כ"ה חשון – אגרת הקודש פרק ל"א

The Alter Rebbe begins by stating that it is well known, as brought in the תיקוני זוהר—Tikkunei Zohar, that שכינתא איהי מרעא בגלותא—the Shekhinah is, G‑d forbid, sick in exile. The word מרעא means sick, and this is the state of the Shekhinah while the Jewish people are in Golos—exile.

This teaching is not just a mystical idea; it is something that is known and accepted among those who study the inner dimensions of Torah. The Shekhinah, the Divine Presence, is described as being in a state of illness during the time of exile, reflecting a spiritual deficiency that comes about when there is a lack of unity among the Jewish people.

What does it mean that the Shekhinah is sick? The Alter Rebbe explains this with an analogy from physical health. Just as in the human body, the cause of sickness or health depends on the circulation and flow of life from the heart to all the limbs. The life force, which is enclosed in the blood of the soul, flows out from the heart and reaches every limb.

This life force, called דם הנפש—the blood of the soul, travels from the heart and circulates throughout the body. The רוח חיים—spirit of life, and the blood, go round and round, passing through all the limbs and the veins that are embedded within them, and then the blood returns to the heart.

The analogy is being drawn to show that just as the body depends on this constant, uninterrupted flow for its health, so too does the spiritual body of the Jewish people and the Shekhinah depend on a similar kind of circulation and connection.

When this circulation and flow of the רוח חיים—spirit of life, is functioning properly, in a constant and orderly way, as it was set up by the Source of all life, then the person is completely healthy. All the limbs are connected together, and each one receives its appropriate vitality from the heart through this circulation.

This means that the health of the body depends on the unity and connection of all its parts, each one receiving what it needs from the heart. The analogy is clear: when there is unity and proper connection among the Jewish people, the spiritual flow from the Shekhinah reaches everyone as it should.

However, if there is any kind of damage or blockage in any place that prevents, delays, or diminishes the circulation and flow of the blood together with the רוח חיים—spirit of life, then the connection that ties all the limbs to the heart through this circulation is interrupted or weakened.

In such a case, a person can fall ill and be bedridden—חולי, may Hashem protect us. The point is that any disruption in the flow causes illness, because the limbs are no longer properly connected to the heart. This is the physical analogy for what happens spiritually when there is a lack of unity among the Jewish people.

So too, in the spiritual sense, all the souls of Israel are called the אברי דשכינתא—the limbs of the Shekhinah, while the Shekhinah itself is called the לב—the heart. As it is written, "צור לבבי"—the Rock of my heart, and also, "ושכנתי בתוכם"—I will dwell among them.

The meaning of the word שכינה—Shekhinah, is that the light of Hashem dwells in the worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah to give them life. The Shekhinah is the aspect of G‑dliness that rests within creation, providing vitality and existence to all that is found within these worlds.

This flow of Divine vitality comes about specifically through first being enclosed within the souls of Israel. The reason is that all created beings have no comparison to the Creator; before Him, all is considered as nothing. Therefore, it is impossible for them to receive their life-force directly from Hashem's light and flow, to be created from nothing into something and to exist and live.

The other creations cannot receive this energy directly because it is too lofty for them. The Shekhinah, the Divine Presence, must first be drawn into the souls of Israel, and only then can it be extended to the rest of creation. This is because the souls of Israel are uniquely suited to receive and transmit this Divine vitality.

Rather, it is only through the souls of Israel, who עלו במחשבה—arose in Hashem's thought, and preceded the creation of the worlds that were brought into being through speech. As our Sages teach, "With whom did the Holy One, blessed be He, consult before creating the world? With the souls of Israel." This is explained elsewhere.

This means that the souls of Israel are rooted in a higher level, in Hashem's thought, which comes before the creation of the worlds that were created through speech. Because of this, the souls of Israel serve as the channel through which Divine vitality is drawn into the world, and through them, all of creation receives its life-force.

It is well known among those who are versed in the inner teachings—ונודע בשערים—that all the flow of vitality and influence from the higher worlds to the lower worlds follows a particular pattern. This is as it is written in ספר יצירה—Sefer Yetzirah: נעוץ תחלתן בסופן וסופן בתחלתן—"the beginning is bound up with the end, and the end is bound up with the beginning."

This means that there is a deep connection between the highest and lowest levels. The flow of Divine energy does not simply descend in a straight line from above to below; rather, the process is circular and interconnected. The highest point is linked to the lowest, and the lowest is in turn connected back to the highest.

This concept is fundamental to understanding how Hashem's light and life-force are drawn down into the world, and how every level is interdependent with every other level in the chain of creation.

In the writings of the Arizal—ובכתבי האריז"ל מכונה—this process is described using the terms אור ישר—"direct light," and אור חוזר—"returning light."

The "direct light" refers to the flow of Divine energy that descends from above, from the highest spiritual realms down to the lowest. The "returning light" is the energy that rises back up from below, from the lower worlds and creations, returning toward its source above.

These two movements—downward and upward—are both essential. The flow from above initiates the process, but the response and elevation from below completes the circuit, creating a dynamic relationship between Creator and creation.

This dual movement is also alluded to in the verse, והחיות רצוא ושוב—"the living beings run and return" (Yechezkel 1:14).

Here, the prophet describes the angels as moving in a constant rhythm of advancing and retreating—"running and returning." This illustrates the same principle: there is a flow of energy that goes forth from its source, and then returns back, creating a continuous cycle of Divine vitality throughout all the worlds.

This pattern of "ratzo v'shov"—running and returning—reflects the spiritual dynamics that underlie all of existence, where every descent is followed by an ascent, and every giving is met with a return.

Therefore, based on these ideas and this truth—ע"פ הדברים והאמת האלה—which are truly impossible to explain fully in a letter, the שכינה—Shekhinah, the Divine Presence—is called the "heart," and the souls of Israel are called the "limbs."

This analogy is not just poetic; it is meant to teach us something profound about the relationship between Hashem and the Jewish people. Just as the heart is the source of life for all the limbs of the body, so too the Shekhinah is the source of spiritual life for all Jewish souls, who are like the limbs of the Divine body, so to speak.

The connection between the heart and the limbs is essential for the health of the body, and likewise, the connection between the Shekhinah and the souls is essential for the spiritual vitality of all of creation.

This analogy comes to teach us—להורות לנו—that when all the souls of Israel are united and bound together, then the circulation and flow of vitality and Divine influence—סיבוב והילוך החיות וההשפעה—moves in a complete circuit.

In this state, סובב סובב, ונעוץ סופן בתחלתן—the flow goes round and round, and the end is bound up with the beginning. This binds and connects all the souls to Hashem, the One G‑d—להוי' אחד—and enables them to cleave to Him—ולדבקה בו ית'.

When there is unity among the Jewish people, the Divine energy flows smoothly from its source through all the souls, connecting them all to Hashem in a perfect and complete way. This is the ideal state, where the spiritual "body" is healthy and the connection to the Divine is strong.

This is as it is written, אתם נצבים היום כולכם לפני הוי' אלקיכם—"You are all standing today before Hashem your G‑d" (Devarim 29:9). The word כולכם—"all of you"—is precise, as is the word לפני—"before." The verse continues: ראשיכם כו' מחוטב עציך כו'—"your heads... your woodcutters..."

The Torah is emphasizing that it is only when all Jews, from the greatest to the simplest, are united together—כולכם—that we can truly stand לפני הוי'—before Hashem. The unity of all the "limbs" is what allows us to be present before the Divine, to be connected at the highest level.

This teaches that the spiritual health and connection of the Jewish people depends on their unity, regardless of their individual status or role.

With this, we can understand the teaching of our Sages—ובזה יובן מארז"ל—that the destruction of the Second Beis HaMikdash, the exile of the Jewish people, the departure of the Shekhinah, and its descent into Edom in a state of exile, all came about because of שנאת חנם—baseless hatred, and פירוד לבבות—division of hearts, G‑d forbid.

When there is separation and discord among Jews, the flow of Divine energy is blocked, just as a blockage in the body disrupts the flow of life from the heart to the limbs. This causes a spiritual "sickness"—the Shekhinah is no longer able to dwell among us in the same way, and the Jewish people are exiled from their land.

This teaches us that the root cause of exile and the concealment of the Divine Presence is the lack of unity and love among the Jewish people.

Therefore, the Shekhinah is described as "sick"—ולכן נקראת "חולה" עד"מ—by way of analogy. As it is written in the prayers: סומך נופלים, ורופא חולים—"He supports those who fall, and heals the sick." The use of the plural—לשון רבים—refers to all the "limbs," that is, all the souls of Israel.

When we pray for healing, we are not only asking for our own health, but for the healing of the entire spiritual body—the Shekhinah and all the souls connected to it. Our own spiritual "sickness," caused by disunity and baseless hatred, is what causes the Shekhinah to be "sick." By healing our relationships and uniting with one another, we bring healing to the Shekhinah as well.

This underscores how deeply our unity and love for each other affect the Divine Presence itself, and how our actions can bring about spiritual health and redemption.