ה' כסלו – קונטרס אחרון פרק ד'

In contrast to Torah and Tefillah, the מעשה המצות—the actual performance of mitzvos—are described as מעשה אלקים המה—they are the acts of G‑d Himself. This is a fundamental distinction: when a person performs a mitzvah, he is not merely connecting to G‑d in a limited way, but is actually engaging in an act that is, so to speak, a divine act—an act of Elokus.

This is why, when there is a mitzvah that cannot be fulfilled by others, one is even required to set aside Torah study and prayer in order to perform it. The act of the mitzvah itself is considered an act of G‑d, and thus takes precedence.

The way this works is through the process of השתלשלות—the chain-like descent of divine energy—from the כלים דאצילות—the vessels of Atzilus—down into the worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. This descent is from their very essence and being, specifically from their external aspect.

In other words, the energy that animates the mitzvos we perform in this world originates in the vessels of Atzilus, and from there it descends through the lower worlds. The external aspect of Atzilus is what becomes invested in the physical objects and actions of mitzvos.

For example, take the esrog and its species—the four species used in the mitzvah of lulav and esrog. The הקב"ה—the Holy One, blessed be He—invests within them the very essence and being of the חסדים פנימיים דז"א—the inner chesed of Zeir Anpin. However, this is specifically from their external aspect, as is known regarding all practical mitzvos.

This means that the physical object used for the mitzvah—the esrog—actually contains within it a piece of godliness, a spark of the divine essence as it is manifest in the vessels of Atzilus. The mitzvah object is not just a symbol; it is a literal conduit for the divine.

By contrast, a person—even one who possesses a soul from Atzilus—since that soul is clothed within a physical body, cannot find within himself or grasp the essence and being of the inner chesed of Zeir Anpin of Atzilus.

No matter how lofty the soul, as long as it is invested in a body, there is a limitation: the person cannot access or comprehend the true inner essence of the divine chesed that is present in the mitzvah object itself.

(This is because אצילות—the world of Atzilus—corresponds to the level of Chayah in the general structure of the worlds of Abiy"a—Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah. The level of Chayah is a surrounding, transcendent light that does not become invested within the vessel at all.)

Just as the Chayah of the soul hovers above and does not descend into the person, so too the level of Atzilus remains above and does not become internalized within the vessels of the lower worlds.

Therefore, what a person can attain is only the existence—the מציאותן—of these divine levels, and this is achieved through דחילו ורחימו שכליים—intellectual awe and love of G‑d.

Through contemplation and understanding, one can grasp that there is a divine reality, but not its true essence. The intellectual approach allows a person to know of the existence of G‑dliness, but not to actually experience or internalize its essence.

Regarding the verse, "You shall see My back"—this refers specifically to the level of prophecy.

Even Moshe Rabbeinu, whose soul was from Atzilus and who was present in this world, was only able to "see" the divine in the context of prophecy, not through ordinary perception or comprehension.

(This prophetic experience involves a התפשטות הגשמיות—a removal or stripping away of physicality, as explained in the Zohar, Parshas Mishpatim.)

In prophecy, the person is not perceiving G‑dliness while remaining in a state of physicality; rather, there is a transcendence of the physical, allowing for a different kind of perception altogether.

The reason for this is that it is impossible for a created being to grasp anything of the מהות האלקות—the essence of G‑dliness, which is the Creator.

This limitation is fundamental: as creations, we simply do not have the capacity to comprehend the true essence of the Divine. Our understanding is always limited to what is accessible to us as finite beings, and the essence of the Creator remains beyond our reach.

Without true comprehension, there cannot be genuine הלבשה—enclothing, תפיסא—grasp, or דביקות אמיתית—real attachment.

In other words, if we cannot truly grasp the essence, then our connection is not one of real internalization or true cleaving. To be genuinely attached to something, you must be able to internalize and grasp it; otherwise, the connection remains external and distant.

By contrast, when it comes to the אתרוג—the esrog, for example, its vitality is drawn and descends from the מהות חיצונית דכלים דנוק' דז"א דאצי'—the external essence of the vessels of the Nukvah (feminine aspect) of Ze'er Anpin of Atzilus, which is itself a level of G‑dliness.

As it is written in Etz Chaim, all fruits are rooted in Atzilus. This means that the physical esrog in this world is not just a mundane object, but its very life-force is a direct extension from the Divine vessels of Atzilus. The energy within the esrog is, in fact, a piece of G‑dliness that has descended into the physical.

For, according to the view that the thirty vessels of Atzilus descended into Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah—these are the ten utterances with which the world was created—this descent happens through the vessels of the Nukvah of Asiyah, so that there is מהות במהות—essence within essence.

In other words, the Divine vessels of Atzilus do not remain aloof, but actually descend and become enclothed within the vessels of the lower worlds, specifically through the Nukvah of Asiyah. This process allows the Divine essence to be present within the physical creation itself, so that the fruit, like the esrog, is not just a symbol but contains within it the actual Divine energy from Atzilus, now manifest in the world of Asiyah.

This is because the vessels of Atzilus become like a soul within Asiyah, which is truly a level of G‑dliness. For in Atzilus, איהו וגרמוהי חד—He and His vessels are one; the Emanator and the emanated are united.

In Atzilus, there is no separation between the Divine light and the vessels that express it. When these vessels descend and become the 'soul' of Asiyah, they bring with them this unity, so that the Divine essence is present in the physical world in a real and tangible way. The act of a mitzvah, therefore, is not just symbolic; it is a direct connection to the essence of G‑dliness as it is manifest in creation.

And through the enclothing of the essence of the soul within the essence of the vessels of the Nukvah of Asiyah, the esrog comes into being.

This means that the physical esrog, as we hold it in our hands, is the result of this process: the Divine essence, as it is in Atzilus, enclothes itself within the vessels of Asiyah, and from this union, the esrog is formed. The mitzvah object is thus not just a physical item, but a vessel for the Divine essence itself.

It follows that when one takes hold of the esrog and shakes it according to the halacha, he is actually grasping the vitality that is enclothed within it from the Nukvah of Atzilus, which is united with the infinite light of the Emanator, blessed be He.

In other words, by performing the mitzvah with the esrog, you are not just holding a fruit—you are holding, so to speak, the Divine energy that is present within it. The Nukvah of Atzilus is bound up with the Ein Sof, the infinite light, so that the act of the mitzvah is a direct connection to the infinite Divine. This is the unique power of a mitzvah: it allows a person to grasp and connect with the very essence of G‑dliness as it is manifest in the world.

By contrast, when it comes to one's intention—meaning the kavana, or even for one who knows the mystical secrets—he does not grasp or apprehend, but only the existence, not the essence.

Even someone who understands the deepest secrets of the mitzvah, or who meditates with the greatest kavana, can only reach the level of מציאותה—its existence, and not מהותה—its essence. The intellectual or emotional connection, no matter how profound, cannot reach the core of the Divine essence present in the mitzvah object itself. Only through the physical act of the mitzvah does one truly connect with the essence of the Ein Sof.

When a person learns the הלכות אתרוג—the laws of the Esrog—he is not just studying abstract concepts. He is actually grasping and connecting with the Esrog itself and the mitzvah as it is performed according to halacha. This connection happens through his speech and thought—by articulating and contemplating the details of the mitzvah, he is, in a real sense, holding onto the Esrog and its mitzvah, even though he is not physically performing the act at that moment.

This means that there are multiple ways to "grasp" the Esrog: one can physically perform the mitzvah by taking the Esrog and shaking it, or one can "grasp" it intellectually and verbally by learning and discussing its laws. Both are forms of connection, and the act of learning the halachos is itself a way of engaging with the mitzvah in a tangible way.

And certainly, when one learns the סוד—the secret or inner dimension—of the Esrog, he is also engaging with the essence of the mitzvah. Even though this is a more abstract, mystical study, it is still considered a direct involvement with the Esrog and its mitzvah, not just a theoretical exercise.

However, it is specifically the סודות המצוה—the secrets of the mitzvah—that are being discussed here. Learning these inner dimensions is in no way less than learning the halachos themselves; on the contrary, it is even greater in certain respects.

Even though, through this study, one does not fully grasp the essence—the מהות—of the mitzvah, the act of learning the secrets is still a profound form of connection. The engagement with the mystical aspects of the mitzvah is not just an intellectual pursuit; it is a way of relating directly to the mitzvah itself, just as learning its halachos is.

So, whether one is learning the revealed laws or the inner secrets of the mitzvah, both are powerful ways of connecting to the mitzvah and, through it, to the Ein Sof. This highlights the unique depth of connection that comes through Maisah HaMitzvah—the actual performance of mitzvos and the study of their laws and secrets—beyond what is achieved through Torah study alone.