Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Sof maaseh bemachshavah techilah
סוף מעשה במחשבה תחלה
Last in deed, first in thought (sof maaseh bemachshavah techilah)
The last thing made was first in intent: what comes lowest in the order of descent (earth, Malchus, man, deed) has the highest root, and in it the Supernal Will is revealed.
Where it’s explained
- Torah Ohr, Vayigash 1, ¶3The earth, last in deed, is rooted at the beginning of thought, while the heavens, first in deed, are last in thought. In the order of descent the vegetative stands above the inanimate and the animal above the vegetative, yet the earth preceded them all in the primordial thought; so it alone can bring forth growth, and all receive from it.
כי זהו הכלל שהסוף מעשה עולה תחלה במחשבה
- Torah Ohr, Chayei Sarah 4, ¶2Continuing on the Baraisa (3:1): the Torah descends even into cases of false claims (“this one says, I found it”), which seems a great descent, yet it is high, for the end of the deed was first in thought: like a tube, what goes in first comes out last, and like man, last of all creatures and above them all, for whom everything was created.
וכמשל השפופרת הנכנס ראשון יוצא אחרון וכמו האדם שהוא סוף כל הנבראים והוא במעלה על כולם
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 13, ¶20From above downward the Avos gave and the Imahos received; from below upward, as returning light, the Imahos stood higher, because the end of the deed was first in thought. So in the future the receiver will rise above the giver, “a woman of valor is her husband’s crown”; so too the mitzvos, rooted in Keser, stand above the Chochmah of the Torah that directs them.
אבל מלמטה למעלה בבחינת או״ח היו האמהות למעלה במדרגה סוף מעשה
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 4, ¶11Rosh Hashanah, the sixth day of creation when Adam was made, is called “the beginning of Your works”: Israel rose first in thought, and the supernal primordial thought “I will reign” was for Israel’s sake. When man was made, the beginning of the thought was completed, and for G‑d even thought counts as deed.
הוא מפני כי סוף מעשה במחשבה תחלה וכמ״ש בראשית בשביל ישראל
- Torah Ohr, Vaeira 4, ¶25Continuing from the previous paragraph, where the Oral Torah’s descent into physical deeds seems a great descent: like a hand that lifts what fell to the ground and sets it on the head, the end of the deed was first in thought; the Supernal Will is revealed specifically in the final deed. Here it is joined with “their end is wedged in their beginning.”
כי גילוי רצון עליון הוא בסוף מעשה דוקא
Stated differently
What “the end of the deed” is: the lowest level (earth, Malchus), rooted in Chochmah, or Chochmah itself, where the enclothing of the higher light ends
ה׳ בחכמה יסד ארץ שיסוד ושורש ארץ היא בבחי׳ חכמה וסוף מעשה היא בחי׳ מלכותו ית׳The end of the deed is His Malchus, called “earth”; its foundation and root is in Chochmah (“G‑d founded the earth with Chochmah”), and so the souls of Israel, drawn from Malchus, rose in thought.
שבחי׳ חכמה עילאה הוא סוף מעשה של הקב״ה. פי׳ כי סוף התלבשות רדל״א הוא בחכמה דאצילותThe higher Chochmah is the end of the deed of the Holy One: the enclothing of Reisha d’lo Isyada ends in Chochmah of Atzilus, which is called thought; Or Ein Sof is revealed only in Chochmah.
Main sources
Torah Ohr, Vayigash 1, ¶3Torah Ohr, Chayei Sarah 4, ¶1Torah Ohr, Chayei Sarah 4, ¶2Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 13, ¶20Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 4, ¶11Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 15, ¶4Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 16, ¶2Torah Ohr, Vaeira 4, ¶25
Where it appears
In 46 paragraphs of 39 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 4 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 8 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 1 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 3 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 4 ¶1
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 4 ¶9 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 3 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 2 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 8 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 1 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 6 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 5 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 16 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 17 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 34 ¶5 ¶6 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 39 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Chayei Sarah 2 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 1 ¶2 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 11 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 3 ¶15 ¶17
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 8 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 15 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 16 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 13 ¶20
- Torah Ohr, Va’eira 5 ¶36
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 10 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 1 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 4 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Chayei Sarah 4 ¶1 ¶2 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini 2 ¶5
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 13 ¶11
- Torah Ohr, Vayigash 1 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 1 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Va’eira 4 ¶25
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 6 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 9 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 12 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 4 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 2 ¶24
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.