From: murray@cybernet.cse.fau.edu (murray kahl)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Tanya, Epistle 15, part 4 of 7
Date: 15 Sep 92 15:52:16 GMT
Organization: Cybernet BBS, Boca Raton, Florida

Subj: Tanya Epistle 15      4/7
 
>>> Continued from previous message
 
The Rebbe Shlita notes that prevailing over influences "from without"
is even more important to explain than prevailing over influences
"from within."  The fact that this explanation is lacking points to an
omission in the text.
 
In addition: According to the translation offered above that "The
category of Netzach also comprises...," there is nothing amiss in the
Alter Rebbe's failure to explain a corresponding aspect within Hod,
for Hod comprises no such corresponding aspect . However, the
translation may also be rendered: "In general, the category of Netzach
also entails...." If this is indeed the proper rendition, then the
question arises, why was there no corresponding statement as to the
general function of Hod? Its absence likewise demonstrates that there
is an omission in the text.
 
The Alter Rebbe now goes on to explain the attribute of Yesod.]
 
The category of Yesod is, by way of example, the bond by which the
father binds his intellect to the intellect of his son while teaching
him with love and willingness, for he wishes his son to understand.
 
Without this [bond], even if the son would hear the very same words
from the mouth of his father [ (41) as he speaks and studies to
himself], he would not understand [them] as well as now, when his
father binds his intellect to him and speaks with him face to face
(42) with love and desire, because he desires very much that his son
understand.
 
[The father does not merely want to enlighten his son; his desire
stemming from Yesod is powerful because it is driven by pleasure.]
 
{ (41) In the holy handwriting of the Tzemach Tzedek, of blessed
memory, (in the discourse entitled Ki Yedaativ, sec. 13, (43) where
this passage is quoted,) the above words ("as he speaks and studies to
himself") are not to be found.}
 
[The reason for this omission: Not only is there a difference between
(a) what the son passively absorbs when he hears his father studying
independently, and (b) what he absorbs when his father actively
teaches him; but even when the father is actually teaching, the
presence or absence of the quality of Yesod will determine whether or
not his son's mind will be ignited by the fire of his own desire to
communicate.]
 
And the greater the desire and delight of the father, the greater is
the influence and the learning, (44) because then the son is able to
absorb more and the father communicates more, [proportionally].
 
For through the desire and delight, and with a contented disposition,
his own insight is heightened and amplified, so that he can bestow
enlightenment upon his son and teach him.
 
( (45) This parallels, to draw a metaphor from [the attribute of Yesod
in] the sphere of the truly physical, the profusion of spermatozoa
that results from heightened desire and delight, through which much is
elicited from the brain, [which is its source].
 
This is why the Kabbalists, [seeking to illustrate the imparting of
knowledge out of a sense of pleasure], used the analogy of a physical
union, [for there are a number of similarities between these two
expressions of the attribute of Yesod], as will be explained.) (46)
 
Now, these emotive attributes - [those involved in imparting
enlightenment, and the like] - are the external aspects of the soul.
 
Within them are vested the inner attributes, [which bring about the
external attributes involved in the actual imparting of knowledge,]
i.e., the faculties of love and awe, and so on.
 
This may be compared to the case of a father who bestows enlightenment
upon his son because of his love for him, [The internal aspect of the
attribute involved is love and its external aspect is kindness.]
and withholds his influence because of his dread and fear lest [his
son] come to some downfall, heaven forfend.
 
[The father's fear and dread are thus the internal aspect of his
Gevurah, the attribute that completely or partially witholds the flow
of instruction.
 
The remaining emotive attributes are all offshoots of love and fear
(as explained in Part I, ch. 3, above), and accordingly they too
possess internal and external aspects.
 
Having dealt with the middot, the seven emotive attributes of the
soul, the Alter Rebbe now proceeds to discuss the intellective
attributes which give birth to them.]
 
The source and root of these internal and external emotive attributes,
is the ChaBaD - [an acronym for the intellectual faculties of
Chochmah, Binah and Daat] - of one's soul, for a person's emotive
traits are in proportion to his intellect.
 
This is empirically evident; with a child, for example, whose ChaBaD
are in a state of pettiness, all his emotive traits, too, relate to
insignificant things, [and as he matures in age and understanding, his
emotive traits correspondingly aspire to worthier goals.]
 
With adults, too, [the emotive traits develop in proportion to the
intellect, for (47) "According to his intelligence is a man praised."
 
[Since the term "man" (Ish) is an appelative for the emotive traits
(cf. the verse, (48) "As is a man, so is his Gevurah"), the pre-
viously quoted verse is teaching us that a person's emotive traits are
praiseworthy in proportion to the stature of his ChaBaD.
 
For the extent of his love and kindness corresponds to the extent of
his wisdom, and all his other internal and external traits likewise
have their source in his ChaBaD.
 
Most important to the development of the spiritual emotions is one's
Daat, which derives from one's Chochmah and Binah.
 
[A thinker first grasps the essence of a concept through the seminal
flash of illumination afforded by his faculty of Chochmah; he next
understands it fully by means of the analysis and amplification which
are the function of his faculty of Binah; ultimately, he must immerse
himself in concentration on the concept, binding and unifying himself
with it to the point that - beyond mere intellective comprehension -
he also senses and experiences it with his faculty of Daat.
 
It is this faculty that is critical to the development of his middot,
such as the spiritual emotions of love and awe of G-d, for Daat
provides them with their substance and vitality, as explained in Part
I, ch. 3.]
 
This is readily observable, for the differences between the emotive
traits of various people corresponds to the differences in their
respective degrees of Daat.
 
Now all this - [the above-mentioned effect of the emotive traits upon
the resultant teaching or influence] - is only by way of allegory,
[and does not provide a completely true picture of the Sefirot as they
exist within man's soul], for all this applies to the rational soul,
which is the lower one in man, and derives from kelipat nogah.
 
[This "lower soul" naturally inclines to "lower" (i.e., corporeal)
matters, so that even its intellect goes only as far as understanding
the composition and so on, of mundane things. For although the kelipah
which is the source of this soul is kelipat nogah, a kelipah whose
darkness is relieved by a ray of good, nevertheless it is wholly bound
up with mundanity.]
 
But in true fact, with regard to [the Sefirot in] the higher, divine
soul, which is a "part of G-d above," (49) all the internal and
external attributes are [directed] to G-d alone: [the divine soul is
concerned with spiritual things alone, so that both its (internal)
love and (external) Chesed are concentrated purely on G-dliness.]
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