Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Richuk makom
ריחוק מקום
Distance (richuk makom)
Distance from G‑d’s revealed light, which mostly kindles the soul’s love and longing, as the moon shines only far from the sun. Literal distance of place cannot be said of G‑d.
The word Literally “distance of place”; the text also uses it of physical things (a stone falling farther, the sun’s light spreading far from its source) and of the descent of worlds. As a term of avodah it is the felt distance of the soul from G‑d’s revealed light, “as if” far, since His glory fills the world. The related verse מרחוק ה׳ נראה לי and the verse “peace, peace to the far and to the near” (read of the baal teshuvah, or of love and fear) recur with it.
Where it’s explained
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 1, ¶7Israel is likened to the moon, which shines specifically when far from the sun: “From afar Havayah appeared to me.” Rosh Hashanah brings fear and bittul through the revelation of His kingship; then, through distance, the light of love shines, as a person makes himself as if very far from G‑d by recalling the year’s thoughts, words and deeds that were not for Him.
שע״י ריחוק מקום מאיר בו אור אהבתו ית׳ להיות כלתה נפשו אליו לדבקה בו
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 2, ¶1On Rosh Hashanah there is only bittul from fear; in the Ten Days of Teshuvah, “From afar Havayah appeared to me,” love is revealed through distance, because the light is not so revealed there. So they are not festivals: light that shines through distance is in the middos, to restore them face to face, and is less than the light of the mochin.
שנתגלה בחי׳ אהבה מחמת ריחוק מקום שאין האור שם בהתגלות כ״כ
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 4, ¶6Those whose inner heart is in material things are far from the light of His face; but since distance of place cannot be said in relation to G‑d, whose glory fills the earth, Scripture says “they turned the back of the neck to Me”: like one standing beside his fellow with his back turned, which is the utmost distance.
ולפי שלא שייך לומר נגד השי״ת לשון ריחוק מקום כי הלא מלא כל הארץ כבודו
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 1, ¶16The higher love, above reason (the “mountains”), is reached not through Torah and mitzvos but through teshuvah from the depth of the heart, because of his distance from the light of G‑d’s face. Like a steelyard tipped by the length of its arm, bitterness over one’s distance arouses the supernal ahavah rabbah.
כ״א ע״י תשובה מעומקא דליבא שלמעלה מן הדעת מחמת ריחוקו מאור פניו ית׳
- Torah Ohr, Vayechi 3, ¶18The more the longing and thirst grow from the distance caused by the body, the more the soul rejoices in drawing down Or Ein Sof through the mitzvos; the joy of the soul should not be mixed with the sadness of the body.
כי כל שתגדל התשוק׳ והצמאון מחמת ריחוק מקום מצד הגוף כך תגדל שמחת הנפש
Stated differently
Whether distance brings love and closeness fear, or closeness brings love and distance fear
האהבה נמשך מבחי׳ הריחוק וזהו נפשי אויתיך בלילה. והיראה נמשך מבחי׳ הקירובLove comes from distance (“my soul desired You at night”), and fear from closeness; so “the people saw, trembled and stood from afar” to rest a little from the great fear that fell on them from the closeness.
כי היראה היא באה מחמת בחי׳ הריחוק הנמשך מבחי׳ שמאל דוחהSeeing is from close and is love that comes from closeness; hearing is from afar and brings fear. Fear comes from the distance of “the left hand pushes away,” as one lowers himself and asks who he is to draw near; so “they trembled and stood from afar,” in the mode of hearing.
Whether Chochmah is the level of closeness or the level of distance
והחכמה היא בחי׳ אצילות בכלל ופי׳ אצילות היינו ג״כ מלשון אצל וסמוךFear is from the higher Chochmah, which is Atzilus, meaning “near and adjacent” to the revelation of Or Ein Sof; so fear is from close. Love, even ahavah rabbah, is from Binah, which nests in Beriah, separate and not adjacent; so love is from afar.
וכדכתיב מרחוק ה׳ נראה לי שבחי׳ חכמה הוא בחי׳ רחוקTecheles is from Gevurah, “the left that pushes away,” as in “his sister stood from afar,” not a true pushing away; and as written, “From afar Havayah appeared to me,” for Chochmah is the level of “far.” From it there is also a real pushing away of the other side.
Main sources
Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 1, ¶7Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 2, ¶1Likkutei Torah, Vaeschanan 7, ¶1Likkutei Torah, Vaeschanan 7, ¶4Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 1, ¶16Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 4, ¶6Torah Ohr, Vayechi 1, ¶7Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 10, ¶4
Where it appears
In 232 paragraphs of 141 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 5 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 9 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 7 ¶10 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Korach 1 ¶20 ¶29 ¶32
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 1 ¶13 ¶16 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 4 ¶21 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 5 ¶2 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 6 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 3 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 4 ¶1 ¶4 ¶6 ¶8 ¶12 ¶13 ¶15 ¶16 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 9 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8 ¶14 ¶16 ¶39 ¶40
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 32 ¶38
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 33 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini 1 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 4 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 6 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 5 ¶26
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 7 ¶1 ¶3 ¶4 ¶5 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 11 ¶6 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 3 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 2 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 4 ¶14 ¶15 ¶38
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 7 ¶20 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 11 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 3 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 19 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Behar 3 ¶13 ¶14 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 6 ¶2 ¶3 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Devarim 1 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 3 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 3 ¶22 ¶23 ¶26
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 5 ¶3 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 8 ¶13 ¶15 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 9 ¶5 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 5 ¶16 ¶19 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 1 ¶11 ¶13 ¶14 ¶19
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 2 ¶4 ¶6 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 3 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 6 ¶20 ¶23 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 9 ¶1
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 11 ¶9 ¶17
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 1 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 8 ¶16 ¶22
- Torah Ohr, Vayishlach 4 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 3 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 1 ¶9 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 1 ¶19 ¶20 ¶35
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 2 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 4 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 13 ¶15 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 41 ¶6 ¶19 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 1 ¶1 ¶2 ¶3 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Vayechi 1 ¶7 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Vayechi 2 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 2 ¶23 ¶24 ¶25
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 7 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 22 ¶23
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 5 ¶5 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 20 ¶21 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 8 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 1 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 3 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 1 ¶7 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 2 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 3 ¶8 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 5 ¶2 ¶3 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 6 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 2 ¶32 ¶33
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 6 ¶36 ¶37 ¶45
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 2 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 36 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 1 ¶5 ¶7 ¶10
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 1 ¶25 ¶26
- Torah Ohr, Vayechi 3 ¶17 ¶18 ¶29
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 1 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 1 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Kedoshim 1 ¶4 ¶25 ¶26
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 1 ¶6 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Korach 2 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 1 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 3 ¶3 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 2 ¶40
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 5 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 10 ¶26
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 1 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 1 ¶26 ¶30
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 2 ¶15 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 3 ¶43
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 8 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 14 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shabbos Shuvah 2 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 2 ¶9 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 3 ¶9 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 9 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 11 ¶1
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 4 ¶6 ¶9 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 2 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 4 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 3 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 5 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 1 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 3 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 9 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 21 ¶6 ¶7 ¶19
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 31 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 5 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 11 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 4 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 7 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 18 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 15 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 20 ¶33
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 2 ¶23 ¶24
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 1 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Toldos 4 ¶3 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 2 ¶27
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 5 ¶5 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 2 ¶16
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 7 ¶34
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 2 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Vayishlach 5 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 5 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 8 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 5 ¶1 ¶5
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 1 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 21 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 8 ¶1 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 2 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 1 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 4 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 10 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Shabbos Shuvah 1 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 2 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 7 ¶11
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 8 ¶6 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 11 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 2 ¶10
- Torah Ohr, Toldos 2 ¶15
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 4 ¶34
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 4 ¶3
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.