Tanya — Igeret HaKodesh אִגֶּרֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ, Chapter 31

נוֹדָע בַּשְּׁעָרִים מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב בַּתִּיקּוּנִים, דִּ״שְׁכִינְתָּא אִיהִי מַרְעָא בְּגָלוּתָא״ כִּבְיָכוֹל.

THIRTY-ONE. Well known throughout is the statement in the Tikkunim that the “Shechinah is suffering in the exile”—as it were. II:189a-b.

פֵּירוּשׁ, עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, כְּמוֹ חוֹלִי הַגּוּף, הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ וְכוּ׳, שֶׁסִּיבַּת הַחוֹלִי וְהַבְּרִיאוּת הִיא הִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת וְהִילּוּךְ הַחַיּוּת מֵהַלֵּב אֶל כָּל הָאֵבָרִים, הַמְלוּבֶּשֶׁת בְּדַם הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַיּוֹצֵא מֵהַלֵּב אֶל כָּל הָאֵבָרִים, וְסוֹבֵב סוֹבֵב הוֹלֵךְ הָרוּחַ חַיִּים וְהַדָּם תּוֹךְ תּוֹךְ כָּל הָאֵבָרִים וְהַגִּידִים הַמּוּבְלָעִים בָּהֶם, וְחוֹזֵר אֶל הַלֵּב.

Metaphorically speaking, it is like a bodily ailment [“Who makes a distinction between holy…”]. The cause of illness or health lies in the extension and flow of the life-force vested in the blood of life which flows from the heart to all the limbs, and turning round and around goes the spirit of life and the blood into all the limbs, through the veins that are absorbed in them, and returns to the heart.

וְאִם סִיבּוּב וְהִילּוּךְ הָרוּחַ חַיִּים הַלָּז הוּא כְּהִלְכָתוֹ, תְּמִידִי כְּסִדְרוֹ הַמְסוּדָּר לוֹ מֵחַיֵּי הַחַיִּים בָּרוּךְ־הוּא אֲזַי הָאָדָם בָּרִיא בְּתַכְלִית, כִּי כָּל הָאֵבָרִים מְקוּשָּׁרִים יַחַד וּמְקַבְּלִים חַיּוּתָם הָרָאוּי לָהֶם מֵהַלֵּב עַל־יְדֵי סִיבּוּב הַלָּז.

Now, when the circulation and flow of this spirit of life is always as it should be, in its proper order arranged for it by the Fountainhead of life, blessed is He, man is perfectly healthy. For all the limbs are bound together and receive their proper vitality from the heart through this circulation.

אַךְ אִם יֵשׁ אֵיזֶה קִלְקוּל בְּאֵיזֶהוּ מְקוֹמָן, הַמּוֹנֵעַ וּמְעַכֵּב אוֹ מְמַעֵט סִיבּוּב וְהִילּוּךְ הַדָּם עִם הָרוּחַ חַיִּים הַמְלוּבָּשׁ בּוֹ, אֲזַי, נִפְסָק אוֹ מִתְמַעֵט הַקֶּשֶׁר הַלָּז הַמְקַשֵּׁר כָּל הָאֵבָרִים אֶל הַלֵּב עַל־יְדֵי סִיבּוּב הַלָּז, וַאֲזַי – נוֹפֵל הָאָדָם לְמִשְׁכָּב וְחוֹלִי, ה׳ יִשְׁמְרֵנוּ.

But if there is any disorder in any place, restraining, hindering, or reducing the circulation of the blood with the spirit of life vested in it, then this bond [which binds all the limbs to the heart through this circulation] is broken or diminished and man will fall ill and sick, may the L–rd have mercy.

וְכָכָה מַמָּשׁ, עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, הִנֵּה כָּל נִשְׁמוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל נִקְרָאִים בְּחִינַת ״אֵבְרֵי דִשְׁכִינְתָּא״, הַנִּקְרֵאת בְּשֵׁם ״לֵב״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וְצוּר לְבָבִי״, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם״: פֵּירוּשׁ, כִּי לְשׁוֹן שְׁכִינָה״ הוּא, שֶׁאוֹר הַוָיָ׳ שׁוֹכֵן בְּעוֹלָמוֹת בְּרִיאָה־יְצִירָה־עֲשִׂיָּה לְהַחֲיוֹתָם.

Precisely so, metaphorically speaking, all the souls of Israel are regarded as the limbs of the Shechinah III:17a; ibid. 231b (Raaya Mehemna); Tikkunei Zohar 21 (52a). which is called the “heart,” as it is written: “The Rock of my heart,” 5:2 (l); Zohar I:59a (cf. Nitzutzei Orot, ad loc.); Zohar II:128b. See also Tikkunei Zohar 21 (52a). and as it is written: “And I will dwell among them.” That is, the term Shechinah denotes that the light of the L–rd dwells in the worlds Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah in order to vivify them.

וְהַמְשָׁכַת חַיוּת זֶה הִיא עַל־יְדֵי הִתְלַבְּשׁוּת תְּחִלָּה בְּנִשְׁמוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְפִי שֶׁכָּל הַנִּבְרָאִים, אֵין עֲרוֹךְ לָהֶם אֶל הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ, דְּכוֹלָּא קַמֵּיהּ כְּלָא מַמָּשׁ חֲשִׁיבִין, וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לָהֶם לְקַבֵּל חַיוּת מֵאוֹרוֹ וְשִׁפְעוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, לִהְיוֹת נִבְרָאִים מֵאַיִן לְיֵשׁ וְחַיִּים וְקַיָּימִים, כִּי אִם עַל־יְדֵי הַנְּשָׁמוֹת שֶׁעָלוּ בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה, וְקָדְמוּ לִבְרִיאַת עוֹלָמוֹת שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי בְּחִינַת הַדִּבּוּר, כְּמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: ״בְּמִי נִמְלַךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ־הוּא וְכוּ׳״, כַּנּוֹדָע בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר.

The issue of this vivification is by means of a prior investment in the souls of Israel. This is so because none of the creatures are in any approximation to the Creator, blessed be He, for all that are before Him are esteemed as truly naught. I:11b. Thus it is impossible for them to receive vivification from His light and effluence, blessed be He, to become creatures ex nihilo into substantiality, and to be living and subsisting. (This is made possible) only through the souls that rose in His thought 1:4. and preceded the creation of the worlds by the aspect of Speech. 5:1; cf. above, Epistles 5 and 25. Thus our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “With whom did the Holy One, blessed is He, take counsel…,” 8:7; Rut Rabbah 2:3. as was made known elsewhere.

וְנוֹדָע בַּשְּׁעָרִים, כִּי כָּל הַמְשָׁכַת הַחַיּוּת וְהַהַשְׁפָּעָה מֵעֶלְיוֹנִים לְתַחְתּוֹנִים מֵהֶם, הֵן כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּסֵפֶר יְצִירָה: ״נָעוּץ תְּחִלָּתָן בְּסוֹפָן וְסוֹפָן בִּתְחִלָּתָן״, וּבְכִתְבֵי הָאֲרִיזַ״ל מְכוּנֶּה בְּשֵׁם ״אוֹר יָשָׁר״ וְ״אוֹר חוֹזֵר״, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וְהַחַיּוֹת רָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב״.

And it is well known throughout that the whole issuance of vivification, and the effluence from the upper worlds to those lower than them, are as stated in the Sefer Yetzirah: “Their beginning is wedged in their culmination, and their culmination is wedged in their beginning.” Yetzirah 1:7; cf. the commentary attributed to R. Abraham ibn Daud, ad loc.—The primordial souls in the “original thought” of G–d are thus the conduit for the Divine issuance and effluence. In the writings of the Arizal, this is referred to as or yashar (direct light), and or chozer (reflective light), and as it is written: “And the animals advanced and retreated (ratzo veshov).”

אֲשֶׁר עַל כֵּן, עַל פִּי הַדְּבָרִים וְהָאֱמֶת הָאֵלֶּה, אֲשֶׁר אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר הֵיטֵב בְּמִכְתָּב, נִקְרֵאת הַשְּׁכִינָה בְּשֵׁם ״לֵב״, וְהַנְּשָׁמוֹת בְּשֵׁם ״אֵבָרִים״: לְהוֹרוֹת לָנוּ, כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר כָּל הַנְּשָׁמוֹת דְּבוּקוֹת וּמְקוּשָּׁרוֹת יַחַד אֲזַי סִיבּוּב וְהִילּוּךְ הַחַיּוּת וְהַהַשְׁפָּעָה סוֹבֵב סוֹבֵב, וְנָעוּץ סוֹפָן בִּתְחִלָּתָן, לְקַשֵּׁר וּלְחַבֵּר כּוּלָּן לַהַוָיָ׳ אֶחָד וּלְדָבְקָה בּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם כּוּלְּכֶם לִפְנֵי הַוָיָ׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶם״ ״כּוּלְּכֶם״ דַּיְיקָא, וְ״לִפְנֵי״ דַּיְיקָא, ״רָאשֵׁיכֶם כוּ׳ מֵחוֹטֵב עֵצֶיךָ כוּ׳״.

Thus, according to these words and this truth—which it is not possible to explain properly in writing—it follows that the Shechinah is referred to as “heart,” and the souls as “limbs.” This teaches us that when all the souls are attached and bound together, the circulation and flow of the vivification and of the effluence “turns around and around,” and “their culmination is wedged in their beginning” to bind and join them all to “the L–rd (who) is One” to be attached to Him, blessed be He. And thus it is written: “You are standing this day, all of you, before the L–rd your G–d—[stating expressly: “all of you,” and stating expressly: “before”]—your heads…from the hewer of your wood….”

וּבָזֶה יוּבַן מַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה, כִּי חוּרְבַּן בַּיִת שֵׁנִי וּנְפִילַת יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּגָּלוּת וְהִסְתַּלְּקוּת הַשְּׁכִינָה וִירִידָתָהּ לֶאֱדוֹם בִּבְחִינַת גָּלוּת, כִּבְיָכוֹל, הַכֹּל הָיָה בַּעֲוֹן שִׂנְאַת חִנָּם וּפֵירוּד לְבָבוֹת רַחֲמָנָא לִצְּלָן. וְלָכֵן נִקְרֵאת ״חוֹלָה״ עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״סוֹמֵךְ נוֹפְלִים וְרוֹפֵא חוֹלִים״ לְשׁוֹן רַבִּים, הֵם כָּל הָאֵבָרִים וְכוּ׳:

And hereby will be understood the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory, that the destruction of the Second Temple and the Fall of Israel into exile, and the withdrawal of the Shechinah and its descent to Edom, into a fate of exile, as it were; all this was because of the sin of groundless hate and a division of hearts, 9b. the Merciful save us. And that is why (the Shechinah) is referred to as ailing, metaphorically speaking. As for “He raises the fallen, and heals the sick,”. in plural form, these are all the limbs….