From: murray@cybernet.cse.fau.edu (murray kahl)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Tanya, Epistle 2, part 1 of 2
Date: 15 Sep 92 15:31:22 GMT
Organization: Cybernet BBS, Boca Raton, Florida

Subj: Tanya-Epistle 2       1/2
Upon his Arrival from Petersburg
 
Epistle Two
 
[The Alter Rebbe sent this pastoral letter to all his followers, upon
his release from the imprisonment brought about by calumnies
instigated by the opponents of Chassidism. (1)  This slander resulted
from his selfless and tireless efforts to strengthen the chassidic
movement and disseminate its teachings. His subsequent release (also)
served as a nod of approval from the government for their continued
dissemination.
 
The Rebbeim, the successive leaders of the ChaBaD chassidic school of
thought, have taught that the Alter Rebbe's arrest resulted from an
indictment voiced in the Heavenly Court - against his doctrine of
clothing the teachings of Chassidism in intellectual terms. (2) (In
fact the very word ChaBaD, naming the movement he founded and the
teachings he first articulated, is an acronym for Chochmah, Binah and
Daat - "wisdom", "understanding", and "knowledge", respectively.)  The
same voice, moreover, disapproved of the fact that the Alter Rebbe
beamed these teachings at the Jewish masses.
 
The Alter Rebbe wrote this epistle in order that it be clearly
understood that his release from physical incarceration resulted
directly from his being cleared of all spiritual charges. Indeed, a
clear signal and an extra measure of strength was thereby given from
Above that the teachings of Chassidism be promulgated according to the
Alter Rebbe's approach of making them intelligible and accessible to
all.
 
With the Alter Rebbe's release there thus began a second era in the
dissemination of Chassidism. This is alluded to by this letter, which
is numbered Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle 2. It will be noted that the
number 2 is mentioned only after the heading, "Upon his Arrival from
Petersburg.  Now Epistle 27 also has a prefatory heading that explains
why it was written.  There, however, the number of the epistle appears
first, and only then is it followed by the introductory heading. Here
the order is inverted, because the second period (or, in chassidic
terminology, (3) "the second degree of greatness"), which is alluded
to by the number 2, began with the Alter Rebbe's arrival from
Petersburg.]
 
[The above was a preface. "I have become small..." is transaltion of
the actual text.]
 
I (4) have become small from all the favors and from all [the truth].
[These words were uttered by Jacob as an introduction to his plea to
G-d that He save him from Esau. Although G-d had previously (5)
assured him that He would accompany and protect him wherever he went,
Jacob nonetheless feared that all the kindnesses that G-d had already
shown him had made him "small", i.e., had reduced his merits. He thus
feared that he was possibly in a state in which he would have to ask
G-d anew, (5) "Save me...."]
 
This means [Rashi comments (6) that "I have become small" is a result
of "all the favors and all the truth"; i.e., "My merits have
diminished because of the favors and truth You have done with me."
Ramban argues that this comment is inconsistent with the "language of
the verse," which states that "I have become small," not that the
speaker's merits have become small; there is a diminution in quality
rather than in quantity. (7)
 
Ramban therefore understands (8) "I have become small" to mean: "I am
unworthy of receiving all your kindness and truth."  Thus, according
to Ramban, "I have become small" is not a result of G-d's "kindness
and truth," but rather an expression of the speaker's being unworthy
of receiving G-d's "kindness and truth."
 
The Alter Rebbe, however, is going to explain this verse according to
the commentary of Rashi: "from all the kindness" simply means that it
was the kindness that made Jacob feel "small".  At the same time,
though, the Alter Rebbe will understand "I have become small" as
referring to the speaker himself: it is he himself who has become
diminished as a result of G-d's many kindnesses and His truth. (Thus,
not only have the particular person's merits become lessened, which
results in his diminishment, but he himself is directly affected as a
result of the "kindness and truth.")
 
Although it is the person himself (and not the tally of his merits)
that has become diminished, nonetheless this diminution is a result of
the "kindness and truth." This, then, is what the Alter Rebbe intends
by saying "This means",] that with every single favor that G-d bestows
upon a man, he ought to become very humble. For [the Supernal] Sefirah
[of] (10) Chesed [is the right arm,"] and, [as Scripture states, (11)]
"His right arm embraces me," which refers to the state of G-d actually
bringing him close [to Himself], far more intensely than before.
 
[Every Divine act of Chesed brings a man closer to G-d.] And whoever
is [brought] exceedingly close to G-d, being raised aloft to great
heights, ought to be ever more humble, to the lowliest plane, as it is
written, (12) "From afar has G-d appeared to me."
 
[When G-d appears to an individual through a particular manifestation
of kindness, this should make him perceive himself as being - in
relation to G-d - "afar", i.e., humbly distant from Him.
Alternatively, the verse may be implying that perceiving oneself as
being "afar" is the very means by which to attain a state in which "G-
d has appeared to me."]
 
And, as is known, "All that are before Him are esteemed as nothing."
[A being of even the highest conceivable spiritual level is of
absolutely no account - indeed, it is nullified out of existence -
when in G-d's presence, when it is "before Him," for nothing exists
before G-d other than Himself.]  Hence, whoever is more "before Him" -
[whoever is closer to G-d] is that much more like nothing, naught, and
non-existent.
 
This [self-effacing response to Divine favors] is the level of the
"right side" of holiness, and of "Chesed unto Abraham"  - [the Divine
lovingkindness that is bestowed upon Abraham, as in the verse, (13)
"You grant truth to Jacob, loving-kindness unto Abraham,"] who said,
(14) "And I am dust and ashes."
 
[The kindness that G-d showed Abraham motivated him to attain the
ultimate degree of humility that this statement expresses. Just as in
the heavenly realms "the right arm of Divine Chesed" causes recipients
of the Chesed to lose their independent identity in the identity of
the Bestower of lovingkindness, so too does it affect mortals upon
whom it is bestowed, making them likewise humble and self-effacing.]
 
This [humility born of kindness] is also the characteristic trait of
Jacob, and therewith he justified himself for his fear of Esau, and
did not regard the [Divine] promise given to him as being sufficient:
(5) "And behold I am with you [and I shall protect you wherever you
go]."  [This was so,] because Jacob regarded himself as utterly
insignificant on account of the multitude of [G-d's] favors, [as he
said,] (15) "for [only] with my staff [did I cross the Jordan, and now
I have [enough property for] two camps]," and he considered himself as
being utterly unfit and unworthy to be saved, and so on.
 
As our Sages, of blessed memory, expressed it, (16) "Jacob was
apprehensive] lest sin would cause [him not to be saved]," for it
appeared to him that he had sinned.
 
["I have become small" thus means that the multitude of kindnesses
bestowed upon Jacob caused him to feel so small and insignificant that
he feared that he had sinned, and hence needed once again to beseech
G-d that He save him from his brother Esau.  And, indeed, every Jew
would do well to follow in the footsteps of his father Jacob, becoming
ever more humble with every successive act of kindness that G-d shows
him.
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