005 - TANYA CHAPTER 5 -תניא פרק ה

To further clarify, the Alter Rebbe begins by focusing on the language used by Eliyahu in the phrase לית מחשבה תפיסא בך—"no thought can grasp You." The Alter Rebbe wants us to understand precisely what is meant by this term תפיסא—grasping or holding on—when it comes to the relationship between intellect and G‑dliness.

He points out that the usual language for understanding is השגה—comprehension, or השכלה—intellectual grasp. But here, Eliyahu uses the term תפיסא, which literally means to grab or to hold. The Alter Rebbe is going to explain why this term is used, and what it teaches us about the unique connection that takes place when a person studies Torah.

This sets the stage for the chapter: to explore the special quality of Torah study, where not only does the person grasp the Torah, but the Torah also grasps the person. This is a deeper unity than what is achieved through mitzvos alone, and the Alter Rebbe will elaborate on this dual aspect of connection throughout the perek.

The Alter Rebbe now explains how intellectual comprehension works. He says that whenever a person uses his seichel—intellect—to understand and grasp an idea, the intellect actually תופס—grasps—the concept. The mind surrounds and encompasses the idea, much like one would physically grasp an object with his hand.

This means that when you understand something, your intellect is not just passively receiving information. Rather, it actively encircles the idea, holding it within the boundaries of your understanding. The concept becomes contained within your mind, and you have a sense of mastery over it.

This is the first stage in the process of learning: the intellect takes hold of the idea, surrounds it, and makes it part of your mental world. The Alter Rebbe uses this to illustrate what it means to "grasp" something intellectually, setting up the next step, where the relationship between the mind and the idea becomes even more intertwined.

But the process doesn't stop there. The Alter Rebbe continues: not only does the intellect grasp and surround the idea, but the idea itself is also נתפס ומוקף ומלובש—caught, surrounded, and enclothed—within the intellect that has comprehended it.

In other words, the idea is now fully inside the mind. It is enveloped by the intellect, and it becomes part of the person's internal world. The concept is no longer something external; it is now dressed within the person's understanding, fully integrated into his intellectual faculties.

This mutual relationship is crucial: the mind grasps the idea, but the idea is also held and contained within the mind. The Alter Rebbe is building up to show that this is a two-way relationship, which will become even more significant when he applies it to Torah study.

The Alter Rebbe adds another dimension: not only is the idea enclothed within the intellect, but the intellect itself becomes מלובש במושכל—enclothed in the concept—at the moment of comprehension.

This means that when a person is actively engaged in understanding an idea, his mind is not just holding the idea; rather, his mind is actually immersed within the idea itself. The intellect is "inside" the concept, so to speak, as it works to analyze, articulate, and fully grasp it.

This is a deeper level of unity: the mind and the idea become intertwined. The mind surrounds the idea, and the idea surrounds the mind. This is not a one-sided relationship, but a complete merging, where both the intellect and the concept are mutually enclothed within each other. The Alter Rebbe is preparing us to understand how this dynamic applies in the highest sense to Torah study, where the unity is not just intellectual, but also spiritual and divine.

To illustrate this, the Alter Rebbe gives a practical example: when a person understands and comprehends a halacha—a law—in Mishnah or Gemara, and he understands it לאשורה על בוריה—correctly and thoroughly—his intellect grasps and encompasses the halacha.

At this point, the person's mind has fully surrounded the concept; he has mastered it. But at the same time, while he is working to understand and analyze the halacha, his intellect is also מלובש בה—enclothed within it. He is "inside" the halacha, so to speak, as he delves into its details and reasoning.

This dual relationship is unique to intellectual pursuits: the mind grasps the idea, and the idea grasps the mind. The Alter Rebbe is emphasizing that this is especially true when it comes to Torah study, where the unity between the person and the Torah is even deeper, as he will explain further.

Now, the Alter Rebbe points out a unique quality of Torah study. The halacha that one is learning is not just any intellectual idea; it is actually the חכמתו ורצונו של הקב"ה—the wisdom and will of the Holy One, blessed be He. It is Hashem’s will that, for example, if Reuven claims one way and Shimon claims another, the ruling should be such-and-such. This is not merely a human legal system, but the actual will and wisdom of Hashem expressed in the world.

When a person studies a halacha in Mishnah or Gemara, he is not just learning about practical laws or what to do in a given situation. He is connecting with Hashem’s very will and wisdom, regardless of whether the case is relevant to him personally or whether it will ever occur in practice. The act of learning Torah itself is a connection to Hashem’s mind, so to speak.

This is a profound point: by understanding and internalizing a halacha, a person is absorbing Hashem’s will and wisdom into his own intellect. The Torah becomes united with the soul, and the person is literally grasping and being grasped by the divine wisdom. This is a level of connection that is unique to Torah study, beyond what is achieved through mitzvos alone.

The Alter Rebbe is highlighting that through Torah study, one is not just learning information, but is actually uniting with the infinite wisdom of Hashem. This unity is so deep that it is described as a wondrous oneness—יחוד נפלא—that cannot be found in any other form of connection, not even in the physical world where two things can never truly become one in this way. Only through Torah study does the soul become truly united with Hashem’s wisdom and will.

The Alter Rebbe now addresses a fascinating point about the study of Torah. He says that even if a particular case discussed in Torah—let's say a certain legal dispute or scenario—never actually happened and never will happen, it still has immense significance. Why? Because it was the will and wisdom of the Holy One, blessed be He, that if such a situation were to arise, and one party would claim one thing and the other would claim something else, then the ruling should be such and such. This is the רצונו וחכמתו של הקב"ה—the will and wisdom of Hashem—that is expressed in the halachic decision.

So, when a person studies and understands this halachic ruling, whether it is in the Mishnah, the Gemara, or the later halachic authorities, he is not just learning about something theoretical or irrelevant. Rather, he is actually grasping and encompassing within his intellect the רצונו וחכמתו של הקב"ה—the very will and wisdom of Hashem. This is true even if the case never happened and never will happen, because the Torah is not just a practical manual for life, but the revelation of Hashem's will and wisdom in the world.

The Alter Rebbe emphasizes that there is no other way for a person to truly grasp Hashem's will and wisdom, because, as the Zohar says, לית מחשבה תפיסא ביה—no thought can grasp Him, nor His will and wisdom, except when they are clothed in the halachos that are set before us. Only when Hashem's will and wisdom are invested in the concrete, practical halachos that we can study and understand, do we have any access to them at all.

Furthermore, not only does the intellect grasp the halacha, but the intellect itself becomes clothed in the halacha. When a person is deeply involved in understanding a halachic concept, his mind is enveloped by Hashem's wisdom. So, there is a two-way relationship: the person grasps the Torah, and the Torah grasps the person. This is a unique kind of unity that is only possible through Torah study.

The Alter Rebbe describes this connection as a יחוד נפלא—a wondrous and extraordinary unity. He says that there is no other unity like this, and nothing comparable to it exists in the physical world. This is a unity that is total and absolute, from every side and in every aspect.

In other words, when a person learns Torah, his mind and Hashem's wisdom become truly one. It's not just a superficial connection or a partial overlap; rather, it is a complete merging, a total oneness. The intellect of the person and the wisdom of Hashem are united in a way that cannot be found in any physical phenomenon.

This is the special quality of Torah study: it creates a bond with Hashem that is deeper and more complete than anything else. The unity is so profound that it is described as being "from every side and corner"—meaning, there is no aspect of the person or of the Torah that remains separate. They become completely joined together.

The Alter Rebbe now points out the tremendous advantage and unique quality that Torah study has over all other mitzvos, even over the mitzvah of Torah study performed through speech.

He says that this is an infinite and wondrous superiority—מעלה יתרה גדולה ונפלאה לאין קץ—that comes with the knowledge and comprehension of Torah, as opposed to all the other mitzvos that are performed through action or even through speech, including the mitzvah of speaking words of Torah.

In other words, the act of truly understanding and internalizing Torah with one's intellect is on a completely different level. It is not just another mitzvah among the 613; it stands apart in its ability to unite a person with Hashem in the deepest possible way. This is because, as explained, the unity achieved through comprehension is of a different order entirely.

Here, the Alter Rebbe explains what happens through all the other mitzvos that are performed with speech or action. When a person does a mitzvah—whether it is a mitzvah of speech, like saying Shema, or a mitzvah of action, like putting on tefillin—what takes place is that Hashem "clothes" the soul and surrounds it with the light of Hashem from head to toe.

In other words, the mitzvos act as a kind of garment or covering for the soul. The light of Hashem encompasses the person, enveloping him completely. This is a tremendous connection, but it is a connection of being surrounded or encompassed by holiness, rather than internalizing it.

The mitzvos create a spiritual environment around the person, drawing down the divine light and surrounding the soul. This is the effect of mitzvos performed through speech and action: they bring the light of Hashem upon the soul, but in a way that is "makif"—encompassing, rather than internal.

But when it comes to the knowledge and comprehension of Torah, there is an additional, deeper dimension. Not only is the intellect of the person clothed in Hashem's wisdom, but Hashem's wisdom itself is within the person. In other words, the Torah that the person understands and grasps becomes internalized within him.

The Alter Rebbe explains that whatever a person is able to grasp and comprehend of Torah—each person according to his intellect and capacity, whether in the plain meaning, the hints, the homiletics, or the secrets of Torah—becomes part of him. The Torah is not just something he surrounds himself with; it is something that enters into his very being.

This is a unique quality of Torah study: the person is not only enveloped by Hashem's wisdom, but Hashem's wisdom is actually inside him. The Torah that he understands becomes united with his soul, and this unity is according to the level of his comprehension and knowledge.

Because of this unique relationship, Torah is called bread and nourishment for the soul—לחם ומזון הנפש. The Alter Rebbe draws an analogy to physical bread: just as bread nourishes the body when it is eaten and digested, becoming part of the person's flesh and blood and sustaining his life, so too does Torah nourish the soul.

When a person studies Torah and truly understands it, delving into it with his intellect until it is fully grasped and united with him, the Torah becomes the very life-force and sustenance of his soul. It is not just an external connection, but an internal one, where the Torah is absorbed and becomes part of the person's spiritual makeup.

This is why Torah is described as the food of the soul: it is what gives the soul its vitality and existence, just as physical food gives life to the body.

The Alter Rebbe continues the analogy, explaining that just as physical food is digested and becomes part of the body, so too, when a person learns Torah with deep understanding, the Torah is absorbed into his soul and becomes one with him. The Torah is not just something he knows intellectually; it becomes his spiritual nourishment and life-force.

This is the meaning of the verse, "ותורתך בתוך מעי"—"Your Torah is within my innards." The Torah becomes so internalized that it is as if it is part of his very being, sustaining him from within.

Through this process, the infinite light of Hashem, which is clothed in His wisdom and Torah, becomes united with the soul of the Jew who learns and understands Torah. The Torah becomes the channel through which the soul receives its spiritual life directly from the Ein Sof, the Infinite One, blessed be He.

The Alter Rebbe now brings a teaching from the Etz Chaim (Sha'ar 44, Chapter 3), which explains that the garments of the souls in Gan Eden are the mitzvos. In other words, the mitzvos that a person performs in this world become the spiritual garments that allow the soul to receive and enjoy the divine light in the World to Come.

However, the Torah itself is the food of the souls—המזון לנשמות—for those who studied Torah lishmah, for its own sake, in this world. The Torah is what truly nourishes and sustains the soul, providing it with its spiritual vitality in Gan Eden.

The Alter Rebbe also references the Zohar (Vayakhel, daf 210), which elaborates on this idea. The mitzvos serve as the garments, but the Torah is the nourishment. This distinction highlights the unique role that Torah study plays in the spiritual life of the soul, both in this world and in the next.

The Alter Rebbe here clarifies what is meant by לשמה—for its own sake. He explains that לשמה means that a person learns Torah in order to connect his soul to Hashem through the comprehension of Torah, each person according to his own intellect.

This is not just about learning for the sake of knowledge or for any ulterior motive, but specifically with the intention that through understanding Torah, one’s soul becomes bound to Hashem. The Alter Rebbe points out that this is as it is written in Pri Etz Chaim, that the purpose of learning Torah לשמה is to achieve this connection.

So, the main idea is that the act of learning Torah should be done with the awareness and intention that it is a means of uniting oneself with Hashem—that is the true meaning of לשמה according to the Alter Rebbe.

Here, the Alter Rebbe distinguishes between two aspects: food and garments for the soul. He explains that the nourishment, the food of the soul, is called אור פנימי—an inner light. This is something that is internalized, that becomes part of the soul itself.

On the other hand, the garments are called מקיפים—surrounding or encompassing lights. These are not internalized in the same way, but rather surround the soul, providing a kind of protection or external connection.

This distinction sets up the deeper explanation that follows, where Torah is described as both food and garment for the soul, while mitzvos are primarily garments—something that surrounds and encompasses the soul, but does not become part of its very essence in the same way as Torah does.

The Alter Rebbe now brings out a fundamental point: our sages say that the study of Torah is equal to all the mitzvos. Why is this so? Because the mitzvos serve as garments for the soul—they surround and protect, but remain external. Torah, however, is both food and garment for the soul that understands it.

When a person studies Torah, the Torah becomes internalized within him. His intellect grasps the Torah, and the Torah becomes united with his soul. This is the aspect of food: just as physical bread is digested and becomes part of the body, so too the Torah, when understood and absorbed, becomes part of the soul’s very being. The Torah is not just something the soul wears; it is something the soul is nourished by and lives from.

Furthermore, when a person speaks words of Torah aloud, the breath of speech itself becomes a אור מקיף—a surrounding light. This means that Torah study provides both an internal and an external connection: it is both the inner nourishment and the encompassing garment for the soul.

The Alter Rebbe cites Pri Etz Chaim to support this, emphasizing that the mitzvos are garments, but Torah is both food and garment. This dual effect is what gives Torah study its unique and superior quality, making it the ultimate means of connecting with Hashem.