Daily Tanya 4th Sivan Chapter 53: The level of the Shechinah revealed in the second Temple

(LY) 4^th Sivan

1. The level of the Shechinah revealed in the second Temple:

• No Shechinah: During the era of the second Temple, being that it did not contain the Aron and the Luchos within the Holy of Holies, the sages state that the Shechinah did not dwell in it.
• No Shechinah of above Seder Hishtalshelus: This means as follows: The level of Shechinah which dwelled in the first Temple, which skipped the chain order of the worlds [i.e. Seder Hishtalshelus], did not dwell in the second Temple.
• A Shechinah of Seder Hishtalshelus: However, the level of Shechinah which passes through the chain descent of the worlds [Seder Hishtalshelus] did reside in the second Temple. On this level, the Shechinah, which is Malchus of Atzilus, descends into Malchus of Beriya and Malchus of Beriya descends into Malchus of Yetzirah, and Malchus of Yetzirah descends into the Kodesh Hakedoshim of Assiya, and the Kodesh Hakedoshim of Assiya would then invest itself into the Kodesh Hakedoshim of the Temple below. The Shechinah, which is Malchus of Yetzirah as its invested in the Kodesh Hakedoshim of Assiya, would thus reside in the second Temple.
• No entry even in 2^nd Temple: It is for this reason that no person had permission to enter the Kodesh Hakedoshim other than the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur.

2. Where does the Shechinah reside during exile?

• Within the four Amos of Halacha: Since the Temple was destroyed, Hashem only dwells within the four Amos of Halacha.
• Within Torah learning of single person: Even when a single person sits and learns Torah, the Shechinah is with him.
• The level of Shechinah-Assiyah: This refers to the Shechinah of Malchus of Atzilus, as it’s invested in Malchus of Beriya and Yetzirah and Assiya.
• All Mitzvos involve Assiyah-Action: The reason for why the Shechinah must pass through Malchus of Assiya is because the vast majority of the 613 Mitzvahs of the Torah involve physical action.
• Even Mitzvah’s of speech are considered an action: Even those Mitzvahs that are dependent on thought and speech, such as Talmud Torah and Birchas Hamazon and Kerias Shema and Tefilla, can only be fulfilled through the verbalization of the mouth and not through intent of the heart. Thinking of the words in one’s heart is not considered an action that suffices for the fulfillment of the Mitzvah, as we rule that thought is not like speech and one does not fulfill his obligation with mere thought and concentration alone until he actually verbalizes the words, as we rule that verbalization is considered an action.

3. Why the Shechinah resides on one’s Torah learning of Halacha:

• Gematria of Keser: The 613 Mitzvos together with the seven Rabbinical commands add up to the numerical value of 620 which is Keser.
• Contains the Ratzon Haelyon: Keser represents the supernal Divine will which is invested within G-d’s Chochmah and is united with His infinite light in complete unity.
• Halacha comes from Keser-Chochmah: Now, the Torah stems from this supernal wisdom, as the Zohar states that from Aba [i.e. Chochmah] comes the daughter [i.e. Torah Shebaal Peh]. [Hence, it is found that Jewish law derives directly from the wisdom and will of G-d, and hence contains within it the highest level of the Shechinah, as opposed to the study of other sections of Torah.]