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Bittul hayesh

ביטול היש

The nullification of the “something” (bittul hayesh)

A yesh, a separate being, nullifying itself to G‑d while it still exists: “there is one who nullifies himself and bows.” The mitzvos make yesh into ayin; this is creation’s purpose.

Where it’s explained

  1. Likkutei Torah, Shelach 12, ¶8Supernal Chochmah is actual bittul, “and what are we”; Malchus, lower Chochmah, is bittul hayesh, the bowing of the host of heaven, where there is still someone who nullifies himself and bows. (For the two degrees of bittul, see bittul.)ומלכות הוא חכמה תתאה להיות ביטול היש ואנחנו כורעים ומשתחוים וצבא השמים לך משתחוים שיש מי שמבטל א״ע ומשתחוה
  2. Likkutei Torah, Shelach 16, ¶12The soul’s bittul before it entered the body is no novelty, since all worlds are as nothing before Him. When the body and animal soul too are nullified, that is new, like a bird that talks; it is the raising of mayin nukvin and draws down the supernal delight, “laughter.”שהשחוק נמשך מביטול היש לפי שזהו דבר חידוש
  3. Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 21, ¶20Bittul hayesh l’ayin is the foundation of the whole Torah and comes about through the mitzvos. A person’s nullifying himself is not yet the truth, but it arouses above the revelation of the supernal ayin; each day he makes ayin from yesh anew, chiefly through self-sacrifice in the Shema.וע״י ביטול היש זה מעורר למעלה גילוי אין העליון הוא בחי׳ תענוג העליון
  4. Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 2, ¶3The great descent of the worlds into physical Asiyah, a complete and separate yesh, is for the sake of an ascent: that ayin be drawn there so the yesh becomes nullified to it, level after level, down to the physical. This is G‑d’s desire for a dwelling in the lower realms, which are called the place of the yesh.שתחתונים נק׳ מקום היש ונתאוה להיו׳ לו שם דירה והשראה דהיינו להיות שם המשכת האין כדי שיהיה היש בטל לאין
  5. Torah Ohr, Toldos 1, ¶3Giving from above is the chain of descent from ayin to yesh; a person’s service is the reverse, from below upward, nullifying yesh to ayin. That is Yitzchak, laughter and great delight, which has no limit.אבל עבודת האדם הוא ההיפוך והוא להיות בטול היש לאין והוא בחי׳ יצחק צחוק ותענוג גדול

Stated differently

Where bittul hayesh stands: lower Chochmah (Malchus), below the bittul of supernal Chochmah, or the union of Chochmah and Binah, nullified until it takes up no place

Likkutei Torah, Eikev 3, ¶6שבחי׳ ח״ע היא בחי׳ ביטול בעצם דכולא קמיה כלא כו׳ ובחי׳ ח״ת היא ביטול היש

Supernal Chochmah is essential bittul (all is as nothing before Him); lower Chochmah, Malchus, is bittul hayesh, the acknowledgment (hoda’ah) that all is as nothing before Him though this is not revealed below.

Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 2, ¶5בחי׳ יחוד דאו״א הוא בחי׳ ביטול היש שיהיה בטל לאור אין סוף ב״ה עד שאינו תופס מקום כלל

The union of Abba and Imma (Chochmah and Binah) is bittul hayesh: being nullified to the Or Ein Sof until it takes up no place at all, as Moshe said, “what are we”; in this union the yesh (Binah) is nullified to the ayin (Chochmah).

Discussed by

  • The Rebbe Rashab · Sefer HaMaamarim 5666–5667, p. ריד (page unconfirmed)

    The Rebbe Rashab places bittul hayesh in Malchus as lower Chochmah, below the bittul bimetzius of supernal Chochmah, and in the same passage says that in it one sets oneself aside entirely until one takes up no place at all.

    ושניהם נקראים בשם חכ׳ כמו חכ׳ עילאה וחכ׳ תתאה, דשניהם הם בחי׳ הביטול ונרמזים ביו״ד, אלא שזה בראש וזה בסוף

Whether Torah study is a bittul hayesh l’ayin like the other mitzvos, or is true ayin, beyond the bittul hayesh of the mitzvos

Torah Ohr, Noach 4, ¶12וזהו יסוד כל התורה להיות בטול היש לאין וכל השלשה דברים שעליהם העולם עומד היינו תורה ועבודה וגמ״ח כולם ענינם בטול היש לאין

The foundation of the whole Torah is bittul hayesh l’ayin, and all three things the world stands on, Torah, service and acts of kindness, are each bittul hayesh l’ayin.

Likkutei Torah, Acharei 3, ¶5לפי שהתורה היא בבחי׳ אין ממש

The mitzvos are the King’s commands, bittul hayesh l’ayin, where one remains a yesh and is nullified, like a servant who is separate; Torah is actual ayin, since in it one can be nullified in thought and speech, like a son.

Further in Chassidus

  1. The Tzemach Tzedek · Or HaTorah, Shemos vol. 1 (Shemos–Bo), p. קט

    The Tzemach Tzedek defines bittul hayesh as the bittul of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, which are created as a yesh, before the light of Atzilus, and sets it against the true bittul of Chochmah (koach mah), the bittul of Atzilus before Ein Sof.ביטול בי״ע לגבי אור האצילות. שבי״ע הן נבראים בבחי׳ יש ודבר וא״כ ענין ביטול שלהם נק׳ ביטול היש

  2. The Rebbe Rashab · Sefer HaMaamarim 5666–5667, p. ריד (page unconfirmed)

    The Rebbe Rashab explains the advantage of bittul hayesh over the bittul of Chochmah: that something which exists is nevertheless nullified is a greater wonder, and through it the intent of a dwelling below is fulfilled.אבל בחי׳ ביטול היש שמצד המל׳ זה יותר פלא, שיהי׳ במציאות יש, ומ״מ יהי׳ בטל, וזהו יקר מאוד למע׳

  3. The Rebbe · Sefer HaMaamarim (bilti muga, old ed.), 5732–5733, p. 112

    The Rebbe contrasts bittul hayesh (yichuda tata’a) with bittul bimetzius (yichuda ila’a): in bittul hayesh one still stands within the created worlds and remains a yesh, only nullified.דענין ביטול היש ויחודא תתאה הוא, שנמצא עדיין בעולמות בי״ע ולכן כל הבירורים שלו הם באופן שהוא עדיין בבחי׳ יש אלא שבטל

Short quotes, © their publishers; each page opened by a second AI reader.

Main sources

Likkutei Torah, Eikev 3, ¶6Likkutei Torah, Shelach 12, ¶3Likkutei Torah, Shelach 12, ¶8Likkutei Torah, Shelach 16, ¶12Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 22, ¶3Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 21, ¶20Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 2, ¶3Torah Ohr, Toldos 1, ¶3

Where it appears

In 142 paragraphs of 66 maamarim.

Written with AI from the paragraphs of Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah, each entry checked by a second AI reader and every Hebrew quote checked by code; not yet reviewed by a person. Our English: CC BY-NC 4.0.

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