(ו) וְכָכָה מַמָּשׁ, דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, מְיוּחָדוֹת דִּבּוּרוֹ וּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא בְּתַכְלִית הַיִּחוּד בְּמַהוּתוֹ וְעַצְמוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, גַּם אַחַר שֶׁיָּצָא דִּבּוּרוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ אֶל הַפּוֹעַל בִּבְרִיאוֹת הָעוֹלָמוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה מְיוּחָד עִמּוֹ קוֹדֶם בְּרִיאַת הָעוֹלָמוֹת, וְאֵין שׁוּם שִׁינּוּי כְּלָל לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ, אֶלָּא אֶל הַבְּרוּאִים הַמְקַבְּלִים חַיּוּתָם מִבְּחִינַת דִּבּוּרוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, בִּבְחִינַת יְצִיאָתוֹ כְּבָר אֶל הַפּוֹעַל בִּבְרִיאַת הָעוֹלָמוֹת, שֶׁמִּתְלַבֵּשׁ בָּהֶם לְהַחֲיוֹתָם עַל יְדֵי הִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת מֵעִלָּה לְעָלוּל וִירִידַת הַמַּדְרֵגוֹת בְּצִמְצוּמִים רַבִּים וְשׁוֹנִים, עַד שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ הַבְּרוּאִים לְקַבֵּל חַיּוּתָם וְהִתְהַוּוּתָם מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֹא יִתְבַּטְּלוּ בִּמְצִיאוּת.
(ז) וְכָל הַצִּמְצוּמִים הֵם בְּחִינַת ״הֶסְתֵּר פָּנִים״, לְהַסְתִּיר וּלְהַעֲלִים הָאוֹר וְהַחַיּוּת הַנִּמְשָׁךְ מִדִּבּוּרוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְגַּלֶּה בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי רַב שֶׁלֹּא יוּכְלוּ הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים לְקַבֵּל, וְלָכֵן גַּם כֵּן נִדְמֶה לָהֶם אוֹר וְחַיּוּת הַדִּבּוּר שֶׁל מָקוֹם בָּרוּךְ־הוּא הַמְלוּבָּשׁ בָּהֶם, כְּאִלּוּ הוּא דָּבָר מוּבְדָּל מִמַּהוּתוֹ וְעַצְמוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, רַק שֶׁנִּמְשָׁךְ מִמֶּנּוּ יִתְבָּרֵךְ – כְּמוֹ דִּבּוּר שֶׁל אָדָם מִנַּפְשׁוֹ.
(ח) אַךְ לְגַבֵּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, אֵין שׁוּם צִמְצוּם וְהֶסְתֵּר וְהֶעְלֵם מַסְתִּיר וּמַעֲלִים לְפָנָיו, וְ״כַחֲשֵׁכָה כָּאוֹרָה״, כְּדִכְתִיב: ״גַּם חֹשֶׁךְ לֹא יַחְשִׁיךְ מִמֶּךָּ וְגוֹ׳״, מִשּׁוּם שֶׁאֵין הַצִּמְצוּמִים וְהַלְּבוּשִׁים דָּבָר נִפְרָד מִמֶּנּוּ יִתְבָּרֵךְ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, אֶלָּא כְּהָדֵין קַמְצָא דִּלְבוּשֵׁיהּ מִינֵּיהּ וּבֵיהּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״כִּי ה׳ הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים״, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר.
(ט) וְלָכֵן קַמֵּיהּ – כּוּלָּא כְּלָא חֲשִׁיב מַמָּשׁ:
(6) Verily so, by way of example, are the “speech” and “thought” of the Holy One, blessed is He, absolutely united with His essence and being, blessed be He, even after His “speech,” blessed be He, has already become materialized in the creation of the worlds, just as it was united with Him before the worlds were created. There is thus no manner of change before Him, blessed be He, but only for the created beings which receive their life-force from His “word,” blessed be He, as it were, in its revealed state at the creation of the worlds, in which it is clothed, giving them life through a process of gradual descent from cause to effect and a downward gradation, by means of numerous and various contractions,7 The process of tzimtzum. until the created beings can receive their life and existence from it without losing their entity.
(7) These “contractions” are all in the nature of “veiling of the Countenance,” to obscure and conceal the light and life-force that are derived from His “word,” blessed be He, so that it shall not reveal itself in a greater radiance than the lower worlds are capable of receiving. Hence it seems to them as if the light and life-force of the word of the Omnipresent, blessed is He, which is clothed in them, were something apart from His essence and being, blessed be He, and it only issues from Him, just as the speech of a human being [issues] from his soul.
(8) Yet, in regard to the Holy One, blessed is He, no concealment or veil hides or obscures anything from Him, to Whom darkness is like light, as is written, “Even the darkness obscures nothing from You….”8 Psalms 139:12. For all the “contractions” and “garments” are not things distinct from Him, Heaven forfend, but “like the snail, whose garment is part of his body”9 Bereishit Rabbah 21:5. and as is written, “The L–rd, He is G–d,”10 Deuteronomy 4:35. as is explained elsewhere.11 The Ineffable Name—the Name of four letters, Y-H-V-H—is pronounced in conversation Havaya. The prescribed traditional reading in Scripture and prayer is Ad-nay. However, the name Havaya refers to G–d the Infinite, the transcendent creative Divine force, beyond creation and nature, omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. The name Elokim, the immanent Divine force concealed in nature, emphasizes G–d’s justice and rulership (see Rashi’s commentary, Genesis 2:5, 6:2). See below, Likkutei Amarim, Part II, ch. 6. The equation emphasizes the absolute Unity of the Creator.
(9) Therefore, in His Presence, all else is of no account whatsoever.