Tanya, Part I; Likkutei Amarim 6:7

Sugya Map

• Issue: The metaphysical basis for the existence of evil and impurity in the world, understood as the sitra achara, and its relationship to the divine providence and the structure of creation.
• Nafka Mina:
  • Understanding the source of temptation and negative inclinations (middot ra'ot) within the "animal soul."
  • The nature of mundane existence and its potential for spiritual defilement.
  • The mechanism by which Divine light sustains even that which is seemingly separate from holiness.
  • The distinction between the "holy side" and the "other side" in terms of their reception of Divine vitality.
• Primary Sources:
  • Kohelet 7:14 (explicitly quoted).
  • Zohar III:47b, 41a, 70a, II:59a (cited in footnotes).
  • Eitz Chaim, Sha'arei 42, 43, 47, 49 (cited in footnotes).
  • Sefer Hagilgulim, chapter 20 (cited in footnote).
  • Mishnah Avot 3:6.
  • Gemara Sanhedrin 39a.
  • Vayikra 11, Devarim 14, 19:23, 22:9 (cited in footnotes regarding forbidden foods).

Text Snapshot

“G–d has made one thing opposite the other.”¹ Ecclesiastes 7:14. In general, things in the realm of holiness have their opposite in the realm of the profane, or “the other side” (sitra achara). Similarly, everything in the physical world has its spiritual counterpart from which it derives its existence and vitality—a popular concept in Chabad, as in Kabbalah generally. Cf. Zohar III:47b. Just as the divine soul consists of ten holy sefirot and is clothed in three holy garments,² Thought, speech, and deed. so does the soul which is derived from the sitra achara of the kelipat nogah, which is clothed in man’s blood, consist of ten “crowns of impurity.”³ Cf. Zohar III:41a; 70a. These are the seven evil middot which stem from the four evil elements mentioned above,⁴ End of ch. 1. and the intellect begetting them which is subdivided into three, viz., wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, the source of the middot.⁵ Here, unlike ch. 3, the middot precede sechel to indicate the secondary role of the intellect in the animal soul, where passion predominates. For the middot are according to the quality of the intellect. Hence a child desires and loves petty things of inferior worth, for his intellect is too immature and deficient to appreciate things that are much more precious. Likewise is he provoked to anger and vexation over trivial things; so, too, with boasting and other middot. Now these ten unclean categories, when a person meditates in them or speaks them or acts by them, his thought—which is in his brain; and his speech—which is in his mouth; and the power of action—which is in his hands, together with his other limbs—all these are called the “impure garments” of these ten unclean categories wherein the latter are clothed at the time of the action, speech, or thought. It is these that constitute all the deeds that are done under the sun, which are all “vanity and striving after the wind,”⁶ Ecclesiastes 1:14. as interpreted in the Zohar, Beshalach,⁷ II:59a. in the sense of a “ruination of the spirit….”⁸ A reinterpretation of רעות רוח. So, too, are all utterances and thoughts which are not directed toward G–d and His will and service. For this is the meaning of sitra achara—“the other side,” i.e., not the side of holiness. For the holy side is nothing but the indwelling and extension of the holiness of the Holy One, blessed is He, and He dwells only on such a thing that abnegates itself completely to Him, either actually, as in the case of the angels above, or potentially, as in the case of every Jew down below, having the capacity to abnegate himself completely to the Holy One, blessed is He, through martyrdom for the sanctification of G–d. That is why our Sages have said that “Even when a single individual sits and engages in the Torah the Shechinah rests on him”⁹ Avot 3:6. and “On every gathering of ten [Jews] the Shechinah rests”¹⁰ Sanhedrin 39a. always.

Lexical Nuance

• “one thing opposite the other”: Kohelet 7:14. The Tanya's use of this verse is foundational, establishing a principle of inherent duality or opposition within creation.
• "holy garments" / "impure garments": The metaphor of "clothing" (malbush) is crucial, signifying how abstract spiritual forces are manifested and operate in the corporeal realm. The divine soul is clothed in holy garments; the animal soul is clothed in impure ones.
• "sitra achara" / "kelipat nogah": These terms are central to Kabbalistic and Hassidic thought. Sitra achara literally means "the other side," referring to the realm of impurity and opposition to holiness. Kelipat nogah (literally "peel of brightness/splendor") is a more nuanced concept, often understood as a mediating layer that can be illuminated by holiness or descend into impurity. The text here seems to position it as the source of the impure soul.
• "ten crowns of impurity": Parallel to the ten sefirot of holiness, these represent the structured, albeit negative, manifestation of the sitra achara.
• "seven evil middot" / "intellect begetting them": The text notes a reversal from Chapter 3, here placing middot (character traits) before intellect, suggesting that in the animal soul, passion and inclination often precede rationalization.
• "ruination of the spirit" (רעות רוח): The text offers a reinterpretation of Kohelet 1:14, moving beyond mere futility to active spiritual destruction.
• "behind its back" (מאחוריו): A potent image implying a secondary, indirect, and diminished mode of Divine sustenance for that which is not aligned with holiness. This contrasts with the direct, "face-to-face" (panim el panim) presence associated with holiness.
• "exile as it were" (גשמיות כביכול): This phrasing is critical. It acknowledges the metaphysical reality of exile and confinement that even Divine essence experiences when manifesting through impure vessels.

Readings

Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (Tanya)

The core thesis of this passage is the dualistic structure of creation, stemming from the principle of divine opposition: "G–d has made one thing opposite the other." This opposition is not merely existential but structural and functional. On the side of holiness, the divine soul possesses ten holy sefirot clothed in the tripartite "garments" of thought, speech, and deed, all directed towards God. Conversely, the sitra achara (the "other side," the realm of impurity) manifests its own structure: ten "crowns of impurity"—seven evil middot (character traits) and the intellect that begets them. This impure intellect is characterized by immaturity, leading to desires for trivialities and precipitous anger, mirroring the child's limited understanding.

The Tanya then elaborates on how this impure spiritual structure is clothed in the physical realm. When a person engages in impure thought, speech, or action, these manifest as the "impure garments" of the sitra achara. These are the very deeds that Kohelet describes as "vanity and striving after the wind" and "ruination of the spirit," particularly when not directed towards God's will.

The crucial distinction is made in how vitality (chiyut) is received. The holy side derives its existence directly from the "inner essence and substance of the holiness of the Holy One," where there is complete self-abnegation. This is exemplified by angels or Jews who engage in Torah study or sanctify God's name through martyrdom. The sitra achara, however, receives its vitality "from behind His back," a diminished, indirect sustenance. This occurs through a process of "innumerable contractions" (tzimtzumim) and descent through myriad degrees, until the light is so attenuated it can sustain these "separated things" without them reverting to absolute nothingness. This explains why the entire world, seemingly mundane, is considered the "world of kelipot and sitra achara." However, the Tanya concludes by referencing Eitz Chaim, noting that even within this impure realm, the ten sefirot of the world of Asiyah (Action) – and by extension, the higher worlds – are present, through which the light of En Sof (the Infinite) pervades even this lower world.

Ramban (Nachmanides) – Commentary on Bereishit 1:1

While not directly engaging with the sitra achara terminology in the same way as the Tanya, the Ramban’s approach to creation lays a conceptual groundwork for understanding divine immanence and the potential for opposition. In his commentary on the first verse of Genesis, Ramban grapples with the concept of ex nihilo creation and the philosophical challenges it presents. He asserts that the world was created min ha-ayin le-yesh (from nothingness to existence), not from pre-existent matter, and that this creation is a testament to God's absolute power.

Crucially, Ramban posits that the entire universe, including its apparent dualities, is a manifestation of God's will. He argues that the existence of evil or opposition is not an independent force but rather a consequence of God's decree and the inherent limitations within created existence. He writes, concerning the possibility of opposition to God's will: "And behold, the intention of the Creator, blessed be He, in creating the world was that it should be in its entirety according to His will and His decree... And if a thing is opposed to His will, it is not so because it has power against Him, but because He, blessed be He, willed that it should be so for a time, and that it should be an opposition to His will..."¹ This perspective suggests that even that which appears "opposite" is ultimately part of a divinely ordained system, albeit one that serves a purpose within that decree.

The Ramban's emphasis on God's absolute sovereignty and the intentionality behind creation, even for phenomena that seem contrary to divine goodness, provides a framework for understanding how an "other side" can exist without challenging God's ultimate control. It implies that the "other side" operates within parameters set by God, much like the sitra achara in the Tanya receives its vitality "from behind His back," a dependent and circumscribed existence.

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¹ Ramban, Commentary on Bereishit 1:1, s.v. "והשם יתברך" (and the blessed God).

Friction

The Kushya: Divine Sustenance of the Impure

The Tanya, in its meticulous dissection of the sitra achara, presents a profound theological challenge. It states that "that which does not surrender itself to G–d, but is a separate thing by itself, does not receive its vitality from the holiness of the Holy One, blessed is He... but from 'behind its back,' as it were... descending degree by degree... until the light and life is so diminished... that it can be compressed and incorporated... within that separated thing, giving it vitality and existence ex nihilo."

This assertion raises a critical question: If all existence derives from God, and the sitra achara is inherently opposed to holiness, how can it receive "vitality" or "existence" from God, even indirectly? Is this "vitality" truly divine, or is it a form of cosmic allowance, a negative shadow cast by the light of holiness? If it is truly derived from God, even "from behind His back," does this not imply a form of divine endorsement or participation in the very forces that oppose Him? This seems to create a tension with the concept of God's absolute oneness and His complete opposition to impurity. Can the divine light, even in its most attenuated form, sustain that which is fundamentally antithetical to it without compromising its own nature?

The Terutz: The Nature of "Tzimtzum" and "Reshimu"

A robust terutz to this kushya can be found by delving deeper into the Kabbalistic concepts that underpin the Tanya's explanation, particularly the mechanisms of tzimtzum (contraction) and the resultant reshimu (residue or imprint).

The Tanya's reference to "innumerable contractions" and "lowering of the worlds" points directly to the initial divine act of tzimtzum, where God "withdrew" His infinite light to make space for creation. This withdrawal was not an annihilation of His light but a concealment and limitation of its infinite manifestation. After this contraction, a reshimu remained – a trace or imprint of the Divine light, which served as the foundational substrate for all subsequent creative processes.

The vitality that sustains the sitra achara is not the direct, unmediated light of En Sof that illuminates the realm of holiness. Instead, it is the reshimu, the residual imprint of that light, which has undergone such extreme diminutions and transformations through the successive stages of the worlds (Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah) that it can be "compressed and incorporated" into the impure vessels. This is not a positive act of divine will endorsing impurity, but rather a consequence of the very structure of creation that necessitates the existence of such vessels to contain and channel the Divine flow, albeit in a highly filtered and indirect manner.

The sitra achara is thus sustained by a "light that is clothed" in layers of concealment and contraction, a light that is so diminished that it can co-exist with the "separation" of these impure entities. This is analogous to how a shadow exists only in relation to light; it is not light itself, but its absence, made perceptible by the presence of light. The sitra achara's existence is dependent on the original Divine light, just as a shadow depends on the object and the light source. It is a testament to God's infinite power that even the space devoid of direct holiness can still be permeated by the faintest echo of His being, preventing it from returning to absolute nothingness, thus fulfilling God's will that everything that exists, exists by His decree. This perspective allows for the existence of "opposition" without compromising divine uniqueness or creating a dualistic deity.

Intertext

Sefer Yetzirah 1:4

The Sefer Yetzirah, one of the earliest and most foundational Kabbalistic texts, offers a parallel conceptual framework for understanding the building blocks of creation and the inherent "opposites" within them. It states:

“With thirty-two wondrous paths of wisdom, carved Y-H-V-H Elohim Tzevaot, God of Hosts, King of the Universe, the Gracious and Merciful, the High and Exalted One dwelling eternally, and His holy name is Holy. With ten numbers of Sefirot… and with twenty-two letters of the foundation…”¹

The Sefer Yetzirah posits that the universe is constructed from fundamental elements: ten Sefirot (which, in this early context, are more numerological/abstract than the later ten sefirot of emanation) and twenty-two Hebrew letters. The Tanya's concept of "ten holy sefirot" and "ten 'crowns of impurity'" directly echoes this foundational structure. The Sefer Yetzirah's emphasis on "thirty-two wondrous paths" implies a complex, interconnected system where these elements combine and interact.

The Tanya's explicit mention of the "seven evil middot which stem from the four evil elements" and their intellectual progenitors can be seen as a later, more psychologically and ethically nuanced development of this idea. The Sefer Yetzirah's implicit duality—the combination of numbers and letters, the very act of "carving"—suggests a system where fundamental principles can manifest in varied, and potentially opposing, ways. The Tanya expands this by detailing how these principles, particularly when perverted or immaturely expressed (as in the child's intellect), lead to impurity. The Sefer Yetzirah's universe is one of structured divine emanation, and the Tanya's sitra achara is an explanation of how aspects of this structure can be oriented away from their intended divine purpose, forming a parallel but subordinate system.

Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 116:1

The practical halachic implications of the Tanya's metaphysical discourse on the sitra achara can be observed in how Jewish law addresses the concept of impurity and its sources. The Shulchan Aruch, while not delving into the Kabbalistic ontology, codifies rules that reflect a deep awareness of the pervasive nature of impurity and the need for separation.

Consider Yoreh De'ah 116:1, which discusses the prohibition of consuming food derived from plants that have been subject to specific prohibited statuses, such as orlah (fruit from a tree's first three years) or kilayim (mixed seeds). The Shulchan Aruch states:

“It is forbidden to eat from the fruit of a tree during its first three years… and also from mixed seeds in a vineyard… and all these are forbidden by Torah law.”

The Tanya, in its footnotes to this very passage, explicitly links these prohibitions to the sitra achara: "as well as the existence and vitality of all forbidden food in the vegetable kingdom, such as orlah... and mixed seeds in the vineyard... as explained in Etz Chaim."

This demonstrates a direct halachic manifestation of the metaphysical concept. The Torah prohibitions against consuming orlah or kilayim are not merely arbitrary rules; according to the Tanya's framework, they are prohibitions against deriving vitality from the sitra achara. The kelipot (husks) that surround and obscure holiness are understood to be the very source of vitality for these forbidden substances. Therefore, abstaining from them is not just about ritual purity but about severing one's connection to the impure side of existence and aligning oneself with the divine flow of holiness. The halachic system, in this instance, provides a tangible method for navigating and mitigating the influence of the sitra achara in the physical world.

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¹ Sefer Yetzirah 1:4. (Translation adapted for clarity).

Psak/Practice

The Tanya's intricate mapping of the sitra achara and its metaphysical underpinnings has significant implications for how one approaches spiritual practice, even without explicit halachic rulings derived directly from this passage.

Firstly, the emphasis on the "impure garments" of thought, speech, and deed highlights the profound spiritual consequence of our actions, words, and even internal cogitations. This reinforces the principle that every aspect of a person's engagement with the world is a potential locus of either holiness or impurity. The middot (character traits) being "according to the quality of the intellect" and the child's immaturity serving as an example, suggest a meta-heuristic: self-awareness and refinement of one's intellectual and emotional faculties are crucial for spiritual growth. Recognizing the nascent stages of negative inclinations allows for their correction before they become fully formed "crowns of impurity."

Secondly, the concept of receiving vitality "from behind His back" for the sitra achara serves as a constant reminder of the subordinate and dependent nature of all existence, even that which is impure. This perspective can foster a sense of awe and humility, understanding that God's providence extends even to the sustenance of that which opposes Him, all within His overarching plan. This does not lead to complacency but to a heightened vigilance: if even impurity is sustained by a hidden Divine flow, how much more so should one strive to draw directly from the "face" of holiness. The practice, therefore, involves discerning which "garments" one is wearing and actively choosing to align one's thought, speech, and deed with the holy side, thereby drawing directly from God's presence.

Takeaway

The seemingly dualistic nature of existence is a divinely ordained structure, wherein even that which opposes holiness receives its being indirectly, a testament to God's absolute sovereignty over all realms. Our spiritual struggle, then, is to consciously choose to clothe ourselves in the "pure garments" of holiness, drawing directly from the Divine essence rather than the diminished sustenance of the "other side."