Tanya/ Iggeres Ha’Kodesh – The Holy Epistle, Epistle 5, Class 9

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That is why [people who are mainly occupied with such mitzvot] are called⁶⁸ “the supporters of [the] Torah [itself],” and not only of those who study the Torah, for by their activities, they draw down the light of the Torah from its root and source so that it will illuminate this physical world below.

וְלָכֵן נִקְרְאוּ “תָּמְכֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא”,

These [people] represent the levels of netzach and hod, which are analogous to⁶⁹ “the two thighs” which enable a man to stand upon the ground; the function of the sefirot of netzach and hod is similar,

וְהֵן בְּחִינוֹת וּמַדְרֵגוֹת נֶצַח וְהוֹד,

because they cause the light of the Torah to issue downward to the World of Asiyah.

לִהְיוֹתָן מַמְשִׁיכִין אוֹר הַתּוֹרָה לְמַטָּה לְעוֹלַם הָעֲשִׂיָּה.

Now it is clear⁷⁰ why charity is referred to as an “act,”

וּבָזֶה יוּבַן לָמָּה נִקְרָא הַצְּדָקָה בְּשֵׁם “מַעֲשֶׂה”,

as in the verse, “And the act of charity will be peace,”⁷¹

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: “וְהָיָה מַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה שָׁלוֹם”,

for the effect of charity is to elicit the light of G‑d down to the World of Asiyah.

עַל שֵׁם שֶׁפְּעוּלָּתָהּ לְהַמְשִׁיךְ אוֹר ה’ לְעוֹלַם הָעֲשִׂיָּה.

This is the meaning of the subtle phraseology of the holy Zohar: “He who makes the Holy Name,” expressly saying “who makes,”

וְזֶהוּ דִּקְדּוּק לְשׁוֹן זוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ: “מַאן דְּעָבִיד שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא” – “דְּעָבִיד” דַּיְיקָא,

for by an arousal from below, through charity and mortal chesed, one arouses the supernal chesed—

כִּי בְּאִתְעָרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא בִּצְדָקָה וָחֶסֶד תַּתָּאָה מְעוֹרֵר חֶסֶד עֶלְיוֹן,

to elicit the [infinite] Ein Sof-light from supernal chochmah, the yud of the Divine Name,

לְהַמְשִׁיךְ אוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף מִבְּחִינַת חָכְמָה עִילָּאָה יוּ”ד שֶׁל שֵׁם,

to the hey of the Name, to the “speech” and “breath” of G‑d’s blessed mouth,

לְה’ שֶׁל שֵׁם, בְּחִינַת הַדִּבּוּר וְרוּחַ פִּיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ,

in order to draw down [Divine light] to the World of Asiyah.

כְּדֵי לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לְעוֹלַם הָעֲשִׂיָּה.

And, analogously speaking, though infinitely incomparable: a human being speaks only to others

וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, לְהַבְדִּיל הַבְדָּלוֹת אֵין קֵץ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָדָם אֵינוֹ מְדַבֵּר אֶלָּא לַאֲחֵרִים

(⁷²and not when he is alone),

(וְלֹא כְּשֶׁהוּא בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין עַצְמוֹ),

and then when speaking to them, he contracts his intellect and thought.

וְאָז מְצַמְצֵם שִׂכְלוֹ וּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ בְּדִבּוּרוֹ אֲלֵיהֶם.

The intelligent will understand.

וְהַמַּשְׂכִּילִים יָבִינוּ:

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FOOTNOTES

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68. Zohar I, 8a, paraphrasing Proverbs 3:18. See also Zohar III, 53b; Vayikra Rabbah 25:1; Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 251:9; et al.

69. Tikkunei Zohar, loc. cit.

70. Note by the Rebbe: “Though this comment would appear to be less appropriate here than in Epistle 12, its inclusion here may be appreciated in the light of a statement by the Ramaz (Nitzutzei Orot, in Zohar III, loc. cit.).”

71. Isaiah 32:17, expounded at length in Epistle 12, below.

72. Parentheses are in the original text.