תשרי ו' — אגרת הקודש פרק כ

The Alter Rebbe begins by addressing what is considered the very first יש—something with a sense of independent existence—that was created. He says that the beginning of this יש is found in the הכלים די"ס דבי"ע—the vessels of the ten sefiros of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. These are the containers, the Kelim, through which G‑dliness is expressed in the lower worlds.

He adds that not only the Kelim themselves, but also the אורות נפש רוח—the levels of nefesh and ruach, the lower aspects of the soul-energy that enlivens these Kelim—are considered a יש. That is, even the spiritual energy that animates the Kelim in these worlds is already something that can be called a created existence, a yesh.

This is in contrast to the higher levels, where the sense of self is completely nullified. Here, both the Kelim and the nefesh-ruach levels of ohr are already creations with their own identity, albeit a very refined one.

Where do these first forms of יש—the Kelim and the nefesh-ruach—come from? The Alter Rebbe explains that their source is the נשמה די"ס דבי"ע—the neshama level of the ten sefiros of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. This level is described as אלקות—G‑dliness itself. In other words, the neshama is the G‑dly vitality that gives life to the Kelim and to the nefesh-ruach within them.

He then identifies this neshama level more specifically as הלמ"ד כלים דמל' דאצילות—the thirty Kelim of Malchus of Atzilus. Although we usually speak of ten sefiros, in each one there are three aspects—inside, outside, and middle—so altogether there are thirty Kelim in Malchus of Atzilus. These thirty Kelim are the source of the neshama that vitalizes the lower worlds.

This structure shows how even within the G‑dly world of Atzilus, there are gradations and divisions that ultimately allow for the emergence of a sense of yesh, of independent existence, in the lower worlds.

The Alter Rebbe continues by explaining that even within the world of Atzilus itself, there is a form of creation that comes from the חיצוניות הכלים די"ס דאצילות—the external aspect of the Kelim of the ten sefiros of Atzilus. Although these Kelim are still אלקות—G‑dly, they serve as the source for the creation of the היכלות דאצילות—the chambers or spiritual "rooms" of Atzilus.

He clarifies that these heichalos are not like the sefiros and Kelim, where the ohr (light) is internalized within the vessel. Rather, the heichalos are created from the external aspect of the Kelim, and the vitality that enlivens them comes from the level of העיגולים די"ס—the "igulim," or surrounding, encompassing lights of the ten sefiros. These are called makif, meaning they do not enter and vitalize the heichalos in an internal way, but rather surround them and give them existence from the outside.

This distinction helps us understand how, even in Atzilus, there are aspects that are more "external" and already have a sense of yesh, of being something, as opposed to the total bitul (nullification) found in the inner aspects of Atzilus.

The Alter Rebbe adds that not only the heichalos, but also the גופות המלאכים דאצילות—the bodies of the angels of Atzilus—are considered a יש, a created existence. He brings a proof from the verse ובמלאכיו ישים תהלה—"and in His angels He places praise." The word מלאכיו—His angels—refers specifically to the angels that are associated with the Kelim of Atzilus, indicating that even at this lofty level, there is already a sense of yesh, of somethingness.

However, the Alter Rebbe clarifies that these angels are not in a state of total ביטול—nullification—like an עלול לגבי עילתו—an effect in relation to its cause. In other words, although they are extremely refined and close to G‑dliness, they still possess some sense of their own existence, and are not completely nullified as is the case in the higher, more inner levels.

In summary, the Alter Rebbe is showing us that the concept of yesh, of somethingness, begins to appear already in Atzilus, in the heichalos and the gufus of the malochim, which are created from the external aspect of the Kelim. This sets the stage for the emergence of even greater yeshus in the lower worlds.