Torah Ohr Daf 35 How to Make Hashem Manifest to us Earthlings (end of Ki Imcha...)

With Rabbi Dovid Leib Shmerling from Melbourne, Australia

The 2nd interpretation of “hamashpili liros bashomayim uvaaretz” : through Torah, Tefillah and Mitzvot, we can reach a level of Bittul and Kabolas Ol which draws Godliness from the deepest source into this world. 

• This is the meaning of “ki imcha makor chaim, b’orcha nereh or”: The aspect of God that is invested in all aspects of creation (mekor chaim) is nought in the face of God Himself, Who is beyond creation (ki imcha). However, through the light of Torah and Mitzvot (b’orcha), Godliness is revealed (nireh or), both in the world and in ourselves.

To understand the verse “ki imcha…”, we need to understand Mitzvos.

• There are physical mitzvos that we perform in this world, and there are the spiritual origins of these Mitzvos, which are performed by God, so to speak. 
• In our world, the items which we perform Mitzvos with are separate from the actual performance of the Mitzvos themselves. It is the latter that has primary significance.
• For God, the Mitzvos represent the way He invests Himself into ever lower levels of (spiritual) reality. For example, Tefillin, for God, means the way Godliness is invested in Chochmah. 
• Q: seemingly, the analogy of human mitzvos to divine mitzvos breaks down when we distinguish between the items and the performance of the mitzvah: for God, there is no Chochmah or Chessed prior to/distinct from His investment into/creation of them!?
• A: The Sefirot never exist independent of Godliness. However, 1) Keilim have a distinct source from Or, and 2)when there is less Or, it is considered as if the Sefiros are like “bodies without souls”, relative to when they are “enlivened” with a full expression of Godliness. This full expression is what is caused by God’s “performance” of the Mitzvos, which causes a revelation of Or Ein Sof in Atzilus.
• Even in this world, there are 2 aspects of Mitzvot:

1. To cause a revelation of OE”S in Atzilus (as mentioned above). This is done by Tzaddikim. This explains the first level of “hamashpili…” mentioned in the maamer: in galus, the Or of Atzilus ascends to Atzmus, which thus allows for the existence of things that oppose Godliness and the Jewish people (a dream state). Through the Torah and Mitzvot of Tzaddikim, this Or is present in Atzilut (shamayim vaaretz), which provides special, open providence for the Jews. [In this case, shamayim vaaretz refers to where the revelation occurs.]
2. The origin of Atzilut is in Kesser of Atzilus. This Kesser originates in Malchus d’Ein Sof. Drawing from Ein Sof into Kesser and then Atzilus is achieved through Mitzvot done with bittul (arets) and Ahavah Rabbah (shamayim). These Mitzvot are done by Beinonim, who draw OE”S into Atzilut through refining the world. [In this case, shamayim vaaretz refers to how the revelation occurs.]

• Ki imcha mekor chaim= every source of a given world (Kesser/Ratzon shebichol olam) is totally naught relative to Atzmus. However, b’orcha neereh or: through Mitzvot, we draw down Godliness itself (Atmus Or d’A”K) into this world (hamashpili liros), which causes renewed providence over the Jewish people (hashkifa…). 

Concepts

1. Human and Godly Mitzvos.
2. Oros and Keilim have different origins.
3. Tzaddikim and Beinonim achieve the same thing in different ways.
4. Malchus of a previous level becomes the Kesser of the following one.

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