Tanya/ Iggeres Ha’Kodesh – The Holy Epistle, Epistle 6, Class 4

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Now, there is surely no comparison between the first ones, the lower levels of love and fear, which are the products of the created intellect,

וְהִנֵּה, וַדַּאי אֵין עֲרוֹךְ כְּלָל בֵּין הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת שֶׁהֵן תּוֹלְדוֹת הַשֵּׂכֶל הַנִּבְרָא,

and the latter ones, which are [a gift] from the Creator, blessed be His Name.

לְגַבֵּי הָאַחֲרוֹנוֹת שֶׁהֵן מֵהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ שְׁמוֹ,

Just as there can be absolutely no comparison between Creator and created, so can there be no comparison between the love and fear generated by each of these two levels.

That is why it is these [latter degrees of love and fear] that are referred to as “truth,”

וְלָכֵן הֵן הֵן הַנִּקְרָאוֹת בְּשֵׁם “אֱמֶת”,

for “the seal of the Holy One, blessed be He, is truth,”²⁰

כִּי “חוֹתָמוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא אֱמֶת”,

for He is the true Truth, and in relation to Him, all truth among created beings is considered as nothing.

שֶׁהוּא אֱמֶת הָאֲמִיתִּי, וְכָל הָאֱמֶת שֶׁבַּנִּבְרָאִים – כְּלָא חֲשִׁיבֵי קַמֵּיהּ.

Since G‑d is absolute truth, the love and fear that emanate from Him are deemed “truth” as well.

But which is the way whereby a man can merit [the loftier love and fear that are termed] “the truth of G‑d”?

אַךְ אֵיזֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה הָאָדָם לֶ”אֱמֶת ה’”,

It is by arousing great compassion in G‑d’s eyes for the spark in his soul.

הִנֵּה, הוּא עַל יְדֵי שֶׁיְּעוֹרֵר רַחֲמִים רַבִּים לִפְנֵי ה’ עַל הַנִּיצוֹץ שֶׁבְּנַפְשׁוֹ,

This [attribute of compassion] is the attribute of Jacob, who “bolts from one end through to the other,”²¹

שֶׁהִיא מִדָּתוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב, “מַבְרִיחַ מֵהַקָּצֶה אֶל הַקָּצֶה”,

that is, from the uppermost of all levels to the nethermost,

דְּהַיְינוּ מֵרוּם הַמַּעֲלוֹת עַד לְמַטָּה מַטָּה,

causing the “truth of G‑d” to flow to this lowly, dark world,

לְהַמְשִׁיךְ “אֱמֶת ה’” לָעוֹלָם הַשָּׁפָל הַזֶּה הֶחָשׁוּךְ,

as it is written, “When I sit in darkness, G‑d is a light unto me.”²²

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: “כִּי אֵשֵׁב בַּחֹשֶׁךְ ה’ אוֹר לִי”.

And this is the meaning of the phrase, “For His kindness has prevailed over us….”²³

וְזֶהוּ “כִּי גָבַר עָלֵינוּ חַסְדּוֹ כוּ’”.

I.e., G‑d’s kindness has prevailed over the darkness of this world, illuminating even that aspect of a man’s soul that is clothed within his body.

In answer to the question asked above, then, it is now clear that the way by which one can arrive at “G‑d’s truth” is by the arousal of Divine compassion.

However, [this] arousal of G‑d’s great compassion also needs to be done in truth,

אַךְ הִתְעוֹרְרוּת רַחֲמִים רַבִּים לִפְנֵי ה’ צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת גַּם כֵּן בֶּאֱמֶת,

but even when it is true in mortal terms, how—by means of relative truth—can one arouse supernal compassion from the truth of G‑d?

וְגַם כְּשֶׁהוּא בֶּאֱמֶת שֶׁלּוֹ אֵיךְ יוּכַל עַל־יְדֵי אֱמֶת שֶׁלּוֹ לְעוֹרֵר רַחֲמִים עֶלְיוֹנִים מֵ”אֱמֶת ה’”?

The solution recommended for this is to practice the attribute of charity,

אַךְ הָעֵצָה לָזֶה הִיא – מִדַּת הַצְּדָקָה,

which is the attribute of compassion for he who has nothing of his own,

שֶׁהִיא מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים עַל מַאן דְּלֵית לֵיהּ מִגַּרְמֵיהּ

to “revive the spirit of the lowly….”²⁴

לְהַחֲיוֹת רוּחַ שְׁפָלִים כוּ’,

And the arousal from below elicits an arousal from Above: G‑d “rouses those who sleep and awakens those who slumber”²⁵;

וּבְאִתְעָרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא – אִתְעָרוּתָא דִלְעֵילָּא, ה’ מְעוֹרֵר יְשֵׁנִים וּמֵקִיץ נִרְדָּמִים,

[i.e., He rouses His] great compassion and the supernal attributes of kindness which are concealed,

הֵם בְּחִינַת רַחֲמִים רַבִּים וַחֲסָדִים עֶלְיוֹנִים הַנֶּעְלָמִים,

As with a sleeping person’s dormant soul-powers, “sleep” and (more deeply) “slumber” here signify two degrees of dormancy in the essentially concealed states of Divine compassion and kindness.

so that they emerge from concealment into manifestation and into a great illumination,

לָצֵאת מֵהַהֶעְלֵם אֶל הַגִּילּוּי וְהֶאָרָה רַבָּה,

so that [a man is] “illuminated with the light of life”²⁶—with the “truth of G‑d unto the world.”²⁷

“לֵאוֹר בְּאוֹר הַחַיִּים”, “אֱמֶת ה’ לְעוֹלָם”.

This, then, is the meaning of the idiom of “sowing” related to charity, as in the verse with which this epistle opened, “He who sows charity…,” or as in the verse, “Sow for yourselves for charity…,”²⁸

(וזה) [וְזֶהוּ] לְשׁוֹן זְרִיעָה הַנֶּאֱמַר בִּצְדָקָה,

one [thereby] causes the supernal truth, the truth of G‑d, to sprout, just as a plant that sprouts reveals that which was previously sown.

לְהַצְמִיחַ אֱמֶת הָעֶלְיוֹן, “אֱמֶת ה’”.

[This is achieved] especially through acts of charity and true kindness that are done for the benefit of the Holy Land (May it be built and established speedily in our days, Amen!),

וּבִפְרָט, בִּצְדָקָה וָחֶסֶד שֶׁל אֱמֶת שֶׁעוֹשִׂים עִם אֶרֶץ הַקֹּדֶשׁ תִּבָּנֶה וְתִכּוֹנֵן בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ אָמֵן,

thereby realizing the verse, “Truth shall sprout forth from the land,”²⁹ where ‘land’ alludes both to the Land of Israel here below and to the sefirah of malchut Above,

לְקַיֵּים מַה שֶׁכָּתוּב: “אֱמֶת מֵאֶרֶץ תִּצְמָח”,

by sowing charity in it.

עַל־יְדֵי זְרִיעַת הַצְּדָקָה בָּהּ,

And the kindness and great compassion that are gathered into it and gleaned in it,

וְחֶסֶד וְרַחֲמִים רַבִּים הַנֶּאֱסָפִים וְנִלְקָטִים לְתוֹכָהּ,

correspondingly arouse the supreme graces that are hidden and concealed³⁰,

הֵם מְעוֹרְרִים גַּם כֵּן חֲסָדִים עֶלְיוֹנִים הַצְּפוּנִים וְנֶעְלָמִים (בנוסח אחר: בָּהּ),

as it is written, “[How great is Your kindness] which You have hidden…,”³¹

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: “אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ כוּ’”

so that [the land] is established and set up firmly.

לְכוֹנְנָהּ וְלַהֲקִימָהּ.

Both Eretz Yisrael and the sefirah of malchut of Atzilut must be buttressed; the latter because of its descent in order to serve as a source of created beings that are lower than the World of Atzilut.

And of this it is written, “Through tzedakah shall you be firmly established,”³² referring to the establishment of the “Congregation of Israel” here below as well as to its spiritual counterpart Above—the sefirah of malchut of Atzilut, which is also known by the same name.

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FOOTNOTES

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21. Exodus 26:28.

22. Micah 7:8.

23. Psalms 117:2.

24. Isaiah 57:15.

25. Liturgy, Shabbat Morning Service (Siddur Tehillat Hashem, p. 166; Annotated Edition, p. 200).

26. Job 33:30.

27. Cf. Psalms 117:2.

28. Hosea 10:12. See also below, Epistle 8.

29. Psalms 85:12.

30. An alternative version adds here: “in it.”

31. Psalms 31:20.

32. Isaiah 54:14.