Memale Kol Almin (ממלא כל עלמין) — the light that fills all worlds

Core definition

Memale kol almin ("that which fills all worlds") is the contracted, measured light that clothes itself within the worlds and their vessels in inwardness (b'pnimiyus), giving each created thing its inner vitality according to its measure and level. It is one of the two general levels of the Ohr Ein Sof's relation to the worlds — "it is known that in general there are two levels: memale kol almin (that which fills all worlds) and sovev kol almin (that which encompasses all worlds)" [58848/maamar_004 :: עב׳ 235] — and "the light of memale kol almin is from the beginning of the revelation of the kav" [58848/maamar_004 :: עב׳ 238].

How the Rebbeim develop it

Revelation vs. concealment. "The difference between them is: memale kol almin is the level of revelation, and sovev kol almin is the level of concealment" [58848/maamar_004 :: עב׳ 242]. Above, memale is described as "the ohr shining in inwardness in the aspect of the ohr's being clothed in the kli in measure and limitation per the kli's manner"; in the kav's general revelation, "the Kav drawn from the ohr Ein Sof is in the aspect of a short line — measured and bounded per the worlds' manner, clothed within the worlds and sefiros in their inwardness — every aspect of the ohr pnimi shining within the keilim is from the Kav coming in order and gradation in above and below" [58846/maamar_008 :: §113–122]. Hence memale is in hishtalshelus of above and below: "the heaven's revelation is not like the earth's revelation — in heaven the ohr's revelation shines; in earth the revelation does not shine so much" [58846/maamar_008 :: §155].

Zeir Anpin. ZA is the aspect of memale kol almin — hence the name "זעיר אנפין" (small-faced): "the ohr contracted to be clothed and shine in inwardness"; and the main inwardness is specifically in the middos, while the mochin are in general still in the aspect of makifim [58846/maamar_008 :: §113–116].

The limit of memale: yesh me'ayin. "All this is in the vitality of the created beings — that is, in their spirituality, which is drawn from the level of memale kol almin. But the physicality of the created beings... it is impossible that their coming-into-being be from the light of memale kol almin. For the light of memale kol almin — even if there be a multiplicity of myriads of hishtalshelut of levels, one after another — nevertheless it will be only in the level of spirituality and not in physicality, for in hishtalshelut... they are in value" — that is, in cause-and-effect value-relation (be'erech), which can only bridge spiritual to spiritual, never leap to physical yesh [58848/maamar_004 :: עב׳ 351–358]. Physical coming-into-being requires the essence's own power (yesh me'ayin), beyond hishtalshelus.

Also after the tzimtzum. A question is raised: if "the light of memale kol almin also comes through and after the interruption of the tzimtzum," why is sovev the level of concealment and memale the level of revelation? The answer distinguishes their roots: "the light of memale kol almin — its root is also in the Infinite Light before the tzimtzum... the action of the tzimtzum in the root of memale kol almin is not like the action of the tzimtzum in the root of sovev kol almin" [58848/maamar_004 :: עב׳ 354–361].

In avodah. The three loves of "ואהבת את ה' אלקיך" are mapped to the three levels: b'chol levavcha — memale, "even the yetzer hara" (the animal soul included); b'chol nafsh'cha — sovev; b'chol me'odecha — the essence [58841/maamar_033 :: Overview]. The "aspect of the revelation of the created beings' existence's body — to be in yesh-existence's aspect in revelation — and the revealed life's aspect in them — and their being in much particular division in their existence's manner — is from memale kol almin's aspect — shining in them in revelation, each per its מדרגה" [58846/maamar_008 :: §305].

Key distinctions

Related concepts

Sources