Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi The Alter Rebbe Parshat Ki Teze 5565-1805 (2) second version

Indented text by the translator

Choice Less

Emergence

Every detail in every world was originally included within the generality.

God’s initial creation—the antecedent thought of Primordial Man—encompassed all space-time. Later occurrences are seen as the emergence of details from the former generality.

Consequently, all man’s transgressions and iniquities recorded in the Torah were likewise inscribed in the antecedent thought. For example, Adam’s sin, the episode with the Golden Calf, and every future deed of mankind—extending to the Messianic era—were integrated within the generality. For God’s antecedent thought “observed and saw, with a single glance, until the end of time.”

Perplexity

A wondrous dilemma arises. How can reward and punishment be applied? Wasn’t man’s future misconduct previously inscribed? Doesn’t God’s foreknowledge preclude man’s free will?

            God’s antecedent thought envelops all that will be. That’s why it’s considered a generality relative to the details which later emerge. And such details include all of man’s choices. For there is nothing that a detail possesses which isn’t contained in its generality.

A particular choice to do wrong isn’t a new event. It was included in God’s antecedent thought; it emerges into revelation, but it had already existed in a concealed state.

God’s foreknowledge is termed a “comprehensive thought.” Past, present, and future are revealed before Him. Man’s specific choices depart and descend from the divine generality. They then enter a person as empowering agents, guiding his deeds.

Bad Spirit

“A person doesn’t sin,” reveals the Talmud, “unless a spirit of folly enters him.” Where does such a spirit come from? This spirit arrives from above and travels downward through the system of worlds. Consequently, a particular spirit of folly is merely a detail of the 10 utterances of creation.

God created the worlds through 10 utterances, documented in Genesis’s Creation narrative. All spiritual and physical entities, including a specific spirit of folly, are brought into existence from the Hebrew letters of these utterances. The 10 utterances were themselves also revealed from their hidden state within the antecedent thought; they too are viewed as details relative to the generality.

Not only is a person’s choice and its spirit of folly foreknown, the deed’s reward or punishment is also already inscribed in God’s comprehensive thought. Adam’s future sin, for example, ascended in God’s generalized thought. Afterwards, Adam’s bad choice emerged and descended below as a detail. That’s what caused Adam to choose to eat the forbidden fruit. His punishment likewise exited God’s antecedent thought to become operative below. Why, then, should man be culpable?

References

Emergence

God’s initial creation—called the antecedent thought of Primordial Man

The First Book of the Zohar, page 31, side b;

Tikunei Zohar, chapter 19, page 42, side a;

Avodat HaKodesh, volume 4, chapter 3.

the antecedent thought of Primordial Man

The Second Book of the Zohar, page 20, side a;

Tikunei Zohar, chapter 69, page 111, side a.

“observed and saw, with a single glance, until the end of time”

The Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Chagigah, page 12, side a; ibid., Tractate Rosh Hashana, page 18, side a.

Perplexity

Past, present, and future are revealed and known before Him.

Midrash Tehilim, chapter 139, verse 3.

Bad Spirit

“A person doesn’t sin,” reveals the Talmud, “unless a spirit of folly enters him.”

The Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sotah, page 3, side a.

God created the worlds through 10 utterances

Mishnah, Tractate Avot, chapter 5, law 1;

The Second Book of the Zohar, page 14, side b;

Tikunei Zohar, chapter 21, page 62, side a.

are brought into existence from the Hebrew letters of these utterances

Megaleh Amukot, chapter 67.

The following Midrash elucidates King David’s verse

Midrash Tanchuma, parshat V’yasha