From: murray.bbs@cybernet.cse.fau.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Tanya, Epistle 9, 2 of 2
Date: 23 Aug 92 02:04:16 GMT
Organization: Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton

Tanya Epistle 9       2/2
 
>>> Continued from previous message
 
Our Sages, of  blessed memory, did not  say that the study  of Torah is
equivalent to the performance of  acts of lovingkindness, [The  Mishnah
states in  Peah: (26) "The study  of Torah is equivalent  to them all,"
i.e.,  to all  the mitzvot  previously enumerated  in the  Mishnah, and
these   include  gemilut   chassadim,  the   performance  of   acts  of
lovingkindness,]  except in their own days. For with them the principal
area of divine service was the study of the Torah, which is why at that
time there were great scholars: tannaim and amoraim. However, in a time
when the approaching footsteps  of Mashiach are close upon  us, as "the
Sukkah of David has fallen" to a level of "feet" and "heels", i.e.,  to
the level of Asiyah,
 
[I.e.,  the Sefirah called Malchut of Atzilut, the Shechinah that vests
itself in  the lower Worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah - also known
as the  "Sukkah of  David," for David,  as the  King of  Israel, was  a
merkavah to  Malchut of  Atzilut -  has fallen to  the lowest  level of
Asiyah.]  There is  no way  of truly  cleaving unto  it, [i.e.,  to the
Shechinah,]  and transforming the darkness of the world into its light,
(27)  except  through a  corresponding  category  of action,  [and  not
through intellect and speech alone, as in Torah study,] namely, the act
of charity.
 
[But why is charity unique among all the many commandments that involve
action?]  As  is known  to the  scholarly,  "action" with  reference to
Divinity is the  diffusion and downward flow of  vitality to the lowest
depths - to him who has nothing of his own.
 
[Among the currents of  Divine influence that descend into  the various
worlds,  there are those  that are called "thought"  and "speech".  The
flow  of vitality to  the very lowest  level - to the  World of Asiyah,
where G-dliness is not at all manifest - is called "action".
 
The  act of  giving tzedakah  thus truly  corresponds to  the spiritual
level of Asiyah,  inasmuch as it too  provides beneficence to one  "who
has nothing of his own."]
 
And whoever sacrifices his impulse in this respect, [i.e., with respect
to  charity,] and opens his hand and  heart, [thereby] causes (28) "the
other [i.e.,  evil] side" of  the universe  to be subjugated,  and (28)
"converts the darkness  into the light" of G-d, blessed  be He, Who, in
the time  when the footsteps of Mashiach are close upon us, dwells over
us in a state of action; moreover, he will merit to (29) "behold Eye to
eye, G-d returning to Zion...."
 
[At that time the  physical eye, though yet retaining  its physicality,
will  behold G-dliness  as it  is beheld  by the  Supernal Eye.   Thus,
within the physicality  of the World of Asiyah,  there will be revealed
the level of certainty in spiritual perception which is called vision -
a level that far surpasses the furthest attainments of the intellect.
 
FOOTNOTES
1.   See Igrot Kodesh (Letters of the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe), Vol.
     VIII, p. 606, and references cited there. 
2.   Likkutei Amarim, Part I, beginning of ch. 2. 
3.   Note  of the Rebbe Shlita:  Cf. Iggeret HaKodesh,  Epistles 16, 22
     (Parts a & b), 24. 
4.   Cf. Kohelet 1:2. 
5.   Or HaTorah, Vayikra, Vol. I, p. 191. 
6.   Cf. Yeshayahu 42:18. 
7.   This clause has  been translated according  to Rashi on  Yeshayahu
     38:16. 
8.   Note of the Rebbe Shlita: See Part I, conclusion of ch. 31. 
9.   Cf. Yirmeyahu 2:13. 
10.  Lit., "the Life of life." 
11.  Cf. Yeshayahu 10:18. 
12.  The  standard text of the  Tanya has ("like  heathens"), which has
     been  emended  here according  to  its  Luach HaTikkun  (Table  of
     Corrections). 
13.  The remainder of  this sentence is  paraphrased from the  Ketubbah
     (the marriage contract), though  the emphasis here, of course,  is
     on a possibly selfish motivation. 
14.  I Divrei HaYamim 17:21. 
15.  V.L.: "they will not become separated". 
16.  Devarim 6:4. 
17.  Cf.  Beit Yosef, Orach Chayim,  sec. 61, citing  the Sefer Mitzvot
     Katan. 
18.  Cf. Mishlei 23:5. 
19.  V.L.: Bee-he-yot ("when all our involvement...is [conducted]"). 
20.  Tehillim 52:3. 
21.  Rashi on Bereishit 47:29. 
22.  See Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah, sec. 251, and references indicated
     there.
23.  The passage beginning "Except for the tzadikkim..." and concluding
     "...for the discerning,"  is added above  to the standard  printed
     text according to its Luach HaTikkun (Table of Corrections). 
24.  Parentheses are in the original text. 
25.  Note  of  the Rebbe  Shlita:  See Rambam,  Hilchot  Matnot Aniyim,
     beginning  of ch. 10; quoted in Tur, Yoreh Deah, beginning of sec.
     247. The above   quotation does not refer to the  similar teaching
     in the Talmud (Shabbat 139a; Sanhedrin 98a), for there the verb is
     Nifdeh [whereas our text  reads Nig-alin]. Very often, as  is well
     known, the commentators {(the Radbaz and the Kesef Mishneh and the
     Glosses on  the Tur) who give  the teaching of Ulla  in the Talmud
     (loc. cit.) as  Rambam's source} do not intend to  quote the exact
     wording  of a particular teaching, but rather to cite its content.
     See also  the halachah that immediately follows  this statement in
     the  Rambam, and the above-named commentaries on it. As to Mesoret
     HaShas and the  other authorities who argue  that the   Rambam had
     before him  the text "Israel" (in  place of "Jerusalem") in    the
     Talmud,  they  speak only  of the  one word  "Israel", and  such a
     variant  reading is  to  be found  elsewhere  - in  Ein Yaakov.  A
     version that would include nigalin, however, I have yet to find in
     the Talmud or in  Yalkut Shimoni. Moreover, it is  more improbable
     to postulate  that the Rambam had a variant reading that is not at
     all extant, than  to assume that the Rambam is  more explicit than
     the  Talmud,  for  which  reason  he  very  understandably  writes
     nigalin. 
26.  1:1. 
27.  V.L.: Linhora Dee-lay ("to his light"). 
28.  Cf. Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 27. 
29.  Yeshayahu 52:8. 
 
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