The Holy Epistle: Epistle 12 – Part 5 – video

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The Holy Epistle: Epistle 10 – Part 3 – audio
The Holy Epistle: Epistle 16 – audio

אך לשון עבודה אינו נופל אלא על דבר שהאדם עושה ביגיעה עצומה, נגד טבע נפשו

The term “service” (avodah), however, applies only to what a man does with immense exertion, contrary to his soul’s inclination,

Indeed, it is his very disinclination for a particular task that works against him, and necessitates such exertion.

רק שמבטל טבעו ורצונו, מפני רצון העליון ברוך הוא

but he overrules his nature and will out of deference to the Supreme Will;

כגון לייגע עצמו בתורה ובתפלה, עד מיצוי הנפש כו׳

exhausting himself, for example, in Torah and prayer, “to the extent of pressing out the soul….”32

Since the soul is not naturally inclined to such a situation, a great deal of toil and effort is required.

ואף כאן, במצות הצדקה, ליתן הרבה יותר מטבע רחמנותו ורצונו

In our case, too, with regard to the commandment of giving charity, [to “serve” entails] giving far more than [would be prompted by] the nature of one’s compassion and will.

וכמו שאמרו רז״ל על פסוק: נתון תתן, אפילו מאה פעמים

As our Sages, of blessed memory, commented33 on the verse,34 “Give, you shall give”: “…even a hundred times.”

וזהו שכתוב: והיה מעשה הצדקה

This, then, is the meaning of the verse, “And the act of charity shall be [peace]” —

שגם הצדקה הנקראת בשם מעשה, ולא בשם עבודה

that even with the kind of charity which is called an “act” and not “service”,

אף על פי כן באתערותא דלתתא, אתערותא דלעילא

[this] arousal from below will nevertheless elicit an arousal from above.

מעורר גילוי אור אין סוף ברוך הוא בהארה רבה והשפעה עצומה

One arouses a manifestation of the [infinite] Ein Sof-light with a great illumination and an intense diffusion,

ונעשה שלום במרומיו

and peace is brought about “in [G‑d’s] high places,” between Michael and Gabriel, Chesed and Gevurah,

וגם בפמליא של מטה

and also within the terrestial retinue — the lower worlds.

רק שבעולם הזה השפל לא יתגלה השלום, והבירור ופירוד הרע מהטוב

In this lowly world, however, there will be no manifestation of [this] peace, and of the refinement and separation of the evil from the good,

עד עת קץ

until the ultimate time, when evil will cease to exist,

ולא בזמן הגלות

but not during the time of the exile, as explained above,

רק בעולם קטן, הוא האדם

except in the microcosm, i.e., in man,

בכל עת מצוא, זו תפלה

at every “time of finding,” meaning prayer,

כמו שכתוב: בצדק אחזה פניך, כנ״ל

as it is written, “Through tzedek will I behold Your countenance,” as discussed above.

אך אחר התפלה, יוכל להיות הרע חוזר וניעור בקל, ולהתערב בטוב

Even so, after prayer it is possible that the evil will easily reawaken and become intermingled with the good

כאשר יתהלך בחשכת עולם הזה

as one walks about in the darkness of this world.

אך הצדקה בבחינת עבודה

However, as to the charity [which is practiced with self-imposed toil] at the level of avodah (“service”),

הנה כאשר יקרה וגדלה מעלתה במאד מאד

since it is exceedingly precious and lofty, far more so than the tzedakah one practices out of one’s natural inclination,

בהיותו מבטל טבעו ורצונו הגופני מפני רצון העליון ברוך הוא

because [in the former case] one overrules his nature and bodily will out of deference to the Supreme Will,

ואתכפיא סטרא אחרא

and “the sitra achra is subjugated,”

ואזי אסתלק יקרא דקודשא בריך הוא כו׳

and then “the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He, rises [and becomes manifest in all the worlds],”35

וכיתרון האור מן החשך דוקא, כנודע

“like the superiority of light over (lit., ‘out of’) darkness,”36 as is known, —

The excellence of light is most appreciated when darkness itself is transformed into light.

אי לזאת, אין הרע יכול להיות עוד חוזר וניעור בקלות כל כך מאליו

in such a case, by virtue of the exertion involved in this superior form of tzedakah, the evil can no longer reawaken so easily of itself,

רק אם האדם יעוררנו וימשיכנו על עצמו, חס ושלום

unless, heaven forfend, one rouses it and draws it upon himself.

וזהו שכתוב: השקט ובטח עד עולם

This, then, is the meaning of “quietness and surety forever” — that the reward for the service of charity is eternal quietness and surety.

השקט הוא מלשון: שוקט על שמריו, דהיינו שהשמרים נפרדים לגמרי מן היין, ונופלין למטה לגמרי

Hashket (“quietness”) is related to [the root of the verb in] the phrase,37 “he rests (shoket) on his dregs,” meaning that the dregs are completely separated from the wine and sink all the way down,

והיין למעלה זך וצלול בתכלית

while the wine above is wholly pure and clear.

ועל דרך זה הוא בעבודת הצדקה

Similarly with the service of charity:

השמרים הן בחינת תערובת רע שבנפשו

the dregs represent the admixture of evil in one’s soul,

נברר ונפרד מעט מעט

which is gradually extricated and separated

עד שנופל למטה למקורו ושרשו

until it falls netherwards to its root and source — below all the worlds,

וכמו שכתוב: ותשליך במצולות ים כל חטאתם

as it is written,38 “And You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”39

Footnotes

1.

Yeshayahu 32:17.

2.

See Devarim Rabbah 5:12; Tanchuma, Vayigash 6.

3.

Iyov 25:2.

4.

Note of the Rebbe: “Vayikra 11:1.”

5.

Note of the Rebbe: “Significantly, [these are the very blessings requested in the final benediction of Shemoneh Esreh,] the one beginning with the words, Sim Shalom” (Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 60).

6.

Yeshayahu 57:15.

7.

Bava Batra 9b.

8.

Cf. Zechariah 13:2.

9.

Note of the Rebbe: “Sanhedrin 99b. See Likkutei Torah, Mattot, s.v. Heichaltzu.”

10.

Kohelet 8:9. See also Epistle 25 below, et al.

11.

Bereishit 25:23.

12.

Tanchuma, Pekudei 3; Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 69 (pp. 100b-101a).

13.

Tehillim 92:10.

14.

Cf. Zechariah 13:2.

15.

See above, Tanya, Part I, beginning of ch. 37.

16.

Yeshayahu 11:9.

17.

Ibid. 40:5.

18.

Note of the Rebbe: “Commentaries on Tehillim 32:6.”

19.

Note of the Rebbe: “Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle 25, at length.”

20.

Bava Batra 10a.

21.

Tehillim 17:15.

22.

Mishlei 27:21.

23.

Note of the Rebbe: “For these are spiritual gold and silver (Torah Or, beginning of Parshat Vayeishev, et al.).”

24.

Yevamot 79a; see Tanya, Part I, end of ch. 1.

25.

Tehillim 103:11.

26.

Note of the Rebbe: “II, 95a.”

27.

Bereishit 2:7.

28.

Morning Blessings (Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 6); cf. Berachot 60b.

29.

Cited above (Part I, ch. 2) in the name of the Zohar.

30.

The clause that follows paraphrases a statement in the morning prayers (Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 44).

31.

Eichah 3:23.

32.

Note of the Rebbe: “Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle 1.”

33.

Note of the Rebbe: “Sifri, Devarim 15:10; commentary of Rashi there.”

34.

Devarim, loc. cit.

35.

Zohar II, 128b.

36.

Kohelet 2:13.

37.

Yirmeyahu 48:11.

38.

Michah 7:19.

39.

Note of the Rebbe: “In Or HaTorah of the Tzemach Tzedek on this verse (Michah 7:19), the author refers the reader to the Shelah on Parshat Vayishlach (p. 295b). That reference is instructive here too.”

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