וילבש צדקה כשריון, וכובע ישועה בראשו
“And1 He garbed himself with tzedakah2 as with a coat of mail, and a helmet of salvation upon his head.”
This verse in fact speaks of G‑d’s promised actions in defense of His people. Nevertheless, the deeds of Jews that mirror G‑d’s deeds serve as a vessel which can receive (or as a means which can bring about) G‑d’s reciprocal action.3 Hence when Jews act in a righteous and charitable manner, in the spirit of the term tzedakah, such conduct attracts and calls forth Divine activity on their behalf. In particular, a Jew’s Divine service that resembles G‑d’s own acts of tzedakah contains within it a protective “coat of mail” for his body and a “helmet of salvation” for his head.
ודרשו רז״ל: מה שריון זה, כל קליפה וקליפה מצטרפת לשריון גדול, אף צדקה, כל פרוטה ופרוטה מצטרפת לחשבון גדול
[On this verse] our Sages, of blessed memory, commented:4 “Just as with chain mail all the individual scales add up to form a large coat of mail, so it is with charity: all the individual coins [given to charity] add up to a great amount.”
The Alter Rebbe now anticipates a question: What is gained by this analogy? Surely it is just as obvious that “all the individual coins [given to charity] add up to a great amount” as it is that “all the individual scales add up to form a large coat of mail.”
פירוש: שהשריון עשוי קשקשים על נקבים, והם מגינים שלא יכנס חץ בנקבים, וככה הוא מעשה הצדקה
This means — and this is the additional point being made here — that just as the mail is made of scales covering gaps, and these shield one against any arrow entering through the gaps, so it is with the act of charity.
I.e., as will presently be explained, the spiritual dynamic of charity comprises (a) an element that corresponds to the chinks in a coat of mail, and (b) an element that corresponds to the protective scales (the coins) that cover those gaps.
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וביאור הענין: כי גדולה צדקה מכל המצות
The meaning of this [is as follows]: Charity is greater than all the commandments,
שמהן נעשים לבושים להנשמה
for [their performance] produces “garments” for the soul.5
The performance of the commandments provides the “garments” that enable the soul to withstand the intense degree of Divine revelation to which it will be exposed in Gan Eden, instead of being nullified by it.
הנמשכים מאור אין סוף ברוך הוא
[These garments] are drawn forth from the [infinite] light of the blessed Ein Sof,
Deriving from a source which is infinite, they enable the soul to cope with the infinite degree of revelation which it will encounter in Gan Eden.
מבחינת סובב כל עלמין
from the level of sovev kol almin.
Unlike the mode of life-giving Divine illumination called memaleh kol almin (lit., “filling all worlds”), which becomes integrated and manifest within the creatures it animates, the mode of Divine illumination called sovev kol almin (lit., “encompassing all worlds”) is not limited to the finite spiritual capacity of created beings; it transcends and affects them from afar, so to speak.
(כמבואר הפירוש ממלא כל עלמין וסובב כל עלמין בלקוטי אמרים, עיין שם)
(6The meaning of memaleh kol almin and sovev kol almin has been explained in Likkutei Amarim;7 see there.)
באתערותא דלתתא, היא מצות ה׳ ורצון העליון ברוך הוא
[These garments are brought into being] by an “arousal from below,” i.e., the [fulfillment of the] commands of G‑d and the will of the Supreme Being.
Since the commandments emanate from G‑d’s Supreme Will, from the level of sovev kol almin, they serve as the source for the above-mentioned garments.
ועיקר המשכה זו מאור אין סוף ברוך הוא, הוא לבוש ואור מקיף לי׳ ספירות דאצילות, בריאה, יצירה, עשיה
The essence of this efflux from the [infinite] Ein Sof-light is a garment and encompassing light for the Ten Sefirot of [the Four Worlds:] Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah,
המשתלשלות מעילה לעילה וממדרגה למדרגה כו׳
which evolve from cause to cause and from rung to rung,
הנקראות בשם ממלא כל עלמין
[these Sefirot] being referred to as memaleh kol almin.
The Alter Rebbe now answers the following question: Since the Sefirot themselves are the Divinity of the Four Worlds, why do they need the infinite Ein Sof-light as a garment?
פירוש: כי אור אין סוף ברוך הוא מתלבש ומאיר בתוך כל השתלשלות העשר ספירות דאצילות, בריאה, יצירה, עשיה
This means that the Ein Sof-light vests itself and radiates in an indwelling manner within the entire evolving chain of the Ten Sefirot of [the Worlds of] Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah;
והוא המאציל העשר ספירות דאצילות המשתלשלות לבריאה, יצירה, עשיה
[moreover,] it gives rise to the Ten Sefirot of [the World of] Atzilut which evolve into [the Worlds of] Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah,
The Sefirot of Atzilut thus serve as the Divine illumination for the Worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah. This is made possible —
על ידי צמצום עצום המבואר בעץ חיים
by means of an immense contraction (tzimtzum) which is explained in Etz Chayim.
This contraction involves not only a quantitative lessening of spiritual illumination, but more importantly a qualitative diminution; the hitherto infinite light is contracted to so great a degree that it can emanate and illuminate in a finite manner.
ונקרא אור פנימי
[The resultant light] is referred to as an indwelling light (or pnimi) — a light that vests itself in an inward manner within created beings, inasmuch as it is contracted to match the spiritual capacity of the particular created being in which it is clothed.
