Igrot Kodesh · Letter 449 — Sefirot Classification and Eagerness in Mitzvot

A) The Chassidic* discourse 'it has a pleasant taste' (5709): at the end of the third paragraph, the ten Sefirot*[2] are classified in two ways — (1) longitudinal/vertical (top to bottom by refinement): Chochmah/Binah/Da'at,* then Chesed/Gevurah/Tiferet,* then Netzach/Hod/Yesod* — three groupings corresponding to head, body, and feet in the 'Heavenly Man;'* (2) horizontal (right to left): Chochmah/Chesed/Netzach* on the right, Binah/Gevurah/Hod* on the left, Da'at/Tiferet/Yesod* at the center — consult the Bad Kodesh* of the Mitteler Rebbe;* both are views of the 'Heavenly Man.'

B) The verse Shmuel I 15:29 — Shmuel tells Shaul: 'He is not a man who repents.' What was new for Shaul? Response: Shaul requested that his teshuvah* be accepted as Hashem* always does; Shmuel explained that Shaul's sin had reached beyond the level of the 'Heavenly Man' (where the right and left sides respond to the deeds of creatures) — at verse 28 Shmuel said 'He gave your kingdom to your better;' this transcends the 'Heavenly Man' level, where 'He is not a man who repents.' See Torah Or* on Parshat Yitro,* end of the discourse 'remember the Shabbat day to sanctify it.'

C) Why did I transmit the Previous Rebbe's* answer so quickly? Four reasons: (1) 'Do not do to your friend what you hate yourself' — if someone withheld a response from the Rebbe I would be unhappy; (2) Iggeret HaKodesh* chapter 21: when it is a mitzvah* (especially loving one's neighbor), show joy and eagerness to do Hashem's will; (3) a heavenly blessing must quickly receive its material formulation; the Kohen's* blessing is likened to almonds[4] (which bloom quickly), per Likkutei Torah* end of Korah* and Derech Mitzvotecha;* (4) the Previous Rebbe* was tired, but when asked whether the question could wait until tomorrow, he asked to be asked immediately — from which I derived that I too must respond immediately.