The Alter Rebbe continues his explanation of yesh me’ayin by identifying the very first stage at which true created existence begins.
His goal is to show that even the highest created beings are fundamentally different from Elokus.
- Where Does “Yesh” First Begin?
The Alter Rebbe explains:
The first appearance of created existence (“yesh hanivra”) begins in the worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah.
Specifically, it begins with:
- The kelim (vessels) of BYA.
- The lower lights called Nefesh and Ruach.
These are already on the side of creation rather than pure Elokus.
- Yet Their Source Is Still Elokus
Even these first created levels emerge from:
The neshamah of the ten sefirot of BYA.
That higher level is still Godliness.
The transition from pure Elokus to created existence occurs through these successive levels of descent.
The Alter Rebbe identifies this source with the well-known Kabbalistic concept of:
The thirty vessels of Malchut of Atzilut.
These function as the bridge between Atzilut and the created worlds.
- The Same Pattern Exists Within Atzilut
The Alter Rebbe then makes an even stronger point.
Not only do created beings exist in BYA.
Even within the world of Atzilut itself there are entities that are already called:
“Yesh”
relative to higher levels.
- The Heichalot of Atzilut
From the external aspect of the kelim of Atzilut emerge:
The Heichalot (palaces) of Atzilut.
These are not the sefirot themselves.
They are lower realities that receive the revelation of the sefirot.
This is another example of how something can originate from Elokus while already possessing a more distinct existence.
- The Bodies of the Angels
The Alter Rebbe then mentions:
The bodies of the angels of Atzilut.
Even these lofty angels are already considered a form of “yesh.”
This is a surprising statement because angels of Atzilut are unimaginably holy.
Yet compared with pure Elokus they already possess some degree of independent identity.
- “In His Angels He Finds Fault”
The proof is the verse:
“ובמלאכיו ישים תהלה“
The Alter Rebbe uses this verse to show that angels are not in a state of complete nullification.
If they were absolutely one with their source, there would be no distinction by which they could be described at all.
- The Difference Between Angels and an Effect
The key distinction is:
An ordinary effect (alul) is completely overwhelmed by its cause (ilah).
It experiences no independent standing.
By contrast:
Even the highest angels possess some sense of separate existence.
That is why they belong to the category of:
Created beings.
rather than pure Elokus.
- Why This Matters
The Alter Rebbe is building toward a major principle:
- Elokus is true unity with the Divine source.
- Creation begins where separate existence appears.
- Even extremely lofty spiritual beings remain “yesh” relative to Elokus.
Therefore:
The gap between Creator and creation is not merely a difference of degree.
It is a completely different mode of existence.
Key Takeaway
The Alter Rebbe explains that the first appearance of genuine created existence begins in the worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, emerging through the vessels and lower lights that descend from Atzilut. Even the heichalot and angels of Atzilut possess a degree of separate existence and therefore belong to the category of yesh rather than pure Elokus. This reinforces the central theme of the chapter: creation is not merely a lower level within a chain of causes and effects, but the emergence of a fundamentally different kind of existence through the Divine power of yesh me’ayin.
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