Tanya — Likutei Amarim לִקּוּטֵי אֲמָרִים, Chapter 20

וְהִנֵּה מוּדַעַת זֹאת לַכֹּל, כִּי מִצְוַת וְאַזְהָרַת עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, שֶׁהֵם שְׁנֵי דִבְּרוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, ״אָנֹכִי״ וְ״לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ״, הֵם כְּלָלוּת כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כוּלָּהּ; כִּי דִּבּוּר ״אָנֹכִי״ – כּוֹלֵל כָּל רַמַ״ח מִצְוֹת עֲשֵׂה, וְ״לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ״ – כּוֹלֵל כָּל שַׁסַ״ה מִצְוֹת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, וְלָכֵן שָׁמַעְנוּ ״אָנֹכִי״ וְ״לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ״ לְבַד מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה כְּמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵם כְּלָלוּת הַתּוֹרָה כוּלָּהּ.

It is well known that the commandment and admonition concerning idolatry, which are contained in the first two commandments of the Decalogue—“I am” and “You shall not have any other gods”—comprise the entire Torah. For the commandment “I am” contains all the 248 positive precepts, while the commandment “You shall not have” contains all the 365 prohibitions., beg. Parashat Yitro. Zohar II:276a. That is why we heard only “I am” and “You shall not have” directly from the Almighty, as our Sages say, 24a. The other eight Commandments were relayed by Moses. “because these two are the sum total of the whole Torah.”

וּלְבָאֵר הֵיטֵב עִנְיָן זֶה, צָרִיךְ לְהַזְכִּיר תְּחִלָּה בִּקְצָרָה עִנְיָן וּמַהוּת אַחְדּוּתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, שֶׁנִּקְרָא ״יָחִיד וּמְיוּחָד״, ״וְכֹל מַאֲמִינִים שֶׁהוּא לְבַדּוֹ הוּא״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה קוֹדֶם שֶׁנִּבְרָא הָעוֹלָם מַמָּשׁ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאוֹמְרִים: ״אַתָּה הוּא עַד שֶׁלֹּא נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם, אַתָּה הוּא מִשֶּׁנִּבְרָא כוּ׳״, פֵּירוּשׁ – ״הוּא״ מַמָּשׁ בְּלִי שׁוּם שִׁינּוּי, כְּדִכְתִיב: ״אֲנִי ה׳ לֹא שָׁנִיתִי״. כִּי, עוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְכֵן כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים – אֵינָם פּוֹעֲלִים שׁוּם שִׁינּוּי בְּאַחְדּוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ בְּהִבָּרְאָם מֵאַיִן לְיֵשׁ.

In order to elucidate this matter clearly, we must first briefly refer to the subject and essence of the Unity of the Holy One, blessed is He, Who is called One and Unique, and “all believe that He is All Alone,” exactly as He was before the world was created, when there was naught besides Him, as is written, “You were [the same] before the world was created; You are [the same] since the world has been created….” This means exactly the same without any change, as it is written, “For I, the L–rd, have not changed,” inasmuch as this world and likewise all supernal worlds do not effect any change in His Unity, blessed be He, by their having been created ex nihilo.

שֶׁכְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה הוּא לְבַדּוֹ הוּא יָחִיד וּמְיוּחָד קוֹדֶם הִבָּרְאָם, כֵּן הוּא לְבַדּוֹ הוּא יָחִיד וּמְיוּחָד אַחַר שֶׁבְּרָאָם, מִשּׁוּם דְּכוּלָּא קַמֵּיהּ כְּלָא חֲשִׁיב, וּכְאַיִן וָאֶפֶס מַמָּשׁ.

For just as He was All Alone, Single and Unique, before they were created, so is He One and Alone, Single and Unique after they were created, since, beside Him, everything is as nothing, verily as null and void.

כִּי הִתְהַוּוּת כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים מֵאַיִן לְיֵשׁ, וְחַיּוּתָם וְקִיּוּמָם הַמְקַיְּימָם שֶׁלֹּא יַחְזְרוּ לִהְיוֹת אַיִן וָאֶפֶס כְּשֶׁהָיָה, אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא דְּבַר ה׳ וְרוּחַ פִּיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ הַמְלוּבָּשׁ בָּהֶם.

For the coming into being of all the upper and nether worlds out of nonbeing, and their life and existence sustaining them from reverting to nonexistence and nought, as was before, is nothing else but the word of G–d and the breath of His mouth, blessed be He, that is clothed in them.

וּלְמָשָׁל, כְּמוֹ בְּנֶפֶשׁ הָאָדָם, כְּשֶׁמְּדַבֵּר דִּבּוּר אֶחָד; שֶׁדִּבּוּר זֶה לְבַדּוֹ כְּלָא מַמָּשׁ, אֲפִילוּ לְגַבֵּי כְּלָלוּת נַפְשׁוֹ הַמְדַבֶּרֶת, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת לְבוּשׁ הָאֶמְצָעִי שֶׁלָּהּ, שֶׁהוּא כֹּחַ הַדִּבּוּר שֶׁלָּהּ, שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְדַבֵּר דִּבּוּרִים לְאֵין קֵץ וְתַכְלִית; וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן לְגַבֵּי בְּחִינַת לְבוּשׁ הַפְּנִימִי שֶׁלָּהּ שֶׁהוּא הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה, שֶׁמִּמֶּנָּה נִמְשְׁכוּ הַדִּבּוּרִים וְהִיא חַיּוּתָם; וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר לְגַבֵּי מַהוּת וְעַצְמוּת הַנֶּפֶשׁ, שֶׁהֵן עֶשֶׂר בְּחִינוֹתֶיהָ הַנִּזְכָּרוֹת לְעֵיל: חָכְמָה־בִּינָה־דַּעַת כוּ׳, שֶׁמֵּהֶן נִמְשְׁכוּ אוֹתִיּוֹת מַחֲשָׁבָה זוֹ הַמְלוּבָּשׁוֹת בְּדִבּוּר זֶה כְּשֶׁמְּדַבֵּר, כִּי הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה הִיא גַּם כֵּן בְּחִינַת אוֹתִיּוֹת כְּמוֹ הַדִּבּוּר, רַק שֶׁהֵן רוּחָנִיּוֹת וְדַקּוֹת יוֹתֵר.

To illustrate from the soul of a human being:When a man utters a word, this utterance in itself is as absolutely nothing even when compared only with his general “articulate soul,” which is the so-called middle “garment,” namely, its faculty of speech, which can produce speech without limit or end; all the more when it is compared with its so-called innermost “garment,” namely, its faculty of thought, which is the source of speech and its life-force, not to mention when it is compared with the essence and entity of the soul, these being its ten attributes mentioned above, viz., chochmah, binah, daat (chabad), and so on, from which are derived the “letters” of thought that are clothed in the speech when it is uttered. For thought can as much be defined in terms of “letters” as speech, except that in the former they are more spiritual and refined.

אֲבָל עֶשֶׂר בְּחִינוֹת חָכְמָה־בִּינָה־דַּעַת כוּ׳, הֵן שֹׁרֶשׁ וּמְקוֹר הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה, וְאֵין בָּהֶם בְּחִינַת אוֹתִיּוֹת עֲדַיִין קוֹדֶם שֶׁמִּתְלַבְּשׁוֹת בִּלְבוּשׁ הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה.

But the ten attributes—chochmah, binah, daat (chabad), and so forth—are the root and source of thought, and, prior to their being clothed in the garment of thought, still lack the element of “letters.”

לְמָשָׁל, כְּשֶׁנּוֹפֶלֶת אֵיזוֹ אַהֲבָה וְחֶמְדָּה בְּלִבּוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם, קוֹדֶם שֶׁעוֹלָה מֵהַלֵּב אֶל הַמּוֹחַ לְחַשֵּׁב וּלְהַרְהֵר בָּהּ – אֵין בָּהּ בְּחִינַת אוֹתִיּוֹת עֲדַיִין, רַק חֵפֶץ פָּשׁוּט וַחֲשִׁיקָה בַּלֵּב אֶל הַדָּבָר הַהוּא הַנֶּחְמָד אֶצְלוֹ.

For example, when a man suddenly becomes conscious of a certain love or desire in his heart, before it has risen from the heart to the brain to think and meditate about it, it has not yet acquired the element of “letters”; it is only a simple desire and longing in the heart for the object of his affection.

וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן קוֹדֶם שֶׁנָפְלָה הַתַּאֲוָה וְהַחֶמְדָּה בְּלִבּוֹ לְאוֹתוֹ דָבָר, רַק הָיְתָה בְּכֹחַ חָכְמָתוֹ וְשִׂכְלוֹ וִידִיעָתוֹ, שֶׁהָיָה נוֹדָע אֶצְלוֹ אוֹתוֹ דָבָר שֶׁהוּא נֶחְמָד וְנָעִים וְטוֹב וְיָפֶה לְהַשִּׂיגוֹ וְלִידָּבֵק בּוֹ, כְּגוֹן: לִלְמוֹד אֵיזוֹ חָכְמָה, אוֹ לֶאֱכוֹל אֵיזֶה מַאֲכָל עָרֵב, רַק לְאַחַר שֶׁכְּבָר נָפְלָה הַחֶמְדָה וְהַתַּאֲוָה בְּלִבּוֹ בְּכֹחַ חָכְמָתוֹ וְשִׂכְלוֹ וִידִיעָתוֹ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ חָזְרָה וְעָלְתָה מֵהַלֵּב לַמּוֹחַ – לְחַשֵּׁב וּלְהַרְהֵר בָּהּ אֵיךְ לְהוֹצִיא תַּאֲוָתוֹ מִכֹּחַ אֶל הַפּוֹעַל לְהַשִּׂיג הַמַּאֲכָל, אוֹ לְמִידַת הַחָכְמָה בְּפוֹעַל, הֲרֵי בְּכָאן נוֹלְדוּ בְּחִינוֹת אוֹתִיּוֹת בְּמוֹחוֹ, שֶׁהֵן אוֹתִיּוֹת כִּלְשׁוֹן עַם וָעָם הַמְדַבְּרִים וְהַמְהַרְהֲרִים בָּהֶם כָּל עִנְיְינֵי הָעוֹלָם:

All the more so before he began to feel in his heart a craving and desire for that thing, and it is as yet confined within the realm of his wisdom, intellect, and knowledge, that is, the thing is known to him to be desirable and gratifying, something good and pleasant to attain and to cling to, as, for instance, to learn some wisdom or to eat some delicious food. Only after the desire and craving have already found their way into the heart, through the stimulus of his wisdom, intellect, and knowledge, and then ascended once more back to the brain, to think and meditate on how to translate his craving from the potential into the practical, with a view to actually obtaining that food or acquiring that wisdom—it is here that the so-called “letters” are born in his mind, such “letters” corresponding to the language of each nation, employing them in speech and thought about all things in the world.