From: murray.bbs@cybernet.cse.fau.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Chitas for AV 7, 1 of 2
Date: 20 Aug 92 12:45:40 GMT
Organization: Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton

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Daily dose of Tanya. - CHITAS for: Av 7 (regular year) Av 11 in  a leap
year 
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Part 1 of  2       From  SHIURIM B'SEFER  HATANYA   by Rabbi  Wineberg.
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To you the reader, this little note.
 
In order to differentiate  between the translation of the  actual words
of  the Tanya  and the  'needed' explanation,  the following  guide was
used. Words that are  between the brackets [ ] are  not the actual text
of the Tanya.  Footnotes are  depicted by a  number inside  parenthesis
(#).
 
Epistle Three
 
"And  (1) He garbed himself with  tzedakah (2) 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.
 
[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."
 
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.]                                *     *  
 *
 
The meaning  of this [is as  follows]: Charity is greater  than all the
commandments, 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.]
 
[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], 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.(6) The  meaning
of memaleh kol amin and sovev kol almin has been explained in LikkAma7) 
see there.)
 
[These garments are  brought into  bein an  "ousal from  belowi.e., the  
[fulfillment othe] commnds  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.]
 
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, which evolve from cause
to cause and from rung to rung..., [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?]
 
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; [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  -] 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.
 
[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.]
 
Now,  by  the  fulfillment  of the  commandments,  the  above-mentioned
encompassing light is elicited  and radiates within the Ten  Sefirot of
[the Worlds of]  Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah,  thereby uniting
with the indwelling light.
 
[When this  occurs,  the infinite  and transcendent  light (or  makkif)
permeates  the indwelling light (or pnimi) of Seder Hishtalshelut - the
self-obscuring and chain-like descent  of the Divine life-force through
which increasingly material worlds come in to being.]
 
This is  referred to as the unification of the Holy One, blessed be He,
[the  epithet  "holy" (kadosh)  signifying  His  separateness from  the
world, hence  the level  of sovev kol  almin,] and His  Shechinah, [the
indwelling  light  which  is  so called  because  the  Divine  Presence
descends  and  dwells  (shochen)  within  the  created worlds],  as  is
explained elsewhere. (8)
 
[It is explained  in another  context that the  performance of  mitzvot
results  in  this union  of  the  Holy One,  blessed  be  He, with  His
Shechinah. This is  why we say  L'shem Yichud - ("For  the sake of  the
union of the Holy One, blessed be He, with His Shechinah") - before  we
perform certain  mitzvot: for it is  they that fuse the  light of sovev
kol  almin, known as "the  Holy One, blessed be  He," with the light of
memaleh kol almin,  known as the Shechinah. Thus, the main radiation of
Divine light  drawn down  through the  performance of commandments,  is
effected within the evolution of the Sefirot of the Four Worlds.]
 
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