"Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud [lit., 'raised his voice and wept']" (Gen. 29:11)

Allegorically, Rachel personifies the Community of Israel (malchut of Atzilut) the spiritual origin of all souls. Jacob, who personifies tiferet of Atzilut, arouses G‑d's mercy upon the souls that descend into the physical world, experiencing their descent as an exile from their native, divine home. "[Jacob] raised his voice", reaching the source of G‑d's mercy, "and he cried" in order to draw G‑d's mercy upon these souls, raising them from their exile and uniting them with G‑d. Jacob's entreaties secured an abundance of divine compassion for all Jews…

Jacob's entreaties secured an abundance of divine compassion for all Jews throughout all generations. Even when our misdeeds cast us into further states of exile, we are able, through Torah study and the performance of mitzvahs, to be raised from this state and become reunited with G‑d.

We experience this unity with G‑d both as a kiss and as an embrace. We experience the "kiss" by articulating and thinking the holy words of the Torah, uniting our speech and thought with G‑d's. We experience the "embrace" by fulfilling the mitzvot, uniting our power of action with G‑d's.

Based on Tanya, ch. 45
Copyright 2001 Chabad of California http://www.LAchumash.org