tiawd:
You seem to have two questions on the statement of the Baal Hatanya:
1. How can something be a “part” of something which cannot be split into parts?
2. In ????? ???? it says the neshomo is a creature, how can something be both a creator and a creature?
Your conclusion ; the Baal Hatanya cannot be understood literally.
My question on your conclusion; how can one say something was not meant to be taken literally when the author specifically writes “Mamash”?
My answer to your questions;
One can ask on the Tanya from the opposite direction;
How can he say that only the neshama is a chelek eloka mimaal when the Passuk of ??? ??? ????? as explained by the Tanya himself as well as the Nefesh Hachaim and others, says there is no existence outside Hashem and ALL existence is inside Hashem, if so not only the neshama is a chelek eloka mimaal the entire universe and ALL existence is Hashem.
Here are the words of the Tanya:
)??? ????? ??????? ??? ?(: ??”? “???? ??? ???? ?? ? ?? ?? ?? ?? ??? ? ?’ ???? ?? ?????? ??”, ????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ???… ??? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???,????? ??? ???? ??????? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ??, ??? ?? ??? ???? ??????? ????? ???? ???… ???? ?? ???? ????? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??????? ???”? ????? ?????? ??? ???, ????? ??? ‘???’ ???? ???? ???…??? ???”? ????? ?? ??? ???? ???, ??? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ??????? ????.
Here are the words of the Nefesh Hachaim:
)??? ?, ??? ??? ?-??? ?(:…??? ???? ?? ????? ???, ??? ??? ?? ?? ??????? ????????, ??????????? ????? ???? ????? ??? ????. ???? ??? ????? ????? ??? ?????? ??? ??? ???????, ??????? ????????? ?? ????? ?????? ????????????, ?? ????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???? ????? ???, ?? ??? ??? ??????????? ????? ????? ???. ???? ???? ????? “?? ???? ?? ? ?? ???? ?? ??? ???? ? ?? ?? ?? ??? ??? ?? ?? ?” )????? ??, ??(, ????? ????? ????? ???? “?????? ?? ??? ?? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ? ?? ?? ?? ?? ??? ? ?’ ???? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ??? ?? ? ???? ? ?? ?? ?? ? ?? ??? ?? ? ?? ?? ????”)????? ?, ??(, ??? “?? ??? ? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ? ??? ? ?’ ???? ?? ?????? ?? ?? ?? ???? ?? ?? ?? ????”)????? ?, ??(… ???? ??? ??????, ???? ??? ????? ????? ???, ????????? ?????? ????? ???? ???????, ??????? ???????? ??????? ????,?? ????? ?????? ????? ????? ??? ???… ?????? ????? ?????? ????????? ???? ??????? ???, ?? ??? ????? ??????.
In the words of Rav Avigdor Miller zt”l to the best of my recollection:
“The entire world exists in Hashems mind”.
This being the case, it is not the Neshama being chelek eloka mimaal mamash that is not to be taken literally rather quite the opposite is true, it is the body and the rest of creation NOT being chelek eloka mimaal that is not to be taken literally as the reality is ??? ??? ????? there is NO other existence other than Hashem.
The same would apply for your second question as well, it is ??? ????? and ??? ???? which are “not to be taken literally” as all “creations” as explained by the Tanya and Nefesh Hachaim above are merely a figment of our imagination and a virtual reality created by Hashem (referred to by some as ????? or ????) in order for us to have a realm in which we can fulfill our purpose in the world.
The idea of the Tanya about the Neshama being Chelek Eloka mimaal mamash is likewise that even within our world of ????? or ???? where Hashem restricted / constricted / covered himself for us, the Neshama is a part of us that is less restricted / covered etc.