LESSONS IN TANYA: Monday, August 20, 2012

Lessons In Tanya

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Elul 2, 5772 · August 20, 2012

Today's Tanya Lesson

Iggeret HaKodesh, middle of Epistle 10

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והנה, לפי שהמצות ניתנו לנו על ידי התלבשות במדת גבורה וצמצום ההארה כו׳

Now, because the commandments were given to us by being vested in the attribute of Gevurah and by the contraction of the [Divine] radiation...,

לכן רוב המצות יש להן שיעור מצומצם

most commandments have a delimited measure.1

כמו אורך הציצית: י״ב גודלין

For instance, the length of the tzitzit must be twelve times the width of the thumb;2

והתפילין: אצבעים על אצבעים, ומרובעות דוקא

the tefillin — two fingerbreadths by two fingerbreadths, according to the opinion of the Geonim quoted in the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch,3 and necessarily square;4

והלולב: ד׳ טפחים, והסוכה: ז׳ טפחים

the lulav — four handbreadths;5 the sukkah — seven handbreadths;6

והשופר: טפח, והמקוה: מ׳ סאה

the shofar — one handbreadth;7 and the mikveh — forty se'ahs.8

וכן בקרבנות, יש להן שיעור מצומצם לזמן

The sacrifices, too, have a delimited measure as regards age,

כמו כבשים בני שנה, ואילים בני שתים, ופרים כו׳

as, for instance, "sheep of one year old,"9 and "rams of two years old,"10 and "oxen...."11

וכן במעשה הצדקה וגמילות חסדים בממונו

The same applies to the act of charity and to the practice of kindness with one's money;

אף שהיא מהעמודים שהעולם עומד עליהם

even though that is one of the pillars upon which the world stands,12

וכדכתיב: עולם חסד יבנה

as it is written:13 "The world is built by Chesed,"

אפילו הכי, יש לה שיעור קצוב: חומש למצוה מן המובחר

nevertheless, it has a set measure of preferably one fifth [of one's income],14 if one desires to perform the commandment in the best possible manner,

ומעשר למדה בינונית כו׳

and of one tenth for an average measure15....

וזה נקרא חסד עולם

This is what is called "the Chesed of the world."

I.e., the Supernal degree of Chesed that is drawn down through this manner of measured charity is termed Chesed olam, "the Chesed of the world."

פירוש: חסד אל כל היום, המתלבש בעולמות עליונים ותחתונים

This means16 "the Chesed of G‑d that endures throughout the day," which is vested in the higher and lower worlds

על ידי אתערותא דלתתא

through the arousal from below that is generated by man's service,

היא מצות הצדקה וחסד שעושים בני אדם זה עם זה

i.e., by the precepts of charity and kindness that people practice for each other.

Kindness between man and his fellow draws down Divine kindness into the higher and lower worlds.

ולפי שהעולם הוא בבחינת גבול ומדה

But because the world is finite and measured —

מהארץ עד לרקיע ת״ק שנה, וכן מרקיע לרקיע כו׳

"From the earth to the heavens there is a distance of 500 years and likewise from one heaven to another [there is a distance of 500 years],"17

ושית אלפי שני הוי עלמא כו׳

and "Six thousand years shall the world exist..."18 —

לכן ניתן שיעור ומדה גם כן למצות הצדקה והחסד שבתורה

the Torah's commandment of charity and kindness is also given a limit and measure,

כמו לשאר מצות התורה

as are the other commandments of the Torah.

FOOTNOTES
1.	Note of the Rebbe: "It would appear that this phrase ('most commandments have a delimited measure') seeks to highlight their maximal limits, especially since the Alter Rebbe qualifies the noun 'measure' (shiur) with the adjective 'delimited' (metzumtzam). (The commandments that follow would then be instances of Chesed olam, being no higher than the finitude of a worldlike Chesed). Paradoxically, however, the examples that the Alter Rebbe then gives all indicate the minimal limits of each mitzvah! [...] Indeed, even when the mitzvah of tzedakah is carried out at the [boundless] level of Chasdei Havayah it has a minimal limit — i.e., [the obligation obtains only when the donor owns at least] a perutah (whereas from the finite perspective of Chesed olam he would be exempt from it, as is discussed at the very end of the present Epistle)." By way of resolving this anomaly, it could be suggested that the Alter Rebbe seeks to point out [...] that tzitzit which are thirteen thumbbreadths long are in no way superior to tzitzit of twelve; hence the measure of the mitzvah of tzitzit has a maximal delimitation. The same may be said of the other examples, such as the dimensions of tefillin, and so on."
2.	Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 11:4.
3.	Ibid. 32:33.
4.	Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 32:39. Note of the Rebbe: "At first glance, this requirement would appear to be out of place in a list of dimensions; rather, it would appear to be merely a restriction (disqualifying round ones, for example), though no mention is made of the many comparable restrictions that pertain to tzitzit or to tefillin." It may be suggested by way of explanation that this phrase [does indeed relate to a dimension, inasmuch as it] seeks to exclude a shape of five (or six or more) sides that encompasses (and is greater than) a square. This exclusion does not apply to tzitzit (cf. the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 10:1). This gives significance to the word 'necessarily', which might otherwise appear superfluous."
5.	Ibid., beginning of sec. 650.
6.	Ibid., beginning of sec. 634.
7.	Ibid., 586:9.
8.	Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 201.
9.	Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Maaseh HaKorbanot 1:14.
10.	Ibid.
11.	Ibid.; Tractate Parah 1:2.
12.	Avot 1:2.
13.	Tehillim 89:3.
14.	Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 249:1.
15.	Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 249:1.
16.	Tehillim 52:3.
17.	Chagigah 13a.
18.	Rosh HaShanah 31a.