The Philosopher of Hassidism

Let us understand [at least] in a small measure, the statement in the Zohar that Shema Yisrael,.. . is Yichudah Ilaah ("higher level Unity") and Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuto Leolam Vaed is Yichudah Tataah ("lower level Unity")....

It is written: "Forever, O God, Your word stands firm in the heavens." (Psalm 119) The Ba'al Shem Tov, of blessed memory, has explained that "Your word" is that which you uttered, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters.. .", these very words and letters stand firmly forever within the firmament of heaven and are forever clothed within all the heavens to give them life, as it is written, "The word of our God shall stand firm forever" (Isaiah 40) and "God's words live and stand firm forever. ..." For if the letters were to depart [even] for an instant, God forbid, and return to their source, all the heavens would become naught and absolute nothingness, and it would be as though they had never existed at all, exactly as before the utterance, "Let there be a firmament." And so it is with all created things, in all the upper and lower worlds, and even this physical earth, which is the "Kingdom of the silent" (inanimate). If the letters of the Ten Utterances by which the earth was created during the Six Days of Creation were to depart from it [but] for an instant, God forbid, it would revert to naught and absolute nothingness, exactly as before the Six Days of Creation.

This same thought was expressed by the Ari, of blessed memory, when he said that even in completely inanimate matter, such as stones or earth or water, there is a soul and spiritual life-force— that is, the enclothing of the "Letters of speech" of the Ten Utterances which give life and existence to inanimate matter that it might arise out of the naught and nothingness which preceded the Six Days of Creation.

Now, although the name even (stone) is not mentioned in the Ten Utterances recorded in the Torah, nevertheless, life-force flows to the stone through combinations and substitutions of the letters which are transposed in the "Two hundred and thirty-one gates," either in direct or reverse order, as is explained in the Sefer Yetzirah, until the combination of the name even descends from the Ten Utterances, and is derived from them, and this is the life-force of the stone. And so it is with all created things in the world— their names in the Holy Tongue are the very "letters of speech" which descend, degree by degree, from the Ten Utterances recorded in the Torah, by means of substitutions and transpositions of letters through the "two hundred and thirty-one gates," until they reach and become invested in that particular created thing to give it life.

[This descent is necessary] because individual creatures are not capable of receiving their life-force directly from the Ten Utterances of the Torah, for the life-force issuing directly from them is far greater than the capacity of the individual creatures. They can receive the life-force only when it descends and is progressively diminished, degree by degree, by means of substitutions and transpositions of the letters and by Gematriot, their numerical values, until the life-force can be condensed and enclothed and there can be brought forth from it a particular creature. And the name by which it is called in the Holy Tongue is a vessel for the life-force condensed into the letters of that name which has descended from the Ten Utterances in the Torah, that have power and vitality to create being ex nihilo and give it life forever. For the Torah and the Holy Blessed One, are one.

Now, following these words and the truth [concerning the nature of the Creation], every intelligent person will understand clearly that each creature and being is actually considered naught and absolute nothingness in relation to the Activating Force and the "Breath of God's mouth" which is in the created thing, continuously calling it into existence and bringing it from absolute non-being into being. The reason that all things created and activated appear to us as existing and tangible, is that we do not comprehend nor see with our physical eyes the power of God and the "Breath of God's mouth" which is in the created thing. If, however, the eye were permitted to see and to comprehend the life-force and spirituality which is in every created thing, flowing into it from "That which proceeds out of the mouth of God" and "God's breath," then the materiality, grossness and tangibility of the creature would not be seen by our eyes at all, for it is completely nullified in relation to the life-force and the spirituality which is within it, since without the spirituality it would be naught and absolute nothingness, exactly as before the Six Days of Creation. The spirituality which flows into it from "That which proceeds out of the mouth of God" and "God's breath"— that alone continuously brings it forth from naught and nullity into being, and gives it existence. Hence, there is truly nothing besides God.

An illustration of this is the light of the sun which illumines the earth and its inhabitants. [This illumination] is the radiance and the light which spreads forth from the body of the sun and is visible to all as it gives light to the earth and the expanse of the universe. Now, it is self-evident that this light and radiance is also present in the very body and matter of the sun-globe itself in the sky, for if it can spread forth and shine to such a great distance, then certainly it can shed light in its own place. However, there in its own place, this radiance is considered naught and complete nothingness, for it is absolutely non-existent in relation to the body of the sun-globe which is the source of this light and radiance, inasmuch as this radiance and light is merely the illumination which shines from the body of the sun-globe itself. It is only in the space of the universe, under the heavens and on the earth, where the body of the sun-globe is not present, that this light and radiance appears to the eye to have actual existence. And here, the term YESH ("existence") can truly be applied to it, whereas, when it is in its source, in the body of the sun, the term YESH ("existence") cannot be applied to it at all, and it can only be called naught and nonexistent. There it is indeed naught and absolutely non-existent, for there, only its source, the body of the sun, gives light, and there is nothing besides it.

The exact parallel to this illustration is the relationship between all created things and the Divine flow [of the life-force] from the "Breath of God's mouth," which flows upon them and brings them into existence. God is their source, and they themselves are merely like a diffusing light and effulgence from the flow and spirit of God, which issues forth and becomes clothed in them and brings them from naught into being. Hence, their existence is nullified in relation to their source, just as the light of the sun is nullified and is considered naught and complete nothingness and is not [even] referred to as "existing" at all when it is in its source; only beneath the heavens, where its source is not present [can it be called "existing"]. In the same manner, the term YESH ("existence") can be applied to all created things only [as they appear] to our corporeal eyes, for we do not see nor comprehend at all the source, which is the spirit of G‑d, that brings them into existence. Therefore, it appears to our eyes that the materiality, grossness and tangibility of the created things actually exist, just as the light of the sun appears to have actual existence when it is not within its source.

With the above in mind, we may now understand the statement in the holy Zohar, that the verse Shema Yisrael is Yichudah Ilaah ("higher level Unity"), and Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuto Leolam Vaed is Yichudah Tataah ("lower level Unity").

The cause and reason for this Tzimtzum and concealment that the Holy Blessed One, obscured and hid the life-force of the world, to make the world appear as an independently existing entity [is as follows]: It is known to all that the purpose of the creation of the world is for the sake of the revelation of the kingdom of the Blessed God for "There is no King without a nation." The word am (nation), is related etymologically to the word ommemot (concealed, dimmed), for they are separate entities, distinct and distant from the level of the king...

The name which indicates the attribute of God's Malchut (Kingship, Royalty), may God be blessed, is the name Adnut (Lordship), for God is the "Lord of the whole earth." Thus, it is this attribute and this Name which bring into existence and sustain the world so that it should be as it is now, a completely independent and separate entity, and not absolutely nullified. For with the withdrawal of this attribute and this Name, G‑d forbid, the world would revert to its source "In the word of G‑d" and "The breath of God's mouth" and would be completely nullified there, and the name "world" could not be applied to it at all...

Now, although God is supra-spatial and supra-temporal, nevertheless, God is also found below in space and time, that is, God unites with God's attribute of Malchut from which space and time are derived and come into existence. And this is Yichudah Tataah, [the intertwining of (the letters of the name) Hava'ye with (the letters of the name) Adnut, blessed be God], i.e., God's Essence and Being, may God be blessed, which is called by the name Ein Sof ("Infinite"), completely fills the whole earth temporally and spatially. In the heavens above and on the earth [below] and in the four directions, all are equally permeated with the light of the Ein Sof, blessed be God, for God is on the earth below exactly as in the heavens above.