By: Yisrael Yitzchak Rosenfeld
Chaverim,
Attached is a statement from Beis Chabad Nuremberg. Let it resonate and reflect upon it; perhaps some of my thoughts may be helpful.
Faith Derives from Chochmah
In classical Jewish mysticism, the statement that
“Faith (Emunah) derives from Chochmah”
is a profoundly deep concept.
Especially in Lurianic Kabbalah and later in Chassidic thought—including the Breslov tradition—Emunah is not understood as the opposite of knowledge, but rather as its deepest root.
The View of Lurianic Kabbalah
The Ten Sefirot begin with:
- Keter (Crown)
- Chochmah (Wisdom)
- Binah (Understanding)
Chochmah is often described as the first flash of Divine insight.
Mystically, the word Chochmah is interpreted as:
“Koach Mah” — “the power of ‘What?’” or
“the power of self-nullification.”
In this state, a person does not yet possess a clear analysis or definition.
Rather, he encounters a truth greater than his intellect.
According to Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (the Ari z”l), Chochmah is the Sefirah closest to the Divine Light.
It receives revelation directly from Keter.
Therefore, Emunah emerges from Chochmah:
- Binah understands.
- Da’at connects.
But Chochmah touches something before it is understood.
Thus, Emunah is not blind faith, but an inner certainty arising from contact with a transcendent truth.
Breslov: Faith Beyond Intellect
For Rebbe Nachman of Breslov z”l, Emunah is the foundation of all spiritual life.
He frequently emphasizes that the human intellect is limited.
Since Hashem is infinite, the intellect alone can never attain complete knowledge of God.
Yet Breslov does not reject the intellect.
Rebbe Nachman teaches, in essence:
“True intellect brings a person to its boundary; there Emunah begins.”
This is precisely the point of Chochmah.
Chochmah is not rationalistic analysis.
It is a direct apprehension of truth.
Therefore, Emunah can emerge from it.
The stages may be represented as follows:
- Chochmah → an intuitive Divine spark
- Binah → development and understanding
- Da’at → inner integration
- Emunah → holding firmly to Divine reality itself, even where understanding ends
The Breslov Connection Between Chochmah and Emunah
In the teachings of Rabbeinu, one finds the idea that the highest Chochmah ultimately leads to simplicity.
The higher a person ascends, the more he realizes:
“I know nothing.”
This “not-knowing” is not a lack of wisdom.
It is the “Mah” within Chochmah.
From this humility, Emunah emerges.
A person believes not despite his wisdom, but because of it.
He recognizes the limitations of created intellect and opens himself to the influx of the Or Ein Sof (Infinite Divine Light).
The Lurianic Explanation of the Soul
The Ari describes the soul as layered:
- Nefesh
- Ruach
- Neshamah
- Chayah
- Yechidah
Chochmah is especially connected with the power of the Neshamah.
However, Emunah is rooted even higher, in Chayah and Yechidah, where the soul is already united with the oneness of God.
Why, then, is it said that Emunah comes from Chochmah?
Because Chochmah is the first Sefirah that reveals this higher unity within consciousness.
Chochmah is the window through which supra-rational Emunah enters the psyche.
The Breslov Synthesis
A Breslover would understand the statement approximately as follows:
Emunah does not arise from ignorance.
It arises from the highest form of Chochmah.
When the soul touches Divine truth before the intellect can explain it, Emunah is born.
Binah analyzes it, Da’at integrates it, but its root lies in Chochmah—the first illumination of Divine light within the human being.
Therefore, Breslov teaches:
- Lower Emunah = faith without depth.
- Higher Emunah = faith after passing through Chochmah.
- Highest Emunah = cleaving to Hashem even where all concepts and explanations come to an end.
In Lurianic language, one could say:
Emunah is the light of Keter and Ein Sof entering the soul through Chochmah.
In Breslov, this becomes a practical path of Divine service: remaining faithful to Hashem even when the intellect can no longer provide answers.
