Chapter 40

אWe now must understand the aspect of the source of the letters of the thought of Binah, Tevunah and Leah in a manner of particulars.

בAs explained in various places in the Zohar,¹ “There is one kind of thought and there is another kind of thought.”

גFor example, there is the aspect of the concealed thought (Machshavah Stima’ah) of Arich Anpin, and the aspect of the primal thought (Machshavah HaKedoomah) of Adam Kadmon, and the like.

דNow the explanation of the matter is that in the Holy Tongue,² desire (Ratzon) is also called by the term “thought” (Machshavah).

הFor example, [the verse],³ “I repent of the evil that I thought to do to them,” means, “that I desired to do to them,” as known.

וThis is because desire immediately vests within thought in the brain. Thus, the desire and the thought of the desire are as one. Therefore “thought” is called by the term “desire,” and “desire” is called by the term “thought.”

זFor example, the statement,⁴ “When it arose in His desire” means “When it arose in His thought” etc.

חNow, this is called, “Concealed Thought” (Machshavah Stima’ah) in accordance to the aspect of the hiddenness of the desire. Thus, the thought within which the desire is invested, is likewise hidden and concealed. It therefore is called, “Concealed Thought.” (This is the aspect of the letters of the desire, as mentioned above.)⁵

טHowever, the aspect of the Primal Thought (Machshavah HaK’dooma) of Adam Kadmon precedes even the Concealed Desire (Ratzon HaNe’elam). On the contrary, it is the source of the Concealed Desire, which is called, “the Desire for the Desire,” (Ratzon LaRatzon) etc. This too is an aspect of thought, within which there vests the aspect of the Primal Desire that preceded all “Desires for Desires,” (as explained in chapter seventeen). Nevertheless, it is called by the term, the Primal Thought.

יIn this manner we may understand this concept all the way to the highest levels, even on the level of the thought of the Simple Desire, literally, as it is in the Essential Self of HaShem-יהו״ה, Himself, (as mentioned previously in chapter ten).

יאNow, in regard to desire that spontaneously enters the brain, we observe that it enters the nerves of the brain in a way of simple thought not made up of letters at all.

יבThis is because, in truth, desire does not have an aspect of an organ (vessel), such as the other letters, for example, like how the light of the intellect vests within the organ of the brain etc.

יגHowever, the power and light of the desire spreads forth in the nerves of the brain, so that all the limbs obey the desire of the brain. (These are called the “nerves,” which are very fine and from which the power of movement and the power of feeling in the limbs come forth [through the nervous system] as known).

ידFor example, when one stretches out his hand or foot, or gathers them in, it only is in accordance to the desire that rises spontaneously in his brain.⁶

טוNow, there is also a different kind of thought, which is in an aspect of actual letters of thought.

טזThese letters come about through the aspect of understanding and comprehension, that is, Binah that precedes them [and] which is called “Analytical Thought” (Machshavah Iyunit).⁷

יזAs we clearly observe with every intellectual concept and reasoning, that it is grasped in the mind of Binah (which is called “understanding”), and immediately comes into analytical thought, which is called, “The thought of the Intellect,” (Machshevet Sechel).

יחThis is the power of Analytical Thought (Machshavah Iyunit), which specifically includes all intellectual analysis, but has no relationship to desire (Ratzon) altogether.

יטThis kind of thought is therefore not at all called by the term, “desire” (Ratzon), since it is not within the nerves of the brain [that is, in the nervous system] at all. Rather, it actually is only in the brain of Binah itself.

כIn other words, in the organ (vessel) for the comprehension and understanding of the intellectual concept itself, there is an organ (vessel) for the analytical thought of any intellectual comprehension.

כאThis is the aspect of Malchut of Tevunah, which is the last level of the light of the essential comprehension that brings about comprehension in a separate matter (as mentioned previously in chapter two).

כבIt is from here that the aforementioned power of “the Thought of the Intellect” (Machshevet Sechel) is made, since the light of the comprehension of the concept initially comes into his mind even before any analytical thought. (This is called, “to grasp and understand alone.”)

כגThat is, it is grasped in his mind even before he thinks of the concept through the garment of thought and analysis. Nevertheless, the comprehension and concept immediately spread into analytical thought.

כדThis then, is the aspect of Malchut of Tevunah. It is higher than the aspect of the letters of thought (Otiyot HaMachshavah) that are called Leah.⁸

כה(This is also in accordance with what is known regarding the matter of the large Dalet of the word “One-Echad-אחד,”⁹ which is the aspect of Malchut of Tevunah that comes from the aspect of the “back” (Achorayim) of Imma.¹⁰ It is the source for the coming into existence of the thought that comes forth in actual letters, as explained elsewhere.)

כוNow, the aspect of the conceptualization itself – which is grasped within comprehension and understanding – is also called by the term “thought.”

כזHowever, this is the aspect of the “somethingness” (Yesh) of the light of Chochmah which is called the Chashav Ma”h¹¹ (חשב מ”ה) of Chochmah (חכמה).

כחThere is also an inner aspect of the thought of Binah, that is, “not heard,” even in the aspect of the Thought of the Intellect (Machshevet Sechel) and it does not come into letters of thought altogether.

כטThis is like the aspect of the depth of comprehension (Omek HaMoosag) which is ungraspable, even in the comprehension and thought of Binah, and the like.

ל(It is called,¹² “Mi D’lo Kayama L’She’ela – He who is beyond inquiry.”) This will suffice those of understanding.

לאThis then, is the meaning of the aforementioned statement, “There is thought,” that is, the concealed thought of the desire, as mentioned previously, and there is the analytical thought of Binah, which comes into the category of the aspect of actual letters of thought that are called Leah etc.

לבHowever, both these aspects exist even in the desire, which transcends intellect.

לג(In other words, this is the aspect of, “The Hidden Binah” (Binah Stima’ah) of Arich Anpin, which is the concealed thought in the hidden desire. That is, just as there is a hidden intellect and wisdom of Arich Anpin, which is, “hidden from all conceptualization,” and is the hidden Chochmah of Arich Anpin; which, as known, is called the hidden reasoning for the desire, so likewise, there is an aspect of, “The Concealed Binah” (Binah Stima’ah) etc.)

לדThis is similar to the difference that we observed between the two types of thought, mentioned above about revealed thought.

להThis is to say that there is the desire that becomes revealed in the brain, which is the desire in the nerves of the brain. It is called, “the concealed thought” (Machshava Stima’ah), because of the concealment of this desire in the brain before it comes to Chochmah and Binah.

לוFurthermore, there is also the aspect of the analytical thought (Machshava Iyunit), which is the aspect of the “something” of the “nothing” of Chochmah, until it ultimately comes into the aspect of actual letters of thought.

לז(Now, according to what was stated previously (in chapter 38) regarding the first source of the letters of thought in the actual essential self of the soul, so likewise, there is a source for the letters of the thought of Binah in the essence of the soul.

לחThis is similar to how there is a source for the lights of the letters of the desire that come into the nerves of the brain and the like.

לטThe only difference, is that one comes as an aspect of revelation of desire and one comes as an aspect of revelation of letters of comprehension (Binah) that are grasped within intellectual comprehension.

מNevertheless, we observe that whatever it is that arises in his desires and thoughts, will come out until the aspect of the letters of thought of Binah. That is, the aspect of the concealed desire and thought is drawn into the revealed thought of Binah.)¹³

מא(This is also the matter of the verse,¹⁴ “Eheyeh Asher Eheyeh-I shall be as I shall be,” which is the revelation of the general Keter of Arich Anpin within the particular Keter, which is in Binah.¹⁵

מבThis is in accordance with what is known and explained elsewhere regarding the matter of,¹⁶ “The Levite, shall serve Him,”¹⁷ that the revelation of Atik Yomin is specifically in Binah.¹⁸

מגThis is also the matter of the three thorns of the letter Yod-י, as explained elsewhere at length.¹⁹ This will suffice for the understanding.)

מד1 Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 69, 109a.

מה2 Biblical Hebrew

מו3 Jeremiah 18:8. See Ma’amarei Admor HaEmtza’ee, Devarim, Vol. 1, pg. 208 and Vol. 2, pg. 641.

מז4 See Etz Chayim, Shaar HaKlallim, Ch. 1.

מח5 See Ma’amarei Admor HaEmtza’ee, Hanachot p. 263.

מט6 See Maamarei Admor HaEmtza’ee, Drushei Chatunah Vol. 1, p. 42 and on.

נ7 See Maamarei Admor HaEmtza’ee, Vayikra Vol. 1, p. 255.

נא8 See Siddur Im Divrei Elokim Chayim, Shacharit 60c, 69a; Also see Ma’amarei Admor HaEmtza’ee, Na”Ch, p. 103; Shaar HaEmunah 90b and 95b, and elsewhere.

נב9 Deuteronomy 6:4; Also see Ma’amarei Admor HaEmtza’ee, Devarim Vol. 1, pg. 283 (and the notes there).

נג10 See Maamarei Admor HaEmtza’ee, Bereishit Vol. 1, p. 380.

נד11 That is, the term “thought-Machshavah-מחשבה” divides into “The thought of MaH-Chashav MaH-חשב מ״ה.” See Zohar I 24a; Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 69, 112b.

נה12 See Introduction to Zohar 1b; Biurei Zohar (of the Mittler Rebbe), Terumah 49c; Imrei Binah, Shaar HaTefillin, 121b and on; Torat Chayim, Noach, 57c. – It is explained that the word “Who-Mi-מי” always refers to Binah-understanding. This is because the word “Mi-מי” has a numerical value of 50, corresponding to the fifty gates of Binah, as mentioned in chapter thirty-two.

נו13 See Maamarei Admor HaEmtza’ee, Bamidbar Vol. 5, pg. 1,753 and the notes there gleaned from the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s notes to the Maamarim of 5659 pg. 77, as well as Vayikra Vol. 2, pg. 568; Ohr HaTorah, Ki Tetze, pg. 968; Tanya Iggeret HaKodesh, epistle beginning with the words, “He garbs Himself with light;” Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeret 91b.

נז14 Exodus 3:14

נח15 Zohar III 11a, 65b; Shaar HaEmunah 60a. Zohar I 166b; Likkutei Torah Pinchas 80b, Re’eh 31d. – The Zohar explains: “The first name is Eheyeh-אהי״ה (which refers to Keter), which is concealed (and transcends grasp). This is like a person who says [to another] I am who I am, but [to the other] it is not known who He is. Subsequently [the verse states], “that I will be-Asher Eheyeh-אשר אהיה” [referring to Chochmah which is called “head-Rosh-ראש” and shares the same letters as “Asher-אשר,” and Binah which is likewise called “I will be-Eheyeh-אהי״ה.] That is, I am destined to become revealed within these other crowns. For at first, I was concealed [in Keter], but will subsequently be revealed, until there is a complete revelation of the Holy Name.”

נט16 See Numbers 18:23. Also see Torah Ohr, Lech Lecha, 11b. Also see Ma’amarei Admor HaZaken, Parshiyot HaTorah, Vol. 1 pg. 84 and on. Also see Ma’amarei Admor HaEmtza’ee, Vayikra, Vol. 1, p. 375.

ס17 Zohar III 178b – Although the simple translation of this verse is, “The Levite, he shall do the service etc.” The Zohar explains that the verse may be understood more deeply to mean, “The Levite shall serve Him-Hoo-הוא.” For, the word Hoo-Him-הוא, in the third person, refers to the transcendent, concealed and innermost aspect of Keter, which is the inner pleasure of Atik Yomin that draws forth the Essential Self of HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He.

סא18 See Ma’amarei Admor HaEmtza’ee, Hanachot 5577, p. 4; Torat Chayim, Lech Lecha, 81b, and elsewhere.

סב19 See Torat Chayim, Lech Lecha, 82b, and footnote 11 there, and elsewhere.