אלול כא' — אגרת הקודש פרק טו

The source and root of all the middos—the emotional attributes—are found in the Chabad, which stands for חכמה—Chokhmah, בינה—Binah, and דעת—Das. The Alter Rebbe is teaching us that the emotions of the nefesh elokis, the G‑dly soul, are not independent; rather, they are all rooted in the intellect, in the powers of Chabad.

First, the level of חכמה—Chokhmah is described as the source of the intellect. What does this mean? Chokhmah is the faculty that grasps Hashem, His wisdom, His greatness, and His holy attributes. Through Chokhmah, a person is able to comprehend how Hashem leads and gives life to all the worlds, both the upper and lower realms, through His middos.

So, Chokhmah is the initial point of understanding, the spark of insight that allows the soul to perceive G‑dliness, to recognize how Hashem's wisdom and attributes are the foundation of all existence and the way He directs creation.

Next comes בינה—Binah, which is the reflection and contemplation on that initial understanding. Binah is about taking the insight of Chokhmah and expanding it—analyzing it in length, width, and depth. This means to really think through the concept, to understand one thing from another, to develop the idea thoroughly and see its various aspects.

Binah is the process of articulation and elaboration, where the mind explores the details, connects concepts, and builds a full picture from the initial point of Chokhmah. It's not just a flash of inspiration, but a deep, methodical understanding.

From this deep understanding, the next step is to give birth to the derivatives—the emotions that arise from contemplating G‑dliness. When the nefesh elokis truly understands and reflects on the greatness of Hashem, this gives rise to love and awe—אהבה and יראה—and all the other emotions that are born in the G‑dly soul.

These emotions are not just spontaneous feelings; they are the natural result of the mind's engagement with G‑dliness. When a person truly contemplates Hashem's greatness, the intellect produces these feelings—first in potential, within the mind, and then they can be expressed outwardly.

The Alter Rebbe quotes the verse, לגדולתו אין חקר—"His greatness is beyond investigation." This means that Hashem's greatness is infinite; there is no end to it, and it cannot be fully comprehended or measured by the human mind.

This idea sets the stage for the different levels of emotions that can be born from contemplating G‑dliness, since the subject—the greatness of Hashem—is itself without limit.

There is a particular aspect of Hashem's greatness that, when the nefesh elokis reflects on it, brings about a feeling of fear and dread. This is called יראה תתאה—the lower level of awe, which is associated with מלכות—Malchus, the attribute of sovereignty.

When a person contemplates this aspect of Hashem's greatness, the result is a sense of being overwhelmed by His majesty and authority, leading to a humble, submissive awe before Him. This is the kind of fear that comes from recognizing Hashem as the ultimate King and ruler.

There is another aspect of Hashem's greatness that, when contemplated, brings about a higher level of awe, called יראה עילאה—the superior awe, or יראת בושת—a sense of shame or embarrassment before Hashem.

This is not just fear of Hashem's power, but a profound sense of humility and self-nullification in the presence of His infinite greatness. It's the feeling of being so overwhelmed by Hashem's exaltedness that one is ashamed of one's own limitations and smallness.

There is also a level of contemplation from which comes אהבה רבה—a great and intense love for Hashem. When the soul reflects on certain aspects of G‑dliness, the result is not awe or fear, but a powerful, overwhelming love and yearning to connect with Hashem.

This is a higher form of love, born from deep understanding and reflection, and it draws the person closer to Hashem with a passionate desire.

There is also a level from which comes a אהבה זוטא—a small or lesser love. The Alter Rebbe is teaching us that not every emotional response to the greatness of Hashem is on the same level. Sometimes, when a person reflects on Hashem's greatness, the result is not a powerful, overwhelming love, but rather a more modest, subtle feeling of love.

This אהבה זוטא is still a product of the intellect, of the contemplation and understanding of G‑dliness, but it is not as intense as the higher forms of love. The emotions that are born from our understanding can take on different qualities and strengths, depending on the depth and focus of our contemplation.

The Alter Rebbe continues, explaining that this process is not limited to the inner emotions, but also applies to the מדות החיצוניות—the external attributes or emotions. These are the more outwardly expressed qualities, such as חסד—kindness, and so on.

Just as the inner feelings of love and awe are generated through contemplation, so too the external expressions—how a person acts with kindness, discipline, or other traits—are rooted in the intellect. The way these מדות manifest externally is also shaped by the person's understanding and reflection on G‑dliness.

However, for all of these emotions—whether inner or outer, whether love or awe, whether strong or subtle—there is a crucial requirement: they must all be infused with the quality of דעת—connection and focus.

The Alter Rebbe emphasizes that it is not enough to simply understand or reflect on an idea. For the emotions to truly be born and to have an impact, there must be a deep, personal connection to the concept. This is the role of דעת: to tie the soul to the understanding, to make it real and alive within the person.

What is this דעת? It is the התקשרות הנפש—the binding of the soul, where the soul becomes attached and fixed to the understanding it has reached. When a person grasps some aspect of the greatness of Hashem, and his soul is truly connected and absorbed in that understanding, then from this connection, one of the emotions is born.

In other words, the intellectual comprehension alone is not enough to generate a real emotional response. The soul must be קשורה ותקועה—bound and stuck—in that grasp of G‑dliness. Only then does the understanding give birth to a genuine feeling, whether it is love, awe, or another emotion, in the service of Hashem.

The Alter Rebbe now explains what happens if this connection is lost. If a person removes his mind, even for a moment, from this understanding—if there is היסח הדעת, a lapse of focus—then the emotion that was born from that understanding also departs from its revealed state in the soul.

It doesn't disappear entirely, but it becomes hidden; it moves from being an active, felt emotion to merely existing in potential. The feeling is no longer alive and present; it is dormant, waiting to be reawakened by renewed contemplation and connection. This teaches us how crucial it is to maintain our focus and attachment to the ideas we contemplate, so that the emotions they generate remain vibrant and effective in our lives.

Therefore, the Alter Rebbe points out that the term דעת is also used to describe intimacy—הזיווג. The Torah says, "וידע אדם את חוה"—Adam knew Chava. Here, דעת means a deep connection, a binding together.

This analogy teaches us that just as intimacy is about a profound union, so too in the realm of intellect and emotion, דעת is the power that binds the soul to its understanding, allowing it to give birth to new emotions. Without this connection, the intellectual grasp remains abstract and does not produce real, living feelings.

This is the level known as דעת תחתון—the lower aspect of connection, which extends into the emotions and becomes invested within them to give them life and existence.

In other words, דעת תחתון is the power that takes the intellectual understanding and connects it to the emotions, so that the feelings are not just theoretical, but are vitalized and sustained. It is through this lower level of דעת that the emotions are animated and made real in a person's service of Hashem.

But there is also a higher level, called דעת העליון—the supreme connection. This is a deeper form of attachment and unification, where the source of the intellect connects with the depth of the concept being grasped.

This higher דעת is like a point, a flash of lightning—an initial spark of understanding that must be drawn down and expanded. The role of דעת העליון is to take that spark, that core idea, and connect it to the faculties of Binah—so that it can be developed, explained, and broadened into a full, detailed understanding.

Just as a river begins as a single point and then widens and spreads out, so too the process of intellect begins with a flash of insight and, through the power of דעת העליון, is brought down and expanded into the breadth and depth of understanding. This is how the intellect is able to give rise to emotions and to influence every aspect of a person's service of Hashem.

The Alter Rebbe explains here that there is a process by which the depth of the concept—the עומק המושג—is brought into a state of understanding with expanded explanation. This means that the initial point, the spark of an idea, is not enough on its own. It needs to be developed and articulated so that it can be fully grasped and internalized.

This expansion happens through length and width, or as the text puts it, באורך ורוחב—in length and breadth. The idea is that you take the core point and you elaborate on it, you broaden it out, you analyze it from different angles, and you flesh out all its details. This is the role of Bina, the intellectual faculty of understanding and analysis.

The Alter Rebbe refers to this process as רחובות הנהר—the widening of the river. Just as a river starts as a narrow stream and then widens as it flows, so too an idea starts as a single point and then expands as you reflect on it and develop it. This metaphor captures how the intellect works: from a flash of insight in Chokhmah, you move to Bina, where you broaden and deepen the understanding.

He notes that this will be explained further elsewhere—כמו שיתבאר במקומו—but the main point here is that the process of intellectual development in the soul involves not just the initial grasp of an idea, but also its expansion and articulation. This is essential for the idea to become real and effective in a person's service of Hashem.