He will also rejoice doubly in the joy and pleasure which his faith brings to G-d.

For thereby, [through one's faith in G-d's unity], the sitra achra is truly subdued, and darkness is transformed to light - meaning the darkness of the kelipot of this corporeal world - which obscure and conceal G-d's light until the End of Days, as it is written, [8] "He sets an end to darkness."

(The Biblical phrase, "the End of Days," is written Ketz HaYamin; [since "yamin" in Aramaic means "days" and yamin in Hebrew means "right", the phrase thus intimates that "in the End of Days G-d will reveal His right hand" - a reference to His attribute of revelation], when He will banish the spirit of impurity from the earth, and [9] "G-d's glory, [the G-dliness within every created being], will be revealed, and all flesh together will behold [it].

[That is to say, not only the mind, but even the very flesh of man will perceive G-dliness, as will be explained further.) [10]

This banishment of the sitra achra will take place only at "the End of Days," during the Messianic era. Until then, however, while the darkness of kelipah still reigns over the earth, one affords G-d gratification by crushing the sitra achra and transforming its darkness into light, by means of his faith. And man's realization of this fact intensifies his own joy in his faith].

This is especially so in the diaspora, where the atmosphere is unclean and is filled with kelipot and sitra achra.

There is no greater joy for G-d than the light and joy caused by [transforming darkness into light], when the light has the superior quality acquired by coming out of the very darkness.

[Thus, when a Jew in the diaspora is pervaded with an awareness of G-d's unity, His joy is all the greater. It follows too that the more lowly is one's spiritual position, the greater the Divine joy when he acquires an awareness of G-d's unity.

We have seen so far, then, that one's faith in G-d's unity leads him to a twofold joy: joy in his closeness to G-d, and joy in the knowledge that his faith brings joy to G-d].

This is the meaning of the verse, [11] "Let Israel rejoice in its Maker" [note the expression: "Maker", not "Creator" or the like]:

Whoever is of the seed of Israel ought to rejoice in the joy of G-d, Who is happy and joyous with His abode amongst the creatures of the lower spheres, who are on the level of actual physical Asiyah.

[The word translated "in its Maker" (Be'oh'sav) shares a common root with Asiyah, the lowest level of creation.

With this abode in particular ought Israel rejoice, knowing that G-d's joy is especially great when the creations in Asiyah, the very lowest world, become an abode for Him].

For this reason the plural form - Be'oh'sav - is used.

[The literal meaning of the verse is: "Let Israel rejoice in its Makers." Why the use of a plural expression in reference to G-d?

The Alter Rebbe explains that since G-d is spoken of here as the "Maker" of the world of Asiyah, the domain of kelipot whose nature is arrogance and therefore separation and self-centeredness, the Divine creative power is referred to in the plural - for it is fragmented, so to speak. There is a multitude of created beings, each separate from the other, each animated by the Divine creative power; hence, a plurality of "Makers", so to speak.

But this fault becomes a cause for still greater Divine joy, when these separate beings at the level of Asiyah unite in G-d's unity.

This unification of creation is another achievement of man's faith in G-d's unity, for this faith subdues the sitra achra which causes disunity.

As stated above, it is the earlier darkness which enhances the light that replaces it. Thus, the greater the darkness, the more superior the subsequent light.

In the Alter Rebbe's words]:

This plural expression - "Makers" - refers to our physical world that is filled with kelipot and sitra achra, which are called "a public domain," [i.e., a domain of multiplicity], and "mountains of separation," in that they are arrogant and separate from one another.

[G-d's joy in the fusion of this plurality is aroused when] through this faith in G-d's unity they (the kelipot) are transformed into light, and they become a "private domain" - [i.e., a unified realm] - for G-d's unity.

   

Notes:

8. (Back to text) Iyov 28:3.

9. (Back to text) Yeshayahu 40:5.

10. (Back to text) End of ch. 36.

11. (Back to text) Tehillim 149:2.