From: murray.bbs@cybernet.cse.fau.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Tanya, Epistle 12, 2 of 3
Date: 27 Aug 92 19:27:50 GMT
Organization: Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton

Tanya Epistle 12   2/3
 
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Then there is  a manner of  purification that  proceeds "from above  to
below"  (milmaalah lematah), whereby one draws down a Divine light upon
oneself  so that the attributes of the animal soul spontaneously become
purified and elevated within this light.  This approach anticipates the
Time to Come,  when the world  as a whole  will become purified  of all
evil  through  the  G-dliness   that  will  then  be   manifest,  until
ultimately, (8) "I shall remove the spirit of impurity from the earth."
 
A  similar manner  of  refining the  animal  soul exists  today.  It is
accomplished through  studying Torah  lishmah, "for  its own  sake." By
studying  in  this  way  -  altruistically,  without  thought  of  even
spiritual  gain - the individual  draws down a  G-dly illumination that
enables him not only to overwhelm the evil within him, but also to sift
out  the good within his animal soul from the evil in which it had been
encumbered.
 
In the same way, when  a Jew practices the  "act" of tzedakah he  draws
down upon himself  a G-dly enlightenment  that becomes revealed  within
him during prayer, and this enables  him to extract the good within his
animal soul from the surrounding evil and to elevate it.]
 
It  is well-known  that our  Sages, of  blessed memory,  said (9)  of a
person who  engages in the  study of Torah  for its own  sake, that "he
makes  peace  within the  heavenly  retinue and  within  the terrestial
retinue."
 
The  "heavenly  retinue" comprises  the  above-mentioned "princes"  and
attributes, for these are the  supernal heichalot [lit., "chambers"] in
the World of Beriah, as stated in the sacred Zohar.
 
[Peace  there   consists  of   the  harmonious  relationship   that  is
established when Gevurah  merges into Chesed and  becomes sweetened and
tempered by it.]
 
The "terrestial retinue" comprises  the lower heichalot, and especially
this lowly world  which, since the sin of Adam, is  mingled of good and
evil,  [As a  result of  Adam's sin,  there is  no good  in  this world
without  evil and no  evil without good.]  and the evil  rules over the
good, as it is written, (10) "While man rules over  man...." [I.e., the
"man of wickedness," representing the forces of kelipah, rules over the
"man of holiness" - and harms him, too, as the verse concludes.]
 
[It is also  written], (11) "And nation will overpower nation," [as the
balance of power  fluctuates between the forces of good  and the forces
of evil.]
 
This  is  empirically evident  with terrestrial  man,  who is  called a
microcosm,  (12)  for sometimes  the  good [within  him]  prevails, and
sometimes the reverse, heaven forfend.
 
Therefore  there will be no peace in  the world until the ultimate time
[lit., "the  time of the End"], when evil will cease to exist, when the
good shall be  refined from the evil in order to cleave to its root and
source, the Divine Source of Life.
 
At  that  time (13)  "all evildoers  shall be  scattered," and  (8) the
spirit  of impurity shall pass from the  earth, when the element of the
good  which sustains it  will be extracted  from its midst.  [Evil will
then cease to exist as a matter of course, for its  entire existence is
dependent on the good found within it.]
 
This refinement itself,  [of the good  from the evil,]  will also  take
place  through  a manifestation  of Divinity  below,  [For just  as the
refinement as a whole  is accomplished through our actions  and efforts
throughout the time of exile, (14)  so, too, the actual refinement will
result from the  revelation of G-dliness in  this world.] with a  great
illumination  and immense effulgence, as  it is written,  (15) "For the
earth  shall be filled with the knowledge  of G-d," and (16) "The glory
of G-d shall be revealed...."
 
Now, this is  as regards the future  of the world, in  general. [In the
Time  to Come  the good  will  be refined  and elevated  from the  evil
through the revelation of G-dliness that will then be manifest.]
 
But  as regards  terrestrial man,  at every  "time of  finding," [every
propitious time for finding G-d,] (17) meaning prayer, (18) or at other
times  designated  for  secluding   oneself  with  one's  Maker,  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.]
 
The same  is accomplished by means  of charity, as it  is related, (19)
"R.  Eliezer would give a coin to a poor man, and then pray, for it  is
written, (20)  "`Through tzedek  will I behold  Your Countenance.'"[The
Hebrew Tzedek 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-
Panim connotes both "face" and "interior".]
 
This  [revelation  during  prayer]  is  a  manifest  illumina-tion  and
effusion of knowledge and understanding,  [enabling one] to meditate on
the  greatness of  G-d, in  order to  beget thereby  an intellectually-
generated awe and love, as is known.
 
And through this the good  is extracted for G-d [and elevated  to Him],
and the evil is separated, as it is written, (21) "The  crucible is for
[refining] silver and the melting-pot is for gold, and man [is refined]
according to his praise."
 
This  means,  "according  to his  praise  of  G-d"  during prayer  with
profound knowledge in order to beget awe and love. (22) In this way the
good is extracted and the evil is separated, just as dross is separated
from silver and gold in a crucible or melting-pot.
 
Now,  it   is  well  known   that  Jews  by   their  very  nature   act
compassionately and perform deeds of lovingkindness. (23) [This  is so]
because  their  souls issue  from  G-d's  attributes,  in which  Chesed
prevails over the  attribute of din,  Gevurah, and  tzimtzum, as it  is
written,  (24) "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.] 
 
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.  (25)  [Since  the  soul  derives  from  the  Divine
attributes that are dominated by kindness and compassion, Jews by their
very nature are kind and compassionate.]
 
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," for  the term  "act"  (maaseh) applies  to that  which is
already done,  or that  is constantly  being done  spontaneously; thus,
something existent, common and constant.
 
Here, too, [with  regard to tzedakah  that is motivated  by the  soul's
innate sense of  kindness and  compassion,] the trait  of kindness  and
compassion is implanted in the souls of the entire House of Israel from
aforetime, from the  time that they were created and  that they evolved
from G-d's attributes, as it is  written (26) [in regard to Adam's soul
entering his body,] "And He  blew into his nostrils [a soul  of life],"
[and we likewise say] (27) concerning the entry of each  and every soul
into  its individual body,  "You blew  it into me,"  and (28)   "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.]
 
Furthermore,  (29) in  His goodness  [G-d] renews  the act  (maaseh) of
creation every single day, and this includes the supernal attributes.
 
Likewise, with regard to souls  below, [it is written], (30)  "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.]
 
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