Chapter 5: The Attributes of Chesed and Gevurah in creation

1. The Process of Tzimtzum and Creation

• Tzimtzum, the Divine contraction, enables creation by allowing created beings to perceive themselves as independently existing.
• Initially, the world was conceived to be created through stern judgment (gevurah), but the attribute of mercy (chesed) was added to ensure its endurance.
• Mercy manifests in the natural world through miraculous acts and the actions of righteous individuals (tzaddikim).

2. Attributes of Chesed and Gevurah

• Chesed represents kindness, while gevurah represents restraint or judgment. Both transcend human intellect and are unified with G-d in the World of Atzilut.
• Even Moshe, in his prophetic vision, comprehended these attributes only when filtered through lower spiritual levels like netzach, hod, and yesod.

3. The Role of Tzaddikim in Gan Eden

• The souls of tzaddikim in Gan Eden experience the Divine life-force and light emanating from chesed and gevurah as their spiritual nourishment.
• Their comprehension of this life-force is made possible by a spiritual firmament, referred to as the “secret of the Torah” (raza deorayta).

4. The Mystical Dimension of the Torah

• The Torah embodies elements of both chesed and gevurah, symbolized respectively by “His right hand” and “a fiery Law.”
• This mystical dimension is expressed through the twenty-two Hebrew letters, which originate from a level beyond the rational aspect of the Torah.
• The transcendental illumination, or dew, from the firmament provides esoteric knowledge to the souls in Gan Eden.

5. The Torah and Its Role in the Afterlife

• The Torah serves as the “food” of the souls in Gan Eden, while the mitzvot (commandments) act as their spiritual “garments.”
• The dew of Divine knowledge, derived from the secret of the Torah, sustains the souls by granting them insight into the mysteries of the Hebrew letters.