Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Hidden world and the revealed world
עלמא דאתכסיא ועלמא דאתגליא
The hidden world and the revealed world (alma d’iskasya and alma d’isgalya) · also: עלמין סתימין ועלמין דאתגליין
The hidden world: what is nullified within its source, like thought or the sea; the revealed world: what creations grasp, like speech or dry land. The texts apply the pair to different levels.
The word עלמא is Aramaic for “world,” but here it names a mode, not a place: what is hidden within its source versus what is revealed. Related wording: עלמין סתימין / עלמין דאתגליין, ים and יבשה, הנסתרות and הנגלות. Some passages equate the pair with the World to Come and this world (Beshalach 1:10), not in their plain sense.
Where it’s explained
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 5, ¶14Every creature on dry land is also in the sea, but there it is hidden and covered; so above there is a “sea” and “dry land,” the hidden and the revealed world. In man, intellect is the hidden world and the middos the revealed, being revelation relative to intellect.
שכל הברואים שיש בים ישנם ג״כ ביבשה אלא שבים הם נעלמים ומכוסים וביבשה הם באתגלייא
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 3, ¶7Some are of the hidden world: nullified in their very existence within their source, sovev kol almin, before which all is as nothing; Moshe, “drawn from the water,” was of this level, and so slow of speech. The blessing “from world to world” draws this hidden world into the revealed world.
ויש מהם שהם עלמא דאתכסייא שהם בטלים במציאות במקורם
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 3, ¶1Leah and Rachel are the letters of thought and of speech, the hidden and the revealed world. In Temple times Rachel, speech, was revealed in the Land of Israel; since the exile Leah, higher but hidden, still shines there, so its revelation is not as it was.
הנה לאה ורחל הם אותיות המחשבה ואותיות הדבור. שהם עלמא דאתכסיא ועלמא דאתגליא
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 5, ¶7Binah, “mother of the children,” is called the hidden world (Zohar); so all year joy is hidden within service, as the hidden world is clothed in the revealed one, Torah and mitzvos. On the festivals the hidden world itself is revealed.
ונודע שהבינה נקרא עלמא דאתכסייא
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 5, ¶19Among the worlds, Beriah is called the hidden worlds and Yetzirah the revealed world, as thought and speech; so the seraphim of Beriah grasp and say “Holy,” while the chayos and ofanim of Yetzirah rise with great noise.
בריאה נק׳ עלמין סתימין ויצירה הוא עלמא דאתגלייא כמשל המחשבה והדבור
Stated differently
Whether Malchus of Atzilus is the hidden world (the “sea”) or the revealed world
ולכן נק׳ בחי׳ זו דמלכות עלמא דאתכסייאMalchus rises above and covers the supernal middos of Atzilus as the sea covers what is in it, so this aspect of Malchus is called the hidden world, “sea”; what shines from it to the creations of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, the revealed worlds, is called “earth.”
והוא שהמל׳ נק׳ עלמא דאתגלייא בחינת הדיבור כו׳ משא״כ בחי׳ ים עלמא דאתכסיא מחשבהMalchus is called the revealed world, speech; the sea is the hidden world, thought. Souls of Atzilus are like fish the sea covers; souls created from Malchus into Beriah are like beasts of the land.
דהיינו בבחי׳ מלכות עלמא דאתגלייאYaakov draws Or Ein Sof down to the lowest end, Malchus, the revealed world (Rachel), so that all can receive.
Discussed by
The Tzemach Tzedek · Or HaTorah, Vayikra vol. 4, p. א׳יט
The Tzemach Tzedek explains that Malchus has both aspects: as receiver within Atzilus, hidden behind the screen, it is the sea, the hidden world; once it breaks through the screen and becomes the source of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, it is land, the revealed world.
והנה ב׳ בחי׳ אלו שבמל׳ נק׳ ים וארץ שהם בחי׳ אתכסיא ואתגליא דהיינו היותה בחי׳ מקבל מלמעלה מהספי׳ שלמעלה ממנה נק׳ ים
Whether the hidden world is sovev kol almin, or belongs with the revealed world to the chain below sovev
היינו עלמא דאתכסיא שהוא סוכ״ע שם הוי׳ דלעילא שלעתיד יומשך גילוי זה בארץ שהיא עלמא דאתגליא“As the waters cover the sea” is the hidden world, which is sovev kol almin; in the future it will be revealed in the “earth,” the revealed world: what is now sovev will be revealed as memalei.
ויש מהם שהם עלמא דאתכסייא שהם בטלים במציאות במקורם שהוא בחי׳ סוכ״עThe hidden world is nullified within its source, which is sovev kol almin.
והנה כ״ז הוא דוקא כשהאור וההשפעה נמשך בדרך וסדר ההשתלשלות מאצי׳ לבי״ע מבחי׳ ממלאSea and dry land, the hidden and the revealed world, apply only when light flows in the order of the chain from Atzilus to Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, as memalei; before Ein Sof itself, sovev, the hidden and the revealed of the chain are equal.
Discussed by
The Tzemach Tzedek · Or HaTorah, Devarim vol. 2 (Ekev–Tavo), p. תשלו
The Tzemach Tzedek says that in general the hidden and revealed worlds are sovev and memalei, while in particular every level of the chain is ‘sea’ to the one it gives to; on the next page (תשלז) he offers another reading in which both come from the Name Havayah of Atzilus, below the Havayah that is above sovev.
וזה נק׳ עלמא דאתכסיא ועלמא דאתגליא בדרך כלל והוא בחי׳ סובב וממלא כו׳ ובדרך פרטי פרטיות הנה נשתלשל השפע אלקי בדרך זה מעילה לעילה
Whether the World to Come, where souls enjoy the radiance, is the hidden world or a revealed world
שביו״ד נברא עלמא דאתכסיא שהוא העולם הבא נהנין מזיוWith the yud was created the hidden world, the World to Come where they enjoy the radiance; with the hei the revealed world, all of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah that came to be from nothing, called “this world.”
ואפי׳ ג״ע העליון נק׳ עלמא דאתגלי׳ לגבי בחי׳ זוWith the yud were created the hidden worlds, which “no eye has seen”; with the hei the revealed worlds, what creations can grasp. Even the upper Gan Eden, where the righteous take delight, is a revealed world relative to the hidden worlds.
Whether the middos are the revealed world, or above it, with speech as the revealed world
בבריאה מאיר חב״ד דאצילות שנק׳ עלמא דאתכסיא לגבי המדות דאצילות שנק׳ עלמא דאתגליא המאירים ביצירהChochmah, Binah and Daas of Atzilus, which shine in Beriah, are called the hidden world relative to the middos of Atzilus, called the revealed world, which shine in Yetzirah.
שכל הוא בחי׳ עלמא דאתכסייא כי הוא בהעלם ומדות הם בחינת עלמא דאתגלייאIn man, intellect is the hidden world and the middos are the revealed world, being revelation relative to intellect.
ובחי׳ דבור נק׳ עלמא דאתגלייאSupernal thought enlivens the hidden worlds and speech is called the revealed world; speech receives from the six supernal middos, which are above change, and only from their “back.”
Discussed by
The Tzemach Tzedek · Biurei HaZohar (Tzemach Tzedek), vol. 1, p. תקכד
The Tzemach Tzedek shows that the terms are relative: Malchus is the revealed world relative to Z’eir Anpin, which is hidden relative to it, while Chesed of Z’eir Anpin is itself revelation relative to Binah, the hidden world.
שהמ׳ נקראת אתה לפי שהיא עלמא דאתגליא לגבי ז״א שהוא העלם לגבה, וחסד דז״א נק׳ אתה שהוא בחי׳ התגלות לגבי בינה
Whether Beriah is a hidden world, or belongs with Yetzirah and Asiyah to the revealed world
בריאה נק׳ עלמין סתימין ויצירה הוא עלמא דאתגלייא כמשל המחשבה והדבורBeriah is called the hidden worlds and Yetzirah the revealed world, as thought and speech.
ולא עולם הזה השפל דוקא אלא כל העולמות דבי״ע הנק׳ עולמות הנפרדים בע״ג ובכלל זה גם העולמות העליוניםWith the hei were created not only this lowly world but all the worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, separate and limited, the higher worlds included: the revealed world, called “this world.”
אמנם מה שמאיר ומתפשט ממנה לנבראים דבי״ע להיות עלמין דאתגלייןWhat shines and spreads from Malchus to the creations of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, so that they are revealed worlds, is called “earth.”
Further in Chassidus
The Tzemach Tzedek · Or HaTorah, Devarim vol. 2 (Ekev–Tavo), p. תשלו
On the splitting of the sea, the Tzemach Tzedek explains sea and dry land above: the supernal speech of the Ten Utterances was first held hidden in supernal thought, the ‘upper sea’, until ‘let the waters gather’ revealed it.הנה אמרז״ל כל מה שיש ביבשה יש כנגדו בים כו׳ וידוע הענין שרומז לעלמא דאתכסיא ועלמא דאתגליא שנקראים ים ויבשה
The Rebbe Rashab · Sefer HaMaamarim, Hemshech 5672 vol. 1 (old ed.), p. רעג
The Rebbe Rashab explains why the hidden world is ‘hidden’: light shines there openly, but too brightly to be revealed below, as thought is clear to the thinker yet dark to another; he identifies the pair with Beriah and Yetzirah.דבעדאתכ״ס מאיר גילוי אור ועש״ז נק׳ אתכסי׳ להיותו מכוסה ונעלם לגבי למטה לפי שמאיר שם אור שאינו בגדר גילוי עדיין לגבי למטה
The Rebbe · Sefer HaMaamarim (bilti muga) 5729, p. קד
The Rebbe explains that the two worlds, hidden and revealed (upper worlds and lower), are the general division, which in particular becomes the four worlds of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah and then countless worlds.דזה שמבואר בכ״מ שישנם ב׳ עולמות, כמ״ש מן העולם ועד העולם, שהם עלמא דאתכסיא ועלמא דאתגליא, הוא בכללות
Short quotes, © their publishers; each page opened by a second AI reader.
Main sources
Torah Ohr, Beshalach 5, ¶14Torah Ohr, Beshalach 3, ¶7Likkutei Torah, Tzav 7, ¶35Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 3, ¶1Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 5, ¶7Torah Ohr, Yisro 6, ¶3Likkutei Torah, Beshalach 1, ¶10
Where it appears
In 177 paragraphs of 97 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 5 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 11 ¶3 ¶4 ¶5 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 2 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 1 ¶12 ¶14 ¶23 ¶40
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 6 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Korach 1 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 3 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 2 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 1 ¶23
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 1 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 8 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 3 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 6 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 17 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 5 ¶4 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 22 ¶16 ¶24 ¶31
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini 1 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 2 ¶1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Tazria 6 ¶12 ¶13 ¶30
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 7 ¶34 ¶35 ¶36 ¶38
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 4 ¶4 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 1 ¶3 ¶7 ¶10 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 4 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 5 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 2 ¶4 ¶5 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 2 ¶4 ¶6 ¶7 ¶8 ¶10 ¶11 ¶13 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 3 ¶4 ¶5 ¶6 ¶7 ¶8 ¶18
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 4 ¶3 ¶6 ¶23 ¶25
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 8 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 7 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 4 ¶32
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 1 ¶18 ¶24 ¶32 ¶35 ¶45 ¶48 ¶56 ¶61
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 1 ¶3 ¶4 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 3 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 5 ¶7 ¶34
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 6 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 4 ¶51 ¶52
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 2 ¶19 ¶25
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 24 ¶3 ¶4 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 1 ¶2 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 5 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 6 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Vayechi 3 ¶12 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 5 ¶5 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 25 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 2 ¶2 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 6 ¶3 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 7 ¶2 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 23 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 5 ¶18 ¶19 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 15 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 6 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Korach 2 ¶1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 3 ¶11 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 8 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 2 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shabbos Shuvah 3 ¶4 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 16 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 1 ¶1
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 1 ¶22
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 12 ¶11 ¶12 ¶30
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 3 ¶1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 1 ¶8 ¶9 ¶10 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Beshalach 1 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 1 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 3 ¶1 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Vayigash 2 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 28 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Devarim 2 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 1 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Kedoshim 1 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Kedoshim 2 ¶1 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 5 ¶30
- Likkutei Torah, Tazria 4 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5 ¶67 ¶70
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 8 ¶5 ¶6 ¶7 ¶8 ¶15
- Torah Ohr, Parshas Zachor 1 ¶28
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 5 ¶11
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 6 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 10 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 2 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 10 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini 2 ¶3 ¶13 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 12 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 2 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 1 ¶23 ¶30
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 6 ¶36
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 8 ¶9 ¶10
- Torah Ohr, Va’eira 5 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 5 ¶2 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 7 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 4 ¶13 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 11 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 7 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 6 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 3 ¶3
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.