Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Knesses Yisrael
כנסת ישראל
The Congregation of Israel (Knesses Yisrael)
All the souls of Israel as one, and their source above in Malchus, named for gathering in (koneses) the divine flow called “Israel”; the bride, with the Holy One as groom.
The word In a Midrash quoted in the text (“Knesses Yisrael said...”) the term means the Jewish people as speaker. In Chassidus it is also a level: the source of the souls in Malchus. Some places speak of a Knesses Yisrael above and one below (Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 7:2; Likkutei Torah, Ki Teitzei 7:2).
Where it’s explained
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 7, ¶2Knesses Yisrael is the whole of all the souls of Israel; the three Avos are the levels that lift it up to be included in Or Ein Sof itself. When the Temple does not stand it is “fallen.” The text sets Knesses Yisrael above, which it says cannot be fully explained, apart from the souls as they come down into body and animal soul.
המנשאים ומעלים את כנס״י שהם כללות כל נשמות ישראל להתכלל באור א״ס ב״ה ממש
- Torah Ohr, Parshas Zachor 1, ¶4The source of the souls is called Knesses Yisrael for the gathering: the chief life-force and flow from “Israel above,” the light of the Name Havayah that is above Elokim, is gathered and collected into it.
מקור נשמות ישראל נק׳ בשם כנסת ישראל. על שם הקבוץ והכניסה
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 4, ¶1The Menorah is Knesses Yisrael, the holiness of all the souls together and “the word of Havayah” that gives life to the worlds; it is named for gathering into itself the G‑dliness called Israel, sovev kol almin, and it includes every soul from the greatest tzaddikim to the least.
על שם שמכנסת בתוכה בחי׳ אלהות הנק׳ ישראל סובב כל עלמין
- Likkutei Torah, Tazria 3, ¶2Knesses Yisrael is “woman” and the Holy One “man.” Her arousal from below is the raising of mayin nukvin; when she “gives seed first,” the arousal from above that follows gives birth to “a male” in the souls, ahavah rabbah, the love to be nullified in Or Ein Sof itself.
שכנ״י נק׳ בשם אשה והקב״ה נק׳ בשם איש
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 26, ¶23“Tamasi,” “my twin”: the Holy One is the groom and Knesses Yisrael the bride who becomes His twin; she makes Him whole, as it were, for His mercy and kindness are revealed only through the worlds and creatures (“I account it as though you made Me”).
שהקב״ה נקרא בשם חתן וכנס״י בשם כלה המזדווגת להחתן ונעשית לו תאומתו
Stated differently
Which part of Malchus Knesses Yisrael is: Malchus of Atzilus as it comes down into Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, or the inner Malchus within Z’eir Anpin
כנס״י נק׳ רחל והיא מלכות דאצילות המתלבשת בבי״עKnesses Yisrael is Rachel, Malchus of Atzilus enclothed in Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah; a bride who longs to rise and be included in Or Ein Sof but must come down to give life to created beings.
אינו בחי׳ המל׳ הנעשית פרצוף בפ״ע אלא הוא בחי׳ פרצוף המלכות שבתוך פנימית דז״אAlthough Knesses Yisrael is related to the Sefirah of Malchus, it is not Malchus made into a partzuf of its own but the partzuf of Malchus within the inner Z’eir Anpin, where they are equal (“Kallas Moshe”).
והיא הנקראת ג״כ כנס״י שמפנימיות דז״א הוא מקור של כללות נשמות ישראלThe outer Malchus, built from behind Z’eir Anpin, comes down into Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah; the inner Malchus, which does not come down at all and is built from the inner Z’eir Anpin, is Kallas Moshe and is also called Knesses Yisrael, the source of all the souls.
Main sources
Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 7, ¶2Torah Ohr, Parshas Zachor 1, ¶4Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 4, ¶1Likkutei Torah, Tzav 3, ¶1Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 31, ¶1Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 16, ¶10Likkutei Torah, Chukas 8, ¶1Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 7, ¶2
Where it appears
In 277 paragraphs of 159 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 5 ¶34 ¶35
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 1 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 4 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 5 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 8 ¶1 ¶3 ¶8 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 3 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 5 ¶1 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 3 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 4 ¶19 ¶31
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 9 ¶6 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 11 ¶1 ¶2 ¶3 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 4 ¶1 ¶12 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8 ¶40
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 10 ¶3 ¶13 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 16 ¶10 ¶15 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 18 ¶1 ¶6 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 22 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 28 ¶2 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 32 ¶42
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 36 ¶1 ¶8 ¶9 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 3 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 4 ¶4 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 5 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 11 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 2 ¶7 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 6 ¶1 ¶4 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 12 ¶14 ¶15 ¶24 ¶25
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 4 ¶31 ¶32 ¶42
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 1 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Terumah 1 ¶1 ¶4 ¶5 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 6 ¶2 ¶17 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 3 ¶1 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 4 ¶11
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 5 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 5 ¶3 ¶8 ¶28 ¶33
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 42 ¶8 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini 2 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 3 ¶2 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 3 ¶2 ¶3 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 5 ¶1
- Torah Ohr, Vayishlach 5 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Korach 1 ¶14 ¶24 ¶28
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 6 ¶1 ¶6 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 4 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 1 ¶1 ¶25
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 6 ¶4 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 1 ¶45 ¶53
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 13 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 17 ¶3 ¶20 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 19 ¶3 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 20 ¶28
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 26 ¶23
- Likkutei Torah, Tazria 3 ¶2 ¶5 ¶7 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 1 ¶13 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 9 ¶12 ¶16
- Torah Ohr, Tetzaveh 2 ¶10 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 7 ¶3 ¶5 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 9 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 3 ¶1 ¶2 ¶3 ¶5 ¶6 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 25 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 41 ¶2 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 2 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Tetzaveh 3 ¶1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 3 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 8 ¶7 ¶12 ¶17 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 1 ¶1 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 1 ¶23
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 3 ¶20 ¶42
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 20 ¶21 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 3 ¶19 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 1 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 4 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 7 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 2 ¶19 ¶30
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 2 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 4 ¶2 ¶8 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 5 ¶1 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 2 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 6 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 11 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 12 ¶8 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 30 ¶1 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 10 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 15 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 16 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 7 ¶13 ¶19
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 8 ¶4 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 4 ¶2 ¶4 ¶5 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 10 ¶13 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Kedoshim 1 ¶7 ¶31
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 2 ¶1 ¶2 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 3 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 31 ¶1 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 1 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 12 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 1 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Terumah 2 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 9 ¶1 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 10 ¶2 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Parshas Zachor 1 ¶3 ¶4 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 8 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 14 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Beshalach 1 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 4 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 7 ¶1 ¶2 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 7 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 1 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 7 ¶1 ¶2 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 3 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 5 ¶31
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 6 ¶18 ¶19
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 1 ¶21
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 2 ¶5 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 2 ¶2 ¶13 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Metzora 1 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 3 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 14 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 7 ¶1
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 1 ¶7 ¶9 ¶11
- Torah Ohr, Toldos 2 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Vayakhel 1 ¶26
- Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 2 ¶32
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 2 ¶41
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 3 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 3 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 4 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 15 ¶1 ¶2 ¶12 ¶13 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 2 ¶1
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 7 ¶2 ¶8 ¶11
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 5 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Terumah 3 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 7 ¶1
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 9 ¶7 ¶9 ¶16
- Torah Ohr, Va’eira 5 ¶17
- Torah Ohr, Vayechi 1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 4 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 5 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 2 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 7 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 4 ¶1 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 10 ¶39 ¶42
- Torah Ohr, Va’eira 4 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 4 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 2 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 23 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 8 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 4 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 9 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 34 ¶1 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 1 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 1 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 4 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Vayechi 3 ¶5 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Behar 1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 4 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 35 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 3 ¶29
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 7 ¶1
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 9 ¶6
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.