_____

This is not so, however, with the angels,³⁷ which are incapable of receiving an infinite degree of revelation;

מַה־שֶּׁאֵין־כֵּן בַּמַּלְאָכִים

viz., the Baal Shem Tov

כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁמַעְתִּי מֵרַבּוֹתַי: כִּי אִילּוּ נִמְצָא מַלְאָךְ אֶחָד עוֹמֵד בְּמַעֲמַד עֲשָׂרָה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל בְּיַחַד, אַף שֶׁאֵינָם מְדַבְּרִים בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה –

such a boundless and infinite terror and dread would then befall him on account of the Shechinah that abides over them, that he would become utterly nullified.

תִּפּוֹל עָלָיו אֵימָתָה וָפַחַד בְּלִי גְבוּל וְתַכְלִית, מִשְּׁכִינְתָּא דְּשַׁרְיָא עֲלַיְיהוּ, עַד שֶׁהָיָה מִתְבַּטֵּל מִמְּצִיאוּתוֹ לְגַמְרֵי.

The sanctity of ten Jews congregating together, even if they are not engaged in Torah study, is so intense that an angel would become utterly nullified when confronting the indwelling of the Shechinah that abides in the presence of ten Jews.⁴⁰

In Sefer Hasichot 5704,⁴¹ Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak relates that when his father taught him this letter for the second time and they came to the above theme of the superiority of souls over angels, he noted that “as I heard from my masters” refers to both the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid of Mezritch; the phrase “I heard from my teacher” (in the gloss to ch. 35) refers to the Maggid of Mezritch.

Rabbi Shalom DovBer went on to tell him that this theme is one of the laws that are studied in Gan Eden.

Then, having shared with him eight narratives regarding the laws studied in Gan Eden, he concluded: “And all this is discussed in the Tanya in order to [encourage] the establishment of daily study groups in Ein Yaakov, concerning which the Alter Rebbe states that most of the secrets of the Torah are concealed in it and that moreover, it atones for man’s sins.”

At that time, too, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak relates,⁴² his father told him that Chasidim of old used to include as part of their indispensable daily study sessions—in addition to Mishnayot, a page of Gemara, and the Tanya—a passage of Ein Yaakov and at least one law (of two paragraphs) in Kitzur Shulchan Aruch.⁴³ If a paragraph was long, it was studied as one law though usually, one law is divided there into two paragraphs.

Therefore, evil in my eyes is “the conduct that takes place under the sun”⁴⁴ in general,

וְעַל כֵּן, רַע בְּעֵינַי הַ”מַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ” בִּכְלָל,

The Alter Rebbe is referring here to those who engage in business or labor—temporal occupations that are “under the sun,” in contrast to Torah, that is “above the sun.” To them, too, his forthcoming words of rebuke are addressed, and he finds it “evil in his eyes” that before or after prayer, they devote their time to lightminded talk instead of to Torah study.

for prayer, particularly when accompanied by the 

וּבִפְרָט בֵּין אַחַיי וְרֵעַיי הַנִּגָּשִׁים אֶל ה’, “הַגָּשָׁה – זוֹ תְּפִלָּה”

when after prayer or before it, [the gathering] becomes a “company of scoffers,” heaven forfend.

וְאַחַר הַתְּפִלָּה אוֹ לְפָנֶיהָ – נַעֲשֶׂה “מוֹשַׁב לֵצִים” רַחֲמָנָא לִצְּלָן,

כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: “שְׁנַיִם שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִין וְאֵין בֵּינֵיהֶם דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה כוּ’”,

Now, if a “company of scoffers” is constituted by ten people over whom the Shechinah abides, there is no greater insult and shaming of the Shechinah than that, heaven forfend.

וְאִם נַעֲשָׂה “מוֹשַׁב לֵצִים” בַּעֲשָׂרָה, דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא עֲלַיְיהוּ אֵין לְךָ עֶלְבּוֹנָא וּקְלָנָא דִשְׁכִינְתָּא גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה רַחֲמָנָא־לִיצְּלָן,

And if our Sages, of blessed memory, said⁴⁸ of him who commits a transgression in secret that “he repulses the feet of the Shechinah,” heaven forfend,

וְאִם אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה עַל הָעוֹבֵר עֲבֵירָה בַּסֵּתֶר שֶׁ”דּוֹחֵק רַגְלֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה” חַס וְשָׁלוֹם,

then he who commits a transgression in public repulses the whole measure of the stature of the Creator, as it were.⁴⁹

הָעוֹבֵר עֲבֵירָה בָּרַבִּים – דּוֹחֵק כָּל שִׁיעוּר קוֹמָה שֶׁל יוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁית כִּבְיָכוֹל,

As our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “It is impossible for Me and him [to live together in the world].”⁵⁰

כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: “אֵין אֲנִי וְהוּא וְכוּ’”,

However, repulsing the Shechinah does not mean that the actions of the transgressor cause it to be utterly absent, for the above passage speaks of shaming the Shechinah while it is present.

[“of the mind”

אֶלָּא שֶׁ"מֶּלֶךְ אָסוּר בָּרְהָטִים" כוּ'.

But “Woe⁵⁴ unto those who repulse the Shechinah, when G‑d will raise her (the Shechinah) and say to her,⁵⁵ ‘Awake, arise from the dust….’”

אֲבָל "וַוי לְמַאן דְּדָחֲקִין לִשְׁכִינְתָּא כַּד יוֹקִים לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא־בְּרִיךְ־הוּא, וְיֵימָא לָהּ: "הִתְנַעֲרִי מֵעָפָר קוּמִי וְגוֹ'",

So, too, “On account of three things are the Jewish people detained in exile—because they repulse the Shechinah, and because they shame the Shechinah,” and so on, as stated in the sacred Zohar.⁵⁶

וְעַל תְּלַת מִילִּין מִתְעַכְּבֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא: עַל דְּדָחֲקִין לִשְׁכִינְתָּא, וְעַל דְּעָבְדִין קְלָנָא בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא וְכוּ'", כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ.