Tanya/ Iggeres Ha’Kodesh – The Holy Epistle, Epistle 20, Class 13

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Also, from the [transcendent Ein Sof-] light that “encircles” and “encompasses” the Four Worlds—Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah—uniformly,

וְגַם מֵאוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף הַסּוֹבֵב וּמַקִּיף לְאַרְבַּע עוֹלָמוֹת אֲצִילוּת־בְּרִיאָה־יְצִירָה־עֲשִׂיָּה בְּשָׁוֶה,

there is a radiance to the inner kav, by way of the kelim of the ten sefirot of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah.

מֵאִיר אֶל הַקַּו הַפְּנִימִי דֶּרֶךְ הַכֵּלִים דְּי’ סְפִירוֹת דִּבְרִיאָה־יְצִירָה־עֲשִׂיָּה,

The kelim thus encompass and transcend the light that is vested within them.

By its radiance within the kelim, it endows them with power and strength to create yesh from ayin.

וּבְהֶאָרָתוֹ תּוֹךְ הַכֵּלִים נוֹתֵן בָּהֶם כֹּחַ וָעוֹז לִבְרוֹא יֵשׁ מֵאַיִן.

It has already been explained that the creation of the respective beings of each of the Four Worlds comes about through the kelim of the sefirot of that particular world. Their ability to create yesh from ayin (which can come about only from the essence of the Ein Sof-light that encompasses all worlds) results from the radiance of the encompassing light within them.

Now, because creation takes place by means of the kelim, which are finite and diverse, and the infinite light radiates within and through them,

וּמֵאַחַר שֶׁהַבְּרִיאָה הִיא עַל־יְדֵי הַכֵּלִים,

created beings are numerous and diverse, limited and finite,

לָזֹאת הֵם הַנִּבְרָאִים בִּבְחִינַת רִיבּוּי וְהִתְחַלְּקוּת וּגְבוּל וְתַכְלִית,

especially since [the Divine radiation which brought them into being is revealed] by means of the letters, as explained above, for these letters (of speech) are even more finite and more diverse than the kelim.

וּבִפְרָט עַל־יְדֵי הָאוֹתִיּוֹת, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.

To summarize: Both the indwelling aspect (the kav) and the transcendent (“encompassing”) aspect of the [infinite] Ein Sof-light are present not only within the sefirot, the neshamah, nefesh-ruach, and the kelim of each of the worlds but also within all the created beings of these worlds. The difference lies only in the degree of manifestation—whether it be a “radiance,” a “radiance of a radiance,” or a “radiance of a radiance of a radiance.”

When the creative light is present at the first and most direct level (“radiance”), though it is not the essence of the [infinite] Ein Sof-light that is manifest, the light will still be of the same nature; it retains the same mahut. When it manifests as a “radiance of a radiance,” the creative light will be essentially different and merely bear some external resemblance to its source in the manner of its manifestation; only its metziut remains Divine. When, however, it is manifest as a “radiance of a radiance of a radiance,” as is the case with all created beings, it does not retain even the metziut of the original radiance; the Divine radiance merely descends into the metziut of the created being.