The Alter Rebbe begins by stating his intention: להשכילך בינה—to give you understanding and insight. He wants to guide us to a deeper awareness, not just to know something intellectually, but to internalize it and live with it. This is not just about acquiring information, but about developing a true, heartfelt understanding that shapes our perspective and our lives.

He is setting the stage for a discussion that requires us to think deeply and to approach the topic with both intellect and emotion. The goal is to reach a level where this understanding becomes part of who we are, influencing how we react to the challenges and experiences of daily life.

The Alter Rebbe explains that כי לא זו הדרך ישכון אור ה'—this is not the path in which the light of Hashem will rest. What is he referring to? He means that if a person is חפץ בחיי בשרים ובני ומזוני—desiring the life of flesh, children, and sustenance—if a person's main focus and longing is for physical life, for family, for material needs, then that is not the way to bring the presence of Hashem into one's life.

He is emphasizing that being preoccupied with our physical needs and wants is not the approach that allows the Or Hashem—the Divine light—to dwell with us. When our priorities are centered on material concerns, we are missing the point of what it means to live a life connected to Hashem. The Alter Rebbe is not saying that these things are unimportant, but that they should not be the main thing that drives us or occupies our hearts.

This is a powerful message: the true path to Divine connection is not through chasing after our physical desires, but through something much deeper and more spiritual.

To support this idea, the Alter Rebbe brings a teaching from our sages: בטל רצונך—nullify your will. The full phrase is that a person should nullify his own desires for the sake of Hashem's will. This is a fundamental principle in serving Hashem: instead of insisting on what we want, we should be ready to let go of our own wishes in order to fulfill what Hashem wants from us.

The Alter Rebbe is highlighting that the way to bring Hashem's presence into our lives is by putting aside our personal wants and making Hashem's will our priority. This is not just about occasionally giving in, but about a deep, ongoing process of aligning ourselves with a higher purpose.

He clarifies further: שיהי' רצונו בטל במציאות—that a person's will should be completely nullified, as if it doesn't exist at all. This is a much higher level than just sometimes giving up what you want. The Alter Rebbe is saying that ideally, a person should reach a state where he has no independent will of his own when it comes to material matters; his entire desire is only to do what Hashem wants.

This is a radical idea. It means not just suppressing our desires, but transforming ourselves so that our only real wish is to serve Hashem. The Alter Rebbe is teaching us to strive for a level of bitul—self-nullification—where our personal interests are completely secondary to the will of Hashem.

The Alter Rebbe spells out what this means in practical terms: ולא יהיה לו שום רצון כלל בעניני עולם הזה כולם, הנכללים בבני חיי ומזוני—a person should have no desire at all in any matters of this world, which are all included in the categories of children, life, and sustenance. These three—בני (children), חיי (life), and מזוני (sustenance)—are the classic examples of what people naturally want and pray for.

The Alter Rebbe is not saying that we shouldn't care about these things at all, but that our attachment to them should not be because of our own will. Our relationship to these needs should be completely surrendered to Hashem. If Hashem gives us these blessings, we accept them with gratitude; if not, we accept that too, because our true desire is only to fulfill Hashem's will, not our own.

He brings another teaching from our sages to reinforce this point: ש"ע"כ אתה חי—you live against your will. This phrase means that even our very existence in this world is not something we chose or wanted; it is something that Hashem decided for us.

The Alter Rebbe is teaching us to recognize that our life itself is not about what we want, but about what Hashem wants. We are here because Hashem put us here, not because it was our own desire. This perspective helps us let go of our attachment to our own will and accept everything as coming from Hashem.

Now the Alter Rebbe begins to explain the deeper meaning behind this approach. He says: וביאור הענין הוא—the explanation of the matter is as follows. He wants us to understand why it is so important to let go of our own desires and to trust completely in Hashem's will.

He is about to take us into a deeper discussion about the nature of creation, the constant renewal of the world by Hashem, and how this understanding can transform our attitude toward everything that happens in our lives. This is the foundation for true faith and joy, even in the face of challenges and difficulties.

The Alter Rebbe begins by emphasizing that everything depends on true faith—אמונה אמיתית—in the One Who creates existence, the יוצר בראשית. This is not just a general belief in G‑d, but a deep, unwavering conviction that He is the Creator at every moment.

It's not enough to simply acknowledge that Hashem created the world long ago. The point here is to internalize that our entire existence, and everything that happens to us, is rooted in this ongoing act of creation. This emunah—faith—forms the foundation for how a person should approach all of life's challenges and experiences.

What does it mean that creation is yesh me'ayin—something from nothing? The Alter Rebbe explains that this act of creation is called ראשית חכמה—the beginning of wisdom. Here, חכמה—wisdom—refers to Hashem's wisdom, which is completely beyond the grasp of any created being.

This is a crucial point: the source of all existence is not something we can understand or comprehend. Hashem's wisdom is infinite and utterly beyond us. The very fact that the world exists, that something comes from nothing, is a result of this divine wisdom that no creation can ever truly grasp.

The Alter Rebbe stresses that this creation is not a one-time event. Rather, הבריאה הזאת, היא בכל עת ורגע—this creation happens at every moment, at every instant.

It's not that Hashem created the world once and then left it to run on its own. Instead, the act of bringing the world into existence, from nothing to something, is continuous and ongoing. Every second, Hashem is actively creating and sustaining all of existence.

Every single creation, at every moment, is being brought into existence yesh me'ayin—from nothing to something—by Hashem's wisdom. The phrase מחכמתו ית'—from His wisdom—means that it is specifically Hashem's wisdom that gives life to everything, המחיה את הכל.

This means that all of reality, everything we see and experience, is being animated and sustained by the divine wisdom of Hashem. Without this constant flow of divine energy, nothing could exist for even a moment.

The Alter Rebbe now tells us what this means for us personally. When a person will deeply contemplate—יתבונן האדם בעומק הבנתו—and truly picture in his mind, ויצייר בדעתו, that his existence is being brought forth from nothing at every single moment, it changes his entire perspective.

This is not just an abstract idea. The person is meant to imagine and internalize that right now, at this very instant, he is being created anew by Hashem. Every moment, his entire being is dependent on Hashem's will and wisdom.

When a person truly reflects on this, the question arises: האיך יעלה על דעתו, כי רע לו?—How could it even enter his mind to think that something is bad for him?

If you realize that your entire existence is being created by Hashem at every moment, how could you possibly think that anything in your life is truly bad? The very idea becomes unthinkable, because everything is coming directly from Hashem, Who is the ultimate good.

The Alter Rebbe expands this idea further: How could a person think that he is suffering, whether it's in בני חיי ומזוני—children, life, or sustenance—or any other kind of pain in the world?

All of these things—children, health, livelihood, and any other challenges—are included in the ongoing act of creation. If everything is being created by Hashem's wisdom at every moment, then how could any of these things truly be bad or a source of suffering?

The answer is that the אין—the "nothingness" from which everything is created, which is Hashem's wisdom, חכמתו יתברך—is actually the source of life, goodness, and delight. The Alter Rebbe uses the words הוא מקור החיים, והטוב, והעונג—it is the source of all life, all good, and all pleasure.

This means that what appears to us as "nothingness" is in fact the highest level of divine wisdom, the very source of all positive things. If everything comes from there, then by definition, nothing bad can truly come from above. The only reason something appears bad is because we don't understand it; in truth, it is all good, coming from the ultimate source of goodness.

The Rebbe explains that this is the meaning of the term עדן—Aden, which is above the World to Come. When we speak about the source of all life and goodness, the ultimate delight, we are referring to this level of עדן. It is not just Gan Aden, the Garden of Eden, but the Aden itself—the source from which all pleasure and vitality flow.

This level of עדן is completely beyond our grasp. It is the root of all spiritual delight, higher even than the rewards of the World to Come. The Gan, the Garden, receives from Aden, but Aden itself is a level that is above and beyond any experience or comprehension in this world or even in the next. That is the true source of all the good and the delight that comes into creation.

However, the reason why sometimes a person feels that things are bad, or that he is suffering, is only because this level is not understood or grasped. The Rebbe says, רק מפני שאינו מושג—it is only because it is not comprehended, לכן נדמה לו רע, או יסורים—therefore it appears to him as if it is bad, or as if he is experiencing pain or suffering.

In other words, the only reason we perceive something as negative is because we do not see or understand the true source and purpose behind it. If we could see the real root, the Aden, we would recognize that everything is truly good. The pain or difficulty is only a result of our limited perspective, not the actual reality of what is happening.

But in truth, אין רע יורד מלמעלה—nothing bad ever descends from above. והכל טוב—everything is good. This is a fundamental point the Rebbe emphasizes: from Hashem's perspective, and in the true reality, there is no such thing as evil or suffering coming down from above. Everything that comes from Hashem is only good.

Even if we do not understand it, and even if it appears to us as something negative, in its true source it is pure goodness. This is a core belief that a Jew must internalize—that whatever happens, no matter how it looks, is ultimately for the good, because it comes from Hashem.

The only reason we do not perceive this goodness is רק שאינו מושג—it is only because it is not grasped or understood. לגודלו ורב טובו—because of its greatness and its immense goodness.

The Rebbe is telling us that the goodness is so great, so overwhelming, that it is beyond our ability to comprehend. It is not that the good is hidden because it is lacking, but rather because it is so abundant and so lofty that our minds cannot contain it. That is why it sometimes appears to us as something negative, when in truth it is the greatest good.

This is the main point of faith, וזהו עיקר האמונה—this is the essential belief, שבשבילה נברא האדם—for which a person was created. The Rebbe is saying that the whole purpose of a person's creation is to have this faith and to live with this awareness.

Our main task in this world is to believe that everything comes from Hashem and that everything is truly good, even if we do not see it. This is not just a detail of faith, but the very foundation and purpose of our existence—to trust in Hashem's goodness and to recognize His presence in every aspect of our lives.

We must believe that לית אתר פנוי מיני'—there is no place that is empty of Him. Hashem is everywhere, in every situation, in every place, no matter what is happening.

This means that wherever we find ourselves, whatever we are experiencing, Hashem is present. There is no situation in which Hashem is absent or distant. This awareness is meant to give a person strength and comfort, knowing that he is never alone and that Hashem is always with him.

The Rebbe continues with the phrase ובאור פני מלך חיים—"and in the light of the face of the King, there is life." This means that wherever the presence of the King—Hashem—is revealed, there is life, vitality, and goodness.

In other words, since Hashem is everywhere, and His light is everywhere, there is always life and goodness present. This is a continuation of the previous point: the awareness of Hashem's presence brings with it vitality and joy, because the source of all life is always with us.

Therefore, the verse says, עוז וחדוה במקומו—"strength and joy are in His place." The Rebbe explains that wherever Hashem is, there is always strength and joy. Since Hashem is everywhere, it follows that there is always the potential for joy and strength in every situation.

This is the practical outcome of all the previous points: when a person truly internalizes that Hashem is everywhere, that everything is good, and that all comes from the highest source of delight, he will always be able to find strength and joy, no matter what is happening in his life. This is the mindset and faith that a Jew is meant to live with every day.

The Alter Rebbe concludes that since everything comes from Hashem, and Hashem is the ultimate source of goodness, it follows that everything that happens is truly only good all day. Even if, on the surface, something appears negative or painful, in truth, it is rooted in Hashem's goodness and is therefore inherently good.

He emphasizes that the reason we sometimes perceive things as bad is only because we do not grasp the true source from which they come. The ayin—the Divine wisdom, which is the source of all existence—is beyond our understanding. Because we cannot comprehend this level, it can appear to us as if something is lacking or negative, but in reality, it is pure goodness.

This is the foundation of emunah—faith: to believe that Hashem is present everywhere, that there is no place empty of Him, and wherever Hashem is, there is life, strength, and joy. Since Hashem is everywhere and everything comes from Him, it is always good, all day, without exception.

The Alter Rebbe is teaching us to internalize this perspective, so that no matter what happens in our lives—whether in matters of children, health, or livelihood—we should remember that it is all from Hashem, and therefore, it is truly good. This awareness brings a person to a state of simcha—joy, and prevents feelings of depression or sadness, because one recognizes that everything is ultimately for the good.