Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Achdus Hashem
אחדות השם
G‑d’s oneness (achdus Hashem)
G‑d’s oneness: He is simple in utter simplicity, beyond all division; all worlds are nullified before Him and included in His unity, which Israel draws down and reveals below.
The word אחדות also means unity between people (as in Matot 6:3, where unity and inclusion stand against baseless hatred). In these texts it is usually paired as יחודו ואחדותו, His unity and oneness; for the related terms Echad and Yachid see their own entry.
Where it’s explained
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 18, ¶2Created beings, even supernal hosts without number, are in division and multiplicity. Ein Sof Himself is simple oneness in utter simplicity; only a contracted illumination is drawn so that worlds can receive it, and even that stays “holy and set apart,” not clothed in them like a soul in a body.
משא״כ בא״ס ב״ה בעצמו ובכבודו לא שייך כל זה כי הוא ית׳ אחדות פשוט בתכלית הפשיטות
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 1, ¶2Before Him all are nullified in their very existence and included in His unity, so that nothing there is a thing in itself; even Gan Eden is only a radiance spreading from Him. Hence His great mercy on the worlds, which are as nothing before Him.
כי הכל בטלים במציאות נגדו ית׳ ונכללים ביחודו ואחדותו ואין שם דבר בפ״ע
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 1, ¶2One can understand G‑d’s oneness, that all is one, all worlds are as nothing before Him and live from His flow, and He does not change. Understood through Binah, this is like hearing, and a person can turn away from it; grasped through Chochmah it is like seeing, as at Sinai, and cannot be set aside.
שמבין אחדות ה׳ איך שכולא חד ושכל העולמות בטלים ומבוטלים כאין נגדו
- Torah Ohr, Vaeira 1, ¶8In exile His unity is not seen below, and the world looks like a thing in its own right; “on that day G‑d will be One.” Even now Israel is given the power to draw His unity down, so that it is revealed in the six directions, physical and spiritual, and in a person’s own middos. This is the purpose of all service, a dwelling below.
ונותן לנו הכח להיותנו בני ישראל עם קרובו להיות יכולים להמשיך בחינת יחודו ואחדותו ית׳ למטה בתחתונים
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 2, ¶12In service: the fear of sin is fear of being separated from His unity through any sin, even a light rabbinic prohibition, for “your sins separate.”
שירא לנפשו שלא ליפרד מיחודו ואחדותו ע״י שום חטא ועון
Stated differently
Whether G‑d’s oneness (achdus) is the simple oneness of His essence itself, or the unity and inclusion of many levels in one, His essence being called Yachid
כי הוא ית׳ אחדות פשוט בתכלית הפשיטותEin Sof Himself, “in Himself and His glory,” is simple oneness in utter simplicity, beyond any division.
פי׳ שמע הוא לשון התבוננות איך שהוי׳ אלקינו הוי׳ אחד בחי׳ אחדות פשוטIn the Shema one contemplates how “Havayah is One” is simple oneness, before which all worlds are as nothing, and longs to be included in His essence, which is simple oneness.
משא״כ מדותיו ית׳ המיוחדות בו ית׳ שהוא אחדות פשוט בלי שום שינוי התפעלותHis middos are united with Him, and He is simple oneness without any change or being moved, “I, Havayah, have not changed.”
כי פי׳ אחד אין פירושו מהו״ע ית׳ דהוא נקרא יחיד“Havayah is One” is the level of unity and inclusion (achdus vehiskallelus), “He and His vessels are one”: the seven middos, all nullified and included in the One. “One” does not mean His essence, which is called Yachid. Holiness is unity and inclusion; baseless hatred, which divides, opposes it.
שבאמת לגבי קוב״ה מצד עצמותו ומהותו ית׳ לא שייך עליו מלת אחד כלל שהרי הוא יחיד ומיוחד והוא לבדו הואAs He is in His essence, the word “One” does not apply to Him at all, for He is Yachid umeyuchad and He alone is. “One” means that His unity rests and is revealed in the seven heavens, the earth and the four directions, and all are united and nullified in the One.
Sefer HaErchim Chabad
ב. שהכוונה ב״השם אחד” היא לשלול ה״ריבוי” בו עצמו. שאינו ככל הנמצאים שהם מורכבים מכמה חלקים, אלא פשוט בתכלית הפשיטות.Second: that the intent of “Hashem is One” is to negate multiplicity in Him Himself; He is not like all existing things, which are composed of several parts, but simple in utter simplicity. (our translation)
Sefer HaErchim Chabad, vol. ט, entry אחדות השם — פרקי מבוא, col. קטו · © Kehot Publication Society, quoted
Main sources
Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 18, ¶2Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 34, ¶5Likkutei Torah, Eikev 1, ¶2Likkutei Torah, Matos 6, ¶3Likkutei Torah, Masei 2, ¶12Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 1, ¶2Torah Ohr, Vaeira 1, ¶8Torah Ohr, Yisro 6, ¶3
Where it appears
In 152 paragraphs of 101 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 5 ¶2 ¶4 ¶5 ¶8 ¶11 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 1 ¶5 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 8 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 3 ¶3 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 1 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 6 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 18 ¶2 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 32 ¶32 ¶37 ¶39 ¶40 ¶42
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 33 ¶10 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 4 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Bo 1 ¶11
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 1 ¶15
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 12 ¶19 ¶20 ¶23
- Torah Ohr, Va’eira 1 ¶7 ¶8 ¶13 ¶15
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 8 ¶7 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 5 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 4 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 2 ¶42
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 11 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 12 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 7 ¶5
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 3 ¶2 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 1 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Vayishlach 3 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 5 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 4 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Tetzaveh 2 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 4 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 9 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 2 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 2 ¶4 ¶5 ¶15 ¶16 ¶17 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 2 ¶13 ¶31
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 7 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 2 ¶12 ¶18 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 1 ¶56 ¶57
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 3 ¶24
- Torah Ohr, Tetzaveh 1 ¶21 ¶25
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 3 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 2 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 11 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 15 ¶2 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 10 ¶3 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 2 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 6 ¶3 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 1 ¶3 ¶4 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 12 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 5 ¶3 ¶4 ¶15 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 12 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 18 ¶10 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Shabbos Shuvah 3 ¶9 ¶23
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 5 ¶14 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 34 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 1 ¶10 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 11 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 3 ¶5
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 1 ¶18
- Torah Ohr, Ki Sisa 1 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Ki Sisa 2 ¶3 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Noach 4 ¶15 ¶17
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 2 ¶16 ¶18 ¶23
- Torah Ohr, Vayakhel 1 ¶23 ¶24
- Torah Ohr, Vayechi 1 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 5 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 7 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 6 ¶29
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 6 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 13 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 7 ¶12 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 1 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 4 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Kedoshim 1 ¶6 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 1 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 1 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 5 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 12 ¶18
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 5 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 6 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 2 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 5 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 6 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Toldos 3 ¶24
- Torah Ohr, Va’eira 3 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 4 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 3 ¶18
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 8 ¶12 ¶20
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 11 ¶22
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 1 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 5 ¶30
- Torah Ohr, Toldos 4 ¶2 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8 ¶11
- Torah Ohr, Vayeira 1 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 18 ¶29
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 5 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 3 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Vayigash 1 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 8 ¶29
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 2 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 16 ¶10
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 3 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 2 ¶27
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.