Tanya/ Iggeres Ha’Kodesh – The Holy Epistle, Epistle 12, Class 5

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Now, this is as regards the future of the world, in general.

וְזֶהוּ בִּכְלָלוּת הָעוֹלָם לֶעָתִיד,

In the Time to Come, the good will be refined and elevated from the evil through the revelation of G‑dliness that will then be manifest.

But as regards terrestrial man,

אַךְ בָּאָדָם הַתַּחְתּוֹן,

at every “time of finding,” every propitious time for finding G‑d,¹⁷

בְּכָל “עֵת מְצוֹא” –

meaning prayer,¹⁸

זוֹ תְּפִלָּה,

or at other times designated for secluding oneself with one’s Maker,

אוֹ שְׁאָר עִתִּים מְזוּמָּנִים לְהִתְבּוֹדֵד עִם קוֹנוֹ,

every individual, in proportion to his deeds, is granted a foretaste of this refinement by engaging in the study of the Torah for its own sake.

כָּל אֶחָד לְפִי מַעֲשָׂיו, זוֹכֶה לְמֵעֵין בֵּירוּר זֶה, עַל־יְדֵי עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה לִשְׁמָהּ

The Divine revelation that permeates his soul enables him to refine and elevate the good from the evil.

The same is accomplished by means of charity,

וְכֵן עַל־יְדֵי הַצְּדָקָה,

as it is related, “R. Elazar would give a coin to a poor man, and then pray,¹⁹

כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ: “רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר יָהִיב פְּרוּטָה לְעָנִי וַהֲדַר מַצְלֵּי,

for it is written, ‘Through tzedek will I behold Your Countenance.’²⁰

דִּכְתִיב: אֲנִי בְּצֶדֶק אֶחֱזֶה פָנֶיךָ”,

The Hebrew צדק literally means “righteousness” but shares a common root with tzedakah (“charity”). By prefacing prayer with tzedek, one is granted during prayer a spiritual perception that penetrates to the innermost aspect of G‑dliness—“Your Countenance” (for the Hebrew פנים connotes both “face” and “interior”).

This [revelation during prayer] is a manifest illumination and effusion of knowledge and understanding,

הִיא בְּחִינַת גִּילּוּי הֶאָרָה וְהַשְׁפָּעַת הַדַּעַת וְהַתְּבוּנָה,

[enabling one] to meditate on the greatness of G‑d,

לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן בִּגְדוּלַּת ה’,

in order to beget thereby an intellectually generated awe and love,

וּלְהוֹלִיד מִזֶּה דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ שִׂכְלִיִּים

as is known.

כַּנּוֹדָע,

And through this, the good is extracted for G‑d and elevated to Him, and the evil is separated,

וְעַל־יְדֵי זֶה נִבְרָר הַטּוֹב לַה’ וְנִפְרָד הָרַע,

as it is written, “The crucible is for [refining] silver and the melting pot is for gold, and man [is refined] according to his praise.”²¹

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: “מַצְרֵף לַכֶּסֶף וְכוּר לַזָּהָב, וְאִישׁ לְפִי מַהֲלָלוֹ”,

This means, “according to his praise of G‑d” during prayer with profound knowledge

פֵּירוּשׁ, לְפִי הִילּוּלוֹ אֶת ה’ בְּעוֹמֶק הַדַּעַת

in order to beget awe and love.²²

לְהוֹלִיד דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ –

In this way, the good is extracted and the evil is separated,

כָּכָה נִבְרָר הַטּוֹב וְנִפְרָד הָרַע,

just as dross is separated from silver and gold in a crucible or melting pot.

כְּבֵירוּר וּפֵירוּד הַסִּיגִים מִכֶּסֶף וְזָהָב בְּמַצְרֵף וְכוּר.

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FOOTNOTES

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17. Note by the Rebbe: “Commentaries on Psalms 32:6.”

18. Note by the Rebbe: “Iggeret Hakodesh, Epistle 25, at length.”

19. Bava Batra 10a.

20. Psalms 17:15.

21. Proverbs 27:21.

22. Note by the Rebbe: “For these are spiritual gold and silver (Torah Or, beginning of Parashat Vayeishev, et al.).”