Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Chitzoniyus halev and pnimiyus halev
חיצוניות הלב ופנימיות הלב
The outer and the inner heart (chitzoniyus halev and pnimiyus halev) · also: עומקא דלבא, נקודת הלב
The heart has two layers: the outer heart, whose feelings follow the mind, and the inner point of the heart, a will and love above reason, hidden in every Jew, revealed in teshuvah.
Where it’s explained
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 4, ¶5“My heart” (levavi) implies two hearts. The outer heart is below the mind and its stirrings follow understanding; it is the lower will, re’usa deliba born of contemplation, and “the mind rules the heart” refers to it. The inner heart, called the Supernal Will, is above the mind; the shofar’s simple sound and the heart’s cry of teshuvah come from it.
אבל פנימית הלב שהוא הנק׳ רצון העליון אינו מקבל ונמשך מהשכל כלל אלא הוא גם למעלה מהשכל
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 23, ¶27The inner heart is the yechidah, above even Chochmah, Binah and Daas: the Supernal Will, Keser. The heart as Malchus, below Chochmah, is the outer heart; and Malchus is rooted in Keser.
דפנימית הלב היא בחי׳ יחידה שלמעלה גם מחב״ד והוא ענין רצון העליון בחי׳ כתר
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 2, ¶7The root of the inner point of the heart is in sovev kol almin, above the chain of descent, so its love is above reason. In the soul it lies hidden, in exile within the body and animal soul; when one wages war in the outer heart with the mind, it is revealed from above.
ושם הוא שרש נקודת פנימיות הלב להיות האהבה לה׳ למעלה מבחי׳ טעם ודעת בבחי׳ רעותא דליבא
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 1, ¶14The cry of the outer heart comes from reason and so takes the form of words and divided letters. The inner point of the heart is higher teshuvah, the shofar’s simple sound without letters.
משא״כ ע״י חיצוניות הלב שהיא צעקה הבאה מבחי׳ טעם ודעת היא באה לכלל דיבור והתחלקות האותיות
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 9, ¶8Teshuvah is chiefly in the inner point of the heart, and it is clothed in good deeds, the revealed Supernal Will; so one hour of teshuvah and good deeds here surpasses the delight of the World to Come, which comes through the soul’s comprehension.
שעיקר התשובה הוא בנקודת פנימיות הלב מעומקא דלבא
Stated differently
The level of the inner heart: above Chochmah (yechidah, Keser) or Binah, with Chochmah shining within it
כי פנימית הלב הוא למעלה מהחכמה דלב היינו בחינת מל׳ ולמטה מהחכמהThe inner heart is the yechidah, the Supernal Will, Keser, above Chochmah; the heart that is Malchus, below Chochmah, is the outer heart.
כי יסוד אימא בינה ליבא זהו בחי׳ פנימית הלב עומקא דליבא ויסוד אבא הוא הארת ח״ע המאיר בפנימית הלבOf the two depths, the inner heart (the depth of the heart) is the yesod of Imma, Binah; the light of the higher Chochmah shining within it is called the hidden things of the heart.
היינו בינה לבא הוא בחי׳ פנימיות הלב ובחי׳ חכמה המאירה בפנימיות הלב והיא תעלומות לבוBinah is the inner heart, and Chochmah shining in the inner heart is “the hidden things of his heart.”
Whether the revealed inner heart is felt as burning love or as nullification without a feeling of love
גילוי פנימית הלב בבחי׳ גילוי ממש להיות הלב מלא וגדוש מאהבת ה׳ בבחי׳ כלות הנפש“With all your heart” is the open revelation of the inner heart: the heart blazes with fiery love and is full to overflowing with love of G‑d, in klos hanefesh.
שיתגלה אהבתו כ״כ עד שתהיה בחי׳ ביטול לגמרי ולא יהיה הרגש האהבהIn the inner point of the heart the love is revealed so fully that it becomes complete nullification and the love is not felt, for it is the essential point of the depth of the heart, as when a person’s very life is touched.
Whether re’usa deliba (the heart’s desire) is the outer heart, the lower will born of contemplation, or the inner heart above reason
ונק׳ רצון התחתון שהוא בחי׳ רעותא דליבא הנולד ונמשך מבחי׳ התבוננות השכלThe emotions’ stirring that follows the mind is only the outer heart, called the lower will, re’usa deliba, born of the mind’s contemplation; the inner heart, the Supernal Will, is above the mind.
ושם הוא שרש נקודת פנימיות הלב להיות האהבה לה׳ למעלה מבחי׳ טעם ודעת בבחי׳ רעותא דליבאThe root of the inner point of the heart is in sovev kol almin, so that its love for G‑d is above reason and knowledge, as re’usa deliba.
בכל מאדך שהיא בחי׳ רעותא דלבא דהיינו פנימית הלב שלמעלה מהגבלת הכלים דלב“With all your might” is re’usa deliba, that is, the inner heart, above the limits of the heart’s vessels; through it the supernal Keser, source of the makifim, is drawn down.
Main sources
Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 4, ¶5Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 23, ¶27Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 2, ¶7Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 1, ¶14Likkutei Torah, Reeh 1, ¶5Likkutei Torah, Emor 1, ¶39Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 9, ¶8
Where it appears
In 191 paragraphs of 96 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 2 ¶13 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 2 ¶2 ¶5 ¶7 ¶8 ¶9 ¶10 ¶11 ¶12 ¶13 ¶15 ¶16 ¶17 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 3 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 3 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 1 ¶9 ¶10 ¶11 ¶12 ¶13 ¶14 ¶15 ¶16 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 3 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 1 ¶3 ¶5 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 4 ¶5 ¶6 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 6 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Shabbos Shuvah 3 ¶3 ¶8 ¶9 ¶10 ¶12 ¶15 ¶29 ¶31
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 4 ¶1 ¶2 ¶5 ¶6 ¶7 ¶8 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 9 ¶1 ¶5 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 23 ¶21 ¶22 ¶27 ¶28
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 4 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 7 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 11 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 1 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 4 ¶1 ¶36
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 3 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 4 ¶19
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 2 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 3 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 7 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 5 ¶13 ¶19 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 19 ¶3 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 42 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 3 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 1 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 1 ¶7 ¶12 ¶14 ¶15
- Torah Ohr, Vayishlach 5 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 16 ¶11 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 1 ¶17 ¶18 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 4 ¶8 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 1 ¶5 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 4 ¶2 ¶3 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 17 ¶15 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 1 ¶9 ¶10
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 5 ¶14 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 6 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 2 ¶25
- Torah Ohr, Parshas Zachor 1 ¶5 ¶7 ¶13 ¶16 ¶19 ¶26 ¶30 ¶36
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 3 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 5 ¶2 ¶37
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 1 ¶39 ¶49
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 8 ¶24 ¶27
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 1 ¶12 ¶14 ¶27
- Likkutei Torah, Behar 1 ¶4 ¶5 ¶7 ¶8 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 1 ¶5 ¶6 ¶7 ¶9 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Metzora 1 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 10 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 3 ¶10 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 16 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Shabbos Shuvah 1 ¶5 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 1 ¶3 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 4 ¶5 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 3 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 2 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 1 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Va’eira 4 ¶29
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 1 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 2 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Devarim 2 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 4 ¶26 ¶27
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 7 ¶1 ¶2 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 28 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 3 ¶15 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 9 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 9 ¶7 ¶8 ¶16
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 7 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 4 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 5 ¶40
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 3 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Devarim 1 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 11 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 7 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 3 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 1 ¶23 ¶25
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 2 ¶18 ¶32 ¶34
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 7 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 12 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 3 ¶24
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 11 ¶10
- Torah Ohr, Parshas Zachor 2 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 2 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 4 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 1 ¶19 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 6 ¶35
- Likkutei Torah, Kedoshim 1 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 5 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 2 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 3 ¶18
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 4 ¶26 ¶27
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 8 ¶25
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 10 ¶34
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 7 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 2 ¶5
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.