From: murray@cybernet.cse.fau.edu (murray kahl)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Tanya, Epistle 3, part 1 of 3
Date: 15 Sep 92 15:36:56 GMT
Organization: Cybernet BBS, Boca Raton, Florida

Subj: Tanya Epistles 3      1/3
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 tode of life-iving e illumination 
called memaleh kol
alm(lit., "fling alorlds"),hich eed annithin the ceature  the mode of 
Divine
illuminaon calsovev kol almin (lit., "encompassing all worlds")
is not limited to the finite spiritual capacity ofi.e., [fulfillment 
oBeing 
[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.]
 
And from a reflection of a reflection of the above-mentioned
encompassing light, by means of a powerful contraction, a garment is
made in the Lower and Upper Garden of Eden for the [soul-levels
called] Nefesh - Ruach -Neshamah of man, enabling them to derive
pleasure and attain some apprehension and illumination from the
[infinite] Ein Sof-light which is diffused in the Garden of Eden, as
is explained elsewhere. (9)
 
[For, unaided, the finite soul would never be able to apprehend this
infinite radiance.]
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