כ"ז חשון – קונטרס אחרון פרק א'

Kuntres Acharon I

This is the beginning of the Kuntres Acharon—the "Final Treatise"—which the Alter Rebbe wrote as an appendix to Tanya. In these sections, the Alter Rebbe addresses and clarifies certain complex topics that were not fully explained in the main body of Tanya. He often refers to these as "Kuntres Acharon" in both Tanya and in his Shulchan Aruch, where he elaborates on specific halachos. Here, he presents a deeper discussion and analysis, sometimes in the style of pilpul, to resolve questions and explain matters more thoroughly than in the main text.

This Kuntres Acharon addresses several chapters. The Alter Rebbe directs us to see בלק"א ח"א פ"מ—Likkutei Amarim, Part I, Chapter 40. There, he discusses the role of ahavah (love) and yirah (awe) in the performance of mitzvos. The question is whether the main thing is the actual deed, or whether the kavana—the intention and feeling of love and awe—is essential. The answer given is that both are necessary: the action is indispensable, but the kavana is what elevates the mitzvah. The love and awe are compared to the wings of a bird: they are not the essence of the bird, but they enable it to ascend. Similarly, the mitzvah itself is the core, but the kavana lifts it to higher spiritual realms.

The question raised here is: להבין, איך הקורא בסיפורי מעשיות שבתורה, הוא מקושר בח"ע?—To understand: how is it that one who reads the stories in the Torah is connected to חכמה עילאה—the Supernal Wisdom?

When a person studies halacha or analyzes a legal dispute, it is clear that he is engaging with Hashem's wisdom, since these are the rational laws and arguments of Torah. But when one reads the narrative portions—the stories of Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, and so on—how is this also considered an engagement with Hashem's wisdom? How does reading these stories connect a person to חכמה עילאה?

The answer begins with what is written in כוונות (Kavanos), daf 16b: כמו שהאדם עוסק למטה, כך דיוקן האדם העליון למעלה—Just as a person acts below, so too does the image of the supernal man above. This means that when a person learns Torah here in this world, there is a corresponding aspect of his soul above, in the higher worlds, that is also engaged in learning. The soul is not entirely present in the body; a part of it remains above, even in the world of Atzilus. Thus, when a Jew learns Torah below, his higher soul learns Torah above, in a kind of spiritual mirror.

This also applies to הרהור באותיות הכתובות—contemplating the written letters. When a person thinks about the words of Torah, his higher soul is engaged above, but the connection is more abstract. The main point is that our actions below have a direct effect on the spiritual realms above, and our learning is mirrored by our soul's activity in Atzilus.

However, when it comes to דבור—actual speech—there is a greater effect. י"ל דבוקע וסליק לאצי' ממש—It can be said that the speech breaks through and ascends to Atzilus itself. Or, depending on the level of kavana, it may ascend to Beriah (if one learns with intellectual love and awe) or to Yetzirah (with natural love and awe). When one recites מקרא—the verses of Chumash—it ascends from this physical world to the ten sefiros of Asiyah. The reason is that speech has the power to "break through the atmospheres"—to penetrate the spiritual partitions and elevate the Torah learning to higher realms.

In other words, when you actually verbalize the words of Torah, your learning is elevated to the spiritual worlds, each according to its level: Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah, or Asiyah. This is the unique power of speech in Torah study, as opposed to mere thought.

By contrast, when one only contemplates Torah in thought—בהרהור—the effect is different. In this case, it is only the דיוקן—the spiritual image, the root of the soul above—that is engaged. The actual soul in this world does not ascend or elevate the Torah learning through thought alone. The impact is limited to the higher aspect of the soul, not the soul as it is present in the body. Thus, thought alone does not accomplish the same elevation as speech.

The Zohar, volume 3, page 105, says: דהרהור לא עביד מידי—"Contemplation alone accomplishes nothing." The question is, does this apply even to good thoughts? The implication is that even if one thinks about Torah or mitzvos, without speech or action, it does not have an effect. The same idea is found in other places, such as daf 34b.

This seems to contradict what was said earlier, that the higher soul is engaged through thought. The Zohar appears to say that thought alone does not accomplish anything, even for the good. This requires clarification.

It can be explained that the Zohar means: לאתערא לעילא, שיומשך משם לתתא—to arouse above, so that something is drawn down below. In other words, thought alone does not bring down any spiritual influence into this world. Rather, מחשבתו נשארה שם—his thought remains above, and it adds great light in the higher worlds, increasing the radiance in Atzilus. This is accomplished through מקרא ומצות מעשיות שבעשיה—reciting Torah and performing mitzvos in the world of Asiyah.

So, the main unification and spiritual effect remains above, but the "fruit"—the tangible result in this world—comes only through speech and action. The soul's purpose in descending to this world is to draw down divine light here, which is achieved through actual speech and deed, not thought alone. The kavana (intention) elevates the mitzvah, but the deed is what brings the divine light into the physical world.

The main yichud—the true unification that is accomplished through Torah and mitzvos—takes place above, in the higher spiritual realms. What we receive in this physical world are only the peiros—the fruits, the results that are drawn down from that yichud. This drawing down of even a small measure of divine light below happens specifically through dibur—speech, and maaseh—action.

In contrast, when a person merely thinks about Torah or mitzvos, that is, when it remains in the realm of הרהור—thought alone, without being expressed in speech or action, then לא נמשך כלום—nothing is drawn down into this world. The effect stays above; there is no actual hamshacha, no drawing down of holiness into the physical world through thought alone.

This is why, if a person only thinks about Torah or mitzvos and does not actually speak or perform them, לא יצא ידי חובתו—he has not fulfilled his obligation. The soul's descent into this world is not just for its own sake, but specifically רק להמשיך אורות עליונים למטה—to draw down supernal lights below, into the physical world.

This is as it is written in Etz Chaim, Shaar 26—"to draw down light." The purpose of the soul's journey into this world is to bring G‑dly light down here, not merely to remain in a spiritual state above. The soul itself is already spiritual and elevated; its mission is to accomplish something unique in the physical world by drawing down holiness through actual speech and action.

However, when it comes to elevating something from below to above—להעלות ממטה למעלה—this is accomplished specifically through a מחשבה טובה—a good thought, meaning the proper kavonah, the inner intent and feeling of love and awe for Hashem.

Without dechilu u'rechimu—fear and love—לא פרחא לעילא—the mitzvah or Torah learning does not "fly upward" to be elevated to the higher worlds. As it is written in Shaar HaNevuah, chapter 2, "a good thought…"—meaning that the proper intent and feeling is what lifts the mitzvah or Torah to its proper place above. So, while the action draws down light, the kavonah is what elevates it upward.

Now, regarding the phrase דבקע רקיעין וכו'—"it breaks through the heavens, etc."—this refers to the idea that even without dechilu u'rechimu (love and fear), and certainly when it comes to divrei betailim—idle talk, the words can still "break through" to some extent.

But, as explained, even in the case of idle talk, there is usually some taavah—some desire or intent involved. (In some versions, these words are omitted.) The question is, if negative speech can have an effect, how much more so should positive speech? This is the idea of midah tovah merubah—the measure of good is always greater than the measure of punishment.

However, when it says that speech "breaks through the heavens," it means specifically the רקיעין—the heavens, which are the external chambers and houses, not the guf ha'adam ha'elyon—the inner essence of the supernal Man (Adam Elyon).

And certainly, it does not reach the nefesh, ruach, neshama—the soul-levels—even in the world of Asiyah, which are the ten sefirot—lights and vessels. As it says in the Tikkunei Zohar, "without love and fear, it cannot ascend and stand before Hashem." In other words, without the proper kavonah, the speech may break through some barriers, but it does not reach the true inner presence before Hashem.