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י וּמֵאַחַר שֶׁרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן הַמְיוּחָד בְּאֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא בְּתַכְלִית הַיִּחוּד, הוּא בְּגִילּוּי לְגַמְרֵי, וְלֹא בְּהֶסְתֵּר פָּנִים כְּלָל וּכְלָל, בַּנֶּפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹהִית וּלְבוּשֶׁיהָ הַפְּנִימִים, שֶׁהֵם מַחֲשַׁבְתָּהּ וְדִבּוּרָהּ, בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה שֶׁהָאָדָם עוֹסֵק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, הֲרֵי גַּם הַנֶּפֶשׁ וּלְבוּשֶׁיהָ אֵלּוּ – מְיוּחָדִים מַמָּשׁ בְּאֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה בְּתַכְלִית הַיִּחוּד, כְּיִחוּד דִּבּוּרוֹ וּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא בְּמַהוּתוֹ וְעַצְמוּתוֹ כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, כִּי אֵין שׁוּם דָּבָר נִפְרָד, כִּי אִם בְּהֶסְתֵּר פָּנִים כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.

10Now, since at such time as a person occupies himself with the words of the Torah, the Supernal Will, united as it is in perfect unity with the En Sof, blessed is He, is completely manifest and in no way obscured in the divine soul and its innermost garments, i.e., its thought and speech—it follows that the soul and its garments are also at such time veritably united with the En Sof, blessed is He, in perfect unity, like the union of the “speech” and “thought” of the Holy One, blessed is He, with His essence and being, as mentioned above.⁵ For there is no separate thing except through “concealment of the Countenance” as explained there.

יאוְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא שֶׁיִּחוּדָם הוּא בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְיֶתֶר עֹז מִיִּחוּד אוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא בְּעוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים, מֵאַחַר שֶׁרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן הוּא בְּגִילּוּי מַמָּשׁ בַּנֶּפֶשׁ וּלְבוּשֶׁיהָ הָעוֹסְקִים בַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי הוּא הוּא הַתּוֹרָה עַצְמָהּ, וְכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים מְקַבְּלִים חַיּוּתָם מֵאוֹר וְחַיּוּת הַנִּמְשָׁךְ מֵהַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהִיא רְצוֹנוֹ וְחָכְמָתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, כְּדִכְתִיב: ״כּוּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ״, וְאִם כֵּן, הַחָכְמָה – שֶׁהִיא הַתּוֹרָה – לְמַעְלָה מִכּוּלָּם, וְהִיא הִיא רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ הַנִּקְרָא ״סוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין״, שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת מַה שֶּׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּתוֹךְ עָלְמִין, רַק מְחַיֶּה וּמֵאִיר לְמַעְלָה בִּבְחִינַת מַקִּיף, וְהִיא הִיא הַמִּתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בַּנֶּפֶשׁ וּלְבוּשֶׁיהָ בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי מַמָּשׁ – כְּשֶׁעוֹסְקִים בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, ״וְאַף־עַל־גַּב דְּאִיהוּ לָא חָזֵי כוּ׳״ [וּמִשּׁוּם הָכֵי יָכוֹל לִסְבּוֹל, מִשּׁוּם דְּלָא חָזֵי, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בָּעֶלְיוֹנִים].

11Moreover, their union is even of a higher and profounder order than the union of the Light of the En Sof, blessed is He, with the upper worlds, since the Supernal Will is actually manifest in the soul and its garments when they are engaged in the Torah, because it is identical with the Torah, while all the supernal worlds receive their vitality from the light and life that are derived from the Torah, which is His will and wisdom, blessed be He, as it is written, “You have made them all with wisdom.”⁶ Thus, His wisdom, i.e., the Torah, is above them all, and it is identical with His will, blessed be He, which is described as “encompassing” all worlds, i.e., that aspect which cannot clothe itself within the worlds, but animates and illuminates in a transcending and encompassing manner.⁷ Yet, it [this very light] does clothe itself in the human soul and its garments in a truly manifest form, when the person occupies himself with the words of the Torah, even though he does not perceive it…⁸ [—this is what enables him to endure it, because he does not perceive it; it is otherwise, however, in the case of the upper spheres⁹].

יב וּבָזֶה יוּבַן לָמָּה גָּדְלָה מְאֹד מַעֲלַת הָעֵסֶק בַּתּוֹרָה יוֹתֵר מִכָּל הַמִּצְוֹת, וַאֲפִילוּ מִתְּפִלָּה – שֶׁהִיא יִחוּד עוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים [וְהָא דְּמִי שֶׁאֵין תּוֹרָתוֹ אוּמָנוּתוֹ צָרִיךְ לְהַפְסִיק, הַיְינוּ מֵאַחַר דְּמַפְסִיק וּמְבַטֵּל בְּלָאו הָכֵי].

12With the above in mind, it becomes clear why the study of the Torah excels so much over all other commandments, including even prayer, which is the unifying force of the upper spheres. [As for the ruling that one, whose study of the Torah is not his entire occupation, must interrupt his study for prayer,¹⁰ this is only because he pauses and interrupts his studies anyway¹¹.]

Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org

Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org