Tanya/ Iggeres Ha’Kodesh – The Holy Epistle, Epistle 15, Class 4

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Now, as regards the totality of the ten sefirot [as they appear] in the soul of man,

וְהִנֵּה, כְּלָלוּת הַי’ סְפִירוֹת שֶׁבְּנִשְׁמַת הָאָדָם,

it is known to all²⁵ that the emotive attributes divide into seven general categories,²⁶

נוֹדָע לַכֹּל [בְּדֶרֶךְ כְּלָל. בכתב יד ליתא], שֶׁהַמִּדּוֹת נֶחְלָקוֹת בְּדֶרֶךְ כְּלָל לְז’ מִדּוֹת,

and each of the particular attributes in man derives from one of these seven attributes,

וְכָל פְּרָטֵי הַמִּדּוֹת שֶׁבָּאָדָם – בָּאוֹת מֵאַחַת מִז’ מִדּוֹת אֵלּוּ,

for they are the root of all the attributes and their generality,

שֶׁהֵן שׁוֹרֶשׁ כָּל הַמִּדּוֹת וּכְלָלוּתָן,

namely: the attribute of chesed (“lovingkindness”), [which is a thrust] to diffuse benevolence [to all] without limit;

שֶׁהֵן: מִדַּת הַחֶסֶד לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ בְּלִי גְבוּל,

the attribute of gevurah (“stern limitation and contraction”), [which seeks] to restrain such a degree of diffusion or to withhold diffusion altogether²⁷ [from certain individuals],

וּמִדַּת הַגְּבוּרָה – לְצַמְצֵם מִלְּהַשְׁפִּיעַ כָּל כָּךְ, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ [נוסח אחר: כָּל עִיקָּר] כְּלָל,

and the attribute of rachamim (“compassion”), [which seeks] to pity a person to whom compassion is appropriate²⁸ and to extend benevolence to him as well, although he may be unworthy of it.

וּמִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים – לְרַחֵם עַל מִי שֶׁשַּׁיָּיךְ לְשׁוֹן רַחֲמָנוּת עָלָיו,

[Rachamim] is the mediating attribute between gevurah and chesed,

וְהִיא מִדָּה מְמוּצַּעַת בֵּין גְּבוּרָה לְחֶסֶד,

the latter of which would diffuse benevolence to all, even to a person to whom compassion is not at all appropriate,²⁸

שֶׁהִיא לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לַכֹּל, גַּם לְמִי שֶׁלֹּא שַׁיָּיךְ לְשׁוֹן רַחֲמָנוּת עָלָיו כְּלָל,

inasmuch as he lacks nothing and is in no state of trouble whatsoever.²⁹

מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵינוֹ חָסֵר כְּלוּם וְאֵינוֹ שָׁרוּי בְּצַעַר כְּלָל.

Because the attribute of chesed is unlimited, it desires to benefit even someone who lacks nothing. The attribute of rachamim, by contrast, being also compounded of gevurah, will not seek to diffuse indiscriminately. At the same time, rachamim pleads the cause of any individual who is in a pitiable state, however unworthy he may be.

Because [the attribute of rachamim] is the mediating attribute, it is called tiferet (“beauty”),

וּלְפִי שֶׁהִיא מִדָּה מְמוּצַּעַת, נִקְרֵאת “תִּפְאֶרֶת”,

by analogy with beautiful garments

כְּמוֹ בִּגְדֵי תִּפְאֶרֶת עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל,

which are³⁰ dyed with many colors blended³¹ in a way that gives rise to beauty and decoration.

שֶׁהוּא בֶּגֶד צָבוּעַ בִּגְוָונִים הַרְבֵּה מְעוֹרָבִים [בּוֹ. בכתב יד ליתא] בְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהוּא תִּפְאֶרֶת וְנוֹי,

To a garment dyed in one color, however, one cannot apply the term tiferet, which implies the beauty of harmony. And since the attribute of rachamim is compounded of chesed and gevurah, the term tiferet is appropriate.

מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בֶּגֶד הַצָּבוּעַ בְּגָוֶון אֶחָד לֹא שַׁיָּיךְ בּוֹ לְשׁוֹן תִּפְאֶרֶת.

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FOOTNOTES

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25. An alternative reading, which does not appear in the ms. versions: “It is known, in a general way….”

26. The Alter Rebbe first deals with the seven middot, or emotive attributes, and toward the end of this letter proceeds to explain the three intellective attributes which give birth to them. (See the passage below that begins, “Having dealt with the middot….”)

27. In place of כלל (“altogether”), an alternative reading has כל עיקר, which is a more emphatic phrase.

28. The word לשון, which appears in the Hebrew text before רחמנות (“compassion”), is left untranslated, for, as the Rebbe notes, it is evidently a superfluous interpolation.

29. Note by the Rebbe: “This is a departure from the usual explanation—that chesed extends its benevolence even to an individual whom the attribute of compassion would disqualify (despite his need) or to an individual whom one should not pity.”

30. The corresponding Hebrew phrase, whose singular form is apparently anomalous, is rendered in the plural in one of the early editions of this letter (Lemberg, 1860).

31. An alternative reading, which does not appear in the ms. versions, interpolates the word בו after מעורבים; the meaning of the sentence is virtually unaffected.