iGrow-Tools-Tzitzit-Derech Mitzvotecha

The 13th of Nisan is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Tzemach Tzedek, third Lubavitcher Rebbe (1789-1866). Born in Lubavitch to Devorah Leah, daughter of the Alter Rebbe, founder of Chabad Chassidus, he was raised in the home of the Ba’al haTanya, his grandfather. He married his first cousin, Rebbeztin Chaya Mushkah, daughter of Rav Dov Ber. the second Rebbe of Chabad. A few months of his father-in-law’s passing, he assumed leadership of Chabad, in 1831. The Rebbe is known as the “Tzemach Tzedek” after the title of a voluminous compendium of Halacha, Gemarah and responsa that he authored. He also authored tens of thousands of pages of Chassidic thought. In the course of his battle against the Reform movement that tried to infiltrate Russia, he forged a close alliance with Rabbi Yitzchak of Velozhin, which led to warmer relations between them and the Chassidim from that time forward.

The Creation of the world, and it’s coming into existence from nothing this, by the power of the Creator Who renews the world ex nihilo, takes place through two currents of life force flowing from Him to the world.

First is the life force emanated into the interior of existing things. By this I mean to say that the things apprehend this life force with their vessels which are qualified to receive it, such as reason, which is grasped in man’s brain, or the power of motion, which is grasped in his organs of locomotion. This holds in the same way for all the higher beings, each according to its rank.

The divine light and life force enclothed internally in the recipients are not sufficient to call the recipients into existence from nothingness, because the creation and renewal of substance ex nihilo, cannot take place except by means of an unlimited power. But this life force is enclothed in a receiving vessel which is limited, and how can a finite vessel contained this infinite force?

Hence, the genesis and continued existence of all beings must primarily come about by means of the second emanation from Him.

This emanation is not enclothed in the interior of all beings, it is not accessible to their wisdom and understanding and knowledge and other spiritual powers; these do not apprehend His essence and His existence as the brain apprehends reason, because this flow of power and life force is unlimited.

It is infinite, for it is light and life force that illuminate from the glow of His glory, and it is not within the capacity of finite beings to grasp and apprehend.

This infinite emanation animates them and brings them out of absolute nothingness into the existence they possess, and sustains them every hour and every moment. Although it is not apprehended by them internally, it exists in them and preserves them in life.

This second type of emanation is called Makif, “encompassing, surrounding,” in Kabbalah. It is not enclothed in the vessels of the recipients, each one according to his station, but nevertheless keeps all things allies.

This transcendence is the main Flow. The life force that is enclothed inwardly is called the inner light, or, Sovev.

The unlimited illumination from the glow of His glory preserves all the worlds in life ex nihilo, even though they do not apprehend. This is infinitely greater than the life force enclothed internally, for the inner light, which is called, Memalei, contracts in accordance with the nature of the receiving vessel.

Thus, the life force in this world, in its totality, is very constricted. It is limited to the four classes of mineral, vegetable, animal, and man.

In the lower Garden of Eden, which is the spiritual essence of the world of Assiyah, the life force is in a state of greater revelation; for us, whose service of God takes place in this lowly world, the lower Garden of Eden represents the reward for our service, for there the revelation of the Divine Presence is greater than in this lowly world. (Derech Mitzvotecha; Mitzvat Tzitzit)