רַבֵּנוּ בְּסֵפֶר שֶׁל בֵּינוּנִים פֶּרֶק ג' אוֹמֵר, כִּי ג' מוֹחִין חַבַּ"ד וְז' מִדּוֹת הֵם הִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת מֵעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת, דְּכָל זֶה הוּא בְּנֶפֶשׁ רוּחַ וּנְשָׁמָה שֶׁהֵם הַמִּתְלַבְּשִׁים בְּגוּף הָאָדָם, אָמְנָם עִנְיַן הַמְּסִירַת נֶפֶשׁ עַל אֱלֹקוּת, וואָס אַ אִיד נִיט עֶר וִויל אוּן נִיט עֶר קאָן זַיין חַס וְשָׁלוֹם אַ נִפְרָד מֵאֱלֹקוּת, זֶהוּ מֵעַצְמוּת אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵעִנְיַן הַסְּפִירוֹת דְּרֵאשִׁיתָם הִיא סְפִירַת הַחָכְמָה.

In chapter 3 of Tanya, the [Alter] Rebbe states that the three intellectual faculties of Chochmah, Binah and Daas,1 and the seven emotive attributes,2 are an extension of the ten supernal Sefiros. All this refers to the nefesh, ruach, and neshamah, the levels of the soul that are vested in the human body.

By contrast, the concept of mesirus nefesh [i.e., the ability to sacrifice oneself] for the sake of G‑dliness — meaning that a Jew neither wants nor is able to become severed from G‑dliness — stems from the very Essence3 of the [infinite] Ein Sof. And this [level of Elokus] transcends [even] the highest of the Sefiros, which is the Sefirah of Chochmah.4

Delving Deeply

In chapter 2 of Tanya, the Alter Rebbe describes the G‑dly soul as being “an actual part of G‑d.”5 Although he identifies the source of this soul as G‑d’s Chochmah (Wisdom), as in the teaching above, the root of a Jew’s soul is G‑d’s Essence Itself.

Why is it that “a Jew neither wants nor is able to become severed from G‑dliness”? Because his essence is G‑dly; that is the core of his reality. There is no possibility of existence outside of Him. On the contrary, He is the truth of all existence.