אַחַת מִתּוֹרוֹת הַמַּגִּיד מִמֶּעזְרִיטשׁ שֶׁשָׁמַע רַבֵּנוּ הַזָקֵן בִּהְיוֹתוֹ שָׁם בַּפַּעַם הָרִאשׁוֹנָה — שִׁלְהֵי קַיִץ תקכ"ד עַד אַחֲרֵי חַג הַפֶּסַח תקכ"ה:

אָנֹכִי עָשִׂיתִי אֶרֶץ וְאָדָם עָלֶיהָ בָרָאתִי. אָנֹכִי מִי שֶׁאָנֹכִי, שֶׁהוּא נֶעְלָם וְנִסְתָּר גַּם מִנֶּאֱצָלִים הַיוֹתֵר עֶלְיוֹנִים, הִלְבִּישׁ עַצְמוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ בְּכַמָּה צִמְצוּמִים לְהַאֲצִיל הַנֶאֱצָלִים וְלִבְרוֹא הַנִּבְרָאִים, שְׂרָפִים חַיּוֹת וְאוֹפַנִים מַלְאָכִים וְעוֹלָמוֹת עַד אֵין מִסְפָּר, וּבְצִמְצוּמִים עַד אֵין שִׁעוּר עָשִׂיתִי אֶרֶץ הַלֵּזוּ הַגַּשְׁמִית. וְאָדָם עָלֶיהָ בָרָאתִי, הָאָדָם הוּא תַּכְלִית הַהִתְהַוּוּת, וּבָרָאתִי בְּגִמַטְרִיָּא תרי"ג הוּא תַּכְלִית הָאָדָם, וּכִדְאִיתָא בְּפַרְדֵּס בְּשֵׁם סֵפֶר הַבָּהִיר, אָמְרָה מִדַּת הַחֶסֶד לִפְנֵי הקב"ה, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם מִימֵי הֱיוֹת אַבְרָם בָּאָרֶץ לֹא הוּצְרַכְתִּי אֲנִי לַעֲשׂוֹת מְלַאכְתִּי, שֶׁהֲרֵי אַבְרָם עוֹמֵד וּמְשַׁמֵשׁ בִּמְּקוֹמִי. כִּי אַבְרָהָם שֶׁהוּא נְשָׁמָה בְּגוּף, וְעוֹסֵק בְּהַכְנָסַת אוֹרְחִים לְפַרְסֵם אֱלֹקוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַתַּחְתּוֹן הוּא לְמַעְלָה בְּמַעְלָה וּבְמַדְרֵגָה לְגַבֵּי מִדַּת הַחֶסֶד דַּאֲצִילוּת. וְאָמְרָה מִדַּת הַחֶסֶד לִפְנֵי הקב"ה, הוּא קִנְאַת מִדַּת הַחֶסֶד דַּאֲצִילוּת, אֲשֶׁר קִנְאָה בַּעֲבוֹדַת אַבְרָהָם עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם.

The following is one of the teachings that the Alter Rebbe heard during his first visit to the Maggid of Mezritch, from late in the summer of 5524 (1764) until after Pesach of 5525 (1765).1 [The teaching is based on a verse from the prophet Yeshayahu.2 ]

“I (Anochi) made the earth and I created man upon it.” This means that…

Anochi,3 [a term signifying the One] Who is hidden and concealed from even the highest emanated beings, enclothed His Essence4 in numerous self-screening contractions5 in order to radiate forth the emanated beings,6 and to produce the created beings,7 [including] seraphim,8 as well as chayos9 and ofanim10 — angels and worlds beyond number. Moreover, with an infinite number of contractions,…

I made the earth — this physical world,11

and I created man upon it. Man is the ultimate purpose of creation. In fact, the numerical value of the word בראתי (“I created”) is 613, [the total number of mitzvos,] which are the ultimate purpose of man. As the Pardes12 states in the name of Sefer HaBahir: “The Attribute of Kindness complained to G‑d: ‘Master of the world, ever since Avram has been on earth, I have not been required to perform my tasks, for Avram is there to function in my stead!’”

Thus Avraham Avinu, who was a soul enclothed in a body, and who extended hospitality freely in order to make G‑d’s existence known in this nether world, far surpassed the level of the Attribute of Kindness in the World of Atzilus. Indeed, the complaint of the Attribute of Kindness reflected its envy of his Divine service.13

Delving Deeply

The Rebbe explains in a letter that the concept of tzimtzum cannot be understood simply.14 Self-contraction cannot mean that G‑d withdrew His Presence from creation, for “the whole earth is full of His glory,”15 and “there is no place devoid of Him.”16 Rather, His light is still present everywhere, though veiled.

A later letter of the Rebbe17 spells out the ramifications of this concept: To realize that G‑d is present now to the same extent that He was present before Creation means that we are constantly living face to face with the Divine Presence — like the High Priest in the Holy of Holies, or like the entire Jewish people at Sinai. Yet though the self-screening process of tzimtzum prevents us from realizing this, we are able to cause G‑d’s Presence to become manifest by means of — for example — practical acts of kindness in this world here below. And in this way, we earthy mortals stand superior to the Divine Attribute of Kindness in the sublime World of Atzilus.18