Likutei Moharan 78
ליקוטי מוהר"ן ע״ח — ד"ה וְיִתֶּן עֹז לְמַלְכּוֹ וְיָרֵם קֶרֶן מְשִׁיחוֹ
Likutei Moharan 78:1
Rebbe Nachman uses motifs of travel, movement, and transitions to explain inner spiritual work and the guidance needed when one is in a state of uncertainty. The wilderness journey serves as a paradigm for leaving one condition and entering another.
כִּי תְּחִלַּת הַבְּרִיאָה הָיָה כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתְגַּלֶּה מִדַּת מַלְכוּתוֹ, וּמֵחֲמַת גֹּדֶל הֶאָרָתוֹ לֹא הָיָה בְּאֶפְשָׁרִי לְקַבֵּל, וְהֻכְרַח לְהִתְצַמְצֵם בְּתוֹךְ עוֹלָמוֹת. וְזֶה (תהילים קמ״ה:י״ג): מַלְכוּתְךָ מַלְכוּת כָּל עוֹלָמִים, הַיְנוּ שֶׁמִּדַּת מַלְכוּת הִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּתוֹךְ עוֹלָמוֹת, כְּדֵי שֶׁנּוּכַל לְקַבֵּל. וְאֵין מִי שֶׁיְּקַבֵּל עֹל מַלְכוּתוֹ, לָכֵן יוֹצְאוֹת נַפְשׁוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁיְּקַבְּלוּ עֹל מַלְכוּתוֹ, כִּי אֵין מֶלֶךְ בְּלֹא עָם. וּמֵאַיִן יוֹצְאוֹת נַפְשׁוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, מֵעוֹלַם הַדִּבּוּר. וְזֶהוּ (שיר השירים ה׳:ו׳): נַפְשִׁי יָצְאָה בְדַבְּרוֹ, הַיְנוּ שֶׁנַּפְשׁוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹצְאוֹת מֵעוֹלַם הַדִּבּוּר. וְהַדִּבּוּר הוּא בְּחִינַת מַלְכוּת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר אֵלִיָּהוּ: מַלְכוּת פֶּה.
The initial reason for the creation was in order to reveal His attribute of Malkhut (Kingship). However, the illumination of <the Blessed One’s> Light was so great that nothing could contain <it>. Thus it was necessary to contract it within the worlds, <level after level until this world of corporeality>. This is the meaning of “Your kingdom is a malkhut for all OLaMim (ages)” (Psalms 145:13)—i.e., that the attribute of Malkhut <had to be> clothed within the OLaMot (worlds) in order that we might be able to receive <it>. Still, there was no one to accept the yoke of His Kingship. The souls of the Jewish people therefore <went forth>, so that they might accept upon themselves the yoke of His Malkhut, because there is no king unless there are subjects. From where <did> the Jewish souls emerge? They [came] from the World of Speech. This is “my soul came forth when he spoke” (Song of Songs 5:6)—i.e., the souls of the Jewish people emerge from the World of Speech. And speech is the aspect of Malkhut, as Eliyahu taught: “Malkhut is the mouth” (Tikkuney Zohar, Introduction, p.17a) .