Tanya — Igeret HaKodesh אִגֶּרֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ, Chapter 3

וַיִּלְבַּשׁ צְדָקָה כַּשִּׁרְיוֹן, וְכוֹבַע יְשׁוּעָה בְּרֹאשׁוֹ. וְדָרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: ״מַה שִּׁרְיוֹן זֶה כָּל קְלִיפָּה וּקְלִיפָּה מִצְטָרֶפֶת לְשִׁרְיוֹן גָּדוֹל, אַף צְדָקָה כָּל פְּרוּטָה וּפְרוּטָה מִצְטָרֶפֶת לְחֶשְׁבּוֹן גָּדוֹל״. פֵּירוּשׁ, שֶׁהַשִּׁרְיוֹן עָשׂוּי קַשְׂקַשִּׂים עַל נְקָבִים, וְהֵם מְגִינִּים שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנֵס חֵץ בַּנְּקָבִים, וְכָכָה הוּא מַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה:

THREE. “And he garbed himself with tzedakah has two interrelated meanings: a) righteousness and b) charity (cf. Moreh Nevuchim 3:53). Though these two meanings are strictly interrelated, the emphasis in these writings is chiefly on the latter. As a Scriptural term it is, therefore, left untranslated (in this and subsequent sections) to avoid confusion. as a coat of mail, and a helmet of salvation upon his head.” (On this verse) our Sages, of blessed memory, commented: “Just as with chain mail each scale adds up to form a large mail, so it is with charity; each coin adds up to a great amount.” 9b. This means, just as the mail is made of scales over gaps, and these shield against any arrow entering through the gaps, so it is with the act of charity.

וּבֵיאוּר הָעִנְיָן, כִּי גְדוֹלָה צְדָקָה מִכָּל הַמִּצְוֹת, שֶׁמֵּהֶן נַעֲשִׂים לְבוּשִׁים לְהַנְּשָׁמָה, הַנִּמְשָׁכִים מֵאוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מִבְּחִינַת ״סוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין״ (כִּמְּבוֹאָר הַפֵּירוּשׁ ״מְמַלֵּא כָּל עָלְמִין״ וְ״סוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין״ בְּלִקּוּטֵי אֲמָרִים, עַיֵּין שָׁם) בְּאִתְעָרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא, הִיא מִצְוַת ה׳ וְרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן בָּרוּךְ־הוּא. וְעִיקַּר הַמְשָׁכָה זוֹ מֵאוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, הוּא לְבוּשׁ וְ״אוֹר מַקִּיף״ לְי׳ סְפִירוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת־בְּרִיאָה־יְצִירָה־עֲשִׂיָּה, הַמִּשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוֹת מֵעִילָּה לְעִילָּה וּמִמַּדְרֵגָה לְמַדְרֵגָה כוּ׳, הַנִּקְרָאוֹת בְּשֵׁם ״מְמַלֵּא כָּל עָלְמִין״.

The meaning of this is (as follows). Charity is greater than all the commandments. 9a; Tosefta, Peah, end of ch. 4. See Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 37. (The performance of the commandments) produces “garments” for the soul. is the soul’s delighting in the splendor of the Shechinah. In the World to Come the soul will actually apprehend, in a manifest way, the very essence of the Divine vivification, thus Divinity Itself, as it were. The problem is that the soul is finite. Though its source is in Divinity, as it evolves and descends to become vested in the body, the soul becomes a created and distinct, thus finite entity. How then can this created entity apprehend creative Divinity, which is infinite and essentially inapprehensible? The mediating factor, which enables the soul to apprehend Divinity, is Torah and mitzvot. Torah and mitzvot are essentially Divine; their source is in the Supernal Will and the Divine chochmah which are not separate from, but absolutely one with, the G–dhead. Torah and mitzvot thus transcend even the level of the “splendor of the Shechinah.” When man performs the mitzvot as they are vested in physical objects (e.g., tefillin of leather; tzitzit of wool; tzedakah with money; etc.), he unites his soul with the mitzvot he performs. His soul is vested in the mitzvot; the mitzvot become garments for his soul. (Cf. Bereishit Rabbah 19:6) These garments serve like channels, or kelim (vessels), by means of which the soul, when in Eden, is able to apprehend Divinity, i.e., the splendor of the Shechinah. “The principle of this matter is: just as the soul is given a garment in which it vests itself (i.e., the body) in order to exist in this world, so it is given also a garment of supernal splendor wherewith to exist in the World to Come and to be able to gaze in the radiant speculum from that Land of Life.” Zohar I:65b ff. See below, Epistle 29; cf. Etz Chaim 44:3; Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 4; Torah Or, Chayei Sara 16a ff.; Likkutei Torah, Shelach 38d; below, Epistle 23. (These garments) are elicited from the light of the En Sof, blessed is He, from the level of sovev kol almin) all worlds; denoting the transcendence of G–d. (as the meaning of memalei kol almin and sovev kol almin has been explained in Likkutei Amarim, see there), by the “arousal from below,” i.e., the (performance of the) command of G–d and the will of Supreme One, blessed is He. The essence of this efflux from the light of the En Sof, blessed is He, is a garment and encompassing light (or makif) for the ten sefirot of Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah [which evolve from cause to cause and from rung to rung…] referred to as memalei kol almin.

פֵּירוּשׁ, כִּי אוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מִתְלַבֵּשׁ וּמֵאִיר בְּתוֹךְ כָּל הִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת הָעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת־בְּרִיאָה־יְצִירָה־עֲשִׂיָּה, וְהוּא הַמַּאֲצִיל הָעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת, הַמִּשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוֹת לִבְרִיאָה־יְצִירָה־עֲשִׂיָּה, עַל־יְדֵי צִמְצוּם עָצוּם הַמְבוֹאָר בְּעֵץ חַיִּים, וְנִקְרָא ״אוֹר פְּנִימִי״.

This means that the light of the En Sof, blessed is He, vests itself and radiates within the whole evolution of the ten sefirot of Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, and it emanates the ten sefirot of Atzilut, which evolve into Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, by means of an immense contraction (tzimtzum) [explained in Etz Chaim 1:2 ff. et passim. See Addendum, Mystical Concepts in Chassidism, s.v. Tzimtzum.], and is referred to as the inner light (or pnimi). (inner light). As the soul animates the body, permeating and vitalizing all its organs, precisely so is the or pnimi the soul that permeates and vitalizes creation on all its levels. However, just as the soul is but a dimmed manifestation of actual Divinity (see below, Epistle 5, note 33), precisely so it is with the or pnimi. The or pnimi is but a dimmed manifestation, or radiation, of the actual light of the En Sof. The source of the or pnimi is the or makif (encompassing light). The or makif (also called or sovev) is the all-inclusive light which not only permeates (in concealed fashion, by way of tzimtzum), but also encompasses or transcends creation. (Cf. Addendum, ibid.) The or pnimi denotes the Divine immanence: G–d as revealed or manifest in creation. The or makif denotes the Divine transcendence: the supra-revelatory aspect of G–d. Both these aspects are succinctly adduced in the Midrashic saying: “The L–rd is the place of His world, but His world is not His place!” (Bereishit Rabbah 68:9; Zohar III:242a) In terms of the sefirot the or makif corresponds to keter, the supreme, transcendent sefirah; the or pnimi corresponds to chochmah, the basic sefirah which embodies keter and is the immanent foundation of all subsequent emanations. See ref. cited above, Epistle 1, note 13; below, Epistle 17; Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 22c.

וְעַל־יְדֵי קִיּוּם הַמִּצְוֹת נִמְשָׁךְ ״אוֹר מַקִּיף״ הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, וּמֵאִיר תּוֹךְ הָעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת־בְּרִיאָה־יְצִירָה־עֲשִׂיָּה, וּמִתְיַיחֵד עִם הָ״אוֹר פְּנִימִי״, וְנִקְרָא ״יִחוּד קוּדְשָׁא־בְּרִיךְ־הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, וּמֵהֶאָרָה דְהֶאָרָה מֵ״אוֹר מַקִּיף״ הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, עַל־יְדֵי צִמְצוּם רַב, נַעֲשֶׂה לְבוּשׁ לִבְחִינוֹת נֶפֶשׁ־רוּחַ־נְשָׁמָה שֶׁל הָאָדָם בְּגַן עֵדֶן הַתַּחְתּוֹן וְהָעֶלְיוֹן, שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לֵיהָנוֹת וּלְהַשִּׂיג אֵיזֶה הַשָּׂגָה וְהֶאָרָה מֵאוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּבוֹאָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר.

Now, by the fulfillment of the commandments the abovementioned or makif is elicited and radiates within the ten sefirot of Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, thereby uniting itself with the or pnimi. This is referred to as the unification of the Holy One, blessed is He, and His Shechinah, as explained elsewhere., Part I, ch. 41. This “unification” establishes the essential oneness between the ranks of G–d the Transcendent and the Shechinah (G–d as He manifests Himself and is immanent in His creatures), so that there is complete unity above and below. And from a reflection of a reflection from the abovementioned or makif [by means of a great contraction], a garment is made in the Lower and Higher Garden of Eden for the nefesh-ruach-neshamah of man, enabling them to derive pleasure and attain some apprehension and illumination from the light of the En Sof, blessed is He, as explained elsewhere.

וְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה ״שְׂכַר מִצְוָה בְּהַאי עָלְמָא לֵיכָּא״, כִּי בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַגַּשְׁמִי וּבַעַל גְּבוּל וְצִמְצוּם רַב וְעָצוּם מְאֹד מְאֹד, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ שׁוּם הֶאָרָה מֵאוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, כִּי אִם עַל־יְדֵי י׳ סְפִירוֹת, הַנִּקְרָאִים ״גּוּפָא״ בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ: חֶסֶד דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא כוּ׳.

And this is what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “In this world, there is no reward for the commandments.” 39b. For in this world, which is physical and in a state of limitation and a great and most immense contraction, it is impossible that any reflection of the light of the En Sof, blessed is He, should become invested, except by means of the ten sefirot, which, in the sacred Zohar, II:123a; Tikkunei Zohar, Introduction 17a. (See Addendum, Mystical Concepts in Chassidism). are referred to as the “body”: “Chesed is the right arm….”

לְפִי, שֶׁכְּמוֹ שֶׁאֵין עֲרוֹךְ לוֹ לְהַגּוּף הַגַּשְׁמִי לְגַבֵּי הַנְּשָׁמָה, כָּךְ אֵין עֲרוֹךְ כְּלָל לְי׳ סְפִירוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת לְגַבֵּי הַמַּאֲצִיל הָעֶלְיוֹן אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, כִּי אֲפִילוּ חָכְמָה עִילָּאָה, שֶׁהִיא רֵאשִׁיתָן, הִיא בִּבְחִינַת עֲשִׂיָּה גוּפָנִית לְגַבֵּי אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּלִקּוּטֵי אֲמָרִים.

For just as there is no comparison between the physical body and the soul, so is there no comparison whatsoever between the ten sefirot of Atzilut and the Supreme Emanator, the En Sof, blessed is He. For in relation to the En Sof, blessed is He, even the supreme chochmah,. which is the first (of the sefirot), is on the plane of a material action, as explained in Likkutei Amarim.

וְאֵי לָזֹאת, בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, שֶׁ״אָדָם אוֹכֵל מִפֵּירוֹתֵיהֶן בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה״, יֵשׁ נְקָבִים, עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, בַּלְּבוּשׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן הַמַּקִּיף עַל ״גּוּפָא״, הֵם הַכֵּלִים דְּי׳ סְפִירוֹת, לְהָאִיר מֵהֶם וּלְהַשְׁפִּיעַ אוֹר וְשֶׁפַע מֵ״חֶסֶד דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא״ אוֹרֶךְ יָמִים בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַגַּשְׁמִי, וְעוֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד מִ״דְּרוֹעָא שְׂמָאלָא״, וְכֵן בְּתִפְאֶרֶת, וְהוֹד וְהָדָר וְחֶדְוָה וְכוּ׳;

Therefore, by the act of charity and the performance of kindness [the fruits of which man enjoys in this world 1:1.] there appear, metaphorically speaking, gaps in the supernal garment that encompasses the Body—[the kelim (vessels) of the ten sefirot]—through which to irradiate and to diffuse light and abundance: from “chesed, the right arm” of chesed.—longevity in this physical world; and from “the left arm” of gevurah.—wealth and honor; and likewise with beauty, emanates from the sefirah of tiferet. grandeur and majesty, and gladness. and hadar, and chedvah. Hod and hadar correspond to the sefirot of netzach and hod (see Zohar II:98a and Hagahot R. Chaim Vital, ad loc.—in the light of Zohar I:262a); grandeur and majesty thus emanate from the fourth and fifth attributes. Chedvah corresponds to the sefirah of yesod (see Zohar I:206b and III:5a); gladness thus emanates from the sixth attribute.—Cf. the interpretation of this verse in R. Chaim Vital, Shaar Hakavanot, s.v. Derush Inyan Tefillat Hashachar (ed. Tel Aviv, 1962, vol. 1, 107a).

אַךְ כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִנְקוּ הַחִיצוֹנִים לְמַעְלָה מֵאוֹר וְשֶׁפַע הַמִּשְׁתַּלְשֵׁל וְיוֹרֵד לְמַטָּה מַּטָּה עַד עוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַגַּשְׁמִי, וְכֵן לְמַטָּה לְהָגֵין עַל הָאָדָם וּלְשָׁמְרוֹ וּלְהַצִּילוֹ מִכָּל דָּבָר רַע בְּגַשְׁמִיּוּת וּבְרוּחֲנִיּוּת, לָזֹאת, חוֹזֵר וּמֵאִיר אוֹר הַמַּקִּיף וְסוֹתֵם הַנֶּקֶב, עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, כִּי הוּא מִבְּחִינַת אֵין־סוֹף וְסוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: ״מִצְטָרֶפֶת לְחֶשְׁבּוֹן גָּדוֹל״ דַּיְיקָא, ״כִּי גָדוֹל ה׳ וּמְהוּלָּל מְאֹד״, בְּלִי סוֹף וְתַכְלִית וּגְבוּל [חַס וְשָׁלוֹם]:

But to prevent the chitzonim from drawing, above, from the light and abundance which evolves and descends netherward to this physical world, and likewise, below, to shield man, and to guard him and to save him from all physical and spiritual harm, the or makif reflects the light, and, figuratively speaking, fills the breach, for it is of the category of Infinitude and sovev kol almin, as mentioned above. And this is what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “adds up to a great amount,” for “Great is the L–rd and exceedingly glorified”, in reward for the performance of kindness, stems from the infinite Greatness (chesed) of G–d.—without end, limit, and restriction [Heaven Forfend].

אַךְ מִי הוּא הַגּוֹרֵם לִירִידַת הָאוֹר וְהַשֶּׁפַע לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַגַּשְׁמִי מִי׳ סְפִירוֹת הַנִּקְרָאִים ״גּוּפָא״, הוּא הַיִּחוּד הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, שֶׁהִיא תּוֹסֶפֶת הֶאָרָה וְהַשְׁפָּעָה מִבְּחִינַת אוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף הַמַּאֲצִיל הָעֶלְיוֹן בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת עַל הַהֶאָרָה וְהַהַשְׁפָּעָה שֶׁבִּתְחִילַּת הָאֲצִילוּת וְהַהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת וְכוּ׳. וְרֵאשִׁית תּוֹסֶפֶת הַהֶאָרָה וְהַהַשְׁפָּעָה, הִיא לְרֵאשִׁית הַי׳ סְפִירוֹת.

But what causes the descent to this physical world of the light and abundance from the ten sefirot [which are referred to as the “body”]? It is the abovementioned union, for it is an additional radiation and effluence from the level of the light of the En Sof, the Supreme Emanator, blessed is He, in a measure exceeding the radiation and effluence at the beginning of the emanation and evolution…. And the additional radiation and effluence starts at the beginning of the ten sefirot.

וְזֶה הוּא ״וְכוֹבַע יְשׁוּעָה בְּרֹאשׁוֹ״ – ״יְשׁוּעָה״ הוּא מִלְּשׁוֹן ״וַיִּשַׁע ה׳ אֶל הֶבֶל וְאֶל מִנְחָתוֹ״, וְהוּא יְרִידַת הָאוֹר וְהַשֶּׁפַע דְּש״ע נְהוֹרִין שֶׁבַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״יָאֵר ה׳ פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ״, ״יָאֵר פָּנָיו אִתָּנוּ סֶלָה״ – ״אִתָּנוּ״ הוּא עַל־יְדֵי מַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה.

That is the meaning of “And a helmet of salvation upon his head”: yeshu’ah is of the etymon of vayisha—“And the L–rd turned to Abel and his gift,” which refers to the descent of the light and abundance of the “three hundred and seventy lights” mentioned in the sacred Zohar, I:4b; III:133b; cf. Etz Chaim 13:14.—370 is the numerical equivalent (gematria) of ש”ע, the root letters of yeshu’ah and vayisha. and as it is written: “May the L–rd make His Countenance shine upon you”; “May He make His Countenance shine upon us forever”—with us,, Tavo 43d. that is, through the act of charity.

וְזֶה הוּא ״זוֹרֵעַ צְדָקוֹת מַצְמִיחַ יְשׁוּעוֹת״. וְכָכָה יָאֵר ה׳ פָּנָיו אֲלֵיהֶם, ״צִדְקָתָם עוֹמֶדֶת לָעַד״, וְקַרְנָם תָּרוּם בִּישׁוּעַת ״מַצְמִיחַ קֶרֶן יְשׁוּעָה״, ״צֶמַח צְדָקָה״ מֵהַ״כּוֹבַע יְשׁוּעָה״ הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, כְּנֶפֶשׁ תִּדְרְשֶׁנּוּ:

And this is the meaning of “He sows tzedakot (charities), causes yeshu’ot to sprout forth.” So may the L–rd make His Face radiate toward them, “their tzedakah will endure forever”; and may their glory be exalted by the yeshu’ah of “He who causes the power of yeshu’ah to flourish,”. the sprout of tzedakah from the “helmet of yeshu’ah”—mentioned above, as is the wish (of he) who seeks it.