Tanya — Igeret HaKodesh אִגֶּרֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ, Chapter 2

אחר ביאתו מפטרבורג

Upon his arrival from Petersburg, tr. J. I. Schochet (Kehot, 1964).

״קָטֹנְתִּי מִכֹּל הַחֲסָדִים וּמִכָּל כוּ׳״. פֵּירוּשׁ, שֶׁבְּכָל חֶסֶד וָחֶסֶד שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא עוֹשֶׂה לְאָדָם צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת שְׁפַל רוּחַ בִּמְאֹד. כִּי חֶסֶד דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא, ״וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי״, שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת קִרְבַת אֱלֹהִים מַמָּשׁ בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת מִלְּפָנִים, וְכָל הַקָּרוֹב אֶל ה׳ בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְהַגְבֵּהַּ לְמַעְלָה מַעְלָה, צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת יוֹתֵר שְׁפַל רוּחַ לְמַטָּה מַטָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב ״מֵרָחוֹק ה׳ נִרְאָה לִי״. וְכַנּוֹדָע, דְּכוּלָּא ״קַמֵּיהּ״ דַּוְוקָא – כְּלָא חָשִׁיב, וְאִם כֵּן, כָּל שֶׁהוּא ״קַמֵּיהּ״ יוֹתֵר – הוּא יוֹתֵר כְּלָא וְאַיִן וָאֶפֶס.

TWO. “I have become small from all the favors and from all….” This means that by every favor (chesed) that G–d bestows upon man, (man) is to become very humble. For “chesed is the right arm,” (cf. Addendum, Mystical Concepts in Chassidism).—Tikkunei Zohar, Introduction 17a. and “His right arm embraces me”—which refers to the state of G–d actually bringing him close (to Himself), far more intensely than before. And whoever is close to G–d, with ever exceeding uplifting and elevation, must be ever more humble—to the lowliest plane,, ed. Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch (Kehot, 1948; 1989), pp. 40 and 149. as it is written: “From afar the L–rd has appeared to me.” And as known, “All that are before Him are esteemed as nothing.” I:11b (emphasis is the author’s). Hence, whoever is more “before Him” is that much more as nothing, naught, and nonexistent.

וְזוֹ הִיא בְּחִינַת יָמִין שֶׁבִּקְדוּשָּׁה וְחֶסֶד לְאַבְרָהָם, שֶׁאָמַר ״אָנֹכִי עָפָר וָאֵפֶר״. וְזוֹ הִיא גַּם כֵּן מִדָּתוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב, וּבָזֹאת הִתְנַצֵּל עַל יִרְאָתוֹ מִפְּנֵי עֵשָׂו, וְלֹא דַי לוֹ בְּהַבְטָחָתוֹ ״וְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי עִמָּךְ כוּ׳״ – מִפְּנֵי הֱיוֹת קָטָן יַעֲקֹב בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד בְּעֵינָיו, מֵחֲמַת רִיבּוּי הַחֲסָדִים ״כִּי בְמַקְלִי כוּ׳״, וְאֵינוֹ רָאוּי וּכְדַאי כְּלָל לְהִנָּצֵל כוּ׳, וּכְמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה ״שֶׁמָּא יִגְרוֹם הַחֵטְא״, שֶׁנִּדְמֶה בְעֵינָיו שֶׁחָטָא.

And this is the rank of the “right side” of holiness and of “chesed to Abraham”; see Sefer Habahir 48 (131); Zohar I:41a, II:51b; Zohar Chadash 27a; et passim.—The “right side,” too, signifies chesed; see Addendum, Mystical Concepts in Chassidism. who said: “And I am dust and ashes.” 89a. This (humility) is also the trait of Jacob, and therewith he justified himself for his fear of Esau and did not rely on the promise given to him—“And, behold, I am with you….” (That is), because Jacob regarded himself as utterly insignificant [because of the multitude of favors, “for with my staff…”], and as unfit and unworthy to be saved…and as the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory, “maybe sin will cause…,” for it appeared to him that he had sinned. 4a.

מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בְּזֶה לְעוּמַּת זֶה, הוּא יִשְׁמָעֵאל – חֶסֶד דִּקְלִיפָּה, כָּל שֶׁהַחֶסֶד גָּדוֹל, הוּא הוֹלֵךְ וְגָדֵל בְּגוֹבַהּ וְגַסּוּת הָרוּחַ וְרוֹחַב לִבּוֹ.

It is different, though, with the corresponding opposite, 9 (11); Zohar I:160a; ibid., III:282a; Tikkunei Zohar 70 (125a); et passim. See also Pardes Rimonim 25:1; Or Hatorah, Nach, vol. 2, p. 1128; below, Epistle 25, note 63. i.e., Ishmael—“chesed of kelipah” in holiness, so Ishmael signifies the attribute of chesed in kelipah; see Zohar III:246b (also ibid., 124a). Cf. Likkutei Torah, Ekev 18a.: the more kindness (manifested to him), the more he grows in pride, haughtiness, and self-satisfaction. 89a and Midrash Tehillim, ed. Buber, 22:20, in the editor’s glosses, note 99.

וְלָזֹאת, בָּאתִי מִן הַמּוֹדִיעִים מוֹדָעָה רַבָּה לִכְלָלוּת אַנְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֵנוּ, עַל רִיבּוּי הַחֲסָדִים אֲשֶׁר הִגְדִּיל ה׳ לַעֲשׂוֹת עִמָּנוּ, לֶאֱחוֹז בְּמִדּוֹתָיו שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב ״שְׁאָר עַמּוֹ״ וּ״שְׁאֵרִית יִשְׂרָאֵל״, שֶׁמֵּשִׂים עַצְמוֹ כְּשִׁירַיִים וּמוֹתָרוֹת מַמָּשׁ שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ שׁוּם צוֹרֶךְ, לְבִלְתִּי רוּם לְבָבָם מֵאֲחֵיהֶם כוּ׳, וְלֹא לְהַרְחִיב עֲלֵיהֶם פֶּה, אוֹ לִשְׁרוֹק עֲלֵיהֶם חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, הַס מִלְּהַזְכִּיר בְּאַזְהָרָה נוֹרָאָה, רַק לְהַשְׁפִּיל רוּחָם וְלִבָּם, בְּמִדַּת אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב, מִפְּנֵי כָּל אָדָם, בִּנְמִיכוּת רוּחַ, וּ״מַעֲנֶה רַךְ מֵשִׁיב חֵימָה״, ״וְרוּחַ נְכֵאָה כוּ׳״, וְכוּלֵּי הַאי וְאוּלַי יִתֵּן ה׳ בְּלֵב אֲחֵיהֶם ״כַּמַּיִם הַפָּנִים וְגוֹ׳״:

Therefore I come with a general announcement to inform all our followers regarding the multitude of favors—“The great things that the L–rd has done with us”: to hold on to the attributes of Jacob, the “remnant of His people” and the “remainder of Israel,” who regards himself truly as remnants and excess that is of no use. Hashanah 17a. They are not to become haughty-minded in relation to their brethren…not to speak defiantly against them or hiss at them, at them; cf. The Arrest and Liberation, p. 65. Heaven forfend. A strict warning: hold your peace! No mention is to be made! Rather, they are to subdue their spirit and heart before everyone 4:10. according to the attribute of “Truth (emet) to Jacob,” (which corresponds to tiferet); see Sefer Habahir 49 (137); Zohar II:267a; Tikkunei Zohar, Introduction 4b; Zohar Chadash 26c. Cf. Bereishit Rabbah 78:14; and see below, Epistle 6. with humility and a “Soft answer that turns away anger,” and with a restrained spirit…. And,, 10 Menachem Av. maybe, through all that G–d will put into the heart of their brethren that “As waters (reflect) the face….”