Nevertheless, [despite its superior manner of unity], since one must "modulate for the ear [what it is able to hear]," we can perceive and comprehend that just as in the analogy, the light of the sun which is united with and nullified in its source has no name of its own, only the name of its source, so too, all the attributes of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Will and wisdom, are not designated and called by these names at all, [relative to Him], but only in relation to the creatures which are [below the World of Atzilut, i.e., in Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah.

These creatures being both] higher and lower, which are brought into existence and given life and guided in their conduct by the Holy One, blessed be He, through His Will and wisdom and understanding and knowledge, which garb themselves in His holy emotive attributes, [such as Chesed, Gevurah and Tiferet.

Thus, the Sefirot are termed Chochmah, Binah, Daat, Chesed, and so forth, in relation to the beings which are created and vivified by G-d through His Will and wisdom, and so forth, which clothe themselves in the emotive attributes].

As it is stated in the Midrash, [7] "By means of ten things was the world created: by wisdom, by understanding and by knowledge, .... as it is written, [8] `G-d founded the earth with wisdom; He established the heavens with understanding; with His knowledge the depths of the abyss were burst open,' ....."

[We thus see from the Midrash [9] that the world was created by means of "ten things", i.e., the Ten Sefirot].

And as expressed by Elijah, [in the passage that opens with Patach Eliyahu, and forms part of the introduction to Tikkunei Zohar], "You have brought forth ten Tikkunim `[garments]', and we call them ten Sefirot, through which to direct hidden worlds unrevealed [i.e., worlds that transcend mortal comprehension] and worlds revealed [i.e., worlds that are accessible to mortal comprehension], and through them You conceal Yourself ...." - [from created beings, so that they will not be able to perceive the Divine life-force that creates and vivifies them.

The Alter Rebbe now offers an instance of how creation came about through the Sefirot].

   

Notes:

7. (Back to text) Chagigah 12a. The term "Midrash" also embraces the homiletical passages (i.e., the Aggadot) in the Talmud.

8. (Back to text) Mishlei 3:19-20.

9. (Back to text) Note of the Rebbe Shlita: "Seemingly the author ought to have quoted an explicit statement in the Mishnah [Avot 5:1], `The world was created through ten [Divine] utterances.' But [the Alter Rebbe quotes the Talmud instead, for] the Mishnah speaks of this in relation to the level of Malchut and the revelation (i.e., utterance - as explained above) of every Sefirah, while the proof sought here must relate to Chochmah and Binah, etc., themselves."