Daily Tanya Sunday 10th Kisleiv Kuntrus Achron 4: The Unique Radiance of Torah Law

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10th Kisleiv

The Unique Radiance of Torah Law

  1. Laws vs. Intellectually Generated Love and Awe
  • Love and fear of G‑d, even when experienced by angels, are created ex nihilo and belong to the category of nefesh and ruach of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah.
  • By contrast, the laws of the mitzvot originate in the supreme wisdom of the Emanator, which descends and clothes itself in the physical realm without being fully concealed.
  1. How Divine Wisdom Flows into Law
  • Each law—such as the case of “one who exchanges a cow for a donkey”—is an expression of Divine will drawn from supreme wisdom, determining leniency or severity.
  • Though the physical object discussed in the law conceals the light, the legal ruling and its rationale remain a revealed radiance of wisdom.
  • This radiance passes through the worlds like water descending from a high place, illuminating Beriah and Yetzirah before reaching Asiyah.
  1. Contrast with Created Beings
  • Created beings, including angels and souls, conceal the Divine wisdom completely; their awe and love are created states, not direct expressions of essence.
  • The laws of Torah, however, manifest the Divine will openly, even after descending into Asiyah, and far surpass the intellectual faculties (ChaBaD) of that world.
  1. Spiritual Nourishment
  • Before descending into the physical realm, Torah law slakes the thirst of souls and angels in Beriah and Yetzirah, providing them with vitality.
  • Even after its descent, Torah law remains infinitely higher than the created intellect of Asiyah—even at the level of neshamah.

Key Takeaway

Torah law is not merely a set of rules—it is a direct radiance of Divine wisdom and will, far surpassing the created love and awe of angels and souls. While physical objects obscure this light, the law itself remains a revealed channel of G‑d’s essence, nourishing all worlds and elevating creation.

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.