Tanya/ Iggeres Ha’Kodesh – The Holy Epistle, Epistle 15, Class 2

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The Alter Rebbe now goes on to make it perfectly clear that the sefirot are, however, infinitely higher than the corresponding faculties within the soul. Indeed, even Abraham’s attribute of chesed could in no way compare to the chesed of the sefirot, notwithstanding the fact that Abraham was considered a “chariot” to G‑d,²⁰ i.e., a self-effacing vehicle with no direction or desire other than that of his Rider.

However, it is necessary to state first what I heard from my master, R. Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mezritch, peace be to him, on the verse, “And I am dust and ashes.”²¹

אַךְ צָרִיךְ לְהַקְדִּים, מַה שֶּׁשָּׁמַעְתִּי מִמּוֹרִי עָלָיו־הַשָּׁלוֹם עַל פָּסוּק “וְאָנֹכִי עָפָר וָאֵפֶר”,

Our father Abraham, peace be to him, said this of the illumination from his soul which radiated in his body from the light of the supreme chesed,

שֶׁאָמַר אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו־הַשָּׁלוֹם עַל הֶאָרַת נִשְׁמָתוֹ הַמְּאִירָה בְּגוּפוֹ מֵאוֹר חֶסֶד עֶלְיוֹן,

and that is his attribute: the attribute of ahavah rabbah (“magnanimous love”), that derived from the parent sefirah called chesed of Atzilut,

וְהִיא מִדָּתוֹ מִדַּת “אַהֲבָה רַבָּה”,

for he loved (an alternative reading: “with which he loved”) the Holy One, blessed be He, with a love so great and sublime that he became a chariot unto the Holy One, blessed be He.

(נוסח אחר: שֶׁבָּהּ הָיָה) שֶׁהָיָה אוֹהֵב אֶת הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא אַהֲבָה גְדוֹלָה וְעֶלְיוֹנָה כָּל כָּךְ, עַד שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה “מֶרְכָּבָה” לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא.

Abraham’s degree of nullification to G‑d was that of a vehicle to its driver, having no independent will whatsoever. This is even greater than the subservience of a slave to his master, for the slave retains a will of his own.

Now, one might possibly assume that the type of chesed and love as it exists above in the supernal sefirot is of a similar nature to the attribute of abundant love [exemplified by] our father Abraham, peace be to him,

וְסָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ אֲמִינָא, שֶׁבְּחִינַת חֶסֶד וְאַהֲבָה שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה בַּסְּפִירוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת, הִיא מֵעֵין וְסוּג מַהוּת מִדַּת “אַהֲבָה רַבָּה” שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו־הַשָּׁלוֹם,

though surpassing it infinitely.

רַק שֶׁהִיא גְדוֹלָה וְנִפְלָאָה מִמֶּנָּה לְמַעְלָה מַּעְלָה עַד אֵין קֵץ וְתַכְלִית,

For it is known of the supernal middot (“attributes”) that though their mode of emanation is finite, they themselves are essentially without end or limit,

כַּנּוֹדָע מִמִּדּוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם [נוסח אחר: קֵץ] סוֹף וְתַכְלִית מִצַּד עַצְמָן,

because the [infinite] Ein Sof-light actually radiates and is vested within them,

כִּי אוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מֵאִיר וּמְלוּבָּשׁ בְּתוֹכָם מַמָּשׁ,

and “He and His middot (i.e., the kelim of the sefirot) are One”; i.e., just as He is infinite, so are they.

וְ”אִיהוּ וְגַרְמוֹהִי חַד”.

As regards the soul of man, however, which is vested in corporeality, in man’s body,

מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בְּנִשְׁמַת הָאָדָם הַמְלוּבֶּשֶׁת בַּחוֹמֶר,

its attributes are finite and limited.

שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְמִדּוֹתֶיהָ קֵץ וּגְבוּל,

Thus, to revert to the above example, it is abundantly clear that the supernal sefirah of chesed is infinitely loftier and more wondrous than its worldly counterpart—the attribute of chesed and love in Abraham’s soul, which was vested within his body.

Nevertheless, one might possibly assume that its attributes are of the same type as the supernal attributes.

אֲבָל מִכָּל מָקוֹם סָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ אֲמִינָא שֶׁמִּדּוֹתֶיהָ הֵן מֵעֵין וְסוּג מִדּוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת.

Until now, the Alter Rebbe has explained that the supernal sefirah of chesed is infinitely higher than Abraham’s attribute of love in this world. Now, in order to negate a comparison from any perspective whatsoever, he goes on to state that Abraham’s attribute of love is infinitely lower than the supernal sefirah of chesed.

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FOOTNOTES

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20.  Note by the Rebbe: “Bereishit Rabbah 47:8, et al.; explained in the Tanya, Part I, chs. 18, 23, et al.”

21.  Genesis 18:27.