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Mesirus nefesh

מסירות נפש

Self-sacrifice (mesirus nefesh) · also: מסירות נפש באחד

Giving over one’s life to G‑d: nullifying one’s very existence in the Or Ein Sof, as at “One” in the Shema. It stems from above reason, and every Jew has it in potential.

Where it’s explained

  1. Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 1, ¶1In the Shema there are two levels of mesirus nefesh: giving over one’s soul at “One,” and “with all your soul, even if He takes your soul.” Love is given a reason (“for He is your life”), but mesirus nefesh is to cast one’s life away: the nullification of one’s existence to the Or Ein Sof itself.אבל המס״נ הוא להשליך חייו מנגד שהוא ביטול במציאות לאור א״ס ב״ה ממש
  2. Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5, ¶15Mesirus nefesh at “One” is the nullification of the very being of the G‑dly soul, which is above intellect; the mesirus nefesh of “with all your soul” is that the animal soul too consents, by iskafya and is’hapcha, through contemplation. Torah studied afterwards unites the soul’s essence with the Or Ein Sof clothed in Chochmah Ila’ah.ענין מס״נ באחד היינו הביטול עצמיות נפש האלקית שלמעלה מהשכל
  3. Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 12, ¶22“For He is your life” cannot be the reason for mesirus nefesh, which is casting one’s life away. No reason applies to it, because it comes from a level above Daas: “your life” is G‑d as memalei and sovev, which is only a radiance, while His essence is not in the category of worlds at all.אין שייך טעם ושכל על מסירת נפש כי המס״נ נלקח מבחינ׳ שלמעלה מן הדעת
  4. Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 17, ¶11Following Etz Chaim: the union of Abba and Imma, a new light drawn from the Emanator Himself, comes only through mesirus nefesh, which rises to the essence of the Emanator; Torah and mitzvos bring the union of Zeir Anpin and Nukva. So the Maggid’s promise to the Beis Yosef that he would merit mesirus nefesh implies a merit greater than long years of Torah and mitzvos, and the Shema’s first verse comes before “these words which I command you.”יחוד או״א הוא נעשה דוקא על ידי מסירת נפש ויחוד זו״נ הוא ע״י תורה ומצות
  5. Torah Ohr, Terumah 1, ¶13Every Jew has mesirus nefesh at “One”: even one who does not give his life in deed has it in potential, for even the least worthy can give his life. Through it even a businessman’s dealings are raised into “One.”ובכל ישראל יש בחי׳ זו שאף שאין לו מס״נ בפועל יש בו מס״נ בכח שאפי׳ קל שבקלים יכול למס״נ

Stated differently

From which level of the soul the power for mesirus nefesh comes: Chochmah, or what is above Chochmah

Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 15, ¶24כח זהו בחי׳ חכמה כח מ״ה ומשם נמשך כח הביטול למס״נ

Koach is Chochmah (koach mah), and from there comes the power of bittul for mesirus nefesh.

Likkutei Torah, Reeh 1, ¶2וליבטל אליו ולדבקה בו במסירת נפש ממש בבחי׳ חכמה שלמעלה מטעם ודעת המושג

One is to be nullified to Him and cleave to Him with actual mesirus nefesh, at the level of Chochmah, which is above reason and comprehended knowledge.

Likkutei Torah, Reeh 6, ¶5ביטול הנפש להתכלל באור ה׳ אחד והוא בחי׳ ומדרגת יחידה

Giving over one’s soul at “One” is the soul’s bittul to be included in the light of the One, and this is the level of yechidah; chayah is Chochmah, while yechidah is the simple will above Chochmah.

Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5, ¶5אבל לא די בבחי׳ השכל שבנפש לבד מאחר שאינו רק כלי וגם מקור החכמה הוא כלי בלבד לאלקות

Mesirus nefesh comes from the very essence of the soul, above intellect; the intellect in the soul does not suffice, being only a vessel, and even the source of Chochmah is only a vessel for G‑dliness.

Discussed by

  • The Rebbe · Sefer HaMaamarim Melukat, vol. 2, p. קסו

    In note 7 the Rebbe lays out the sources side by side (Tanya: Chochmah; Likkutei Torah Shir HaShirim: Chayah; Likkutei Torah Teitzei and the Mitteler Rebbe: Yechidah above Chochmah) and cites Likkutei Sichos vol. 4, p. 1202: the power is from Yechidah, but its light shines in Chochmah.

    שכח המס״נ הוא מבחי׳ יחידה, אלא שהארת היחידה (שממנה בא כח המס״נ) היא בבחינת חכמה (ראש) שבנפש

  • The Rebbe · Sefer HaMaamarim (bilti muga, old ed.) 5739, p. קנו

    The Rebbe distinguishes two kinds of mesirus nefesh, one connected to Chochmah (Chayah) and one from Yechidah with no connection to understanding, referring to Kuntres HaAvodah for the difference.

    כי בענין המס״נ ישנו אופן השייך לחכמה. והיא בחי׳ חי׳. אבל המס״נ שביחידה שבנפש אין לה כל שייכות להבנה והסברה וטעם

Further in Chassidus

  1. The Tzemach Tzedek · Or HaTorah, Devarim vol. 6, p. ב׳קעט

    The Tzemach Tzedek explains that the hidden natural love in the inner heart of every Jew never goes into exile, so even the lowest can give his life for G‑d, though the love lies concealed until tested.שהרי אפילו קל שבקלים יכול למסור נפשו על קדוש השם, מחמת האהבה הטבעית שבו שהיא לה׳ לבדו רק שהוא בהעלם

  2. The Rebbe Rashab · Kuntres HaAvodah, p. 30

    The Rebbe Rashab defines mesirus nefesh as the soul’s natural, causeless will to be included in its Source, which cannot bear separation from G‑d, and sets it apart from a lower natural will that must be roused by contemplation.והיא המתגלה במס״נ על קדה״ש דזה שמוסר נפשו בפו״מ הוא מפני שא״א לו בשו״א להיות נפרד ח״ו, והיינו מבחי׳ יחידה שבנפש

  3. The Rebbe · Sefer HaMaamarim Melukat, vol. 2, p. קסו

    The Rebbe grounds the power of mesirus nefesh in the essence of the soul, which every Jew has equally and which nothing can oppose, and ties it to the Rambam’s ruling that every Jew inwardly wants to do G‑d’s will.וזהו שכאו״א מישראל, גם קל שבקלים, יכול למסור נפשו על קדה״ש, כי כח המס״נ הוא מצד העצם שלו בחי׳ יחידה

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

Main sources

Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 1, ¶1Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 1, ¶2Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5, ¶5Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5, ¶15Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 12, ¶22Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 4, ¶11Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 17, ¶11Likkutei Torah, Reeh 6, ¶5

Where it appears

In 233 paragraphs of 111 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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