תשרי כ"ט - אגרת הקודש פרק כה

The Alter Rebbe begins by addressing a fundamental question: Even though ה' אחד ושמו אחד—G‑d is one and His name is one, meaning that His speech and the breath of His mouth, which the Zohar refers to as "His name," are absolutely united and unique—how do we speak of multiple levels or manifestations of the Shekhinah?

He emphasizes that the דבורו ורוח פיו—His speech and the air of His mouth—are not separate entities, but are completely one with Him. The unity of Hashem and His name means that the Divine presence, the Shekhinah, is not something apart from G‑d Himself, but is totally bound up with His essence.

Nevertheless, the Alter Rebbe explains that the הארה והמשכת החיות—the radiance and the extension of vitality—that comes forth from the breath of His mouth, divides into ד' מדרגות שונות—four distinct levels. These correspond to the four worlds: Atzilus, Briya, Yetzirah, and Asiyah.

In other words, while the source is one, as the Divine energy descends, it is differentiated into these four categories. Each world receives a different degree of revelation and vitality, even though it all originates from the same Divine source.

The reason for this differentiation, the Alter Rebbe says, is not because of any change in the Divine itself, but because of צמצומים ומסכים—contractions and screens (or veils). These serve to contract and conceal the light and vitality, so that it does not shine as strongly in the world of Briya as it does in Atzilus.

It's like the light is being filtered through various coverings, so the amount of Divine revelation that reaches each world is different. The more coverings, the less light comes through. This is not a change in the source, but in how much is revealed or concealed in each world.

When it comes to the world of Yetzirah, the concealment is even greater. The Divine light passes through additional צמצומים ומסכים—more contractions and veils—so the revelation is even more limited than in Briya.

This process continues as the Divine energy descends from world to world, each time passing through more layers of concealment, resulting in a further reduction of the revealed light.

However, the Alter Rebbe is careful to clarify that there is absolutely no change whatsoever—אין שום שינוי ח"ו—in the essence of the Shekhinah itself, which is the word of G‑d and the breath of His mouth.

The changes we perceive are only in the way the light is revealed or concealed, not in the Divine essence. The Shekhinah remains completely unchanged and unified with G‑d, regardless of how it is manifested in the various worlds.

Even when we speak about the הארה והמשכת החיות—the radiance and extension of vitality—the Alter Rebbe explains that the radiance from Atzilus actually בוקעת המסך—breaks through the curtain—and becomes clothed in Briya.

He gives an analogy: just as sunlight can break through a curtain and illuminate a room, so too, the light of Atzilus penetrates the veil and is present in Briya. The same Divine energy is present, but it is filtered through the coverings between the worlds.

This same process continues from Briya to Yetzirah, and from Yetzirah to Asiyah. In each case, the light from the higher world breaks through into the lower world, passing through additional veils and contractions.

So, the Divine energy is always present, but the degree of its revelation is determined by how many layers it passes through on its way down.

Therefore, the אור א"ס ב"ה—the infinite light of the Ein Sof—that is in Atzilus is also present in Asiyah and even in this physical, material world. This happens ע"י התלבשותו במלכות דבי"ע—through its being clothed in the Malchus of Briya, Yetzirah, and Asiyah.

As the Alter Rebbe notes, all of this is explained in the writings of the Arizal. The essential point is that even though the Divine light is greatly contracted and concealed in our world, it is still the same Shekhinah, the same Divine presence, that is present everywhere. Everything in the world is animated by this Divine energy, even if it is hidden beneath many layers of concealment.