Deveikut (Spiritual Attachment)

Chassidim in prayer

Deveikut is a type of connection between two things, described in Chassidic teaching as the connection to the Holy One, Blessed be He.

In a person's divine service, Deveikut is a state where one is immersed in deep thought about the reality of God and His actions, forgetting about the physical world in which they live, as a result of contemplating the Divine. Chassidic teaching discusses Deveikut extensively and the paths of contemplation that lead to it.

Generally, as a preparation for the contemplation that leads to Deveikut, one must study Chassidic teachings about spiritual worlds, the ten Sefirot, and more. Often, those who contemplate also use Chassidic melodies during prayer service.

Its Nature

Deveikut is an external connection between two things, as it is written "as the belt clings to a person's waist," where the belt clings to the person's exterior (unlike hitkashrut, which is an internal connection).

Deveikut in service from below to above is work in the externality of the heart, which is work based on reason and knowledge, and it is contemplation of divinity clothed in worlds. However In its drawing down from above to below, it is the drawing down of Infinite Light in an encompassing manner, and it is - generally - the drawing down that occurs through the fulfillment of mitzvot (as opposed to the drawing down through Torah study, which is an internal drawing down).

In Deveikut itself, there are two levels - where the thing is a reality unto itself but is attached to the second thing (in this way the vessels are attached to the Infinite Light), and there is a Deveikut where the two things are united in essential unity (in this way the lights are attached, and since light is an extension and revelation outside of essence, its unity is also called Deveikut).

In Divine Service

Deveikut's essence is spiritual closeness to God that comes from the feeling of love. This is the matter of the sacrifice - Korbon which comes from the word for attachment, and on this it is brought that the angel Michael is also called by the name High Priest, who offers souls upon the altar, offering them in the attachment of love that he influences in them. More specifically, there are two aspects of High Priest: The first is Michael, whose matter is eternal love drawn from the aspect of kindness to Abraham, and the second higher one is the aspect of Aaron the High Priest whose matter is great love drawn from Aaron's beard that descends upon his attributes.

The main love is the attachment of spirit to spirit, as it is written "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth" etc. as is known. And on this it is said "with all your soul," which are all parts of the soul, intellect and emotions and their garments of thought, speech and action, that a person must attach all of them to the Blessed One, meaning the emotions to His blessed emotions - as He is merciful etc. And the intellect to His blessed intellect and wisdom which is the study of Torah for Torah emerges from wisdom. And so too thought to His blessed thought and speech to the word of God which is law, and as it is written "And I put My words in your mouth and My words which I have put in your mouth." And action is the act of charity to revive the spirit of the lowly, as it is written "For six days God made" etc. as is known elsewhere. And this is the attachment of spirit to spirit in the ultimate attachment and unity, when it is from love.

Deveikut During Prayer

Deveikut occurs during the recitation of the Shema, according to the Alter Rebbe's explanation that "nothing prevents us from attachment of the soul to His unity and blessed light except will, if a person does not want at all, God forbid, to attach to Him. But immediately when one wants and accepts and draws upon oneself His blessed divinity and says 'The Lord our God, the Lord is One,' his soul is automatically included in His blessed unity, for 'spirit brings spirit and draws spirit,' and this is the aspect of the exodus from Egypt and therefore they established the passage of the exodus from Egypt specifically at the time of the recitation of the Shema."

While in the Amidah prayer the Deveikut is only from the pleasure in the divine soul, something that passes and weakens with the weakening of pleasure, the Deveikut in Nefilat Apayim (falling on the face) is absolute attachment, coming from the elevation of all powers in the natural soul with the divine soul, and therefore the physical body no longer interferes with the attachment since it too has been elevated.

This is the reason that it is said in Kabbalistic texts that the time of Nefilat Apayim is the main time for clarifying and elevating the evil of Kelipat Nogah in one's body.