Chapter 33: Rejoicing in G-ds Unity and his Dirah Betachtonim

11^th Adar/(LY) 29^th  Adar 1

1. Contemplating G-d’s unity to increase in one’s joy:

• There is another manner in which one can rejoice one’s soul with a true joy. This especially applies on those occasions that one sees that one’s soul needs to be refined and shined with a joy of the heart. This is accomplished through deeply contemplating and imagining within one’s mind which G-d’s true oneness and unity. The following is the contemplation:
• All is naught before G-d: One is to contemplate that G-d fills all the worlds, the upper and lower worlds, including this physical world, and everything is considered nullified in His presence.
• G-d is alone just like He was before creation: G-d is alone in both the upper and lower worlds just like he was alone before the six days of creation. Prior to the creation of the physical world, G-d filled all the space in which this world including the heavens and earth and all its legions was created, and the same applies now as well that He fills all this space without any difference at all, being that the existence of all the creations are nullified to Him.
• Like the nullification of letters of speech in their root: The nullification of all creations in the presence of G-d is like the nullification of the letters of speech and thought in their root and source in the essence of the soul. In their root and source, which are the 10 faculties of the soul, letters of speech and thought do not yet exist prior to entering into the garment of thought, and only their potential exists and hence they are nullified to their source, as explained in length in chapters 20-21 and as explained elsewhere a physical parable for this regarding the sun and its light as brought next. The same applies regarding all creations, even after their creation by G-d.
• Like the nullification of a ray within the sun: The nullification of all creations in the presence of G-d is also like the nullification of the ray of the sun within its source which is the actual body of the sun which is found in the sky. Although certainly the ray of the sun shines within the body of the sun, and even more so than it does outside the sun within the space of the world, nonetheless, within the sun the ray is completely nullified to the sun itself, and it is as if it does not exist at all. Similarly, the entire world with all its creations is nullified in their existence within their source which is the infinite light of G-d, as explained there in length.

2. How contemplating G-d’s unity brings one to joy:

• Realizing that one is very close and unified with G-d: When one contemplates the above matter in depth and at length then he will come to a great rejoicing of the heart and delight of the soul, with his entire heart and soul. This faith and belief are very great, as through it one accomplishes an actual closeness to G-d Himself. [The belief and faith that G-d fills even this world and that everything is nullified to Him should cause one to rejoice in the realization that in truth he is unified with G-d at this very moment. This belief shows the Jew that he in truth is very close to G-d, and he should therefore rejoice tremendously due to this realization of his closeness and unity with G-d.]

3. This is the entire purpose of man:

• The above realization that G-d is found everywhere, including here in this world, and that everything is nullified to Him, is the entire purpose of man’s creation, and the entire purpose of the creation of all the upper and lower worlds, to begin with. The purpose of the world’s creation is so G-d have a dwelling place below in this world as will be explained in length in the later chapters [and this dwelling is realized and actualized when one recognizes the fact that at this very moment G-d already dwells here below.]

4. Rejoicing that even as a lowly person one can be united with the King:

• How great is the joy of a simpleton and lowly person when he can become close with a king of flesh and blood and lives with him together in his palace, and certainly how infinitely greater must the joy be when one comes to the recognition that he is living with the King of all Kings, Hashem.

12^th Adar

5. Praising G-d each morning for the inheritance of His true unity:

• Dirah Betachtonim is Hashems Achdus below: It was regarding this that the sages established that a person praise G-d each morning. [They established that every morning a Jew should say a prayer for having been given the recognition of G-d’s unity, as explained above, that the true unity of G-d exists even now, and that even now nothing exists other than him being that everything is nullified and united with Him, including the person himself, and hence already now G-d is actually dwelling in this world.]
• Ashreinu Mah Tov Chelkeinu: The prayer in which this praise was established to be recited is the prayer of, “Ashreinu Mah Tov Chelkeinu Umah Yafa Yerushaseinu.”
• This belief is an inheritance from our forefathers: In this prayer we praise G-d for our portion and inheritance, as just like a person rejoices when he inherits a mass fortune that he did not have to work for, so too even more so one should infinitely rejoice over the inheritance that we received from our forefathers, which is the true belief in G-d’s unity that even now He dwells within us being that nothing exists other than Him, and this is the true fulfillment of G-d dwelling below in the lower realms.

6. Fulfilling all Mitzvos through Emuna in Achdus Hashem-The faith in G-d’s unity leads to the fulfillment of all 613 commands:

• All 613 commands are supported by faith: The sages state that although 613 commands were given to the Jewish people, Chabakuk came along and established that the single mitzvah of faith encompasses and supports all the 613 commands that were given to the Jewish people, as the verse states that “a tzaddik lives with his faith.”
• Faith in G-d’s unity leads to the fulfillment of all 613 commands: This means to say that one can view all 613 commands as if they were only one command, which is the command involving the above faith of G-d’s unity, as through this belief of G-d’s unity one will come to fulfill all of the 613 commands.
• How-Treating the mitzvah of faith and its joy as the only mitzvah in the Torah: [The above statement that all 613 commands are based on the command of faith can be realized] through utterly rejoicing over the above faith and belief of G-d’s unity that even now one is completely united with G-d, and treating it as if this is the only mitzvah in the Torah, and that the fulfillment of this mitzvah alone is the entire purpose of his creation and the creation of all the worlds.
• This joy leads one to fulfill all the 613 commands: When one greatly rejoices in the above then the energy and vitality of this joy will elevate his soul very high and help him overcome all of the internal and external challenges and obstacles that prevent him from properly fulfilling all the 613 commands [and hence it is found that this one mitzvah of faith leads to the fulfillment of all the other commands].

7. The joy in realization of one’s unity with G-d is similar to resurrection:

• On the above the verse states that “Bemunaso Yichyeh/ through faith one lives,” as this faith is literally like a resurrection, as it resurrects the soul with a great joy and vitality.

8. A double joy:

• This joy is a double joy.
• One is living with G-d: The first joy is the joy of the soul which comprehends how G-d is very close to him and literally lives with him.

13^th Adar

• Rejoicing in G-d’s satisfaction: In addition, one is to doubly rejoice over the great joy and satisfaction that one gives G-d with this belief. This great satisfaction of G-d is due to the destruction of the evil forces, as will be explained next.

9. The concealment of G-d affected by the Kelipos, and the pleasure it gives Hashem when He sees their downfall:

• Subduing evil and turning darkness to light: The reason this faith gives G-d such satisfaction is because through believing this one literarily subdues the side of evil and transforms darkness into light.
• The effect of the Kelipos: The evil in this world conceals and darkens the light of G-d that is found with it.
• Until when will this happen: This concealment will continue until the end of days, when G-d will finally remove the spirit of impurity from the land and allow every person to see His light.
• The Kelipos of the Diaspora: In the Diaspora, the Kelipos are especially strong, as the air of the Diaspora is impure and is filled with the side of evil.
• The joy of G-d in their downfall: Now, there is no greater joy before G-d like the light and joy experienced from the light that comes from overturning the darkness. [Hence, a Jew should also rejoice in the fact that he has given great joy to G-d by destroying the side of evil with his faith and belief.]

10. The meaning of the verse Yismach Yisrael Beosav:

• The above is the meaning of the verse which states that “Israel should rejoice in its maker,” as the verse is coming to say that every person who is of Jewish lineage should rejoice in the joy of G-d who in turn rejoices in His dwelling within the lower physical world which is filled with evil and is referred to as a public domain and as mountains of separation.

11. Turning the world from a public domain for Kelipos, to a private domain for G-d:

• Through the above faith in G-d’s unity, we bring G-d to dwell down here below, and we turn the world from being a public domain with mountains of separateness from G-d, into a world of light which is a private domain for G-d.