Now, it is known to all that the soul of man - [the soul of the Jew] - is compounded of the Ten Sefirot: Choch-mah, Binah, Daat, and so on, [as explained in Tanya, ch. 3].

Though these [corresponding faculties of the soul] all derive from the breath of [G-d's] mouth, as it is written, [Gen. 2:7] "And He blew into his nostrils [the soul of life]."

[The term "He blew" indicates that the divine soul derives from the innermost spirit and vitality of its Creator, as explained in Tanya, ch. 2, and Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah, ch. 5].

Nevertheless, [each of these ten faculties of the soul is particularly connected with one of the ten Supernal Sefirot, as follows]:

More specifically, the ChaBaD in one's soul, [one's intellective faculties of Chochmah, Binah and Daat], are analogous to the [Divine intellective emanations of] ChaBaD in the Ten Sefirot.

These are referred to as Abba and Imma.

[In the Zohar, [the Sefirah of] Chochmah of [the World of] Atzilut is termed Abba ("father"), and [the Sefirah of] Binah of [the World of] Atzilut is termed Imma ("mother"), while [the Sefirah of] Daat is a combination of the two, as explained in the teachings of Chassidut].

The [emotive] attributes in one's soul of [the] love and fear [of G-d], and so on, are analogous to the [first six] middot [or Divine emotive attributes] in the Ten Sefirot, which are [collectively] known as Z'eir Anpin [lit., "the Minor Visage"].

And the faculty of speech in one's soul is analogous to the Supernal Speech, which is known as [the Sefirah of] Malchut, or the Shechinah.

Hence, [since a Jew's speech is analogous to Supernal Speech, the Shechinah], when speaking words of Torah one arouses the Supernal Speech, [the Sefirah of Malchut], thereby unifying the Shechinah, [i.e., linking it to the preceding stages of emanation].

That is why it is established [38] that for the Reading of Shema, for the Grace after Meals, and for [the study of] words of Torah, one has not discharged his duty by meditation without speech.

   

Notes:

38. (Back to text) See the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch 62:3 and 185:3; and his Hilchot Talmud Torah 2:12.