The Alter Rebbe continues explaining a crucial distinction:
The world is not produced through ordinary cause-and-effect (ilah v’alul).
It is created as yesh me’ayin (“something from nothing”).
This distinction is the foundation for understanding why the created world appears independent despite being completely dependent on Hashem.
- What Does “Yesh Me’Ayin” Mean?
The Alter Rebbe explains:
Creation (Beriah) means bringing a “yesh” into existence from an “ayin.”
A created being experiences itself as:
- Existing independently.
- Possessing its own identity.
- Being a distinct entity.
This is fundamentally different from an effect that simply emerges from its cause.
- Yet the Created World Is Still Nullified Before Hashem
The Alter Rebbe immediately qualifies this.
From Hashem’s perspective:
The creation is completely insignificant.
Just as a ray of sunlight is nullified within the sun,
all created beings are utterly nullified relative to the Divine power constantly creating and sustaining them.
This is the idea developed previously in Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah.
- Why Doesn’t the Created Being Feel This?
The answer lies in perspective.
From Above
From Hashem’s knowledge:
- The creative force is fully revealed.
- The created being is seen as utterly dependent.
- Its separate existence is negligible.
From Below
From the created being’s perspective:
- The creative force is hidden.
- The creature experiences itself as independently real.
- It does not perceive the Divine power creating it every moment.
This concealment is what allows a “yesh” to exist.
- This Is Not Like Ordinary Cause and Effect
The Alter Rebbe now contrasts creation with the relationship between:
- Cause (ilah)
- Effect (alul)
In an ordinary cause-effect relationship:
- The effect understands something about its source.
- The effect remains aware of its dependence.
- The two share some common nature.
For example, an intellectual conclusion is related to the idea that produced it.
- Creation Is Radically Different
A created being and the Divine power creating it are not merely different degrees of the same thing.
The difference is much more radical.
The Alter Rebbe says:
The created yesh has no comparison whatsoever to the Divine power that creates it.
Not merely a smaller version.
Not merely a weaker version.
But a fundamentally different order of existence.
- Why It Is Specifically Called “Ayin”
This explains the language:
“יש מאין“
The source is called:
“Ayin” (nothingness)
not because it does not exist,
but because it is completely inaccessible to the awareness of the created being.
From the creature’s perspective:
- The source cannot be seen.
- It cannot be grasped.
- It cannot be perceived.
Therefore it appears as “nothing.”
- The Main Chiddush of the Letter
Earlier, the Alter Rebbe explained that ordinary hishtalshelut (cause-and-effect descent) could never produce physical creation.
Now he explains why.
If the world emerged through ordinary cause and effect:
- The effect would recognize its source.
- It would feel naturally nullified to its source.
- It would not experience independent existence.
The fact that the world experiences itself as a yesh proves that creation is an act of yesh me’ayin, not merely a chain of descending causes.
Key Takeaway
The Alter Rebbe explains that creation is fundamentally different from ordinary cause and effect. An effect remains connected to and aware of its cause, whereas a created being experiences itself as independent because the Divine creative force is hidden from it. From Hashem’s perspective the world is utterly nullified, but from the world’s perspective it exists as a “yesh.” This concealment is precisely what makes creation “yesh me’ayin” rather than merely another stage in a chain of spiritual descent.