Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Emunah
אמונה
Faith (emunah)
Faith: accepting as true what one does not grasp as if seeing; all Israel believe what is beyond intellect, such as sovev. An encompassing “crown,” it must be nourished until it is also daas.
The word Besides the soul’s faith, אמונה names Malchus of Atzilus (the Zohar: it is called Emunah when Emes joins it), and the “land” in “feed faith.” When it is a Sefirah or receives from Emes or daas above, Malchus is meant.
Where it’s explained
- Likkutei Torah, Vaeschanan 5, ¶12Emes (truth) comes through daas, which keeps the middos unchanging; emunah is believing and accepting the truth though one does not grasp it as if seeing. So Malchus of Atzilus is called Emunah, which receives Emes from the higher unity “in Hod”: acknowledging the truth that is not revealed.
אך בחי׳ אמונה היינו אע״פ שאינו משיג להיות כאלו רואה כו׳ ועכ״ז מאמין ומקבל האמת
- Likkutei Torah, Vaeschanan 4, ¶6“Dwell in the land and feed (re’eh) faith”: faith must be nourished until it is fixed in the heart as daas and feeling, as if seeing, as in the Time to Come when “the earth shall be full of knowledge.” This nourishing is through Torah and mitzvos.
הארץ היא האמונה שנק׳ בשם ארץ שהיא המדרגה התחתונה שאין בה גילוי אלא אמונה בלבד
- Likkutei Torah, Vaeschanan 6, ¶12Of sovev, in truth only faith applies; from memalei one knows at least that sovev exists. Through Torah and mitzvos daas is drawn into the faith, so that “the righteous shall live by his faith” in actual life.
שעם היות שבאמת בבחי׳ סוכ״ע לא שייך רק בחי׳ אמונה
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 8, ¶1All Israel are “believers, sons of believers” in what the philosophers wearied themselves to understand; faith is above comprehension and intellect, even that of the root of the divine soul, since no thought grasps Him.
כי האמונה היא למעלה מן ההשגה והשכל ואפי׳ מההשגה שבשרש נפש האלקית
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 1, ¶2Most souls understand G‑d’s greatness without daas, felt knowledge bound into the soul. Though faith is above daas, it is a crown, an encompassing (makif) level; there must also be daas, so that the world does not conceal G‑d from them.
והאמונה היא למעלה מן הדעת מ״מ הוא נק׳ עטרה שהוא בחינת מקיף וצ״ל ג״כ בחי׳ דעת
Stated differently
Whether faith is itself recognition and knowledge, or accepting what one does not grasp
שהאמונה היא ההכרה והדעת וההתקשרות בהקב״הMatzah is called “the food of faith,” for faith is the recognition, the knowledge and the bond with the Holy One; all Israel believe that He alone is as before the world was created.
אך בחי׳ אמונה היינו אע״פ שאינו משיג להיות כאלו רואה כו׳ ועכ״ז מאמין ומקבל האמתFaith is believing and accepting the truth although one does not grasp it as if seeing; daas is a separate level that faith receives from.
Whether faith stands above daas or is the lesser, “poor” state from which one comes to daas
כי האמונה היא למעלה מן ההשגה והשכלFaith is above comprehension and intellect, even that of the root of the divine soul.
ומתחלה כשהיא רק בבחי׳ אמונה לבד נק׳ לחם עניWhile Malchus has faith alone it is called “poor bread,” poor in daas; service must begin with faith alone, and from it one comes afterwards to daas, the inner Torah.
שהיא בחי׳ קטנות בחי׳ אמונה לבדהThe Egyptian exile was the point of the heart in exile, a state of smallness (katnus), faith alone; afterwards came the broad land, the expansion of daas.
Main sources
Likkutei Torah, Vaeschanan 4, ¶6Likkutei Torah, Vaeschanan 5, ¶12Likkutei Torah, Vaeschanan 6, ¶12Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5, ¶55Torah Ohr, Bereishis 8, ¶1Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 1, ¶2
Where it appears
In 119 paragraphs of 60 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 9 ¶6 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 5 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 3 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 3 ¶2 ¶10 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 8 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shabbos Shuvah 3 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 6 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini 1 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 4 ¶2 ¶4 ¶5 ¶6 ¶9 ¶10 ¶11 ¶12 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 5 ¶9 ¶12 ¶13 ¶16 ¶17 ¶18 ¶19 ¶20 ¶22 ¶24 ¶26 ¶27
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 6 ¶1 ¶5 ¶12 ¶13 ¶22 ¶24 ¶25 ¶27 ¶28 ¶31 ¶32 ¶34
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 7 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 5 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 1 ¶2 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 2 ¶6 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 2 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 6 ¶39
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 4 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Devarim 1 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 14 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 25 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 5 ¶30
- Torah Ohr, Parshas Zachor 1 ¶7 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 1 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 19 ¶21
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 2 ¶1 ¶7 ¶8 ¶9 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 7 ¶17 ¶20 ¶21 ¶23 ¶25
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 3 ¶6 ¶7 ¶11 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 2 ¶4 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 5 ¶4 ¶5 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 9 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 5 ¶4 ¶12 ¶13 ¶14 ¶17
- Torah Ohr, Lech Lecha 4 ¶5
- Torah Ohr, Vayigash 1 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 3 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 2 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 4 ¶32
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5 ¶55 ¶56 ¶57
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 7 ¶26
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 5 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 8 ¶1 ¶2 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Vayishlach 5 ¶1
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 4 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 3 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 21 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 3 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 4 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 3 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 7 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Toldos 4 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 7 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Behar 2 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 7 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 5 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 3 ¶24
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 7 ¶7 ¶10
- Torah Ohr, Va’eira 3 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 26 ¶22
- Torah Ohr, Toldos 3 ¶18
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.