Tanya — Likutei Amarim לִקּוּטֵי אֲמָרִים, Chapter 45

עוֹד יֵשׁ דֶּרֶךְ יָשָׁר לִפְנֵי אִישׁ, לַעֲסוֹק בַּתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת לִשְׁמָן, עַל יְדֵי מִדָּתוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, שֶׁהִיא מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים, לְעוֹרֵר בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ תְּחִלָּה רַחֲמִים רַבִּים לִפְנֵי ה׳ עַל נִיצוֹץ אֱלֹהוּת הַמְחַיֶּה נַפְשׁוֹ, אֲשֶׁר יָרַד מִמְּקוֹרוֹ – חַיֵּי הַחַיִּים אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, הַמְמַלֵּא כָּל עָלְמִין, וְסוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין, וְכוּלָּא קַמֵּיהּ כְּלָא חֲשִׁיב, וְנִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּ״מַשְׁכָּא דְחִוְיָא״, הָרָחוֹק מֵאוֹר פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּתַכְלִית הַהֶרְחֵק – כִּי הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הוּא תַּכְלִית הַקְּלִיפּוֹת הַגַּסּוֹת כוּ׳.

There is yet another direct road open to man, namely, to occupy himself with the Torah and commandments for their own sake through the attribute of our Patriarch Jacob, peace unto him, this being the attribute of mercy., Shaar 23, ch. 10. It is first to arouse in his mind great compassion before G–d for the Divine spark which animates his soul that has descended from its Source, the Life of life, the En Sof, blessed is He, Who pervades all worlds and transcends all worlds and in comparison with Whom everything is accounted as nothing. Yet it [this spark] has been clothed in a “serpent’s skin” which is far removed from the light of the King’s Countenance, at the greatest possible distance, since this world is the nadir of the coarse kelipot….

וּבִפְרָט, כְּשֶׁיִּזְכּוֹר עַל כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו וְדִבּוּרָיו וּמַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו מִיּוֹם הֱיוֹתוֹ, אֲשֶׁר לֹא טוֹבִים הֵמָּה, וּ״מֶלֶךְ אָסוּר בָּרְהָטִים״ – ״בִּרְהִיטֵי מוֹחָא״, כִּי ״יַעֲקֹב חֶבֶל נַחֲלָתוֹ״. וְכִמְשַׁל הַמּוֹשֵׁךְ בְּחֶבֶל וְכוּ׳, וְהוּא סוֹד גָּלוּת הַשְּׁכִינָה. וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר: ״וְיָשׁוֹב אֶל ה׳ וִירַחֲמֵהוּ״, לְעוֹרֵר רַחֲמִים רַבִּים עַל שֵׁם ה׳ הַשּׁוֹכֵן אִתָּנוּ, כְּדִכְתִיב: ״הַשּׁוֹכֵן אִתָּם בְּתוֹךְ טוּמְאֹתָם״.

And especially when he will recall all his actions and utterances and thoughts since the day he came into being, unworthy as they were, causing the King to be “fettered by the tresses”—“by the impetuous thoughts of the brain,” 6. Another meaning of רהטים is “gutters” (comp. Genesis 30:38). Thus מלך אסור ברהטים could be rendered “The King bound in the gutters.” Cf. Vayikra Rabbah 31:4. for “Jacob is the cord of his inheritance,” as in the illustration of one pulling a rope, and so forth., ch.5. This is the esoteric doctrine of the “exile of the Shechinah.”

וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: ״וַיִּשַּׁק יַעֲקֹב לְרָחֵל, וַיִּשָּׂא אֶת קוֹלוֹ וַיֵּבְךְּ״. כִּי רָחֵל הִיא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, מְקוֹר כָּל הַנְּשָׁמוֹת. וְיַעֲקֹב בְּמִדָּתוֹ הָעֶלְיוֹנָה, שֶׁהִיא מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים שֶׁבַּאֲצִילוּת, הוּא הַמְּעוֹרֵר רַחֲמִים רַבִּים עָלֶיהָ. וַיִּשָּׂא אֶת קוֹלוֹ – לְמַעְלָה, לִמְקוֹר הָרַחֲמִים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים, הַנִּקְרָא ״אַב הָרַחֲמִים״ וּמְקוֹרָם. וַיֵּבְךְּ – לְעוֹרֵר וּלְהַמְשִׁיךְ מִשָּׁם רַחֲמִים רַבִּים עַל כָּל הַנְּשָׁמוֹת וְעַל מְקוֹר כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְהַעֲלוֹתָן מִגָּלוּתָן, וּלְיַיחֲדָן בַּיִּחוּד הָעֶלְיוֹן אוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, בִּבְחִינַת נְשִׁיקִין, שֶׁהִיא – אִתְדַּבְּקוּת רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״יִשָּׁקֵנִי מִנְּשִׁיקוֹת פִּיהוּ״, דְּהַיְינוּ, הִתְקַשְּׁרוּת דִּבּוּר הָאָדָם בִּ״דְבַר ה׳ זוֹ הֲלָכָה״, וְכֵן מַחֲשָׁבָה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה, וּמַעֲשֶׂה בְּמַעֲשֶׂה, שֶׁהוּא מַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְוֹת, וּבִפְרָט מַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה וָחֶסֶד. דְּ״חֶסֶד דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא״, וְהוּא בְּחִינַת חִיבּוּק מַמָּשׁ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי״. וְעֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה בְּדִבּוּר וּמַחֲשֶׁבֶת הָעִיּוּן – הֵן בְּחִינַת נְשִׁיקִין מַמָּשׁ.

This is the meaning of the verse, “And Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept.” For “Rachel” represents Knesset Israel, 71, 3; 82, 11. the community of Israel, the fount of all souls, and “Jacob”—with his supernal attribute, the attribute of Mercy in Atzilut—is the one who arouses great compassion for her. “And he lifted up his voice”—upward to the fount of the Higher Mercies, called the “Father of Mercies,” and their source; “and he wept”—to awaken and draw from there abundant compassion upon all the souls and upon the fount of the community of Israel, to raise them from their exile and to unite them in the yichud elyon (higher unity) of the light of the En Sof, blessed is He, on the level of kisses,” which is “The attachment of spirit with spirit,” as is written, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth,” which means the union of the word of man with the word of G–d, namely, the halachah. 138b. So, too, are coupled thought with thought, act with act, the latter referring to the active observance of commandments and, in particular, the act of charity and loving-kindness. For “chesed (kindness) is the [Divine] right arm,”, Introduction 17a. and this is, as it were, an actual “embrace,” as it is written, “And his right arm embraces me,” while the occupation in the Torah by word of mouth and concentrated thought constitute, as it were, actual “kisses.” Concerning this it is written, “And let him return to the L–rd, and have mercy upon Him,” arousing great compassion toward G–d Who dwells among us, as is written, “Who dwells among them in the midst of their uncleanness.”

וְהִנֵּה, עַל יְדֵי זֶה, יָכוֹל לָבוֹא לִבְחִינַת ״אַהֲבָה רַבָּה״ בְּהִתְגַּלּוּת לִבּוֹ, כְּדִכְתִיב: ״לְיַעֲקֹב אֲשֶׁר פָּדָה אֶת אַבְרָהָם״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר:

In this way, a person is able to attain the distinction of ahavah rabbah (“great love”) in the consciousness of his heart, as is written, “To [the house of] Jacob who redeemed Abraham,” as has been explained elsewhere. 51a-b.