Weekly Tanya discourse/recording: The Sacred Letter
In the realm of Jewish mysticism, the Alter Rebbe's teachings on mitzvot, or commandments, offer a profound and distinct perspective. The Alter Rebbe, in his work Tanya, Iggeres Ha'Kodesh, suggests a deep mystical division between the types of commandments, a division that sheds light on their underlying spiritual significance.
According to the Alter Rebbe, only some commandments, those termed "occasional" mitzvot, have reasons that can be understood intellectually. These commandments, with their external and more obvious reasons related to actions and behaviors, can be perceived and analyzed by the intellect. In contrast, the majority of mitzvot, the "constant" or "essential" mitzvot, transcend ordinary intellectual grasp. They express a fundamental unity and connection with G-d that is beyond rational explanation.
This unity is not a concept that can be fully captured by human intellect, since it relates to the very essence of existence and the soul’s bond with the Divine. Mitzvot serve to unite the individual with G-d by expressing His will. Transgressions separate one from this unity, constituting a form of idolatry by implying something exists outside G-d.
The Alter Rebbe explains that this profound spiritual reality underlying most mitzvot is fundamentally experiential and emotional rather than purely intellectual. This is why only "occasional" mitzvot have intelligible (intellectual) reasons clearly given.
The Torah at the level of Atzilut corresponds to the sefirah of chochmah, the infinity of the World of Atzilut lying in its correspondence to this sefirah. The external aspect of chochmah, when vested in created beings, is not infinite, as it adjusts to the limitations of the recipient. An incident recorded in the Tanach is an eternal message for all generations, containing an aspect of the Divine chochmah that transcends conception and comprehension.
The life-giving force which is vested within finite created beings is called achorayim: it is the external aspect of the sefirah and not the sefirah itself. The level of Asiyah within Atzilut is capable of descending below, suggesting a hierarchy within the World of Atzilut.
The phrase "the ultimate reason" in the context of a mitzvah means "the end of the reason," suggesting that the explanation given for a commandment is not the final explanation. For instance, the verse, "Know that the L-rd is G-d; He has made us, velo anachnu, His people and the sheep of His pasture," contains a mystery in its ktiv form, which seems exceedingly difficult to comprehend in the simple sense.
In summary, the Alter Rebbe's teachings on mitzvot offer a fascinating exploration into the spiritual dimensions of commandments. The intellectual reasons given for some commandments are a glimpse into their external aspects, while the majority of commandments, with their all-encompassing spiritual unity with G-d, transcend intellectual explanation, requiring inner revelation and heartfelt connection to understand their depth fully.
In the realm of education-and-self-development, delving into the Alter Rebbe's teachings on mitzvot serves as a valuable journey into understanding the profound and distinct spiritual significance of commandments. This exploration reveals not only the intellectually graspable reasons for some commandments but also the experiential and emotional connection to G-d that underlies the majority of mitzvot, a connection that transcends ordinary intellectual comprehension.
