Tanya Iggeret HaKodesh 20
In this remarkable passage, the Alter Rebbe points to what he sees as the greatest visible evidence of yesh me’ayin in the physical world:
The earth’s power to make things grow.
His argument is surprising: the lowly element of earth reveals the Divine power of creation more openly than the higher spiritual realms.
- The Earth Reveals an Extraordinary Power
The Alter Rebbe says that all the Divine influence discussed earlier:
- The Kav
- The sefirot
- The various spiritual worlds
ultimately displays its power most openly in:
The physical earth itself.
Why?
Because the earth continuously produces:
- Grass
- Trees
- Fruit
- Vegetation
generation after generation.
- Even Angels Cannot Do This
The Alter Rebbe makes a bold statement.
The higher spiritual realms and heavenly hosts cannot produce:
Yesh me’ayin continuously
in the way that the earth does.
The earth constantly brings forth new growth from a hidden spiritual power called:
Koach HaTzomeach (the vegetative power).
- What About the Mazal That Says “Grow”?
Chazal teach:
“There is no blade of grass below that does not have a mazal above striking it and saying, ‘Grow.'”
The Alter Rebbe carefully explains what this means.
The mazal does not create the grass from nothing.
Rather, once the plant already exists, the mazal guides:
- Its growth.
- Its development.
- Its particular characteristics.
The original emergence of life remains rooted in the Divine power hidden in the earth itself.
- Why Is This Such a Mystery?
The growing plant is physical.
The power producing it is spiritual.
There is no measurable relationship between:
- The invisible force.
- The visible plant.
This resembles the idea of:
Yesh me’ayin
where a new existence emerges from a source that cannot be perceived within the result.
- Why Is the Lowest Place So Powerful?
This flows from the principle:
“נעוץ תחילתן בסופן“
“The beginning is embedded in the end.”
The lowest point in creation is directly connected to the highest source.
The Alter Rebbe explains that:
The feet of Adam Kadmon reach the end of Asiyah.
In other words, the deepest Divine source has a unique connection to the lowest level of existence.
- The Infinite Light Is Especially Revealed at the Bottom
The earth appears to be the most physical and least spiritual element.
Yet precisely there, the power of the Infinite becomes visible.
Why?
Because the ability to produce new existence reflects the Divine power of creation itself.
That power originates only in the Ein Sof.
- The Meaning of “Or Chozer”
The Alter Rebbe explains that the Divine flow does not only descend from above.
There is also:
Or Chozer (returning light)
which rises upward from the lowest level.
Through this process, the end becomes connected back to the beginning.
This is another expression of:
“Their beginning is embedded in their end.”
- “Let the Earth Sprout Vegetation”
The verse:
“תדשא הארץ“
“Let the earth sprout vegetation”
was not merely a one-time event during Creation.
The Divine command continues operating.
The earth constantly carries the power to produce new life.
Every year:
- New plants emerge.
- New fruit grows.
- New seeds develop.
The creative process continues without interruption.
- Why a Seed Is Like Yesh Me’Ayin
Even when a human plants a seed, the Alter Rebbe says the resulting growth resembles yesh me’ayin.
Why?
Because the enormous tree bears no proportion to the tiny seed.
A tiny kernel can produce:
- A large plant.
- Hundreds of new seeds.
- Fruit, branches, leaves, and growth far beyond what is visible in the original seed.
The seed merely triggers the process.
The real productive power comes from the earth’s hidden koach hatzomeach.
- Human Effort Produces Superior Results
A fascinating observation follows.
Plants that grow through:
- Planting
- Cultivation
- Human involvement
are often superior to what grows naturally.
The Alter Rebbe uses this as a spiritual analogy.
Just as cultivated fruit exceeds wild growth, so too:
Human avodah draws higher Divine revelations than passive existence alone.
- The Ultimate Purpose of Man
The passage concludes with the underlying lesson.
The purpose of creation is not merely that the Divine life-force descend into the world.
Rather:
Human beings should elevate the world and draw down higher revelations through their avodah.
Just as planting allows greater growth than nature alone, mitzvot and spiritual work bring forth higher Divine revelations in all the worlds.
Key Takeaway
The Alter Rebbe teaches that the earth’s constant ability to produce vegetation is one of creation’s clearest demonstrations of yesh me’ayin. The hidden spiritual power within the earth continually produces new physical life, reflecting the Infinite Creator’s power. Precisely because the earth is the lowest level of creation, it is uniquely connected to the highest Divine source. This illustrates the principle that the ultimate purpose of creation lies in the lowest realm, where human action and mitzvot can reveal the deepest levels of Godliness.