דעֶר עוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַגַּשְׁמִי אִיז אַ געֶמִישׁ פוּן גִנוּנְיָא שֶׁל הקבּ"ה (אַ צוּזאַמעֶנְקוּנפְט וואוּ ה' יִתְבָּרֵךְ כִּבְיָכוֹל קוּמְט זִיךְ צוּזאַמעֶן מִיט דעֶם אָדָם בְּחִיר הַנִּבְרָאִים) אוּן גִנַּת אֱגוֹז (בְּגִמַטְרִיָא חֵטְא). אוּן ה' יִתְבָּרֵךְ גִיט אַ בְּחִירָה חָפְשִׁית צוּם מעֶנשׁעֶן, אַז דעֶר מעֶנשׁ קעֶן זִיךְ אַלֵיין אוֹיסְקלַייבֶּען אַ וועֶג אִין לעֶבּעֶן.

1 This physical world is a mixture of G‑d’s genunya2 (a meeting place in which G‑d unites with man, the choicest of all created beings) and ginas egoz3 (“a garden of nut trees” — and the numerical value of egoz equals the numerical value of chet, meaning “sin”). G‑d gives man free choice, so that he can choose his own path in life.4

Delving Deeply

The two concepts are interrelated. Why is this world a place where a person can encounter G‑d intimately? Precisely because it is a place where there is the possibility for sin and one must exercise free choice.

To explain: Angels do not have free choice. They exist in a realm in which G‑dliness is so manifest that they have no alternative but to fulfill His will. True, they do so with an unswerving commitment and with an awesome degree of love and fear, but those feelings are not of their own making; they are a natural result of their spiritual perception.5

In this world, by contrast, G‑dliness is hidden, to the point that a person can even oppose G‑d’s will. However, precisely because of this, when a person does choose to follow G‑d, he forges an intense bond with Him in this world — G‑d’s bridal chamber.