LESSONS IN TANYA: Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Today's Tanya Lesson	Elul 1, 5771 · August 31, 2011
Iggeret HaKodesh, middle of Epistle 10	Listen Online \| MP3 Download

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.

אך היינו דוקא לשומר התורה, ולא סר ממנה ימין ושמאל, אפילו כמלא נימא

However, this [limitation on charity] applies only to one who observes the Torah and does not depart from it to the right or left, even as much as a hair's-breadth.

אבל מי שהעביר עליו הדרך, חס ושלום

But as to him who has strayed from the path, Heaven forfend,

מאחר שהעוה דרכו, לתת מגרעות בקדש העליון

inasmuch as he has distorted his course, thus diminishing the Supreme Holiness,

A Jew draws down sanctity from the Supreme Holiness through his performance of the commandments; as we say in the blessings recited before their performance, "...Who has sanctified us with His commandments." I.e., performing mitzvot elicits a downflow of Supreme Holiness, whereas non-performance depletes it.

שגרע ערכו בחינת המשכתו מה שהיה יכול להמשיך מבחינת אלקותו, והארת האור מאור אין סוף ברוך הוא, אילו היה שומר התורה ומקיימה כהלכתה

that is, he has diminished its value as regards the efflux he could have elicited from G‑d's Divinity and the radiation [he could have elicited] from the [infinite] Ein Sof-light, had he observed the Torah and fulfilled it as required, —

הרי מעוות זה לא יוכל לתקן כי אם בהמשכת האור העליון שלמעלה מהעולמות, ואינו מתלבש בהן

such distortion cannot be rectified except by an efflux of the Supreme light that transcends the worlds, without being vested in them.

הנקרא חסד עילאה ורב חסד

This is what is called Chesed ilaah ("superior kindness") and rav Chesed ("abundant kindness"),

לפי שמאיר ומתפשט בבחינת אין סוף, בלי גבול ומדה

because it radiates and diffuses infinitely, without limit and measure,

מאחר שאיננו מצומצם תוך העולמות, אלא בבחינת מקיף עליהן מלמעלה

since it is not contracted within the worlds but encompasses them from above [in equal measure],

מריש כל דרגין עד סוף וכו׳

from the peak of all rungs to the end [of all rungs].

וכשהאדם ממשיכו למטה במעשיו ואתערותא דלתתא

Now, when man draws it downward by means of his deeds and by an arousal from below,

אזי אור עליון זה מאיר ומתפשט תוך העולמות, ומתקן כל מעוות וכל מגרעות שניתנו בקדש העליון

this Supreme light then radiates and extends within the worlds, rectifying all distortions and deficiencies caused in the Kodesh HaElyon,

ומחדש אורן וטובן ביתר שאת ויתר עז, בבחינת אור חדש ממש

and renewing their light and goodness with an intense elevation, on the level of a truly new light.

An act of penitence does not merely uncover a pre-existing light, but calls forth a new and infinite light which is loftier than all the worlds.

לכן אמרו: במקום שבעלי תשובה עומדין וכו׳

This is why the Sages taught that19 "In the place (i.e., at the level) where penitents stand, [even the perfectly righteous do not stand]."

The Rebbe notes that in various sources20 this is paraphrased as follows: "In the place where penitents stand even the truly righteous cannot stand." I.e., the level at which penitents stand steadfastly cannot even be attained by the truly righteous, for the Divine radiance drawn down through repentance is of an utterly superior quality.

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.
19.	Berachot 34b.
20.	Rambam, Hilchot Teshuvah 7:4, as distinct from the wording cited in Berachot, loc. cit.: '...do not stand."'