אך באדם התחתון

But as regards terrestrial man,

בכל עת מצוא

at every “time of finding,” every propitious time for finding G‑d,18

זו תפלה

meaning prayer,19

או שאר עתים מזומנים להתבודד עם קונו

or at other times designated for secluding oneself with one’s Maker,

כל אחד לפי מעשיו זוכה למעין בירור זה, על ידי עסק התורה לשמה

every individual, in proportion to his deeds, is granted a foretaste of this refinement by engaging in the study of Torah for its own sake.

The Divine revelation that permeates his soul enables him to refine and elevate the good from the evil.

וכן על ידי הצדקה

The same is accomplished by means of charity,

כמו שכתוב: ר׳ אליעזר יהיב פרוטה לעני, והדר מצלי

as it is related,20 “R. Eliezer would give a coin to a poor man, and then pray,

דכתיב: אני בצדק אחזה פניך

for it is written,21 ‘Through tzedek will I behold Your Countenance.”’

The Hebrew צדק literally means “righteousness”, but shares a common root with tzedakah (“charity”). By prefacing prayer with tzedek, one is granted during prayer a spiritual perception that penetrates to the innermost aspect of G‑dliness — “Your Countenance” (for the Hebrew פנים connotes both “face” and “interior”).

היא בחינת גילוי הארה והשפעת הדעת והתבונה

This [revelation during prayer] is a manifest illumination and effusion of knowledge and understanding,

להתבונן בגדולת ה׳

[enabling one] to meditate on the greatness of G‑d,

ולהוליד מזה דחילו ורחימו שכליים

in order to beget thereby an intellectually-generated awe and love,

כנודע

as is known.

ועל ידי זה, נברר הטוב לה׳, ונפרד הרע

And through this the good is extracted for G‑d and elevated to Him, and the evil is separated,

כמו שכתוב: מצרף לכסף וכור לזהב, ואיש לפי מהללו

as it is written,22 “The crucible is for [refining] silver and the melting-pot is for gold, and man [is refined] according to his praise.”

פירוש: לפי הילולו את ה׳ בעומק הדעת

This means, “according to his praise of G‑d” during prayer with profound knowledge

להוליד דחילו ורחימו

in order to beget awe and love.23

ככה נברר הטוב ונפרד הרע

In this way the good is extracted and the evil is separated,

כבירור ופירוד הסיגים מכסף וזהב במצרף וכור

just as dross is separated from silver and gold in a crucible or melting-pot.

והנה מודעת זאת שישראל בטבעם הם רחמנים וגומלי חסדים

Now, it is well known that Jews by their very nature act compassionately and perform deeds of lovingkindness.24

מפני היות נפשותיהם נמשכות ממדותיו יתברך

[This is so] because their souls issue from G‑d’s attributes,

אשר החסד גובר בהן על מדת הדין והגבורה והצמצום

in which Chesed prevails over the attribute of din, Gevurah, and tzimtzum,

וכמו שכתוב: גבר חסדו על יראיו

as it is written,25 “His Chesed prevails over those who fear Him,” alluding to the fact that the Divine attribute of Chesed prevails over the Divine attribute of Gevurah.

שלכן נקראת הנשמה בת כהן, כמו שכתוב בזהר הקדוש

The soul is therefore called “daughter of the priest,” since it derives from the attribute of Chesed which is called “Kohen”, as is written in the sacred Zohar.26

Since the soul derives from the Divine attributes which are dominated by kindness and compassion, Jews by their very nature are kind and compassionate.

והנה הצדקה הנמשכת מבחינה זו נקראת בשם מעשה הצדקה

Now, the charity that issues from this source — from the soul’s inherently kind and compassionate nature — is referred to as “the act of charity,”

כי שם מעשה נופל על דבר שכבר נעשה, או שנעשה תמיד ממילא

for the term “act” (maaseh) applies to that which is already done, or which is constantly being done spontaneously;

והיא דבר ההווה ורגיל תמיד

thus, something existent, common and constant.

ואף כאן

Here, too, with regard to tzedakah that is motivated by the soul’s innate sense of kindness and compassion,

הרי מדת החסד והרחמנות הוטבעה בנפשות כל בית ישראל מכבר

the trait of kindness and compassion is implanted in the souls of the entire House of Israel from aforetime,

מעת בריאותן והשתלשלותן ממדותיו יתברך

from the time that they were created and that they evolved from G‑d’s attributes,

כמו שכתוב: ויפח באפיו גו׳

as it is written27 in regard to Adam’s soul entering his body, “And He blew into his nostrils [a soul of life],”

ואתה נפחת בי

[and we likewise say]28 concerning the entry of each and every soul into its individual body, “You blew it into me,”

ומאן דנפח כו׳

and29 “He who blows, [blows from within him],” from his innermost being.

So, too, in the analogue: Since the soul emanates from the inward aspect of the Divine attributes, it is infused with them as well, so that the attribute of kindness dominates the soul even as it finds itself within the body.

וגם בכל יום ויום, בטובו מחדש מעשה בראשית

Furthermore,30 in His goodness [G‑d] renews the act (maaseh) of creation every single day, and this includes the supernal attributes.

וחדשים לבקרים גו׳

Likewise, with regard to souls below, [it is written],31 “They are new every morning….”

“Act” (maaseh) thus refers to a constant process, such as the renewal of the soul with its characteristic traits of kindness and compassion. The “act of tzedakah” hence refers to the tzedakah which a Jew practices by virtue of these innate character traits.