Printed fromChabad.co.za
ב"ה
Channels Inspiration Animated Kabbalah: How G-d Creates the World

Animated Kabbalah #2: Speaking Creation Into Existence

Autoplay Next

Animated Kabbalah #2: Speaking Creation Into Existence

The Kabbalah of Divine energy to create everything conveyed in the letters and words of the Hebrew alphabet.
Topics: Divine Speech, Creation by, Perpetual Creation
Divine Speech, Creation by Perpetual Creation
© Copyright, all rights reserved. The content on this page is provided by our content partner, Chabad.org. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you comply with Chabad.org's copyright policy.

More in this section

You may also be interested in...
What Is Creation?
Creation Without Cause
16 Comments
The Doctrine of Perpetual Creation
What does it mean, and what does it mean to us...
8 Comments
Miri Makes Trouble II
Watch (1:47) 12 Comments
Isifier I
Kabbala Toons: Episode XII
Watch (1:27) 12 Comments

Join the Discussion

22 Comments
Newest Oldest
Posting Guidelines
Matt December 12, 2025

Then how did God have a day H rested? Wouldn't everything dissipate if he rested based on this video? Reply

Eliezer Zalmanov for Chabad.org December 15, 2025
in response to Matt:

Of course, G-d did not stop creating, even on the seventh day, for when G‑d rests, how is there a heaven and earth?

Rather, for six days, G‑d sustains the creation of heaven and earth by His word, and on the seventh day, it rests within His thought. It is a transition to a different form of creation, but it's what keeps the universe going at all times. Reply

Alter B Deitsch Brooklyn December 15, 2025
in response to Matt:

Excellent question!!!

The Alter Rebbe (the Arizal?) discusses this in other places.

Essentially, the process of anything coming into reality follows a trejectory:
• Will
• subconscious mental framing
• emotion
• thought
• speech
• action

Reality comes about through G-d's Speech.
On Shabbos, where G-d Rests, He ceases Speaking, and all of reality goes to a more inward place within G-d - His Thought. We are in a higher, more rarified place.

This is deep kabbalistic stuff, and needs a lot of unpacking, but, lihavdil, it's almost like getting a behind the scenes tour of an amusement park when it's closed after hours. Nothing is officially running but it's way more intimate. Reply

Joyk Yechoyliss haatzmus December 24, 2020

B"H
Interesting video but quick note

It says in the beginning that the tzimtzoom is through speech, to the best of my knowledge the parsa between Atzilus and bria is through speech, but the tzimtzoom hareeshoyn and Tzimtzoomem in a"k and before the tzimtzoom were all in higher levels
And I'm pretty sure the alter rebbe is talking about Atzilus and b"ya hapratiim, when you say in the video here that the "Tzimtzoom" is created through speech, is that referring to Tzimtzoom hareeshon? If so then do you have a source that the Alter Rebbe is writing about even Atzilus haklali to Bria haklali being through speech?

True there's the concept of the esser sefiros haginoozos which are mine if like speech in a way, but it didn't seem like the Alter Rebbe is talking about that in Tanya, since he mentions angels and rocks etc, which are only in b"ya hapratiim, unless the word "even" rock was an allusion somehow to Tohu or other things, similarly to how in basi legoni regarding malchus, but is it? Reply

Alter Brooklyn January 5, 2021
in response to Joyk:

Incredible question! I'm not sure - I'm gonna have to look into it and get back to you.

The Alter Rebbe definitely calls speech a tzimtzum, and the letters are definitely called keilim (and keilim are tzimtzumim)

Where in hishtalshilus is this tzimtzum of speech and letters? Good question - I'm gonna look into it and get back to you Reply

Joyk yechoyless hawatzmooys January 8, 2021
in response to Alter:

Hi interesting, where does the Alter Rebbe call speech a tzimtzum?

Blessings and success Reply

Alter Brooklyn June 4, 2024
in response to Joyk:

Hello Joyk,

First off, the Alter Rebbe never clearly says that Hashem's Speech is a Tzimtzum. He says how there are Tzimtzumim within His Speech: going from the original 10 Statements, to switching the order, to swapping letters, etc.
But he never clearly states that Speech itself is a Tzimtzum.

However, the Alter Rebbe discusses in Shar Hayichud V'emuna chapters 8 and 9, as well as in Sefer Shel Beinunim chapters 20 and 21, this idea of words being infinitely smaller than the Koach Hamidaber, and Koach Hamidaber being infinitely smaller than the Soul itself, etc.

Now, the Alter Rebbe clearly says that Hashem's Thoughts and Words are not like ours.
However, the Alter Rebbe explains that the WAY His Words are not like ours, is that they never leave Him. They're always 1 with Him.

But are His Words just like His Thoughts? From His Perspective, probably - all is 1. But from our perspective, it follows the same structure of Koach of speech being Higher than Speech, meaning tzimtz Reply

Pessy Gansburg Brazil December 14, 2020

Really enjoyed this! Reply

Daniele December 14, 2020

It is better than Matrix. Well done guys. Reply

Nathan Australia December 13, 2020

I really loved this - it was so cool and insightful. A question did pop up for me though. If G-d rested on the 7th day of creation, was He still speaking even then? Because as you said He must be always speaking our existence for it to continue. If His rest was presumed to be a 'sleeping' type of rest, what happened to the earth during His rest?
Or am I off-base about His rest? Was it not a slumber and is this question made irrelevant? Again I want to stress that I loved this video and it's visualisation of kabbalah and torah and everything and I will continue to watch more. Reply

Alter Brooklyn December 13, 2020
in response to Nathan:

This is a great question

A thought I would say is that yes, God is constantly speaking the Words of Creation, but He only said New Statements on the Six Days.

Something about Creating Something New over each of the six days is considered work; and on the Seventh He Rested must mean that He rested from Innovation/Creation.

So maybe it is something like this: God is constantly recreating Everything on Shabbos, but since He's not creating something new it is like resting.

That's what comes to mind, but I feel like there's a better answer out there.

If somebody's got knowledge, I'd love to hear. Reply

Alter Brooklyn December 14, 2020
in response to Nathan:

We actually had a whole conversation about this just now with a bunch of friends. Thanks for the conversation starter!

Here's a link to Rabbi Paltiel talking about it. youtu.be/hw-6ioVnsWE

He says Shabbos the world is in the level of thought. So no speech.

How is the world here when there's no speech?

It's a fine idea about God's oneness. Shabbos is when the mystery of oneness happens. The building of Malchus and the higher level of soul.

This oneness blends the ideas of separation and oneness. It unites this works as we see it, in it's separate looking state, with God's oneness.

So we appear as we are, sperate, but it is all one.

That's why thought, because thoughts are one with the thinker. More so than speech. Reply

Nathan Australia December 14, 2020
in response to Alter:

That makes a lot of sense to me. Thanks so much for that answer. Reply

Mrs. Prus Newton, MA December 9, 2020

Great job, Tali! Reply

Adriana Rio de Janeiro December 9, 2020

Excellent! Excellent, the previous one also excellent. Specially when we are familiar with these all, the fast video makes things really enjoyable to know it all. Reply

CB December 9, 2020

The concepts, visuals — mind blowing! Episode 2’s my new favorite and we can’t wait for more Reply

Joe December 8, 2020

Love it! Each episode keeps getting better and better! Reply

IsserC CA December 8, 2020

As before, the explanation why and the mechanics of creation shown are truly unique. Waiting for the rest !!! Reply

Yaakov New Haven December 8, 2020

Wow, amazing work Torah Visuals!! So exciting to see more videos. Reply

Rachman December 8, 2020

Another episode!! Reply

Rachel Jerusalem December 7, 2020

Wow this is probably the best thing I've ever seen. The visuals are mind-blowing and the concepts are ~FIRE~!!! Reply

Joshua Johnson Camden December 9, 2020
in response to Rachel:

Truth felt though soft whispers the g code. If you want an expensive experience care fore and ride a Arabian horse. Then try applying what you learned from your horse to a person? This Is ether! What a great time for this light to shine! Reply