they are, nevertheless, characterized by yeshus, a sense of self. They are separate entities who desire G‑dliness. The Sefiros, by contrast, are Divine attributes with no sense of self. Hence, they are able to reveal G‑d’s light without any concealment. Even so, “the clever person” does not desire even them; he desires G‑d’s Essence.
When Divine beneficence is drawn down through the Sefiros (i.e., their keilim),דִּבְהַהַשְׁפָּעָה שֶׁנִּמְשֶׁכֶת עַל יְדֵי הַסְּפִירוֹת (הַכֵּלִים)
The Sefiros comprise oros, “lights,” and keilim, “vessels.” The oros reveal G‑d’s light directly. The keilim, by contrast, reflect particular attributes: Chochmah (“wisdom”), Chessed (“kindness”), etc. Nevertheless, these attributes are entirely one with their source and
it is overtly apparent that the beneficence does not come from the Sefiros themselves, Heaven forbid,נִרְאֶה בְּגִלּוּי שֶׁהַהַשְׁפָּעָה הִיא לֹא מֵהַסְּפִירוֹת עַצְמָם חַס וְשָׁלוֹם
but emanates from G‑d’s infinite light which provides the beneficence through them.5אֶלָּא שֶׁאוֹר אֵין סוֹף מַשְׁפִּיעַ עַל יָדָם,
This is true to an even greater extent regarding the light of the Sefiros,וּבְיוֹתֵר הוּא בְּהָאוֹרוֹת דְּהַסְּפִירוֹת,
for through this light, the light that transcends the Sefiros is revealed.6שֶׁעַל יָדָם מִתְגַּלֶּה הָאוֹר שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵהֶם,
The light that shines within the Sefiros has undergone a degree of tzimtzum so that it can be enclothed within the Sefiros. Nevertheless, it is not separate from the higher levels of light from which it is drawn down and, indeed, serves to reveal them.
Certainly, it applies to the levels of light that transcend Atzilus.7וּמִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן בְּהַמַּדְרֵגוֹת שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵאֲצִילוּת,
I.e., those levels of G‑dliness whose lights are too transcendent to be revealed and are therefore referred to as “hidden worlds.”
For light reveals everything that is possible to be revealed from the Source of light.שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הָאוֹר מִתְגַּלֶּה כָּל מַה שֶּׁאֶפְשָׁר לְהִתְגַּלּוֹת מֵהַמָּאוֹר,
The words “everything that is possible to be revealed from the Source of light” imply that not everything is revealed.
To explain: Light emanates from His Essence and reveals those dimensions of His Essence that can be revealed. Nevertheless, because G‑d’s Essence is not limited to being a Source of light, there are elements of His Being that the light does not reveal. Ultimately, the light cannot reveal Who He is, for His Essence is of another nature entirely.8
Nevertheless, “the clever person” does not desire these intermediate levels;מִכָּל מָקוֹם, אֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה בָּהֶם
he desires the King alone – “I will choose the King.”אֶלָּא בְּהַמֶּלֶךְ, 'אֲנָא נָסֵיב מַלְכָּא'.
It is possible to say that this is the intent of the precise wording used by the Alter Rebbe: “I don’t want Your Gan Eden. I don’t want Your World to Come….”וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר, שֶׁזֶּהוּ גַּם דִּיּוּק לְשׁוֹן אַדְמוֹ"ר הַזָּקֵן "אִיךְ וִויל נִיט דַאיְין גַּן עֵדֶן אִיךְ וִויל נִיט דַאיְין עוֹלָם הַבָּא",
Even though he spoke about “Your Gan Eden” and “Your World to Come,” i.e., Gan Eden and the World to Come as they reveal “You,”דַּהֲגַם שֶׁהַגַּן עֵדֶן וְהָעוֹלָם הַבָּא הֵם "דַאיְין גַּן עֵדֶן", "דַאיְין עוֹלָם הַבָּא",
– implying that aside from Gan Eden and the World to Come being elevated levels in and of themselves,דְּנוֹסָף לָזֶה שֶׁהַגִּלּוּיִים דְּגַן עֵדֶן וּדְעוֹלָם הַבָּא עַצְמָם הֵם גִּלּוּיִים נַעֲלִים בְּיוֹתֵר,
and everything that is possible to be revealed from the Source of light is revealed through them –מִתְגַּלֶּה עַל יָדָם כָּל מַה שֶּׁאֶפְשָׁר לְהִתְגַּלּוֹת מֵהַמָּאוֹר,
nevertheless, a “clever person” does not desire even such lofty intermediaries.מִכָּל מָקוֹם אֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה בָּהֶם,
His entire will is focused on G‑d’s Essence: “You alone.”וְכָל רְצוֹנוֹ הוּא רַק בְּהָעַצְמוּת, דִיךְ אַלֵיין.

Summary

At times, when he would enter a state of deveikus, the Alter Rebbe was wont to say: “I desire nothing. I don’t want Your Gan Eden. I don’t want Your Olam HaBa. I want nothing but You alone.”
Even though the Alter Rebbe appreciated the richness of the revelations of Gan Eden and Olam HaBa, all that concerned him was the bond with G‑d’s Essence. Similarly, to refer back to the Midrash, although the duke and others accompany the king and are one with him, the clever person ignores them and focuses only on the king.