Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Dirah betachtonim
דירה בתחתונים
A dwelling place among the lower realms (dirah betachtonim)
The purpose of creation, Torah and mitzvos: that Or Ein Sof be revealed and rest below, in this lowest, darkest world, as in Atzilus and more, through mitzvos done with physical things.
Where it’s explained
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 16, ¶7The purpose is the revelation of Or Ein Sof below specifically, not in Atzilus, which is one with Him in any case: in Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, which are a yesh and separate, Torah and mitzvos draw a dwelling and resting of Or Ein Sof as in Atzilus. Israel can join the two because they arose in the primordial thought, which spans Atzilus and Asiyah alike.
תכלית הבריאה והתורה והמצות הוא להיות לו ית׳ דירה בתחתונים דהיינו שיהי׳ גילוי אור א״ס ב״ה למטה דייקא
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 3, ¶4The purpose of creating the world is that G‑d desired a dwelling in the lower realms: this world is the lowest, where the concealment is greatest and the darkness doubled and redoubled.
פי׳ כי העוה״ז הוא העולם היותר תחתון שההעלם בו יותר והחשך כפול ומכופל
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 1, ¶5The spies wanted everything drawn into the supernal “land” (speech), fearing they would be nullified; Yehoshua and Calev said that through mitzvos in deed in the land below, the unlimited Or Ein Sof is drawn. G‑d’s essential intent is a dwelling below, revealed to all flesh, below as above and more, as light that comes from darkness: as a seal’s letters show only in the wax.
כי באמת כל שהוא מדרגה היותר גבוה מאד מתגלה בדבר היותר תחתון דוקא ביתר שאת
- Likkutei Torah, Vezos Haberachah 5, ¶6The angels asked for the Torah because a soul in a body is prone to sin. G‑d’s answer: the soul, from the inwardness of the worlds and wholly free of matter, must descend into an actual physical body, for through this there is a dwelling below, which is not so with angels. So the Temple too was built of physical things.
ושתרד דוקא בגוף גשמי ממש שעי״ז יהיה דירה בתחתונים משא״כ במלאכים
- Torah Ohr, Bo 2, ¶4Another way of knowing G‑d: one recognizes that his Creator set aside all the hosts of the highest heavens and wished a dwelling below, that His infinite wisdom be contracted into physical bounds; this is the Torah, which speaks of physical things.
ורצה להיות לו דירה בתחתונים דהיינו שיהי׳ שכלו הא״ס ליצמצם בגבולים גשמיים וזאת התורה
Stated differently
What is revealed in the dwelling below: the revelation that is in Atzilus, drawn into Asiyah, or Or Ein Sof itself, far above Atzilus
שעי״ז יומשך גילוי זה שבאצילות גם בעשייה ממשThe dwelling below is made by keeping Torah and mitzvos, the 248 limbs of the King, Zeir Anpin of Atzilus: through them the revelation that is in Atzilus is drawn into actual Asiyah too, so that the hand giving charity becomes a vessel as Chesed is above.
דהיינו ההמשכה מאור א״ס ב״ה ממש שלמעלה מעלה מבחי׳ אצילות להיות דירה בתחתוניםBeyond the drawing from Chochmah through the Torah (“your children,” “your builders”) is the drawing from “Anochi,” Or Ein Sof itself, far above Atzilus and beyond any comparison to the souls, through the supernal Keser, so that there be a dwelling below; it comes through charity.
Further in Chassidus
The Tzemach Tzedek · Maamarei Admur HaTzemach Tzedek, hanachos 5614–5615 (maamar ‘HaBa’im Yashresh Yaakov’, Shabbos Shemos 5615), p. נה
Asking why a ‘dwelling below’ is needed when ‘I fill heaven and earth’, the Tzemach Tzedek answers with the soul in the body: it gives life to every limb hidden, but dwells revealed in the brain; so the dwelling is G‑dliness revealed below, as in the Mishkan and fully in the future.כמו״כ הו״ע דירה בתחתונים הוא שחיות אלקות שבהם הוא בגילוי ממש לא כדוגמת חיות הנפש בשאר כל האיברים
The Rebbe Rashab · Sefer HaMaamarim 5669, p. קס
The Rebbe Rashab defines the dwelling, like a person’s home where his very self is, as the revelation of the Essence of Or Ein Sof below, felt by the created beings; the Essence present but hidden, or a mere radiance, is not yet a dwelling.דירה בתחתונים הוא להיות גילוי בחי׳ עצמות אוא״ס ב״ה למטה, אבל מה שמתלבש בחי׳ זיו לבד וג״ז לא בבחי׳ גילוי אין זה ענין דירה בתחתונים
The Rebbe · Sefer HaMaamarim (bilti muga, old ed.), 5744, p. קצא
The Rebbe stresses that the dwelling is not only refining and elevating the world but making it a home for His very Essence, and that it must be in the lowest level, since the highest comes down lowest.לא רק בירור העולם וזיכוך העולם ועלייתו, אלא שהעולם ייעשה לדירה לו ית׳, לו לעצמותו
Short quotes, © their publishers; each page opened by a second AI reader.
Main sources
Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 16, ¶7Likkutei Torah, Balak 3, ¶4Likkutei Torah, Balak 3, ¶7Likkutei Torah, Shelach 1, ¶5Likkutei Torah, Vezos Haberachah 5, ¶6Likkutei Torah, Acharei 1, ¶5Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 28, ¶3Torah Ohr, Bo 2, ¶4
Where it appears
In 72 paragraphs of 50 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 5 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Beshalach 1 ¶33
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 3 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 1 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 6 ¶8 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 16 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 32 ¶16 ¶24 ¶43
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 35 ¶2 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 10 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 2 ¶9 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Korach 1 ¶40
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 8 ¶12 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 1 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 1 ¶17
- Torah Ohr, Va’eira 1 ¶8 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 1 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 5 ¶13 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 11 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 5 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Shabbos Shuvah 1 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 2 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 4 ¶8 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Chayei Sarah 2 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Lech Lecha 4 ¶5
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 1 ¶22 ¶25
- Torah Ohr, Va’eira 4 ¶24 ¶29
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 1 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 3 ¶3 ¶4 ¶7 ¶24 ¶25 ¶26
- Likkutei Torah, Kedoshim 1 ¶15 ¶27
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 28 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Toldos 1 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 1 ¶1 ¶3 ¶4 ¶63
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 2 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 34 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 9 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 5 ¶9 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 5 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 3 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 7 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 4 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 3 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 5 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 30 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Bo 2 ¶4 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 7 ¶5
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 8 ¶20
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 8 ¶31
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 2 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 5 ¶19
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 5 ¶5
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.